Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
71 words
A process for making an electrically conductive bent substrate which comprises coating a generally flat part with metallic oxide and subseqently bending the part characterised by: providing for at least sufficient oxygen substoichiometry at the moment of bend that there is no significant crazing of the metallic oxide coating during bending, but not so great a substoichiometry that the final product has less than 70% light transmission or is substantially hazy.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
71 words
A process for making an electrically conductive bent substrate which comprises coating a generally flat part with metallic oxide and subseqently bending the part characterised by: providing for at least sufficient oxygen substoichiometry at the moment of bend that there is no significant crazing of the metallic oxide coating during bending, but not so great a substoichiometry that the final product has less than 70% light transmission or is substantially hazy.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A process as claimed in Claim 1 in which the substoichiometry is achieved by exposing the metallic oxide layer to a reducing environment as the substrate is heated to bend it.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A process as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which there is a reduction curing step in which the coated substrate is exposed to a reducing environment at a temperature in excess of 400°C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
A process for enhancing the electrical conductivity of a metallic oxide coating coated on a substrate, characterised by heating the coating to a temperature greater than 400°C. in a reducing environment for a sufficient period of time to substantially lower the electrical resistance of the coating.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
A process for enhancing the electrical conductivity of a metallic oxide coating coated on a substrate, characterised by heating the coating to a temperature greater than 400°C. in a reducing environment for a sufficient period of time to substantially lower the electrical resistance of the coating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the coating is achieved by sputter coating a heated substrate with the metallic oxide in a reduced oxygen environment to an initial light transmittance of between 10 and 75%, and avoiding complete oxidation thereafter at least until after the substrate is bent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
A process as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 in which the coating is achieved by sputter coating a substantially unheated substrate with the metallic oxide in a reduced oxygen environment to an initial light transmittance of between 10 and 40%, and avoiding complete oxidation thereafter at least until after the substrate is bent.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5 in which the substrate is coated to an initial light transmittance in excess of about 40%.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the coated substrate is heated in an oxidizing environment sufficiently to lower the level of light absorption to between 1.7 and 10%.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
A process as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 8 in which the reduction step is performed for sufficient time to give the coating a specific resistivity of less than 3::x 10 -2 ohmm (3 x 1 0 -4 ohm cm).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the coating has a thickness of between one-half and three wavelengths based on the median wavelength of visible light.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the substrate is glass and the bending step is conducted at typical heating and bending rates for such glass.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the coating is indium-tin oxide.