Electrically activated thermochromic optical shutters
OwnerDay Chahroudiinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical shutter which responds to temperature may be caused to respond to an electrical current by placing a transparent conductor of electricity parallel to and in thermal contact with it, and by running an electrical current through the transparent conductor, such that the transparent conductor is resistively heated, and thereby heats the optical shutter. The above transparent conductor may be used simultaneously as a component of a transparent insulation. The electrical current may be controlled by a photosensor, a temperature sensor, a thermostat, and/or a manual switch.
Claims23
A layered structure forming an electrochromic optical shutter used for architectural glazings comprising a layer of thermochromic material disposed parallel to and in thermal contact with a layer of transparent conductor of electricity and an electrical conductor for passing electrical current through said transparent conductor such that heat generated by said current causes said thermochromic material to increase in temperature and thereby become less transmissive of light and such that cessation of said current causes said thermochromic material to decrease in temperature and thereby become more transmissive of light, the layered structure being transmissive to light when electrical current is not applied to the transparent conductor of electricity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.