Laminate structure and process for its production

• US 6,455,141 B1
• Filed: 02/20/1998
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Southwall Technologies, Inc. (Eastman Chemical Company)
• Original Assignee: Southwall Technologies, Inc. (Eastman Chemical Company)
• Inventors: Woodard, F. Eugene, Lau, Louis C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NAKARANI, DHIRAJLAL S
• Application Number:
  US09/029,039
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 428/334, 428/347, 428/349, 428/412, 428/436, 428/437, 428/469, 428/483, 428/524, 428/689, 428/699, 428/701, 428/702, 428/335, 428/336, 428/339, 428/213, 428/215, 428/214
• US Class Current: 428/214
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10005 laminated safety glass or glazing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10935 as a preformed layer, e.g. formed by extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24959 of adhesive layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24967 Absolute thicknesses specified
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/263 Coating layer not in excess of 5 mils thick or equivalent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31627 Next to aldehyde or ketone condensation product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3163 Next to acetal of polymerized unsaturated alcohol [e.g., formal butyral, etc.]

Abstract

The defect known as “applesauce” is eliminated from laminated glass structures which include an intermediate plastic film carrying an energy reflective layer by adhering this film to one of the glass sheets of the laminate with an adhesive layer which is less than 5 mils (0.127 mm) thick.

Claims

1. In a laminated glass comprising in contact sequence a first glass sheet presenting a smooth first surface,

a first adhesive layer

a plastic film substrate carrying an energy-reflective coating

a second adhesive layer and

a second glass sheet, the improvement comprising:

employing a thin first adhesive layer having a thickness below 5 mils such that the plastic film conforms to and is registered by the smooth first surface of the first glass sheet and employing a thick second adhesive layer having a thickness greater than that of the first adhesive layer.

2. The laminated glass of claim 1 wherein the first adhesive layer has a thickness from 0.25 to 4.0 mils and the second adhesive layer has a thickness of from 5 to 250 mils.

3. The laminated glass of claim 2 wherein the first adhesive layer contacts a surface of the plastic film substrate not carrying the energy-reflective coating.

4. The laminated glass product of claim 3 wherein each of the first and second adhesive layers is thermoplastic adhesive.

5. The laminated glass product of claim 4 wherein each of the first and second adhesive layers comprises poly(vinylbutyral).

6. The laminated glass product of claim 2 wherein the first adhesive layer contacts the energy reflective coating.

7. The laminated glass product of claim 6 wherein each of the first and second adhesive layers is thermoplastic adhesive.

8. The laminated glass product of claim 7 wherein each of the first and second adhesive layers comprises poly(vinylbutyral).

9. The laminated glass product of claim 2 wherein the first adhesive layer is a thermoplastic adhesive.

10. The laminated glass product of claim 9 wherein the first adhesive layer comprises poly(vinylbutyral).

11. The laminated glass product of claim 10 wherein the second adhesive layer comprises poly(vinylbutyral).

12. The laminated glass product of claim 9 wherein the second adhesive layer is a thermoplastic adhesive.

13. The laminated glass of claim 1 wherein the first adhesive layer has a thickness from 0.5 to 3.0 mils and the second adhesive layer has a thickness of from 10 to 200 mils.

14. The laminated glass product of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second adhesive layers is thermoplastic adhesive.

15. The laminated glass product of claim 14 wherein each of the first and second adhesive layers comprises poly(vinylbutyral).

16. The laminated glass product of claim 1 wherein the energy-reflective coating is a sputter-deposited dielectric-metal-dielectric energy-reflective coating.

17. The laminated glass of claim 16 wherein the first adhesive layer has a thickness from 0.25 to 4.0 mils and the second adhesive layer has a thickness of from 5 to 250 mils.

18. The laminated glass of claim 16 wherein the first adhesive layer has a thickness from 0.5 to 3.0 mils and the second adhesive layer has a thickness of from 10 to 200 mils.

19. The laminated glass of claim 18 wherein each of the first and second adhesive layers comprises poly(vinylbutyral).