Laminated glass having a connector, method of manufacturing the same and use of the same

Abstract

A laminated glass comprises first and second glass sheets and a ply of interlayer material disposed therebetween, a conductive strip disposed on the ply of interlayer material, a connector arranged at an edge of the second glass sheet, a ceramic ink layer on a surface of the second glass sheet not facing the ply of interlayer material and partly obscuring the conductive strip, a gap in the ceramic ink layer configured so that the conductive strip is in contact with the connector in the gap. Also, there is a method for manufacturing the laminated glass and use of the laminated glazing.

Claims

1. A laminated glass, comprising: first and second glass sheets and a ply of interlayer material disposed therebetween; a conductive strip disposed on the ply of interlayer material; a connector arranged at an edge of the second glass sheet; a ceramic ink layer on a surface (S4) of the second glass sheet not facing the ply of interlayer material and partly obscuring the conductive strip; a gap in the ceramic ink layer configured so that the conductive strip is in contact with the connector in the gap.

2. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the conductive strip overlaps the connector.

3. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the first glass sheet and the second glass sheet each possess a thickness, the thickness of the first glass sheet or the second glass sheet being less than or equal to 2 mm.

4. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the first glass sheet and the second glass sheet each possess a thickness, the thickness of the first glass sheet being greater than thickness of the second glass sheet.

5. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the ply of interlayer material possesses a thickness less than or equal to 0.76 mm.

6. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the gap extends from the edge of the second glass sheet towards a centre of the second glass sheet.

7. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the gap extends parallel with the edge of the second glass sheet.

8. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the conductive strip possesses a thickness of 100 ?m or less.

9. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a conductor and an insulating film at least partly covering the conductor.

10. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a conductor, the conductor possessing a conductor thickness of 100 ?m or less.

11. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the connector comprises an insulating film possessing an insulating film thickness of 50 ?m or less.

12. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the connector is bonded to the second glass sheet by an adhesive film.

13. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the first glass sheet and the second glass sheet each possess a thickness, the thickness of the first glass sheet or the second glass sheet being less than or equal to 0.7 mm.

14. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the gap extends from the edge of the second glass sheet towards a centre of the second glass sheet by at least 22 mm.

15. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the gap extends parallel with the edge of the second glass sheet by at least 32 mm.

16. A laminated glass according to claim 1, wherein the connector is bonded to the second glass sheet by an adhesive film, the adhesive film possessing a thickness of 130 ?m or less.

17. A method for manufacturing a laminated glass, comprising: providing first and second glass sheets and disposing a ply of interlayer material between the first and second glass sheets; disposing a conductive strip on the ply of interlayer material or on the second glass sheet; arranging a connector at an edge of the second glass sheet for connecting with an external circuit; depositing a ceramic ink layer on a surface of the second glass sheet not facing the ply of interlayer material and partly obscuring the conductive strip; and configuring a gap in the ceramic ink layer so that the conductive strip is in contact with the connector in the gap.

18. A method for manufacturing a laminated glass, according to claim 17, comprising configuring the conductive strip to overlap the connector.

19. Use of the laminated glass according to claim 1, for windows of buildings, street furniture, touch-screens, doors for white goods or windows of vehicles for land, sea and air.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the invention having a gap in a ceramic ink layer.

(2) FIG. 2 is the embodiment of FIG. 1 in cross-section.

(3) FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the invention having a second ceramic ink layer.

(4) FIG. 4 is the embodiment of FIG. 3 in cross-section.

(5) FIG. 5 is an embodiment of the invention having wires as a conductive element.

(6) FIG. 6 is the embodiment of FIG. 5 in cross-section.

(7) FIG. 7 is an embodiment of the invention having a coating as conductive element.

(8) FIG. 8 is the embodiment of FIG. 7 in cross-section.

(9) FIG. 9 is an embodiment of the invention showing detail of the connector.

(10) FIG. 10 is the embodiment of FIG. 9 in cross-section.

(11) FIG. 11 is another embodiment of FIG. 7 in cross-section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(12) FIG. 1 discloses a laminated glass (10) according to the invention comprising a first glass sheet (1) and a second glass sheet (2) bonded together by a ply of interlayer material (3).

(13) A surface of the first glass sheet (1) not facing the ply of interlayer material (3) is surface 1 (S1). A surface of the first glass sheet (1) facing the ply of interlayer material (3) is surface 2 (S2). A surface of the second glass sheet (2) facing the ply of interlayer material (3) is surface 3 (S3). A surface of the second glass sheet (2) not facing the ply of interlayer material (3) is surface 4 (S4).

(14) For example, the laminated glass (10) is a window wherein the first glass sheet (1) is an outer glass sheet and the second glass sheet (2) is an inner glass sheet and the surfaces (S1, S2, S3, S4) are numbered in sequence from the outside.

(15) A conductive strip (4) is disposed on the ply of interlayer material (3). Examples of conductive strip (4) include a busbar for distributing electrical power to a heating element, or a connection pad for an antenna or a sensor. Two conductive strips (4) may be provided as positive and negative busbars for a heating element.

(16) A connector (5) is arranged at an edge of the second glass sheet (2) for connection to an external circuit. Examples of an external circuit include a power supply for heating the laminated glass (10), an amplifier for receiving or transmitting a signal via an antenna on the laminated glass (10). Two connectors (5) connect to two conductive strips (4) respectively.

(17) A ceramic ink layer (6) is deposited on a surface (S4) of the second glass sheet (2) not facing the ply of interlayer material (3), partly obscuring the conductive strip (4). The ceramic ink layer (6) may be an obscuration band to obscure a view of components at, or near, the edge.

(18) A gap (7) in the ceramic ink layer (6) is provided and configured so that the conductive strip (4) contacts or overlaps the connector (5) in the gap (7). The gap (7) may be any shape. For example, rectangular (as shown), triangular or any other polygonal shape.

(19) Two connectors (5) may be provided in the same gap (7). For example, two connectors side by side on a laminated glass windshield allows easy connection of two cables of a vehicle wiring loom.

(20) FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the laminated glass (10) of FIG. 1 on the line A-A. The conductive strip (4) is on the ply of interlayer material (3) and overlaps the connector (5) in the gap (7).

(21) FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the invention like FIG. 1, further comprising a second ceramic ink layer (8). The second ceramic ink layer (8) is positioned on a second surface of the laminated glass (10).

(22) FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the embodiment in FIG. 3. The second ceramic ink layer (8) obscures a view of the gap (7).

(23) FIG. 5 is an embodiment of the invention like FIG. 3, further comprising a heating element (9) extending between a first conductive strip (4) at the bottom edge of the laminated glass and a second conductive strip (14) at the top edge of the laminated glass. The heating element (9) comprises a plurality of heating wires. First and second conductive strips (4, 14) each have two parts supplied separately by two first connectors (5) and two second connectors (15) respectively, to allow independent switching of two heating zones (left, right of the laminated glass). A second gap (17) in the ceramic ink layer (6) is provided in a region where the second conductive strips (14) overlap the second connectors (15).

(24) FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the embodiment of FIG. 5, showing that the heating wires are sandwiched between the first conductive strip (4) and a third conductive strip (24) for better electrical contact. Preferably, a strip of low melting point solder (not shown) is configured along the length of first and/or third conductive strips (4, 24) so that the solder melts during a lamination process and flows around the heating wires. The first conductive strip (4) may be positioned on the ply of interlayer material (3) such that the connector (5) is closer to the surface (S3) of the second glass sheet (2).

(25) FIG. 7 is an embodiment of the invention like FIG. 5, except the heating element (9) is a transparent conductive coating without separate heating zones. Two connectors (5) are provided side by side at the bottom edge of the laminated glass and are electrically isolated from each other by a deletion line (11) in the transparent conductive coating. One of the conductive strips (4) is provided with a conductive strip extension (12) configured along a side edge and along the top edge of the laminated glass, to form a second busbar for supplying electrical power to the heating element (9).

(26) FIG. 8 is a cross-section of the embodiment of FIG. 7, showing that the deletion line (11) in the transparent conductive coating causes part of the heating element (9) near the side edge to be permanently not heated.

(27) FIG. 9 is an embodiment of the invention like FIG. 7, wherein the connector (5) is disclosed in more detail in the form of an insulated cable, for example a flat cable, comprising a conductor (51) at least partly insulated by an insulating film (52) and attached to the second glass sheet (2) by an adhesive film (53) serving as a water barrier. The insulating film (52) typically comprises two layers sandwiching the conductor (51), at least one layer having an epoxy adhesive to bond the two layers and to make a seal at each side of the conductor (51). The epoxy adhesive may be heat cured.

(28) FIG. 10 is a cross-section of the embodiment of FIG. 9, on the line X-X, showing that the connector (5) can be folded around an edge of the second glass sheet (2). The adhesive film (53) may be attached to surface four (S4) in the gap (7).

Examples and Comparative Examples

(29) Four examples of the invention and four comparative examples were made having common features shown in Table 1.

(30) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Part # Feature Value Unit 1 First glass sheet thickness 2.1 mm 2 Second glass sheet thickness 1.0 mm 3 Interlayer material thickness 0.76 mm 5 Connector total thickness at edge 330 ?m 51 Connector conductor thickness 100 ?m 52 Connector insulating film thickness (including bonding 50 ?m adhesive, e.g. epoxy adhesive) 53 Connector adhesive film (water barrier) thickness 130 ?m

(31) Differences between the four examples are shown in Table 2.

(32) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Example Connector location Conductive strip thickness ?m 1 Side edge 50 2 Side edge 100 3 Bottom edge 50 4 Bottom edge 100

(33) Five samples of each of the four examples, total 20 samples were manufactured having a gap (7), i.e. absence of the ceramic ink layer (6), in the region where the conductive strip (4) overlaps the connector (5). All twenty samples were subjected to an industry standard test for thermal cycling. All twenty samples passed the test.

(34) For each of the four examples a comparative example was manufactured having a ceramic ink layer (6) on surface four (S4) in the region where the conductive strip (4) overlaps the connector (5). At least 50% of the comparative examples failed the thermal cycling test.

KEY TO THE DRAWINGS

(35) 1, 2First and second glass sheets 3Ply of interlayer material 4Conductive strip 5Connector 6Ceramic ink layer 7Gap 8Second ceramic ink layer 9Heating element 10Laminated glass 11Deletion line 12Conductive strip extension 14Second conductive strip 15Second connector 17Second gap 24Third conductive strip 31, 32, 33First, second and third plies of interlayer material 51Conductor 52Insulating film 53Adhesive film S1, S2, S3, S4First, second, third, fourth surfaces