A composite glass unit includes first and second glass sheets and a third glass sheet disposed between the first and second sheets. A first bonding layer is disposed between the first and the third glass sheets; a second bonding layer is disposed between the second and the third glass sheets; and a connecting element is fitted into a cutout of the third glass sheet, with the connecting element connected via the first bonding layer to the first glass sheet and/or via the second bonding layer to the second glass sheet. The object of making available a composite glass unit in which no impairments occur in the region around the connecting elements is realized by a separating layer, which differs from the bonding layers and which is disposed between the end surface of the connecting element, the end surface facing the third glass sheet, and by the third glass sheet.

An interlayer film for laminated glass includes first, second, and third layers containing a thermoplastic resin and a plasticizer. The cloud point of the first layer is lower than both the cloud point of the second layer and the cloud point of the third layer. Both the absolute value XA of a difference between the cloud point of the first layer and the cloud point of the second layer and the absolute value XB of a difference between the cloud point of the first layer and the cloud point of the third layer are 118 C. or more, and when a content of the plasticizer in the interlayer film for laminated glass relative to 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic resin in the interlayer film for laminated glass is defined as Y, Y0.16 XA+60 and Y0.16XB+60.

A window assembly includes a first pane of glass. The first pane of glass is chemically strengthened and exhibits a surface compressive stress of 400 MPa or more. A second pane of glass has a first major surface and a second major surface. The second major surface of the second pane of glass and a first major surface of the first pane of glass face each other. The second pane of glass includes 68-74 weight % SiO.sub.2, 2-6 weight % MgO, 1-10 weight % CaO, 12-16 weight % Na.sub.2O, 0-1 weight % K.sub.2O, 0.8-2.0 weight % Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 (total iron), 0-1.25 weight % TiO.sub.2, and 0-1.25 weight % CeO.sub.2. A polymeric interlayer is provided between the first pane of glass and the second pane of glass. The window assembly exhibits a direct solar transmittance of 55% or less and a total solar transmittance of 65% or less.

The price and performance of LED lighting have reached the point where LEDs are displacing more traditional lighting. Even though LED lifetimes are as high as 50,000 hours, they are still being designed as replaceable bulbs rather than being integrated as a permanent part of the lighting assembly. The invention provides for a means of economically producing laminated glass with integrated LED lighting designed to last the life of the vehicle. This is done by embedding the LED die into the plastic layer used to bond the glass layers of a laminate together, forming an embedded wire circuit from thin high tensile strength Tungsten wire to power the LEDs and by utilizing machine tool technology originally developed to produce integrated circuit assemblies such as RFID ID cards, tickets and passports.

A glass fastening system includes a fastener having a first portion embedded along an interlayer within a laminated glass portion and a second portion extending outward from an exterior surface of the laminated glass portion for use in attachment to a support structure. Another glass fastening system includes a fastener having a first portion adhered to an exterior surface of a glass pane and a second portion extending from the first portion away from the exterior surface for use in attachment to a support structure. A glass sealing system includes a pair of glass panes having offset edge portions and a seal including an overmold portion capturing the edge portions. Another glass sealing system includes a seal having an internal portion embedded within a laminated glass portion and an external portion extending along an exterior surface of the laminated glass portion.

A laminated vehicle window has different glass substrates and a low-emissivity (low-E) coating on an interior surface thereof, so that the low-E coating is to be located adjacent and exposed to the vehicle interior. In certain example embodiments, the low-E coating includes a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer of a material such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO). In certain example embodiments, the exterior glass substrate contains more iron, and is thus more absorbing of IR radiation, than the interior glass substrate.

A decorative laminated glass includes a first glass sheet, a second glass sheet, and a colored lamination interlayer between the first glass sheet and the second glass sheet. A coating is positioned between the first glass sheet and the lamination interlayer, and in direct contact with the first glass sheet. The coating is formed by the series of the following layers, starting from the surface of the first glass sheet: optionally, a first stack of dielectric layers; a layer based on titanium oxide having a thickness of from 5 to 70 nm; and optionally, a second stack of dielectric layers.

A driver for an electrically dynamic structure may store and release energy during polarity cycling to improve the energy efficiency of operation. In some examples, the driver includes an energy storage element. In operation, the driver can charge an electrically controllable optically active material to a first operating voltage at a first polarity and subsequently discharge the optically active material during polarity reversal. The driver may store energy released from the optically active material during discharging and subsequently release the energy to charge the optically active material to a second operating voltage at a second polarity different than the first polarity.

A window assembly includes a first radio frequency device disposed between a first window substrate and a second window substrate. An embedded coplanar waveguide is disposed between the first window substrate and the second window substrate, and is attached to the first radio frequency device. An exterior coplanar waveguide is disposed adjacent an exterior side surface of the first window substrate, and is disposed opposite the embedded coplanar waveguide for communicating electromagnetic waves therebetween. A printed circuit board is attached to and interconnects the exterior coplanar waveguide and a radio frequency cable connector. The radio frequency cable connector is configured for connection to a second radio frequency device. An adhesive layer bonds the printed circuit board to the exterior side surface of the first window substrate.

A method for repairing or upgrading of existing insulated glass units already installed into a window framing or curtain wall system is provided. The method includes removing an inside glass stop from a window framing housing the insulated glass unit to provide access to an inner glass panel and detaching the inner glass panel from an outer glass panel via a breaking or altering of the separator, with the outer glass panel being retained in place within the window framing. The method also includes applying a new separator to the inner glass panel and/or the outer glass panel, reaffixing the inner glass panel to the outer glass panel while maintaining a space between the inner glass panel and the outer glass panel to form a hermetically sealed cavity therebetween, and reinstalling the inside glass stop back onto the window framing, to secure the inner glass panel in place.