Transparent plastic or polymer based mirror apparatus and method for making the same
First Claim
1. A polymer-based mirror, comprising:
- a transparent synthetic resin substrate having an anterior surface and a posterior surface;
a multi-layer abrasion resistant coating formed adjacent to said anterior surface of said synthetic resin substrate, wherein at least one layer of said multi-layer abrasion resistant coating includes zirconia;
a multi-layer reflective coating formed adjacent to one of said posterior surface of said synthetic resin substrate and said abrasion resistant coating, wherein at least one layer of said multi-layer reflective coating includes zirconia; and
a protective back-coat layer formed over an outer surface of said reflective coating.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A polymer-based mirror formed from a synthetic thermoplastic or thermoset resin substrate, such as polymethyl methacrylate, which is resistant to warping and distortion from moisture. A composite multi-layer surface-hardening coating is formed on at least the anterior surface of the resin substrate. The mirror further includes a composite multi-layer reflective coating. A protective back-coat layer is deposited on a posterior surface of the mirror. A multi-layer weather-resistant coating may optionally be applied to the anterior surface of the polymer-based mirror in order to increase the weatherability and durability of the mirror. The various layers coating the synthetic resin substrate have their moisture permeabilities selected so that substantially equal amounts of moisture permeate through to both the anterior and posterior side of the synthetic resin substrate.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A polymer-based mirror, comprising:
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a transparent synthetic resin substrate having an anterior surface and a posterior surface;
a multi-layer abrasion resistant coating formed adjacent to said anterior surface of said synthetic resin substrate, wherein at least one layer of said multi-layer abrasion resistant coating includes zirconia;
a multi-layer reflective coating formed adjacent to one of said posterior surface of said synthetic resin substrate and said abrasion resistant coating, wherein at least one layer of said multi-layer reflective coating includes zirconia; and
a protective back-coat layer formed over an outer surface of said reflective coating. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
wherein c is a spherical coefficient, k is a conic coefficient, an is an aspheric coefficient, x is the distance (radius) from the center of the synthetic resin substrate, and z is the depth.
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35. The polymer-based mirror of claim 1, further comprising a weather-resistant coating formed on an outer, anterior surface of said polymer-based mirror.
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36. The polymer-based mirror of claim 35, wherein said weather-resistant coating is formed over said abrasion resistant coating.
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37. The polymer-based mirror of claim 35, wherein said weather-resistant coating comprises a multi-layer hydrophilic coating having a hydrophobic coating formed on its outer surface.
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38. The polymer-based mirror of claim 37, wherein said multi-layer hydrophilic coating comprises alternative layers of silicon dioxide and zirconia.
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39. The polymer-based mirror of claim 38, wherein said hydrophobic coating comprises perfluoroalkylsilane.
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40. The polymer-based mirror of claim 39, wherein said perfluoroalkylsilane hydrophobic coating has a thickness of approximately 5-20 nm.
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41. The polymer-based mirror of claim 40, wherein said multi-layer hydrophilic coating sequentially comprises from its outer surface toward its inner surface:
- a silicon dioxide layer of approximately 907 angstrom, a zirconia layer of approximately 765 angstrom, a silicon dioxide layer of approximately 174 angstrom, a zirconia layer of approximately 246 angstrom, and a silicon dioxide layer of approximately 2616 angstrom.
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42. The polymer-based mirror of claim 37, wherein said hydrophobic coating and said multi-layer hydrophilic coating are dry coatings which are vacuum coated onto the abrasion resistant coating.
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43. The polymer-based mirror of claim 35, wherein said weather-resistant coating, said abrasion resistant coating, said reflective coating, and said protective back-coat layer are dry coatings which are vacuum coated onto said resin substrate.
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44. The polymer-based mirror of claim 37, wherein said hydrophobic coating and said multi-layer hydrophilic coating have substantially equal thermal coefficients of expansion.
Specification