IP Library Granted Patent US 7,342,706
Granted Patent B2
US 7,342,706 · App. 11/073,862 · Granted Mar 11, 2008

Electrochromic element, optical density changing element, optical element and photographing unit

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,342,706
App. No.
11/073,862
Granted
Mar 11, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electrochromic element wherein, in a colored state of the electrochromic element, a first average optical density in a first wavelength range of 450 to 470 nm, a second average optical density in a second wavelength range of 540 to 560 nm and a third average optical density in a third wavelength range of 630 to 650 nm have a fluctuation (difference of a maximum value and a minimum value of the first to third average optical densities) equal to or less than 0.5.

Claims (20)

1. An electrochromic element comprising:

a semiconductor material which is a nanoporous semiconductor material having a roughness factor of 20 or higher; and

an electrochromic material on a surface of the semiconductor material, the electrochromic material comprising at least one of electrochromic materials represented by formulas (1), (2) and (3):

wherein V 1 , V 2 , V 3 , V 4 , V 5 , V 6 , V 7 , V 8 , V 9 , V 10 , V 11 , V 12 , V 13 , V 14 , V 15 , V 16 , V 17 , V 18 , V 19 , V 20 , V 21 , V 22 , V 23 and V 24 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent substituent;

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group;

L 1 , L 2 , L 3 , L 4 , L 5 and L 6 each independently represents a methine group or a nitrogen atom;

n 1 , n 2 and n 3 each independently represents 0, 1, 2 or 3;

M 1 , M 2 and M 3 each independently represents a charge balancing counter ion, and m 1 , m 2 and m 3 each independently represents a number equal to or larger than 0 necessary for neutralizing a charge of a molecule; and

in the case n 1 , n 2 and n 3 are 0, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 each independently represents an aryl group, and compounds represented by the formulas (1) to (3) each independently has at least a group selected from a sulfo group, a phosphono group and a phosphato group.

2. An electrochromic element according to claim 1 , wherein, in the formulas (1) to (3), n 1 , n 2 and n 3 each independently represents 1; L 1 , L 2 , L 3 , L 4 , L 5 and L 6 each independently represents a methine group; and compounds represented by the general formulas (1) to (3) each independently has at least two phosphono groups or two phosphate groups.

3. An electrochromic element according to claim 1 , wherein, in the formula (1), n 1 is 0; the compound represented by the formula (1) has at least two phosphono groups or two phosphato groups.

4. An electrochromic element according to claim 1 , which has, in a decolored state of the electrochromic element, an optical density equal to or less than 0.125 at any wavelength within a wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm.

5. An optical density changing element comprising at least one electrochromic element according to claim 1 .

6. An optical density changing element according to claim 5 , which has, in a decolored state of the optical density changing element, an optical density of 0.2 or less at a wavelength of 400 nm.

7. An optical density changing element according to claim 5 , wherein, in a decolored state of the optical density changing element, each of a fourth average optical density in a fourth wavelength range of 400 to 500 nm, a fifth average optical density in a fifth wavelength range of 500 to 600 nm and a sixth average optical density in a sixth wavelength range of 600 to 700 nm is 0.1 or less.

8. An optical element comprising:

an electromotive force generating element capable of generating an electromotive force in response to an electromagnetic wave; and

an optical density changing element according to claim 5 , capable of changing an optical density of the optical density changing element by the electromotive force.

9. A photographing unit comprising an optical element according to claim 8 .

10. A photographing unit according to claim 9 , wherein the photographic unit is a film with lens.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2007
From: FUJIFILM HOLDINGS CORPORATION (FORMERLY FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.)
To: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018904/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 8, 2005
From: SHINOHARA, RYUJI; KANEIWA, HIDEKI; MATSUNAGA, ATSUSHI; MORIMOTO, KIYOSHI
To: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 016365/0633 →