Patent Application
20210129500
The present application relates to glass for a vehicle and, in particular, a switchable or selectable glass film with a transparent luminescent solar concentrator that provides power to the film and can be installed in an automobile.
A vehicle, such as an automobile, includes glass on the windscreen, side and rear windows and may include glass on the roof. With the increase of transparent glass materials in vehicles, drawbacks such as poor temperature regulation, upholstery degradation, lack of privacy, and lower security becomes a large concern for vehicle owners.
The system disclosed herein controls the amount of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light from the sun in order to provide improved vehicle cabin temperature regulation, upholstery preservation, privacy, and security. The combination of a transparent luminescent solar concentrator and a switchable glass film in automotive glass applications provides a self-powered glass system.
The disclosed system includes the combined use of a transparent luminescent solar concentrator along with switchable glass films in automotive glass applications. Transparent luminescent solar concentrator absorbs ultraviolet and infrared light and converts it into electricity. The switchable glass film in tandem with the transparent luminescent solar concentrator blocks most of the wavelengths of light.
Accordingly, an object of the system disclosed herein is to provide a self-powered switchable glass system. The disclosed system may have broad applicability including use outside of the automotive industry such as, for example, in buildings, houses and other structures including windows.
The features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, and the accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described below.
According to one disclosed embodiment, a vehicle glass panel such as a windscreen, side windows, rear windows or roof may include a self-powered switchable glass system. The self-powered switchable glass system comprises of an exterior and interior tempered glass layer, a transparent luminescent solar concentrated layer, a switchable glass film layer. The solar layer and the switchable glass film layer is sandwiched between the interior and exterior tempered glass layer. The solar layer absorbs ultraviolet and infrared light and produced electricity. The switchable layer may be of electrochromic materials and other materials such as suspended-particle devices (SPD) or polymer-dispersed liquid crystal devices (PDLC). These materials are known to degrade under exposure to ultraviolet light. The solar layer be placed exterior to the switchable layer, allowing the solar layer to protect the switchable layer by absorbing the ultraviolet wavelength of light. The switchable layer would then selectively block some or all the remaining wavelengths of light as desired by the user.
As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially”, and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the invention as recited in the appended claims.
It should be noted that the term “exemplary” as used herein to describe various embodiments is intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such term is not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).
The terms “coupled,” “connected,” and the like as used herein mean the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another.
References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” etc.) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.
It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the switchable glass system as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.
