Non-iridescent glass structures

• US 4,377,613 A
• Filed: 09/14/1981
• Issued: 03/22/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roy G. Gordon
• Original Assignee: Roy G. Gordon
• Inventors: Gordon, Roy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ives, P.
• Application Number:
  US06/302,216
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 428/34, 428/333, 428/336, 428/432, 428/469, 428/212, 427/160, 427/162, 427/164, 427/166, 52/171
• US Class Current: 428/212
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3411 with at least two coatings of inorganic materials C03C17/36, C03C17/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3435 comprising a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3482 comprising silicon, hydrogenated silicon or a silicide
• 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: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/261 In terms of molecular thickness or light wave length

Abstract

This disclosure describes transparent glass window structures of the type bearing a coating of infra-red reflective material which is advantageously less than about 0.85 microns in thickness and wherein the observance of iridescence resulting from such a reflective coating is markedly reduced by provision of a very thin coating system beneath said infra-red reflective coating. The thin coating system forms means to reflect and refract light to interfere with the observation of iridescence. A particular advantage of the invention is the ability of the thin coating system to be coated in a fraction of time presently required to coat anti-iridescent interlayers of the prior art.

Claims

1. In a non-iridescent, transparent, sheet structure of the type comprising

(A) a transparent substrate,

(B) an infra-red reflective coating and

(C) an iridescence-suppressing interlayer means between

said substrate and infra-red-reflective coating, the improvement whereby said structure comprises, between said infra-red-reflective coating and said transparent substrate, an interlayer comprising

(1) a first interlayer component of relatively high refractive index material, nearer to said substrate;

(2) over said relatively high refractive index material, a second interlayer component of relatively low refractive index material, and

(3) the combined interlayer components for said iridescence-suppressing means having a total optical thickness of about 1/6th of a 500 nanometer design wavelength.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said infra-red-reflective coating and said first interlayer components are of about the same refractive index.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said infra-red-reflective coating and said first interlayer component are both tin-oxide base coatings.

4. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said first interlayer component is of a refractive index substantially higher than the refractive index of the infra-red-reflective coating.

5. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said first interlayer component is of a refractive index substantially lower than the refractive index of the infra-red-reflective coating.

6. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said interlayer components are of refractive indices intermediate between the refractive index of the substrate and the infra-red-reflective coating.

7. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said optical thickness d₁ of said interlayer component closer to the substrate is about

8. A structure as defined in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said refractive indices and optical thicknesses of said substrate, said interlayer components and said infra-red-reflective coating are selected to provide a color saturation value below about 12.

9. A structure as defined in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said refractive indices and optical thicknesses of said substrate, said interlayer components and said infra-red reflective coating are selected to provide a color saturation value below about 8.

10. A structure as defined in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 which is free from any metallic component or colored component which functions primarily to absorb visible light.

11. In a non-iridescent, transparent, sheet structure of the type comprising

(A) a transparent substrate;

(B) an electrically conductive coating and

(C) an iridescence-suppressing interlayer means between said substrate and electrically conductive coating, the improvement whereby said structure comprises, between said conductive coating and said transparent substrate, an interlayer comprising

(1) a first interlayer component of relatively high refractive index material, nearer to said substrate;

(2) over said relatively high refractive index material, a second interlayer component of relatively low refractive index material, and

(3) the combined interlayer components for said iridescence-suppressing means having a total optical thickness of about 1/6th of a 500 nanometer design wavelength.