Coated glazing

Abstract

A coated glazing for a vehicle includes a first glass substrate and a heatable coating formed on the first glass substrate, the heatable coating including a partially removed portion having a thickness that is thinner than an unremoved portion of the heatable coating. The partially removed portion of the heatable coating is formed in a differential heating zone for variably heating the first glass substrate for de-icing a wiper park area or any other heating desired area.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 007,752, entitled “Coated Glazing,” filed April 9, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to a window glass with a heatable coating having differentially heated zones. Background Technology

[0004] A heatable coating may be included on window glass (including those that can be used in vehicles). This heatable coating can be used, for example, to defrost window glass, including the area where the wipers are against the windshield. In a vehicle, the heatable coating can be applied to any suitable window glass, such as the windshield, rear window, sunroof, or side windows. In some window glass, it is preferable to provide localized areas for increased heating. For example, the area of ​​the windshield adjacent to the wipers is preferably heated compared to other parts of the window glass. Increasing heat around such wiper parking areas allows for de-icing around the wipers, allowing them to function. As a further example, areas of the windshield through which information acquisition systems, such as cameras or sensors, collect information from outside the vehicle can preferably be heated. Increasing heat around such camera opening areas allows for defogging where fogging might interfere with the collection of clear information. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This document discloses a window glass comprising a first glass substrate and a heatable coating formed on the first glass substrate, the heatable coating comprising at least one heatable layer and including at least one partially removed region, wherein the heatable coating has a thickness at the partially removed region that is thinner than that in the unremoved portion of the heatable coating, wherein the partially removed portion of the heatable layer is formed in a differential heating region of the heatable coating.

[0006] In embodiments of this disclosure, the heatable coating may include a single heatable layer, and the partial removal portion may include a partial thickness reduction portion of the single heatable layer. In another embodiment, the heatable coating may include a first heatable layer and a second heatable layer. The partial removal portion may include a total thickness reduction portion or a partial thickness reduction portion of at least one of the first and second heatable layers. The heatable layer may contain silver or a transparent conductive oxide (TCO). A dielectric layer may be disposed between the first and second heatable layers.

[0007] In some embodiments, the window glass may further include a second glass substrate laminated to the first glass substrate. A heatable coating may be located between the first and second glass substrates. The differential heating area may be the area where the windshield wipers rest on the window glass when installed in a vehicle. The window glass may include an opaque printed area within the differential heating area.

[0008] In another aspect of this disclosure, a method for providing a window glass having a heatable coating may include the following steps: providing a first glass substrate on which a heatable coating is formed; and removing at least a portion of at least one heatable layer in the heatable coating to provide a partial removal portion in a differential heating region for variably heating the first glass substrate, wherein at least a portion of at least one heatable layer is retained in the partial removal portion.

[0009] In embodiments of this disclosure, a portion of the heatable layer can be removed by applying a laser to the coating or by physical abrasion of the coating. The heatable coating may include a single heatable layer, and the partial removal portion may include a partial reduction in the thickness of the single heatable layer.

[0010] In another embodiment, the heatable coating may include a first heatable layer and a second heatable layer. The partial removal portion may be formed by a reduction in the total thickness or a partial reduction in thickness of at least one of the first and second heatable layers. The heatable coating may include a barrier layer between the first and second heatable layers. Physical abrasion of the coating may include the application of a grinding wheel, wherein the grinding wheel has a lower hardness than the barrier layer. The method may further include the step of laminating a first glass substrate with a second glass substrate. The method may include the step of forming an opaque print on the first glass substrate.

[0011] In another aspect of this disclosure, the laminated window glass may include: a first glass sheet having surfaces S1 and S2 and a second glass sheet having surfaces S3 and S4, wherein S1 faces outward during installation and S4 faces inward during installation; an interlayer disposed between the first glass sheet and the second glass sheet; a heatable coating formed on either the first glass sheet or the second glass sheet, the heatable coating including a first heatable region and a second heatable region, the second heatable region having a higher heating capacity than the first heatable region; a busbar supplying power to the heatable coating; and an opaque print formed on at least one of the first glass sheet and the second glass sheet, the opaque print concealing the busbar and the second heatable region when viewed from the outside of the first glass sheet.

[0012] In embodiments of this disclosure, the heatable layer may include at least one heatable layer, the at least one heatable layer including a partially removed portion, wherein the heatable coating has a thinner thickness at the partially removed portion than in the unremoved portion of the heatable coating, and the partially removed portion of the heatable layer is formed in a second heatable region. In a further embodiment, opaque printing material may be formed at least on surface S2, and the busbar and heatable coating may be formed on surface S3. In another embodiment, opaque printing material may be at least on surface S2, and the busbar and heatable coating may be formed on surface S2. In such embodiments, the busbar and heatable coating may be formed on the opaque printing material, or the opaque printing material may be formed on the heatable coating.

[0013] In another embodiment, a second heatable area may be configured at the wiper parking area. In some embodiments, the heatable coating may be removed to form the camera opening area, and a second heatable area may be formed in the peripheral area of ​​the camera opening area. The heatable layer may comprise silver or may comprise a transparent conductive oxide (TCO). Attached Figure Description

[0014] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more exemplary aspects of this disclosure and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain their principles and implementation.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a plan view showing a window pane according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a plan view showing a window pane according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a cross-section of a window glass having differential heating zones according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a cross-section of a window glass having differential heating zones according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a cross-section of a window glass having differential heating zones according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 6 This shows a cross-section of a glass sheet for laminated window glass according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 7 This shows a cross-section of a laminated window glazing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 8This shows a cross-section of a laminated window glazing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 9 This is a plan view showing a window pane according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0024] Figure 10 This is a plan view showing a window pane according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0025] In the following description, specific details are set forth for purposes of explanation in order to facilitate a thorough understanding of one or more aspects of this disclosure. However, in some or all cases it will be apparent that many of the aspects described below can be practiced without employing the specific design details described below.

[0026] When the heatable coating is applied across the entire windshield, the differential heating area can be formed by removing areas that divide the coating into electrically isolated sections, each section having a separate busbar for each isolated coating area. However, it is preferable to minimize the number of required busbars and electrical connections. For example, it is preferable to provide a heatable window glass with two busbars and differential heating across the entire window glass without requiring an electrically isolated section. In this specification, the terms "top" and "bottom" refer to the edges of the window glass when installed in a vehicle.

[0027] A heatable coating may include one or more heatable layers and may include a dielectric layer between the heatable layers, wherein more than one heatable layer is present in the coating. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the heatable coating may include a single heatable layer subjected to thickness reduction. In another embodiment, the heatable coating may include a layer stack having at least two heatable layers, wherein at least one heatable layer may be removed or its thickness reduced. When powered by a power source, the heatable layers may be electrically connected and heated. The heatable coating may include a metallic coating, such as an infrared reflective coating. The metallic layer may preferably be a silver-containing layer. The silver-containing layer may have a silver content of more than 90% by mass. In specific embodiments described herein, the metallic coating may include at least two metallic layers as heatable layers, which may be separated by a dielectric layer. An exemplary heatable coating may include a layer sequence of: dielectric layer / silver / dielectric layer, or dielectric layer / silver / dielectric layer / silver / dielectric layer. The dielectric layer may include a metal oxide, nitride, or oxynitride, such as tin oxide, zinc oxide, silicon nitride, titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, or one or more mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the heatable coating may include a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) coating (such as a LOW-E coating). The TCO coating may include at least one TCO layer (such as an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer) as a heatable layer, which may be separated by a dielectric layer. The thickness of the metal layer may be from 1 nm to 100 nm, preferably 5 nm to 50 nm, more preferably 8 nm to 30 nm. The thickness of the dielectric layer may be from 1 nm to 100 nm, preferably 5 nm to 50 nm, more preferably 8 nm to 30 nm. The thickness of the TCO layer may be from 1 nm to 200 nm, preferably 10 nm to 150 nm, more preferably 20 nm to 100 nm. A heatable coating having any suitable heatable layer may be disposed in laminated window glass. Preferably, the heatable coating may be on the glass surface within the laminated window glass. The visible light transparency of the window glass or laminated window glass may be 70% or more, preferably 72% or more, to meet regulatory requirements. Visible light transparency can be specifically determined according to ISO 3538:1997, "Road vehicles—Safety glazing materials—Test methods for optical properties". To measure light transmission across the wavelength spectrum or at a specific wavelength, any suitable equipment conforming to ISO standards can be used, such as a UV-Vis spectrophotometer (e.g., U4000, Hitachi High-Tech Science).

[0028] The laminated window glass may include a first glass substrate and a second glass substrate, which are laminated together using an interlayer material. The thickness of the glass substrate is not particularly limited, but is preferably from 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. The glass substrate may include, but is not limited to, soda-lime silicate glass as described in ISO 16293-1:2008. In some embodiments, the first glass substrate may be an external glass substrate facing outwards when the window glass is installed, and the second substrate may be an internal glass substrate facing inwards when the window glass is installed. Alternatively, depending on the manufacturing process, the first glass substrate may be an internal glass substrate, and the second glass substrate may be an external glass substrate.

[0029] Specifically, the interlayer can be a polymeric adhesive, such as polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), or an ionomer. A heatable coating can be formed on the glass substrate prior to lamination. In laminated window glass, the heatable coating can be protected from corrosion due to exposure to external components. In some embodiments, the coating can be removed around the edges of the glass substrate. The heatable coating can be connected to a power source via busbars formed on the coating. Preferably, the coating comprises two busbars formed opposite to each other, such that current can pass through the coating between the busbars. The busbars can be made, for example, by printing conductive paste (particularly by screen printing) onto the coating formed on the glass substrate, the conductive paste being fired, for example, during bending of the glass substrate. The busbars can be implemented, for example, as strip or strip electrodes. The busbars can comprise thin, narrow strips of copper or aluminum foil, the foil including, for example, a conductive adhesive layer, applied to the heatable coating in an electrically contact manner. The adhesive foil can be attached to the conductive paste material formed on the heatable coating.

[0030] In the case of a preferred variable-heating coating (such as a coating for a wiper parking area), the coating according to this disclosure may include a partial removal section. The partial removal section or partially removed area of ​​the heatable layer can locally increase the resistance in the coating, thereby increasing the heat generated by ohmic resistance heating, enabling faster de-icing and / or defogging. Due to the partially removal section, which can locally increase resistance, current can be locally forced through narrow and / or long extensions. The increased resistance may result in more localized heating of the coating than areas without the partial removal section. The partial removal section may be in the uppermost layer of the heatable coating, and can be achieved by applying laser abrasion or any other physical removal means to the exposed surface of the heatable coating on the workpiece, such as by using physical abrasion. The partial removal section can be formed in any suitable shape, such as a straight line, zigzag, or curve. For example, but not limited to, the partial removal section can be formed using multiple removal lines with a width of 0.1 mm and a spacing of 0.5 mm. The shape, width, length, and / or spacing can vary depending on the purpose / location of heating. The partial removal section can be generated as a line or shadow line perpendicular to the edge of the substrate, or it can be generated from a parallel or random pattern.

[0031] The area of ​​coating with partial removal can be of any suitable shape and size. In some embodiments, the area with partial removal can extend across all or part of the bottom of the window glass. The area with partial removal can include multiple areas of coating removal. For example, a vehicle may include two wipers located on a windshield, and the windshield coating can preferably heat areas of the windshield corresponding to the respective wiper locations. By applying a supply voltage to two busbars, heatable coating areas with and without partial removal can be heated simultaneously. The coating area with partial removal can be heated more than the coating area without partial removal. For example, a heatable coating area without partial removal can be configured such that it receives 3 watts / dm² under an onboard voltage surge of 12V to 48V. 2 Up to 6 watts / dm 2 The specific heating output, and the heatable coating area with a partial removal section, can be configured to achieve 5 watts / dm² through an onboard voltage surge of 12V to 48V. 2 Up to 20 watts / dm 2 The specific heating output. The removal section can be controlled by its width, length, and depth. By controlling the depth and relative position of the removal section, a region of the partial removal section or a differential heating region can have a localized change in resistance. Such removal control can be used to provide a gradually changing differential heating region when a gradually changing thermal profile is desired in the differential heating region.

[0032] In some embodiments, the window glass may preferably include a heatable coating having multiple conductive layers. For example, the coating may include two or three conductive metal layers or TCO layers. The partial removal portion may preferably not extend through all conductive layers. Therefore, even if a partial removal portion extends partially through the coating, all or part of the conductive layers of the heatable coating can remain intact. In the case of three conductive layers, one or two conductive layers without removal portions may be retained. In the case where the removal portion extends through the entire coating formation, the portion of the coating at the removal portion will not have heatable material. According to this disclosure, the coating retains heatable material throughout the entire coated area. Therefore, there can be no heating interruption. In some areas that are not part of the coated area, including near the periphery of the window glass substrate or in areas used for sensors or cameras, the coating can be completely removed. By preventing heating interruption, heat can be distributed relatively more evenly over the coated area with the partial removal portion. Furthermore, the design of the partial removal portion can be flexible. For example, the partial removal portion can be wider than complete removal because the coating retains conductivity throughout the entire coated area.

[0033] In some embodiments, a laser can be used to form a partial removal section. The laser can be absorbed by the coating and locally decompose the coating without affecting the underlying material. The laser can be configured to locally evaporate a portion of the coating. For the purposes of this specification, the laser can be focused on some coatings in a suitable shape and size without removing the underlying coating. In particular, the laser can be configured such that the laser intensity removes at least one layer or a portion of the heatable layer of the coating without removing the entire coating, such that at least a portion of the heatable layer remains intact at the partial removal section. The preferred power and / or focus of the laser can be determined based on the coating material and the number and thickness of the layers to be removed by the laser.

[0034] Laser power supplies known in the art for laser removal of automotive window glass used for mounting electrical sensors can be used. For example, a device that generates a pulsed green laser with a wavelength of 532 nm and a frequency of 10 kHz can be used. In some embodiments, continuous or pulsed infrared lasers with wavelengths from 1059 nm to 1065 nm can be used. Additionally, the power, pulse, and / or frequency can be changed or scanned periodically or non-periodically. Variations in the laser focus during scanning, with or without a current scanner, can also be used. For another example, laser processing techniques utilizing spatial phase modulators or holographic optics can be used. Laser processing can include interferometric laser beams to produce partial removal portions. Interferometric lasers can provide a stable, energy-efficient system on a focused laser beam. An axicon lens can be used to create the removal opening described herein using the interferometric laser beam. Furthermore, the interferometric beam can be focused onto a coating, allowing the opening to be reliably formed on a three-dimensionally curved glass substrate.

[0035] In some further embodiments, partial removal portions can be formed by physical abrasion. For example, an abrasive wheel can be applied to the coating to provide partial removal portions that penetrate a portion of the coating. When the coating comprises at least two heatable layers, a barrier layer can be provided between the heatable layers. Preferably, the barrier layer can be harder than an abrasive tool such as an abrasive wheel. When the barrier layer is harder than such an abrasive wheel, the abrasive wheel can be used to remove layers of the coating above the barrier layer. Depending on the desired hardness of the physical abrasive tool, the barrier layer can include, but is not limited to, oxides, nitrides, or oxynitrides of silicon (Si), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), or tungsten (W), or combinations thereof. The heatable layer below the barrier layer can remain intact, protected by the barrier layer, and the partial removal portion can be formed in the heatable layer of the coating above the barrier layer.

[0036] For various applications (including automotive window glass), the glass substrate can be heat-treated, including bending and / or tempering. In cases where a heatable coating is applied to the glass substrate prior to heat treatment, partial removal portions can be formed before or after the heat treatment.

[0037] Figure 1 A window 10 having a heatable coating 12 is shown. The window 10 is suitable for a vehicle windshield and is shaped as a trapezoid with curved edges (not shown for simplicity) to fit the vehicle frame. The heatable coating 12 can be formed on the entire surface of the glass substrate, but the periphery of the heatable coating 12 can be removed to prevent edge deterioration. Busbars 14b, 14t can be positioned opposite each other on the heatable coating 12 to provide power to the coating 12. In some embodiments, the busbars can be as follows: Figure 10 As shown, they are located on the left and right sides of the coating, instead of as... Figure 1 The partial removal portion 16 is shown located at the top and bottom of the coating. It is also shown as being formed in the heatable coating 12 in the wiper parking area. As shown, the partial removal portion 16 can be provided in more than one area on the window glass. The partial removal portion 16 can be formed in areas of the heatable coating 12 that require increased heating, including the wiper parking area, sensor area, or camera area (where the camera is positioned to collect information through the window glass 10).

[0038] Figure 2 Another embodiment of a window glass 10 with a partially removed portion 16 having a different pattern is shown. In this embodiment, the partially removed portion 16 is formed to extend along the bottom edge of the window glass and cover the wiper resting area.

[0039] Figures 3 to 5 A variation of the partial removal section 16 is shown. Figure 3A partial removal section 16 with a fully removed thickness and a heatable layer 28 is shown. Figure 3 In this process, a multilayer heatable coating having five layers—a dielectric layer 22, a first heatable layer 24, a dielectric layer 26, a second heatable layer 28, and a dielectric layer 30—is formed on the first glass substrate 20. As described above, the first heatable layer 24 and the second heatable layer 28 can be formed of a silver-containing layer or any other transparent metal or conductive oxide layer. The dielectric layers 22, 26, and 30 can be formed of a material containing metal oxides, nitrides, oxynitrides, etc., as main components. The heatable layers 24 and 28 and the dielectric layers 22, 26, and 30 can be coated onto the glass substrate 20, for example, by sputtering. Figure 3 The illustrated window glass has a partially removed portion 16 formed by removing a portion of the dielectric layer 30 and the second heatable layer 28. The dielectric layer 30 and the second heatable layer 28 are completely removed within the partially removed portion 16, thereby exposing the dielectric layer 26. The partially removed portions 16 can be of any shape and arbitrarily close to each other to locally increase the resistance between the two busbars in the region of the partially removed portion. Exemplary configurations may include partially removed portions 16 configured as a series of straight, parallel strips. Physical abrasion is used to prepare... Figure 3 In the case of the partial removal portion 16 shown, the dielectric layer 26 can be used as a barrier layer to prevent physical wear.

[0040] Figure 4 Another type of window glass 10 is shown. Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, a multilayer heatable coating can be formed on the first glass substrate 20, the multilayer heatable coating having the characteristics of... Figure 3 The window glass shown has the same five layers 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30. At the partial removal section 16, the entire thickness of the dielectric layer 30 is removed, while a portion of the thickness of the second heatable layer 28 is removed. The partial removal section 16 can be of any shape or close to each other to locally increase resistance, and can be configured, for example, as a series of straight, parallel strips. Figure 4 In the structure shown, during the removal process, the second heatable layer 28 can be removed to the midpoint of its thickness. One advantage of this structure is that it ensures current flows through the partially removed second heatable layer 28, allowing heat to be generated throughout the partially removed portion 16.

[0041] Figure 5Another example of window glass 10 is shown. In this embodiment, a multilayer heatable coating having three layers—a dielectric layer 22, a first heatable layer 24, and a dielectric layer 26—is formed on a first glass substrate 20. At the partial removal section 16, the entire thickness of the dielectric layer 26 is removed, while a portion of the thickness of the first heatable layer 24 is removed. The partial removal sections 16 can be of any shape or close to each other to locally increase resistance, and can be configured as a series of straight, parallel strips. In this configuration, during the removal process, the first heatable layer 24 is removed to the middle of its thickness. This configuration ensures that current flows through the heatable coating, even through the partial removal sections 16.

[0042] In the case where the window glass is a laminated window glass such as a windshield, a first glass substrate can be laminated with a second glass substrate, and there is an interlayer between the two. Preferably, in this laminated structure, a heatable coating can be located between the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate. Figure 6 A schematic cross-section of a glass substrate for a laminated window glazing system is shown, the laminated window glazing system comprising an outer glass substrate 40 and an inner glass substrate 20. Figure 6 In this design, the outer glass substrate 40 has an opaque print 38, while the inner glass substrate 20 has a heatable coating 12 with a partial removal section 16. The outer glass substrate 40, serving as the first glass sheet, is positioned on the outer side of the windshield when mounted in a vehicle, and has an outer surface S1 and an inner surface S2. The inner glass substrate 20, serving as the second glass sheet, is positioned on the inner side of the windshield when mounted in a vehicle, and has an inner surface S3 and an inner surface S4 facing the vehicle interior. A black print, i.e., the opaque print 38, is formed on the inner surface S2 of the outer glass substrate 40. The opaque print 38 can be any suitable material, including black enamel frit, and can be disposed on any suitable surface, including the glass substrate surface or the laminated film surface. In particular, the print can be disposed around the periphery of the windshield, including the wiper parking area and the camera opening area 48. The opaque print 38 may not be formed in the camera opening area. The heatable coating 12 can be completely removed in the camera opening area so as not to interfere with information collected by the camera from the outside of the vehicle. The opaque print 38 can also be aligned with the wiper parking area and can block the external view of the partial removal section 16 in the heatable coating 12. The dot pattern area of ​​the opaque print 38 can be formed at the edge of the opaque print 38 in the windshield periphery area. The opaque print can also be provided on the inner surface S4.

[0043] like Figure 7As shown, the outer glass substrate 40 and the inner glass substrate 20 can be stacked with the interlayer 36, which may include, for example, polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), or an ionomer. A partial removal portion 16 can be formed in the heatable coating 12 on the inner surface S3. The heatable coating 12 can have a multilayer structure as described above, and the partial removal portion 16 can be formed as... Figures 3 to 5 Any type or combination thereof shown. One combination may include, for example, a heatable coating 12 having two or three heatable layers, one of which can be completely removed while another heatable layer can be partially removed within a partial removal section 16. The heatable coating 12 may include, for example, one, two, or three heatable layers. The partial removal section 16 may create differential heating areas for variably heating the outer glass substrate 40. The location of the partial removal section 16 is designed to correspond to areas requiring differential or variable heating applications, such as the periphery of the windshield near the wiper parking area, the periphery of the camera opening area, and any other areas suitable for increased heating applications. When viewed from the outer side of the outer glass substrate 40, the opaque print 38 may be used to conceal the busbars 14b, 14t of the heatable coating 12 and the partial removal section 16. Other opaque prints may be disposed on the inner surface S4. A camera 46 or other information acquisition system (such as a sensor or radar) may be configured near the top of the laminated window glass to collect information from the outside of the vehicle through the camera opening area 48 formed within the opaque print 38. The partial removal section 16 can be configured to provide heat to the surrounding area of ​​the camera opening 48.

[0044] Figure 8 Another laminated window glazing with a similar structure is shown. This laminated window glazing has an outer glass substrate 40 and an inner glass substrate 20, and a sandwich 36 held between the outer glass substrate 40 and the inner glass substrate 20. Figure 8 In this process, opaque printed material 38, partial removal section 16, and busbar 14 are provided on the inner surface S2 of the outer glass substrate 40. Other opaque printed materials can be provided on the inner surface S4. Although in Figure 8 The heatable coating 12 is formed on the opaque printed material 38, but the opaque printed material 38 can also be formed on the heatable coating 12.

[0045] Figure 9 and Figure 10 An exemplary embodiment of the window glass disclosed herein is shown. Figure 9 A window glazing with busbars 14t and 14b at the top and bottom of the glass structure is shown. Figure 10 A conduit strip 14s is shown positioned at the side edge of the laminated window glass behind the opaque print 38. Figure 9 and Figure 10The image shows a pair of windshield wipers 42 positioned in a wiper parking area with a partial removal section 16, where the wipers can be located when installed in a vehicle. The partial removal section 16 provides differential heating in this area, providing more localized heating of the heatable coating than in areas without the removal section. On the top side of the laminated window glass, the partial removal section 16 is configured along the camera opening area 48 to provide heat for de-icing or defogging the camera opening area 48. This arrangement, powered via busbars 14t, 14b, 14s, generates heat throughout the windshield, which has areas with higher heating in the differential heating area with the partial removal section 16. When installed in a vehicle, the possible location of the pair of wipers 42 is shown aligned with the differential heating area with the partial removal section 16. Furthermore, the partial removal section 16 is shown surrounding the camera opening area 48 to provide heat to it.

[0046] Producing window glass with a heatable coating can include the following steps. First, a first glass substrate having a heatable coating on it can be prepared.

[0047] After forming the heatable coating, at least a portion of at least one heatable layer in the heatable coating is removed to form a partial removal portion in the heatable coating. This removal can be achieved by using laser abrasion or physical abrasion treatment.

[0048] The opaque print can be formed on either a first or a second glass substrate. If the opaque print is formed on the first glass substrate, it can be formed before or after the formation of the heat-resistant coating.

[0049] After forming the partial removal section and the opaque print, an interlayer film can be disposed between the first and second glass substrates, and then it can be degassed and high-pressure sterilized to provide a laminated window glass with a heatable coating having differential heating zones.

[0050] The foregoing description of this disclosure is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make or use it. Various modifications of this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the common principles defined herein may be applied to other modifications without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the foregoing description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates examples but is not merely representative of examples that may be implemented or fall within the scope of the claims.

[0051] Although elements of the described aspects and / or embodiments may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural form is conceivable unless explicitly stated otherwise. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, all or part of any aspect and / or embodiment may be used in conjunction with all or part of any other aspect and / or embodiment. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A window glass comprising: First glass substrate; and A heatable coating is formed on the first glass substrate, the heatable coating comprising at least one heatable layer and at least one partially removed portion, wherein the heatable coating has a thinner thickness at the partially removed portion than in the unremoved portion of the heatable coating. The portion of the heatable layer that is partially removed is formed in the differential heating region of the heatable coating. The heatable layer contains silver or transparent conductive oxide (TCO). The portion to be removed is formed into multiple straight lines, zigzags, or curved patterns.

2. The window glass according to claim 1, wherein, The heatable coating comprises a single heatable layer, and the partial removal portion comprises a portion of the thickness reduction of the single heatable layer.

3. The window glass according to claim 1, wherein, The heatable coating includes a first heatable layer and a second heatable layer.

4. The window glass according to claim 3, wherein, The at least one portion removal section includes a reduction in the total thickness of one of the first heatable layer and the second heatable layer.

5. The window glass according to claim 3, wherein, The partial removal portion includes a portion of the thickness reduction of one of the first heatable layer and the second heatable layer.

6. The window glass according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein, The first heatable layer and the second heatable layer sandwich the dielectric layer between the first heatable layer and the second heatable layer.

7. The window glass according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a second glass substrate laminated to the first glass substrate.

8. The window glass according to claim 7, wherein, The heatable coating is located between the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate.

9. The window glass according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The differential heating zone is the area where the windshield wipers rest on the window glass when the vehicle is installed.

10. The window glass according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The window glass also includes an opaque print in the differential heating zone.

11. A method for providing window glass with a heatable coating, comprising the following steps: A first glass substrate having a heatable coating formed thereon is disposed thereon; as well as At least a portion of at least one heatable layer in the heatable coating is removed to provide a partial removal section in a differential heating region for varying the heating of the first glass substrate, wherein at least a portion of at least one heatable layer remains in the partial removal section. The heatable layer contains silver or transparent conductive oxide (TCO). The portion to be removed is formed into multiple straight lines, zigzags, or curved patterns.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Removing a portion of the at least one heatable layer includes applying a laser to the heatable coating.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Removing a portion of the at least one heatable layer includes physical wear of the heatable coating.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, The heatable coating comprises a single heatable layer, wherein the partial removal portion comprises a partial thickness reduction portion of the single heatable layer.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, The heatable coating includes a first heatable layer and a second heatable layer.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The partial removal section includes a reduction in the total thickness of one of the first heatable layer and the second heatable layer.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The partial removal portion includes a portion of the thickness reduction of one of the first heatable layer and the second heatable layer.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The heatable coating includes a barrier layer between the first heatable layer and the second heatable layer.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The physical wear of the coating includes the application of a grinding wheel, wherein the grinding wheel has a lower hardness than the barrier layer.

20. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising the step of stacking the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate.

21. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, The first glass substrate also has an opaque printed material formed thereon, and the step of setting the first glass substrate with a heatable coating formed thereon includes the following steps: The opaque printed material is formed on the first glass substrate; and A heatable coating is formed over the area of ​​the opaque print.

22. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising the step of forming an opaque print on the heatable coating after the removal step.

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