Busbars for electrically powered cells
AssigneeDonnelly Corporation
InventorsAnoop Agrawal, Juan Carlos Lopez Tonazzi, Robert LeCompte, John Cronin, Steve Kennedy, Kevin McCarthy, Matthew Denesuk, Gimtong Teowee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Edge busbars on a substantial perimeter of an electrochromic device are disclosed having electrical paths wrapping over the perimeter edge. Internal busbars interior from the perimeter are disclosed which lower the conductivity of the conductive layer of an electrochromic device. Signals supplied to the busbars to control the electrochromic device are controlled by a switching power supply that allows the maintaining of the color of the electrochromic device without application of continuous power.
Claims37
An edge busbar having a shape effective to be peripherally disposed about a substantial perimeter of an edge, between a first surface and an opposite second surface, of an electrical device, wherein said edge busbar comprises:
- at least one electrically conductive connector portion effective to form an electrically conductive path from said first surface, wrapping transversely around a portion of said edge, to said opposite second surface;
- and
- an electrically conductive perimeter portion in electrical contact with said connector portion, wherein said perimeter portion is peripherally on said substantial perimeter.
An edge busbar pair comprising a first edge busbar and a second edge busbar, each edge busbar of said pair having a shape to be peripherally disposed about a respective substantial perimeter edge of a first substrate and a second substrate respectively of an electrical device, said edge busbar pair further including:
- said first busbar comprising a first connector portion and a first perimeter portion, said first connector portion effective to form an electrically conductive first path from a first front surface of said first substrate, wrapping around a portion of said edge of said first substrate, to an opposite first back surface of said first substrate, said first perimeter portion being in electrical contact with said first connector portion, and wherein said first perimeter portion is peripherally on said first substantial perimeter of said first substrate;
- a second busbar comprising a second connector portion and a second perimeter portion, said second connector portion effective to form an electrically conductive second path from a second front surface of said second substrate, wrapping around a portion of an edge of said second substrate, to an opposite second back surface of said second substrate, said second perimeter portion being in electrical contact with said second connector portion, and wherein said second perimeter portion is peripherally on said second substantial perimeter of said second substrate;
- and
- wherein said first front surface and said second front surface proximately face each other.
An electrochromic device comprising a first substrate;
- a second substrate;
- and an edge busbar pair, wherein said edge busbar pair comprising a first edge busbar and a second edge busbar, each edge busbar of said pair peripherally disposed about a respective substantial perimeter edge of said first substrate and said second substrate respectively, said edge busbar pair further including:
- said first busbar comprising a first connector portion and a first perimeter portion, said first connector portion effective to form an electrically conductive first path from a first front surface of said first substrate, wrapping around a portion of said edge of said first substrate, to an opposite first back surface of said first substrate, said first perimeter portion being in electrical contact with said first connector portion, and wherein said first perimeter portion is peripherally on said first substantial perimeter of said first substrate;
- a second busbar comprising a second connector portion and a second perimeter portion, said second connector portion effective to form an electrically conductive second path from a second front surface of said second substrate, wrapping around a portion of an edge of said second substrate, to an opposite second back surface of said second substrate, said second perimeter portion being in electrical contact with said second connector portion, and wherein said second perimeter portion is peripherally on said second substantial perimeter of said second substrate;
- and
- wherein said first front surface and said second front surface face each other.
An internal busbar for a substrate having a conductive layer and a reactive layer on a first surface, said internal busbar comprising:
- at least one conductive strip, isolated from chemical reaction with said reactive layer;
- and
- at least one conductive connecting portion, each connecting portion electrically connecting a non-peripheral portion of said conductive layer to a segment of said conductive strip.
An internal busbar for a substrate having a conductive layer on a surface of the substrate, said internal busbar comprising:
- at least one conductive strip having increased electrical conductance per unit length from the conductive layer in a longitudinal direction of said conductive strip, and said conductive strip having a perimeter in contact with the conductive layer.
A transparent conducting sheet comprising:
- a transparent substrate sheet;
- a transparent electrically conducting layer on a substantial surface of said substrate sheet;
- and
- at least one conductive strip interior to a perimeter edge of said conducting layer;
- said at least one conductive strip effective to lower an effective conductivity of said conducting layer.
An electrical device comprising:
- a conductive layer;
- an edge conductor on a perimeter portion of said conductive layer;
- and
- at least one conductive strip having increased electrical conductance per unit length from said conductive layer, and said conductive strip having a perimeter in contact with said conductive layer.
A method to form an interior busbar comprising the steps of:
- forming at least one channel on a surface of a substrate interior to a perimeter of said substrate;
- applying a conductive material to said at least one channel;
- applying a conductive layer over said surface effective to completely cover said applied conductive material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.