Transparent substrate with diffuser surface

• US 6,087,012 A
• Filed: 07/06/1999
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Varaprasad, Desaraju V., Dornan, Craig A., Getz, Catherine A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Margaret G.
• Application Number:
  US09/348,086
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 428/428, 428/432, 313/461, 313/473, 359/601, 359/609
• US Class Current: 428/428
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/25 by deposition from the liquid phase
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/211 SnO2
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/216 ZnO
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/231 In2O3/SnO2
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/24 Doped oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/11 from solutions or suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/868 Screens covering the input or output face of the vessel, e.g. transparent anti-static coatings, X-ray absorbing layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/896 Anti-reflection means, e.g. eliminating glare due to ambient light

Abstract

A transparent substrate having a glare reducing diffuser surface coating on its outer surface forms a faceplate for attachment to a screen for a cathode ray tube or other display device. The coating has a gloss less than about 80 gloss units, and the substrate may include an index matching adhesive/medium for attaching said faceplate to a cathode ray tube screen. The diffuser surface coated substrate is bendable, overcoatable with functional coatings such as transparent conductor coatings, abrasion resistant, and generally serviceable for its intended use.

Claims

1. A faceplate for mounting to a screen for a display device, said faceplate comprising:

a transparent glass substrate, said substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface;

said outer surface of said substrate coated with a transparent conductor coating, said transparent conductor coating selected from the group consisting of doped tin oxide, indium tin oxide and doped zinc oxide;

a diffuser surface coating disposed on said transparent conductor coated surface of said substrate;

said coated faceplate having a gloss less than about 80 gloss units; and

said faceplate being formed separately from the fabrication of the screen and having reduced glare from ambient light incident on said diffuser coated surface of said substrate.

2. The faceplate of claim 1 wherein an index matching medium is disposed on said inner surface of said substrate for contacting the display screen when applied thereto.

3. The faceplate of claim 2 wherein said index matching medium comprises an index matching adhesive material.

4. The faceplate of claim 1 wherein said diffuser surface coating is abrasion resistant.

5. The faceplate of claim 1 wherein said diffuser surface coating is bendable.

6. The faceplate of claim 1 wherein said coated faceplate has a gloss less than about 70 gloss units.

7. The faceplate of claim 1 wherein said coated faceplate has a gloss in the range of about 80 gloss units to about 30 gloss units.

8. The faceplate of claim 1 wherein said substrate is a curved substrate having a convex outer surface and a concave inner surface, and having said transparent conductor coating on said convex outer surface of said substrate.

9. The faceplate of claim 8 wherein said curved substrate has a compound curvature.

10. The faceplate of claim 2 wherein said substrate is a curved substrate having a convex outer surface and a concave inner surface, and having said transparent conductor coating on said convex outer surface of said substrate and having said index matching medium disposed on said concave inner surface of said substrate.

11. The faceplate of claim 10 wherein said curved substrate has a compound curvature.

12. The faceplate of claim 1 wherein said coated faceplate comprises a touchscreen for a display device.

13. The faceplate of claim 12 wherein said display device comprises a cathode ray tube display device.

14. The faceplate of claim 12 wherein said display device comprises a liquid crystal display device.

15. The faceplate of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a tinted glass.

16. The faceplate of claim 15 wherein said tinted glass comprises gray glass.

17. The faceplate of claim 15 wherein said tinted glass substrate has a light transmission in the range of about 20% to about 70%.

18. The faceplate of claim 1 wherein said diffuser surface coating comprises an inorganic compound.

19. The faceplate of claim 18 wherein said inorganic compound comprises a transition metal compound.

20. The faceplate of claim 18 wherein said inorganic compound comprises a metal oxide.

21. A faceplate for mounting to a screen for a display device, said faceplate comprising:

a transparent glass substrate, said substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface;

said outer surface of said substrate coated with a transparent conductor coating, said transparent conductor coating selected from the group consisting of doped tin oxide, indium tin oxide and doped zinc oxide;

a diffuser surface coating disposed on said transparent conductor coated surface of said substrate;

an index matching medium disposed on said inner surface of said substrate for contacting the display screen when applied thereto;

said coated faceplate having a gloss less than about 80 gloss units; and

said faceplate being formed separately from the fabrication of the screen and having reduced glare from ambient light incident on said diffuser coated surface of said substrate.

22. The faceplate of claim 21 wherein said index matching medium comprises an index matching adhesive material.

23. The faceplate of claim 21 wherein said diffuser surface coating is abrasion resistant.

24. The faceplate of claim 21 wherein said diffuser surface coating is bendable.

25. The faceplate of claim 21 wherein said coated faceplate has a gloss less than about 70 gloss units.

26. The faceplate of claim 21 wherein said coated faceplate has a gloss in the range of about 80 gloss units to about 30 gloss units.

27. The faceplate of claim 21 wherein said substrate is a curved substrate having a convex outer surface and a concave inner surface, and having said transparent conductor coating on said convex outer surface of said substrate.

28. The faceplate of claim 27 wherein said curved substrate has a compound curvature.

29. The faceplate of claim 21 wherein said coated faceplate comprises a touchscreen for a display device.

30. The faceplate of claim 29 wherein said display device comprises a cathode ray tube display device.

31. The faceplate of claim 29 wherein said display device comprises a liquid crystal display device.

32. The faceplate of claim 21 wherein said substrate comprises a tinted glass.

33. The faceplate of claim 32 wherein said tinted glass comprises gray glass.

34. The faceplate of claim 32 wherein said tinted glass substrate has a light transmission in the range of about 20% to about 70%.

35. The faceplate of claim 21 wherein said diffuser surface coating comprises a transition metal compound.

36. The faceplate of claim 35 wherein said transition metal compound comprises a metal oxide.

37. A faceplate for mounting to a screen for a display device, said faceplate comprising:

a transparent glass substrate, said substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface;

said outer surface of said substrate coated with a transparent conductor coating;

a diffuser surface coating disposed on said transparent conductor coated surface of said substrate;

said coated faceplate having a gloss less than about 80 gloss units;

said faceplate being formed separately from the fabrication of the screen and having reduced glare from ambient light incident on said diffuser coated surface of said substrate; and

wherein said faceplate comprises a touchscreen for a display device and wherein said diffuser surface coating is abrasion resistant.

38. The faceplate of claim 37 wherein said coated faceplate has a gloss less than about 70 gloss units.

39. The faceplate of claim 37 wherein said coated faceplate has a gloss in the range of about 80 gloss units to about 30 gloss units.

40. The faceplate of claim 39 wherein said substrate is a curved substrate having a convex outer surface and a concave inner surface, and having said transparent conductor coating on said convex outer surface of said substrate.

41. The faceplate of claim 40 wherein said curved substrate has a compound curvature.

42. The faceplate of claim 37 wherein said display device comprises a cathode ray tube display device.

43. The faceplate of claim 37 wherein said display device comprises a liquid crystal display device.

44. The faceplate of claim 37 wherein said substrate comprises a tinted glass.

45. The faceplate of claim 37 wherein said diffuser surface coating comprises a metal oxide.

46. The faceplate of claim 37 wherein said transparent conductor coating is selected from the group consisting of doped tin oxide, indium tin oxide and doped zinc oxide.

47. The faceplate of claim 37 wherein said transparent conductor coating comprises doped tin oxide.

48. The faceplate of claim 37 wherein said transparent conductor coating comprises indium tin oxide.

49. A faceplate for mounting to a screen for a display device, said faceplate comprising:

a transparent glass substrate, said substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface;

said outer surface of said substrate coated with a transparent conductor coating, said transparent conductor coating selected from the group consisting of doped tin oxide, indium tin oxide and doped zinc oxide;

a diffuser surface coating comprising a metal oxide disposed on said transparent conductor coated surface of said substrate;

an index matching medium disposed on said inner surface of said substrate for contacting the display screen when applied thereto;

said coated faceplate having a gloss in the range of about 80 gloss units to about 30 gloss units;

said faceplate being formed separately from the fabrication of the screen and having reduced glare from ambient light incident on said diffuser coated surface of said substrate; and

wherein said faceplate comprises a touchscreen for a display device and wherein said diffuser surface coating is abrasion resistant.

50. The faceplate of claim 49 wherein said display device comprises a cathode ray tube display device.

51. The faceplate of claim 49 wherein said display device comprises a liquid crystal display device.

52. The faceplate of claim 49 wherein said substrate comprises a tinted glass.

53. The faceplate of claim 49 wherein said transparent conductor coating comprises doped tin oxide.

54. The faceplate of claim 49 wherein said transparent conductor coating comprises indium tin oxide.