Electrochromic devices

Claim 2

An electrochromic device comprising in combination an electronic conductor, an electrochromic material in contact with said conductor, a solid electrolyte formed as a solution phase blend in a mutually miscible solvent of an organic polymer and a heteropoly acid or salt thereof disposed on said electrochromic material and a counter-electrode in contact with said solid electrolyte.

Claim 3

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said device possesses a thickness in the range of from about 5 to about 100 microns.

Claim 4

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said electronic conductor comprises an electrically conductive support.

Claim 5

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 3 in which said electrically conductive support is transparent in nature.

Claim 6

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 3 in which said electrically conductive support is reflective in nature.

Claim 7

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 4 in which said electrically conductive support comprises glass coated with an electrically conductive material.

Claim 8

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 6 in which said electrically conductive material comprises tin oxide.

Claim 9

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 6 in which said electrically conductive material comprises antimony tin oxide.

Claim 10

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 6 in which said electrically conductive material comprises indium tin oxide.

Claim 11

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 4 in which said electrically conductive support comprises an electrically conductive polymer.

Claim 12

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 5 in which said electrically conductive support comprises an electrically conductive metal.

Claim 13

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said electrochromic material comprises an oxide of a metal which possesses multiple oxidation states.

Claim 14

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 12 in which said electrochromic material comprises tungsten trioxide.

Claim 15

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 12 in which said electrochromic material comprises molybdenum trioxide.

Claim 16

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 12 in which said electrochromic material comprises vanadium trioxide.

Claim 17

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 12 in which said electrochromic material comprises niobium trioxide.

Claim 18

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 12 in which said electrochromic material comprises titanium trioxide.

Claim 19

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said electrochromic material comprises a polymeric redox dye.

Claim 20

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said blend of an organic polymer and a heteropoly acid or salt thereof comprises poly(vinyl alcohol)-dodecamolybdophosphoric acid.

Claim 21

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said blend of an organic polymer and a heteropoly acid or salt thereof comprises poly(acrylic acid)-dodecatungstophosphoric acid.

Claim 22

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said blend of an organic polymer and a heteropoly acid or salt thereof comprises poly(vinyl alcohol)-dodecatungstophosphoric acid.

Claim 23

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said blend of an organic polymer and a heteropoly acid or salt thereof comprises poly(vinyl alcohol)-ammonium molybdophosphoric acid.

Claim 24

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said blend of an organic polymer and a heteropoly acid or salt thereof comprises poly(acrylic acid)-uranyl orthophosphate.

Claim 25

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said counter-electrode comprises palladium.

Claim 26

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said counter-electrode comprises platinum.

Claim 27

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said counter-electrode comprises nickel.

Claim 28

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 1 in which said counter-electrode comprises an electronic conductor and an electrochromic material in contact with said electrolyte.

Claim 29

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 27 in which said electronic conductor comprises an electrically conductive support.

Claim 30

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 28 in which said electrically conductive support comprises glass coated with an electrically conductive material.

Claim 31

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 29 in which said electrically conductive material comprises tin oxide.

Claim 32

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 29 in which said electrically conductive material comprises antimony tin oxide.

Claim 33

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 29 in which said electrically conductive material comprises indium tin oxide.

Claim 34

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 28 in which said electrochromic support comprises an electrically conductive polymer.

Claim 35

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 27 in which said electrolyte contains an inert compound which will produce diffuse scattering of light.

Claim 36

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 34 in which said inert compound comprises titanium dioxide.

Claim 37

The electrochromic device as set forth in claim 35 in which said inert compound comprises zinc oxide.

Claim 38

The electrochromic device of claim 1 wherein said solid electrolyte comprises a solution phase blend of (1) a heteropoly acid or salt thereof having the generic formula: A.sub.m [X.sub.x Y.sub.y O.sub.z ]°nH.sub.2 O in which X and Y may be selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, gallium, silicon, germanium, tin, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, iodine, and metals of the first, second, third and fourth transitional metal series of the Periodic Table and where Y is dissimilar from X and is selected from at least one metal of the first, second, third and fourth transitional metal series of the Periodic Table, A is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, ammonium, sodium, potassium, lithium, rubidium, cesium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium, m is an integer of from about 1 to 10, y is an integer of from 6 to 12 based on x being equal to 1, z is an integer of from 30 to 80 and n is an integer of from 3 to 100 and, (2) a polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(vinyl alcohol), polyethylene oxide, polyethyleneimine, polyacrylic acid, polyethylene glycol, cellulose acetate, polyvinylmethyethyl ether and phenol formaldehyde resins.