TWO- OR MULTILAYER GLASS ELEMENT HAVING A PATTERN OF A METAL OR METAL COMPOUND COATING AND A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION THEREOF

Abstract: Decorated sheet glass product of excellent aesthetic appearance and of high strength, that is easy to clean and the decoration of which shows good resistance to surface scratches.

Description: TWO- OR MULTILAYER GLASS ELEMENT HAVING A PATTERN OF A METAL OR METAL COMPOUND COATING AND A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION THEREOF Field of the invention The invention relates to a decorated sheet glass product of excellent aesthetic appearence and of high strength, that is easy to clean and the decoration of which shows good resistance to surface scratches. Background of the invention Decorative, metal coatings of glass surfaces have been known for a long time. In their preparation.process generally a paste is produced of metals or metal compounds, e.g. gold or silver and suitable additives, this paste is applie to the surfaces to be decorated using a suitable mask or screen-printing technology or it is applied by hand-printin or by painting. Thereupon the pattern is baked. According t an other method the metal is applied to the " glass surfaces by a chemical reaction, e.g. by precipitation or it can be applied by evaporation in vacuo at high temperature. The drawback of these methods is that the abrasio resistance and the resistance against different external effects /scratches, cleaning, etc./ of the metal coating is not sufficient for many fields of application, e.g. table tops, architectural glass, etc. Further with the more efficient screen printing the size of the decorated surface is limited. The mesh size of screen puts a limit on the fine details of the pattern and .the raster remains always v.isible. It is also known that safety glass can be made by laminating one or more glass sheets onto each other, the mechanical strength of which considerably surpasses that of the single layer glass. The field of application determines the number and thickness of the layers. The layers are bonded together e.g. with a synthetic adhesive like acrylic esters or polivinylacetate, which are brought between the glass plates in a thin layer, e.g. in form of a film, and are- bonded cold or by heating optionally under pressure. Detailed description of the invention The aim o-f our invention is to provide decorated glass elements for decorative and/or publicity and/or utility purposes having a metal or metal compound coating of a desired pattern, suitable as architectural glass for external and internal use, for use in furniture, etc., the decoration of which has good resistance against various external effects, satisfies the safety requirements, and combine these properties 'with unlimited size and 'a capability to reproduce finest details. We.hj_ s -.e found that the above aims can be achieved by a two- or multilayer glass element at leas ' t one layer of which is coated with a metal or metal compound reproducing the desired pattern which layer is covered by at least one more transparent layer, i.e. one more glass sheet and the layers are bonded to each other with an adhesive layer. The present invention relates to a two- or multilayer glass element which comprises at least one glass layer carrying at least one' metal or m'etal compound coating formed into a desired pattern and at least one more transparent glass plate covering the other and fixed to it with an adhesive layer. In comparison with the known patterned glass sheets the decorated glass elements according to the invention have the advantage, that the pattern is protected against various external mechanical and chemical effects, as well as climatic factors, the resulting product is easy and safe to clean, has high strength and an aesthetic appearence. Such products can be usecT indoors aa outdoors and lends itself to volume production as well as to simple and low- cost production methods. One of the layer in the glass element can also be prepared so that* its metal coating represents an electrical conductor and in this case the product according to the invention can be used as a component in a burglar alarm system or, alternatively, can function as an antenna for radio reception. By proper choice of the pattern the glass element according to the invention, used as a window or door pane, can b*. made to control physiological the amount of light transmitted to and from a room. The size of the glass element according to the invention can be varied as desired, the upper limit, if any, is represented by the lamination method used. The patterned metal coating of the glass elements can be applied by any known method. Preferably the patterned metal coating is made by a combination of ' photo masking and the metal deposition techniques used 5 in making mirrors. The present invention further includes processes for the preparation of the above two- or multilayer glass element, which comprise ID a-,) applying a uniform, light sensitive lacquer layer to the surface to be patterned, «) covering the dried lacquer layer on the parts of the surface which are to remain free of pattern, with a mask, 15 exposing the whole surface to the radiation of light, preferably to UV-radiation, a^) removing the lacquer layer decomposed by the radiation in a known way, preferably by heating or with an alkaline solution, 0 a-)' .depositing a metal or a metal compound to the above treated surface by a method known in the art, . ag) removing the metal compound together- with the lacquer layer being underneath, from the covered /masked/ surface, preferably by dissolving or heating the lacquer layer, or 5 applying a uniform metal or metal compound layer to the glass surface to be patterned, preferably by one of the methods used in making mirrors, b covering the metal coating thus obtained with a uniform light sensitive lacquer layer. 0 -bj) covering the lacquer layer thus, obtained with a mask corresponding to the pattern desired, b^) exposing the whole surfaces to the radiation of ligh preferably to UV-radiation, b-.) removing the lacquer layer decomposed by the radiati in a known way, e.g. by heating or with an alkaline soluti bg) removing the metal or metal compound coating from the uncovered parts of the surface by etching, b 7 ) removing the lacquer layer from the metal surface by a method known in the art, this latter step being optio and applying one or .more further layers of the same or ano • metal or metal compound to the surface according to the steps a-,)-ag) or b-)-b 7 ) of the above processes t there¬ after bonding to the patterned glass sheet thus obtained at least one more transparent or tinted glass sheet by any known method. For bonding.the glass sheets of the glass elemen according to the invention together any known organic adhesive can be used; so e.g. acrylic esters and/or polyvinylacetate the quality and thickness of which depend on the planned field of application as well as on the thickness of the. patterned metal coating. For special effects more patterned glass layers can be bonded to each other as described above and the upper layer covered by a transparent glass sheet containing no pattern. The advantages of the two- or multilayer glass element according to the invention are that the pattern is insusceptible to mechanical harm, scratches and a certain degree of vandalism. The strength thereof is • high owing -to- the two or more layers, furthermore their strength can be increased by varying the thickness and nu.mber of glass plates considering the field of the "application. So, they can safely be used in various field, where aesthetic appearence is.importan . The glass elements according to the invention are disclosed in detail in the enclosed drawings which represent a few preferred, not limiting embodiments of the invention. Fig. ' 1 shows the front and side view of the product accordi to" he invention, suitable e.g. for carrying information texts and drawings. It shows that glass sheet 1 coated with patterned metal layer 2 and glass sheet 1 carrying metal pattern 2 is bonded to glass sheet 4 by adhesive layer 3. Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention which can be used as window glass. Its pattern limits the volume of light transmitted, without distorting its spectrum. This fact is of high importance from physiological point of view. Fig. 3 shows an embodiment, wherein metal coating represents an electrical conductor ending in two terminals to which a burglar alarm system can be connected, • and the- product can be used as shop window. Fig. shows a decorated folding screen wherein the patterned metal coating is of high aesthetic appearance as the process according to the invention enables the reproduction a very detailed picture. Fig. 5 shows a table made with the product according to the invention. In this case not only the decorative appearence but the. excellent strength of the glass element is utilized. Fig. 6 shows a decorative glass element according .to the invention used as a wardrobe door. Fig. 7 shows the glass element according to the invention designed as sound proofing window pane, the pattern of which fits into the historical environment of an old city, without any loss in the excellent thermal and sound insulating properties of such products. For a window pane easy cleaning is also important. Fϊg. 8 shows a glass element according to the invention with Venetian mirror stripes used as shop window.- Insight is limited, outlook is not. Fig.ζfshows a shower-box built from the patterned glass elements according to the invention.

Claims: What we claim : 1. A decorated two- or multilayer sheet glass element which comprises at least one glass sheet (1) coated by at least one metal or metal compound made to reproduce a desired pattern (2) and at least one transparent or tinted glass sheet, the decorated and undecorated sheets 04) being bonded together by adhesive layer/s/ (3). 2. Glass element according to Claim 1, where the coating forming the pattern is applied in a chemical wa . 3. Glass element according to Claim 1, where the coating forming the desired pattern is applied by evaporation in vacuo. 4. Glass element of Claim 1, which comprises a pattern representing one or more electrical conductor/s/. 5. Process for preparing of two- or multilayer glass element of aesthetical appearence, which comprises a.,) applying a uniform, light sensitive lacquer layer to the surface to be patterned, a«) covering the dried lacquer layer on the parts of the surface which are to remain free of pattern, with a mask, a-,) exposing the whole surface β.-the, r_a iation of light, preferably to UV-radiation, a^) removing the lacquer layer decomposed by the • radiation in a known way, preferably by heating or with an alkaline solution, a--) depositing a metal or a metal compound to the above treated surface by a method known in the art, a,- removing the metal compound together with the lacquer layer being underneath, from the covered /masked/ . 5. surface, preferably by ' dissolving or heating the lacquer layer, • b,) applying a uniform metal or metal compound layer to the glass surface to be patterned, preferably by one of .the methods used in making mirrors, 0 b«) covering the metal coating thus obtained with a uniform light sensitive lacquer layer, b«) covering the lacquer layer thus obtained with a mask corresponding to the pattern desired, b^ . exposing the whole surfaces to the radiation of liglit, preferably to UV-radiation, be removing the lacquer layer decomposed by the radia¬ tion in a known way, e.g. by heating or with an alkaline solution, bg) , removing the metal or metal compound coating from the uncovered parts of the surface by etching, b-,) • removing the lacquer layer from the metal surface by a method known in the art, this latter step being optional, and applying -one or more further layers of the same or arτo "~ ---er * me.al or metal compound to the surface according to the steps a,)-ag) or b,)-b 7 ) of the above processes, thereafter bonding to the patterned glass sheet thus obtained at least one more transparent or tinted glass by any known method.

Inventors: KRAMER BELA, TATAR JENOE, KRAMER, BELA, TATAR, JENOE
Applicants: KRAMER BELA, TATAR JENOE, KRAMER, BELA, TATAR, JENOE
Application year: 1987
Main classification: C03C27
IPC codes: B32B17, B44C3, B44F1, C03C27