Vehicle window with ice removal structure thereon
AssigneeGuardian Industries Corp.
InventorsVijayen S. Veerasamy, Scott V. Thomsen
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Abstract
A window includes an ice removal structure thereon for weakening the adhesion strength of ice to the window upon an application of voltage. The ice removal structure is at least partially covered and/or coated with a layer of diamond-like carbon (DLC) in certain embodiments. In certain embodiments, the DLC may be of a type known as ta-C which can be very dense and have a large number of sp3 carbon-carbon bonds. The DLC protects the ice removal structure, and in certain instances can act as a semiconductor in order to aid ice removal. In other embodiments, the ice removal structure may include first and second substantially transparent electrodes sandwiching an anodized layer with columnar structure therebetween.
Claims26
A vehicle windshield comprising:
- first and second glass substrates laminated via at least a polymer inclusive interlayer, the first substrate supporting a low-E coating that includes at least one layer comprising Ag sandwiched between at least first and second dielectric layers;
- an ice removal structure including at least one substantially transparent electrode provided on one of the glass substrates, wherein the ice removal structure enables ice adhesion strength to be reduced upon application of voltage;
- and
- diamond-like carbon (DLC) at least partially covering the ice removal structure, the DLC having an average density of at least 2.4 gm/cm3 and having more sp3 carbon-carbon (C—C) bonds than sp2 carbon-carbon (C—C) bonds.
A method of making a window including ice removal structure, the method comprising:
- providing a glass substrate with ice removal structure thereon, the ice removal structure including at least one of conductive rows and columns supported by the glass substrate;
- and
- ion beam depositing diamond-like carbon (DLC) over at least part of the ice removal structure, wherein said ion beam depositing comprises directing at least one ion beam toward the ice removal structure at an angle θ so that the DLC is not evenly deposited at a common thickness in all areas, the ion beam angle θ being defined as the angle between the ion beam and a surface of the substrate, and wherein the ion beam angle θ is from about 10 to 80 degrees.
A window including ice removal structure, the window comprising:
- a glass substrate supporting at least:
- a) a first substantially transparent conductive electrode;
- b) an anodized layer having a plurality of pin holes or apertures defined therein;
- and
- c) a second substantially transparent conductive electrode;
- wherein ice adhesion strength on the window is reduced when voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes.
A vehicle window including ice removal structure, the window comprising:
- a glass substrate supporting at least a first conductive electrode;
- an layer having a plurality of apertures and/or pin holes defined therein;
- and a second conductive electrode, wherein the layer having the apertures and/or pin holes defined therein is between at least the first and second electrodes;
- and
- wherein ice adhesion strength on the window is reduced when voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.