VEHICLE TRANSPARENCY HEATED WITH ALTERNATING CURRENT

• US 20080277320A1
• Filed: 05/09/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitro Flat Glass LLC (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: Thiel, James P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,686,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/203
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0236 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/013 Heaters using resistive films or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/035 Electrical circuits used in resistive heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/84 Heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas, e.g. for demisting or de-icing windows, mirrors or vehicle windshields
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/86 the heating conductors being embedded in the transparent or reflecting material H05B3/845 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

A heatable transparency comprises a substrate and an electrically conductive coating formed over at least a portion of the substrate. A power supply is in contact with the conductive coating. The power supply is configured to provide alternating current (AC) to the conductive coating.

Claims

1. A heatable transparency, comprising:

a substrate;

an electrically conductive coating formed over at least a portion of the substrate; and

a power supply in contact with the conductive coating, the power supply configured to provide alternating current to the conductive coating.

2. The transparency of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises glass.

3. The transparency of claim 1, wherein the conductive coating comprises at least one dielectric layer and at least one metallic layer.

4. The transparency of claim 3, wherein the conductive coating comprises two or more metallic layers.

5. The transparency of claim 4, wherein the conductive coating comprises three or more metallic layers.

6. The transparency of claim 3, wherein the at least one metallic layer comprises metallic silver.

7. The transparency of claim 1, wherein the power supply comprises an alternator comprising at least one coil generating AC power, with the conductive coating in electrical contact with the at least one coil.

8. The transparency of claim 7, further including a transformer connected to the coil and the conductive coating.

9. The transparency of claim 8, wherein the transformer is a variable transformer.

10. The transparency of claim 9, wherein the transformer is configured to supply alternating current in the range of 2 volts to 42 volts.

11. A heatable vehicle transparency, comprising:

a first ply having a No. 1 surface and a No. 2 surface;

a second ply secured to the first ply and having a No. 3 surface and a No. 4 surface, with the No. 2 surface facing the No. 3 surface;

an electrically conductive coating formed over at least a portion of the No. 2 or No. 3 surface; and

a power supply in contact with the conductive coating, the power supply configured to provide alternating current to the conductive coating.

12. The transparency of claim 11, wherein the power supply comprises an alternator comprising at least one coil generating AC power, with the conductive coating in electrical contact with the at least one coil.

13. The transparency of claim 12, further including a transformer connected to the coil and the conductive coating.

14. The transparency of claim 13, wherein the transformer is a variable transformer.

15. The transparency of claim 14, wherein the transformer is configured to supply alternating current in the range of 2 volts to 42 volts.

16. A heatable vehicle transparency, comprising:

a first glass ply having a No. 1 surface and a No. 2 surface;

a second glass ply secured to the first glass ply and having a No. 3 surface and a No. 4 surface, with the No. 2 surface facing the No. 3 surface;

an electrically conductive coating formed over at least a portion of the No. 2 or No. 3 surface, the conductive coating comprising at least two metallic silver layers;

a power supply in contact with the conductive coating to supply AC power to the conductive coating, wherein the power supply comprises an alternator comprising at least one coil generating AC power, with the conductive coating in electrical contact with the at least one coil; and

a transformer connected to the at least one coil and the conductive coating.

17. A method of heating a vehicle transparency having a conductive coating, comprising:

providing a substrate having an electrically conductive coating formed over at least a portion of the substrate; and

connecting the conductive coating to a source of AC power.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the source of AC power comprises an alternator comprising at least one coil generating AC power, with the conductive coating in electrical contact with at the at least one coil.

19. The method of claim 18, further including connecting a transformer to the coil and the conductive coating.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the transformer is a variable transformer and is configured to supply alternating current in the range of 2 volts to 42 volts.