Luminous glazing unit

• US 9,059,378 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Verger, Arnaud, Vermersch, Franois-Julien, Lecamp, Guillaume, Solarski, Samuel, Verrat-De-Bailleul, Adle, Mottelet, Batrice, Kleo, Christophe, Bauerle, Pascal, Piroux, Fabienne, Richard, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Calvin
• Application Number:
  US13/980,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20130299856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 438 23- 31, 438 46- 47, 257 80- 98, 257E33001-E33077
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/067 of fibres or filaments
• 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 3/208 Sun roofs; Windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/006 to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/46 Reflective coating, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflector

Abstract

A luminous glazing unit including at least one substrate formed by a transparent glazing element; at least one light source; and at least one light extraction device for extracting the light, the extraction device being arranged to create a luminous region, the extraction device being formed by at least one fibrous layer.

Claims

1. An illuminating glazing unit comprising:

a first glass substrate including a first side and a second side opposite said first side;

a light source arranged to illuminate an edge of the first glass substrate so that light emitted by the light source is guided within a thickness of the first glass substrate; and

a fibrous structure arranged over said second side so that the light is extracted from the first side of the first glass substrate by the fibrous structure, the fibrous structure comprising a plurality of fibers extending along different directions in the fibrous structure.

2. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fibrous structure is formed by a fiber veil.

3. The illuminating glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least part of the fibrous structure is formed by a woven, nonwoven or knitted textile.

4. The illuminating glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fibrous structure contains a binder that binds the plurality of fibers in the fibrous structure.

5. The illuminating glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of fibers are randomly distributed in the fibrous structure.

6. The illuminating glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, comprising a second substrate arranged over the fibrous structure so that the fibrous structure is positioned between the first glass substrate and the second substrate.

7. The illuminating glazing unit as claimed in claim 6, comprising an interlayer made of a resin material and arranged between the first glass substrate and the second substrate.

8. An illuminating or luminous glazing unit, comprising:

at least one transparent glass sheet acting as a waveguide sheet;

at least one light source, positioned so as to illuminate the waveguide sheet via an edge face of the latter; and

at least one extraction means for extracting the light from the waveguide sheet, the extraction means comprising a fibrous structure formed by a woven, nonwoven or knitted textile placed on at least one face of the waveguide sheet, the fibrous structure comprising a plurality of fibers extending along different directions in the fibrous structure, wherein, in use, the light provided by the at least one light source is first guided within a thickness of the waveguide sheet before being extracted by the fibrous structure.

9. The illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the waveguide sheet is fixed, by way of a lamination interlayer, to a substrate formed by at least one transparent glazing element.

10. The illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fibrous structure contains a binder that binds the plurality of fibers in the fibrous structure.

11. The illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of fibers are randomly distributed in the fibrous structure.

12. An illuminating glazing unit, comprising:

a first glass substrate including a first side and a second side opposite said first side;

a light source arranged to illuminate an edge of the first glass substrate so that light emitted by the light source is guided within a thickness of the first glass substrate;

a fibrous structure arranged over said second side so that the light is extracted from the first side of the first glass substrate by the fibrous structure, the fibrous structure comprising a plurality of fibers extending along different directions in the fibrous structure, and

an adhesive layer arranged between the fibrous structure and the second side.

13. An illuminating or luminous glazing unit comprising:

at least one substrate, formed by at least one glazing element that includes a first main face, a second main face and an edge face;

at least one light source to provide light for illuminating the edge face of the at least one glazing element; and

at least one extraction means for extracting the light from the at least one glazing element, the extraction means being formed by at least one fibrous structure, the at least one fibrous structure comprising a plurality of fibers extending along different directions in the fibrous structure, said fibrous structure arranged over one of the first and the second main faces so that, in use, after passing through the edge face, the light provided by the at least one light source is first guided within a thickness of the at least one glazing element before being extracted, by the at least one fibrous structure.

14. The illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 13, comprising light-emitting diodes as light sources.

15. The illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the extraction means comprises at least one medium encapsulating the fibers in the fibrous structure and/or an adhesive.

16. The illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 13, comprising a diode that is constructed and arranged to receive command signals and/or wherein the at least one light source is coupled to piloting means and/or wherein at least one sensor connected to the environment and/or to the glazing unit is associated with the at least one light source.

17. A method comprising arranging the illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 13 in a transport vehicle, architectural glazing, interior-design glazing or a planar lamp.

18. A process for manufacturing an illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 13, which comprises adding at least one fibrous structure to a structure of the glazing unit.

19. An automotive vehicle incorporating an illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 13.

20. The illuminating or luminous glazing as claimed in claim 13, wherein the glazing element is transparent.

21. The illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least part of the fibrous structure is formed by a woven, nonwoven or knitted textile.

22. The illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the fibrous structure contains a binder that binds the plurality of fibers in the fibrous structure.

23. The illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality of fibers are randomly distributed in the fibrous structure.

24. The illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the fibrous structure, is, or is formed by, at least one fiber veil.

25. The illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 24, wherein the fiber veil is a glass-fiber veil or optionally a plastic fiber veil.

26. An extraction means arranged as a layer, for extracting light, in an illuminating or luminous glazing unit as claimed in claim 13, said extraction means being formed by a fibrous structure comprising a plurality of fibers extending along different directions in the fibrous structure.

27. A method comprising using an extraction means as claimed in claim 26 for producing an illuminating or luminous glazing unit.