MULTI-LAYER GLASS

Description

[0001] The invention relates to laminated glazing intended to bring conductive wires to an accessory such as, for example, a camera or a rain sensor.

[0002] It is known to have electrical accessories such as a camera or a rain sensor on a motor vehicle windshield near the rearview mirror. A windshield is usually made of two sheets of glass between which is placed a thermoplastic polymer interlayer. The surfaces of the glass sheets of such laminated glazing are numbered from 1 to 4, starting from the external surface of the glazing intended to face the outside of the vehicle and ending with the external surface of the glazing intended to face the inside of the vehicle.

[0003] The power supply for electrical accessories, consisting of conductive wires, is generally fixed to face 4 of the windshield. The conductive wires are hidden from view inside the passenger compartment by a trunking fixed to the glazing, the trunking covering the conductive wires. The conductive wires are hidden from view outside the passenger compartment by a strip of black enamel placed, for example, on face 2 or face 4 of the windshield.

[0004] However, it often happens that the wires are not properly positioned in the cable duct or protrude beyond the enamel strip. In addition, the cable duct takes up space on the windshield and obscures part of the driver's view, especially on panoramic windshields. In addition, the cable duct can be a source of noise at certain speeds due to windshield vibrations.

[0005] FR 2 348 616 A2 describes a laminated glazing unit comprising a first and a second glass sheet, the first glass sheet being provided with a first through hole, an interlayer film of thermoplastic material arranged between the first and second glass sheets, and a conductive wire embedded in the interlayer film, one end of the conductive wire exiting the laminated glazing unit through the first through hole in the first glass sheet.

[0006] There is therefore a need for laminated glazing that allows the supply of conductive wires, which guarantees quality positioning of the conductive wires, which allows for the largest possible field of vision and which overcomes the problem of noise from the trunking.

[0007] For this, the invention proposes laminated glazing intended to be mounted on a motor vehicle, comprising: a first and a second glass sheet, the first glass sheet being provided with a first through hole, a thermoplastic polymer interlayer film disposed between the first and second glass sheets, at least one conductive wire embedded in the interlayer film or disposed between the interlayer film and the first glass sheet or disposed between the interlayer film and the second glass sheet, one end of each conductive wire exiting the laminated glazing through the first through hole of the first glass sheet, and in which the conductive wire(s) are coated in a plastic film forming a sheet, the plastic film forming the sheet being able in particular to be transparent or black or colored, the sheet being equipped with connectors at each of its ends.

[0008] According to another feature, when the conductive wire is arranged between the interlayer film and the second glass sheet, the interlayer film is provided with a through hole allowing the conductive wire to pass through the interlayer film and through the first glass sheet, the through hole of the interlayer film having a size between a minimum value just allowing the conductive wire to pass and a maximum value for which the hole substantially coincides with the first hole of the first glass sheet.

[0009] According to another feature, the second glass sheet is also provided with a through hole, the first through hole of the first glass sheet and the through hole of the second glass sheet having substantially the same size and facing each other, and the interlayer film is also provided with a through hole coinciding with the through holes of the first and second glass sheets.

[0010] According to another feature, the other end of each conductive wire exits the laminated glazing through the edge of the laminated glazing or through a second through hole in the first sheet of glass located at the edge of the glazing or through a through hole in the second sheet of glass located at the edge of the glazing.

[0011] According to another feature, the first glass sheet is provided with several first through holes arranged close to each other.

[0012] According to another feature, the laminated glazing comprises several conductive wires, one end of each conductive wire exiting the laminated glazing through the first through hole(s) in the first sheet of glass.

[0013] According to another peculiarity, each through hole has a size between 3 and 80 mm.

[0014] According to another feature, the laminated glazing further comprises at least one strip of opaque enamel coinciding with the conductive wire(s), hiding the conductive wire(s) from view from the outside and / or the inside.

[0015] According to another feature, the laminated glazing further comprises an accessory fixed to the laminated glazing near or at the level of the first through hole(s), the accessory being connected to the end of the conductive wire(s) exiting the laminated glazing through the first through hole(s) of the first sheet of glass.

[0016] According to another feature, the accessory is a rain or humidity sensor, a light sensor, a camera, an antenna, a lighting device, a fan or even a GPS positioning device.

[0017] According to another feature, the accessory may be fixed on or near the edges of the first through hole(s) of the first glass sheet or housed inside a through hole of the first glass sheet and fixed on the second glass sheet.

[0018] According to another feature, the conductive wire is a coaxial cable, preferably shielded.

[0019] The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing laminated glazing comprising: providing a first and a second glass sheet, cutting a first through hole in the first glass sheet, if necessary, bending the first and second glass sheets, providing one or more conductive wires and a thermoplastic polymer film possibly provided with a through hole, and fixing the conductive wire(s) to the thermoplastic polymer film, placing the thermoplastic polymer film carrying the conductive wire(s) between the first and second glass sheets, and leading one end of the conductive wire(s) out through the first through hole, said end being equipped with a connector before passing through the first through hole, vacuum degassing the assembly,with the use of a peripheral seal or a vacuum bag as well as an adhesive to plug the through hole(s) of the glass sheet(s) or a suction cup to suck air through the through hole(s) of the glass sheet(s), heat sealing of the edges of the laminated glazing and the edges of the through hole(s), autoclaving of the assembly.

[0020] The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing laminated glazing comprising: providing a first and a second glass sheet, cutting a first through hole in the first glass sheet, if necessary, bending the first and second glass sheets, providing one or more conductive wires coated in a transparent plastic film forming a sheet, and a thermoplastic polymer film possibly provided with a through hole, placing the thermoplastic polymer film between the first and second glass sheets, the sheet of conductive wires being arranged between the thermoplastic polymer film and the first glass sheet or the second glass sheet, and exiting one end of the conductive wire(s) through the first through hole, the sheet being equipped with connectors at each of its ends before assembly of the glazing, vacuum degassing of the assembly,with the use of a peripheral seal or a vacuum bag as well as an adhesive to plug the through hole(s) of the glass sheet(s) or a suction cup to suck air through the through hole(s) of the glass sheet(s), heat sealing of the edges of the laminated glazing and the edges of the through hole(s), autoclaving of the assembly.

[0021] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which: There figure 1 represents a sectional view of a laminated glazing according to the invention; The figures 2a, 2b, 2c are a detailed view, according to three respective embodiments, of the laminated glazing according to the invention with several conductive wires; The figure 3 is a detailed view of the edge of the laminated glazing according to one embodiment of the invention; The figures 4 et 5 are sectional views, according to two respective embodiments, of a laminated glazing according to the invention with an antenna accessory mounted on the glazing.

[0022] Reference numbers that are identical in different figures represent similar or identical elements.

[0023] Throughout the description, the term "wire" should not be understood as limiting. Indeed, it also covers cables.

[0024] Throughout the description, the "size" of a hole means the largest dimension of the hole, namely the diameter when the hole is circular.

[0025] The invention relates to a laminated glazing unit comprising a first and a second glass sheet, as well as an interlayer film made of thermoplastic polymer arranged between the two glass sheets. The first glass sheet is provided with a first through hole. The laminated glazing unit also comprises at least one conductive wire embedded in the interlayer film or arranged between the interlayer film and the first glass sheet or arranged between the interlayer film and the second glass sheet, one end of the conductive wire exiting the laminated glazing unit through the first through hole in the first glass sheet.

[0026] Thus, the conductive wire(s) are arranged between the two sheets of glass by being embedded in the thermoplastic polymer film or by being arranged between the thermoplastic polymer film and one of the sheets of glass, which guarantees quality positioning of the conductive wires and greater ease of transport without damaging the conductive wires. In addition, the trunking is no longer necessary because the conductive wires can exit the glazing at the very location where the accessory to be connected is positioned. As a result, the field of vision is improved and there is no longer any noise generated by the trunking while the vehicle is moving.

[0027] There figure 1 represents a sectional view of laminated glazing according to the invention.

[0028] The laminated glazing comprises a first glass sheet 1, a second glass sheet 2 and an interlayer film 3 made of thermoplastic polymer, arranged between the two glass sheets. The interlayer film is for example a PVB film, standard or with acoustic damping properties. The first glass sheet comprises a first through hole 4. The first glass sheet 1 can be positioned on the internal side as well as on the external side of the vehicle, depending on the applications. In addition, the interlayer film can comprise a through hole coinciding with the first through hole 4 of the first glass sheet, as shown in the figure 4 .

[0029] The laminated glazing also comprises at least one conductive wire 5 which is embedded in the interlayer film 3 or which is arranged between the interlayer film 3 and the first glass sheet 1, or which is arranged between the interlayer film 3 and the second glass sheet 2. This provides it with protection which is integrated into the laminated glazing. When the conductive wire 5 is arranged between the interlayer film 3 and the second glass sheet 2, the interlayer film 3 may be provided with a through hole which coincides with the first hole 4 of the first glass sheet 1, that is to say which has substantially the same size and which is opposite, to allow the passage of the conductive wire 5 through the interlayer film 3 and through the first glass sheet 1.However, preferably, when the conductive wire 5 is arranged between the interlayer film 3 and the second glass sheet 2, the interlayer film 3 is pierced with a through hole which is as small as possible to ensure just the passage of the conductive wire 5. The through hole in the interlayer film 3 can also have all the possible sizes between these two extreme values. The maximum size of the through hole of the interlayer film is at most 10 mm larger than the size of the through hole of the glass sheet. Preferably, when no conductive wire is brought to pass through the interlayer film, the interlayer film does not have any through holes, which allows the glazing to better resist impacts.

[0030] The conductive wire 5 has an end 50 which is intended to be connected to an accessory 6, for example an electrical accessory, via a connector (7 on the figures 2 , 4 et 5 ). The other end 51 of the conductive wire 5 is intended to be connected to a power supply and / or an electrical device on the vehicle, via a connector (9 on the figures 4 et 5 ). One end 50 of the conductive wire 5 exits the laminated glazing through the first through hole 4. The first through hole 4 is for example circular, for ease of manufacture. It must be as small as possible to allow the laminated glazing to comply with the R43 standard and large enough to allow the conductive wire and the connector to pass through. Thus, preferably, the first through hole 4 has a size between 3 and 80 mm.

[0031] The connector 7, 9 makes it possible to protect the end of the conductive wire 5 during transport and handling. The connector 7, 9 is preferably as compact as possible while being mechanically stable and being capable of ensuring a reliable electrical connection in a vehicle environment, in particular by resisting various potential attacks such as vibrations, significant temperature variations, oxidizing atmosphere, etc.

[0032] In one embodiment of the method for manufacturing laminated glazing, the conductive wire(s) 5 are coated in a plastic film forming a thin and flexible sheet. In the laminated glazing according to the invention, the conductive wire(s) 5 are coated in a plastic film forming a sheet. The plastic film can be transparent (which allows for a very discreet product), black (which avoids adding black enamel to the glass to mask the conductive wires), or even colored (which can improve the appearance of the finished product, once integrated into a glazing). The use of such a sheet also provides ease of handling during assembly. The sheet is equipped with connectors at each of its ends before assembly of the glazing. In addition, in order to facilitate assembly, the sheet can be coated with PVB or an adhesive to allow its adhesion to the first glass sheet.Finally, the sheet must also be thin enough to avoid permanently bending the glass during assembly and thus avoid any breakage of the glass at the edge of the hole(s) through which the sheet exits. To compensate for this, the glass preferably has edge constraints on the periphery of the exit holes of the ends of the conductive wires.

[0033] The accessory 6 to which the conductive wire(s) 5 is intended to be connected can be fixed to the laminated glazing, as shown in the figure 1 , or near the laminated glazing, for example on a rearview mirror support. The accessory 6 is for example a rain or humidity sensor, a brightness sensor, a camera, an antenna, a lighting device, a fan or even a GPS positioning device. The conductive wire 5 allows the electrical supply of the accessory 6 and / or the supply of information emitted by the accessory 6 to the electrical device of the vehicle. The conductive wire 5 is for example made of copper. Depending on the applications, for example for connection to a camera, the conductive wire(s) 5 may be coaxial cables, preferably shielded.

[0034] Depending on the type of accessory, one or more 5 conductive wires are required.

[0035] THE figures 2a, 2b, 2c are a detailed view, according to three respective embodiments, of the laminated glazing according to the invention with several conductive wires.

[0036] On the figure 2a , the first glass sheet 1 comprises a single first through hole 4, of circular shape, through which the ends 50 of the conductive wires 5 intended to be connected to an accessory exit.

[0037] On the figure 2b , the first glass sheet 1 comprises a single first through hole 4, in the form of a slot, through which the ends 50 of the conductive wires 5 intended to be connected to an accessory exit.

[0038] On the figure 2c , the first glass sheet 1 comprises three first through holes 4, of circular shape, through each of which exits the end 50 of a conductive wire 5 intended to be connected to an accessory.

[0039] Circular through holes can be made with a hole saw. Slotted through holes can be made by water jet drilling or by machining with a diamond cutter.

[0040] The end 50 of the conductive wire(s) 5 intended to be connected to the accessory 6 can be inserted into a connector 7, as shown in the figures 2a à 2c , which facilitates connection to the accessory 6, in particular when this takes place well after the manufacture of the laminated glazing.

[0041] There figure 3 is a detailed view of the edge of the laminated glazing according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0042] The first glass sheet 1 may comprise a second through hole 8 at the edge of the glazing. The second through hole 8 allows the exit of the other end 51 of the conductive wire 5 for connection to a power supply and / or an electrical device on the vehicle. This other end 51 may be inserted into a connector 9 ( figures 4 et 5 ) for ease of subsequent connection to the vehicle. The second through hole 8 of the first glass sheet 1 may be made on the edge of the first glass sheet 1, for example in the form of a notch, as shown in the figure 3 , or near the edge of the first sheet of glass 1.

[0043] When the first glass sheet 1 does not include a second through hole 8, the end 51 of the conductive wire 5 exits the laminated glazing through the edge of the laminated glazing, as shown in the figure 1 .

[0044] Optionally, the laminated glazing further comprises at least one opaque enamel strip coinciding with the conductive wire(s), hiding the conductive wire(s) from view from the outside and / or the inside of the vehicle. However, since the conductive wires embedded in the interlayer film can be very thin (a few tens to a few hundred microns) and the sheet has a thin width (a few millimeters to around fifteen millimeters), the enamel strip is much thinner than when a trunking is used, and the enamel strip is not three-dimensional like the trunking, which makes it possible to significantly improve the field of vision and visual comfort.

[0045] The laminated glazing may also comprise an accessory 6 fixed to the laminated glazing. The accessory 6 may be fixed to the edges of the first through hole(s) 4 of the first glass sheet 1, for example by snap-fastening or gluing, or near the first through hole(s) 4 of the first glass sheet 1, for example by gluing. Alternatively, the accessory may also be housed inside the through hole 4 of the first glass sheet 1 and be fixed, for example by gluing, to the second glass sheet 2, on face 2 or 3 of the laminated glazing depending on the positioning of the first and second glass sheets in the laminated glazing.

[0046] Furthermore, the second glass sheet may also comprise a through hole (15, figure 5 ). In the latter case, the first through hole 4 of the first glass sheet 1 and the through hole 15 of the second glass sheet 2 are preferably substantially the same size and face each other. The interlayer film is then also provided with a through hole which coincides with the first holes 4, 15 of the first and second glass sheets 1, 2, as shown in the figure 5 , that is to say which has substantially the same size and which is opposite the through holes 4 and 15. The maximum size of the through hole of the interlayer film is at most 10 mm larger than the size of the through holes of the two sheets of glass.

[0047] The second glass sheet 2 may also comprise a through hole at the edge of the glazing, which may be made on the edge of the second glass sheet 2, for example in the form of a notch, or close to the edge of the second glass sheet 2.

[0048] THE figures 4 et 5 are sectional views, according to two respective embodiments, of a laminated glazing according to the invention with an antenna accessory mounted on the glazing.

[0049] These figures are examples of the production of laminated glazing including an antenna.

[0050] An antenna base 10 is fixed to the laminated glazing by fixing means 13, for example glue, via support means 12. The antenna base 10 comprises a connector 11 to which the conductive wire 5 is connected via the connector 7.

[0051] In these embodiments, the first glass sheet 1 faces the outside of the vehicle. Watertightness is ensured by the fixing means 13 which completely surround the through holes.

[0052] In the embodiment of the figure 5 , the second glass sheet also includes a through hole 15. On the figure 5, the through hole 15 coincides with the first through hole 4 and additionally comprises a notch 16 to facilitate the passage of the conductive wire 5.

Claims

1. Method for producing a laminated glazing unit comprising: - a first and a second glass sheet (1, 2), the first glass sheet (1) being provided with a first through-hole (4), - a spacer film (3) made of thermoplastic polymer which is arranged between the first glass sheet and second glass sheet (1, 2), - at least one conducting wire (5) embedded in the spacer film (3) or arranged between the spacer film (3) and the first glass sheet (1) or arranged between the spacer film and the second glass sheet, one end (50) of each conducting wire (5) exiting the laminated glazing unit through the first through-hole (4) of the first glass sheet (1), said method comprising: - providing the first glass sheet and the second glass sheet (1, 2), - cutting a first through-hole (4) in the first glass sheet (1), - if necessary, bending the first glass sheet and second glass sheet (1, 2), - either ∘ providing the conducting wire(s) (5) and the thermoplastic polymer film (3) optionally provided with a through-hole, and attaching the conducting wire(s) (5) to the thermoplastic polymer film (3), placing the thermoplastic polymer film (3) carrying the conducting wire(s) (5) between the first glass sheet and second glass sheet (1, 2), and one end (50) of the conducting wire(s) (5) exiting through the first through-hole (4), said end (50) being fitted with a connector before passing through the first through-hole, or ∘ providing the conducting wire(s) (5) which are coated with a plastic film forming a web, and a thermoplastic polymer film (3) optionally provided with a through-hole, then placing the thermoplastic polymer film (3) between the first glass sheet and second glass sheet (1, 2), the web of conducting wires being arranged between the thermoplastic polymer film (3) and the first glass sheet (1) or the second glass sheet (2), and one end (50) of the conducting wire(s) (5) exiting through the first through-hole (4), the web being equipped with connectors at each of the ends thereof before assembly of the glazing unit, - vacuum degassing of the assembly, using a peripheral seal or a vacuum bag and an adhesive to block the through-hole(s) of the glass sheet(s), or a suction device to draw air through the through-hole(s) of the glass sheet(s), - heat sealing the edges of the laminated glazing unit and the edges of the through-hole(s), - autoclaving of the assembly.

2. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that when the conducting wire (5) is arranged between the spacer film (3) and the second glass sheet (2) the spacer film (3) is provided with a through-hole allowing the conducting wire (5) to pass through the spacer film (3) and through the first glass sheet (1), the through-hole of the spacer film having a size between a minimum value just allowing the passage of the conducting wire and a maximum value at which the hole substantially coincides with the first hole (4) of the first glass sheet (1).

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second glass sheet (2) is also provided with a through-hole (15), the first through-hole (4) of the first glass sheet (1) and the through-hole (15) of the second glass sheet (2) having substantially the same size and facing each other, the spacer film (3) also being provided with a through-hole coinciding with the through-holes (4, 15) of the first glass sheet and second glass sheet (1, 2).

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conducting wire(s) (5) are coated with a plastic film forming a web, the plastic film forming the web being transparent or black or colored.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the other end (51) of each conducting wire (5) exits the laminated glazing unit through the edge face of the laminated glazing unit or through a second through-hole (8) of the first glass sheet (1) located at the edge of the glazing unit or through a through-hole of the second glass sheet (2) located at the edge of the glazing unit, each conducting wire being made of a single piece between the two outlets of the laminated glazing unit.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the glazing unit comprises several conducting wires (5), an end (50) of each conducting wire (5) exiting the laminated glazing unit through the first through-hole(s) (4) of the first glass sheet (1).

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each through-hole (4, 8, 15) has a size of between 3 and 80 mm.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one opaque enamel strip coincides with the conducting wire(s) (5), concealing the conducting wire(s) from view from the outside and / or inside.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conducting wire (5) is a coaxial cable, preferably shielded.

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an accessory (6), in particular a rain or humidity sensor, a brightness sensor, a camera, an antenna, a lighting device, a fan or a GPS positioning device, is attached to the laminated glazing unit near or at the level of the first through-hole(s) (4), the accessory being connected to the end (50) of the conducting wire(s) (5) exiting the laminated glazing unit through the first through-hole(s) (4) of the first glass sheet (1).

11. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the accessory (6) is attached on or near the edges of the first through-hole(s) (4) of the first glass sheet (1) or housed inside a through-hole (4) of the first glass sheet (1) and attached to the second glass sheet (2).

12. Laminated glazing unit for mounting on a motor vehicle, comprising: - a first glass sheet and a second glass sheet (1, 2), the first glass sheet (1) being provided with a first through-hole (4), - a spacer film (3) made of thermoplastic polymer which is arranged between the first glass sheet and second glass sheet (1, 2), - at least one conducting wire (5) embedded in the spacer film (3) or arranged between the spacer film (3) and the first glass sheet (1) or arranged between the spacer film and the second glass sheet, one end (50) of each conducting wire (5) exiting the laminated glazing unit through the first through-hole (4) of the first glass sheet (1), and in which the conducting wire(s) (5) are coated with a plastic film forming a web, the plastic film forming the web can be, in particular, transparent or black or colored, the web being equipped with connectors at each of the ends thereof.

13. Glazing unit according to claim 12, characterized in that the other end (51) of each conducting wire (5) exits the laminated glazing unit through the edge face of the laminated glazing unit or through a second through-hole (8) of the first glass sheet (1) located at the edge of the glazing unit or through a through-hole in the second glass sheet (2) located at the edge of the glazing unit, each conducting wire being made of a single piece between the two outlets of the laminated glazing unit.