Vehicle Window Coating Adhesion via Opaque Masking Print
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing low-E coatings on vehicle windows interfere with the adhesion and attachment of fastening or sealing elements, leading to manufacturing challenges and reduced adhesion strength, particularly when transparent conductive oxide (TCO)-based coatings are used, as they are not compatible with silicon nitride cover layers, resulting in insufficient anti-reflection and optical quality issues.
Innovation Solution
A window pane with a thermal radiation-reflecting coating featuring a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer and a top layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2), where the fastening or sealing element is attached to the opaque masking print applied directly over the coating, ensuring compatibility and maintaining transparency without reducing optical quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a low-E coating is applied to the interior surface of a vehicle window, then thermal radiation reflection is improved, but adhesion of fastening or sealing elements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
An opaque masking print is introduced as an intermediary layer between the low-E coating and the fastening or sealing element. This masking print serves as a mediator that provides a suitable surface for adhesion while allowing the low-E coating to remain intact on the glass, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining thermal reflection and ensuring proper adhesion.
2Strength
If the low-E coating is removed from the area where fastening or sealing elements are to be attached, then adhesion is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The opaque masking print serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a suitable adhesion surface for fastening elements, maintains the integrity of the low-E coating, and can be applied directly over the coating without requiring removal or special processing. This multi-functionality simplifies the manufacturing process compared to selective coating removal.
3Strength
If a silicon nitride cover layer is used with TCO-based low-E coating, then fastening element attachment is enabled, but optical quality deteriorates due to insufficient anti-reflection
Solution Approach 1:
The opaque masking print acts as an intermediary that enables fastening element attachment without requiring a silicon nitride cover layer. By providing a separate adhesion surface, it allows the TCO-based low-E coating to maintain its optimal optical properties and anti-reflection characteristics while still enabling mechanical attachment.
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 solution allows for the reliable and consistent attachment of polymeric fastening or sealing elements without removing the low-E coating, improving adhesion and printability, and maintaining the pane's transparency and anti-reflection properties, thus addressing the manufacturing and optical quality issues associated with previous technologies.
Implementation Method 1
Coatings that reflect thermal radiation (so-called low-E coatings) are known. Such a coating reflects a significant portion of solar radiation, particularly in the infrared range, which leads to reduced heating of the vehicle interior in summer.
Implementation Method 2
The coating also reduces the emission of long-wave heat radiation from a heated pane into the vehicle interior when the coating is applied to the surface of a pane facing the vehicle interior.
Implementation Method 3
a top layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2), where the fastening or sealing element is attached to the opaque masking print applied directly over the coating, ensuring compatibility and maintaining transparency without reducing optical quality.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a pane for separating an interior from an outer environment, at least comprising a substrate (1), a thermal-radiation-reflecting coating (2) on the interior-side surface (i) of the substrate (1), which coating has at least one functional layer (2a) containing a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) and the topmost layer (2b) of which coating contains silicon dioxide (SiO2), and a polymeric fastening or sealing element (3) on the thermal-radiation-reflecting coating (2).