LAMINATED GLASS PANE AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a laminated glass pane comprising two glass or polycarbonate panes and at least one polymer film or film laminate bonded between them, and an electronic functional unit arranged between them. It further relates to a method for producing such a laminated glass pane.

[0002] In motor vehicles and buildings, the detection of environmental conditions or parameters is playing an increasingly important role for safe and efficient operation. Modern cars, as well as high-end buildings, are therefore equipped with a multitude of sensors that record relevant environmental conditions or parameters and transmit the current values ​​to processing and control units that manage the vehicle's or building's functions. This applies not only to motor vehicles, but also, to a certain extent, to certain watercraft.

[0003] Certain sensors can be advantageously installed on or in the windshield, or possibly also the rear window or a glass roof unit of a car. Similar arrangements have long been known for so-called rain sensors, which control the vehicle's windshield wiper functions. As part of the general trend toward the largely complete prefabrication of vehicle components, there are developments aimed at integrating corresponding sensors into a prefabricated glazing unit (e.g., the windshield or rear window) of a vehicle. Corresponding solutions are mentioned in EP 3 687 792 B2.

[0004] Vehicle windows with integrated or partially integrated sensors are also known from EP 2 121 308 B1 or CN 101 087 135 A. DE 10 2004 054 465 A1 discloses an optical moisture sensor for detecting moisture on the outside and / or inside of a vehicle window. This sensor is integrated into the PVB film used to bond the two panes of the laminated glass pane together. Furthermore, WO 2015 / 162107 A1 discloses a glass panel with an illuminated button and heating function.

[0005] According to the current state of the art, the integration of electronic functional units and their supply lines into the laminated glass pane takes place in the so-called inline process, i.e., during the bonding of the two panes with the polymer film (PVB film) in between. This imposes time limitations on the bonding process, which can generally be carried out at high speed. These limitations arise from the specific nature of the respective components, cables, etc. and lead to a significant reduction in the productivity of the bonding process (inline process).

[0006] WO-A-2017178146 discloses a composite pane with sensors arranged in cutouts of the polymeric intermediate layer. US-A-2018111356 discloses a composite pane with a circuit board and photodiode, wherein the circuit board can be formed integrally with a connecting cable and provided with a polymer coating.

[0007] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing an improved laminated glass pane and an improved method for its production, which allow efficient production with high throughput and correspondingly low costs.

[0008] This object is achieved in its device aspect by a laminated glass pane having the features of claim 1 and in its method aspect by a method having the features of claim 8. Appropriate developments of the inventive concept are the subject of the respective dependent claims.

[0009] The invention includes the idea of ​​combining the electronic functional units and, if applicable, other parts to be accommodated in a laminated glass pane equipped with electronics or sensors into a prefabricated electronic functional module and feeding this module, together with the polymer film or film laminate, to the aforementioned inline process and processing them together in the inline process at the throughput typical for this process. It further includes the idea of ​​providing a section of the polymer film or film laminate in a partial surface area of ​​the laminated glass pane that corresponds to the lateral dimensions of the functional module. Furthermore, it is necessary that the functional module be produced with a thickness that is at most equal to the thickness of the polymer film or film laminate so that the inline process can proceed with the polymer films or film laminates commonly used for this purpose.

[0010] For the purposes of the present invention, the term "electronic functional module" is to be understood in a broad sense, including a sensor module (e.g., rain or humidity or light sensor module), display module (e.g., head-up display module in the windshield), communication module (e.g., antenna or integrated radio module), and combinations of the aforementioned functional units with one another or with other functional units not mentioned here.

[0011] The electronic functional module comprises a plurality of electronic functional units and / or other parts which are arranged laterally next to one another and / or at least partially vertically overlapping within the functional module.

[0012] The electronic functional module further comprises an encapsulation made of a suitable plastic material that insulates and electrically and mechanically protects the electrical and electronic components. This can, in particular, be a well-known and proven potting compound for such purposes.

[0013] The invention achieves the significant advantage of overcoming the productivity limitations and associated cost increases that have previously inevitably accompanied the integration of sensors or other electronic functional elements or structures into a laminated glass pane. Furthermore, the extensive consolidation of the corresponding elements and structures in a closed functional module enables independent pre-testing and thus the elimination of defective functional units in good time before their incorporation into an expensive end product. Furthermore, the invention largely avoids changes to the inline process technology due to technical changes to the electronic functional units, because such changes are implemented within the electronic functional module and typically have no influence on the external design of the functional module.

[0014] In implementations that are currently particularly economically significant, the laminated glass pane according to the invention is designed as a windshield, rear window, or roof glazing of a vehicle, with the cutout of the polymer film or film laminate and the prefabricated electronic functional module arranged on or near an edge of the laminated glass pane. Of particular note here is the widespread use in road vehicles, particularly cars. However, use in other vehicles, such as boats, small aircraft, air taxis, or similar, is also possible. In addition to the use of the invention in vehicles, it can also be used in building glazing.

[0015] According to established technologies for the production of laminated glass panes specifically for road vehicles, in preferred embodiments of the invention, the thickness of the polymer film or film laminate and the electronic functional module is less than 1.2 mm, and in particular in the range between 0.6 mm and 1.0 mm. It is understood that the invention can also be used advantageously in conjunction with thicker polymer films or film laminates, in which case the accommodation of several functional elements in a single functional module can be simplified in terms of electrical parameters and the connection and encapsulation technology.

[0016] In another, currently preferred embodiment, the electronic functional module has the shape of a flat prism, in particular a flat cuboid, or a flat circular disk. In particular, the two main surfaces of the flat prism or the flat circular disk can be coated with an adhesive for bonding the electronic functional module between the glass or polycarbonate panes. In principle, an adhesive coating of the functional module can be omitted, provided that secure integration into the laminated glass pane and compliance with the requirements placed on its mechanical properties are ensured even without such bonding.

[0017] In currently relevant implementations, the electronic functional module comprises at least one of the following functional units: a humidity sensor, a light sensor, a temperature sensor, an antenna, an actuator, an electronic processing or switching unit, an LCD display unit, and an LED display unit. In particular, more than one functional unit from this group can be included, in which case the advantages of modular prefabrication become particularly apparent.

[0018] According to the invention, the fully prefabricated electronic functional module comprises an integrally prefabricated electrical supply line, which is housed in a supply line cutout in the polymer film or film laminate. In principle, the functional module can also be provided with several integrated supply lines, provided this is appropriate for optimal functioning.

[0019] Method aspects of the invention largely arise from the device aspects explained above and are therefore not explained again here. However, it is pointed out that the steps of the method specified in claim 9 and its embodiments can be modified to the extent that specific embodiments of the electronic functional module provided according to the invention make this seem appropriate. What is essential here is that the advantages associated with the modular prefabrication of the electronic functional units are actually realized for the highly productive process of bonding the individual panes to a polymer film or a film laminate.

[0020] Advantages and usefulness of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures. These show: Fig. 1a and 1b schematic representations (top view and sectional view) of an embodiment of the invention and Fig. 2 a schematic representation to explain the method according to the invention.

[0021] Fig. 1a shows schematically a plan view of a car windscreen 1 according to an embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 1b shows a sectional view of the same along a sectional plane AA. The front pane 1 is formed as a laminated glass pane with a first and second glass pane 1a, 1b and a polymer film 1c glued between the glass panes. In a region near the upper edge of the front pane, a cutout 1d is provided in the polymer film 1c, in which an electronic functional module 2 is inserted between the first and second glass panes 1a, 1b. The functional module 2 comprises a connecting line (ribbon cable) 2a manufactured integrally therewith.

[0022] Fig. 2 shows schematically essential steps in the production of the Fig. 1 laminated glass pane shown.

[0023] In a step S1, an electronic functional unit 2b and a further part 2c as well as a prefabricated supply line 2a' are pre-assembled to form a functional module structure 2'. In a step S2, the functional module structure 2' is encased in a potting compound for insulation and mechanical protection and provided with an adhesive coating (not shown) on both sides, thus obtaining the finished electronic functional module 2. In a step S3, a PVB film 1c' is provided with a cutout 1d adapted to the lateral dimensions of the electronic functional module 2, resulting in the preconfigured PVB film 1c, as shown in Fig. 1 shown.

[0024] In a first step S4 of a so-called inline process, the configured PVB film 1c and the prefabricated electronic functional module 2 are applied to the first glass pane 1a, and in a subsequent step S5, the second glass pane 1b is placed on this pre-assembled assembly, and the stack is laminated in the usual way to form the laminated glass pane 1.

[0025] The embodiment of the invention is not limited to the example explained above, but is also possible in a variety of modifications that are within the scope of the appended claims. List of reference symbols

[0026] 1Laminated glass pane 1a, 1First and second glass pane 1cPolymer film (PVB film) 1dCutout in the polymer film 2Electronic functional module 2'Function module structure 2aIntegrated supply line 2a'Prefabricated supply line 2bElectronic functional unit 2cPart of the functional module

Claims

1. Laminated glass pane (1) comprising two glass or polycarbonate panes (1a, 1b) and at least one polymer film (1c) or a film laminate bonded therebetween and an electronic functional unit (2b) arranged therebetween, wherein, in part of the area of the laminated glass pane, a cutout (1d) of the polymer film or of the film laminate is provided and, accommodated in the cutout, is a fully prefabricated electronic functional module (2) comprising multiple electronic functional units (2b) and / or other parts (2c) that are arranged within the functional module laterally alongside one another and / or at least partially vertically overlapping in an electrically and mechanically protective insulating shell, in particular an encapsulation composed of a polymeric casting compound that has a thickness that is at most equal to the thickness of the polymer film or of the film laminate, wherein the electronic functional module (2) includes an integrally prefabricated electrical supply line (2a) that is accommodated in a supply line cutout of the polymer film or of the film laminate.

2. Laminated glass pane according to claim 1, implemented as a front window (1) or rear window or roof glazing of a vehicle, wherein the cutout (1d) of the polymer film (1c) or of the film laminate and the prefabricated electronic functional module (2) are arranged at or near an edge of the laminated glass pane.

3. Laminated glass pane according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thickness of the polymer film (1c) or of the film laminate and of the electronic functional module is less than 1.2 mm, in particular is in the range between 0.6 mm and 1.0 mm.

4. Laminated glass pane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic functional module (2) has the shape of a flat prism, in particular of a flat cuboid, or of a flat circular disk.

5. Laminated glass pane according to claim 4, wherein the two main surfaces of the flat prism or of the flat circular disk are coated with adhesive for bonding the electronic functional module (2) between the glass or polycarbonate panes.

6. Laminated glass pane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic functional module (2) comprises at least one, in particular several, of the following functional units: a moisture sensor, a light sensor, a temperature sensor, an antenna, an actuator, an electronic processing or switching unit, an LCD display unit, and an LED display unit.

7. Vehicle, in particular a road vehicle, with at least one laminated glass pane (1) according to one of the preceding claims.

8. Method for producing a laminated glass pane (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps: - providing a first and second glass or polycarbonate pane (1a, 1b), - providing a polymer film (1c) or a film laminate for bonding the first and second glass or polycarbonate pane, with a cutout (1d) provided therein, - providing a fully prefabricated electronic functional module (2), whose cross-sectional shape is matched to the shape of the cutout in the polymer film or the film laminate and whose thickness is at most equal to the thickness of the polymer film or of the film laminate, - gluing the polymer film and placing the prefabricated electronic functional module on a surface of the first or second glass or polycarbonate pane, - placing the second glass or polycarbonate pane on the resultant composite, and - laminating the composite with the second glass or polycarbonate pane placed thereon to complete the laminated glass pane, wherein the provision of the fully prefabricated electronic functional module (2) completes the creation of an insulating encapsulation of the functional units (2b) and / or parts (2c) contained therein, in particular as encapsulation with a casting compound, wherein the provision of the fully prefabricated electronic functional module (2) includes providing it with an electrical connection line (2a), in particular in the form of a ribbon cable.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the provision of the electronic functional module (2) includes the coating of two opposite, parallel main surfaces thereof with an adhesive.