MIRROR HAVING ELECTRICAL HEATING MEANS

• US 3,790,748 A
• Filed: 06/09/1972
• Issued: 02/05/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jean-Claude Hoyois, Pol Baudin, Robert Van Laethem
• Original Assignee: Jean-Claude Hoyois, Pol Baudin, Robert Van Laethem
• Inventors: Van Laethem, Robert, Baudin, Pol, Hoyois, Jean-Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Albritton, C. L.
• Application Number:
  US05/261,420
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 219/219,543
• US Class Current: 219/219
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/02 Mirrors used as equipment hand, pocket, or shaving mirrors A45D42/00; optical viewing means for vehicles B60R1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10055 with at least one intermediate air space
• 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 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 13/02 solely using resistance heating, e.g. underfloor heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 13/022 resistances incorporated in construction elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/1815 with cooling or heating systems cooling arrangements for laser mirrors H01S3/0401
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/845 specially adapted for reflecting surfaces, e.g. bathroom - or rearview mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Abstract

A mirror comprising a sheet of chemically tempered glass has a light reflecting coating on one face thereof and an electrically conductive heating element positioned either on the other face of the glass or on a face of a second glass sheet. A layer of electrically insulating material is positioned between the heating element and light reflecting coating and this layer may constitute the sheet of glass, a sheet of plastic, or a space having a gaseous medium therein. The heating element is connectable to a source of electricity and generates heat by the Joule effect. The heating element is in heating relationship to the mirror so that this generated heat is transmitted to the mirror.

Claims

1. A mirror comprising a support sheet of glass, a light reflecting coating on a face of said support sheet, a second sheet of glass, an electrically conductive heating element disposed on said second glass sheet in heating relationship to said support sheet, means for connecting said heating element to a source of electricity so that heat is generated by the Joule effect in said heating element, there being a layer of electrically insulating material between said light reflecting coating and said electrically conductive heating element.

2. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said layer of electrically insulating material comprises an organic material.

3. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said layer of electrically insulating material comprises a sheet of organic polymeric material.

4. A mirror as claimed in claim 3 wherein said polymeric material comprises polyvinylbutyral.

5. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support and said second sheet are substantially rigid.

6. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrically conductive heating element is positioned between said support sheet and said second sheet.

7. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrically conductive heating element is on the face of said second sheet away from said support sheet.

8. A mirror as claimed in claim 7 and comprising a protective layer over said heating element.

9. A mirror as claimed in claim 8 wherein said protective layer comprises a coating of at least one of SiO2 and a sheet of a polymeric material including polyvinylbutyral.

10. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said light reFlecting coating is between said support sheet and said heating element.

11. A mirror as claimed in claim 10 and comprising an opaque layer between said light reflecting coating and said heating element.

12. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support sheet and the light reflecting coating are laminated.

13. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support sheet and said second sheet with their respective light reflecting coating and heating element being spaced, and a gaseous medium in the space between said sheets.

14. A mirror as claimed in claim 13 and comprising means permanently securing said support sheet and said second sheet together along their edges.

15. A mirror as claimed in claim 14 wherein said securing means comprises a bonding medium between said sheets at the edges thereof.

16. A mirror as claimed in claim 13 wherein said securing means comprises a frame within which the edges of said sheets are received.

17. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 and comprising removeable means around the edtes of said support sheet and said second sheet for binding said sheets together in face-to-face relationship whereby said sheets can be readily separated.

18. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support sheet comprises a sheet of tempered glass having the light reflecting coating on one face thereof, a protective coating overlying said light reflecting coating, a second sheet of glass with said layer of electrically conductive heating element being on a face thereof, and a sheet of plastic material uniting said support sheet and said second sheet between said heating element layer and said protective coating.

19. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support is of chemically tempered float glass.

20. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrically conductive heating element comprises a coating of one selected from the group of gold, copper, silver, aluminum, chromium, SnO2, In2O3 and graphite.