Electrically heated transparency with multiple parallel and looped bus bar elements

• US 5,824,994 A
• Filed: 06/13/1996
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited (AGC, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited (AGC, Inc.)
• Inventors: Saito, Toshihiko, Noda, Kazuyoshi, Aikawa, Katsuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): JEFFERY, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US08/661,319
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 219/203, 219/522, 219/541, 52/171.2, 338/308, 338/309
• US Class Current: 219/203
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/016 Heaters using particular connecting means
• 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

An electrically heated transparency which has a glass plate, a pair of bus bars provided at upper and lower sides of the glass plate and a transparent electric conductive film disposed on a surface of the glass plate so as to connect the pair of bus bars. The upper side bus bar has two upper bus bar elements. The upper bus bar elements are respectively extended to current feeding portions and have free ends at opposite positions in an upper side portion of the glass plate and near both sides of the transparent electric conductive film. The upper bus bar elements have parallel portions, in a connecting portion for connecting the upper side bus bar to the transparent electric conductive film, so as to oppose to each other with a space, and the upper bus bar elements are in contact with the transparent electric conductive film at the parallel portions.

Claims

1. An electrically heated transparency which comprises a glass plate, a pair of bus bars provided at upper and lower sides of the glass plate and a transparent electric conductive film disposed on a surface of the glass plate so as to connect the pair of bus bars, wherein the upper side bus bar comprises a plurality of upper bus bar elements respectively extended from current feeding portions to free ends, said free ends being located near opposite positions in an upper side portion of the glass plate;

wherein said upper bus bar elements have overlapping substantially parallel connecting portions electrically connecting the upper side bus bar to the transparent electric conductive film, said parallel connecting portions opposing each other with a space therebetween.

2. The electrically heating, glass according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of upper bus bar elements of the upper side bus bar are connected to a single current feeding portion.

3. The electrically heating glass according to claim 2, wherein the lower side bus bar comprises a plurality of lower bus bar elements;

wherein said lower bus bar elements are respectively extended to current feeding portions;

wherein said lower bus bar elements have overlapping substantially parallel connecting portions electrically connecting the lower side bus bar to the transparent electric conductive film, said parallel connecting portions opposing each other with a space therebetween.

4. The electrically heating glass according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of lower bus bar elements of the lower side bus bar are connected to a single current feeding portion.

5. The electrically heating glass according to claim 2, wherein the lower side bus bar has a looped shape, and wherein a portion of the bus bar of looped shaped is in electrical contact with the transparent electric conductive film.

6. The electrically heating glass according to claim 1, wherein the lower side bus bar comprises a plurality of lower bus bar elements;

wherein said lower bus bar elements are respectively extended from current feeding portions;

wherein said lower bus bar elements have overlapping substantially parallel connecting portions electrically connecting the lower side bus bar to the transparent electric conductive film, said parallel connecting portions opposing each other with a space therebetween.

7. The electrically heating glass according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of lower bus bar elements of the lower side bus bar are connected to a single current feeding portion.

8. The electrically heating glass according to claim 1, wherein the lower side bus bar has a looped shape, and wherein a portion of the bus bar of looped shape is in electrical contact with the transparent electric conductive film.

9. The electrically heating glass according to claim 1, wherein a crack detecting wire is disposed in a peripheral portion of the glass plate.