Illuminated glass panel for a vehicle, and manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9397075-B2
Application number	US-201214236021-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2012
Priority date	Jul 29, 2011
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

An illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle includes a first sheet made of mineral or organic glass, a peripheral light source with a support profiled member referred to as source support, the emitting region or face of the source facing the edge face, referred to as injection face, of the first sheet for a propagation of the injected light within the thickness of the first sheet, the first sheet then playing the role of guide for the injected light, a device of extraction of the guided light so as to form at least one illuminating region, the source support being within an accommodation surrounded by material and covered by a cover, the cover and the source support being removable from the glazing unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle comprising:
a first sheet made of mineral or organic glass having a first main face and a second main face and an edge face,
a peripheral light source with a source support, the peripheral light source being a self-supporting optical fiber with a lateral part forming an emitting region or light-emitting diodes each comprising a semiconductor chip with an emitting face, the emitting region or emitting face facing the edge face of the first sheet for a propagation of injected visible and/or ultraviolet light within the thickness of the first sheet, the first sheet acting as a guide for the injected light,
a light extraction device constructed to extract the guided light in order to form at least one illuminating region,
the source support being within an accommodation surrounded by material and covered by a cover,
the cover and the source support being removable from the glazing unit,

a distance between the emitting face or region and the edge face being controlled by a positional locating device and a positional blocking device for the source support in the three directions of an orthogonal reference frame, said positional locating and blocking devices comprising a system for assembling the source support, associated with the first sheet, including an assembly element positioned with respect to the edge face.

2. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the system for assembling the source support includes the cover, when the cover carries the source support, the positional locating device for the source support on the assembly element and the positional blocking device for holding the cover in position on the assembly element, or the source support is located in the assembly element independently of the cover and the cover comprises a device for holding the source in position by the cover pushing up against the source support.

3. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein holding of the source support in position is, in part at least, handled by the assembly element.

4. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cover is placed in position, on the assembly element, via contact(s) without deformation of the assembly element, using mechanical end stops in the assembly element for the cover carrying the source support.

5. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the source support is blocked in position, on the assembly element, via contact(s) without overall deformation of the assembly element.

6. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cover is reversibly held in position on the assembly element and/or the source support is reversibly blocked in position on the assembly element.

7. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device for holding the cover in position on the assembly element, is distinct from the positional locating device for locating the cover on the assembly element.

8. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the assembly element:
is a monolithic annular element, made of sufficiently rigid plastic and/or of metal, associated with a polymer encapsulation peripheral to the first sheet,
or is a component in several separate parts, made of sufficiently rigid plastic and/or of metal, associated with a polymer encapsulation, peripheral to the first sheet or is made of a sufficiently rigid plastic material with a local recess for accommodating the source, made of polycarbonate for example black or opaque.

9. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the installation of the cover, potentially carrying the source support or carrying the positional blocking device for the pre-positioned source support, is by rotation and reversible attachment.

10. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the cover carries the source support which is positioned by means of elements for positioning and for holding in position according to the 3 axes of the orthogonal reference frame,
the positioning in two directions of the orthogonal reference frame of the cover with respect to the assembly element is carried out by a sliding connection,
holding the cover in position blocks the third direction of the orthogonal reference frame and hence ensures the positioning between the emitting face or region and the edge face.

11. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the assembly element comprises, in a non-emitting region, a component facing or in contact with the edge face used for referencing to the edge face and/or forming a stiffener.

12. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cover is essentially facial and the source support parallel to the edge face is carried by the cover or the source support is parallel to the first sheet and positioned on the assembly element.

13. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the assembly element is fixed to the glazing unit, by adhesive bonding, and/or is surrounded by a polymer encapsulation on at least one region on the periphery of the glazing unit and then comprises a device of mechanical anchorage in the encapsulation, of the fins type with orifices.

14. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the assembly element is a functional element chosen from amongst:
an insert for fixing the glazing unit onto the vehicle or an additional element onto the glazing unit,
a metal central section of a pre-assembled seal being locally hollowed out, potentially covered with a polymer material.

15. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the glazing unit is a single-layer unit, the first sheet being made of mineral or organic glass, or wherein a second sheet made of mineral or organic glass is laminated by a lamination spacer to the first sheet.

16. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the source support is positioned in the assembly element by the positional locating device, and the cover comprises or cooperates with elements, which in the installed position of the cover, are the device for blocking the source in position in the assembly element.

17. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the positional locating device includes end stops in the assembly element.

18. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cover is essentially lateral and is positioned and held in the assembly element.

19. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the covers cover carries the source support.

20. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the glazing unit comprises a metal sheet arranged along the first main face beyond the emitting face or region and potentially protruding from the edge face forming a stray light shield, or a part of the assembly element, at the bottom of the accommodation, forms a stray light shield.

21. The illuminating glazing unit for a vehicle as claimed in claim 20 , wherein, when the glazing unit is laminated, the metal sheet is in a set back region of a lamination spacer between the first sheet and a second sheet.

Assignees

• Bäuerle Pascal
• Verrat-Debailleul Adéle
• Kleo Christophe
• Lamoureux Laurent
• Lefevre Pascal
• Saint Gobain

Inventors

• Bäuerle Pascal
• Verrat-Debailleul Adéle
• Kleo Christophe
• Lamoureux Laurent
• Lefevre Pascal

Classifications

• H10W90/00 Primary

  Package configurations · CPC title

• B32B17/10761

  containing vinyl acetal · CPC title

• B32B17/10293 Primary

  Edge features, e.g. inserts or holes · CPC title

• B32B17/10155

  Edge treatment or chamfering · CPC title

• G02B6/0095

  Light guides as housings, housing portions, shelves, doors, tiles, windows, or the like · CPC title