GLASS LAMINATE WITH INLAY OBSCURATION HAVING SUPERIOR STRENGTH AND OPTICAL QUALITY

The use of camera-based safety systems is growing at a rapid rate in modern automobiles. At the same time, windshields, where many of the cameras are mounted, are becoming larger and more complex in shape. As the industry moves towards vehicles with full autonomous capability, the number of cameras required and the resolution of the cameras are both increasing. However, the optical quality of thewindshield is less than optimal. One of the problems is caused by the typical black enamel frit that is printed on the glass, prior to heating and bending, to hide or obscure the camera hardware. Theabrupt thermal gradients during bending, caused by the heat absorbing black frit, result in a high level of distortion in the camera field of view. The object of this invention is to provide a laminated automotive glazing having an obscuration area produced by creating an obscuration after heating and bending the glass by removing a portion of the plastic interlayer glass in or near the camera field of view (camera obscura