Colored anti-fog mirror

• US 6,425,670 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2000
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Original Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Masaki, Komatsu, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US09/688,639
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 359/507, 359/512, 359/513, 359/514, 359/584, 359/585, 359/588, 359/883, 359/884, 359/603, 359/589
• US Class Current: 359/507
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3615 Coatings of the type glass/metal/other inorganic layers, at least one layer being non-metallic
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3663 specially adapted for use as mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/425 consisting of a porous layer
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/75 Hydrophilic and oleophilic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/18 Coatings for keeping optical surfaces clean, e.g. hydrophobic or photo-catalytic films G02B1/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0858 the reflecting layers comprising a single metallic layer with one or more dielectric layers

Abstract

A colored anti-fog mirror includes a substrate, a metal reflecting film formed on a front surface of the substrate, and a hydrophilic function layer having a hydrophilic function and containing photocatalytic substance provided on the metal reflecting film. The thickness of the hydrophilic function layer is set in such a manner that wavelength of reflected light has a peak of reflectance within a range from 400 nm to 510 nm and a mirror surface thereby exhibits a bluish color.

Claims

1. A colored anti-fog mirror comprising:

a substrate;

a metal reflecting film formed on a front surface of the substrate; and

a hydrophilic functional layer having a hydrophilic function and comprising a photocatalytic substance provided on the metal reflecting film,

the thickness of the hydrophilic functional layer being set in such a manner that the wavelength of reflected light has a top peak of reflectance within a range of from 400 nm to 510 nm, a reflectance has a single top peak in the visible light region and no bottom peak in the visible light region and a mirror surface thereby exhibits a bluish color by interference between the metal reflecting film and the hydrophilic functional layer.

2. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 1 wherein the hydrophilic function layer is made of a laminate of a photocatalytic layer comprising a photocatalytic substance and a hydrophilic layer comprising a hydrophilic substance provided on the photocatalytic layer.

3. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 2 further comprising a reflectance adjusting layer which is made of substance having a lower refractive index than the photocatalytic layer and is provided between the metal reflecting film and the photocatalytic layer.

4. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 3 wherein the metal reflecting film is made of Cr and the reflectance adjusting layer is made of Al₂O₃, ZrO₂ or SnO₂.

5. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 2 wherein the thickness of the hydrophilic layer is within a range from 10 nm to 50 nm.

6. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 2 wherein the hydrophilic substance is SiO₂.

7. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 1 wherein the [hydrophilic function layer is made of a] layer comprising a photocatalytic substance having hydrophilic properties.

8. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 7 further comprising reflectance adjusting layer which is made of substance having a lower refractive index than the layer comprising the photocatalytic substance having hydrophilic properties and is provided between the metal reflecting film and the layer comprising the photocatalytic substance having hydrophilic properties.

9. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 8 wherein the metal reflecting film is made of Cr and the reflectance adjusting layer is made of Al₂O₃, ZrO₂ or SnO₂.

10. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 1 wherein the hydrophilic function layer is made of a layer comprising a mixture of photocatalytic substance and hydrophilic substance.

11. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 10 further comprising a reflectance adjusting layer which is made of substance having a lower refractive index than the layer comprising a mixture of photocatalytic substance and hydrophilic substance and is provided between the metal reflecting film and the layer comprising a mixture of photocatalytic substance and hydrophilic substance.

12. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 11 wherein the metal reflecting film is made of Cr and the reflectance adjusting layer is made of Al₂O₃, ZrO₂ or SnO₂.

13. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 1 wherein the photocatalytic substance is TiO₂.

14. A colored anti-fog mirror as defined in claim 1 wherein the surface of the hydrophilic function layer is made porous.

15. A colored anti-fog mirror comprising:

a substrate;

a metal reflecting film formed on a front surface of the substrate; and

a hydrophilic functional layer which consists essentially of TiO₂,

the thickness of the hydrophilic functional layer being set in such a manner that the wavelength of reflected light has a top peak of reflectance within a range of from 400 nm to 510 nm, a reflectance has a single top peak in the visible light region and no bottom peak in the visible light region and a mirror surface thereby exhibits a bluish color by interference between the metal reflecting film and the hydrophilic functional layer.