Laminated vehicle glass structures including three-dimensional printed piezoelectric speakers for sound generation

A process of forming a laminated glass structure for a vehicle comprising:

• printing a ring pattern of a frit material on an inner surface of a selected glass panel;
• printing a first conductive layer onto the ring pattern of the frit material ring pattern;
• printing a piezoelectric material onto the first conductive layer;
• printing a second conductive layer onto the piezoelectric material to form a piezoelectric actuator;
• stackedly arranging the selected glass panel, a sheet of laminating material;
• and another glass panel, wherein the inner surface of the selected glass panel contacts the sheet of laminating material and the another glass panel includes an inner surface contacting the sheet of laminating material such that the sheet of laminating material is sandwiched therebetween;
• and
• applying heat and pressure to laminate the selected glass panel to the another glass panel, wherein the piezoelectric actuator on the ring pattern of the frit material have a height dimension less than a thickness of the sheet of laminating material.

A laminated glass structure for a vehicle, the laminated glass structure comprising:

• an outer glass panel having a thickness of about 1.6 to about 3.5 millimeters, the outer glass panel including an outer surface exposed to an environment about the vehicle and an inner surface;
• an inner glass panel having a thickness of about 0.7 millimeters to about 3.5 millimeters, the inner glass panel including an inner surface and an outer surface exposed an interior of the vehicle;
• a laminating material having a thickness of about 0.3 millimeters to about 2 millimeters between the outer glass panel and the inner glass panel and in contact with the inner surfaces of the outer and inner glass panels, wherein the laminating material comprises polyvinyl butyral resin or ethylene vinyl acetate;
• and
• at least one printed piezoelectric actuator is embedded partly in the laminating material and has a thickness less than the laminating material, wherein the at least one printed piezoelectric actuator is in a shape of a ring having a thickness less than an actual thickness of the laminating material, wherein the at least one printed piezoelectric actuator is offset relative to a centerline extending between the inner surfaces of the outer and inner glass panels and are in contact with a selected one of the inner surfaces of the outer glass panel or the inner glass panel, and
• wherein the laminated glass structure forms a fixed glass roof system, a movable glass roof system, a front windshield, a rear quarter glass, a side moving glass, and/or a non-movable side glass.