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US 5,384,653 AGranted
Stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) powered electrochromic window
AssigneeMidwest Research Institute
InventorsDavid K. Benson, Richard S. Crandall, Satyendra K. Deb, Jack L. Stone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A variable transmittance double pane window includes an electrochromic material that has been deposited on one pane of the window in conjunction with an array of photovoltaic cells deposited along an edge of the pane to produce the required electric power necessary to vary the effective transmittance of the window. A battery is placed in a parallel fashion to the array of photovoltaic cells to allow the user the ability to manually override the system when a desired transmittance is desired.
Claims17
Window apparatus comprising:
- a sheet of transparent material having a surface, a first portion of which surface has electrochromic opacity varying means for varying effective radiation transmittance of said first portion of said sheet in response to an electric field, and a second portion of which surface has photovoltaic electric field producing means deposited on said surface that absorbs incident light to produce an electric field;
- and
- circuit means connected to said photovoltaic electric field producing means deposited on said second portion of said surface of said sheet and to said electrochromic opacity varying means in such manner that an electric field produced by said photovoltaic means in response to light incident on said second surface portion of said sheet is applied to said electrochromic opacity varying means on said first portion of said surface to vary the effective light transmittance of said first portion of said surface of said sheet in response to said light incident on said second portion of said surface of said sheet.
Window apparatus comprising:
- a sheet of transparent material having a surface, electrochromic opacity varying means on a portion of the surface of said sheet for varying the effective radiation transmittance of said sheet;
- photovoltaic electric power producing means deposited on another portion of the surface of said sheet for producing electric power;
- and
- circuit means connected to said photovoltaic electric power producing means and to said electrochromic opacity varying means for applying electric power produced by said photovoltaic electric power producing means across said electrochromic opacity varying means and thereby to vary the effective transmittance of said sheet, said circuit means including alternate electric power source means for providing alternative electric power as a selectable substitute for said photovoltaic electric power producing means, and switch means for reversing polarity of the electric power applied to said electrochromic opacity varying means as well as for selectively connecting said alternate electric power source means to said electrochromic opacity varying means.
1 more element
Window apparatus comprising:
- a first pane comprising a sheet of transparent material having a surface, electrochromic opacity varying means on a portion of the surface of said sheet for varying the effective radiation transmittance of said sheet;
- photovoltaic electric power producing means deposited on another portion of the surface of said sheet for producing electric power;
- circuit means connected to said photovoltaic electric power producing means and to said electrochromic opacity varying means for applying electric power produced by said photovoltaic electric power producing means across said electrochromic opacity varying means and thereby to vary the effective transmittance of said sheet;
- a second pane comprising another sheet of transparent material positioned parallel to and about 10 to 15 mm apart from said first pane, said surface of said first pane that contains said electrochromic opacity varying means and said photovoltaic electric power producing means being positioned in facing juxtaposed relation to said second pane;
- and a spacer rim having a channel-shaped with a compartment therein positioned between the perimeter edges of said first and second panes to enclose a chamber between said first and second panes, a desiccant positioned in said compartment, and said rim having apertures opening said compartment to said chamber.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.