Vehicle window and method for producing a vehicle window

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle window, comprising a window body assembly (16), having an outer side facing a vehicle environment and an inner side facing a vehicle interior and having a light guide layer, and an illumination device (24) having at least one light source (26) and at least one light incoupling element (28) arranged on the inside of the window body assembly (16) and by means of which light emitted by the light source (26) can be coupled into the light guide layer. A thermal coating (34) comprising a thermally insulating material is arranged on the inside of the window body assembly (16).

Description

[0001] January 27, 2023

[0002] Webasto SE M / WEB-773-WO

[0003] (R3946-21WO)

[0004] Vehicle window and method for producing a vehicle window

[0005] The invention relates to a vehicle window having the features of the preamble of patent claim 1 and to a method for producing a vehicle window.

[0006] Such a vehicle window is known in practice and is used particularly in the area of ​​a vehicle roof as a fixed roof element or as a cover element of a roof opening system, by means of which a roof opening can be selectively closed or opened. This vehicle window comprises a window body arrangement, which can be designed as laminated glass and which has a light guide layer, which can be formed by an inner pane body of the window body arrangement. Connected to the light guide layer is an illumination device, the light from which can be coupled into the light guide layer via a prism-like, strip-shaped light coupling element. When the light source is activated, the light guide layer forms a luminous surface visible from the vehicle interior.

[0007] The problem with the vehicle window described above is that heat is lost through the window, particularly in cold weather conditions, so that the climatic conditions in the vehicle interior are inadequate, particularly in the area around the occupants' heads.

[0008] The invention is based on the object of providing a vehicle window constructed according to the type mentioned in the introduction, which contributes to an improvement of the temperature conditions in a vehicle interior, and a method for producing such a vehicle window.

[0009] This object is achieved according to the invention by the vehicle window having the features of claim 1 and the method having the features of claim 8. According to the invention, a vehicle window is proposed which comprises a window body arrangement which has an outer side facing the vehicle surroundings and an inner side facing the vehicle interior, and which has a light guide layer. An illumination device with at least one light source and at least one light coupling element are provided, which is arranged on the inner side of the window arrangement and by means of which light emitted by the light source can be coupled into the light guide layer. In order to reduce heat loss through the window body arrangement, a thermal coating comprising a thermally insulating material is arranged on the inner side of the window body arrangement.The pane body assembly is therefore provided on its inside with a so-called low-E coating in the form of a thermal coating, which has good transmittance for visible light but low transmittance for infrared radiation.

[0010] In order not to impair the coupling of light via the light coupling element into the light guide layer, the thermal coating in a preferred embodiment of the vehicle window according to the invention is at least partially recessed in the region of the light coupling element, so that the light coupling element is at least partially directly connected to the window body arrangement in this region. The refractive index of the thermal coating, which generally differs from the refractive indices of the light guide layer on the one hand and the light coupling element on the other, thus does not interfere with the light coupling. The different refractive indices could otherwise lead to unwanted refraction between the light source and the light guide layer, which in turn could lead to a reduction in the internal reflection in the light guide layer and thus to reduced light intensity.By omitting the thermal coating, it is also possible to prevent the thermal coating from impairing the bonding of the light coupling element to the light guide layer due to its adhesive properties. The risk of the light coupling element becoming detached from the pane body assembly is thus reduced. In a preferred embodiment of the vehicle pane according to the invention, the thermal coating comprises a vapor-deposited or sputtered layer, which can also be applied pyrolytically.

[0011] The thermal coating may be a single-layer or a multi-layer system and in particular comprise one or more films which at least partially comprise the thermally insulating material.

[0012] As a thermally insulating material, the thermal coating can comprise so-called nanoparticles and / or nanowires, which have a high absorption capacity in the infrared range but essentially do not impair the transmission of visible light through the pane body arrangement. Furthermore, it is conceivable for the thermal coating to comprise an inorganic metal oxide compound, an ITO (indium tin oxide) compound, an FTO (fluorine-doped tin oxide) compound, a graphene-based compound, and / or a silver compound or pure silver.

[0013] In principle, the pane body arrangement of the vehicle window according to the invention can be formed from a single-pane safety glass (ESG) or from a laminated safety glass (VSG) comprising at least two glass layers or pane bodies.

[0014] When the invention is applied to laminated safety glass, the pane body assembly comprises an outer pane body and an inner pane body, which is connected to the outer pane body via a connecting layer. Preferably, the inner pane body then forms the light guide layer, with the light coupling element being connected to the inside of the inner pane body. In this embodiment, no additional costs arise for applying a separate light guide layer. The inner pane body can provide a planar ambient light function.

[0015] It is also conceivable, of course, that in the case of laminated safety glass, an additional light-guide layer is applied to the inner body of the pane, into which the light from the light source can be coupled using the light coupling element. In principle, the light-guide layer can also be formed in multiple layers.

[0016] The inner pane body, which can have the same dimensions as the outer pane body or can be smaller, is preferably made of any material suitable for use as a light guide. For example, the inner pane body is made of a material that includes glass and / or a polycarbonate material and / or another plastic material.

[0017] In a further specific embodiment of the vehicle window according to the invention, several light coupling elements are provided, arranged in a row next to one another or one behind the other, which are arranged on the inside of the light guide layer. In this case, the illumination device preferably comprises a corresponding number of light sources or LEDs, i.e., at least two light sources. Each of these light sources is assigned to one of the light coupling elements.

[0018] In an embodiment with a strip- or prism-shaped light coupling element, several LEDs can be distributed as light sources over its length.

[0019] Furthermore, an advantageous embodiment of the vehicle window according to the invention comprises at least one light coupling element with an associated illumination device, located close to the edge of two opposite edges of the window body assembly. Thus, rows of several adjacent light coupling elements can be arranged on both sides, each of which is associated with at least one light source of the respective illumination device.

[0020] In order for the light coupling element to act in the manner of an optical prism and for the light emitted by the light source into the light coupling element to be optimally coupled into the light guide layer, the light coupling element has a wedge-shaped or trapezoidal cross-section in a preferred embodiment of the vehicle window according to the invention.

[0021] The light-coupling element of the vehicle window according to the invention can be designed as a plastic body, which is made in particular from a material comprising PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PC (polycarbonate), PA (polyamide), COC (cycloolefin copolymer), or COP (cycloolefin polymer). However, it is also conceivable for the light-coupling element to be a glass element.

[0022] A special embodiment of the vehicle window according to the invention is designed as a vehicle roof window, which forms a fixed roof element that is arranged immovably relative to a vehicle body, or also an adjustable cover element of a roof opening system.

[0023] The method according to the invention for producing a vehicle window comprises the following steps:

[0024] - Providing a disc body assembly having an inner side and an outer side and comprising a light guide layer on its inner side;

[0025] - applying a thermal coating to the inside of the disc body assembly, wherein the thermal coating comprises a thermal insulation material;

[0026] - Applying at least one light coupling element to the inside of the disc body arrangement, which has a light coupling surface; and

[0027] - Connecting an illumination device comprising at least one light source to the disc body arrangement and / or the light coupling element, so that light from the light source can be coupled via the light coupling surface into the light coupling element and via this into the light guide layer.

[0028] In order not to impair the coupling behavior of the light into the optical fiber layer, in a special embodiment of the method according to the invention, the thermal coating is at least partially omitted in the areas where the light coupling element is connected to the optical fiber layer. The omission of the thermal coating occurs, for example, during or after application.

[0029] For example, the thermal coating in the areas where the light coupling element is connected to the inside of the disc body arrangement is subjected to a chemical removal process, for example an etching process.

[0030] Additionally or alternatively, the thermal coating in the relevant areas in which the light coupling element is connected to the light guide layer can be removed by a mechanical process, for example by a grinding and / or polishing process.

[0031] However, it is also conceivable that the thermal coating in the affected areas is removed by a physical process, for example a laser ablation process.

[0032] In an alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention, the optical fiber layer is masked during the application of the thermal coating. This leaves the relevant areas of the optical fiber layer free from the initial application of the thermal coating.

[0033] The masking may be formed from a sacrificial layer and / or a soluble printing and / or a water-soluble paste, which is applied to the inside of the disc body arrangement before the application or deposition of the thermal coating and is removed after the application of the thermal coating.

[0034] In a specific embodiment of the method according to the invention, the thermal coating is deposited on the optical fiber layer using a chemical or physical vapor deposition or sputtering process.

[0035] It is also conceivable that the thermal coating is applied as a film or film composite, which may also have a vapor deposition or sputtering layer.

[0036] The thermal coating may have optical properties that lead to destructive and constructive interference of certain wavelengths. This could result in color changes compared to the color spectrum emitted by the light source. The thermal coating may also absorb certain wavelengths, which likewise leads to a change in the color of the luminous surface provided by the light guide layer. For this reason, in a special embodiment of the method according to the invention, color coordinates are entered at the illumination device depending on the optical behavior of the thermal coating. This allows the luminous color of the light guide layer to be adapted to the desired color. If the light source is embodied as an LED, its so-called RGB values ​​can be adjusted. Thus, a color correction is carried out at the light source depending on the thermal coating.

[0037] Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the subject matter of the invention can be found in the description, the drawings and the patent claims.

[0038] An exemplary embodiment of a vehicle window is shown in a simplified schematic in the drawing and is explained in more detail below together with an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention. It shows:

[0039] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a vehicle roof with vehicle windows according to the invention; and

[0040] Figure 2 shows a schematic section through a vehicle window of the vehicle roof according to Figure 1 along the line II—II in Figure 1.

[0041] Figure 1 shows a vehicle roof 10 of a motor vehicle not otherwise shown in detail. The vehicle roof 10 is a panoramic roof comprising an adjustable cover element 12 and a fixed roof element 14, which is arranged fixedly or immovably relative to the vehicle body. The cover element 12, which is part of a roof opening system, and the fixed roof element 14 each comprise a glass element that represents a vehicle window and is equipped with an ambient lighting function.

[0042] The basic structure of the vehicle windows of the cover element 12 and the fixed roof element 14 is identical and is illustrated in more detail in Figure 2. The vehicle windows of the cover element 12 and the fixed roof element 14 each comprise a pane body assembly 16 constituting laminated safety glass (LSG), which has an outer pane body 18 facing the vehicle's surroundings and forming an outer side of the pane body assembly 16, and an inner pane body 20 facing the vehicle interior and connected to the outer pane body 18 via a lamination film 22. The outer pane body 18 is formed from a curved glass plate, which is made, for example, from a colored or clear soda-lime glass. It is of course also conceivable for the outer pane body 18 to be formed from a plastic element, for example, a polycarbonate element.The inner pane body 20 can also be made of an organic glass, such as soda-lime glass, or a polymer, such as polycarbonate. The outer pane body 18 and the inner pane body 20 each have a thickness of approximately 2.1 mm.

[0043] On the inside, the window body arrangement 16 is provided on both sides, relative to a vertical longitudinal roof center plane, with a lighting device 24, by means of which the ambient light functionality can be implemented. The lighting devices 24 each extend in the vehicle's longitudinal direction in a strip-like manner and comprise an LED strip 26, which is connected to a plurality of light coupling elements 28 arranged one behind the other in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. These light coupling elements 28 are wedge-shaped and, in the manner of a prism, direct light, which is coupled in by the LED strip 26 representing a light source via a light coupling surface 30, into the light guide layer formed by the window inner body 20. The light coupling elements 28 are fixed directly to an inner side 29 of the window inner body 20 via an adhesive layer 32.The LED strip 26, which rests on the light coupling surfaces 30 of the light coupling elements 28, is also attached to the inner side 29 of the pane inner body 20 via the adhesive layer 32.

[0044] On the inner side 29 of the pane inner body 20, which represents the light guide layer, a thermal coating 34 is formed. This thermal coating represents a vapor-deposited layer of the pane body arrangement 16 and comprises a metal oxide compound, an ITO compound, an FTO compound, a graphene compound, and / or silver or a silver compound. In the area of ​​the light coupling elements 28, the thermal coating 34 is provided with a recess 36, which approximately corresponds to the outline of the respective light coupling element 28 and the respective section of the LED strip 26, so that the light coupling elements 28 and the LED strip 26 are directly bonded to the pane inner body 20 via the adhesive layer 32.

[0045] When the LED strips 26 are activated by means of control electronics of the lighting devices 24, the light emitted by the LED strips 26 is coupled into the light coupling elements 28 via the light coupling surfaces 30 and, after any internal reflection in the light coupling elements 28, is coupled into the inner pane body 20. Internal reflection at the boundary surfaces of the inner pane body 20 allows the coupled-in light to propagate within the pane body. The light can be coupled out of the inner pane body 20 toward the vehicle interior by scattering elements provided on the inner pane body 20. A print or other structure can also be arranged on the upper side of the inner pane body 20 to scatter the light toward the vehicle interior. Due to the design of the inner pane body 20 as a light guide layer, it forms a luminous surface when the LED strips 26 are activated.

[0046] The vehicle window described above is manufactured in the manner described below.

[0047] First, the pane body assembly 16 is prepared, comprising the pane outer body 18, the pane inner body 20, and the lamination film 22 arranged between these two. Subsequently, the inner side 29 of the pane inner body 20 is provided with a sacrificial layer of a water-soluble paste in the areas where the light coupling elements 28 and the LED strips 26 are to be attached. The thermal coating 34 is then applied to the inner side 29 of the pane inner body 20 using a chemical vapor deposition process. After the vapor deposition process, the sacrificial layers of the water-soluble paste are removed, and the resulting recesses 36 are subjected to further cleaning if necessary. The light coupling elements 28, which are formed in particular from plastic elements, are then fixed to the inner side 29 of the pane inner body 20 in the area of ​​the recesses 36 via the adhesive layers 32.Accordingly, the LED strips 26 are attached to the pane body assembly 16 via the adhesive layers 32. Subsequently, the RGB values ​​of the LED strips 26 are adjusted via appropriate control electronics depending on the optical behavior of the thermal coating 34, so that the pane inner body 20 forms a luminous surface appearing in the desired color when the LED strips 26 are activated. List of reference symbols.

[0048] 10 Vehicle roof

[0049] 12 cover element

[0050] 14 Fixed roof element 16 S eib enkörperanordnung

[0051] 18 Disc outer body

[0052] 20 disc inner body

[0053] 22 Laminating film

[0054] 24 Lighting device 26 LED strip

[0055] 28 Light coupling element

[0056] 29 Inside

[0057] 30 light coupling area

[0058] 32 Adhesive layer 34 Thermal coating

[0059] 36 recess

Claims

Patent claims 1. Vehicle windscreen comprising a windscreen body assembly (16) having an outer surface facing a vehicle environment and an inner surface facing a vehicle interior and having a light guide layer, as well as a lighting device (24) with at least one light source (26) and at least one light coupling element (28) arranged on the inner surface of the windscreen body assembly (16) and by means of which light emitted by the light source (26) can be coupled into the light guide layer, characterized in that a thermal coating (34) comprising a thermally insulating material is arranged on the inner surface of the windscreen body assembly (16).

2. Vehicle windscreen according to claim 1, characterized in that the thermal coating (34) is at least partially recessed in the area of ​​the light coupling element (28), so that the light coupling element (28) is at least partially directly connected to the windscreen body arrangement (16) in this area.

3. Vehicle windscreen according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the thermal coating (34) comprises a vapor deposition or sputtering layer.

4. Vehicle windscreen according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the thermal coating (34) comprises a multi-layer system.

5. Vehicle windscreen according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the thermal coating (34) comprises nanoparticles and / or nanowires. Vehicle windshield according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the thermal coating (34) comprises an inorganic metal oxide compound, an ITO compound, an FTO compound, a graphene compound and / or silver and / or a silver compound. Vehicle windshield according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is a vehicle roof windshield. Method for manufacturing a vehicle windshield, comprising the following steps: - Providing a disk body arrangement (16) having an inside and an outside and comprising a light guide layer on its inside; - Applying a thermal coating (34) to the inside of the disc body assembly (16), wherein the thermal coating (34) comprises a thermal insulation material; - Applying at least one light coupling element (28) to the inside of the disk body arrangement (16), which has a light coupling surface (30); and - Connecting a lighting device (24) comprising at least one light source (26) to the disk body assembly (16) and / or the light coupling element (28), such that light from the light source (26) can be coupled into the light coupling element (28) via the light coupling surface (30) and coupled into the light guide layer via the light coupling element. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the thermal coating (34) is at least partially omitted in the areas where the light coupling element (28) is connected. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the omission of the thermal coating (34) comprises a chemical process, in particular an etching process. A method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the omission of the thermal coating (34) comprises a mechanical process.

12. Method according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the omission of the thermal coating (34) comprises a laser ablation process.

13. Method according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that, in order to leave out the thermal coating (34) before applying the thermal coating (34), a masking and / or a sacrificial layer is applied to the inside of the disk body arrangement (16).

14. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that the thermal coating (34) is applied by a vapor deposition or sputtering process.

15. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that the Thermal coating (34) is applied as a film or film composite.

16. Method according to one of claims 8 to 15, characterized in that color coordinates are entered at the lighting device (24) depending on the optical behavior of the thermal coating (34).

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