Author: claimsbot

1. An electrochromic device comprising:
(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material;
(b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material; and
(c) an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region comprises a mixture of: (i) a substantially electronically insulating ion conducting material, and (ii) at least one of the electrochromic material, the counter electrode material and an additional material, where the additional material includes distinct electrochromic or counter electrode material.
2. The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein:
the electrochromic material comprises an oxide of at least one of tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, titanium, copper, iridium, chromium, manganese, vanadium, nickel and cobalt;
the counter electrode material comprises at least one of nickel oxide, nickel tungsten oxide, nickel vanadium oxide, nickel chromium oxide, nickel aluminum oxide, nickel manganese oxide, nickel magnesium oxide, chromium oxide, manganese oxide, Prussian blue, cerium titanium oxide, cerium zirconium oxide, vanadium oxide, tantalum and tungsten; and
the electronically insulating ion conducting material comprises at least one of lithium silicate, lithium aluminum silicate, lithium aluminum borate, lithium aluminum fluoride, lithium borate, lithium nitride, lithium zirconium silicate, lithium niobate, lithium borosilicate, lithium phosphosilicate, lithium silicon-oxide, lithium oxide, lithium tungstate, lithium molybdate, lithium tantalate, lithium titanate, lithium zirconate, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, niobium oxide, titanium oxide, tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide and cerium oxide.
3. The electrochromic device of claim 2, wherein interfacial region comprises a mixture of the substantially electronically insulating ion conducting material, and (ii) one or both of the electrochromic material and the counter electrode material.
4. The electrochromic device of claim 3, wherein the substantially electronically insulating ion conducting material and the one or both of the electrochromic material and the counter electrode material are substantially evenly distributed within the interfacial region.
5. The electrochromic device of claim 3, wherein the substantially electronically insulating ion conducting material and the one or both of the electrochromic material and the counter electrode material comprise a composition gradient within the interfacial region in a direction perpendicular to the layers.
6. The electrochromic device of claim 5, wherein the electrochromic material and the substantially electronically insulating ion conducting material together comprise the majority of the materials in the interfacial region.
7. The electrochromic device of claim 6, wherein the interfacial region comprises between about 60% by weight and about 95% by weight of the ion-conducting electrically-insulating material while the remainder of the interfacial region is the electrochromic material.
8. The electrochromic device of claim 6, wherein the interfacial region comprises between about 70% by weight and about 95% by weight of the ion-conducting electrically-insulating material while the remainder of the interfacial region is the electrochromic material.
9. The electrochromic device of claim 6, wherein the interfacial region comprises between about 80% by weight and about 95% by weight of the ion-conducting electrically-insulating material while the remainder of the interfacial region is the electrochromic material.
10. The electrochromic device of claim 3, wherein the counter electrode material and the substantially electronically insulating ion conducting material together comprise a majority of the materials in the interfacial region.
11. The electrochromic device of claim 10, wherein interfacial region comprises between about 60% by weight and about 95% by weight of the ion-conducting electrically-insulating material while the remainder of the interfacial region is the counter electrode material.
12. The electrochromic device of claim 10, wherein interfacial region comprises between about 70% by weight and about 95% by weight of the ion-conducting electrically-insulating material while the remainder of the interfacial region is the counter electrode material.
13. The electrochromic device of claim 10, interfacial region comprises between about 80% by weight and about 95% by weight of the ion-conducting electrically-insulating material while the remainder of the interfacial region is the counter electrode material.
14. The electrochromic device of claim 3, wherein the substantially electronically insulating ion conducting material comprises lithium tungstate, the electrochromic material comprises a tungsten oxide and the counter electrode material comprises nickel tungsten oxide.
15. The electrochromic device of claim 14, wherein the electrochromic layer is between about 300 nm and about 500 nm thick; the interfacial region is between about 10 nm and about 150 nm thick, and the counter electrode layer is between about 150 nm and about 300 nm thick.
16. The electrochromic device of claim 14, wherein the electrochromic layer is between about 400 nm and about 500 nm thick; the interfacial region is between about 20 nm and about 100 nm thick, and the counter electrode layer is between about 150 nm and about 250 nm thick.
17. The electrochromic device of claim 14, wherein the electrochromic layer is between about 400 nm and about 450 nm thick; the interfacial region is between about 30 nm and about 50 nm thick, and the counter electrode layer is between about 200 nm and about 250 nm thick.
18. The electrochromic device of claim 6, wherein the interfacial region comprises between about 0.5% and about 50% of the combined thickness of the interfacial region and the electrochromic layer.
19. The electrochromic device of claim 6, wherein the interfacial region comprises between about 1% and about 30% of the combined thickness of the interfacial region and the electrochromic layer.
20. The electrochromic device of claim 6, wherein the interfacial region comprises between about 2% and about 10% of the combined thickness of the interfacial region and the electrochromic layer.
21. The electrochromic device of claim 18, wherein the substantially electronically insulating ion conducting material comprises lithium tungstate, the electrochromic material comprises a tungsten oxide and the counter electrode material comprises nickel tungsten oxide.
22. The electrochromic device of claim 21, wherein the electrochromic layer is between about 300 nm and about 500 nm thick; the interfacial region is between about 10 nm and about 150 nm thick, and the counter electrode layer is between about 150 nm and about 300 nm thick.
23. The electrochromic device of claim 21, wherein the electrochromic layer is between about 400 nm and about 500 nm thick; the interfacial region is between about 20 nm and about 100 nm thick, and the counter electrode layer is between about 150 nm and about 250 nm thick.
24. The electrochromic device of claim 21, wherein the electrochromic layer is between about 400 nm and about 450 nm thick; the interfacial region is between about 30 nm and about 50 nm thick, and the counter electrode layer is between about 200 nm and about 250 nm thick.
25. An electrochromic device comprising:
(a) an electrochromic layer comprising tungsten oxide;
(b) a counter electrode layer comprising nickel tungsten oxide; and
(c) an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region comprises a mixture of lithium tungstate and at least one of tungsten oxide and nickel tungsten oxide.
26. The electrochromic device of claim 25, wherein the electrochromic layer is between about 300 nm and about 500 nm thick; the interfacial region is between about 10 nm and about 150 nm thick, and the counter electrode layer is between about 150 nm and about 300 nm thick.
27. The electrochromic device of claim 25, wherein the electrochromic layer is between about 400 nm and about 500 nm thick; the interfacial region is between about 20 nm and about 100 nm thick, and the counter electrode layer is between about 150 nm and about 250 nm thick.
28. The electrochromic device of claim 25, wherein the electrochromic layer is between about 400 nm and about 450 nm thick; the interfacial region is between about 30 nm and about 50 nm thick, and the counter electrode layer is between about 200 nm and about 250 nm thick.
29. The electrochromic device of claim 26, wherein the electrochromic layer is substantially polycrystalline, the interfacial region is substantially amorphous and the counter electrode layer is substantially amorphous.
30. The electrochromic device of claim 26, fabricated on a glass substrate comprising a fluorinated tin oxide layer and further comprising an indium tin oxide layer.
31. The electrochromic device of claim 30, comprising a switching speed of less than 10 minutes in order to achieve about 80% of end state.
32. The electrochromic device of claim 30, wherein the interfacial region comprises an ionic conductivity of between about 10\u22128 Siemenscm and about 10\u22123 Siemenscm and an electronic resistivity of greater than 1010 ohms-cm.
33. The electrochromic device of claim 30, comprising a leakage current of between about 40 \u03bcAcm and about 150 \u03bcAcm.
34. The electrochromic device of claim 30, incorporated into an electrochromic window.
35. The electrochromic device of claim 34, wherein the electrochromic window is an architectural glass scale window.
36. An electrochromic device precursor comprising:
(a) a substrate;
(b) a first transparent conducting oxide layer on the substrate;
(c) a stack on the first transparent conducting oxide layer, the stack comprising:
(i) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material;
(ii) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material; where the stack does not comprise an ion conducting and electrically insulating region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer; and

(d) a second transparent conducting oxide layer on top of the stack.
37. The electrochromic device precursor of claim 36, wherein the electrochromic layer comprises tungsten oxide and the counter electrode layer comprises nickel tungsten oxide.
38. The electrochromic device precursor of claim 37, wherein at least one of the stack and the electrochromic layer contain lithium.
39. The electrochromic device precursor of claim 38, wherein the electrochromic layer is tungsten oxide with a superstoichiometric oxygen content at least at the interface with the counter electrode layer.
40. The electrochromic device precursor of claim 38, wherein the electrochromic layer is between about 500 nm and about 600 nm thick and the counter electrode layer is between about 150 nm and about 300 nm thick.
41. The electrochromic device precursor of claim 39, that is exposed to heating.
42. The electrochromic device precursor of claim 41, wherein the heating is part of an MTCC.
43. An electrochromic device comprising:
(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material; and
(b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material;
wherein the device does not contain a compositionally homogeneous layer of electrically insulating, ion conducting material between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer.
44. The electrochromic device of claim 43, wherein the electrochromic material is tungsten oxide, the counter electrode material is nickel tungsten oxide, and between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer is an interfacial region comprising a mixture of lithium tungstate and at least one of tungsten oxide and nickel tungsten oxide.
45. The electrochromic device of claim 44, wherein the electrochromic layer is between about 300 nm and about 500 nm thick; the interfacial region is between about 10 nm and about 150 nm thick, and the counter electrode layer is between about 150 nm and about 300 nm thick.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A plural chamber drinking cup having a top surface outline and a bottom surface outline comprising:
a) an inner fluid containing chamber having a continuous bottom having an outer edge terminating in an upwardly extending inner chamber side wall terminating in an uppermost inner chamber rim that forms the periphery of an open top; and
b) an outer fluid containing chamber having an outer chamber inner side wall separate from said inner chamber side wall extending downwardly from said inner chamber rim to the inner edge of an annularly configured outer chamber bottom and an outer chamber outer side wall extending upwardly from the outer edge of said annular bottom and terminating in an uppermost outer chamber rim that forms the periphery of an open top, wherein said cup top surface outline substantially nests inside said cup bottom inside surface outline and wherein said inner chamber bottom is elevated above said outer chamber bottom and said outer chamber inner side wall comprises thin-walled plastic having a thickness less than about 0.05 in.
2. The cup of claim 1 wherein said top and bottom surface outlines are adapted to provide an anti-nesting function that provides an air gap between said top and bottom nesting outlines.
3. The cup of claim 1 wherein said cup has a weight not greater than about 0.8 oz.
4. The cup of claim 1 wherein said inner chamber rim has a rounded profile.
5. The cup of claim 1 wherein said inner chamber rim is disposed in a range of about 0 to 1 inch below said outer chamber rim.
6. The cup of claim 1 wherein said nesting is at least 80% between any two of said cups.
7. A plural chamber drinking cup having a top surface outline and a bottom surface outline comprising:
a) an inner fluid containing chamber having a continuous bottom having an outer edge terminating in an upwardly extending inner chamber side wall terminating in an uppermost inner chamber rim that forms the periphery of an open top; and
b) an outer fluid containing chamber having an outer chamber inner side wall separate from said inner chamber side wall extending downwardly from said inner chamber rim to the inner edge of an annularly configured outer chamber bottom and an outer chamber outer side wall extending upwardly from the outer edge of said annular bottom and terminating in an uppermost outer chamber rim that forms the periphery of an open top, wherein said cup top surface outline substantially nests inside said cup bottom inside surface outline and wherein said top and bottom surface outlines are adapted to provide an anti-nesting function that provides an air gap between said top and bottom nesting outlines.
8. The cup of claim 7 wherein said inner chamber bottom is elevated above said outer chamber bottom and said outer chamber inner side wall comprises thin-walled plastic having a thickness less than about 0.05 in.
9. The cup of claim 7 wherein said cup has a weight not greater than about 0.8 oz.
10. The cup of claim 7 wherein said inner chamber rim has a rounded profile.
11. The cup of claim 7 wherein said inner chamber rim is disposed in a range of about 0 to 1 inch below said outer chamber rim.
12. The cup of claim 7 wherein said nesting is at least 80% between any two of said cups.
13. A plural chamber drinking cup having a top surface outline and a bottom surface outline comprising:
a) an inner fluid containing chamber having a continuous bottom having an outer edge terminating in an upwardly extending inner chamber side wall terminating in an uppermost inner chamber rim that forms the periphery of an open top; and
b) an outer fluid containing chamber having an outer chamber inner side wall separate from said inner chamber side wall extending downwardly from said inner chamber rim to the inner edge of an annularly configured outer chamber bottom and an outer chamber outer side wall extending upwardly from the outer edge of said annular bottom and terminating in an uppermost outer chamber rim that forms the periphery of an open top, wherein said cup top surface outline substantially nests inside said cup bottom inside surface outline and wherein said cup has a weight not greater than about 0.8 oz.
14. The cup of claim 13 wherein said inner chamber bottom is elevated above said outer chamber bottom and said outer chamber inner side wall comprises thin-walled plastic having a thickness less than about 0.05 in.
15. The cup of claim 13 wherein said top and bottom surface outlines are adapted to provide an anti-nesting function that provides an air gap between said top and bottom nesting outlines.
16. The cup of claim 13 wherein said inner chamber rim has a rounded profile.
17. The cup of claim 1 wherein said inner chamber rim is disposed in a range of about 0 to 1 inch below said outer chamber rim.
18. The cup of claim 1 wherein said nesting is at least 80% between any two of said cups.
19. A plural chamber drinking cup having a top surface outline and a bottom surface outline comprising:
a) an inner fluid containing chamber having a continuous bottom having an outer edge terminating in an upwardly extending inner chamber side wall terminating in an uppermost inner chamber rim that forms the periphery of an open top; and
b) an outer fluid containing chamber having an outer chamber inner side wall separate from said inner chamber side wall extending downwardly from said inner chamber rim to the inner edge of an annularly configured outer chamber bottom and an outer chamber outer side wall extending upwardly from the outer edge of said annular bottom and terminating in an uppermost outer chamber rim that forms the periphery of an open top, wherein said cup top surface outline substantially nests inside said cup bottom inside surface outline and wherein said inner chamber rim has a rounded profile whereby damage to the noses of users is reduced.
20. The cup of claim 19 wherein said inner chamber bottom is elevated above said outer chamber bottom and said outer chamber inner side wall comprises thin-walled plastic having a thickness less than about 0.05 in.
21. The cup of claim 19 wherein said top and bottom surface outlines are adapted to provide an anti-nesting function that provides an air gap between said top and bottom nesting outlines.
22. The cup of claim 19 wherein said cup has a weight not greater than about 0.8 oz.
23. The cup of claim 19 wherein said inner chamber rim is disposed in a range of about 0 to 1 inch below said outer chamber rim.
24. The cup of claim 19 wherein said nesting is at least 80% between any two of said cups.
25. A plural chamber drinking cup having a top surface outline and a bottom surface outline comprising:
a) an inner fluid containing chamber having a continuous bottom having an outer edge terminating in an upwardly extending inner chamber side wall terminating in an uppermost inner chamber rim that forms the periphery of an open top; and
b) an outer fluid containing chamber having an outer chamber inner side wall separate from said inner chamber side wall extending downwardly from said inner chamber rim to the inner edge of an annularly configured outer chamber bottom and an outer chamber outer side wall extending upwardly from the outer edge of said annular bottom and terminating in an uppermost outer chamber rim that forms the periphery of an open top, wherein said cup top surface outline substantially nests inside said cup bottom inside surface outline and wherein said inner chamber rim is disposed in a range of about 516 to 1116 inch below said outer chamber rim whereby interference with the noses of users and splash back between chambers are reduced and filling with fluids and mixing on pouring are enhanced.
26. The cup of claim 25 wherein said inner chamber bottom is elevated above said outer chamber bottom and said outer chamber inner side wall comprises thin-walled plastic having a thickness less than about 0.05 in.
27. The cup of claim 25 wherein said top and bottom surface outlines are adapted to provide an anti-nesting function that provides an air gap between said top and bottom nesting outlines.
28. The cup of claim 25 wherein said cup has a weight not greater than about 0.8 oz.
29. The cup of claim 25 wherein said inner chamber rim has a rounded profile.
30. The cup of claim 25 wherein said nesting is at least 80% between any two of said cups.

1. A battery cooling structure for an environmental-friendly vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of battery packs configured to supply power to a motor and arranged in parallel so as to be spaced a predetermined distance from each other inside a tire well;
an inflow duct disposed to provide fluid communication and connection with the interior of the vehicle such that the air inside the vehicle is sucked into the inflow duct;
a plurality of diverging ducts of which the number is equal to that of a number of battery packs, independently supplying the air to the respective battery packs which are arranged and spaced a predetermined distance from each other on a downstream side of the inflow duct, wherein the plurality of diverging ducts are formed from divergence of the inflow duct upstream from the plurality of battery packs so that an inlet and an outlet of each diverging duct are both upstream from the respective battery packs;
a lower duct disposed under the battery pack and configured to join diverging air flows; and
a cooling fan provided on the downstream side of the lower duct and configured to discharge the air to the outside.
2. The battery cooling structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of diverging ducts connected to the respective battery packs are arranged in parallel.
3. The battery cooling structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the battery packs are mounted on a front portion of the tire well inside a trunk.
4. The battery cooling structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the inflow duct is connected to a side surface of a rear seat of the vehicle.
5. The battery cooling structure as defined in claim 1, wherein a low voltage DC-DC converter (LDC) is disposed on the backside of the cooling fan, and a discharge duct connected to a trunk is provided behind the LDC.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. Process for microencapsulation of phase change materials based on free radicals polymerization comprising:
a) the preparation of i) a solution with, at least, a hydrophilic liquid and a stabilizer (continuous phase) and ii) a solution with, at least, a phase change material, a free radical initiator and a polymerizable material (discontinuous phase),
b) the preparation of an emulsion by dispersing the discontinuous phase in the continuous phase under vigorous stirring, and
c) the polymerization of monomers until the phase change material becomes microencapsulated;

characterised in that the polymerizable material is a monomer selected from styrene, vinyltoluene, divinylbenzene, ethylstyrene, alpha-methylstyrene and chlorostyrene or mixtures thereof.
2. Process according to claim 1 wherein the hydrophilic liquid is selected from water, dimethyl formamide, dimethyl acetamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, N-methyl pyrrolidone, triacetin or mixtures thereof.
3. Process according to claim 2 wherein the hydrophilic liquid is present in 1-99% by weight, preferably 5-95% by weight, more preferably 10-90% by weight of the total emulsion.
4. Process according to claim 1 wherein the stabilizer is selected from polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl acetals, polyvinyl lactams or mixtures thereof.
5. Process according to claim 4 wherein the stabilizer is selected from poly(vinylpyrrolidone), poly(N-vinylpiperidone), poly(N-vinylcaprolactam), poly(N-vinylcarbazole), poly(N-vinylimidazole) or mixtures thereof.
6. Process according to claim 4 wherein the stabilizer is present in 0.05-5% by weight, preferably 0.1-2% by weight, most preferably 0.25-1.5% by weight of the total emulsion.
7. Process according to claim 1 wherein the phase change material is selected from aliphatic hydrocarbons, cycloaliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons, halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, esters, ethers, glycol ethers, nitrile compounds, sulphur compounds, nitro compounds, oil components, polyols, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, alcohols, amides, amines or mixtures thereof.
8. Process according to claim 7 wherein the phase change material is selected from tetradecane, pentadecane, hexadecane, eicosane, docosane, petroleum ether, spirit, paraffin, cyclohexane, methyl cyclohexane, decalin, benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, cumene, dichloromethane, chloroform, tetrachloromethane, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, ethylene chloride, chlorofluorocarbons, bromobenzene, acetone, butanone, cyclohexanone, methylcyclohexanone, alkyl myristate, alkyl palmitate, alkyl stearate, diethyl ether, dibutyl ether, anisole, dioxane, tetrahydrofurane, dimethyl acetal, monoethyleneglycol ethers, diethyleneglycol ethers, polyethyleneglycol ethers, acetonitrile, carbon disulfide, sulfolan, nitromethane, nitrobenzene, myristyl myristate, isopropyl myristate, cetyl oleate, stearyl palmitate, terpenes, terpenoids, propanediol, butanediol, pentanediol, hexanediol, glycols, polyethyleneglycols, 1,2,3-propanetriol, caproic alcohol, caprylic alcohol, lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, eicosanol, cetyl alcohol, myristic acid, palmitic acid, behenic acid, octanol, cyclohexanol, benzoyl alcohol, stearic acid amide, ethyleneisoleic acid amide, methylalolbehenic acid amide, N-phenyl-N\u2032-stearylurea, pyridine, or mixtures thereof.
9. Process according to claims 7 wherein the phase change material is present in 0.5-50% by weight, preferably 1-25% by weight of the total emulsion.
10. Process according to any claim 1 wherein the free radical initiator is selected from peroxy compounds, azo compounds, aliphatic peroxyesters or mixtures thereof.
11. Process according to claim 10 wherein the free radical initiator is selected from dibenzoyl peroxide, dilauryl peroxide, bis(p-chlorobenzoyl peroxide), dicyclohexyl peroxydicarbonate, tert-butylperoctoate, 2,5-bis(2-ethylhexanoylperoxy)-2,5-dimethylhexane, tert-amylperoxy-2-ethylhexane, 2,2\u2032-azobisisobutyronitrile, 2,2\u2032-azobis(2-methyliso-butyronitrile), tert-butyl peroxyisobutyrate, tert-butyl peroxypivalate, tert-butyl peroxy-2-ethylhexanoate, tert-butylperoxyneodecanoate, tert-amyl peroxy-2-ethylhexanoate, tert-amyl peroxyneodecanoate, 2,5-bis(2-ethylhexanoylperoxy)-2,5-dimethylhexane, 2,5-dipivaloyl-2,5-dimethylhexane or 2,5-bis(2-neodecanoylperoxy)-2,5-dimethylhexane or mixtures thereof.
12. Process according to claim 10 wherein the free radical initiator is present in 0.01-5% by weight, preferably 0.1-2.5% by weight of the total emulsion.
13. Process according to claim 1 wherein the polymerizable material is present in 5-50% by weight, preferably 10-35% by weight of the total emulsion.
14. Process according to claim 1 wherein microcapsules obtained have a diameter of 10-250 \u03bcm.
15. Process according to claim 1 wherein polymerization is carried out at a temperature ranging 50-150\xb0 C., preferably 55-120\xb0 C.
16. Process according to claim 1 wherein polymerization is carried out for 1 to 8 hours.
17. Microcapsules obtainable by a process according to claim 1.
18. Microcapsules according to claim 17 configured for use in thermal protection and storage of heat.