JPH04254234A - Light waveguide type window glass - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a light waveguide window glass plate of a vehicle or the like, which can remove and prevent clouding on a glass plate by converting light energy to thermal energy. CONSTITUTION:A window glass 1 is formed in layers by a glass substrate 2, a core layer 3 and a clad layer 4, and light is introduced from a light source 6 into the core layer 3. Some of waveguide light in the core layer 3 can be introduced into the clad layer 4, and in the clad layer 4, the waveguide light is attenuated to be converted to thermal energy. The temperature of the clad layer 4 is raised by the above thermal energy to remove fogging.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical waveguide type window glass for vehicles, etc., and more particularly to an improvement in the anti-fog structure of the glass.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various proposals have been made for the rear window glass of a vehicle to prevent fogging of the windshield caused by the temperature difference between the interior temperature of the vehicle and the outside temperature.

[0003] As a structure for removing or preventing such fogging from glass, for example, a structure in which heating wires are attached to the glass surface is widely known. According to this, the heat emitted from the heating wire is conducted to the glass surface, and fogging can be removed or prevented.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, such a conventional structure has the following problems.

[0005] That is, when the wire width of the heating wire is increased,
While this makes it possible to expand the anti-fog area of the glass and to quickly remove fog, it has the disadvantage that the presence of the heating wire impairs rear visibility.

Furthermore, when the wire width is narrowed, the heating wire must be provided over a wide area of the glass surface in order to obtain the desired anti-fogging effect, and this also leaves the same problem.

[0007]

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical waveguide type window glass that can improve the inconveniences of the conventional example, provide a predetermined anti-fog effect, and maintain a constant good visibility at all times. Our goal is to provide the following.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, an optical waveguide type window glass according to the present invention includes a glass substrate and a cladding layer provided on at least one side of the glass substrate via a core layer. and a light source disposed on at least one edge side of the core layer and introducing light into the core layer, and the cladding layer is configured to introduce a part of the guided light of the core layer and perform a predetermined attenuation. has been done.

[0009]

[Operation] Light is introduced from the light source through the end face of the core layer. This guided light is introduced into the core layer while being reflected alternately at the interface between the core layer and the glass substrate and at the interface between the core layer and the cladding layer. A part of the guided light introduced in this manner leaks into the cladding layer, and the guided light is attenuated within the cladding layer. With this attenuation, light energy is converted into thermal energy, and the temperature of the cladding layer increases, thereby removing and preventing fogging from the glass.

0010

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

A first embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. In these figures, a window glass 1 used for, for example, a rear window of a vehicle is made up of a glass substrate 2, a translucent core layer 3 provided on one side of the glass substrate 2, and a core layer 3 provided on one side of the glass substrate 2. It has three layers: the glass substrate 2 and a cladding layer 4 provided on the opposite side. Further, a light source 6 is disposed directly below the lower edge 5 of the core layer 3 in the figure, and extends in parallel along the direction in which the lower edge 5 extends.

As is clear from FIG. 2, the lower edge 5 of the core layer 3 is a curved surface that projects outward, so that the light from the light source 6 is guided into the core layer 3 without wasting it. It looks like this. The guided light R1 in the core layer 3 is guided while being reflected alternately at the interface between the core layer 3 and the glass substrate 2 and the interface between the core layer 3 and the cladding layer 4, and some of the light is reflected at the interface between the core layer 3 and the cladding layer 4. It is designed to leak within 4 hours. The reflection is caused by the difference in refractive index between the glass substrate 2 and the cladding layer 4 with respect to the core layer 3, and the rate of light leaking to the cladding layer 4 is determined by the wavelength of the light source 6 and the core layer 3.
It is adjusted as appropriate depending on the thickness of the core layer 3 and the difference in refractive index between the core layer 3 and the cladding layer 4.

The cladding layer 4 serves to remove or prevent fogging of the window glass 1 by attenuating the light R2 introduced into the cladding layer 4 and converting the optical energy into thermal energy. The attenuation adjustment is achieved by increasing the concentration of impurities contained in the cladding layer 4 compared to the glass substrate 2 and the core layer 3.

Further, the light source 6 includes a large number of light emitting elements 7 arranged in a line, so that light can be introduced into the entire area of the core layer 3. In this embodiment, the light emitted from the light source 6 is preferably a laser beam with high directivity, and the light source 6 is
N-OFF is performed by a switch on the driver's seat or the like.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, light is introduced into the core layer 3 from the light source 6, and a part of the introduced light R1 is leaked entirely to the cladding layer 4, and By adopting a configuration in which the light R2 introduced into the cladding layer 4 is attenuated within the cladding layer 4, the temperature of the cladding layer is raised entirely by the thermal energy accompanying the attenuation.
This temperature increasing effect can effectively remove or prevent fogging from the window glass 1.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the temperature increase effect is obtained by converting light energy into thermal energy, the heating wires as in the prior art can be wiped out. It has the effect of avoiding the negative effects of sex.

Furthermore, since the lower edge 5 of the core layer 3 is curved as described above, the light from the light source 6 can be introduced into the core layer 3 without waste, and as a result, it is expected that the temperature increase efficiency can be maintained at a high level. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time for removing fogging.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained based on FIGS. 3 and 4. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the same components as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified.

In this second embodiment, the light from the light source 6 is made into visible light, and a light leakage part 10 is formed on a part of the outer surface of the cladding layer 4, and the free light R3 is transmitted to the outside from this light leakage part 10. The cladding layer 4 is characterized by the fact that the desired optical display is generated and exposed on the cladding layer 4.

The light source 6 can be connected to a stop lamp 11 by an optical fiber cable, for example, as shown in FIG. Can be done.

Therefore, according to the second embodiment,
In addition to the effects of the first embodiment, for example, the light leakage section 1
By forming 0 to become the character "STOP" as shown in FIG. 4, an additional effect is added that it can also function as a high stop lamp.

A third embodiment is shown in FIG. In this third embodiment, core layers 3 are provided on both sides of a glass substrate 2, and cladding layers 4 are provided on the outer surface of these core layers 3, and the configuration of the second embodiment is adopted for one of the cladding layers. It is characterized by points.

According to the third embodiment, due to the presence of the cladding layer 4 having no light leakage portion 10, a predetermined light display can be performed while effectively avoiding a decrease in the efficiency of the temperature increase effect for removing fogging. There is an effect that it can be done.

Other structures and functions are substantially the same as those of the first and second embodiments.

[0025]

Effects of the Invention Since the present invention is constructed and operates as described above, the conventional heating wire used to remove or prevent fogging from a window glass can be wiped out to improve visibility. The present invention has the effect of being able to provide an optical waveguide type window glass that can eliminate harmful effects and also raise the temperature of the cladding layer over the entire surface, thereby allowing fogging to be removed efficiently in a short period of time.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view, partially omitted, showing an optical waveguide type window glass according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the optical waveguide type window glass for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram similar to FIG. 2 showing a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of a vehicle showing an example of a light leakage portion of a cladding layer in a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 showing a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Wind glass 2 Glass substrate 3 Core layer 4 Clad layer 6. Light source

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A glass substrate, a cladding layer provided on at least one side of the glass substrate via a core layer, and a cladding layer disposed on at least one edge side of the core layer, and for introducing light into the core layer. 1. An optical waveguide type window glass, characterized in that the cladding layer is configured to introduce a part of the guided light of the core layer and perform a predetermined attenuation.