Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
'~4 12/05 17:52 ~03 3588 8558 ~ J~3~ 3 ~ 004~013
21~7482
WT~l~OW PAN~ ~nR AlJTnMnTT~ V~TrT.
~çKr~RouN~ OF T~ TNV~T~
1. Field of the Invention
The present inve~tion re~ates to a wlndow pane for
automo~ive vehic~es and al.~o to a method of man~facturing the
same.
2. Description of t~e Related Art
Window p~nes for automotive ~ehicles may be p~ovided with
a p~in~ed layer for a peripheral mas~ing layer, defrostin~ hot
~ires, antenna wl~es and/or bus bar~. For manufacturin~ such
window panes, it has been a con~entional practi~e to initially
~ut a raw glass sheet into a p~edete~mi~ed shape and dimension
and polish the cut ed~e of the glass sheet. A screen prl~tin~
is subsequently performed to apply a ~ste onto a surface of
the ~lass sheet, t~plcally the rea~ surface thereo~. The p~ste
to be applied to the glass sheet may be a cer~mi~ paste in the
case o~ the ~sk~ng laYer, and a pas~e o~ e~ectrically
conducti~e material, typically a silve~ paste, in the case oî
defrosting hot wires, antenna wires or bus ba~s. Finally, the
glass sh~et subjected to the screen printin~ ls baked and
cooled.
However, lt has been re~ ed th~t the con~entional m¢thod
me~tioned abo~re m~y be potent~ally problematic dependingllPon
the location of the print~d layer relat~ve to the ~olished edge
of the ~lass sheet.
First of all. the screen prlnt~ng is performed wi.t~
94 12/05 17 52 ~03 ~588 8558 ~ I`rt~3J ~~ 005/013
- 2137482
respect to ~ ~lass sheet which has already been cut into the
predetermined shape and dimension. so that the screen may be
u~ed against the cut edge of the glass sheet and ~bjected to
a pressu~e by a s~ueeg~e as t~le l~tter is caused to ~llde over
the screen d~ring the printing. Thus, there ~y be inst~nces
wherein ~e~ ~ reinforced screen cxhlbits premature rupt~re or
shortened llfetime.
Secondly, the screen pri~ting is pc~formed with ~espect to
a glass s~eet whose ~dge has already been polished, and it is
lo thus necess~y to maintain a cle~ ce of not less th~n
app~oxi~a~ely 1 mm between the ~olished edge of the gl~ss sheet
and the outer edge of the pri~ted layer. Without a~ ade~uate
clea~ance, either the paste flow~ out onto the pollshed surface
of the glass s~eet to cont~min~e that surface or to dama~e the
1~ scree~, or the paste forms a~ excessively thlck laYer thereby
giving rise to so-~alled blister.
0~ the other hand, howe~er, the re~uiremen~ for such a
cle~ran~e makes it dlfflcu]t to reliablY and st~bly
manuf~cture the window p~nes. This is due to the necessity fo~
an accur~te formatlon of the printed la~e~ whereby the outer
edge of the printed laye~ i~ precisely positioned at ~
p~edetermined location relati~e to the edge o~ the window
~lass.
2~ ~IJMMARY n~ T~F. INV~NTTnN
It is therefo~e a ~rimary ob~ec~ of the present inve~tion
to pro~ide a window pane for automotive ~ehicJes, which can be
reli~]y and stably m~nuf~ctured witho~ e above-mentioned
'~4 12/05 17:53 2~03 3588 8558 ~ $3~ ~3 ~ U0~/013
- 2137~82
sho~tcomings.
To thi~ end, according to one aspect o~ the present
invention, there i5 ~rovided a window pane for automoti~re
vehicles, comp~isin~ a ~lass sheet h~ predetermined sh~pe
and dimension and p~o~lded thereon with a p~inted l~yer,
whe~ein s~id ~lass sheet has a polished edge which coincides
with an outer ed~e o~ the printed layer.
It 1s another object of the prese~t invention to ~rovide an
improved method whereby window panes for automotive ~chicles
p~o~ided ~7ith a printed layer c~n be reliabl~ ~nd stably
manuractured withou~ the abo~e~mention~d shortcomings.
Acco~dlng to a7~other aspe~t of the present in~ehtion,
t7nere is provided a method for manuf~cturin~ window pan~s fo7~-
a~tomotive vehicles, comprising a sheet ~lass having
predeterml~ed shape and din7e~sion and provided wl~h a printed
laye~ ~hereo~, wherein the method comprises the steps o~
sub~ecti~ a ~lass shee~ to a screen printlng to ~orm the
printed laYer, and subsequently cuttin~ *nd polishing the
gl~ss sheet into the predetermined shape and dimension.
RR~F nF~l~r~7;~TToN OF T7~ n~AwTN~7
The present inventio~ will b~ explained in ~u~ther detail
~erelnafter, by re~erring to the accompan~ing drawing wh~rei~
2S the sole ~ ure shows the su~cessive ~teps o~ the method for
manufacturing the window pane accordin~ to the p~esent
invention.
'94 12/05 17:53 2~03 3588 8558 ~g` ~Y~J ~3 ~ OU7/Ul~
- 2137482
rU~ RTPTTON OF T~R PR~RR~ nRn~MU~NT~
The window pa~e ~or automotive vehicle according to the
present invention comprises a glass sh~et G hav~
predetermined shape and dimension and provided thereon with a
p~inted layer C which may be comp~ised o~ a ceramic paste. ~s
particularly shown in the ~igure in connection with the
polis~ing stage 7. th~ gl~ss sheet ~ has a polish~d edge E which
exactly coincides with the outer ed~e of the printed la~rer C.
~ccording to the p~ese~t inve~tion, such window panes ~an be
advantage~usly manufactured by a method comprisin a cleaning
stage l, ~ Pri~ting stage 2. a d~lrlg sta~e 3, a tempor~ry
bakl~ stage 4, a cooling stage 5, a cutting stage 6, a
polishing stage 7 and a final shaping stage, not show~, which
stages are carried out in the sta~ed sequence. The pa~ticul~rs
of these stages are as follows.
First o~ al]., ~he cleaning stage l is to su~ject a raw
glass sheet G to an i~i.tial cleaning so as to ~e~ove ~rom the
glass sheet dust, deb~ls or the ~ike roreign matters attached
to the s~r~aee thereof.
In the s~ccessive printlng st~ge 2, assu~ing that the
wlndow pa~e is provided with ~ Peripheral masking laYer, a
ceramic paste P is applied ~o ~ sur~ace of the glass sheet G by
a screen printing p~ocess k~own. per se, s~h that the oute~
2S edge o~ the p~lnted layer is situatcd sli~htly outward beyond
~ predete~mined cut con~our o~ the glass ~heet G, bY an amo~n~
which may be app~ox~mately ~ mm. The ceramic paste P thus
applied to the glass ~heet G is ~ied in the d~Ying st~ge 3, in
a conventional m~nner.
' ~4 12/U5 17: 54 2~03 3588 8558 `J~ rr~t3~J ~ ~ vuo~ Ul~)
2137482
In the tempora~ bakln~ stage 4, at least the ed~e ~egion
of the ~l~ss sheet G applled ~ith the ceramic paste P is hea~ed.
By thl~, the ceramic paste P 1~ baXed onto t~e glass sheet G to
form the cera~ic masking la~e~ C. The ~lass sheet G subJected
to the baking ~nd formed ~ith the ~cra~ic maski~g layer C is
cooled ln the cooling st~ge 5.
However, ~he baki~g st~ge 4 and ~uccessive cooling stage
5 c~n be eliminated by usln~ ~ UV-curable-tYP~ palnt which can
be ~ured when exposed to ul~raviolet ray. In t~ls instance, ~t
is al~o ~ossible to prevent warping Or the gl~ss sheet G ~hich
may ha~e bee~ induced by the heat.
Subsequentl~, in the cutting stag~ he ~lass sheet G is
reversed ~pside down so that the sur~ac~ of t~e slass sheet G
which has been formed w~th the ceramic masklng laYer C is
oriented downwards. A cut line of a p~ede~ermined contou~
corresponding to the final shape and d~m~sion of the window
pane is formed in the opposi~e su~ace o~ the glass sheet G,
which is now oriented ~pwa~ds. The cut line may be formed ln a
conventio~al manner. e.g., by usin~ a cutter or slicer S having
an appropriat~ cu~ting bl~de.
In order to achieve a satis~actory cohformity of the ~ut
contour of the ~lass sheet G and the outer edge of the ceramic
maski~g layer C, the cut contour ls ~ligned relative to ~
~eference side o~ re~erence point of the glass shee~ G. which
~5 is same as that ~or thc printing stage 2.
The border of the glass sheet G situated outside o~ the cut
line is remo~ed, e.g., by using a burner and a sna~per, ~hile
preventing fo~mation o~ defects.
A water-~et-t~pe cuttin~ de~lce may ~lternatlvelY ~e used
'94 12/05 17:54 ~03 3588 8558 ~ 3J`~ ~00~/013
- 2137482
in the cuttlnF sta~e ~. whl~h ~erves to di~ect a ~et of hi~ly
pressu~ed water on to the rlass sheet G and the~eby cut it
into the fl~al shape and dime~sion of the window pane.
The edge E of the glass sheet G which has been formed b~ t~e
cutting st~ge 6 1~ polished in the subsequent polishing stage
7, by using a g~lnding wheel (not shownl ~aving a su~face which
is coated by fine dla~ond particles.
Fina~.~y, the gla~s sheet G ~ormed wlth the ceramic masklng
laYer C an~ cut into the predetermined shape and dimension is
subJec-ted to a final shapl~ into a desl~ed cu~vature, there~y
to co~plete the production of a window pane ~s a final product.
~t will be ~eadily app~ ted from the ~o~e~oi~g
description that, i~ accordance Wi~}1 the present in~en.~ion,
the printed ~aye~ ls formed on the gl~ss sheet such that the
outer edge of the printed l~e~ ls situated outslde o~ the
predete~mined cut contou~ of the ~lass sheet, and the glass
sheet is subsequently subjected to ~u~tin~ ~nd polishing.
The~efore, in the fl~llshed ~indow pane, the glass sheet ~as a
polished edge which ~oincides w~th t~e outer edge of the
~0 p~inted la~er. Furthe~more, during ~ormation o~ the printed
la~er, the screen 19 not ur~ed against the polished edge o~ the
~lass sheet, ~nd it is thus possible to preve~t premature
rupture of the screen a~d preserve a s~tlsfactory lifetime
t~ereof.
While the present lnvention has been described wit~
~eference to a speci~ic em~odlment, it h~s been presentcd by
way of example only. It is o~ course that various ~h~nges and
~odiflcations maY be made without depa~tln.~ from thc scope of
the invention as defined ~ the appended ~ s~
