Method of manufacturing windshield using ion beam milling of glass substrate(s)
AssigneeGuardian Industries Corp.
InventorsScott V. Thomsen, Rudolph Hugo Petrmichl, Anthony V. Longobardo, Vijayen S. Veerasamy, David R. Hall JR., Henry Luten
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Abstract
This invention relates to a method of making a laminated window such as a vehicle windshield. At least one of the two glass substrates of the window is ion beam milled prior to heat treatment and lamination. As a result, defects in the resulting window and/or haze may be reduced.
Claims50
A method of making a vehicle windshield, the method comprising:
- providing first and second glass substrates;
- ion beam milling at least one surface of the first glass substrate so as to remove at least 2 Å of glass from at least a portion of the first substrate and form an ion beam milled surface of the first substrate;
- sputtering a coating, including at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer, on the ion beam milled surface of the first substrate;
- and
- laminating the first substrate with the coating thereon to the second substrate via a polymer inclusive interlayer so that the coating and the interlayer are provided between the first and second substrates.
A method of making a laminated window, the method comprising:
- providing first and second glass substrates;
- ion beam milling at least one surface of the first glass substrate so as to remove at least 2 Å of glass from at least a portion of the first substrate and form an ion beam milled surface of the first substrate;
- forming a coating on the ion beam milled surface of the first substrate;
- and
- laminating the first substrate with the coating thereon to the second substrate via a polymer inclusive interlayer so that the coating and the interlayer are provided between the first and second substrates.
A vehicle windshield comprising:
- first and second glass substrates laminated to one another via a polymer inclusive interlayer;
- wherein at least one surface of the first glass substrate is ion beam milled;
- and
- wherein the windshield has a visible transmittance of at least 70%.
A method of making a vehicle windshield with reduced haze, the method comprising:
- ion beam milling a first substrate,
- laminating the first substrate to a second substrate via an interlayer to form the windshield, and
- wherein the ion beam milling causes haze in the windshield to be reduced by at least 20%.
A method of making a window unit, the method comprising:
- providing first and second glass substrates;
- ion beam milling at least one surface of the first glass substrate so as to remove at least 2 Å of glass from at least a portion of the first substrate and form an ion beam milled surface of the first substrate;
- forming a coating on the ion beam milled surface of the first substrate;
- and
- coupling the first substrate with the coating thereon to the second substrate so that the coating is provided between the first and second substrates.
A method of making an insulating glass (IG) window unit, the method comprising:
- providing first and second glass substrates;
- ion beam milling at least one surface of the first glass substrate so as to remove at least 2 Å of glass from at least a portion of the first substrate and form an ion beam milled surface of the first substrate;
- forming a coating on the ion beam milled surface of the first substrate;
- and
- coupling the first substrate with the coating thereon to the second substrate via at least one spacer so that the coating is provided between the first and second substrates and the substrate are spaced apart with a space therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.