Window with anti-bacterial and/or anti-fungal feature and method of making same

• US 20110111204A1
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Thomsen, Scott V., Nunez-Regueiro, Jose, Veerasamy, Vijayen S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,092,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/312.8
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/361 Coatings of the type glass/metal/inorganic compound/metal/inorganic compound/other
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3615 Coatings of the type glass/metal/other inorganic layers, at least one layer being non-metallic
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3618 Coatings of type glass/inorganic compound/other inorganic layers, at least one layer being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3644 the metal being silver
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2204/02 Antibacterial glass, glaze or enamel
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/425 consisting of a porous layer
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/71 Photocatalytic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/75 Hydrophilic and oleophilic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24997 Of metal-containing material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/325 Magnetic layer next to second metal compound-containing layer

Abstract

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to a window having anti-fungal/anti-bacterial properties and/or self-cleaning properties, and a method of making the same. In certain example embodiments, a silver based layer is be provided and the layer(s) located thereover (e.g., the zirconium oxide inclusive layer) are designed to permit silver particles to migrate/diffuse to the surface over time to kill bacteria/germs at the surface of the coated article thereby creating an anti-bacterial/anti-fungal effect. In certain example embodiments, silver may also or instead be mixed in with other material as the top layer of the anti-bacterial coating.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. An anti-bacterial window including an anti-bacterial coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising:

a layer comprising silver and/or copper;

at least one layer comprising a metal oxide on the glass substrate over at least the layer comprising silver and/or copper; and

wherein all layer(s) on the glass substrate over the layer comprising silver and/or copper are porous so as to permit silver and/or copper from the layer comprising silver and/or copper to migrate and/or diffuse to the outwardmost surface of the coating over time, said outermost surface of the coating also being a major surface of the window.

20. The window of claim 19, wherein the metal oxide comprises an oxide of titanium and/or an oxide of zirconium.

21. A window including an anti-bacterial coated article, the coated article including an anti-bacterial coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising:

an outermost layer of the coating which comprises each of a metal oxide and silver, wherein the silver is provided in an amount sufficient to kill at least some bacteria and/or fungus contacting the outermost surface of the coating, said outermost surface of the coating also being a surface of the window.

22. The window of claim 21, wherein the outermost layer of the coating comprises each of (a) an oxide of titanium, and (b) silver.

23. The window of claim 21, wherein the outermost layer of the coating comprises each of (a) an oxide of zirconium, and (b) silver.

24. The window of claim 21, wherein the outermost layer is a photocatalytic layer.

25. The window of claim 21, wherein the coating further comprises a layer comprising silver located between the glass substrate and the outermost layer of the coating.

26. The window of claim 21, wherein the coating further comprises a layer comprising zirconium oxide between the glass substrate and the outermost layer of the coating.

27. A method of making an anti-bacterial coated article, the method comprising:

providing a glass substrate;

forming a layer comprising silver on the glass substrate;

forming a porous layer comprising a metal oxide on the glass substrate over at least the layer comprising silver, so that the porous layer comprising the metal oxide is sufficient porous so as to cause silver from the layer comprising silver to migrate and/or diffuse outwardly to the surface of the coated article over time.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising forming a layer comprising zirconium nitride on the glass substrate over at least the layer comprising silver, and then heat treating the glass substrate with the layer comprising zirconium nitride thereon in a manner so that following the heat treating the layer comprising zirconium nitride has transformed into a porous layer comprising zirconium oxide which is said porous layer comprising the metal oxide.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising forming a porous photocatalytic layer on the glass substrate over at least the porous layer comprising the metal oxide.

30. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:

providing a glass substrate;

depositing in wet form on the glass substrate a colloidal dispersion including each of metal oxide colloids and silver colloids; and

curing the colloidal dispersion so as to form an anti-bacterial and/or anti-fungal layer comprising each of the metal oxide and silver as an outermost layer of a coating on the glass substrate.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein a layer comprising zirconium oxide is provided between the glass substrate and the anti-bacterial and/or anti-fungal layer, and wherein the metal oxide is an oxide of titanium.