Vehicle Windshield Pigmented Ceramic Enamel Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle windshield designs formed by ceramic enamel layers with dark colors have low visibility from the exterior, especially when a dark colored ceramic enamel is used, making logos and trademarks difficult to discern.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle windshield assembly with a glass layer, a first ceramic enamel layer defining voids for a design, and a second ceramic enamel layer that is lighter in color to enhance visibility, where both layers have equal RGB components and the second layer is applied to fill the voids, creating color contrast to improve visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a dark colored ceramic enamel is used to glaze the glass and form the void for the design, then the aesthetic appearance is improved, but the visibility of the design from the exterior is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a light-colored ceramic enamel layer over the dark ceramic enamel layer specifically in the regions corresponding to the design voids. This color change from dark to light in the design areas creates visual contrast that enhances exterior visibility while preserving the overall dark aesthetic appearance of the windshield.
Solution Approach 2:
The light-colored ceramic enamel is applied selectively only in the regions corresponding to the design voids, rather than uniformly across the entire windshield. This local application creates differential properties: dark regions maintain aesthetic appearance while light regions provide design visibility, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
2Illumination intensity
If a dark colored ceramic enamel is used for the first layer, then the color depth is improved, but the contrast with the design voids is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a second ceramic enamel layer with light color values applied over the dark first layer in the design regions. This creates a color contrast mechanism where the dark first layer provides color depth and the light second layer in void regions provides contrast, allowing both requirements to be satisfied simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle windshield assembly including a glass layer, a first layer, and a second layer is disclosed. The glass layer has inner and outer surfaces. The first layer contacts the inner surface of the glass layer, and defines voids in the first layer in a shape of a design. The second layer contacts the first layer and occupies the voids. The first and second layers have a color contrast to enhance visibility of the design.