Photochromic vehicle window

• US 9,975,408 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Inventors: Lo, Yu-An
• Primary Examiner(s): Sahle, Mahidere
• Application Number:
  US15/595,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20170246935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 359241
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/004 Mounting of windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/007 Sunglare reduction by coatings, interposed foils in laminar windows, or permanent screens layered glass products B32B17/00; process of coating windows C03C17/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/04 adjustable in transparency
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/02 made of crystals, e.g. rock-salt, semi-conductors G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/23 Photochromic filters
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 1/005 Silver halide emulsions; Preparation thereof; Physical treatment thereof; Incorporation of additives therein catalytic amounts of silver halide in dry silver systems or thermographic systems using noble metal compounds G03C1/494

Abstract

The present disclosure describes various vehicle window assemblies including a photochromic window and a mounting assembly surrounding at least part of the window. The mounting assembly may be sized and configured for mounting to the cabin of a vehicle. The photochromic window may include a region configured to at least partially inhibit transmission of light in a visible, IR or UV frequency range upon exposure to a level of light.

Claims

1. A vehicle window assembly, comprising:

a photochromic window; and

a mounting assembly surrounding at least part of the window, the mounting assembly sized and configured for mounting to the cabin of a vehicle,

wherein the photochromic window is configured to reduce an intensity of a light, the photochromic window including a first photochromic region, a second photochromic region, and a third photochromic region, wherein the first photochromic region has a first degree of photochromcity, the second photochromic region has a second degree of photochromcity, and the third photochromic region has third degree of photochromcity, wherein the first degree of photochromcity is higher than the second degree of photochromcity, and second degree of photochromcity is higher than the third degree of photochromcity.

2. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein the first photochromic region is configured to reduce the intensity of the light in a first frequency range, the second photochromic region is configured to reduce the intensity of the light in a second frequency range and the third photochromic region is configured to reduce the intensity of the light in a third frequency range.

3. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein a frequency range of the light includes a visible spectrum of light.

4. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein a frequency range of the light includes an infrared spectrum of light.

5. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein a frequency range of the light includes an ultraviolet spectrum of light.

6. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein the window includes at least one of a windshield, a rear window, a door window, or a roof window.

7. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein the window is a roof window comprising over 75% of the surface area of a roof of the cabin.

8. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein reducing the intensity of the light includes at least one of absorption or reflection of the light.

9. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein the photochromic window includes microcrystalline silver halides and the level of light includes an intensity of ultraviolet light.

10. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein the first, second or third region is smaller than the total surface area of the photochromic window.

11. A vehicle cabin window, comprising:

a window pane sized and configured for mounting to a cabin of a vehicle;

a first photochromic region configured to reduce an intensity of an infrared spectrum of light or an ultraviolet spectrum of light and having a first degree of photochromcity;

a second photochromic region configured to the intensity of the infrared spectrum of light or the ultraviolet spectrum of light and having a second degree of photochromcity; and

a third photochromic region configured to the intensity of the infrared spectrum of light or the ultraviolet spectrum of light and having a third degree of photochromcity; and

, wherein

the first degree of photochromcity is higher than the second degree of photochromcity, and second degree of photochromcity is higher than the third degree of photochromcity.

12. The window of claim 11, wherein the first photochromic region is configured to reduce the intensity of the light in a first frequency range, the second photochromic region is configured to reduce the intensity of the light in a second frequency range and the third photochromic region is configured to reduce the intensity of the light in a third frequency range.

13. The window of claim 11, wherein a frequency range of the infrared spectrum of light or the ultraviolet spectrum of light includes an infrared spectrum of light.

14. The window of claim 11, wherein a frequency range of the infrared spectrum of light or the ultraviolet spectrum of light includes an ultraviolet spectrum of light.

15. The window of claim 11, wherein the window includes at least one of a windshield, a door window, or a roof window.

16. The window of claim 11, wherein the window is a roof window comprising over 75% of the surface area of a roof of the cabin.

17. The window of claim 11, wherein reducing the intensity of the light includes at least one of absorption or reflection of the light.

18. The window of claim 11, wherein the first, second or third region is smaller than the total surface area of the photochromic window.

19. The window of claim 11, wherein reducing the intensity of the light by the first photochromic region includes changing a transmittance of the light in the frequency range through the first photochromic region from greater than 90% to less than 50%.