An automobile including a photochromic windshield is provided. The automobile includes a frame and at least one drive motor supported by the frame. A plurality of wheels supports the frame and is driven by the at least one drive motor. A windshield is secured to the frame. The windshield includes a transparent material and a photochromic substance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to automobile windows and, more particularly, to a photochromic windshield.

The windshield of an automobile is the front window. Modern windshields are generally made of laminated safety glass, a type of treated glass, which consists of two (typically) curved sheets of glass with a plastic layer laminated between them for safety, and are bonded into the window frame. Currently, motor vehicles windows do not protect passengers and/or items from becoming overheated and potentially expiring unnecessarily. The intense direct sunlight exposure and the UV-rays increases the temperature drastically within all vehicles.

As can be seen, there is a need for protective windows and windshield for vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, an automobile comprises: a frame; at least one drive motor supported by the frame; a plurality of wheels supporting the frame, wherein at least one of the plurality of wheels is driven by the at least one drive motor; and a windshield secured to the frame and comprising a transparent material and a photochromic substance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes an automatic tinting shield glass. The present invention prevents the interior of the vehicle from overheating. The present invention may include an automatic tint up to about a 30% hue during sunny weather, greatly reducing harmful ultra violet (UV) rays. With the protection of present invention on an exemplary vehicle, harmful UV-rays are blocked and deflected away. Thus, the present invention allows the vehicle to remain significantly cooler during exposure to direct sunlight.

The present invention may include a windshield or any window of vehicle. Sunlight activated tinting solution, partition or material (photochromic substance) is embedded within the windshield. The photochromic substance may be coated and/or blended within the windshield during production so as the two components are able to become one unit in uniform.

Referring toFIGS. 1 through 5, the present invention includes an automobile11. The automobile11includes a frame16and at least one drive motor20supported by the frame16. A plurality of wheels18supports the frame16and is driven by the at least one drive motor20. A windshield10is secured to the frame16. The windshield10includes a transparent material and a photochromic substance.

As mentioned above, the windshield10includes a transparent material with a photochromic substance, forming a photochromic windshield10. The photochromic windshield10darkens on exposure to types of light of sufficient intensity, most commonly ultraviolet (UV) rays14from the sun12. In the absence of activating light, the photochromic windshield10returns to a clear state.

The photochromic windshield10may be made of glass, polycarbonate, another plastic or a combination thereof. The photochromic windshield10is dark in bright sunlight, but clear in low ambient light conditions. The photochromic windshield10may darken significantly within about a minute of exposure to bright UV rays14.

In certain embodiments, the photochromic substance includes molecules of silver chloride or another silver halide embedded in the windshield10. They are transparent to visible light without a significant ultraviolet component, which is normal for artificial lighting. In certain embodiments, the photochromic substance is organic photochromic molecules that when exposed too ultraviolet (UV) rays14, as in direct sunlight, undergo a chemical process that causes them to change shape and absorb a significant percentage of the visible light, i.e., they darken. The process is reversible. Once the windshield10is removed from strong sources of UV rays14, the photochromic compounds return to their transparent state.

In certain embodiments, the transparent material may be made of glass. In such embodiments, the photochromic substance includes microcrystalline silver halides, such as silver chloride, which is embedded in the glass substrate.

In certain embodiments, the transparent material may be made of plastic. In such embodiments, the photochromic substance may include organic photochromic molecules, such as oxazines and naphthopyrans to achieve the reversible darkening effect.

The transparent material of the present invention may include glass layers and plastic layers. In such embodiments, the photochromic substance within the glass layers may include a microcrystalline silver halide and the photochromic substance within the plastic layer may include the organic photochromic molecules, such as oxazines and napthopyrans.