Vehicular glass and camera unit

Abstract

Provided are a vehicular glass and a camera unit which are capable of suppressing fogging of a transmissive member caused by an air temperature difference between the inside and outside of a vehicle. This vehicular glass 1 includes: a glass member 10 having an opening 19 that passes through from a surface on a first direction side (Z1 direction side) to a surface on a second direction side (Z2 direction side); a transmissive member 20 that is disposed in the opening 19 and transmits far infrared rays; a frame member 30 that holds an outer peripheral part of the transmissive member 20 and is attached to the opening 19; and a heating element 40 that is disposed within 50 mm of an outer peripheral end part 20a of the transmissive member 20 when viewed in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the transmissive member 20 and attached to at least one among the glass member 10, the transmissive member 20, and the frame member 30 to heat the transmissive member 20.

Description

Vehicle glass and camera units

[0001] This invention relates to vehicle glass and camera units.

[0002] In recent years, far-infrared cameras have been installed in automobiles. Automobile windows typically do not transmit far-infrared rays with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm. Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 describes forming an opening in the vehicle glass and providing a far-infrared-transmitting member within the opening. This allows the far-infrared rays that have passed through the transmittance member to be detected by a far-infrared camera.

[0003] International Publication No. 2021 / 182290

[0004] Incidentally, just like with regular window glass, the transparent material may fog up if there is a temperature difference between the inside and outside of the car. Since the transparent material is expected to be made of a material with high thermal conductivity, it is easily affected by the outside temperature and fogs up more easily than regular laminated glass. If the transparent material fogs up, the transmittance of far-infrared rays will decrease, which may cause the far-infrared camera to malfunction.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a vehicle glass and camera unit that can suppress fogging of a transparent member caused by the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the vehicle glass according to this disclosure comprises: a glass member having an opening formed that penetrates from the surface on the first direction side to the surface on the second direction side; a transparent member disposed in the opening and transmitting far-infrared rays; a frame member that holds the outer periphery of the transparent member and is attached to the opening; and a heating element that is disposed within a range of 50 mm or less from the outer periphery end of the transparent member when viewed in the thickness direction of the transparent member, and is attached to at least one of the glass member, the transparent member, and the frame member to heat the transparent member.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the camera unit according to this disclosure comprises: the vehicle glass; a far-infrared camera positioned on the vehicle side of the transparent member such that the detection range passes through the transparent member; and a cover member that covers the second-direction surface of the transparent member and houses the far-infrared camera.

[0008] According to the present invention, fogging of the transparent material caused by the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle can be suppressed.

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle glass according to the embodiment mounted on a vehicle. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the vehicle glass according to the embodiment. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B in Figure 2. Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the transparent member in the vehicle glass. Figure 6 is a plan view of the periphery of the transparent member in the vehicle glass. Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the camera unit according to the embodiment. Figure 8 is a plan view of the periphery of the transparent member in the vehicle glass according to the first modified example. Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the transparent member in the vehicle glass according to the second modified example. Figure 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the transparent member in the vehicle glass according to the third modified example. Figure 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the transparent member in the vehicle glass according to the fourth modified example.

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. The present invention is not limited by these embodiments, and if there are multiple embodiments, they may be constructed by combining each embodiment. Numerical values ​​include a range of rounding. When a numerical range is indicated by connecting the upper and lower limits with ~, this range includes the upper and lower limits. That is, for example, "X to Y" means that it is X or greater and Y or less. In this embodiment, the lower and upper limits can be combined as appropriate. That is, for example, if a lower limit is listed for a certain parameter and an upper limit is listed for that parameter, the lower limit may be any value selected from the listed lower limits, and the upper limit may be any value selected from the listed upper limits. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, physical properties and dimensions will be described as values ​​at room temperature, i.e., between 5°C and 35°C.

[0011] (Embodiment) (Vehicle) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle glass according to the embodiment mounted on a vehicle. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle glass 1 according to the embodiment is mounted on a vehicle V. The vehicle glass 1 is a window member applied to the windshield of the vehicle V. That is, the vehicle glass 1 is used as the front window of the vehicle V, or in other words, as a windshield. A far-infrared camera CA1 and a visible light camera CA2 are mounted inside the vehicle V (interior). The interior of the vehicle V (interior) refers to, for example, the interior of the vehicle where the driver's seat is located. Note that the vehicle glass 1 is not limited to being applied to the windshield of the vehicle V, but may be mounted at any position on the vehicle V.

[0012] The vehicle glass 1, far-infrared camera CA1, and visible light camera CA2 constitute the camera unit 100. The far-infrared camera CA1 is a camera that detects far-infrared rays. The far-infrared camera CA1 captures a thermal image of the outside of the vehicle V by detecting far-infrared rays from outside the vehicle V. The visible light camera CA2 is a camera that detects visible light. The visible light camera CA2 captures an image of the outside of the vehicle V by detecting visible light from outside the vehicle V. In addition to the far-infrared camera CA1 and the visible light camera CA2, the camera unit 100 may further include, for example, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) or millimeter-wave radar. Here, far-infrared rays refer to, for example, electromagnetic waves in the wavelength band of 8 μm to 13 μm, and visible light refers to, for example, electromagnetic waves in the wavelength band of 380 nm to 830 nm.

[0013] (Vehicle Glass) Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of vehicle glass according to an embodiment. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B in Figure 2. Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area around the transparent member in vehicle glass. Figure 6 is a plan view of the area around the transparent member in vehicle glass. As shown in Figure 2, the upper edge of the vehicle glass 1 will be referred to as the upper edge portion 1a, the lower edge as the lower edge portion 1b, one side edge as the side edge portion 1c, and the other side edge as the side edge portion 1d. The upper edge portion 1a is the edge portion located on the vertically upper side when the vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V. The lower edge portion 1b is the edge portion located on the vertically lower side when the vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V. The side edge portion 1c is the edge portion located on one side when the vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V. The side edge portion 1d is the edge portion located on the other side when the vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V.

[0014] Hereinafter, among the directions parallel to the surface of the vehicle glass 1, the direction from the upper edge 1a to the lower edge 1b and the direction from the lower edge 1b to the upper edge 1a will be defined as the Y direction, and the direction from the side edge 1c to the side edge 1d and the direction from the side edge 1d to the side edge 1c will be defined as the X direction. In this embodiment, the X direction and the Y direction are orthogonal. The direction perpendicular to the surface of the vehicle glass 1, that is, the thickness direction of the vehicle glass 1, will be defined as the Z direction. Furthermore, one direction along the Z direction will be defined as the Z1 direction (first direction), and the direction opposite to the Z1 direction will be defined as the Z2 direction (second direction). The Z1 direction (first direction) is, for example, the direction from the inside to the outside of the vehicle V when the vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V. The Z2 direction (second direction) is, for example, the direction from the outside to the inside of the vehicle V when the vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V. The X and Y directions are along the surface of the vehicle glass 1, but if the surface of the vehicle glass 1 is curved, for example, they may be in directions tangent to the surface of the vehicle glass 1 at the center point O of the vehicle glass 1. The center point O is the center position of the vehicle glass 1 when viewed from the Z direction.

[0015] As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle glass 1 comprises a glass member 10. The glass member 10 is the main body portion of the vehicle glass 1 that constitutes the windshield of the vehicle V. The glass member 10 may be single-pane glass or laminated glass, but in this embodiment, the glass member 10 is made of laminated glass. Specifically, the glass member 10 comprises a glass substrate 12, a glass substrate 14, an intermediate layer 16, and a light-shielding layer 18. In the vehicle glass 1, the glass substrate 12, the intermediate layer 16, the glass substrate 14, and the light-shielding layer 18 are laminated in this order in the Z2 direction. The glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 are fixed (bonded) to each other via the intermediate layer 16.

[0016] The glass substrates 12 and 14 may be inorganic glass or organic glass. As inorganic glass, for example, soda-lime glass, aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, alkali-free glass, quartz glass, etc., can be used without particular limitation. Among these, soda-lime glass is particularly preferred in terms of manufacturing cost and moldability. For example, in the case of inorganic glass, glass plates formed by the float method or the like are preferred. When glass substrates 12 and 14 are inorganic glass, glass substrates 12 and 14 may be either untempered glass or tempered glass. Tempered glass may be either physically tempered glass or chemically tempered glass. Untempered glass is made by forming molten glass into a plate and slowly cooling it. Tempered glass is made by forming a compressive stress layer on the surface of untempered glass. Tempered glass may be either physically tempered glass or chemically tempered glass. In the case of physically strengthened glass, the glass surface may be strengthened by creating a compressive stress layer on the glass surface due to the temperature difference between the glass surface and the inside of the glass, through operations other than slow cooling, such as air-cooled strengthening, where a uniformly heated glass plate is rapidly cooled from a temperature near its softening point during bending. In the case of chemically strengthened glass, the glass surface may be strengthened after bending by creating compressive stress on the glass surface by methods such as ion exchange. Known molding techniques such as gravity molding, press molding, and roller molding may be used for bending the glass substrate. Glass that absorbs ultraviolet or infrared rays may also be used. Furthermore, the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 may be transparent or colored. The thickness of the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.3 mm or more, more preferably 0.5 mm or more, even more preferably 1 mm or more, even more preferably 1.5 mm or more, and most preferably 2 mm or more. Furthermore, the thickness of the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 is preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 4 mm or less, and even more preferably 3 mm or less. The intermediate layer 16 is an adhesive layer that bonds the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 together.As the intermediate layer 16, known materials such as polyvinyl butyral (hereinafter also referred to as PVB) modified material, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) material, urethane resin material, and vinyl chloride resin material can be used. The intermediate layer 16 may also contain functional particles such as ultraviolet absorbers, infrared absorbers, adhesion enhancers, antioxidants, and light stabilizers. The intermediate layer 16 may be transparent or colored. The intermediate layer 16 may also have a multilayer structure of two or more layers. More specifically, the glass substrate 12 includes one surface 12A (the surface on the Z1 direction) and the other surface 12B (the surface on the Z2 direction), and the other surface 12B is in contact with one surface 16A (the surface on the Z1 direction) of the intermediate layer 16 and is fixed (adhered) to the intermediate layer 16. The glass substrate 14 includes one surface 14A (the surface facing the Z1 direction) and the other surface 14B (the surface facing the Z2 direction), and the one surface 14A is in contact with the other surface 16B (the surface facing the Z2 direction) of the intermediate layer 16 and is fixed (bonded) to the intermediate layer 16. In this way, the vehicle glass 1 is a laminated glass in which the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 are laminated together. However, the vehicle glass 1 is not limited to laminated glass, and may be a configuration that includes only one of the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 (i.e., a single-pane glass). In this case, the intermediate layer 16 may not be provided. The intermediate layer 16 may contain a heat-generating film (PET substrate), a heating device, an antenna, a liquid crystal device, a dimming device, an image projection layer, an emitting layer, a heat-reflective layer, etc. Hereinafter, when the glass substrates 12 and 14 are not distinguished, they will be referred to as the glass substrate. When the vehicle glass 1 is installed in a vehicle, the vehicle glass 1 may have a curved shape that protrudes outwards from the vehicle. The curved shape of the vehicle glass 1 from the periphery to the center may be a curved shape in only one direction, a curved shape in two perpendicular directions, or a curved shape in three or more directions. The thickness of the vehicle glass 1 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 3 mm or more, more preferably 4 mm or more, even more preferably 4.5 mm or more, even more preferably 5 mm or more, and most preferably 6 mm or more.Furthermore, the thickness of the vehicle glass 1 is preferably 10 mm or less, more preferably 9 mm or less, even more preferably 8 mm or less, and most preferably 7 mm or less. In this embodiment, the upper and lower limits can be combined as appropriate. Also, if the vehicle glass 1 is laminated glass, the above thickness may be read as the total thickness of the laminated glass.

[0017] The light-shielding layer 18 is a layer that blocks visible light. The light-shielding layer 18 may be provided in a strip shape along the periphery of the vehicle glass 1. This suppresses the deterioration of aesthetics due to refraction of the glass substrates 12 and 14. As the light-shielding layer 18, for example, a ceramic light-shielding layer or a light-shielding film can be used. As the ceramic light-shielding layer, for example, a ceramic layer made of conventionally known materials such as a black ceramic layer can be used. As the light-shielding film, for example, a light-shielding polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, a light-shielding polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) film, a light-shielding polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) film, etc. can be used. The light-shielding layer 18 includes one surface 18A (the surface on the Z1 direction side) and the other surface 18B (the surface on the Z2 direction side). In the example of Figure 3, one surface 18A is in contact with and fixed to the other surface 14B of the glass substrate 14, but it is not limited to this. For example, the light-shielding layer 18 may be provided on the surface 12B of the glass substrate 12. That is, the light-shielding layer 18 may be provided on the surface 14B of the glass substrate 14, on the surface 12B of the glass substrate 12, or on both the surface 14B and the surface 12B.

[0018] In this embodiment, the side of the vehicle glass 1 on which the light-shielding layer 18 is provided faces the interior side (Z2 direction side) and the glass substrate 12 faces the exterior side (Z1 direction side). However, it is not limited to this, and the light-shielding layer 18 may be provided on the exterior side of the vehicle V. If the vehicle glass 1 is made of laminated glass of glass substrates 12 and 14, the light-shielding layer 18 may be formed between the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14. That is, the light-shielding layer 18 may be formed on, for example, the surface 12B or the surface 14A, or a part of the intermediate layer 16 may be the light-shielding layer 18. If a part of the intermediate layer 16 is the light-shielding layer 18, a part of the intermediate layer 16 may be colored with a dark pigment, or a layer containing a dark pigment may be provided in a part of the intermediate layer 16.

[0019] The thermal conductivity of the glass member 10 is preferably 0.5 W / (m·K) or more and 2.0 W / (m·K) or less, more preferably 0.6 W / (m·K) or more and 1.8 W / (m·K) or less, and even more preferably 0.7 W / (m·K) or more and 1.5 W / (m·K) or less. The thermal conductivity can be measured using, for example, a thermal conductivity measuring device HC-110 (manufactured by Eiko Seiki Co., Ltd.) or a laser flash method thermal constant measuring device LFA447 (manufactured by NETZSCH).

[0020] The glass member 10 has an opening 19 that penetrates from the inner surface (surface 18B on the Z2 direction side) to the outer surface (surface 12A on the Z1 direction side). A far-infrared transmitting unit U is provided inside the opening 19. In other words, the vehicle glass 1 according to this embodiment is a vehicle glass in which the far-infrared transmitting unit U according to this embodiment is provided in the opening 19. The far-infrared transmitting unit U comprises a transmitting member 20 that transmits far-infrared rays and a frame member 30 provided on the periphery of the transmitting member 20. In the following description, the direction toward the geometric center when the transmitting member 20 is viewed from the Z direction may be described as the radially inward direction, and the direction away from the geometric center may be described as the radially outward direction.

[0021] (Transmitting Member) The transmitting member 20 is positioned inside the opening 19 and transmits far-infrared rays. The average transmittance of far-infrared rays with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm is higher for the transmitting member 20 than for the glass member 10. The average transmittance of far-infrared rays with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm is higher for the transmitting member 20 than for the frame member 30. Preferably, the average transmittance of far-infrared rays with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm for the transmitting member 20 is 25% or more, more preferably 40% or more, even more preferably 50% or more, even more preferably 70% or more, and particularly preferably 85% or more. Furthermore, it is preferable that the average transmittance of far-infrared rays with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm for the transmitting member 20 is 100% or less. In order to make the average transmittance of far-infrared rays 85% or more, it is preferable to provide an anti-reflective coating. When the average transmittance of far-infrared rays is within this numerical range, far-infrared rays are transmitted appropriately, and the performance of the far-infrared camera CA1 can be fully demonstrated. The transmittance of far-infrared rays can be measured, for example, using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (ThermoScientific, product name: Nicolet iS10).

[0022] The material of the transparent member 20 is not particularly limited, but examples include ZnS, Ge, Si, and chalcogenide glass. Preferably, the transparent member 20 contains at least one material selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, ZnS, and chalcogenide glass. By using such a material for the transparent member 20, far-infrared rays can be transmitted appropriately. A preferred composition of chalcogenide glass is one in which, in atomic percent, Ge + Ga: 7% to 25%, Sb: 0% to 35%, Bi: 0% to 20%, Zn: 0% to 20%, Sn: 0% to 20%, Si: 0% to 20%, La: 0% to 20%, S + Se + Te: 55% to 80%, Ti: 0.005% to 0.3%, Li + Na + K + Cs: 0% to 20%, and F + Cl + Br + I: 0% to 20%. Furthermore, it is preferable that this glass has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 140°C to 550°C.

[0023] The transmissive member 20 more preferably contains at least one of Si and Ge as a main component. Here, the main component may refer to a content rate of 50% by mass or more with respect to the whole transmissive member 20.

[0024] The transmissive member 20 may be coated on the surface on the vehicle outer side (Z1 direction side) (surface 20A) or the surface on the vehicle inner side (Z2 direction side) (surface 20B). For example, an antireflection film may be provided on the surface 20A. As the antireflection film, an antireflection film of 3 to 12 layers is preferable, and the material is not particularly limited, but Ge, Si, ZnS, ZnSe, As ｘ , ｙ , ｙ , ｙ , ｙ , ｘ , ｘ , ｘ ,

[0025] , ｘ , ｘ , ｘ , ｘ , ｘ , ｘ , ｘ , ｘ , ｘ , ｘ , ｘ , ｘ , ｘ S ｙ As ｘ Se ｙ metal oxides (Al ｘ O ｙ Bi ｘ O ｙ CeO ｘ CuO, HfO ｘ MgO, SiO, SiO ｘ NiO, TiO, TiO ｘ Ti ｘ O ｙ Y ｘ O ｙ ZrO ｘ ), hydrocarbon, diamond-like carbon (DLC), metal fluoride (MgF ｘ CaF ｘ SrF ｘ BaF ｘ PbF ｘ LaF ｘ YF ｘ is preferable (x, y are arbitrary positive numbers). The layer of the antireflection film on the most Z1 direction side is preferably a film having a Mohs hardness of 7 or more and a high transmittance of far infrared rays from the viewpoint of scratch resistance. The layer of the antireflection film on the most Z1 direction side is particularly preferably a ZrO ｘ film.

[0025] The shape of the transparent member 20 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably a plate-like shape that matches the shape of the opening 19. That is, for example, if the opening 19 is circular, the transparent member 20 is preferably a disc-shaped or cylindrical shape. Also, from the viewpoint of design, the surface shape of the transparent member 20 on the Z1 direction side may be processed to match the curvature of the outer surface shape of the glass substrate 12.

[0026] In the vehicle glass 1 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the opening 19 on the Z1-direction side surface (surface 12A) has the same configuration as the opening 19 on the Z2-direction side surface (surface 18B), and that the shape of the transparent member 20 is also the same as the area on the Z1-direction side surface and the Z2-direction side surface. In other words, there is no step in the inner wall of the opening 19, and the inner wall of the opening 19 extends along the thickness direction of the vehicle glass 1. By adopting such a configuration, the manufacturing of the glass member 10 and the transparent member 20 becomes easier. Furthermore, if the glass member 10 is laminated glass comprising a glass substrate 12 (Z1-direction side) and a glass substrate 14 (Z2-direction side), the opening 19 is formed by the overlapping of the opening 12a of the glass substrate 12 and the opening 14a of the glass substrate 14. In this case, the opening 12a of the glass substrate 12 should overlap with the opening 14a of the glass substrate 14, and a transparent member 20 sized to fit the opening 12a of the glass substrate 12 should be placed inside the opening 12a of the glass substrate 12.

[0027] From the viewpoint of strength, the thickness of the permeable member 20 is preferably 1.0 mm or more, more preferably 1.5 mm or more, and even more preferably 2.0 mm or more. The upper limit of the thickness of the permeable member 20 is not particularly limited, but is usually 5.0 mm or less. Here, thickness refers to the length of the permeable member 20 in the Z direction.

[0028] The thermal conductivity of the transparent member 20 is preferably 0.1 W / (m·K) or more and 200 W / (m·K) or less, more preferably 10 W / (m·K) or more and 180 W / (m·K) or less, even more preferably 50 W / (m·K) or more and 180 W / (m·K) or less, and particularly preferably 100 W / (m·K) or more and 160 W / (m·K) or less. The thermal conductivity can be measured in the same way as the thermal conductivity of the glass member 10, for example, using a thermal conductivity measuring device HC-110 (manufactured by Eiko Seiki Co., Ltd.) or a laser flash method thermal constant measuring device LFA447 (manufactured by NETZSCH).

[0029] The frame member 30 is positioned between the inner circumferential surface of the opening 19 of the glass member 10 and the transparent member 20. The frame member 30 holds the outer periphery of the transparent member 20 and is attached to the opening 19. The shape of the frame member 30 is not particularly limited, but if the transparent member 20 is disc-shaped, it is formed in a cylindrical shape and positioned on the periphery of the transparent member 20. The frame member 30 has a holding portion 31 positioned between the transparent member 20 and the glass member 10, and a fixing portion 32 formed on the Z2 direction side relative to the holding portion 31. The holding portion 31 is interposed between the transparent member 20 and the glass member 10. The frame member 30 may be composed of a single member or of multiple members. A frame member 30 composed of multiple members may, for example, include a first member including the holding portion 31 and a second member including the fixing portion 32. A frame member 30 composed of multiple members may, for example, be composed of a first member on the Z1 direction side and a second member on the Z2 direction side. The frame member 30 may be composed of three or more members. In this embodiment, the frame member 30 is composed of a single member including a holding portion 31 and a fixing portion 32.

[0030] The holding portion 31 is formed in a cylindrical shape that surrounds the peripheral edge of the transparent member 20. The outer surface of the holding portion 31 faces the inner surface of the opening 19 of the glass member 10. The inner surface of the holding portion 31 faces the outer end surface of the transparent member 20. The length of the holding portion 31 in the Z direction is greater than or equal to the total thickness of the glass member 10. The surface of the holding portion 31 in the Z1 direction is exposed on the Z1 direction side (outside the vehicle) within the opening 19. The end of the holding portion 31 in the Z2 direction is connected to the fixing portion 32.

[0031] The fixing portion 32 extends radially outward from the end portion of the holding portion 31 in the Z2 direction. The fixing portion 32 is provided on the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the holding portion 31 and is ring-shaped (flange-shaped). The fixing portion 32 extends from the outer peripheral surface of the holding portion 31 to the radially outer side than the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion 19 of the glass member 10. That is, the outer dimension of the fixing portion 32 is larger than that of the opening portion 19. When the frame member 30 is attached to the glass member 10, the fixing portion 32 is disposed on the Z2 direction side with respect to the surface (surface 18B of the light shielding layer 18) on the Z2 direction (inside the vehicle) surface of the glass member 10 and faces the surface 18B in the Z direction. An adhesive layer (first adhesive layer) 50 is provided between the fixing portion 32 and the surface 18B. The frame member 30 is attached to the opening portion 19 of the glass member 10 by the first adhesive layer 50 at the fixing portion 32. Further, the first adhesive layer 50 is formed in a ring shape over the entire circumference of the fixing portion 32. Thereby, the water stoppage property between the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion 19 and the frame member 30 is ensured.

[0032] The constituent material of the frame member 30 is not particularly limited. At least a portion of the frame member 30 may be made of resins such as ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin, AES (Acrylonitrile ethylene styrene) resin, rigid polyvinyl chloride (rigid PVC), polystyrene (PS), polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). When the frame member 30 is made of a thermoplastic resin such as ABS, AES, or rigid polyvinyl chloride, a molding method such as injection molding can be applied. At least a portion of the frame member 30 may be formed from an elastomer such as ethylene propylene monomer (EPDM), flexible polyvinyl chloride (flexible PVC), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), thermoplastic polyvinyl elastomer (TPVC), thermoplastic polyethylene elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic polyamide elastomer (TPAE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), vinylidene fluoride fluororubber (FKM), tetrafluoroethylene-purple vinyl ether fluororubber (FFKM), or silicone rubber. Here, FKM and FFKM are elastomers defined in ASTM:D1418. By using elastomer as the constituent material of the frame member 30, the watertightness between the glass member 10 and the permeable member 20 can be improved.

[0033] Further, at least a part of the frame member 30 may be formed of a fluororesin such as ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) or PFA (Perfluoroalkoxy alkanes). ETFE is a copolymer having units derived from ethylene and units derived from tetrafluoroethylene. ETFE may further contain, as a third component, units derived from a monomer having an adhesive functional group. PFA is a copolymer having units derived from tetrafluoroethylene and units derived from perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether). PFA may further contain, as a third component, units derived from a monomer having an adhesive functional group. Since ETFE and PFA are excellent in moldability, they are preferable as constituent materials of the frame member 30, and the adhesiveness is further improved by containing the third component having adhesiveness.

[0034] As the monomer having an adhesive functional group, a monomer having a carboxy group, an acid anhydride group or a carboxylic acid halide group is preferable, and an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid anhydride is more preferable. Examples of the unsaturated dicarboxylic acid anhydride include itaconic anhydride, citraconic anhydride, 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid anhydride (hymic anhydride), maleic anhydride and the like. The monomer having an adhesive functional group may have one kind of adhesive functional group alone or two or more kinds of adhesive functional groups.

[0035] ETFE may have, if necessary, units derived from other monomers other than ethylene, TFE and the monomer having an adhesive functional group. Examples of the other monomers include fluoroolefins (excluding tetrafluoroethylene), fluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) and the like. PFA may have, if necessary, units derived from other monomers other than TFE, perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) and the monomer having an adhesive functional group. Examples of the other monomers include fluoroolefins (excluding tetrafluoroethylene) and the like.

[0036] Furthermore, to improve the thermal conductivity of the frame member 30, a thermally conductive material may be added to the resin material described above. Examples of thermally conductive materials that may be added include thermally conductive fillers, whiskers, and chopped strands, with thermally conductive fillers being preferred.

[0037] The thermally conductive filler can be selected from, for example, inorganic compounds such as carbon powder or ceramic powder, metal powder, or other materials. Furthermore, the frame member 30 is preferably black in color, which improves its aesthetic appeal.

[0038] The first adhesive layer 50 adheres the frame member 30 and the glass member 10. The first adhesive layer 50 is also positioned on the surface where the fixing portion 32, which is provided around the entire outer circumference of the frame member 30, faces the glass member 10. The first adhesive layer 50 is formed from adhesives such as urethane adhesive, modified silicone adhesive, acrylic, epoxy, phenol, epoxy-modified silicone, polyamide, polyester, polyurethane, etc., or adhesives having properties such as thermosetting, moisture curing, two-component curing, ultraviolet curing, visible light curing, anaerobic curing, or thermoplasticity. It is preferable to use a urethane adhesive or an epoxy-modified silicone adhesive for the first adhesive layer 50. This improves load-bearing capacity, heat resistance, and cold resistance, and improves adhesive strength and shear strength.

[0039] The transparent member 20 is attached to the opening 19 via the frame member 30. Preferably, the Z1-direction side surface (surface 30A) of the frame member 30 is formed flush with (continuously with) the Z1-direction side surface (surface 20A) of the transparent member 20 and the Z1-direction side surface (surface 12A) of the glass substrate 12. In other words, the Z1-direction side surface 30A of the frame member 30 is attached to be continuous with the Z1-direction side surface 20A of the transparent member 20 and the surface 12A of the glass substrate 12. The step difference at the boundary between the Z1-direction side surface 20A of the transparent member 20 and the Z1-direction side surface 30A of the frame member 30 is preferably 0.3 mm or less, more preferably 0.2 mm or less, even more preferably 0.15 mm or less, and still preferably 0.1 mm or less. The step difference at the boundary between the Z1-direction surface 30A of the frame member 30 and the Z1-direction surface 12A of the glass member 10 is preferably 1.0 mm or less, more preferably 0.5 mm or less, more preferably 0.3 mm or less, more preferably 0.15 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.1 mm or less. The step difference between the surfaces of the vehicle glass 1 can be measured, for example, using a laser displacement meter (Keyence Corporation, inline profile measuring instrument: LJ-X8200), by irradiating a laser into the area enclosed by a line segment 10 mm radially inward from the inner peripheral edge of the surface 30A of the frame member 30 and a line segment 10 mm radially outward from the outer peripheral edge of the surface 30A of the frame member 30, within the entire area of ​​the Z1-direction surface 30A of the frame member 30, the surface 10A of the glass member 10 and the surface 20A of the transparent member 20, and obtaining a step difference profile. In this way, the surface 30A of the frame member 30 on the Z1 direction side is continuous with the surface 20A of the transparent member 20 on the Z1 direction side and the surface 12A of the glass substrate 12, thereby preventing impairment of the wiper's wiping effect. Furthermore, the continuous surface 30A of the frame member 30 with the surface 20A of the transparent member 20 and the surface 12A of the glass substrate 12 does not impair the design of the vehicle V, and prevents the accumulation of sand, dust, etc. between the frame member 30 and the glass member 10, and between the frame member 30 and the transparent member 20.

[0040] The outer periphery of the transparent member 20 and the inner periphery of the frame member 30 are bonded together via an adhesive layer (second adhesive layer) 60. The second adhesive layer 60 bonds the frame member 30 and the transparent member 20. The second adhesive layer 60 is positioned on the surface facing the Z1 direction side of the portion of the frame member 30 that protrudes radially inward from the inner periphery of the holding portion 31, and the Z2 direction side surface 20B of the outer periphery of the transparent member 20. The second adhesive layer 60 is formed from adhesives such as urethane adhesive, modified silicone adhesive, acrylic, epoxy, phenol, epoxy-modified silicone, polyamide, polyester, polyurethane, etc., or adhesives having properties such as thermosetting, moisture curing, two-component curing, ultraviolet curing, visible light curing, anaerobic curing, or thermoplasticity. It is preferable to use a urethane adhesive or an epoxy-modified silicone adhesive for the second adhesive layer 60. This improves load-bearing capacity, heat resistance, and cold resistance, as well as adhesive strength and shear strength.

[0041] The thermal conductivity of the frame member 30 is preferably 0.15 W / (m·K) or higher, more preferably 0.25 W / (m·K) or higher, even more preferably 0.5 W / (m·K) or higher, even more preferably 1.0 W / (m·K) or higher, and particularly preferably 5.0 W / (m·K) or higher. There is no upper limit specified for the thermal conductivity, but it is usually 150 W / (m·K) or lower, preferably 100 W / (m·K) or lower, even more preferably 50 W / (m·K) or lower, and particularly preferably 30 W / (m·K) or lower. The thermal conductivity can be measured in the same way as the thermal conductivity of the glass member 10 and the transparent member 20, for example, using a thermal conductivity measuring device HC-110 (manufactured by Eiko Seiki Co., Ltd.) or a laser flash method thermal constant measuring device LFA447 (manufactured by NETZSCH).

[0042] As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle glass 1 has a light-transmitting region A1 and a light-blocking region A2. The light-transmitting region A1 is the central part of the vehicle glass 1 when viewed from the Z direction. The light-transmitting region A1 is the region that ensures the driver's field of view. The light-transmitting region A1 is the region that transmits visible light. The light-blocking region A2 is the region that is formed around the light-transmitting region A1 when viewed from the Z direction. The light-blocking region A2 is the region that blocks visible light. Within the light-blocking region A2a, which is the part on the upper edge 1a side of the light-blocking region A2, a far-infrared transmitting region B and a visible light transmitting region C are formed.

[0043] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the light-shielding region A2 is formed by providing a light-shielding layer 18 on the glass member 10. In other words, the light-shielding region A2 is the region in which the glass member 10 is equipped with the light-shielding layer 18. Specifically, the light-shielding region A2 is the region in which the glass substrate 12, the intermediate layer 16, the glass substrate 14, and the light-shielding layer 18 are laminated. On the other hand, the light-transmitting region A1 is the region in which the glass member 10 is not equipped with the light-shielding layer 18. Specifically, the light-transmitting region A1 is the region in which the glass substrate 12, the intermediate layer 16, and the glass substrate 14 are laminated, but the light-shielding layer 18 is not laminated.

[0044] The far-infrared transmission region B is a region that transmits far-infrared rays and is the region in which the far-infrared camera CA1 is installed. The far-infrared camera CA1 is installed in a position that overlaps with the far-infrared transmission region B when viewed from the optical axis direction of the far-infrared camera CA1. The region in which the opening 19 is formed and the far-infrared transmission unit U is installed is the far-infrared transmission region B. In other words, the far-infrared transmission region B is the region in which the opening 19 and the far-infrared transmission unit U, which is placed inside the opening 19, are installed. The far-infrared transmission region B does not have a light-shielding layer 18. That is, in the far-infrared transmission region B, the glass substrate 12, the intermediate layer 16, the glass substrate 14, and the light-shielding layer 18 are not provided, and the far-infrared transmission unit U is installed in the formed opening 19.

[0045] The visible light transmission region C is a region that transmits visible light and is the region in which the visible light camera CA2 is installed. The visible light camera CA2 is installed in a position that overlaps with the visible light transmission region C when viewed from the optical axis direction of the visible light camera CA2. As shown in Figure 4, the visible light transmission region C, like the light transmission region A1, is a region in the Z direction in which the glass member 10 does not have a light-shielding layer 18. That is, the visible light transmission region C is a region in which the glass substrate 12, the intermediate layer 16, and the glass substrate 14 are laminated, and the light-shielding layer 18 is not laminated.

[0046] As described above, the light-shielding region A2 has a far-infrared transmitting region B and a visible light transmitting region C. Therefore, the light-shielding region A2 blocks far-infrared rays in areas other than where the far-infrared transmitting region B is formed, and blocks visible light in areas other than where the visible light transmitting region C is formed. The far-infrared transmitting region B and the visible light transmitting region C are surrounded by a light-shielding region A2a. This surrounding light-shielding region A2a is preferable because it protects the various sensors from sunlight. It is also preferable from a design standpoint because the wiring of the various sensors becomes invisible from outside the vehicle. The position where the far-infrared transmitting region B is formed is not limited to within the light-shielding region A2, but can be any position.

[0047] As shown in Figure 2, the far-infrared transmitting region B is formed near the upper edge 1a of the vehicle glass 1 in the Y direction and near the center of the vehicle glass 1 in the X direction. That is, the opening 19 and the transmitting member 20 are formed near the upper edge 1a of the vehicle glass 1 in the Y direction and near the center of the vehicle glass 1 in the X direction. Furthermore, the visible light transmitting region C is preferably located near the upper edge 1a in the Y direction and near the far-infrared transmitting region B, similar to the far-infrared transmitting region B.

[0048] Specifically, the center of the far-infrared transmission region B as viewed from the Z direction is defined as the center point OB, and the center of the visible light transmission region C as viewed from the Z direction is defined as the center point OC. When viewed from the Z direction, the shortest distance between the far-infrared transmission region B (the opening 19 described later) and the visible light transmission region C is defined as distance L. Preferably, distance L is greater than 0 mm and 100 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or more and 80 mm or less. By positioning the visible light transmission region C within this range relative to the far-infrared transmission region B, it is possible to capture images at close range with the far-infrared camera CA1 and the visible light camera CA2, while suppressing the amount of transmission distortion in the visible light transmission region C, allowing the visible light camera CA2 to capture images appropriately. By capturing images at close range with the far-infrared camera CA1 and the visible light camera CA2, the load on the computational processing of the data obtained from each camera is reduced, and the routing of power and signal cables is also optimized.

[0049] As shown in Figure 2, it is preferable that the visible light transmission region C and the far-infrared transmission region B are located side by side in the X direction. That is, it is preferable that the visible light transmission region C is not located on the Y-direction side of the far-infrared transmission region B, but is aligned with the far-infrared transmission region B in the X direction. By arranging the visible light transmission region C side by side with the far-infrared transmission region B in the X direction, the parallax between the far-infrared camera CA1 and the visible light camera CA2 can be minimized, improving the object recognition rate of the target object, and the visible light transmission region C can be positioned near the upper edge 1a. Therefore, the driver's field of view in the light-transmitting region A1 can be appropriately secured. Note that being located side by side in the X direction means being within a range of ±50 mm with respect to the Y direction.

[0050] As shown in Figure 5, the vehicle glass 1 includes a glass member 10, a transparent member 20, and a frame member 30, as well as a heating element 40. The heating element 40 is provided in contact with the glass member 10, the transparent member 20, or the frame member 30. The heating element 40 may be bonded to the glass member 10, the transparent member 20, or the frame member 30 via an adhesive. The heating element 40 heats the transparent member 20 via the frame member 30 by heating itself. In this embodiment, the heating element 40 is bonded to the inner surface 30B of the frame member 30 (Z2 direction side).

[0051] As shown in Figure 6, the heating element 40 in this embodiment is arranged to continuously surround the outer circumference of the permeable member 20 when viewed in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the permeable member 20. The shape of the heating element 40 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it matches the shape of the permeable member 20. For example, if the permeable member 20 is disc-shaped, the heating element 40 is preferably formed in an annular shape.

[0052] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the heating element 40 is preferably positioned in a region F with a predetermined distance from the outer peripheral end 20a of the permeable member 20, radially outward when viewed in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the permeable member 20. The predetermined distance is preferably 50 mm or less, more preferably 30 mm or less, even more preferably 20 mm or less, and particularly preferably 10 mm or less. As in the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the heating element 40 is positioned radially outward relative to the permeable member 20 when viewed in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the permeable member 20, the distance D1 from the heating element 40 to the inner end 40a on the permeable member 20 side (radially inward) is preferably small and may be 0 mm. Furthermore, as in the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the heating element 40 is positioned radially outward relative to the transparent member 20 when viewed in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the transparent member 20, the distance D2 from the heating element 40 to the outer end 40b on the opposite side (radially outward) of the transparent member 20 is preferably 50 mm or less, more preferably 30 mm or less, even more preferably 20 mm or less, and particularly preferably 10 mm or less. This makes it possible to effectively suppress fogging of the transparent member 20 caused by the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle, even in a configuration where the heating element 40 is joined to a frame member 30 which is a different member from the transparent member 20, as in this embodiment, by heating the transparent member 20 via the frame member 30 or the frame member 30 and the glass member 10.

[0053] The heating element 40 may be positioned radially inward from the outer peripheral end 20a of the transparent member 20 when viewed in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the transparent member 20. Preferably, the heating element 40 is positioned within a range of 15 mm or less radially inward from the outer peripheral end 20a of the transparent member 20 when viewed in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the transparent member 20, and more preferably within a range of 10 mm or less. This ensures a sufficient aperture ratio for the far-infrared camera CA1.

[0054] The heating element 40 is not particularly limited as long as it is made of a conductive material, but can be formed from a conductive thin film such as gold, silver, copper, or tin-doped indium oxide. The heating element 40 can be formed using physical vapor deposition (PVD) methods such as sputtering, vacuum deposition, or ion plating. The heating element 40 may also be formed using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or wet coating methods.

[0055] As the heating element 40, an electric heating wire that is heated by the passage of electricity, or a resin film on which the heating wire is sealed or printed may be used. The material of the heating wire is not particularly limited as long as it is a conductive material, but examples include a pure metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, aluminum, tin, iron, nickel, chromium, and tungsten, an alloy containing one or more metals selected from this group, carbon, or graphene.

[0056] Preferably, the temperature of the heating element 40 can be controlled independently. For example, if a heating means for preventing fogging of the glass member 10 is provided in the vehicle glass 1, or in the vehicle V on which the vehicle glass 1 is mounted, the control unit for controlling the heating means and the control unit for controlling the temperature of the heating element 40 are provided separately. Here, "provided separately" is not limited to physical dispersion, but also includes cases where they are functionally dispersed in a single control device. By making the heating element 40 independently controllable in the vehicle glass 1, it is possible to heat only the heating element 40 for heating the transparent member 20, for example, when the glass member 10 is not fogged or is only slightly fogged to the point where visibility is not affected, but the transparent member 20 is fogged. This reduces power consumption compared to heating the entire vehicle glass 1. Furthermore, it is possible to effectively suppress fogging of the transparent member 20 while suppressing damage to the vehicle glass 1 due to overheating and malfunction of the far-infrared camera CA1.

[0057] (Camera Unit) Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera unit according to an embodiment. The camera unit 100 includes a vehicle glass 1 including a glass member 10, a transparent member 20, a frame member 30 and a heating element 40, a far-infrared camera CA1, a visible light camera CA2 and a cover member 70.

[0058] The vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V so as to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. Therefore, if the direction along the downward vertical direction is defined as the YV direction, the Y direction of the vehicle glass 1 when mounted on the vehicle V is inclined with respect to the YV direction. Also, if the horizontal direction from the front to the rear of the vehicle V is defined as the ZV direction, the Z direction of the vehicle glass 1 when mounted on the vehicle V is inclined with respect to the ZV direction. However, the vehicle glass 1 is not limited to being mounted on the vehicle V so as to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction; for example, the Y direction of the vehicle glass 1 when mounted on the vehicle V may be along the YV direction, and the Z direction of the vehicle glass 1 when mounted on the vehicle V may be along the ZV direction. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the vehicle glass 1 is described in the state in which it is mounted on the vehicle V.

[0059] The type of far-infrared camera CA1 is not particularly limited, and any known far-infrared camera can be used. The far-infrared camera CA1 is sensitive to light with a wavelength of at least 8 μm to 13 μm. The far-infrared camera CA1 is installed on the interior side (Z2 direction side) of the vehicle glass 1's transparent member 20 so that it can capture an external thermal image through the far-infrared transmission region B of the vehicle glass 1. More specifically, the far-infrared camera CA1 is installed so that its detection range S passes through the transparent member 20. The detection range S refers to the range (imaging range) that the far-infrared camera CA1 can detect. The far-infrared camera CA1 can be said to detect far-infrared rays that enter through the detection range S. The detection range S can be described as a space that expands around the optical axis AXR with a predetermined field of view angle as it moves away from the far-infrared camera CA1. The size and field of view angle of the detection range S may be set appropriately depending on the distance and range to be detected by the far-infrared camera CA1. The far-infrared camera CA1 is attached, for example, to the inner surface (Z2 direction side) 18B of the glass member 10 by a mounting mechanism not shown.

[0060] The type of visible light camera CA2 is not particularly limited, and any known visible light camera can be used. The visible light camera CA2 is installed on the interior side (Z2 direction side) of the vehicle glass 1 so that it can capture images of the outside through the visible light transmission area C of the vehicle glass 1. Preferably, the visible light camera CA2 is mounted so that the optical axis AXR of the far infrared camera CA1 and the optical axis of the visible light camera CA2 are approximately parallel. Approximately parallel is a concept that includes not only cases where these optical axes are perfectly parallel, but also cases where they are slightly deviated from parallel by an error margin. By doing so, the optical axis AXR of the far infrared camera CA1 and the center of the field of view of the visible light camera CA2 almost coincide, which is preferable when combining images obtained from these cameras for information processing.

[0061] The cover member 70 is provided on the interior side (Z2 direction side) of the vehicle glass 1. The cover member 70 houses the far-infrared camera CA1. The cover member 70 may also house a visible light camera CA2. The cover member 70 prevents objects that have penetrated the transparent member 20 from the outside of the vehicle from reaching the interior of the vehicle, and prevents occupants and other objects that collide from the inside of the vehicle from being thrown out of the vehicle during a collision with the vehicle V. In this embodiment, the cover member 70 is attached to the glass member 10 so as to cover the interior side (Z2 direction side) of the transparent member 20. Specifically, the end of the cover member 70 is attached to the interior side (Z2 direction side) surface 18B of the glass member 10.

[0062] The cover member 70 may be made of any material, but it is preferably made of a material that does not transmit visible light. This prevents the far-infrared camera CA1 or the like housed in the cover member 70 from being visible to the occupants of the vehicle V from inside the vehicle through the cover member 70.

[0063] (Modified Examples) Note that the vehicle glass according to the embodiment is not limited to the embodiment described above. Other modified examples will be described below. Figure 8 is a plan view of the area around the transparent member in the vehicle glass according to the first modified example. Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area around the transparent member in the vehicle glass according to the second modified example. Figure 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area around the transparent member in the vehicle glass according to the third modified example. Figure 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area around the transparent member in the vehicle glass according to the fourth modified example.

[0064] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the heating element 40 is arranged to continuously surround the outer circumference of the transparent member 20 when viewed in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the transparent member 20. However, the arrangement of the heating element 40 in a plan view is not particularly limited. As shown in Figure 8, the heating element 40 is arranged to intermittently surround the outer circumference of the transparent member 20 when viewed in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the transparent member 20. In the modified example shown in Figure 8, the heating element 40 is arranged in a ring shape along the outer circumference of the transparent member 20 and has two gaps 40c in the circumferential direction. There may be one gap 40c or three or more gaps 40c. The multiple gaps 40c may be evenly distributed in the circumferential direction or unevenly distributed.

[0065] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example in which the heating element 40 is joined to the inner surface (Z2 direction side) 30B of the frame member 30, the position in the Z direction where the heating element 40 is provided is not limited to the example of the embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, the heating element 40 may be joined to the inner surface (Z2 direction side) 18B of the glass member 10. The heating element 40 may be provided in contact with the surface 18B of the glass member 10, or it may be joined to the glass member 10 via an adhesive. Even when it is joined to the glass member 10, the range in which the heating element 40 is arranged is preferably within the range of region F, as in the embodiment described above. As a result, even in a configuration in which the heating element 40 is joined to the glass member 10, which is a different member from the transparent member 20, as shown in the modified example in Figure 9, the transparent member 20 can be heated via the glass member 10 and the frame member 30, and fogging of the transparent member 20 caused by the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle can be effectively suppressed.

[0066] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the heating element 40 may be interposed between the interior (Z2 direction) surface 18B of the glass member 10 and the frame member 30. The heating element 40 may be provided in contact with the glass member 10 and the frame member 30, or it may be bonded to at least one of the glass member 10 and the frame member 30 via an adhesive. The heating element 40 may, for example, be interposed in the first adhesive layer 50 that bonds the frame member 30 and the glass member 10. Even when the heating element 40 is interposed between the glass member 10 and the frame member 30, the area in which the heating element 40 is arranged is preferably within the area F, as in the embodiment described above. As a result, even in a configuration in which the heating element 40 is bonded to the glass member 10 and the frame member 30, which are different members from the transparent member 20, as shown in the modified example in Figure 10, the transparent member 20 can be heated via the glass member 10 and the frame member 30, effectively suppressing fogging of the transparent member 20 caused by the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle.

[0067] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, the heating element 40 may be sealed inside the glass member 10. The heating element 40 may be sealed between the inner surface 12B of the glass substrate 12 (Z2 direction side) and the outer surface 16A of the intermediate layer 16 (Z1 direction side), as in the example shown in Figure 11, or between the inner surface 16B of the intermediate layer 16 (Z2 direction side) and the outer surface 14A of the glass substrate 14 (Z1 direction side). Even when sealed in the glass member 10, the area in which the heating element 40 is arranged is preferably within the region F, as in the embodiments described above. As a result, even in a configuration where the heating element 40 is sealed in the glass member 10, which is a different member from the transparent member 20, as in the modified example shown in Figure 11, the transparent member 20 can be heated via the glass member 10 and the frame member 30, effectively suppressing fogging of the transparent member 20 caused by the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle.

[0068] Furthermore, the heating element 40 may be bonded to the inner surface (Z2 direction side) 20B of the permeable member 20. The heating element 40 may be provided in contact with the permeable member 20, or it may be bonded to the permeable member 20 via an adhesive. Alternatively, the heating element 40 may be interposed between the surface 20B of the permeable member 20 and the frame member 30.

[0069] When the heating element 40 is provided in the transparent member 20 and the heating element 40 is sealed with a resin film, the average transmittance of the resin film for far-infrared rays with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm is preferably 15% or more, more preferably 25% or more, even more preferably 35% or more, even more preferably 45% or more, and particularly preferably 55% or more. Furthermore, it is preferable that the average transmittance of the resin film for far-infrared rays with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm is 100% or less. The resin film is preferably made of a material that transmits far-infrared rays, such as polyethylene (PE) or polyolefin resins such as polypropylene (PP), and may be made of the same material as the frame member 30.

[0070] When viewed in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the permeable member 20, the area occupied by the heating element 70 (or, in the case of a resin film with a sealed heating element, the heating element) of the permeable member 20 is preferably 50% or less, more preferably 25% or less, even more preferably 10% or less, and particularly preferably 5% or less. Furthermore, the area occupied by the heating element 70 (or, in the case of a resin film with a sealed heating element, the heating element) of the permeable member 20 is preferably 0.01% or more, more preferably 0.05% or more, even more preferably 0.1% or more, and particularly preferably 0.5% or more.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above embodiments and modifications, examples were shown in which the opening 19, the transparent member 20, the frame member 30, and the heating element 40 are circular in shape when viewed from above. However, the planar shapes of the opening 19, the transparent member 20, the frame member 30, and the heating element 40 are not particularly limited. The opening 19, the transparent member 20, the frame member 30, and the heating element 40 may be elliptical in shape when viewed from above. It should be noted that the circular shape shown in the above embodiments can also be described as an example of an ellipse in which the length of the major axis and the length of the minor axis are equal.

[0072] Furthermore, the opening 19, the transparent member 20, the frame member 30, and the heating element 40 may be rectangular, square, trapezoidal, rhombus, or other quadrilateral shapes in plan view, or they may be so-called oval shapes (rounded rectangles), or polygonal shapes other than quadrilaterals such as triangles, pentagons, hexagons, or even star shapes or gear shapes.

[0073] Furthermore, in any planar shape, the heating element 40 may be arranged continuously to surround the entire circumference of the permeable member 20, as in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, or it may be arranged intermittently with one or more gaps 40c, as in the first modified example shown in Figure 8.

[0074] Thus, the planar shapes of the opening 19, the transparent member 20, the frame member 30, and the heating element 40 are arbitrary. In other words, the planar shape of the far-infrared transmitting region B of the vehicle glass 1 is arbitrary. Similarly, the planar shape of the visible light transmitting region C of the vehicle glass 1 is arbitrary.

[0075] (Effects of the Disclosure) The vehicle glass 1 according to the first aspect of the Disclosure comprises a glass member 10 having an opening 19 that penetrates from the surface 12A on the first direction side (Z1 direction side) to the surface 14B on the second direction side (Z2 direction side); a transparent member 20 disposed within the opening 19 and transmitting far-infrared rays; a frame member 30 that holds the outer periphery of the transparent member 20 and is attached to the opening 19; and a heating element 40 that is disposed within a range of 50 mm or less from the outer peripheral end 20a of the transparent member 20 when viewed in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the transparent member 20 and heats the transparent member 20. The vehicle glass 1 according to the first aspect allows the heating element 40 to be disposed within a range of 50 mm or less from the outer peripheral end 20a of the transparent member 20 and attached to at least one of the glass member 10, the transparent member 20, and the frame member 30, thereby efficiently heating the transparent member 20. As a result, condensation on the transparent member 20 is suppressed, and fogging of the transparent member 20 caused by the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle can be suppressed.

[0076] The vehicle glass 1 according to a second aspect of this disclosure is the vehicle glass 1 according to the first aspect, wherein the heating element 40 includes a heating wire that is heated by the flow of electricity. The vehicle glass 1 according to the second aspect can use a well-known heating wire, and a structure that heats the transparent member 20 can be easily realized.

[0077] The vehicle glass 1 according to the third aspect of this disclosure is the vehicle glass 1 according to either the first or second aspect, wherein the heating element 40 is arranged to continuously surround the outer circumference of the transparent member 20 when viewed in the thickness direction of the transparent member 20. In the vehicle glass 1 according to the third aspect, by arranging the heating element 40 around the entire circumference of the transparent member 20, the transparent member 20 can be heated from all directions in the planar direction, thus enabling efficient heating.

[0078] The vehicle glass 1 according to the fourth aspect of this disclosure is a vehicle glass 1 according to either the first or second aspect, wherein the heating element 40 is arranged to intermittently surround the outer periphery of the transparent member 20 when viewed in the thickness direction of the transparent member 20. In the vehicle glass 1 according to the fourth aspect, by arranging the heating element 40 to surround the outer periphery of the transparent member 20, the transparent member 20 can be heated from multiple directions in the planar direction, thus enabling efficient heating.

[0079] The vehicle glass 1 according to the fifth aspect of this disclosure is a vehicle glass 1 according to any of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the heating element 40 is joined to the surface 30B of the frame member 30 on the second direction side (Z2 direction side) either in contact with the frame member 30 or via an adhesive. In the vehicle glass 1 according to the fifth aspect, the frame member 30 is directly heated by joining the heating element 40 to the frame member 30, and therefore the transparent member 20 can be effectively heated via the frame member 30.

[0080] The vehicle glass 1 according to the sixth aspect of this disclosure is a vehicle glass 1 according to any of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the heating element 40 is joined to the surface 18B of the glass member 10 on the second direction side (Z2 direction side) either in contact with the glass member 10 or via an adhesive. The vehicle glass 1 according to the sixth aspect heats the permeable member 20 via the glass member 10 and the frame member 30 by joining the heating element 40 to the glass member 10. Since the glass constituting the glass member 10 generally has a higher thermal conductivity than the resin constituting the frame member 30, the permeable member 20 can be heated effectively.

[0081] The vehicle glass 1 according to the seventh aspect of this disclosure is a vehicle glass 1 according to any of the first to sixth aspects, wherein a heating element 40 is interposed between the surface 18B on the second direction side (Z2 direction side) of the glass member 10 and the frame member 30. The vehicle glass 1 according to the seventh aspect heats the transparent member 20 via the glass member 10 and the frame member 30. The vehicle glass 1 provides the heating element 40 between the glass member 10 and the frame member 30, and by not exposing the heating element 40 to the outside of the vehicle glass 1, heat loss is suppressed and the transparent member 20 can be heated effectively.

[0082] The eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle glass 1 according to any of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the heating element 40 is sealed inside the glass member 10. The eighth aspect of the vehicle glass 1 heats the permeable member 20 via the glass member 10 and the frame member 30. The vehicle glass 1 can effectively heat the permeable member 20 by sealing the heating element 40 inside the glass member 10 and preventing it from being exposed to the outside, thereby suppressing heat loss.

[0083] The vehicle glass 1 according to the ninth aspect of this disclosure is a vehicle glass 1 according to any of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the heating element 40 is joined to the surface 20B of the transparent member 20 on the second direction side (Z2 direction side) either in contact with the transparent member 20 or via an adhesive. The vehicle glass 1 according to the ninth aspect can effectively heat the transparent member 20 because the heating element 40 is joined to the transparent member 20 to directly heat the transparent member 20.

[0084] The vehicle glass 1 according to the tenth aspect of this disclosure is a vehicle glass 1 according to any of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the heating element 40 is formed by comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, and tin-doped indium oxide. The vehicle glass 1 according to the tenth aspect can effectively heat the permeable member 20 by using such a highly conductive material for the heating element 40.

[0085] The vehicle glass 1 according to the eleventh aspect of this disclosure is a vehicle glass 1 according to any of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the thermal conductivity of the frame member 30 is 0.15 W / (m·K) or more and 150 W / (m·K) or less. By setting the thermal conductivity of the frame member 30 in such a range, the vehicle glass 1 according to the eleventh aspect suppresses damage to the vehicle glass 1 and malfunction of the far-infrared camera CA1 due to overheating of the frame member 30, while also facilitating the conduction of heat to the permeable member 20 through the frame member 30, thereby effectively heating the permeable member 20.

[0086] The vehicle glass 1 according to the twelfth aspect of this disclosure is a vehicle glass 1 according to any of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the transparent member 20 includes a substrate made of at least one selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, ZnS, and chalcogenide glass. By using this material for the transparent member 20 of the vehicle glass 1 according to the twelfth aspect, far-infrared rays can be appropriately transmitted, and a far-infrared camera CA1 can appropriately capture thermal images.

[0087] The vehicle glass 1 according to the 13th aspect of this disclosure is a vehicle glass 1 according to any of the 1st to 12th aspects, wherein the outer surface (Z1 direction side) (surface 12A) of the transparent member 20 is provided with 3 to 12 layers of anti-reflective coating, and the outermost layer of the anti-reflective coating is made of ZrO ｘIt is a film. The vehicle glass 1 according to the 13th embodiment is equipped with such an anti-reflective film on the transparent member 20, which enables the far-infrared camera CA1 to capture thermal images appropriately.

[0088] A camera unit 100 according to a fourteenth aspect of this disclosure comprises a vehicle glass 1 according to any of the first to thirteenth aspects, a far-infrared camera CA1 positioned on the second direction side (Z2 direction side) of the transparent member 20 such that the detection range S passes through the transparent member 20, and a cover member 70 that covers the second direction side (Z2 direction side) surface 20B of the transparent member 20 and houses the far-infrared camera CA1. In the camera unit 100 according to the fourteenth aspect, the cover member 70 covers and houses both the second direction side (Z2 direction side) of the transparent member 20 and the far-infrared camera CA1, thereby assisting in the heating of the transparent member 20 by the heat dissipated by the far-infrared camera CA1.

[0089] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to those described herein. Furthermore, the aforementioned components include those that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that fall within the so-called equivalent range. Moreover, the aforementioned components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the embodiments described above.

[0090] 1 Vehicle glass 10 Glass member 19 Opening 20 Transmitting member 20a Outer edge 30 Frame member 40 Heating element 70 Cover member 100 Camera unit A1 Light-transmitting area A2 Light-blocking area B Far-infrared transmitting area C Visible light transmitting area CA1 Far-infrared camera CA2 Visible light camera S Detection range U Far-infrared transmitting unit V Vehicle

Claims

1. A vehicle glass comprising: a glass member having an opening formed therein that penetrates from the surface on the first direction side to the surface on the second direction side; a transparent member disposed within the opening and transmitting far-infrared rays; a frame member that holds the outer periphery of the transparent member and is attached to the opening; and a heating element that is disposed within a range of 50 mm or less from the outer edge of the transparent member when viewed in the thickness direction of the transparent member, and is attached to at least one of the glass member, the transparent member, and the frame member to heat the transparent member.

2. The vehicle glass according to claim 1, wherein the heating element includes an electric heating wire that is heated by the flow of electricity.

3. The vehicle glass according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is arranged to continuously surround the outer periphery of the transparent member when viewed in the thickness direction of the transparent member.

4. The vehicle glass according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is arranged to intermittently surround the outer periphery of the transparent member when viewed in the thickness direction of the transparent member.

5. The vehicle glass according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is joined to the frame member either in contact with the frame member or via an adhesive to the surface of the frame member on the second direction side.

6. The vehicle glass according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is bonded to the glass member either in contact with the glass member or via an adhesive to the surface of the glass member in the second direction.

7. The vehicle glass according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is interposed between the surface of the glass member on the second direction side and the frame member.

8. The vehicle glass according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is sealed inside the glass member.

9. The vehicle glass according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is bonded to the second-direction surface of the permeable member either in contact with the permeable member or via an adhesive.

10. The vehicle glass according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is formed from at least one material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, and tin-doped indium oxide.

11. The vehicle glass according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conductivity of the frame member is 0.15 W / (m·K) or more and 150 W / (m·K) or less.

12. The vehicle glass according to claim 1, wherein the transparent member includes a substrate composed of at least one selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, ZnS, and chalcogenide glass.

13. The outer surface of the transmissive member is provided with 3 to 12 layers of anti-reflective coating, and the outermost layer of the anti-reflective coating is made of ZrO ｘ A film, the vehicle glass according to claim 1.

14. A camera unit comprising: a vehicle glass according to any one of claims 1 to 13; a far-infrared camera positioned on a second direction side of the transparent member such that its detection range passes through the transparent member; and a cover member that covers the second direction side surface of the transparent member and houses the far-infrared camera.

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