Laminated plate glass equipped with a sensor

• US 5,804,719 A
• Filed: 07/26/1996
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Vitrage
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Vitrage
• Inventors: Lamicq, Anne, de Paoli, Martial, Didelot, Claude, Mathivat, Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): Dombroske, George M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMROZOWICZ, PAUL DOUGLAS
• Application Number:
  US08/686,698
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 73/170.15, 73/335.01, 73/335.02, 73/629, 73/643, 318/483, 318/643, 318/DIG. 2, 15/250.12
• US Class Current: 73/335.01
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10165 Functional features of the laminated safety glass or glazing
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0855 Ultrasonic rain sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0881 characterized by the attachment means on the windshield

Abstract

Laminated plate glass including at least one rigid sheet of glass (1, 2), at least one layer of plastic material (3), and a sensor (4) for the presence of foreign bodies on the outside of the plate glass. Its sensing side is held in close contact with the internal side of the external plate of glass (1). The sensor (4) is located in a space formed within the sheets (2) or layers (3) of the window other than the said external plate of glass (1). The said space is closed in a detachable manner by means of a cover (5) and/or lid (6) which exerts the desired force on the sensor (4); process for fabrication of this plate glass; convex laminated plate glass equipped with a sensor; sensor that can be used for making this plate glass.

Claims

1. Laminated plate glass window for a transport vehicle comprising:

a rigid sheet of glass forming an external layer of the laminated plate glass window;

at least one layer of plastic material contacting said rigid sheet of glass;

a sensor installed on the laminated plate glass window to sense the presence of objects or foreign bodies on an outside of the laminated plate glass window, a side of the sensor carrying out the function of detection being held in close contact with an internal side of the rigid sheet of glass, wherein the sensor is positioned in a space formed within the laminated plate glass window interiorly of the rigid sheet of glass; and

a detachable cover or lid covering the space and exerting a force on the sensor so as to hold the sensor in close contact with the internal side of the rigid sheet of glass.

2. A laminated plate glass window according to claim 1, further comprising a second rigid sheet of glass contacting the at least one layer of plastic material.

3. A laminated plate glass window according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensor is an ultrasound transducer that utilizes a connecting liquid inserted in a water-tight manner between the side of the transducer carrying out the function of detection and the internal side of the external layer of the laminated plate glass window.

4. A laminated plate glass window according to claim 3, wherein the connecting liquid is deposited in advance on the side of the transducer which carries out the function of detection, and protected by the detachable cover or lid that is water tight and which is to be removed before installation of the sensor on the laminated plate glass window.

5. A laminated plate glass window according to claim 1, wherein the detachable cover or lid exerts the desired amount of force on the sensor through the intermediary of an elastic system such as a spring positioned between the sensor and the detachable cover or lid.

6. A laminated plate glass window according to claim 1, wherein said detachable cover or lid is attached to a base plate of an internal rear-view mirror.

7. A laminated plate glass window according to claim 6, wherein the base plate is attached to an internal side of the laminated plate glass window or to a vehicle body part by any suitable means and includes a locking device of the detachable cover or lid in its closing position of the said space, which is to be used for the site of the sensor, the detachable cover or lid is provided on its periphery, opposite that of the said space, with a water-tight joint.

8. A laminated plate glass window according to claim 1, wherein said detachable cover or lid is capable of closing the said space to be used for the site of the sensor by surrounding a traversing cylinder bore formed in an extension part of the base plate of an inside rear-view mirror, said base plate being attached to an internal side of the laminated plate glass window by any suitable method, and said traversing cylinder bore is formed on its end opposite that which is to receive the detachable cover or lid, in a guide component, which projects outward matching the shape of the said space for the sensor.

9. A laminated plate glass window according to claim 8, wherein the base plate of the rear-view mirror and its extension piece are attached with glue, only in the region of the base plate itself, on the internal side of the laminated plate glass window.

10. A laminated plate glass window according to claim 8, wherein the base plate of the rear-view mirror and its extension piece are attached with glue, only in the region of the said extension piece, around the opening which the said space presents for the sensor, on the internal side of the laminated plate glass window.

11. A laminated plate glass window according to claim 8, wherein said space to be used for the sensor is of a shape that it can receive the said guide component that projects out only in a single position of the latter, so that the desired positioning of the rear-view mirror will be easily achieved.

12. A laminated plate glass window according to claim 6, wherein the detachable cover or lid is shifted, with respect to the base plate of the rear-view mirror, a sufficient distance to allow easy opening and closing of it and to prevent vibrations of the rear-view mirror from disturbing the sensor when it is functioning.

13. A laminated plate glass window according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is not located directly in the space enclosed within the at least one layer of plastic material and of the second rigid sheet of glass, but in a support piece whose shape will correspond to that of the cylinder bores made in the at least one layer of plastic material and in the second rigid sheet of glass, allows one to easily obtain the desired positioning of the support piece, of the two sheets of rigid glass and of the at least one layer of plastic material which constitute the laminated plate glass window with respect to one another and contribute, in the final stage of the laminated plate glass window, in keeping the support piece stationary in its desired position.

14. A convex-shaped laminated window according to claim 2, wherein the second rigid sheet of glass is provided with at least one hole made before a thermal treatment of convex shaping of the second rigid sheet of glass and the external layer of the laminated plate glass window in such a manner as to allow installation of a sensor.

15. A convex-shaped laminated window in accordance with claim 14, wherein the perimeter of the hole includes compression stresses.

16. A convex-shaped laminated window in accordance with claim 14 or 15, further comprising an opaque layer such as a layer of enamel or black primer deposited on one part of the internal side of the sheet of external glass, which is sufficient to cover up the sensor when viewed from outside the window.

17. A sensor that can be used for making a laminated plate glass window in accordance with claim 1, wherein on one of its sides, a connecting liquid deposited in advance and protected by a water-tight cover or lid to be removed before installation of the sensor on the laminated plate glass window.