Laminated Glazing with Holed Zone for Conductor Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for concealing and protecting electrical cables in laminated automotive glazing, such as windshields and roofs, are aesthetically unpleasing and obstruct the driver's view due to bulky plastic channelings, which are necessary for routing electrical conductors within the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A method for manufacturing laminated glazing with an electrical conductor passing between two sheets of glass, where a holed zone is created in one sheet to allow the conductor to exit through the edge, eliminating the need for protruding channelings by generating compression stresses through controlled cooling techniques to enhance mechanical strength and aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plastic channelings are installed to protect and route electrical conductors inside the vehicle, then the electrical components are protected and routed, but the field of vision is obstructed and aesthetic appeal is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the electrical conductor routing from the interior space (3D volume) to the surface plane (2D) by creating holed zones in the glass sheets. The conductors are routed through holes in the glass and along the separator layer surface, eliminating the need for protruding plastic channelings that obstruct the driver's view while maintaining conductor protection and routing functionality.
2Ease of operation
If holed zones are created in glass sheets for conductor passage, then conductor routing is enabled, but mechanical strength is reduced due to stress concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by creating compression stresses around the holed zones through controlled cooling before the conductors are installed. This pre-applied compression stress counteracts the tensile stresses that would otherwise concentrate at the hole edges during service, preventing crack initiation and propagation while enabling conductor routing through the holes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the glass by applying localized controlled cooling to specific zones around the holes. This thermal parameter change creates permanent compression stresses in the glass matrix surrounding the holed zones, transforming the stress state from vulnerable (tensile) to resistant (compressive) without altering the physical structure of the holes themselves.
3Strength
If compression stresses are generated through controlled cooling, then mechanical strength is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing controlled cooling only in specific zones surrounding the holed zones, rather than cooling the entire glass sheet uniformly. This localized treatment creates compression stresses precisely where needed (around the holes) while leaving the rest of the glass with standard properties, simplifying the manufacturing process compared to full-sheet treatment methods.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach improves the aesthetic appeal of vehicle glazing by eliminating obstructive channelings while maintaining mechanical strength and allowing for the integration of electrical components without compromising the field of view, ensuring better compatibility and resistance to thermal and mechanical stresses.
Implementation Method 1
the controlled cooling comprising a general controlled cooling and a local controlled cooling of a cutting zone, the local controlled cooling being faster than the general controlled cooling
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing dished laminated glazing including two sheets of glass, a separator layer made of polymer material arranged between the sheets of glass, and an electrical conductor, the method including the simultaneous thermal dishing of the sheets of glass in the paired state followed by their cooling and then the assembly of the laminated glazing by bonding of the sheets of glass to the separator layer on either side thereof, the cooling including a controlled cooling of the sheets of glass in the paired state, the controlled cooling including a general controlled cooling and a local controlled cooling of a cutting zone, the local controlled cooling being faster than the general controlled cooling, a cutting of one of the sheets of glass along a cutting line in the cutting zone to form a holed zone, the electrical conductor being placed between the sheets of glass and exiting from the laminated glazing through the holed zone.