The present disclosure generally relates to a vehicle glazing having an ultraviolet light sensor for providing information to a driver or passenger.
Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure is a concern to consumers wary of health concerns associated with exposure to UV light, including the threat of skin cancer and other adverse health effects induced by UV radiation such as sunburn, inflammatory disorder, or conjunctivitis. Thus, it is desirable to limit such exposure. UV light, however, may transmit through barriers between solar radiation and the driver and passengers, including glass windows. In certain applications, including automotive and architectural glass products, UV blocking or absorbing materials may be used to prevent such UV exposure, however, it may not be detectable by an observer.
Disclosed herein is a laminated vehicle glazing comprising a first glass sheet having opposing surfaces S1 and S2, a second glass sheet having opposing surfaces S3 and S4, the surface S2 facing the surface S3, an interlayer provided between the first and second glass sheets and a first ultraviolet light sensor. The ultraviolet light sensor may be provided on any surface of S2 through S4. The ultraviolet light sensor may be arranged as embedded between the interlayer and the glass sheet or attached to the interior surface S4 of the laminated vehicle glazing. The ultraviolet light sensor may operate together with an indicator for displaying an amount of ultraviolet light radiation. The indicator may be arranged between the interlayer and the glass sheet in the same way as the ultraviolet light sensor, or may be provided separately from the sensor, such as in a way as to be built in a dashboard or instrumental panel.
In some embodiments, a second ultraviolet light sensor may be provided.
The information regarding ultraviolet light radiation may be displayed as a graphic, which may be formed of colors, images, numerical values, or combinations of those.
In another aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle glazing includes a first glass sheet having opposing surfaces S1 and S2, the surface S1 on a vehicle external side and the surface S2 on a vehicle internal side, and an ultraviolet light sensor.
According to the disclosure, the vehicle glazing may be made for any of windshields, sunroofs, side glasses, and other vehicular glass parts.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more example aspects of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain their principles and implementations:
Among other aspects, the present disclosure relates to a glazing for use in a vehicle which may include an ultraviolet light sensor. Particularly, the vehicle glazing may be for any suitable application, preferably an exterior facing glazing, such as a windshield, side window, back window, or sunroof. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific details are set forth in order to promote a thorough understanding of one or more aspects of the disclosure. It may be evident in some or all instances, however, that many aspects described below can be practiced without adopting the specific design details described below.
As used herein, the term “S1” may refer to the exterior glass sheet surface in an automotive glass construction. The term “S4” may refer to the interior glass sheet surface of a laminated automotive product having two glass sheets. The term “S2” may be a glass sheet surface opposite S1, and the term “S3” may be a glass sheet surface opposite S4. In a laminated glazing, the surface S2 and S3 may be a part of the laminate interior, facing each other and sandwiching an interlayer. In a non-laminated glazing having one glass sheet, S2 may be an interior facing glass sheet surface.
Vehicle glazings may include various protections against ultraviolet (UV) light radiation. For example, UV blocking coatings and/or interlayers may block UV radiation from reaching a vehicle interior. As used herein, UV blocking may include any effects to decrease UV radiation transmitted from a vehicle exterior to a vehicle interior though a vehicle glazing, including reflecting, absorbing, or scattering UV radiation, and/or combinations thereof. A glazing may preferably include one or a combination of UV blocking materials to protect a vehicle interior from UV light exposure.
In some glazings, a U V light blocking property may be formed from a UV blocking coating or adhering a UV blocking film to an exterior or interior surface of a glass sheet. A UV blocking coating may be made by application of one or more organic resin and/or inorganic materials having ultraviolet blocking, including scattering or absorbing, agents therein. A UV blocking coating may be formed with any suitable process, including a sol-gel process, and may include, for example, a silicon alkoxide containing a UV blocking agent(s). For example, without limitation, a coating base may be a silicon dioxide-based material, which may optionally be sintered from a binder containing tetra-alkoxysilane, tri-alkoxysilane, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the coating may further include a polymer resin, such as epoxy, silicone, vinyl ester, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl alcohol, urethane, or combinations thereof. In some example coatings, a UV blocking agent(s) may be provided in an amount as to be 5 to 20% by mass of the UV blocking coating. Further, a top protective coating may be added on a UV blocking coating to protect the coating during handling of a glass sheet and/or from environmental elements to which the coating may be exposed. Any suitable coating method may be used, including spin, flow, or spray coating methods.
The UV blocking agents are not particularly limited, but may include, for example, an organic UV blocking (absorbing) agent, such as a benzophenone-containing compound, a benzotriazole-containing compound, or a triazine-containing compound, or an inorganic UV blocking (scattering and/or absorbing) agent, such as platinum particles, zinc oxide particles, titanium oxide particles (preferably rutile structure), or cerium oxide particles.
Benzotriazole-containing compounds may include, for example, 2-(5-chloro-2-benzotriazolyl)-6-tert-butyl-p-cresol, 2-(5-methyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)benzotriazole, 2-[2-hydroxy-3,5-bis(α,α′-dimethylbenzyl)phenyl]-2l-benzotriazole, 2-(3,5-di-t-butyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)benzotriazole, 2-(3-t-butyl-5-methyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)-5-chlorobenzotriazole, 2-(3,5-di-t-butyl-5-methyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)-5-chlorobenzotriazole, 2-(3,5-di-t-amyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)benzotriazole, and 2-(2′-hydroxy-5′-t-octylphenyl)benzotriazole. Benzophenone-containing compounds may include, for example, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone, 2,2′-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-2-carboxybenzophenone, and 2-hydroxy-4-n-octoxybenzophenone. Triazine-containing compounds may include, for example, 6-(4-hydroxy-3,5-di-t-butylanilino)-2,4-bis-octylthio-1,3, 5-triazine, 6-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethylanilino)-2,4-bis-octylthio-1,3,5-triazine, 6-(4-hydroxy-3-methyl-5-t-butylanilino)-2,4-bis-octylthio-1,3,5-triazine, and 2-octylthio-4,6-bis-(3,5-di-t-butyl-4-oxyanilino)-1,3,5-triazine. These UV blocking agents may be used alone or in a combination of two or more agents.
A UV blocking film may typically be formed having a base layer, an intermediate resin layer, and an adhesive layer. The base layer may include any suitable material, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polyurethane (PU), polystyrene (PS), cellulose triacetate (TAC), or others. The intermediate resin layer may contain a UV blocking agent(s), as described above. The UV blocking agent(s) may be provided in an amount to provide 5 to 20% by mass of the intermediate resin layer. The adhesive layer preferably may be a resin that transmits visible light but is not particularly limited and may include an acrylic adhesive.
In some glazings, another method to obtain a UV light blocking property is to provide an interlayer with UV blocking agents between the glass sheets. The interlayer may include a polymer adhesive material, such as polyvinyl butyral (PVB) or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), having inorganic functional fine particles dispersed within the interlayer material which may preferably be evenly distributed within the interlayer. In other embodiments, organic UV-blocking agents may be dissolved in the interlayer material. An interlayer may include one or more UV blocking agents. The UV blocking agents may be provided in the interlayer with an area density of preferably 0.1 g/m2 or more, more preferably 0.2 g/m2 or more, and even more preferably 0.5 g/m2 or more. Preferably, the UV blocking agents are provided in the interlayer with a density of 10 g/m2 or less, more preferably 9 g/m2 or less, and even more preferably 8 g/m2 or less. Preferably, the UV blocking agents may be provided in the interlayer such that the UV blocking agents are 0.1% or more by mass of the interlayer, more preferably at least 0.5% or more by mass. Preferably, the UV blocking agents may be 5% or less by mass of the interlayer, more preferably 4% or less by mass. The interlayer may further include other functional agents such as infrared ray blocking agents.
Further, in some embodiments, either or both of the first and second glass sheets may be UV blocking. Such a UV blocking glass is not particularly limited where the glass blocks UV light and remains transparent to light in the visible range, wherein known UV blocking glass may be used. The preferable level of visible light transparency of the UV blocking glass may depend on the applicable glazing usage, such as whether a vehicle glazing is used as a windshield or a sunroof. UV blocking glass may include, for example, soda-lime glass which includes iron oxide and/or titanium oxide.
Passengers and drivers may benefit from understanding how much UV light is blocked from a vehicle interior and/or the UV exposure in a vehicle. This information to a passenger or driver may portray the UV light intensity and index. As such, it may be beneficial to include a UV light sensor in or on a vehicle glazing to provide such UV exposure information to a vehicle driver or passenger. Particularly, a UV sensor may operate to indicate UVA and UVB light, in a light wavelength range of from about 280 nm to about 400 nm.
It may be preferable to provide a glazing having a UV sensor for informing a driver and/or passenger about UV exposure information in or around a vehicle. The UV sensor may be oriented to provide information related to a vehicle interior, a vehicle exterior, and/or to provide information regarding the UV blocking of a glazing. The UV sensor provide information with an indicator for displaying information to the driver and/or passenger regarding the U V exposure at the UV sensor. Such an indicator may be formed with the UV sensor or otherwise collect information, such as wirelessly or through a wired connection, from the UV sensor. In some embodiments, it may be preferable to use the UV sensor to provide a user information about how much UV light is blocked by a glazing. In some embodiments, the UV sensor may preferably provide information about a vehicle interior's UV exposure which may change based on vehicle conditions, such as opening and closing windows. In some still further embodiments, UV sensors may be used to provide both information about UV light blocked by a glazing and how much UV light is in an interior vehicle space.
In some particular embodiments, a UV sensor 120 may be on an interior glass surface, as shown in
A UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 to be used herein may be work passively or require a power source. Where a UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 requires a power source, that source may be any suitable power connection to the UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520.
Some embodiments may include a battery-powered UV sensor which may include replaceable batteries. Further, some embodiments may include a connected UV sensor that is connected to a power source by a wire or other suitable means. A solar cell may be used in some embodiments to provide such power for a UV sensor.
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, the UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 may provide information to display such that a driver or passenger may understand their UV exposure in a vehicle. The display, or indicator, may provide information in any suitable form, including a graphical representation of the sensor's UV exposure. The graphic may include a color, image, numerical figures, or combinations thereof in some embodiments.
In
The display of information from a UV sensor may provide a predictive model for a user, such as indicating a change in the environment based on a mechanical change in the car, such as opening or closing a window.
In particular embodiments, the UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 may be preferably provided in or on a windshield or a sunroof. In further embodiments, it may be preferable to provide the UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 on a side window. The UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 may be in any suitable form to collect UV light information. The UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 may be passive or electronic, for example. A passive UV sensor may be provided as an adhesive patch or film which may be attached to a glass surface. In some embodiments, the UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 may be transparent. Where the UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 is provided on a glazing having a coating, it may be preferable that the UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 align with the coating such that the UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 may not align with any deletions which may be formed in the coating, including an infrared reflective coating.
A UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 may be non-directional such that information may be collected from an interior and/or an exterior space when the UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 is installed or directional such that the orientation of the UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 may determine what information is collected. The desired information to be gained with a UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 may determine a desirable orientation of the UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520. Where it is desirable for a UV sensor 120, 220, 320, 420, 422, 520 to provide information about a vehicle interior, a directional UV sensor may be positioned to face a vehicle interior. In a further example, where it is desirable to display information about the UV radiation passing through a glazing, including any glass sheets and interlayers, it may be preferable to position the directional UV sensor on an interior glass surface, such as surface S4 in a laminated glazing and S2 in a tempered glass sheet. Information may be displayed to a user in the same direction the directional UV sensor faces or a different direction.
In the description above, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, the examples with specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments with various modifications and variations may be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
Furthermore, although elements of the described aspects and/or embodiments may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. Additionally, all or a portion of any aspect and/or embodiment may be utilized with all or a portion of any other aspect and/or embodiment, unless stated otherwise. Thus, the disclosure is not to be limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/904,112 filed on Sep. 23, 2019, entitled “VEHICLE GLAZING,” the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US20/51770 | 9/21/2020 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62904112 | Sep 2019 | US |