US4968895A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Laminated glass with photosensitive element and automatic device for turning on and off lights of a motor vehicle
Assignee: Saint Gobain Vitrage SA
•
Filing: 1985-09-24
•
Granted: 1990-11-06
•
Expires: 2005-09-24
Abstract
Abstract A laminated glass of the present invention includes as a photosensitive element a photodiode of such thickness that it can be buried in the plastic interlayer of the laminated glass between two outside glass sheets of the glass. The photodiode is coated in a plastic compatible with that from which the interlayer is made and mounted along one of the side edges of the glass, so that conductors from the diode and their terminals project out from the glass and can be connected to any suitable electric circuit. The electric circuit for use with the diode can be a lighting circuit of a motor vehicle so that the photodiode automatically controls turning on of the lights of the vehicle when ambient light falls below a certain threshold and turning off the same lights when ambient light exceeds a second threshold.
Inventors
- 👤 Jacques Leclercq
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 05:41
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B17/00; B32B17/06; B32B17/10; B32B17/10005; B32B17/10009; B32B17/10036; B32B17/10165; B32B17/10376; B60; B60Q; B60Q1/00; B60Q1/02; B60Q1/04; B60Q1/14; B60Q1/1415; B60Q1/1423; B32B2307/00; B32B2307/40; B32B2605/00; B32B2605/08; B60Q2300/00; B60Q2300/05; B60Q2300/052; B60Q2300/30; B60Q2300/31; B60Q2300/314; B60Q2300/33; B60Q2300/337
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
46 words
A laminated glass including an incorporated photosensitive element being a thin photodiode buried in the plastic interlayer of said laminated glass, the sensitive face of said photodiode being positioned in said plastic interlayer substantially parallel to at least one of the outerlayers of said laminated glass.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
46 words
A laminated glass including an incorporated photosensitive element being a thin photodiode buried in the plastic interlayer of said laminated glass, the sensitive face of said photodiode being positioned in said plastic interlayer substantially parallel to at least one of the outerlayers of said laminated glass.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
In a laminated glass as claimed in claim 1, a photodiode which is a silicon cell photodiode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
In a laminated glass as claimed in claim 1, a photodiode placed in vicinity of one of the edges of the glass, conductors connected to said photodiode going outside said glass for connection to an outside electric circuit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
In a laminated glass as claimed in claim 1, a photodiode and conductors attached thereto encased in a plastic coating compatible with the plastic of the interlayer of said glass to facilitate incorporation of said photodiode and said conductors in said interlayer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
In a laminated glass as claimed in claims 1, more than one photodiode buried in the interlayer of said glass.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
109 words
An automatic device for turning on and off the lights of a motor vehicle comprising a laminated glass including a thin photodiode buried in the plastic interlayer of said laminated glass, the sensitive face of said photodiode being positioned in said plastic interlayer substantially parallel to at least one of the outerlayers of said laminated glass, conductors connected to said photodiode, said conductors mounted in parallel to a lighting circuit for a motor vehicle to control by an amplification circuit the lights of said vehicle, said lights being turned on when the ambient light decreases below a certain threshold and turning off when ambient light exceeds a second threshold.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
109 words
An automatic device for turning on and off the lights of a motor vehicle comprising a laminated glass including a thin photodiode buried in the plastic interlayer of said laminated glass, the sensitive face of said photodiode being positioned in said plastic interlayer substantially parallel to at least one of the outerlayers of said laminated glass, conductors connected to said photodiode, said conductors mounted in parallel to a lighting circuit for a motor vehicle to control by an amplification circuit the lights of said vehicle, said lights being turned on when the ambient light decreases below a certain threshold and turning off when ambient light exceeds a second threshold.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
84 words
An automatic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the glass is the windshield of the vehicle, the photodiode is mounted on the inside of a mounting seal for said windshield along one of the side posts of said windshield, the sensitive face of said photodiode being turned toward the inside of the motor vehicle so that said photodiode is protected from any direct lighting and is affected primarily by the ambient light transmitted along the laminated glass through the inside glass sheet thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
An automatic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the turn-on threshold for the lights is about 100 lux and the turn-off threshold for the lights is about 300 lux, a time delay being incorporated in the electric control circuit so that turning off is accomplished only a certain period after the threshold of 300 lux has been reached.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-11-05 | 1994-05-07 | 1994-11-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-11-05 | 1998-05-07 | 1998-11-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-11-05 | 2002-05-07 | 2002-11-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |