Method of producing heatable mirrors by depositing coatings on glass

• US 5,700,305 A
• Filed: 07/30/1996
• Issued: 12/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pilkington NA
• Original Assignee: Pilkington NA
• Inventors: Lowe, Martin, Jenkinson, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Czaja, Donald E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ruller, Jacqueline A.
• Application Number:
  US08/681,914
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 65/60.1, 65/60.2, 65/60.5, 65/60.8, 65/90, 65/99.1, 65/99.2, 427/162, 427/164, 427/165, 427/167
• US Class Current: 65/60.1
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3411 with at least two coatings of inorganic materials C03C17/36, C03C17/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3482 comprising silicon, hydrogenated silicon or a silicide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/42 at least one coating of an organic material and at least one non-metal coating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/08 Mirrors vehicle mirrors involving special optical features B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0833 comprising inorganic materials only

Abstract

A method of producing heatable mirrors comprising depositing onto a ribbon of hot glass during the production process a reflecting coating whereby the mirrors so formed have a visible light reflection of at least 70% and depositing an electroconductive heating layer onto the mirrors. There is also provided a heatable mirror comprising a glass substrate carrying a non-metallic reflecting coating whereby the mirror has a visible light reflection of at least 70% and an electroconductive heating layer deposited on the coated substrate.

Claims

1. A method of producing heatable mirrors comprising depositing onto a ribbon of hot glass during the production process a non-metallic reflecting coating comprising a reflecting layer and at least two reflection enhancing layers, the reflection enhancing layers comprising an intermediate layer of the coating of relatively low refractive index and a layer adjacent to the intermediate layer of relatively high refractive index, the two layers other than the intermediate layer being outer and inner layers of the coating each having a refractive index of at least 1.6, the intermediate layer having a refractive index less than the refractive index of either said inner layer or said outer layer and less than 3, at least one of said inner and outer layers being of silicon, the aggregate refractive index of the inner and outer layers being at least 5.5, whereby the mirrors so formed have a visible light reflection in the range of 70% to 90%, and depositing an electroconductive heating layer onto the mirrors.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the heating layer is deposited over the reflecting coating on the ribbon of hot glass during the production process.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the reflecting coating is deposited onto the glass in the float bath of a float glass plant and the heating layer is deposited onto the mirrors in a gap between the float bath and an annealing lehr.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein the mirrors are back surface mirrors and the heating layer comprises the rear surface thereof.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the heating layer is deposited on a glass surface which is on the opposing side of the glass to the reflecting coating.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the heating layer is deposited off-line onto mirrors which have been cut from the coated ribbon.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the mirrors are front surface mirrors and the heating layer comprises the rear surface thereof.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the reflecting layer comprises a layer adjacent to the intermediate layer of relatively high refractive index.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein at least one of the relatively high refractive index layers is of silicon.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein both of the relatively high refractive index layers are of silicon.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein the outer of the said layers of relatively high refractive index is of tin oxide, titanium oxide or a silicon oxide.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the layer of relatively low refractive index comprises a layer of silicon oxide.