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Thread: heated windscreen

  1. #1
    Regular Member rozzer2006's Avatar
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    Default heated windscreen

    hi guys ive read a prevouis post about this but is there a heated film that ypu can buy to put over ure car windscreen, ino ford has it think they have the paitent but surely there must be a after market type thing??

    cheers

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    Regular Member Handyandy-UK's Avatar
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    The system Ford has uses an extremely fine wire mesh heating element built into the glass and as you rightly state, they hold the patent on a front screen heating element thus prventing anyone else using a similar system without first buying a licence. Thereby lies the problem - how to incorporate a heating device which does not infringe the Ford patent. Without knowing the technical detail of Ford's patent I would guess any form of heating element mounted on or in the front screen would infringe and allow Ford to chase a hefty fine, thus alternate systems on offer (OEM or aftermarket) being blown air type.

    The second part to my guess on this would be the thermal reaction of a standard windscreen to sudden, direct heating - mucho big crack methinks.

    All-in-all a shame though as I've seen the Ford system at work on a totally iced over Mondeo screen and it's brilliant when all the elements work.... interestingly stripey when they don't though.

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    Regular Member Das's Avatar
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    Im surprised they have never just sold this to other manufacturers, they could have made a fortune, and saved the rest of us cold hands in the morning!!!

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    Regular Member Mr Owens's Avatar
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    They have, BMW use it on the mini and land rover use it

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    Regular Member Das's Avatar
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    I knew Land Rover used it as did Jaguar, but that was when they were part owned by Ford. Didn't realize Mini's had it though. Wonder how long the patent lasts before it goes global, is it not 25 years?

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    Regular Member fistymus's Avatar
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    I hated my mondeo one... good for frozen windscreen, totally awful for satnav as they create a shield preventing the satnav from properly seeing through to the satellites. Also used to find the mesh kinda distracting occasionally as it's not invisible.

    Oh and a patent lasts for 30 years (You have to patent it in each country too)
    I have a couple of patents and the process was very expensive and long winded.

    Doesn't stop Joe Blogs from doing their own homebrew ghetto mod to their own car though. Only stops manufacturers and businesses from making money using your process/design.

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    Weird? My missus 54 plate focus has the heated front screen, superb in the cold, and our cheapo tomtom works fine.

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    Regular Member fistymus's Avatar
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    They probably improved them since my 94 plate Plus satnavs were huge bricks

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    Regular Member rozzer2006's Avatar
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    yeah thats pretty pish really, ino its basicly the same as the rear window execpt its very fine, some type of electic heater may be in order then?? when did ford paitent it then?? im sure it was a while ago like early 90's??

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    Default

    Personally I do think it's the kind of thing that should be freely available on all makes of car if only on safety grounds.
    I do realise that Ford hold the patent for it, and that's why no-one else can use it without paying (a no doubt substantial) license fee. But how much better would it have been if they had said that it was such a good idea for road safety that they would forego that and make it available to all.

    Would you (for instance) even consider a car that did not have rear screen heating as standard?

    That's Capitalism for you... profit before people all the way!

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