GLAZING UNIT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME

Abstract

A glazing unit includes at least one first and second glass or plastic pane that are joined to one another at a predetermined distance via a spacer or a thermoplastic intermediate layer, wherein at least one of the first and second glass or plastic pane includes, on the inner side of the glazing unit, a transparent electrically conductive coating and, in an edge region thereof, a bus bar for the electrical connection of the conductive coating, wherein the bus bar is provided, at least over the greater part of its surface, with an opaque covering.

Claims

1. Glazing unit comprising first and second glass or plastic panes that are joined to one another at a predetermined distance via a spacer or a thermoplastic intermediate layer, wherein at least one of the first and second glass or plastic pane includes, on an inner side of the glazing unit, a transparent electrically conductive coating and, in an edge region thereof, a bus bar for an electrical connection of the transparent electrically conductive coating, wherein the bus bar is provided, at least over a greater part of its surface, with an opaque covering.

2. The glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein the bus bar is elongated and is arranged at or near an edge of the at least one of the first and second glass or plastic panes and extends parallel to the edge, and the opaque covering extends over an entire length of the edge.

3. The glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein the bus bar is arranged at a distance from the edge of the at least one of the first and second glass or plastic panes and the opaque covering extends all the way to the edge of the at least one of the first and second glass or plastic panes.

4. The glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein the opaque covering comprises an adhesive tape or a paint or lacquer layer.

5. The glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second glass or plastic pane are joined to one another and kept at a distance by an edge spacer device with a spacer element and, in each case, a sealing strip between the spacer element and the first and second glass or plastic pane, and the bus bar is arranged to an inside of the spacer device.

6. The glazing unit according to claim 5, wherein the opaque covering covers a pane portion that contacts one of the sealing strips, and the opaque covering is made of a material compatible with the material of the sealing strip.

7. The glazing unit according to claim 1, implemented as a building glazing unit with electrically controllable properties or with a heatable glass or plastic pane.

8. The glazing unit according to claim 1, implemented as a composite vehicle pane with electrically controllable properties.

9. The glazing unit according to claim 1, implemented as an electrically heatable composite vehicle pane.

10. The glazing unit according to claim 1, implemented as a device glazing unit of a household appliance or a piece of furniture, with electrically controllable optical properties, or implemented as a heatable device glazing unit of a household appliance or piece of furniture.

11. The glazing unit according to claim 7, having electrochromic properties.

12. The glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein the opaque covering is electrically nonconductive.

13. Method for producing a glazing unit according to claim 1, comprising: providing a first and a second glass or plastic pane, wherein at least one of the first and second glass or plastic panes includes, on one side, a transparent electrically conductive coating, producing or applying a bus bar on the transparent electrically conductive coating in the edge region thereof, attaching a supply line to the bus bar, the providing a greater part of a surface of the bus bar with an electrically nonconductive, opaque covering.

14. The method according to claim 13 for producing a glazing unit, wherein after providing the at least one of the first and second glass or plastic panes with a transparent electrically transparent electrically conductive coating, the bus bar is produced or applied on the transparent electrically conductive coating, and a supply line is soldered or conductively bonded onto the latter, and, subsequently, the bus bar is provided with the opaque covering with simultaneous covering of a soldering or bonding point.

15. The method according to claim 13 for producing a glazing unit, wherein after providing the at least one of the first and second glass or plastic panes with a transparent electrically conductive coating, the bus bar is produced or applied on the transparent electrically conductive coating, the bus bar is subsequently provided with the opaque covering leaving open an intended soldering or bonding point, and, thereafter, a supply line is soldered or conductively bonded onto the bus bar at the soldering or bonding point.

16. The glazing unit according to claim 8, wherein the composite vehicle pane is a roof glazing or a windshield of a passenger car.

17. The glazing unit according to claim 9, wherein the electrically heatable composite vehicle pane is a roof glazing or a windshield of a passenger car.

Description

[0047] Advantages and functionalities of the invention are also evident from the following description of exemplary embodiments and aspects of the invention with reference to the drawings. The drawings are schematic representations and are not to scale and in no way restrict the invention. They depict:

[0048] FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a generic glazing unit in a perspective sectional view, and

[0049] FIG. 2 a sectional view (detailed representation) of one embodiment of the glazing unit according to the invention.

[0050] FIG. 1 depicts a glazing unit 1 having electrochromic properties, as a building glazing unit inserted into a window frame 2. The glazing unit 1 comprises a conventional glass inner pane 3 that is joined to an electrochromic outer pane 6 via a conventional edge seal 4 with a spacer 4a and a sealing profile 4b, forming an interpane space 5 (filled, for example, with a noble gas). The outer pane 6 is a composite pane system comprising two panes 6a, 6b, which, in turn, includes a suitable edge seal 7. It should be noted that the edge seal structures 4a/4b and 7 are depicted here only schematically and in a simplified manner. In addition, in FIG. 1, the inner structure of the outer pane 6 responsible for the electrochromic effect is not shown; this is known to the person skilled in the art.

[0051] The panes 6a, 6b of the electrochromic outer pane 6 have, on their interior side, transparent conductive coatings (surface electrodes—not shown), which can be connected to a control unit via a supply line 8. As explained above, but also not shown in the figure, bus bars for the solder connection to the connection line 8 are provided on the surface electrodes of the panes 6a, 6b.

[0052] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a somewhat differently constructed glazing unit 1′ according to the invention, which comprises a first glass pane 3 and second glass pane 6′, which are joined to one another and sealed by an edge seal 4′ forming an interior space 5. Here again, the edge seal 4′ is depicted in a simplified manner and comprises, as shown, a spacer 4a′ and, on each side thereof, on the surfaces adjacent the panes 3 and 6′, a respective polyisobutylene (PIB) sealing strip 4b′.

[0053] In order to realize an electro-optical effect with the glazing unit 1′, not to be further explained here, the inner surface of the second glass pane 6′ is provided with a transparent conductive coating (surface electrode, TCO) 9. A bus bar 10 is applied to the surface electrode 9 in the edge region of the glass pane 6′, but at a distance from its edge and to the inside of the edge seal 4′. The bus bar 10 is formed by dispensing a silver conductive paste and subsequent baking or sintering of this conductive paste in a manner known per se and contoured without sharp edges due to its manufacturing conditions.

[0054] The bus bar 10 is covered with an opaque covering 11, realized, for example, as an adhesive tape or paint application, which reaches here directly to the adjacent edge of the glass pane 6′. The coating 11 thus also covers the region where the sealing strip 4b′ abuts the glass pane 6′ and must, consequently, be made of a material that is compatible with the PIB of the sealing strip 4b′ and ensures long-term reliability of the edge seal. In the example depicted, the edge region of the glazing unit 1′ is also provided on the outer side of the second glass pane 6′ with a coating as an outer covering 12 that covers both the edge seal 4′ and the bus bar 10 and thus visually conceals both from the outer side of the glazing unit 1′.

[0055] As an alternative to the configuration depicted, the covering can also end at the inner edge of the PIB sealing strip 4b′, i.e., basically only that strip of the outer pane 6′ in which the bus bar 10 extends longitudinally can be covered. This eliminates the need to ensure compatibility between the material of the covering and the PIB of the sealing strip, and the reliability of the edge seal is certainly not adversely affected by the covering. Furthermore, it is possible to apply the covering slightly overlappingly with the PI B sealing strip.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0056] 1; 1′ glazing unit [0057] 2 frame [0058] 3 inner pane (first pane) [0059] 4; 4′ edge seal [0060] 4a; 4a′ spacer [0061] 4b; 4b′ seal/sealing strip [0062] pane interior [0063] 6; 6′ outerpane (second pane) [0064] 7 edge seal of the outer pane [0065] 8 connection line [0066] 9 transparent conductive coating (TCO) [0067] bus bar [0068] 11 covering of the bus bar [0069] 12 outer covering