# US 10,871,027 B2 · Electric potentially-driven shade with CIGS solar cell, and/or method of making the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,027 B2 - Document ID: US10871027B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/028,705 - Filed: 2018-07-06 - Published: 2020-01-09 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-06 - Assignees: Guardian Glass, LLC - Applicants: Guardian Glass, LLC - Inventors: Rudolph Hugo Petrmichl; Timothy J. Frey; Jason Blush - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871027B2 ## CPC - E06B 3/6722: {with adjustable passage of light} - E06B 9/24: Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; {Slat blinds}(operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00) - E06B 3/673: Assembling the units (E06B3/677 takes precedence {; making hollow glass sheets or bricks C03B23/24}) - E06B 9/264: Combinations of lamellar blinds with roller shutters, screen windows, windows, or double panes; Lamellar blinds with special devices - E06B 9/42: Parts or details of roller blinds, e.g. suspension devices, blind boxes (brackets or adjustable mountings for roller blinds and drawable curtains A47H1/13) - E06B 9/68: Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive - G02F 1/19: based on variable-reflection or variable-refraction elements not provided for in groups G02F1/015 - G02F1/169 - H02S 20/26: Building materials integrated with PV modules, e.g. façade elements (H02S20/25 takes precedence) - H10F 10/167: comprising Group I-III-VI materials, e.g. CdS/CuInSe2 [CIS] heterojunction photovoltaic cells - H10F 77/126: {comprising only Group I-III-VI chalcopyrite materials, e.g. CuInSe2, CuGaSe2 or CuInGaSe2 [CIGS]} - H10F 77/1694: {the films including Group I-III-VI materials, e.g. CIS or CIGS} - E06B 3/6715: {specially adapted for increased thermal insulation or for controlled passage of light (E06B3/66323 takes precedence; coating of glass pains C03C17/00; devices or arrangements for controlling the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light G02F1/00)} - E06B 2009/2476: {Solar cells} - E06B 2009/2643: {Screens between double windows} - G02F 2202/022: polymeric - G02F 2203/02: reflective - Y02B 10/10: Photovoltaic [PV] - Y02E 10/541: CuInSe2 material PV cells - E06B: FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES (shades or blinds for greenhouses A01G9/22; curtains A47H; lids for car boots or bonnets B62D25/10; skylights E04B7/18; sunshades, awnings E04F10/00) - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Certain example embodiments relate to electric, potentially-driven shades usable with insulating glass (IG) units, IG units including such shades, and/or associated methods. In such a unit, a dynamic shade is located between the substrates defining the IG unit, and is movable between retracted and extended positions. The dynamic shade includes on-glass layers including a transparent conductor and an insulator or dielectric film, as well as a shutter. The shutter includes a resilient polymer, a conductor, and optional ink. Holes, invisible to the naked eye, may be formed in the polymer. When the conductor is reflective, overcoat layers may be provided to help reduce internal reflection. The polymer may be capable of surviving high-temperature environments and may be colored in some instances. The shade, when extended, may be used as a solar collector in some instances. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An insulating glass (IG) unit, comprising: first and second substrates, each having interior and exterior major surfaces, the interior major surface of the first substrate facing the interior major surface of the second substrate; a spacer system helping to maintain the first and second substrates in substantially parallel spaced apart relation to one another and to define a gap therebetween; and a dynamically controllable shade interposed between the first and second substrates, the shade including: a first conductive coating provided, directly or indirectly, on the interior major surface of the first substrate; a dielectric or insulator film provided, directly or indirectly, on the first conductive coating; and a shutter including a polymer substrate supporting, in order moving away from the polymer substrate, a second conductive coating, a CIGS absorber, a third conductive coating, and an upper contact layer, wherein the polymer substrate is extendible to serve as a shutter closed position and retractable to serve a shutter open position; and wherein the first and second conductive coatings are electrically connectable to a power source that is controllable to selectively set up an electric potential difference to correspondingly drive the polymer substrate between the shutter open and closed positions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The IG unit of claim 1, wherein the polymer substrate comprises polyimide and/or polyethylenenapthalate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The IG unit of claim 1, wherein the second conductive coating includes a layer comprising Mo. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The IG unit of claim 3, wherein the second conductive coating further includes a layer comprising Al interposed between the layer comprising Mo and the polymer substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The IG unit of claim 1, wherein the third conductive coating includes a layer comprising zinc oxide. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The IG unit of claim 1, wherein the third conductive coating includes a layer comprising aluminum-doped zinc oxide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The IG unit of claim 1, further comprising a decorative ink applied to the polymer substrate on a major surface thereof opposite to CIGS absorber. ### Claim 8 A method of making an insulating glass (IG) unit, the method comprising: providing first and second substrates, each having interior and exterior major surfaces; forming a first conductive coating, directly or indirectly, on the interior major surface of the first substrate; providing a dielectric or insulator film, directly or indirectly, on the first conductive coating; locating, adjacent to the dielectric or insulator film, a shutter including a polymer substrate supporting, in order moving away from the polymer substrate, a second conductive coating, a CIGS absorber, a third conductive coating, and an upper contact layer, wherein the polymer substrate is extendible to serve as a shutter closed position and retractable to serve a shutter open position; electrically connecting the first and second conductive coatings to a power source, wherein the first conductive coating, dielectric or insulator film, and shutter at least partially form a dynamic shade that is controllable in connection with the power source to selectively set up an electric potential difference and correspondingly drive the polymer substrate between the shutter open and closed positions; and connecting the first and second substrates together in substantially parallel spaced apart relation to one another in connection with a spacer system such that the interior surfaces of the first and second substrates face one another in making the IG unit, a gap being defined therebetween, the dynamic shade being interposed between the first and second substrates in the gap. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the polymer substrate comprises polyimide and/or polyethylenenapthalate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the second conductive coating includes a layer comprising Mo. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the second conductive coating further includes a layer comprising Al interposed between the layer comprising Mo and the polymer substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the third conductive coating includes a layer comprising zinc oxide. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the third conductive coating includes a layer comprising aluminum-doped zinc oxide. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising a decorative ink applied to the polymer substrate on a major surface thereof opposite to CIGS absorber. ### Claim 15 A method of making an insulating glass (IG) unit, the method comprising: having first and second substrates, each having interior and exterior major surfaces, the interior major surface of the first substrate facing the interior major surface of the second substrate, wherein a first conductive coating is formed, directly or indirectly, on the interior major surface of the first substrate and a dielectric or insulator film is provided, directly or indirectly, on the first conductive coatings; wherein a shutter is located, adjacent to the dielectric or insulator film, the shutter including a polymer substrate supporting, in order moving away from the polymer substrate, a second conductive coating, a CIGS absorber, a third conductive coating, and an upper contact layer, wherein the polymer substrate is extendible to serve as a shutter closed position and retractable to serve a shutter open position; wherein the first and second conductive coatings are electrically connectable to a power source, wherein the first conductive coatings, dielectric or insulator film, and shutter at least partially form a dynamic shade that is controllable in connection with the power source to selectively set up an electric potential difference and correspondingly drive the polymer substrate between the shutter open and closed positions; and connecting the first and second substrates together in substantially parallel spaced apart relation to one another in connection with a spacer system such that the interior surfaces of the first and second substrates face one another in making the IG unit, a gap being defined therebetween, the dynamic shade being interposed between the first and second substrates in the gap. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the polymer substrate comprises polyimide and/or polyethylenenapthalate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the second conductive coating includes a layer comprising Mo. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the second conductive coating further includes a layer comprising Al interposed between the layer comprising Mo and the polymer substrate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the third conductive coating includes a layer comprising aluminum-doped zinc oxide. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising a decorative ink applied to the polymer substrate on a major surface thereof opposite to CIGS absorber. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) A method of operating a dynamic shade in an insulating glass (IG) unit, the method comprising: having an IG unit made in accordance with the method of claim 15; and selectively activating the power source to move the polymer substrate between the shutter open and closed positions.