Abstract: An electrically heatable transparency has at least one substrate, a first bus bar spaced from a second bus bar, and a conductive coating formed over at least a portion of the substrate. The first and second bus bars are in electrical contact with the coating. At least one of the bus bars has an end region in electrical contact with the coating. The end region is tapered such that the coating is of substantially uniform thickness on the end region.

Abstract: An interlayer composite includes a plastic sheet having a predetermined outer shape and a major surface; a pair of bus bars, and an adhesive layer securing the bus bars directly on the major surface of the plastic sheet in a fixed relationship to one another.

Abstract: An electrically heatable transparency has at least one substrate, a first bus bar spaced from a second bus bar, and a conductive coating formed over at least a portion of the substrate. The first and second bus bars are in electrical contact with the coating. At least one of the bus bars has an end region in electrical contact with the coating. The end region is tapered such that the coating is of substantially uniform thickness on the end region.

Abstract: The present invention provides an interlayer composite having a plastic sheet having a predetermined outer shape and a major surface; a pair of bus bars, and an adhesive layer securing the bus bars directly on the major surface of the plastic sheet in a fixed relationship to one another.

Abstract: A composite laminate useable in the manufacture of articles having a member responsive to electrical stimuli, e.g. changes transmission, and/or is heated, as current passes through the member includes a pair of spaced bus bars adhesively secured to a major surface of a plastic sheet in a spaced relationship to one another. Each of the bus bars includes, among other things, an end portion having a protective sleeve and an air barrier to prevent air from moving between the inner surfaces of the protective sleeve and the underlying surface of the end portion of the bus bar. A method of making the composite laminate is also disclosed.

Abstract: A laminate, e.g. a heatable windshield has a pair of glass sheets laminated together about a member responsive to electrical stimuli, e.g. changes transmission or is heated as current passes through the member. A pair of spaced bus bars is in surface contact with the conductive member, and a lead assembly associated with each of the bus bars has a lead in contact with its respective bus bar and extends beyond the periphery of the sheets. The lead assembly further includes first and second air barriers to prevent air from moving between the sheets after the edge sealing procedure and during autoclaving of the laminate subassembly. The first air barrier is an adhesive between surfaces of the lead and inner surfaces of an electric and mechanical protective sleeve positioned over portions of its respective lead.

Abstract: A heatable laminate includes a first substrate; an electrically conductive member on a portion of the first substrate; a pair of spaced bus bars each bus bar being in electrical contact with the electrically conductive member; a second substrate overlaying and the electrically conductive member and bus bars; an interlayer positioned between the two substrates; a first leads connected to one of bus bars and a second lead connected to the other bus bar, each lead having an end extending beyond the periphery of the first substrate to provide external electrical access to the bus bars; an electrically non-conductive sleeve over selected portions of each of the lead; and air barriers along selected portions of the sleeve to prevent air from enter between the substrates.

Abstract: A laminate, e.g. a heatable windshield has a pair of glass sheets laminated together about a member responsive to electrical stimuli, e.g. changes transmission or is heated as current passes through the member. A pair of spaced bus bars is in surface contact with the conductive member, and a lead assembly associated with each of the bus bars has a lead in contact with its respective bus bar and extends beyond the periphery of the sheets. The lead assembly further includes first and second air barriers to prevent air from moving between the sheets after the edge sealing procedure and during autoclaving of the laminate subassembly. The first air barrier is an adhesive between surfaces of the lead and inner surfaces of an electric and mechanical protective sleeve positioned over portions of its respective lead.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of improving the durability of water-repellent films deposited on the surface of a substrate and to a coated article having a water-repellent film of improved durability deposited on the substrate surface. The method includes the steps of simultaneously abrasively and chemically preparing the surface to expose an increased number of bonding sites on the substrate surface by applying a dispersion including an acid solution and an abrasive material to the surface. The dispersion is then removed and the water-repellent film is formed over the prepared surface. The bonding sites react with the water-repellent film to more effectively bond the film to the substrate and thereby improve the durability of the water-repellent film.

Abstract: A plastic ply having at least one thermoplastic layer is positioned on a major surface of a glass ply to form a preliminary assembly, with the thermoplastic layer contacting selected portions of the major surface of the glass ply. A rigid press plate is placed on the plastic ply with the plate contacting a substantial portion of the plastic ply. Air is then removed from between the plastic and glass plies. After de-airing, the press plate is removed from the preliminary assembly and the preliminary assembly is subjected to elevated temperatures and pressures sufficient to intimately secure the plastic ply to the glass ply and form a laminate. If desired, the preliminary assembly and press plate may be heated to a temperature sufficient to soften the thermoplastic layer of the plastic ply while removing air from between the plastic and glass plies.

Abstract: A multiple terminal assembly includes a plurality of connectors secured within a housing in close proximity to and electrically insulated from each other. The terminals include an electroconductive strip extending outwardly from one side of the housing and an electroconductive tab extending outwardly from an opposite side of the housing. The terminals are spaced apart a fixed, predetermined distance along the housing so that when the assembly is used to supply electrical power to a structure having current carrying members extending to a connection area along an edge portion of the structure, each of the terminal strips is aligned with one of the current carrying members at the connection area and each of the tabs is aligned with a corresponding connector of a multiple connector harness assembly.

Abstract: The electrical connections for an electrically heatable windshield are sealed prior to the laminating operation to prevent gas from entering the interior of the windshield through the bus bar leads when the windshield is subjected to the elevated temperatures and pressures of the laminating operation.

Abstract: A terminal connector for a heated window, a heated window provided with a plurality of terminal connectors constructed and arranged for simultaneous engagement to corresponding terminals of a multiple terminal housing and a method of assembling a heated window provided with at least two of said terminal connectors in a terminal connection area along a side edge of said heated window.

Abstract: A dual lead electrically heatable windshield is provided with an internal jumper arrangement that allows the bus bar having the dual lead to be powered by a single external connection to one of the dual leads. A jumper arrangement may also be used in combination with a crack detector for the dual lead heatable windshield.

Abstract: A method of preliminarily pressing a bent assembly comprising a pair of bent glass sheets and a flexible interlayer comprising a first heating step performed without vacuum, a biasing step, an unbiasing step and followed by a second heating step performed simultaneously with an application of vacuum. When the assembly so prepressed is further laminated under heat and pressure, it develops fewer bubbles after a heat stability test involving exposure to high temperature for an extended period than assemblies further laminated under such heat and pressure conditions after a prepressing step that includes passing the assembly between rollers prior to the further lamination step.