US Patent 11267514 Transparent vehicle A-pillar

Technical methods described herein include a motor vehicle frame having an improved field of view. The motor vehicle frame includes a pillar body, such as an A-pillar, having an opening positioned between opposite sidewalls of the pillar body. A transparent material is disposed within the opening in the pillar body. The transparent material is selected from materials having a transmission coefficient of at least 50 percent for light in the infrared (IR), visible, and ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths and a refractive index between 1 and 2 for visible light, such as polymethylmethacralate (PMMA) or an optically transparent polycarbonate.