Vehicle Dashboard

Abstract

The present invention relates to a veiling glare reduction system including a glass dashboard portion (301) for enhanced visual comfort for a driver, and in particular to a glass dashboard portion (301) arranged such that light passing through the windshield and reflecting off the glass dashboard surface is partially reflected by the inner windshield surface towards the driver position to obtain reduced veiling glare. The present invention further relates to a head-up display system provided with a glass dashboard portion having reduced veiling glare.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a glass dashboard part with which the visual comfort of the driver is increased. In particular, the present invention relates to a glass dashboard part with which reduced veiling glare is obtained. By means of the present invention, moreover, a good display of a head-up display can be obtained. The present invention further relates to a head-up display system provided with a glass dashboard part with reduced veiling glare. [Background technology]

[0002] Light reflecting off the dashboard and onto the windshield can impair the driver's vision. Referring to FIG. 1, veiling glare occurs in the windshield (103) of a vehicle (100) when ambient light passes through the windshield (105), reflects (106, 107) off the top surface of the dashboard (101), returns into the windshield (106), and reflects (108) off the windshield into the driver's eyes. The driver (104) sees a visual image of the illuminated dashboard (101) beyond the windshield (103), which "obscures" or impedes the driver's ability to perceive the view ahead of the vehicle. Veiling glare is exacerbated by windshields that have steeply sloping, tinted, or glossy dashboards.

[0003] To eliminate veiled glare, vehicle manufacturers have been forced to limit the amount of slope in windshields and to use non-reflective materials, dark colors, and / or textured surfaces on the dashboard. These features limit vehicle design options, and dark dashboards absorb radiation, resulting in increased temperatures inside the vehicle.

[0004] Other systems for reducing veiling glare have focused on the windshield, such as by placing anti-reflective, holographic, or polarizing materials on the windshield, which are complex and expensive to manufacture. Alternatively, a polarizing coating can be deposited on the dashboard.

[0005] US Patent Publication No. 2009097125A1 discloses a method for reducing veiling glare through polarized light using a polarizing layer on the interior surface of a vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One object of the present invention is to provide a glass dashboard portion for a vehicle in which veiling glare is reduced. The glass dashboard portion is positioned to reflect light passing through a windshield, the windshield having an inner surface and an outer surface through which the light can pass. Less light is reflected back toward the windshield and then reflected from the inner surface of the windshield toward the driver.

[0007] The glass dashboard portion (201) of the present invention comprises a glass substrate that has been etched and ion implanted to provide a first surface (202) having a surface roughness and including ions implanted in a layer (203) adjacent the etched substrate surface.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention further relates to a veiling glare reduction system for a vehicle (300) having a windshield (303) and a dashboard (302), comprising: a windshield (303) having an inner and outer surface through which light can pass; and a glass dashboard portion (201, 301) for reflecting light passing through the windshield; the glass dashboard portion (201, 301) comprises a glass substrate provided with a first surface (202) that is etched and ion implanted and has a surface roughness and includes ions implanted in a layer (203) adjacent to the etched substrate surface in the substrate, whereby reflected light (306, 307) is diffusely reflected off the glass dashboard surface and then reflected (308) by the inner surface of the windshield. It has been found that veiling glare, which is the portion of light that reflects (308) from the windshield into the driver's eyes, is reduced using the veiling glare reduction system of the present invention.

[0009] For the avoidance of doubt, it is implied that in the veiling glare reduction system of the present invention, which is the purpose of the system, the glass dashboard portion and the windshield are arranged so that light passing through the windshield and reflecting off the glass dashboard surface is partially reflected by the inner windshield surface up to or towards the driver's position.

[0010] The present invention also includes a method of reducing veiling glare in a vehicle having a windshield and a glass dashboard portion, comprising: passing light through the windshield; directing the light passing through the windshield onto a surface of the glass dashboard portion and reflecting it by the surface of the glass dashboard portion; diffusing the light reflected by the glass dashboard portion including a glass substrate, wherein the glass substrate has a first surface that is etched and ion implanted to have a surface roughness and includes ions implanted in a layer in the substrate adjacent to a first substrate surface, and wherein the first surface causes the light to be diffusely reflected from the glass dashboard portion.

[0011] The present invention provides a head-up display system for a vehicle comprising: a. Windshield (409); b. an image source (403) configured to direct a light beam (404) corresponding to an image formed on a windshield (409); The present invention further includes a head-up display system for a vehicle, characterized in that a light beam of an image source passes through a glass dashboard portion (401) according to the present invention, and a first surface of the glass dashboard portion faces a windshield (409). [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle without a veiling glare reduction system.

[0013] [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a dashboard provided with a glass dashboard portion according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle having a veiling glare reduction system of the present invention;

[0015] [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle having a head-up display system of the present invention;

[0016] [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an arrangement for evaluating light reflected towards a driver.

[0017] [Figure 6] 1 is a graph comparing the amount of light reflected toward the driver for various glass dashboard portions.

[0018] [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an arrangement for evaluating light from a head-up display source reflected towards a driver;

[0019] [Figure 8] 1 is a graph comparing the amount of light transmitted through various glass dashboard sections. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, referring to Fig. 3, the glass dashboard part (301) is laminated to the dashboard substructure (302), for example a molded body made of low density resin, for example polypropylene, expanded polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, or acrylonitrile / styrene acrylate. Referring to Fig. 2, the glass dashboard part (201) can be transparently laminated to the dashboard structure (205), so that the color of the dashboard structure can be seen through the glass dashboard part. The lamination can be done by applying an adhesive material (204) on a part of the glass part, for example around at least a part of the edge of the glass part, or by applying an adhesive material over the entire contact area between the glass part and the dashboard structure (205).

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, and referring to Figure 4, a glass dashboard portion (401) is transparently laminated to an image source (403). In an embodiment, the image source may be a head-up display light source.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the surface roughness of a first surface of a glass substrate of a glass dashboard portion, when measured with an evaluation length of 12 mm and a Gaussian filter with a cutoff wavelength of 0.8 mm, is: a.0.02 μm≦Ra≦0.60 μm, b. 0.1 μm≦Rz≦3.0 μm, and c.0.01 μm≦RSm≦0.08 μm It is stipulated by The glass substrate advantageously has the following optical properties, measured from the first surface and with the opposite surface exposed to air: Haze value from 1 to 85%, Transparency values ​​from 10 to 100%, A gloss value between 10 and 50 SGU at 60°, and Visible light reflectance of 7-4.5% (of which approximately 4% is the reflectance of the air / substrate interface opposite the first surface) may have the following structure:

[0023] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the glass substrate of the glass dashboard portion has a low sparkle value, preferably less than 10%, in particular less than 7%, in particular less than 5%, when measured by the method detailed below in conjunction with the Examples section of this specification.

[0024] The optical properties in the above two paragraphs can be obtained without any coating or surface treatment on the second surface, which is the surface opposite the first surface.

[0025] Throughout this specification, when a numerical range is given, the endpoints of the range are considered to be included within the range. Moreover, all integers and subdomain values ​​within the numerical range are specifically included as if explicitly set forth.

[0026] By "etched surface" is meant a surface that has been attacked by mechanical or chemical methods, whereby a certain amount of glass material has been removed to obtain a particular surface texture / roughness. In chemically etched glass, the removal of material occurs by chemical reaction / attack (i.e. acid etching). In mechanically etched glass, the removal occurs by mechanical reaction / attack (i.e. sandblasting). Alternatively, laser texturing can be used to obtain an "etched surface". According to the invention, said glass substrate can advantageously be etched substantially over the entire glass surface, i.e. over at least 90% of the glass surface.

[0027] In one embodiment, chemical etching is used to etch the glass surface. Various methods can be used to chemically etch the glass substrate of the dashboard area to create a surface roughness. In one embodiment of the present invention, a fluoride-based solvent can be used to create a rough surface. For example, an aqueous solution of ammonium bifluoride (NH4F-HF) can be used, such as an aqueous solution containing 15-35% by weight NH4-HF with the remainder being H2O. The surface to be etched is contacted with the etchant solution for a set time. The time and concentration are adjusted to obtain the surface roughness sought.

[0028] The first surface being etched and ion implanted means that after etching, the etched surface is ion implanted such that the visible light reflectance of the glass dashboard portion is reduced, and then includes ions implanted into the layer of the substrate closest to the first surface. As is well known in the art, the ion implantation process differs from the ion exchange process of chemical strengthening, and also differs with respect to the resulting glass substrate.

[0029] The etched surface of a glass dashboard part is usually characterized by its surface texture or roughness, in particular by the values ​​of Ra, Rz and Rsm (expressed in μm) defined in the standard ISO 4287-1997. The texture / roughness is obtained by the presence of surface irregularities / patterns. These irregularities consist of elevations called "peaks" and depressions called "valleys". In a section perpendicular to the etched surface, the peaks and valleys are distributed on either side of a "centre line" (algebraic mean), also called the "mean line". For measurements along a certain length (called the "evaluation length") in a given profile: a. Ra (amplitude value) corresponds to the average difference of the texture, i.e. it means the arithmetic mean of the absolute value of the difference between the peaks and valleys. Ra measures the distance between this average and the "lines" and is an indication of the height of the pattern on the first etched and ion implanted surface; b. Rz (amplitude value) corresponds to the "ten-point average roughness" and is the sum of the average peak among the five highest peaks and the average valley among the five lowest valleys. c. Rsm (Spacing Value, sometimes called Sm) is the average distance between two successive passages of the cross section that pass through the "mean line", which gives the average distance between the "peaks" and therefore the average width of the pattern.

[0030] The roughness values ​​according to the invention can be measured with a profilometer using a 2D profile (compliant with the ISO 4287 standard). Alternatively, the technique of 3D profilometry (compliant with the ISO 25178 standard) can be used, which isolates a 2D profile from which the parameters defined in the ISO 4287 standard are then determined.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the roughness value is measured using a Gaussian filter, a long wavelength filter also called the profile filter λc, which is used to separate the roughness / texture component from the relief component of the profile.

[0032] The evaluation length L according to the invention is the length of the profile used for the roughness evaluation. The sampling length l is the part of the evaluation length used to identify the irregularities characterizing the profile to be evaluated. The evaluation length L is divided / cut into n sampling lengths l depending on the irregularities of the profile. The sampling length l corresponds to the "cut-off" wavelength (or limiting wavelength) of the Gaussian filter (l=λc). Typically, the evaluation length is at least 5 times the sampling length.

[0033] In roughness measurements, a short wavelength filter (profile filter λs) is also commonly used to eliminate the effects of very short wavelengths that are background noise.

[0034] Visible reflectance Rc is measured on the first surface (or side) of the glass dashboard section that is etched and ion implanted, using illuminant D65 and an observer angle of 2°. The surface opposite the first surface is exposed to air for the purposes of this measurement. The reflected color is expressed as a function of the CIELAB color coordinates a * and b * The thermal conductivity is expressed using the CIE L standard and is measured on the etched and ion implanted sides of the glass dashboard section. * a * b * or CIELAB, is a color space defined by the International Commission on Illumination and is in routine use, especially in the glass industry. * Rc, b * Rc is measured at an angle of 8° approximately perpendicular to the surface of the glass dashboard section. Values ​​measured at other angles are differentiated by specifying the measurement angle in brackets, i.e., for a measurement angle of 35°, Rc(35°), a * Rc(35°), b * Rc(35°). The transmittance TL is also measured using illuminant D65 and an observer angle of 2°.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the surface roughness of the first etched and ion implanted surface of the present invention is 0.010 μm≦RSm≦0.060 μm. Advantageously, the surface roughness of the first etched and ion implanted surface of the present invention is, for example, 0.015 μm≦RSm≦0.06 μm. A smaller RSm roughness value, possibly in combination with certain haze and gloss values, results in the glass dashboard portion of the present invention having a smaller sparkle value, which is of interest when images are projected through the glass, such as in a head-up display system.

[0036] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the surface roughness of the inventive etched and ion-implanted first surface is, for example, 0.02 μm≦Ra≦0.60 μm. Alternatively, the surface roughness of the inventive etched and ion-implanted first surface is, for example, 0.05 μm≦Ra≦0.40 μm, or even 0.14 μm≦Ra≦0.40 μm. A smaller Ra value results in a smaller haze value of the inventive glass dashboard part.

[0037] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the surface roughness of the inventive etched and ion implanted first surface is, for example, 0.10 μm≦Rz≦3.00 μm, or 0.50 μm≦Rz≦3.00 μm, or even 0.75 μm≦Rz≦3.00 μm.

[0038] The glass dashboard portion of the present invention can include ions preferably selected from positively charged ions of O, N, He, Ne, Ar, or Kr near a first surface of the glass substrate. The implanted ions are preferably present near the first surface to a depth comprised between 0.1 μm and 1 μm. The amount of ions implanted is preferably 5×10 14 ions / cm 2 ~10 18 ions / cm 2 , advantageously 10 16 ions / cm 2 ~5×10 17 ions / cm 2 , more favorably 3 × 10 16 ions / cm 2 ~10 17 ions / cm 2 It is.

[0039] The ion implantation includes implantation of positively charged ions of O, N, He, Ne, Ar, or Kr to reduce the visible light reflectance of the etched glass dashboard portion.

[0040] According to the present invention, the injecting step comprises the following operations: providing a source gas selected from O2 or N2, He, Ne, Ar, or Kr; ionizing the source gas such that positively charged ions of bo, N, He, Ne, Ar, or Kr are formed; c. Accelerating positively charged ions of O, N, He, Ne, Ar, or Kr using an accelerating voltage of 5 kV to 100 kV; d. providing a glass dashboard portion having an etched first surface; placing the glass dashboard section within a trajectory of a beam of positively charged ions of eO, N, He, Ne, Ar, or Kr with the etched surface facing the beam, thereby implanting ions from the selected source gas into the etched first surface of the glass dashboard section.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present invention, the trajectory of the ion beam is essentially perpendicular to the etched surface of the glass dashboard portion.

[0042] The ion dose or usage is preferably 5×10 14 ions / cm 2 ~10 18 ions / cm 2 , advantageously 10 16 ions / cm 2 ~5×10 17 ions / cm 2 , more favorably 3 × 10 16 ions / cm 2 ~10 17 ions / cm 2 The ion dose can be controlled, for example, by the exposure time to the ion beam and is also dependent on the fluence of the beam.

[0043] In one embodiment, the glass dashboard portion is moved relative to the ion beam in one pass or multiple passes to treat the entire surface of the glass dashboard portion. The glass dashboard portion can be moved at a speed of 20-160 mm / s.

[0044] The etched glass dashboard portion exhibits up to 7% visible light reflectance after ion implantation, and most surprisingly, no non-uniformity is observed, despite the roughness of the first surface being etched and ion implanted, and despite the ion implantation being performed at angles that are not perpendicular to the surface structure. Additionally, the etched glass dashboard portion may exhibit a change in reflected color at small angles after ion implantation. In particular, the etched glass dashboard portion may exhibit a neutral reflected color or a blue reflected color after ion implantation.

[0045] The inventors have found that advantageously an ion source is used for the ionization of the source gas, which provides an ion beam containing a mixture of singly and multiply charged ions. Such ion mixtures accelerated at the same acceleration voltage are particularly useful, since they allow a higher fluence to be obtained than with singly charged ion beams. They are therefore able to reach a particular dose in a shorter time. Multiply charged ions are also interesting in that, at the same acceleration voltage, they reach a greater implantation depth than singly charged ions. The implantation energy, expressed in electron volts (eV), is calculated by multiplying the charge of the singly or multiply charged ion by the acceleration voltage. For a particular acceleration voltage, doubly charged ions of a particular species, such as N 2+ is the corresponding singly charged ion N + Ion beams containing a mixture of monovalent and multivalent ions are particularly useful, since they have twice the implantation energy of monovalent ions. Thus, a greater implantation depth can be reached without the need to increase the acceleration voltage. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the positively charged ions contain a mixture of monovalent and / or multivalent ions. For a given acceleration voltage, the ions obtain an energy proportional to their charge, so a mixture of monovalent and multivalent ions allows implantation over a wider depth range in one step than with monovalent ions. More advantageously, in a mixture of monovalent and multivalent ions, the relative amounts of ions of different charges decrease with increasing charge. Thereby, the amount of ions implanted decreases with a gradual change in physical properties when going from the substrate surface to the bulk.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, at least 90% of the ions in the ion beam are composed of singly and doubly charged ions of species selected from N, O, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, with a ratio of singly and doubly charged species of at least 55 / 25. + and N 2+ , O + and O 2+ , He + and He 2+ , Ne + and Ne 2+ , Ar e and Ar 2+ It is.

[0047] In an alternative embodiment, ions are implanted by sequentially implanting ions selected as singly charged ions, for example in several steps at different acceleration voltages.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the temperature of the region of the glass substrate to be treated, located below the region to be treated, is below the glass transition temperature of the glass substrate, as influenced, for example, by the ion current of the beam, the residence time of the treatment region in the beam, and any cooling means of the substrate.

[0049] In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, either N or O implant ions are used because they sputter less of the substrate surface than heavier ions, which is particularly important for maintaining the surface roughness obtained by etching. In another embodiment of the invention, N and O implant ions are combined.

[0050] In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, either Ar implant ions can be used with performance similar to that achievable with a lower dose using N ion implant.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present invention, several ion implantation beams are used simultaneously or sequentially to treat a glass substrate.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present invention, the total dose of ions per surface unit of area of ​​the glass substrate is achieved in a single treatment with the ion implantation beam.

[0053] In another embodiment of the invention, the total dose of ions per surface unit of area of ​​the glass substrate is obtained by several successive treatments with one or more ion implantation beams, which can use the same or different source gases to implant the same or different ions of O, N, He, Ne, Ar, or Kr.

[0054] The method of the present invention is preferably carried out -2 mbar~10 -7 mbar pressure, more preferably 5×10 -5 mbar~6×10 -6 It is carried out in a vacuum chamber at a pressure of 10 ... mbar.

[0055] One example of an ion source for carrying out the methods of the present invention is the Hardion+ RCE ion source from Ionics SA.

[0056] The present invention also relates to the use of a mixture of monovalent and multivalent ions of O, N, He, Ne, Ar, or Kr to reduce veiling glare, the mixture of monovalent and multivalent ions being implanted into a glass substrate with an ion dose and accelerating voltage effective to reduce veiling glare.

[0057] Advantageously, the implantation depth of the ions can be between 0.1 μm and 1 μm, preferably between 0.1 μm and 0.5 μm. The implanted ions extend between the substrate surface and the implantation depth. The implantation depth can be adapted by the choice of implanted ions, the acceleration energy and to some extent varies depending on the substrate.

[0058] According to the invention, the mixture of monovalent and polyvalent ions of O or N is preferably O + and O 2+ , or N + , N 2+ and N 3+Or Ar + and Ar 2+ Each of these includes

[0059] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mixture of monovalent and polyvalent ions of O is + A smaller amount of O 2+ In a more preferred embodiment of the invention, the mixture of monovalent and polyvalent ions of O is 55-98% O + and 2–45% O 2+ Includes.

[0060] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mixture of monovalent and polyvalent ions of N is + and N 2+ Each of the following amounts of N 3+ In a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mixture of monovalent and polyvalent ions of N contains 40-70% N + , 20-40% N 2+ , and 2–20% N 3+ Includes.

[0061] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mixture of monovalent and polyvalent ions of Ar is Ar + A smaller amount of Ar 2+ In a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mixture of monovalent and polyvalent ions of Ar comprises 50-80% Ar + , 10-30% Ar 2+ , and 3 to 15% Ar 3+ Includes.

[0062] In one embodiment of the present invention, veiling glare is reduced by ion implantation.

[0063] Referring to Figure 3, the present invention is directed to a veiling glare reduction system for use in a vehicle (300), meaning a car, truck, train, airplane, boat, etc., having a sloped windshield and dashboard. The windshield (303) of a conventional vehicle (300) is typically manufactured from glass or plastic.

[0064] Light incident on the windshield (303) is either transmitted (305) or absorbed or reflected (not shown) depending on the properties of the windshield (303), such as the refractive index of the windshield material and the chemical composition of the windshield (303), as well as the angle of incidence of the light.

[0065] Light (305) passing through the windshield (303) strikes an etched and ion-implanted first surface of the glass dashboard portion of the invention (301) located on the interior surface of the vehicle, e.g., the dashboard (302). The light (306, 307) reflected by the dashboard (302) is partly diffuse (307) and partly in an essentially specular manner (306). Due to the etched and ion-implanted substrate surface, only the amount of reflected light at this surface is greatly reduced. Thereby, the amount of reflected light reaching the driver is further reduced, an effect further enhanced by the diffusion of the reflected light.

[0066] In one embodiment, the glass dashboard part (301) can be transparently laminated to the dashboard structure (302), so that the color of the dashboard structure can be seen through the glass dashboard part. Advantageously, the dashboard structure is light absorbing and / or colored, which further reduces the amount of reflected light at its surface where it contacts the adhesive used for lamination. Due to the glass dashboard part of the present invention, the appearance, e.g. color, of the dashboard structure is not changed or disturbed. In contrast to conventional multi-layer anti-reflective coatings, with the glass dashboard part of the present invention, there is no significant change in the transmitted or reflected color, even at high viewing angles, e.g. up to 60°. The adhesive material preferably has a refractive index n(adhesive) close to the refractive index n(glass) of the entire glass dashboard part in the visible wavelength range. The smaller this difference, the less light is reflected at the glass-adhesive interface. Preferably 0.8×n(glass)≦n(adhesive)≦1.2×n(glass), more preferably 0.9×n(glass)≦n(adhesive)≦1.1×n(glass).

[0067] Thus, the veiling glare reduction system of the present invention offers several advantages: it provides improved vision by avoiding or minimizing veiling glare, it can be used with dashboards that are lighter in color than previously available, such as light gray or beige, and it is more aesthetically pleasing, with no coatings on the exposed surfaces of the glass dashboard portion, both chemically and mechanically more resistant.

[0068] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, obvious modifications and variations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0069] For example, the color change Δa after changing the angle * b * is defined relative to the reference point before each transition as follows: Δa * b * =[(a * (after)-a * (before)) 2 +(b * (after)-b * (before)) 2 ] 1 / 2 Other changes such as before / after lamination can also be considered.

[0070] In one embodiment of the invention, the glass dashboard section, when laminated to the dashboard structure, does not significantly change the color of the laminated dashboard structure seen through the dashboard section. Advantageously, the reflected color a of the dashboard structure before lamination is * Rc(db) and b * Rc(db) and the reflected color a of the dashboard structure seen through the glass dashboard section after lamination * Rc(db,after lam.) and b * Rc (db, after lam.) and the change Δa * b *Rc(db,lam) is Δa * b * Rc(db,lam)≦1.5, or the color change due to angle Δa * b * Rc(db,lam)≦1, or the color change due to angle Δa * b * Rc(db,lam)≦0.7, or the color change due to a small angle Δa * b * Rc(db,lam)≦0.5.

[0071] In one embodiment of the present invention, the glass dashboard portion, when laminated to a dashboard structure, has a low angular color shift, meaning that the color of the dashboard structure does not change when viewed through the glass of the glass dashboard at an angle. In particular, the angular color shift Δa at a viewing angle of 35° * b * Rc is Δa * b * Rc(35°)≦1.5, or color change due to angle Δa * b * Rc(35°)≦1, or color change due to angle a * b * Rc(35°)≦0.7, or the color change due to a small angle Δa * b * In some embodiments, Δa of up to 3, up to 2, or even up to 1 for any one or more observation angles up to 75°. * b * The Rc value is obtained.

[0072] In one embodiment of the present invention, the glass dashboard section provides a neutral reflected light when measured in air without a laminated dashboard structure. In particular, the CIELAB color coordinates of the reflected light on the etched and ion implanted side of the glass substrate are: * Rc and b * It is achromatic in terms of Rc color coordinates, i.e., 1≦a * Rc≦1 and 1≦b *Rc≦1 or more achromatic, i.e. 0.5≦a * Rc≦0.5 and 0.5≦b * Rc≦0.5, or even very achromatic, i.e., 0.3≦a * Rc≦0.3 and 0.3≦b * Rc≦0.3. In some cases, 2≦a * Rc≦2 and 2≦b * Having a reflected color of Rc≦2 is sufficiently achromatic.

[0073] The glass dashboard according to the present invention exhibits excellent low sparkle characteristics along with reduced veiling glare in the windshield installed in the vehicle.

[0074] "Sparkle" refers to small bright spots (approximately on the order of pixel-level size scale) that appear in the image of the image source, the inventive texture of the etched glass surface, which gives the transmitted image a grainy appearance. Thus, the "sparkle effect" is an optical interaction between two surface areas, namely the regular display pixel matrix (light source) and the etched glass surface with its less regular microstructure. This appears as a random fluctuation of intensity on the display as the observer's head moves from side to side (including the phenomena of refraction, diffraction, and diffusion). In the inventive setting, this is important for light from an image source, e.g. a head-up display light source, especially for high-resolution image sources with more than 150 dots per inch (dpi) or even more than 250 dpi.

[0075] The optical properties of the glass dashboard part according to the invention can be characterized by: a. Total direct light transmittance (or specular light transmittance) TL; b. Diffuse light transmittance as measured by (i) "haze" and (ii) "transparency": "haze" corresponds to diffuse transmittance at wide-angle scattering, while "transparency" corresponds to diffuse transmittance at narrow-angle scattering; and c. Gloss, which characterizes the brightness or lustre of a surface and corresponds in particular to the specular reflectance of a surface at a particular angle relative to a standard conforming to ASTM Standard D523 (e.g., a certified black glass standard), and is expressed in SGU (Standard Gloss Units).

[0076] Unless otherwise stated, all optical properties are measured on an etched and ion implanted glass dashboard portion of the present invention that has no additional coatings or surface treatments on the surface opposite the first surface that is etched and ion implanted, and that is not laminated to a dashboard structure.

[0077] The term "diffuse" as used in light transmittance is the percentage of light that is deflected from the incident beam by more than 2.5° scattering as it passes through glass. The term "diffuse" as used in light reflection is the percentage of light that is deflected from the specularly reflected beam by more than 2.5° scattering due to reflection at the glass / air interface.

[0078] The optical properties of the glass dashboard portion are measured in the present invention from the first surface which is etched and ion implanted.

[0079] According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, depending on the selected application, the glass dashboard portion has a haze of 1-40%. More preferably, the glass dashboard portion has a haze of 1-35%.

[0080] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the glass dashboard portion has a transparency of 20-100%. According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the glass dashboard portion has a transparency of 40-80%.

[0081] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the glass dashboard part has a gloss value of 10 to 40 SGU at 60°. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the glass dashboard part has a gloss value of 20 to 35 SGU at 60°.

[0082] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a glass dashboard section is measured with a Gaussian filter with a cutoff wavelength of 0.8 mm over an evaluation length of 12 mm, to obtain: 0.05 μm≦Ra≦0.4 μm, preferably 0.14 μm≦Ra≦0.4 μm, 0.010 μm≦RSm≦0.060 μm, preferably 0.015 μm≦RSm≦0.060 μm, and having a surface roughness defined by The glass dashboard portion advantageously has the following optical properties, measured from the first surface, which is etched and ion implanted: Haze value between 1 and 40%, preferably between 1 and 35%; · Transparency value between 20 and 100%, preferably between 40 and 80%; a gloss value at 60° of 10 to 40 SGU, preferably 20 to 35 SGU, may have the following structure:

[0083] To quantify the transmittance of glass in the visible range, we define the light transmittance (TL) calculated at wavelengths between 380 and 780 nm in accordance with the ISO 9050 standard and measured with a D65 illuminant such as that defined by the ISO / CIE 10526 standard by taking into account the colorimetric standard observer CIE 1931 defined by the ISO / CIE 10527 standard, at a stereoscopic viewing angle of 2°. The glass dashboard part according to the invention preferably has a light transmittance TL of at least 85%, preferably at least 90%.

[0084] The glass dashboard part according to the invention is made of glass whose matrix composition is not particularly limited and therefore can belong to different glass classes. The glass can be soda-lime silicate glass, aluminosilicate glass, alkali-free glass, borosilicate glass, etc. Preferably, the glass dashboard part according to the invention is made of soda-lime glass or aluminosilicate glass.

[0085] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the glass dashboard portion has the composition shown in Table 1 below, with contents expressed as percentages of the total weight of the glass.

[0086] TIFF2024530598000002.tif112170

[0087] Such a basic glass composition of the soda-lime type has the advantage of being cheap even if it itself has low mechanical resistance.Ideally, according to this last embodiment, the glass composition does not contain B2O3 (meaning that it is not intentionally added, but may be present as an undesirable impurity in very small amounts).

[0088] In another more preferred method, the glass dashboard portion has a composition, expressed as a percentage of the total weight of the glass, including: 55-70% SiO2; 6-18% Al2O3; 0-4% B2O3; 0-10% CaO; 0-10% MgO; 5-20% Na2O; 0-10% K2O; and 0-5% BaO.

[0089] Such basic glass compositions of the aluminosilicate type have the advantage of being more mechanically resistant, but are more expensive than soda-lime glasses. Ideally, according to this last embodiment, the glass composition does not contain B2O3 (meaning that it is not intentionally added, but may be present as an undesirable impurity in very small amounts).

[0090] According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, which can be combined with the above-mentioned embodiment regarding the basic glass composition, the glass dashboard part has a quantitative composition comprising a total iron (expressed in the form of Fe2O3) content in the range of 0.002 to 0.06% by weight. A total iron (expressed in the form of Fe2O3) content of 0.06% by weight or less makes it possible to obtain a glass dashboard part in which the color is hardly visible, allowing a high degree of freedom in the aesthetic design. The above minimum value makes it possible not to excessively affect the cost of the glass, since such low iron values ​​often require expensive and very pure starting materials, which also require their purification. Preferably, the composition comprises a total iron (expressed in the form of Fe2O3) content in the range of 0.002 to 0.04% by weight. More preferably, the composition comprises a total iron (expressed in the form of Fe2O3) content in the range of 0.002 to 0.02% by weight. In the most preferred embodiment, the composition comprises a total iron (expressed in the form of Fe2O3) content in the range of 0.002 to 0.015% by weight.

[0091] According to a preferred embodiment, the glass dashboard part of the invention is a float glass sheet. The term "float glass sheet" is understood to mean a glass sheet formed by the float process, which consists in pouring molten glass onto a molten tin bath under reducing conditions. Float glass sheets, in a known manner, comprise a "tin face", i.e. a tin-rich face in the glass body close to the surface of the sheet. The term "tin-rich" is understood to mean an increase in the tin concentration relative to the composition of the glass in the center, which may be substantially zero (tin-free) or may be non-zero. Float glass sheets can therefore be easily distinguished from sheets obtained by other glass manufacturing methods, in particular by their tin oxide content, which can be measured by electron microprobe, for example to a depth of about 10 μm.

[0092] According to another preferred embodiment, the glass dashboard portion of the present invention is a glass sheet formed by the slot draw process or by the fusion process, particularly the overflow downdraw fusion process. These processes, particularly the fusion process, produce glass sheets that can achieve excellent flatness and smoothness at the surface, which is necessary for some applications, but they are also more expensive than the float process for large scale glass production.

[0093] The glass dashboard section according to the invention may have a thickness of 0.1 to 25 mm. Advantageously, the glass dashboard section according to the invention has a thickness of 0.1 to 6 mm. More advantageously, in particular if the shape of the dashboard requires bending, the thickness of the glass dashboard section according to the invention is 0.1 to 2.2 mm.

[0094] The present invention also relates to a glass dashboard part that has been chemically strengthened / hardened or thermally strengthened. All the above-mentioned embodiments also apply to the present invention of a glass dashboard part that has been chemically strengthened / hardened or thermally strengthened.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the present invention relates to a head-up display system for a vehicle, comprising: a windshield comprising a glass dashboard section of the present invention and first and second substantially parallel spaced apart substrates sandwiching an interlayer comprising a polymer; and an image source configured to direct a light beam corresponding to an image to be formed at the windshield, said light beam being directed through the glass dashboard section to the windshield, a first surface of the glass dashboard facing the windshield and etched and ion implanted, and a second surface opposite the first surface facing the image source. The glass dashboard section can include any of the above embodiments or any possible combination of the above embodiments.

[0096] In one embodiment, a head-up display system of the present invention includes an image source where a beam of p-polarized light is directed towards the windshield.

[0097] In one embodiment, in the head-up display system of the present invention, the windshield further comprises a low-E coating.

[0098] In one embodiment, in a head-up display system of the present invention, the windshield includes a coating that selectively reflects p-polarized light on at least a portion of a surface that faces the glass dashboard portion. EXAMPLES

[0099] Reference example R1 is a flat glass sheet chemically etched on one major surface and manufactured by the method disclosed in EP 3166900 A1 and incorporated herein by reference. R1 is manufactured from clear soda-lime float glass, each 1.1 mm thick.

[0100] Starting from reference example R1 with different parameters detailed in the table below, samples 1 and 2 according to the invention were prepared using an RCE ion source to generate a beam of singly and multiply charged ions of N. The ion source used was a Hardion+ RCE ion source from Ionics SA.

[0101] All samples are 26 x 56 cm 2 ~56×56cm 2 The entire etching surface was treated by moving the glass substrate through the ion beam at a speed of 20 to 80 mm / s.

[0102] The temperature of the area of ​​the glass substrate being treated was maintained at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the glass substrate.

[0103] For all samples, the injection was -6 The experiment was carried out in a vacuum chamber at a pressure of 10 ...1 mbar.

[0104] TIFF2024530598000003.tif44170

[0105] Comparative Example C1 has the following layer sequence, with thicknesses in parentheses: glass / TiO x (13nm) / SiO2(39nm) / Nb2O3(110nm) / SiO2(65nm) / Ti 65 Zr 35 O x (6 nm) on R1 by magnetron sputtering. This is a four-layer anti-reflective coating with a protective overcoat. Although it does not significantly change the comparative results, TiOx and Nb2O3 can be used interchangeably, and Ti 65 Zr 35 O x The layer may be omitted since it is mostly used for mechanical resistance purposes and not for optical contribution.

[0106] Each glass dashboard section was analyzed for texture / surface roughness and optical properties.

[0107] Surface roughness measurements were performed using a 3D optical profiler Leica Type DCM3D with a Gaussian filter with a cutoff wavelength of 0.8 mm for an evaluation length of 12 mm, using the "Leica map" software. The sample is first washed with detergent and dried. It is then placed under the microscope and, after conventional setup, the 2D acquisition of the profile is then started (the software uses a default cutoff wavelength λ of 2.5 μm).

[0108] Haze and transparency measurements were performed according to ASTM standard D1003-11 using Illuminant A2.

[0109] Gloss measurements were made at a specific angle of 60° according to ASTM standard D523-14 using a certified black glass standard with a gloss of 96.0 at 60°.

[0110] Sparkle is the result of the interaction between two structural layers: the pixel matrix of the display and the irregular surface structure of the etched surface. The measurement of the sparkle effect is carried out with the device SMS-1000 according to the method disclosed by the company "Display-Messtechnik & Systeme". To evaluate the sparkle intensity, the modulation caused by the pixel matrix of the display must be separated from the irregular intensity modulation due to the sparkle. A numerical image of the glass surface of the display is recorded for two different exposures corresponding to a limited translation. A difference image is formed. The level of sparkle is evaluated by dividing the standard deviation of a selected range in the sparkle area by the mean value of one of the same ranges of the original image.

[0111] The conditions selected for the work are as follows: Pixel ratio 264 (40cm from screen) 1 filter · Strength 240

[0112] For the sparkle measurement, each sample was placed on the Retina display of an Apple iPad® 4 showing a green background image, with its anti-reflective etched side facing the camera.

[0113] Transmittance and reflectance measurements were made using an UltraScan PRO Spectrophotometer from Hunter Associates Laboratory, Inc. Reflectance color was measured using a Perkin Elmer Lambda 950 spectrophotometer with an ARTA accessory for angle resolved reflectance measurements.

[0114] Table 2 below shows the roughness of the reference sample, the roughness values ​​being essentially the same after implantation as in Examples 1 and 2.

[0115] TIFF2024530598000004.tif29170

[0116] The resulting optical properties are summarized in Table 3 below.

[0117] TIFF2024530598000005.tif40170

[0118] As can be seen, most of the optical properties remain the same, but the reflected color changes very slightly and the light transmittance (TL) increases by only 2-3% due to the reduced light reflection.

[0119] To evaluate the different samples as glass dashboards, the evaluation was carried out using Eclat Digital's virtual prototyping software 'Ocean', which provides realistic renderings based on the physical properties of the materials used and allows for the quantitative evaluation of optical properties in a complex 3D environment.

[0120] The reflectance of the different samples above was measured at various angles across the entire visible spectrum and the simulated results using 'Ocean' were found to be within 0.1% of the measured values.

[0121] A two-dimensional cross-section of the evaluation setup is shown in FIG. 5. Light (505) from a light source strikes a first surface of a flat dashboard glass sample (501) at an angle of 20° to the surface normal of the dashboard glass sample. The first surface is either an etched and ion-implanted first surface of the present invention or a first surface having a multi-layer anti-reflective coating; a second, opposing surface is exposed to air. The incident light (505) is partially reflected from the first surface and partially reflected from the second surface. The combined specular reflections of both surfaces (506) strike the inner surface of the windshield (503) at an angle of 60° to the windshield surface normal and are reflected towards and measured at the driver's intended position (504).

[0122] In this first configuration, the windshield is a laminated glazing that includes, from the exterior to the interior of the vehicle, a first glass dashboard section of green glass with a thickness of 2.1 mm, a polyvinyl butyral sheet with a thickness of 0.76 mm, and a clear glass with a thickness of 1.6 mm. Furthermore, the incident light (505) is close to real sunlight using Hosek-Wilkie environmental simulated sunlight and atmosphere lighting on the Earth's surface. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the light intensity I measured at the driver position (504) is lowest for sample 2 (601), highest for sample 1 (603), and sample C1 (602) in between for most of the wavelength range 410-730 nm. The intensity curves show a flat or continuous decrease for most of the visible wavelength range for samples 1 and 2, while C1 shows a sharp intensity increase at wavelengths of 660 nm to 780 nm. This translates to an increase in reflected light in the red wavelength range for C1, and therefore less achromatic reflected light than for samples 1 and 2.

[0123] In a second evaluation configuration shown in Figure 7, light (706) from a head-up display (HUD) light source (702) attached to a glass dashboard sample (701) to be evaluated traverses the sample to a windshield (703). The surface opposite the head-up display light source (702) is either an etched first surface that has been etched and ion implanted, respectively, or a surface that has been provided with a multi-layer anti-reflective coating. The light (706) is reflected from the windshield (703) and the amount of light that reaches the driver position (705) is evaluated.

[0124] When the HUD light (706) is unpolarized, the relative amount of light reaching the driver position (705) is 108% for C1 and Sample 1 and 110% for Sample 2 compared to the reference R1 or R2, respectively (set at 100%).

[0125] When the HUD light (706) is p-polarized, the relative amount of light reaching the driver position (705) is 103% for C1 and Sample 2, and 106% for Sample 1, compared to the references R1 or R2, respectively (set at 100%). In this case, a coating designed to reflect p-polarized light can be deposited on the inner surface of the windshield.

[0126] Furthermore, when the HUD light (706) is p-polarized, referring to FIG. 8, it was found that the light transmission (802) of C1 drops off significantly at both ends of the visible spectrum. This situation becomes difficult to handle if similar luminosity is desired across the entire visible spectrum. For samples 1 (803) and 2 (801), the light transmission may not always be higher than C1, but the difference between the maximum and minimum transmission of these samples is less than 5% across the entire visible wavelength range.

Claims

1. A vehicle windshield glare reduction system having a windshield and a dashboard, the windshield glare reduction system comprising: a. A windshield having an inner surface and an outer surface and through which light can pass; b. A glass dashboard portion that reflects light passing through the windshield; and c. A windshield glare reduction system in which a first surface of the glass dashboard portion faces the windshield and is etched and ion implanted.

2. When the first surface of the glass dashboard portion is measured using a Gaussian filter with an evaluation length of 12 mm and a cut-off wavelength of 0.8 mm: a. 0.02 μm ≤ Ra ≤ 0.60 μm; b. 0.1 μm ≤ Rz ≤ 3.0 μm; and c. 0.01 μm ≤ RSm ≤ 0.08 μm The windshield glare reduction system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a roughness such that.

3. When measured from the first surface and the opposite surface is exposed to air, the glass dashboard portion has the following optical properties: a. A haze value of 1 to 85%; b. A transparency value of 10 to 100%; c. A gloss value of 10 to 50 SGU at 60°; and d. A visible light reflectance of 7 to 4.5% The windshield glare reduction system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has.

4. The implanted ions are selected from positively charged ions of O, N, He, Ne, Ar, or Kr, and / or the implanted ions are present to a depth of 0.1 μm to 1 μm near the first surface, and / or the amount of the implanted ions is 5×10 １４ ions / cm ２ to 10 １８ ions / cm ２ The bevel glare reduction system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is so.

5. The windshield glare reduction system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the windshield glare reduction system further comprises a dashboard support structure, and the glass dashboard portion is at least partially laminated to the support structure of the dashboard.

6. The windshield glare reduction system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein 0.14 μm ≤ Ra ≤ 0.4 μm and 0.015 μm ≤ RSm ≤ 0.060 μm.

7. When measured from the first surface and the opposite surface is exposed to air, the glass dashboard portion has the following optical properties: a haze value of 1 to 40%, preferably 1 to 35%; a transparency value of 20 to 100%, preferably 40 to 80%; and a gloss value of 10 to 40 SGU, preferably 20 to 35 SGU at 60°. The windshield glare reduction system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has.

8. The windshield and the glass dashboard portion are arranged such that light passing through the windshield and reflected from the surface of the glass dashboard is partially reflected by the inner windshield surface toward the driver's position, for the belling glare reduction system according to claim 1 or 2.

9. A vehicle having the glare reduction system for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

10. A method for reducing belling glare in a vehicle having a windshield and a glass dashboard portion, comprising: a. Passing light through the windshield; b. Directing the light passing through the windshield onto the surface of the glass dashboard portion and reflecting it by the surface of the glass dashboard portion; c. Diffusing the light reflected by the glass dashboard portion including a glass substrate, provided that the glass substrate is etched and ion-implanted, has a certain surface roughness, and has a first surface including ions implanted in a layer adjacent to the first substrate surface in the substrate, and the first surface causes the light to be diffusely reflected from the glass dashboard portion. A method including the above.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the glass dashboard portion and the windshield are arranged such that light passing through the windshield and reflected from the surface of the glass dashboard is partially reflected by the inner windshield surface toward the driver's position.

12. A head-up display system for a vehicle including the belling glare reduction system according to claim 1, comprising: a. The windshield includes first and second substantially parallel and spaced-apart substrates sandwiching an intermediate layer including a polymer; b. The image source is configured such that light rays corresponding to an image formed on the windshield are directed, and the light rays pass through the glass dashboard portion and are directed toward the windshield. A head-up display system, wherein the second surface of the glass dashboard opposite to the first surface faces the image source.

13. The head-up display system according to claim 12, wherein the light rays directed by the image source are p-polarized.

14. The head-up display system according to any one of claims 12 or 13, wherein the windshield further includes a low-E coating.

15. The head-up display system according to any one of claims 12 or 13, wherein the windshield includes a coating that selectively reflects p-polarized light on at least a part of the surface facing the glass dashboard portion.

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