Concealed electric heating element arrangement for vehicle windshields

Abstract

The windshield for a motor vehicle is characterized by a transparent panel having a lower region normally outside the driver's field of vision and where at least one windshield wiper is located in the rest position of the wiper. An electric resistance heating element, formed either as a continuous layer or as a plurality of individual conductors connected in parallel by bus bars, is carried on the windshield only in the lower region for heating the area on which the wipers rest. A continuous layer of a heat radiation absorbing ceramic material opaque to ambient light and coextensive with the area of the heating element is disposed on the windshield between the heating element and the windshield wiper to shield the heating element from view from the front of the windshield and to uniformly distribute heat over the lower portion of the windshield. The windshield is a laminate including inner and outer glass panes with a plastic layer therebetween. The heating element and opaque layer may be disposed on the inner and outer surfaces of the outer pane, respectively. Alternatively, the heating element can be disposed between the panes and the opaque layer can be provided on either the inner or outer surface of the outer pane. The opaque layer can be provided on the exposed surface of the inner pane, the heating element disposed thereon, and a second opaque layer of lower heat conductivity provided thereover to form a protective covering. The opaque layer is preferably is dark in color, e.g., a black enamel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.