Electrically heatable windscreen antenna, and method for producing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10347964-B2
Application number	US-201515525935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2015
Priority date	Dec 16, 2014
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

An electrically heatable antenna pane includes a transparent pane and an electrical heating layer extending over a portion of a pane surface. The pane serves at least section-wise as a planar antenna for receiving and/or transmitting electromagnetic waves. A first busbar and a second busbar electrically connectable to a voltage source and electrically conductingly connected to the heating layer are also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrically heatable antenna pane, comprising
a transparent pane;
a heating layer extending over a portion of a pane surface of the transparent pane and serving as a planar antenna for receiving and/or transmitting electromagnetic waves;
a first busbar and a second busbar connectable to a voltage source, wherein the first busbar and the second busbar are connected with the heating layer;
a first antenna connection that is electrically conductingly connected with the heating layer;
a second antenna connection electrically conductingly connected with a section of the heating layer in direct contact; and
the second antenna connection being galvanically and physically isolated from a portion of the heating layer outside and adjacent to the section,
wherein in an operative condition and upon applying a supply voltage by the voltage source, a heating current flows over a heating field formed by the heating layer,
wherein the section of the heating layer is electrically insulated from the rest of the heating layer by a heating-layer-free separation region, and
wherein the section of the heating layer is capacitively coupled with an adjacent heating layer for a transmission of antenna signals.

2. The antenna pane according to claim 1 , wherein a connecting conductor connects the first antenna connection with the second antenna connection and has a common antenna foot point.

3. The antenna pane according to claim 2 , wherein the connecting conductor is arranged on the pane.

4. The antenna pane according to claim 3 , wherein the connecting conductor is arranged on the heating layer-free edge region of the pane surface.

5. The antenna pane according to claim 2 , wherein the connecting conductor is implemented at least section-wise as an unshielded, linear antenna conductor and serves as a linear antenna for receiving electromagnetic waves.

6. The antenna pane according to claim 1 , wherein the first antenna connection or the second antenna connection is connected with the first busbar or with the second busbar.

7. The antenna pane according to claim 6 further comprising a filter configured to decouple the first busbar or the second busbar from the voltage source.

8. The antenna pane according to claim 1 , wherein the first antenna connection, the second antenna connection, and/or the at least one connecting conductor is made of a metal wire or a metal foil.

9. The antenna pane according claim 1 , wherein the first antenna connection, the second antenna connection, and/or the at least one connecting conductor are made from an electrically conductive printing paste.

10. The antenna pane according to claim 1 , wherein the heating-layer-free separation region has a distance up to 200 mm from the second antenna connection.

11. The antenna pane according to claim 1 , wherein the section of the heating layer has an area equal to or less than 10% of the surface of the heating layer.

12. The antenna pane according to claim 1 , wherein the heating layer has a plurality of planar segments that are electrically divided by an electrically isolating separation.

13. The antenna pane according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of segments are adjacent the heating layer free edge region.

14. The antenna pane according to claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of planar segments has an area of 0.1 mm 2 to 100.0 mm 2 .

15. The antenna pane according to claim 12 , wherein the connecting conductor is arranged at least section-wise on the planar segments.

16. The antenna pane according to claim 1 , wherein the separation region has a width d of 25 μm to 300 μm.

17. The antenna pane according to claim 1 , implemented as a laminated pane with two individual panes bonded to one another by a thermoplastic adhesive layer wherein the heating layer is placed on at least one surface of the individual panes and/or on one surface of a carrier arranged between the individual panes.

18. An arrangement comprising the electrically heatable antenna pane of claim 1 , the arrangement being selected from a group consisting of: a functional and/or decorative individual piece, a piece of furniture, a device, a building, a windshield, a rear window, a side window and a glass roof.

19. An arrangement comprising the electrically heatable antenna pane of claim 1 , the arrangement being selected from a group consisting of: a functional and/or decorative individual piece or built in component in furniture, devices or buildings.

20. An arrangement comprising the electrically heatable antenna pane of claim 1 , the arrangement being selected from a group of vehicles consisting of: vehicles from traveling on land, in the air or on water.

21. An arrangement comprising the electrically heatable antenna pane of claim 1 , the arrangement being selected from a group consisting of: motor vehicles windshield, rear window, side window and/or glass roof.

22. A method for producing an electrically heatable antenna pane, comprising:
a) depositing one electrical heating layer on a portion of a pane surface of a transparent pane;
b) insulating a section of the electrical heating layer from direct currents by a heating-layer-free separation region;
c) connecting a first busbar and a second busbar with the heating layer;
d) connecting electrically conductingly a first antenna connection with the heating layer in direct contact;
e) connecting electrically conductingly a second antenna connection with the electrical heating layer within the section and in direct contact,
thereby isolating galvanically and physically the second antenna connection from a portion of the electrical heating layer outside and adjacent to the section, and
thereby coupling capacitively the second antenna connection with the portion of the electrical heating layer outside and adjacent to the section for transmission of antenna signals;

f) placing a connecting conductor on the pane;
g) connecting the first antenna with the second antenna; and
h) applying a supply voltage to the busbars, thereby flowing a heating current over a heating field formed by the heating layer.

23. The method for producing an antenna pane according to claim 22 , wherein the steps c), d), e), and f) are performed by screenprinting an electrically conductive printing paste on the at least one portion of the pane surface of the transparent pane.

24. The method for producing an antenna pane according to claim 22 , the step b) is performed by laser ablation.

25. The method for producing an antenna pane according to claim 22 , wherein the steps c), d), e) and f) are performed simultaneously.

Assignees

• Saint Gobain

Inventors

• Droste Stefan
• Stelling Bernd
• Francois Guillaume

Classifications

• H05B2203/017

  Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters · CPC title

• H05B2203/013

  Heaters using resistive films or coatings · CPC title

• H05B2203/011

  Heaters using laterally extending conductive material as connecting means · CPC title

• H05B2203/008

  with layout including a portion free of resistive material, e.g. communication window · CPC title

• H05B3/84 Primary

  Heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas, e.g. for demisting or de-icing windows, mirrors or vehicle windshields · CPC title