| abstract |
Protective laminate films protect an underlying windshield from damage due to impacting rocks or other debris. The laminate films generally include a substrate having a scratch resistant coating adhered to one side and an adhesive layer adhered to an opposite side. Adhesion promoter and primer layers may be provided to enhance adhesion of the scratch-resistant coating to the substrate. Each layer is transparent such that, when applied to a windshield, the laminate film does not impact a driver's visibility. Each layer may also be flexible so that the laminate films can be molded to a curved windshield. Generally, the scratch resistant coating protects the laminate films from scratching or other damage from impacting debris or from windshield wipers. The substrate provides structural integrity to the laminate films and may provide some impact dispersion. The adhesive layer, in addition to adhering the laminate films to the windshield, may also provide significant impact resistance that protects the windshield from cracks or chips due to impacting rocks or other debris. |