Luminous vehicle glazing and manufacture thereof

• US 9,006,751 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Kleo, Christophe, Grandgirard, Bastien, Richard, Alexandre, Verrat-Debailleul, Adele
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Calvin
• Application Number:
  US13/575,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20130033894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 438 23- 31, 438/46, 438/47, 257 80- 86, 257E33001-E33077
• US Class Current: 257/82
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10541 comprising a light source or a light guide
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/268 on windscreens or windows B60Q1/302 takes precedence; lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for windows B60Q3/208
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/208 Sun roofs; Windows
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0091 of the light source relative to the light guide G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0095 Light guides as housings, housing portions, shelves, doors, tiles, windows, or the like

Abstract

A luminous vehicle glazing containing: a first sheet having a first and a second main face; a peripheral light source, the emitting face facing an injection side, which is a side of the second face; a surface diffusion extractor, which extracts the guided light via the first and/or the second main face, or a volume diffusion extractor in the first sheet; a fluid-tight cap, which covers the peripheral light source and is impermeable to liquid water or water vapor, wherein the cap is a facial cap, faces the second face, joined by a fastening element, and associated with an interfacial sealing element.

Claims

1. A glazing, comprising:

a first sheet comprising mineral or organic glass comprising a first main face, a second main face, and an edge;

a peripheral light source comprising an emitting face selected from the group consisting of an optical fiber and light emitting diodes that comprises a semiconductor chip on a support section of the diodes, the emitting face facing a side of the second main face, which is an injection side for a propagation of an injected visible and/or ultraviolet (UV) light into the thickness of the first sheet, which guides injected light;

a zone, which is made luminous by injected light or UV, formed by

a surface diffusion extractor of the first and/or second main face, each of which extracts guided light via the first and/or the second main face, or

a volume diffusion extractor in the first sheet, and/or a luminophore on the first and/or second main face, each of which converts injected UV light to visible light via the first and/or the second main face;

a fluid-tight cap, which covers the peripheral light source and is impermeable to liquid water or water vapor, wherein the fluid-tight cap essentially faces the second face, and is joined by a fastening element to the first sheet, and/or to a connecting part or element bound to the first sheet,

wherein the cap is in contact with or integrated with an interfacial sealing element that is impermeable to liquid water or water vapor and comprises an inner face oriented toward the second main face; and

wherein, optionally, said glazing comprises a peripheral functional element bonded to the first sheet, which is a fluid-tight overmolding or a fluid-tight preassembled element.

2. The glazing of claim 1, further comprising:

a masking element, which masks the source and any interfering light, and/or which masks a fastener of the glazing to a vehicle body by the second face, wherein the masking element is;

a part of the functional element, and/or

an opaque enamel on a periphery of the second face and/or on the first face or a face of an added sheet film facing the first face when the functional element is one-sided or two-sided, and/or

a reflecting surface on the periphery of the second face and/or on the first face or an added face facing the first face.

3. The glazing of claim 1, wherein the first sheet is an organic, transparent and opaque bimaterial and an opaque zone of the first sheet on the periphery of the second main face and/or on the main first face, forms a masking of the peripheral light source and of any interfering light, and/or forms a masking of a fastening of the glazing to a vehicle body by the second face.

4. The glazing of claim 1, wherein the interfacial sealing element is a reversible glue, forming a part of or constituting the cap fastening element, which is reversible and arranged in a gasket in contact with the inner face of the cap or the connecting part or the second face.

5. The glazing of claim 1, wherein the interfacial sealing element is a compressed material the compressive sealing of the material being provided by a closure force of the interfacial sealing element, which is selected from the group consisting of:

a polymer seal comprising TPE or EPDM, with lip seal(s);

a polymer sealing section on the connecting part, or on the cap; and

a foam, optionally adhesive, selected from the group consisting of an acrylic foam, PU, rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, TPE, and polyester.

6. The glazing of claim 1, wherein the fastening element is reversible, and is selected from the group consisting of:

a clipping element arranged on the cap, and received for clipping in a host zone in the first sheet and/or of the connecting part and optionally further received in the functional element;

a hook clipping element, forming an integral part of the cap, received in a host zone of the first sheet and/or of the connecting part and optionally further received in the functional element; and

a screw.

7. The glazing of claim 1, wherein the connecting part forms a recessed single-face part comprising a closed contour.

8. The glazing of claim 1, wherein the cap is a trim, or the cap is masked after fastening the glazing to a vehicle body.

9. The glazing as of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises a securing element, which secures the support section and/or a cavity for the passage of the connections and/or a positioning element, which positions the support section of the diodes.

10. The glazing of claim 1, wherein the glazing is single, the first sheet comprising mineral or organic glass, and optionally bimaterial.

11. The glazing of claim 1, further comprising:

a second sheet comprising mineral or organic glass, which is laminated by a lamination interlayer to the first sheet,

wherein the edge of the first sheet comprises a marginal through cavity where the peripheral light source is housed, or the second sheet extends beyond the injection side of the first sheet, creating a side setback of the glazing.

12. The glazing of claim 1, wherein the functional element is duplicate molded and polymeric, and

wherein the glazing comprises, between the encapsulation and the glazing-a layer comprising mono-, bi-, or tri-component primer comprising a polyurethane, polyester, polyvinyl acetate, or isocyanate.

13. The glazing of claim 1, the glazing being selected from the group consisting of:

a side window of an automobile, utility vehicle, truck, or train, wherein the functional element is a securing part of a window raising system or with the trim cap;

a sliding or fixed roof of an automobile, utility vehicle, or truck, train, comprising a first optionally cambered sheet;

a windshield of an automobile, utility vehicle, truck, or train, with the light zone or zones in an enamel frame or nearby, or a rear window in the enamel frame or nearby;

a window or windshield of an aerial vehicle;

a glazing for a window or a roof of an aquatic vehicle, ship, or submarine; and

a double or triple glazing in a train or a bus.

14. A vehicle comprising the glazing of claim 1.

15. The glazing of claim 1, wherein the injection side of the first sheet is partly recessed or comprises a setback.

16. The glazing of claim 1, further comprising a peripheral functional element bonded to the first sheet, which is a fluid-tight overmolding or a fluid-tight preassembled element.

17. The glazing of claim 1, wherein the cap is associated with an interfacial sealing element for the fluid-tight interfacial sealing, which is impermeable to liquid water or water vapor, and which is arranged between the cap and the connecting part and optionally between the cap and the peripheral functional element or integrated with the cap, or integrated with the connecting part or integrated with the first sheet.

18. The glazing of claim 1, wherein the fluid-tight cap is removable, demountable or repositionable.

19. The glazing of claim 1 which is nonlaminated organic glass and which further comprises a black or dyed peripheral thermoplastic functional element.

20. The glazing of claim 1, wherein the first sheet comprises an organic glass comprising a blind hole in its thickness of the second face, which houses the peripheral source facing the injection side.

21. The glazing of claim 20, wherein the hole is on the entire perimeter of the second main face and the cap forms a frame.

22. The glazing of claim 1, wherein a coupling space, which is a space of the radiation emitted before injection, is gaseous, local, and on the periphery of the inner face of the cap or on one side of the cap.

23. The glazing of claim 22, wherein the source is fastened to the glazing outside the coupling by fastening the support section to one of the faces of the first sheet or to the inner face of the cap.

24. A luminous vehicle glazing, comprising:

a first sheet comprising mineral or organic glass comprising a first main face, a second main face, and an edge;

a peripheral light source comprising an emitting face selected from the group consisting of an optical fiber and light emitting diodes that comprises a semiconductor chip on a support section of the diodes, the emitting face facing a side of the second main face, which is an injection side for a propagation of an injected visible and/or ultraviolet (UV) light into the thickness of the first sheet, which guides injected light;

a luminous zone, which is made luminous by injected light or UV, formed by

a surface diffusion extractor of the first and/or second main face, each of which extracts guided light via the first and/or the second main face, or

a volume diffusion extractor in the first sheet, and/or a luminophore on the first and/or second main face, each of which converts injected UV light to visible light via the first and/or the second main face;

a fluid-tight cap, which covers the peripheral light source and is impermeable to liquid water or water vapor, wherein the fluid-tight cap essentially faces the second face, and is joined by a fastening element to the first sheet, and/or to a connecting part or element bound to the first sheet,

wherein the cap is in contact with or integrated with an interfacial sealing element that is impermeable to liquid water or water vapor and comprises an inner face oriented toward the second main face;

wherein the first sheet comprises an organic glass comprising a blind hole in its thickness of the second face, which houses the peripheral source facing the injection side.

25. A luminous vehicle glazing, comprising:

a first sheet comprising mineral or organic glass comprising a first main face, a second main face, and an edge;

a peripheral light source comprising an emitting face selected from the group consisting of an optical fiber and light emitting diodes that comprises a semiconductor chip on a support section of the diodes, the emitting face facing a side of the second main face, which is an injection side for a propagation of an injected visible and/or ultraviolet (UV) light into the thickness of the first sheet, which guides injected light;

a luminous zone, which is made luminous by injected light or UV, formed by

a surface diffusion extractor of the first and/or second main face, each of which extracts guided light via the first and/or the second main face, or

a volume diffusion extractor in the first sheet, and/or a luminophore on the first and/or second main face, each of which converts injected UV light to visible light via the first and/or the second main face;

a fluid-tight cap, which covers the peripheral light source and is impermeable to liquid water or water vapor, wherein the fluid-tight cap essentially faces the second face, and is joined by a fastening element to the first sheet, and/or to a connecting part or element bound to the first sheet,

wherein the cap is in contact with or integrated with an interfacial sealing element that is impermeable to liquid water or water vapor and comprises an inner face oriented toward the second main face;

wherein the first sheet is an organic, transparent and opaque bimaterial and an opaque zone of the first sheet on the periphery of the second main face and/or on the main first face, forms a masking of the peripheral light source and of any interfering light, and/or forms a masking of a fastening of the glazing to a vehicle body by the second face.