MXPA00004636A - Flat chamber for filling with fluid media - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a flat chamber for filling with fluid media. Said flat chamber is defined by two essentially parallel delimiting plates and a peripheral bead of a dense, hardened adhesive which is located between the two plates and which sticks them together. At least one capillary is provided, said capillary running parallel to the plates, passing through the bead of adhesive and being stuck to said bead of adhesive.

Description

FLAT CAMERA FOR FILLING WITH FLUID MEDIA Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flat chamber for filling with fluid means, which is defined by two substantially parallel delimiting plates as well as by a perimetric fillet between the plates of a hardened compressed glue by means of which the plates are glued together.

These chambers, whose distance between plates, for example, can reach 0.1 to 1 mm and in which the surface dilation of the plates between fragments of one cm2 can reach up to several dm2, find application as a functional container for liquids that under the action of external influences such as electric or magnetic field, temperature, radiation, etc., vary their properties, especially their optical properties such as color, absorption behavior, optical activity, etc. Correspondingly, at least one of the delimiting plates is configured optically transparent if the desired effect in reflection is observed. If the desired effect is observed by back lighting or similar REF .: 119714 both parallel boundary plates are constituted by a transparent material. As the transparent material, for example, glass plates, polycarbonate sheets and the like are suitable.

Background of the Invention In recent times, electrochromic screens in the form of mirrors or indicating elements have acquired a special interest. In the electrochromic screens, a color variation of the electrtrachrome liquid appears under the action of an electric field. The electrochromic screens are therefore constructed in the form of flat chambers, in which the parallel delimiting plates are constituted by transparent material, which have a translucent electrical conductive coating, in particular a coating of indium tin oxide (ITO), which is in contact with the electrochrome liquid. In the case of electrochromic mirrors, one of the coatings is configured as a non-transparent reflecting metal layer.

Such screens or mirrors are known in principle from US-A 3 451 741, EP-A 240 226 and WO 94/23333. Preferred electrochromic liquids are described in German patent applications 196 05 448, 196 05 441, 196 21 865 and 196 31 729.

To maintain the functions of a mirror or an electrochromic screen in a lasting way, it is necessary to protect the electrochromic liquid from the entry of atmospheric oxygen and other reactive compounds against the active electrochromic substances and to prevent the evaporation of components of the electrochromic liquid, especially of solvents, that is, it is necessary to encapsulate the electrochrome liquid safely in the chamber. In addition to. this, the chamber must not present gas bubbles when it is filled with electroG-blunt liquid, as gas bubbles limit the use of these screens and mirrors. Another problem is contact of the electrochromic liquid with unhardened components of the epoxy glue usually used. The non-reactive components of the adhesive react with the active electrochromic substance and optionally with other components of the electrochromic liquid.

The multiple problems associated with the manufacture of the flat camera and its filling are so far solved only insufficiently. Reference is made to the state of the art in US-A-5 233,461 in which a series of proposals of the state of the art for the resolution of the problems are referred to and in which another proposal is also disclosed.

Description of the invention The object of the present invention is a flat chamber for filling with fluid means of the type mentioned at the beginning with the characteristics that it is provided with at least one capillary that extends parallel to the delimiting plates, passes through the glue fillet and is glued with this .

The outer diameter of the capillary is smaller than the distance between the plates. These capillaries can be easily fabricated from quartz glass and are commercially available in standardized form for use in high pressure liquid chromatography. For example, quartz glass capillaries of the firm Seitz Chromatografie Produkte GmbH, Weiterstadt, BRD, with article no. SC 100 170 and SC 075 150, are suitable for flat chambers with a distance between plates of 0.2 mm. outer diameters of 0.17 mm and 0.15 mm respectively with internal diameters of 0.1 and 0.075 mm respectively.

For the production of the flat chamber, it is possible to proceed, for example, by providing both delimiting plates along the gluing line with a strip of glue, then placing the capillary transversely on the glue strip and then assembling both plates together and hardening the glue heating up. To establish the distance between plates, the glue can be mixed in a conventional manner with glass balls of a diameter corresponding to the desired distance between plates.

Preferably, the capillary is arranged so that it protrudes somewhat into the glue fillet so that the risk of plugging the capillary by glue penetrating from the inside can be excluded. Preferably, the capillary protrudes from the inside of the glue at least 1 mm.

Depending on the procedure used to fill the flat chamber, it may be appropriate to equip it with several capillaries. With particular preference the flat chamber according to the invention has two capillaries extending parallel to the plates, which pass through the glue strip and are glued to it.

In a flat chamber with a substantially rectangular cross section the capillary is preferably arranged so that its opening towards the chamber opens in the vicinity of a corner, especially at a distance of 1 to 2 mm from the inner side of the glue fillet in the corner of the camera. In the case that two capillaries are provided, they preferably open in different corners of the flat chamber, with particular preference in two opposite corners.

After filling the chamber with the electrochromic liquid, the outer mouth of the capillaries is simply closed with glue. Neither the contact of the liquid e-lect rocromo nor the heating of the application of substantially point glue of the capillary inlet can negatively affect the electrochrome liquid. The possible reactions between the glue and the electrochrome liquid take place only at the entrance of the substantially punctate capillary. There is no intermingling with the electrochrome liquid present in the flat chamber, since any reaction products can only gain access to the chamber by diffusion longitudinally through the capillary.

The filling of the flat chamber according to the invention can be carried out in a known manner, for example, when only one capillary is present, by the known "vacuum backfilling" (vacuum filling). In addition, the chamber and a container, which contain the electrochrome liquid, are introduced into a vacuum chamber, the vacuum is made in the vacuum chamber, which at the same time the vacuum is made in the flat chamber through the capillary , then the capillary is immersed in the electrochrome liquid and after that, if necessary, protective gas is passed through the chamber to which the vacuum was applied. The atmospheric pressure, if necessary also higher than atmospheric pressure, which is disposed on the liquid itself, presses the latter into the emptied chamber.

In the case that two capillaries are provided, one of the two capillaries can be connected to a vacuum source through the known systems of tubes, accessories and connection elements of high pressure liquid chromatography, and the other capillary with a container containing the electrochrome liquid. In this respect, either the electrochromic liquid is "lifted" by vacuum into the chamber or, if the container for the electrochromic liquid is configured in the form of an injection syringe, it is injected into the emptied chamber. The capillary orifice on the side of the chamber, through which the vacuum is made, should preferably be in the vicinity of the highest point of the chamber, so that the residual volume after the purge of the capillary inlet is the least possible. The pressure and size of this residual void volume determines the size of the bubbles remaining in the chamber. If the volume of gas bubbles is small enough they dissolve in the electrochromic liquid.

To improve the dissolving capacity of the electrochromic liquid to dissolve the residual gas bubbles, the electrochromic liquid is preferably degassed before filling the chamber by vacuum treatment.

In the case of filling by "vacuum backfilling", in which during filling with the electrochrome liquid no more gas is removed from the cell, the total gas corresponding to the pressure of the evacuated cell remains in the cell.

A method of filling the preferred flat chamber according to the invention therefore consists in that the flat chamber, after the "vacuum backfilling", is again subjected to a vacuum, and the level of the capillary hole on the side of the chamber in the highest of the chamber arranged perpendicularly. In this way, the electrochromic liquid chamber is withdrawn up to the level of this orifice and after that the gas volume is evacuated. If after this the chamber is again filled with electrochromic liquid by "vacuum backfilling" the residual gas remaining in the chamber is reduced according to the ratio of total chamber volume to empty volume after the second evacuation.

Detailed Description of the Figures The invention is illustrated in more detail below with the help of the attached figures. Fig. 1 shows a first flat chamber according to the invention constituted by two parallel delimiting plates 1 and 2, the hardened glue fillet 3 extending perimetrally between the delimiting plates, through which the capillary 5 has been passed, so that the enclosure and interior of the flat chamber 4 can be filled through the capillary.

Fig. 2 shows the gluing 6 of the outer hole of the capillary. Here, the protruding end of the capillary outside the chamber has been shortened after filling by filing and breaking.

Fig. 3 shows a chamber according to the invention having two capillaries 5.1 and 5.2 diametrically opposite to the chamber. Here, after arranging the camera perpendicularly, the electrochrome liquid can be introduced through a capillary (5.1) and the vacuum can be made through the other capillary (5.2).

Fig. 4 shows a chamber according to the invention which is especially well suited for the double "vacuum backfilling" described above. Here, the capillary 5 practically passes through the total lateral extension of the chamber 4. If the chamber is then emptied again after the first "vacuum backfilling", the capillary 5 being substantially upright with the opening facing outwards, First, remove the electrochromic liquid up to the level of the capillary orifice on the side of the chamber and then empty the gas space through the capillary. Consequently, through the second "vacuum backfilling", there is significantly less gas in the chamber than just with a simple "vacuum backfilling".

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it relates.

Having described the invention as above, the content of the following is declared as property:

Claims (6)

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. Flat chamber for filling with fluid means, characterized in that it is defined by two substantially parallel delimiting plates as well as by a perimetral fillet between the plates of a hardened compressed glue by means of which the plates are glued to each other, with the characteristics that it is provided with at least two capillaries extending parallel to the plates pass through the glue fillet and are glued to it.

2. Flat chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that the "" capillaries protrude from the fillet on the inner side by at least 1 mm.

3. Flat chamber according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the chamber has a substantially rectangular cross section and the fillet through a capillary through a corner.

4. Flat chamber according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the capillaries pass through the chamber until immediately in front of the opposite fillet.

5. Flat chamber for filling with an electrochromic liquid according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one of the plates consists of a transparent support which is provided on its inner face with a transparent electrically conductive layer and the other plate it is electrically conductive at least on its inner face, the electrically conductive layers being additionally provided outside the electrical contact chamber.

6. Flat camera according to claim 5, wherein the other plate is a mirror.