Interpretation ID: nht79-1.9

DATE: 10/11/79

FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; Stephen P. Wood for F. Berndt; NHTSA

TO: Orient Glass, Inc.

TITLE: FMVSS INTERPRETATION

TEXT:

NOA-30

Mr. J. Ohmura Orient Glass, Inc. 445 South Figueroa Street Los Angeles, California 90071

Dear Mr. Ohmura:

This responds to your recent letter asking whether a bus bar extension on rear-window passenger car glazing would comply with Safety Standard No. 205. I assume from your letter that the bus bar is a defrosting template that is embedded in the glazing material.

Safety Standard No. 205, through the ANS Z26 standard that is incorporated by reference, requires glazing materials requisite for driving visibility in passenger cars to have a luminous transmittance of at least 70 percent (Test No. 2 in ANS Z26). This requirement would be applicable to rear-window glazing for passenger cars, since these windows are necessary for driving visibility. Rear-window glazing that contains a bus bar extension and electrical template wires would still have to comply with the 70-percent luminous transmittance requirement, when tested in accordance with Test No. 2. The .67-inch bus bar extension would not preclude compliance with this requirement, although it obviously has no luminous transmittance, if the remaining parts of the glazing meet the 70-percent requirement. However, if the electrical wires of the template are so numerous or located so near each other that a tested section of the glazing would not have a luminous transmittance of at least 70 percent, the rear window would not be in compliance with Safety Standard No. 205.

Sincerely,

Frank Berndt Chief Counsel

August 22, 1979.

U. S. Department of Transportation NHTSA Office of Standards Enforcement Washington, D. C. 20590 (Att: Mt. Frank Berndt)

Dear Mr. Berndt,

We have been referred to you by Mr. Heath, of The California Highway Patrol for approval of bus bar extension on rear window auto glass.

As shown in the enclosed attachments this particular bus bar extends 0.67 inch from the edge of the AS-2 approved Tempered Auto Glass. We need written confirmation that this bus bar design complies with your standard, FMVSS 205.

Please let us know if there are any other requirements for approval.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this request.

Thank you.

ORIENT GLASS, INC.

J. Ohmura

JO/mw

August 15, 1979

File No.: 62.A661.A4381

Mr. J. Omura Orient Glass, Inc. 445 S. Figueroa Street Suite 2430 Los Angeles, CA 90071

Dear Mr. Omura:

This is to confirm your telephone conversation of August 2 with Mr. Max Mizoguchi of this office regarding the location of the electrical bus bar in glazing materials.

Original equipment safety glazing meeting the requirements established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is acceptable for sale in California. If you feel that your design may not comply with FMVSS 205, you may wish to contact their legal department to seek clarification. Questions should be directed to:

U. S. Department of Transportation NHTSA Office of Standards Enforcement Attention Mr. Frank Berndt Washington, D.C. 20590

Please supply us with a copy of all correspondence on this subject.

We trust this information will be helpful to you.

Very truly yours,

W. W. HEATH, Chief Engineer Acting Commander Commercial and Technical Services Section