Embossed reflective laminates

• US 7,157,133 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2003
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Solutia Incorporated (Eastman Chemical Company)
• Original Assignee: Solutia Incorporated (Eastman Chemical Company)
• Inventors: Moran, James R
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier; Alicia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Simone; Catherine A.
• Application Number:
  US10/346,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20030161997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 428/156, 428/161, 428/164, 428/162, 428/172, 428/426, 428/437, 428/457, 428/458, 428/354, 428/343, 428/355.R
• US Class Current: 428/172
• 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 17/10247 Laminated safety glass or glazing containing decorations or patterns for aesthetic reasons containing metal wires for aesthetic reasons B32B17/10422
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10577 Surface roughness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10816 by pressing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0008 Electrical discharge treatment, e.g. corona, plasma treatment; wave energy or particle radiation heat treatment B32B38/0036
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24521 with component conforming to contour of nonplanar surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24529 and conforming component on an opposite nonplanar surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24545 Containing metal or metal compound
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24628 Nonplanar uniform thickness material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/28 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and having an adhesive outermost layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2848 Three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3163 Next to acetal of polymerized unsaturated alcohol [e.g., formal butyral, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 : Of metal

Abstract

This invention provides an embossed decorative composite laminate interlayer for use in reducing UV and IR energy transmittance through a glass laminate. One interlayer of the present invention comprises an embossed decorative composite disposed between a first and second adhesive layer, such as PVB. The embossed decorative composite of the present invention comprises a first polymeric support film, such as PET, having a metal coating disposed thereon, thereby forming a metallized film. The metallized film is then bonded through the use of an adhesive to a second polymer support film, forming a decorative composite structure. The decorative composite is then purposefully embossed such that they have protrusions at different angles to the flat plane of the bonded polymeric support films, so as to form the desired embossed decorative composite.

Claims

1. An interlayer for laminated glass, the interlayer comprising an embossed decorative composite disposed between a first and a second adhesive layer, wherein each of the first and second adhesive layers have one surface conforming to the embossed decorative composite;

wherein the embossed decorative composite comprises a first embossed polymeric support film having a metal coating disposed on one side of the first embossed polymeric support film, wherein the first polymeric support film is bonded to a second embossed polymeric support film such that the embossed metal coating is between the two embossed polymeric support films, wherein the bonded polymeric support films and metal coating are embossed such that each surface thereof protrudes at different angles to the flat plane of the bonded polymeric support films.

2. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the embossed decorative composite has a visible light transmittance ranging from about 2% to about 70%.

3. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the metal coating is selected from the group consisting of silver, aluminum, chromium, nickel, zinc, copper, tin, gold, brass, stainless steel, and alloys thereof.

4. The interlayer of claim 3, wherein the metal coating is aluminum.

5. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the embossing has a regular diamond, hexpin, or random orange peel pattern.

6. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the first and the second polymeric support films are individually selected from the group consisting of nylons, polyurethanes, acrylics, polycarbonates, cellulose acetates, cellulose triacetates, vinyl chloride polymers, vinyl chloride copolymers, and biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate.

7. The interlayer of claim 6, wherein the first and the second polymeric support films are biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate.

8. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the first and the second polymeric support films are bonded with an adhesive.

9. The interlayer of claim 8, wherein the adhesive is stable at temperatures up to about 150°

C.

10. The interlayer of claim 8, wherein the adhesive is a crosslinked polyester, a crosslinked urethane, or a crosslinked acrylic.

11. The interlayer of claim 10, wherein the crosslinked polyester is an isocyanate crosslinked polyester.

12. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the first and the second polymeric support layers have a thickness of about 0.025 to about 0.075 mm (about 1 to 3 mils).

13. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the first and the second adhesive layers are individually selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, plasticized polyvinyl chloride and plasticized polyvinyl butyral.

14. The interlayer of claim 13 wherein the first and the second adhesive layers are plasticized polyvinyl butyral.

15. The interlayer of claim 14, wherein the plasticized polyvinyl butyral is plasticized with a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of triethylene glycol di-(2-ethylbutyrate), triethyleneglycol di-(2-ethylhexanoate), tetraethyleneglycol diheptanoate, dihexyl adipate, dioctyl adipate, mixtures of heptyl and nonyl adipates, dibutyl sebacate, polymeric plasticizers, and mixtures of phosphates and adipates, mixtures of adipates and alkyl benzyl phthalates, mixed adipates made from C₄ to C₉ alkyl alcohols and cyclo C₄ to C₁₀ alcohols, C₆ to C₈ adipate esters, and mixtures thereof.

16. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first and the second adhesive layers comprise a light stable pigment.

17. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first and the second adhesive layers comprise an infrared light absorber.

18. The interlayer of claim 17, wherein the infrared light absorber is selected from the group consisting of antimony doped tin oxide, tin doped indium oxide, a metal hexaboride, or combinations thereof.

19. The interlayer of claim 18 wherein the metal hexaboride is lanthanium hexaboride (LaB6).

20. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first and the second adhesive layers comprise an ultra-violet light absorber.

21. The interlayer of claim 1 wherein the first and the second adhesive layers have a thickness of about 0.38 to 1.5 mm.

22. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the surface of the polymeric support layers in contact with the adhesive layers are chemically modified using a process selected from the group consisting of flame treatment, chemical oxidation, corona discharge, carbon sputtering, plasma treatment in vacuum, and plasma treatment in air.

23. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein an adhesive is applied to the surface of the polymeric support layers in contact with the adhesive layers.

24. A laminated glass composite comprising an interlayer disposed between two glass sheets, the interlayer comprising an embossed decorative composite disposed between a first and a second adhesive layer, wherein each of the first and second adhesive layers have one surface conforming to the embossed decorative composite;

wherein the embossed decorative composite comprises a first embossed polymeric support film having a metal coating disposed on one side of the first embossed polymeric support film, wherein the first polymeric support film is bonded to a second embossed polymeric support film such that the embossed metal coating is between the two embossed polymeric support films, wherein the bonded polymeric support films and metal coating are embossed such that each surface thereof protrudes at different angles to the flat plane of the bonded polymeric support films.

25. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein the two glass sheets are a pair of matching float glass sheets.

26. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein the two glass sheets are individually selected from the group consisting of clear glass, tinted glass, annealed glass, heat strengthened glass, and tempered glass.

27. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein the embossed decorative composite has a visible light transmittance ranging from about 2% to about 70%.

28. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein the metal coating is selected from the group consisting of silver, aluminum, chromium, nickel, zinc, copper, tin, gold, brass, stainless steel, and alloys thereof.

29. The laminated glass composite of claim 28, wherein the metal coating is aluminum.

30. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein the embossing has a regular diamond, hexpin, or random orange peel pattern.

31. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein the first and the second polymeric support films are individually selected from the group consisting of nylons, polyurethanes, acrylics, polycarbonates, cellulose acetates, cellulose triacetates, vinyl chloride polymers, vinyl chloride copolymers, and biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate.

32. The laminated glass composite of claim 31, wherein the first and the second polymeric support films are biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate.

33. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein the first and the second polymeric support films are bonded with an adhesive.

34. The laminated glass composite of claim 33, wherein the adhesive is stable at temperatures up to about 150°

C.

35. The laminated glass composite of claim 33, wherein the adhesive is a crosslinked polyester, a crosslinked urethane, or a crosslinked acrylic.

36. The laminated glass composite of claim 35, wherein the crosslinked polyester is an isocyanate crosslinked polyester.

37. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein the first and the second polymeric support layers have a thickness of about 0.025 to about 0.075 mm (about 1 to 3 mils).

38. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein the first and the second adhesive layers are individually selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, plasticized polyvinyl chloride and plasticized polyvinyl butyral.

39. The laminated glass composite of claim 38 wherein the first and the second adhesive layers are plasticized polyvinyl butyral.

40. The laminated glass composite of claim 39, wherein the plasticized polyvinyl butyral is plasticized with a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of triethylene glycol di-(2-ethylbutyrate), triethyleneglycol di-(2-ethylhexanoate), tetraethyleneglycol diheptanoate, dihexyl adipate, dioctyl adipate, mixtures of heptyl and nonyl adipates, dibutyl sebacate, polymeric plasticizers, and mixtures of phosphates and adipates, mixtures of adipates and alkyl benzyl phthalates, mixed adipates made from C₄ to C₉ alkyl alcohols and cyclo C₄ to C₁₀ alcohols, C₆ to C₈ adipate esters, and mixtures thereof.

41. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein one or both of the first and the second adhesive layers comprise a light stable pigment.

42. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein one or both of the first and the second adhesive layers comprise an infrared light absorber.

43. The laminated glass composite of claim 42, wherein the infrared light absorber is selected from the group consisting of antimony doped tin oxide, tin doped indium oxide, a metal hexaboride, or combinations thereof.

44. The laminated glass composite of claim 43 wherein the metal hexaboride is lanthanium hexaboride (LaB6).

45. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein one or both of the first and the second adhesive layers comprise an ultra-violet light absorber.

46. The laminated glass composite of claim 24 wherein the first and the second adhesive layers have a thickness of about 0.38 to 1.5 mm (about 15–

60 mils).

47. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein the surface of the polymeric support layers in contact with the adhesive layers are chemically modified using a process selected from the group consisting of flame treatment, chemical oxidation, corona discharge, carbon sputtering, plasma treatment in vacuum, and plasma treatment in air.

48. The laminated glass composite of claim 24, wherein an adhesive is applied to the surface of the polymeric support layers in contact with the adhesive layers.

49. A laminated glass composite comprising an interlayer disposed between an outer glass sheet and an inner glass sheet, the interlayer comprising an embossed decorative composite disposed between an outer and an inner adhesive layer, wherein each of the inner and outer adhesive layers have one surface conforming to the embossed decorative composite, the inner adhesive layer comprising an infra-red absorber and both adhesive layers comprising a UV absorber, wherein the outer adhesive layer is bonded to the outer glass sheet and the inner adhesive layer is bonded to the inner glass sheet;

wherein the embossed decorative composite comprises a first embossed polymeric support film having a metal coating disposed on one side of the first embossed polymeric support film, wherein the first polymeric support film is bonded to a second embossed polymeric support film such that the embossed metal coating is between the two embossed polymeric support films, wherein the bonded polymeric support films and metal coating are embossed such that each surface thereof protrudes at different angles to the flat plane of the bonded polymeric support films.