PROCESS TO APPLY HEATER FUNCTION TO PLASTIC GLASS

• US 20110096398A1
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Benoit, Gilles, Manzeh, Farid, Laloup, Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 8,864,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/512
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• 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

Abstract

The invention is related to a process to apply a heater function to a plastic glass that was made of a polycarbonate. The process includes a sputtering process that allows producing high performance heater function on a plastic glass. Another aspect of the invention is the plastic glass mirrors produced by the inventive process.

Claims

1. A process to apply a heater function onto a plastic glass substrate comprising the steps of:

inserting the plastic glass substrate into a sputtering process chamber;

cleaning the surface of the substrate by a dry etching step;

preparing a copper target in a pre step;

sputtering copper onto the surface;

removing the layered substrate form the sputtering process chamber; and

inscribing tracks onto the layered surface with a laser beam.

2. Process according claim 1 characterized in that the plastic glass surface is prepared in the dry etching process step to achieve a roughness of the surface and to activate the surface with Oxygen ions.

3. Process according claim 1 characterized in that the copper deposition time is between 4 and 10 minutes.

4. Process according claim 1 characterized in that the resulting copper layer on the plastic glass substrate has a thickness of 0.4 to 1 μ

m.

5. Process according claim 1 characterized in that the copper layer is structured by the laser beam to a meander structure.

6. Process according claim 5 characterized in that the meander structure of the copper layer has a resistance between 5 and 30 Ohms.

7. A plastic glass mirror consisting of a substrate material and a first surface reflectively coated and a second surface coated with copper to achieve a heater surface, wherein the plastic glass minor heating layer is produced by a process to apply a heater function onto a plastic glass substrate, comprising the steps of:

inserting the plastic glass substrate into a sputtering process chamber, cleaning the surface of the substrate by a dry etching step, preparing a copper target in a pre step, sputtering copper onto the surface, removing the layered substrate form the sputtering process chamber, inscribing tracks onto the layered surface with a laser beam.

8. A plastic glass minor according claim 7 characterized in that the plastic glass substrate is moulded with at least one clip on the backside for attachment purposes.

9. A plastic glass minor according claim 7 characterized in that the plastic glass substrate is moulded with at noses on the backside for electrical connecting.

10. A plastic glass minor according claim 7 characterized in that the plastic glass substrate is moulded with at least two clips on the backside for attachment purposes and electrical connections.