Photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly

• US 7,251,082 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Galen W. Barlow
• Original Assignee: Galen W. Barlow
• Inventors: Barlow, Galen W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz; Jordan
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US11/296,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20070133105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 359/707, 65/301.1
• US Class Current: 359/707
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/06 comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2327/06 PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride

Abstract

A photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly that restores some of the natural illumination and warm blue-green colors normally excluded from the interior of an enclosed space after blocking at least a portion of infrared and/or UV light, comprising:

• a) A transparent window pane;
• b) a first self-adhesive material adhered to the exterior of the window pane, of a transparent plastic film containing a UV-activated photochromic dye; and
• c) a second self-adhesive material adhered to the interior of the window pane, of a transparent plastic film containing i) a rare earth doped vitroceramic that up-converts any infrared not blocked by the first self-adhesive film to a warm visible blue or green color, and ii) a diarylethene that converts any UV not blocked by the first self-adhesive film to a visible yellow-white color.

Claims

1. A photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly that restores some of the natural illumination and warm blue-green colors normally excluded from the interior of an enclosed space after blocking at least a portion of infrared and/or UV light, comprising:

a) A transparent window pane;

b) a first self-adhesive material adhered to the exterior of said window pane, of a transparent plastic film containing a UV-activated photochromic dye; and

c) a second self-adhesive material adhered to the interior of said window pane, of a transparent plastic film containing i) a rare earth doped vitroceramic that up-converts any infrared not blocked by said first self-adhesive film to a warm visible blue or green color, and ii) a diarylethene that converts any UV not blocked by said first self-adhesive film to a visible yellow-white color.

2. The photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly of claim 1 wherein the enclosed space is the interior of an automobile.

3. The automobile of claim 2 wherein the first self-adhesive material is PVC.

4. The photochromic/vitroceramic assembly of claim 3, wherein a hindered amino light stabilizer (HALS) is present in the PVC.

5. The photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly of claim 4, wherein the transparent plastic film of the second adhesive material is PVC.

6. The photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly of claim 5, wherein the PVC of the second self-adhesive material contains a mixture of a glass-forming oxide with lead fluoride and a high purity rare earth oxide;

said high purity rare earth oxide being 99.999% and a diethene compound of the formula;

Where R is CH₃ or CF₃.

7. The photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly of claim 6, wherein the vitroceramic is of the formula Ln₂O₃, Yb₂O₃, PbF₂ and MnOm doped with oxides selected from the group consisting of erbium, thulium, holmium, or terbium with Ln=y, La, Gd, or Lu, and wherein M is selected from the group consisting of B, Si, P, Ge, or TE.

8. The photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly of claim 7, wherein the vitroceramic is a powder having a grain size of between 50μ

and 2000μ

.

9. The photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly of claim 7 wherein the vitroceramic is a powder having a grain size longer than 200μ

.

10. A photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly that restores some of the natural illumination and warm blue-green colors normally excluded from the interior of an enclosed space after blocking at least a portion of infrared and/or UV light, comprising:

a) A transparent window pane;

b) a first self-adhesive material adhered to the interior of said window pane, of a transparent plastic film containing a UV-activated photochromic dye; and

c) a second self-adhesive material adhered to the first self-adhesive material;

said second self adhesive material comprising a transparent plastic film containing i) a rare earth doped vitroceramic that up-converts any infrared not blocked by said first self-adhesive film to a warm visible blue or green color, and ii) a diarylethene that converts any UV not blocked by said first self-adhesive film to a visible yellow-white color.

11. The photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly of claim 10 wherein the enclosed space is the interior of an automobile.

12. A photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly that restores some of the natural illumination and warm blue-green colors normally excluded from the interior of an enclosed space after blocking at least a portion of infrared and/or UV light, comprising:

a) A transparent window pane; and

b) a first self-adhesive material adhered to a second self-adhesive material to form a bi-layer;

said bi-layer being positioned in front of the transparent window pane so that the second self adhesive material is directly next to said transparent window pane; and

wherein;

i) said first self-adhesive material comprises a transparent plastic film containing a UV-activated photochromic dye; and

ii) said second self-adhesive material comprises a transparent plastic film containing iii) a rare earth doped vitroceramic that up-converts any infrared not blocked by said first self-adhesive film to a warm visible blue or green color, and iv) a diarylethene that converts any UV not blocked by said first self-adhesive film to a visible yellow-white color.

13. The photochromic/vitroceramic window assembly of claim 12 wherein the enclosed space is the interior of an automobile.