Soil-resistant coating for glass surfaces

• US 6,660,365 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2000
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Krisko, Annette, OʼShaughnessy, Roger D., Hartig, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Loney, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US09/599,301
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 428/141, 428/148, 428/149, 428/172, 428/428, 428/702, 428/145, 428/409, 428/446, 428/913
• US Class Current: 428/149
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/245 by deposition from the vapour phase
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3618 Coatings of type glass/inorganic compound/other inorganic layers, at least one layer being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3626 one layer at least containing a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3639 Multilayers containing at least two functional metal layers
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3642 the multilayer coating containing a metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3644 the metal being silver
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3652 the coating stack containing at least one sacrificial layer to protect the metal from oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/366 Low-emissivity or solar control coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3681 the multilayer coating being used in glazing, e.g. windows or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/213 SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/75 Hydrophilic and oleophilic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/77 Coatings having a rough surface
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/154 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/155 by reactive sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/365 Coating different sides of a glass substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/54 F(ab')2
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/10 Glass or silica
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3464 using more than one target C23C14/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/568 : Transferring the substrates through a series of coating stations C23C14/562 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24421 : Silicon containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31 : Surface property or characteristic of web, sheet or block

Abstract

A glass article which has a water-sheeting coating and a method of applying coatings to opposed sides of a substrate are described. In one embodiment, a water-sheeting coating 20 comprising silica is sputtered directly onto an exterior surface of the glass. The exterior face of this water-sheeting coating is substantially non-porous but has an irregular surface. This water-sheeting coating causes water applied to the coated surface to sheet, making the glass article easier to clean and helping the glass stay clean longer. In one method of the invention, interior and exterior surfaces of a glass sheet are cleaned. Thereafter, the interior surface of the sheet of glass is coated with a reflective coating by sputtering, in sequence, at least one dielectric layer, at least one metal layer, and at least one dielectric layer. The exterior surface of the glass is coated with a water-sheeting coating by sputtering silica directly onto the exterior surface of the sheet of glass. If so desired, both the interior surface and the exterior surface can be applied during the same pass through the same sputter coating apparatus while the glass maintains a constant orientation wherein the interior surface is positioned above the exterior surface.

Claims

1. A glass article having an interior surface bearing a first water-sheeting coating and an exterior surface bearing a second water-sheeting coating, the first and second water-sheeting coatings each comprising silica sputtered directly onto the respective surface of the glass article and having an exterior face that is substantially non-porous but has an irregular surface comprising a series of irregularly-spaced, irregularly-sized peaks, the first and second water-sheeting coatings each reducing the contact angle of water on the respective surfaces below 25°

and causing water applied thereto to sheet.

2. The glass article of claim 1 wherein the first and second water-sheeting coatings each has a median thickness of between about 15 angstroms and about 350 angstroms.

3. The glass article of claim 2 wherein the median thickness is between about 15 angstroms and about 150 angstroms.

4. The glass article of claim 3 wherein the median thickness is between about 20 angstroms and about 120 angstroms.

5. The glass article of claim 1 wherein the first and second water-sheeting coatings each is an exposed, outermost coating on the glass article.

6. The glass article of claim 1 wherein the exterior surface of each of the first and second water-sheeting coatings is exposed to an ambient environment.

7. The glass article of claim 1 wherein the exterior surface of each of the first and second water-sheeting coatings is exposed to periodic contact with water.

8. The glass article of claim 1 wherein the glass article has a laminated structure comprising a first glass sheet bonded to a second glass sheet by an intermediate tear-resistant plastic film, the first glass sheet defining the interior surface bearing the first water sheeting coating, the second glass sheet defining the exterior surface bearing the second water-sheeting coating.

9. The glass article of claim 8 wherein the exterior surface of each of the first and second water-sheeting coatings is exposed to periodic contact with water.