Decreto n.º 14/90

TEXTO :

Decreto n.º 14/90

de 24 de Maio

Nos termos da alínea c) do n.º 1 do artigo 200.º da Constituição, o Governo decreta o seguinte:

Artigo único. É aprovado o Regulamento n.º 43, sobre prescrições uniformes relativas à homologação de vidro de segurança e dos materiais para vidros aplicáveis em veículos a motor e seus reboques, anexo ao Acordo Relativo à Adopção de Condições Uniformes de Homologação e ao Reconhecimento Recíproco de Homologação dos Equipamentos e Peças de Veículos a Motor, concluído em Genebra a 20 de Março de 1958 e aprovado para adesão pelo Decreto n.º 138-A/79, de 22 de Dezembro, cujo texto original em inglês e a respectiva tradução para português vão anexos a este diploma.

Visto e aprovado em Conselho de Ministros de 8 de Fevereiro de 1990. - Aníbal António Cavaco Silva - João de Deus Rogado Salvador Pinheiro - Luís Fernando Mira Amaral - João Maria Leitão de Oliveira Martins.

Assinado em 6 de Março de 1990.

Publique-se.

O Presidente da República, MÁRIO SOARES.

Referendado em 9 de Março de 1990.

O Primeiro-Ministro, Aníbal António Cavaco Silva.

Revised and amended version incorporating the 01 (ver nota ) series of amendments as well as supplements no. 02 (ver nota ) and 03 (ver nota *) to the original version of Regulation no. 43 - Uniform Provisions Concernig the Approval of Safety Glazing and Glazing Materials.

(nota *) Amendments requiring no change in the approval number.

REGULATION NO. 43

Uniform provisions concerning the approval of safety glazing and glazing materials

1 - Scope.

1.1 - This Regulation applies to safety glazing and glazing materials intended for installation as windscreens or other panes, or as partitioning, on power-driven vehicles and their trailers, to the exclusion however of glass panes for lighting and light-signalling devices and instrument panels, of special bullet-proof and aggression-resistant glass panes, and of materials other than glass.

This Regulation does not concern the installation of safety glazing and glazing materials on power-driven vehicles and their trailers or double windows.

2 - Definitions.

For the purpose of this Regulation:

2.1 - Toughened-glass pane: means a glass pane consisting of a single layer of glass which has been subjected to special treatment to increase its mechanical strength and to condition its fragmentation after shattering;

2.2 - Laminated-glass pane: means a glass pane consisting of two or more layers of glass held together by one or more interlayers of plastics material. It may be:

2.2.1 - Ordinary: when none of the layers of glass of which it is composed has been treated; or

2.2.2 - Treated: when at least one of the layers of glass of which it is composed has been specially treated to increase its mechanical strength and to condition its fragmentation after shattering;

2.3 - Safety-glass pane faced with plastics material: means a glass pane as defined in 2.1 or 2.2 with a layer of plastics material on its inner face;

2.4 - Glass-plastics pane: means a pane of laminated glass having one layer of glass and one or more layers of plastics material, at least one of which acts as interlayer. The plastics layer(s) shall be on the inner face when the glazing is fitted on the vehicle;

2.5 - Group of windscreens: means a group comprising windscreens of differing sizes and shapes subjected to an examination of their mechanical properties, their mode of fragmentation and their behaviour in environmental-aggression resistance tests.

2.5.1 - Flat windscreen: means a windscreen exhibiting no nominal curvature resulting in a height of segment greater than 10 mm per linear metre;

2.5.2 - Curved windscreen: means a windscreen exhibiting a nominal curvature resulting in a height of segment greater than 10 mm per linear metre.

2.6 - Double window: means an assembley of two glass panes separately installed within the same opening of the vehicle;

2.7 - Double-glazed unit means an assembly of two glass panes permanently assembled in manufacture and separated by a uniform gap.

2.7.1 - Symmetrical/double-glazing: means a double-glazed unit where the two component glass panes are of the same type (toughened, laminated, etc.) and have the same principal and secondary characteristics.

2.7.2 - Asymmetrical double-glazing: means a double-glazed unit where the two component glass panes are of different type (toughened, laminated, etc.) or have different principal and/or secondary characteristics;

2.8 - Principal characteristic: means a characteristic which appreciably modifies the optical and/or mechanical properties of a glass pane in a way not without significance to the function which the glass pane is to perform in a vehicle. This term also covers the trade name or mark;

2.9 - Secondary characteristic: means a characteristic capable of modifying the optical and/or mechanical properties of a glass pane in a way which is of significance to the function which the glass pane is intended to perform in a vehicle. The extent of such modification is assessed in relation to the indices of difficulty;

2.10 - The term indices of difficulty covers a two-stage grading system applying to the variations observed in practice in each secondary characteristic. A change from index «1» to index «2» indicates the need for additional tests;

2.11 - Developed area of a windscreen: means the minimum rectangular area of glass from which a windscreen can be manufactured;

2.12 - Inclination angle of a windscreen: means the angle included between on the one hand a vertical line and on the other hand a straight line passing through the top and bottom edges of the windscreen, both lines being contained in a vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

2.12.1 - Measurement of the inclination angle shall be performed on a vehicle standing on level ground, and in the case of a passenger-transport vehicle the vehicle shall be in running order, shall be fully charged with fuel, coolant and lubricant, and shall be equipped with tools and the spare wheel or wheels (if they are provided as standard equipment by the vehicle manufacturer); allowance shall be made for the mass of the driver, and also, in the case of a passenger-transport vehicle, for that of one front-seat passenger, the mass of the driver and that of the passenger each being deemed to be 75 kg +/-1 kg.

2.12.2 - Vehicles equipped with hydropneumatic, hydraulic or pneumatic suspension or with a device for automatic adjustment of ground clearance according to load shall be tested in the normal running conditions specified by the manufacturer;

2.13 - Height of segment «h»: the maximum distance, measured at right angles approximately to the glass pane, separating the inner surface of the pane from a plane passing through the ends of the pane (see annex 14, figure 1);

2.14 - Type of glass pane: means glass panes as defined in paragraphs 2.1 to 2.4 not exhibiting any essential differences, with respect, in particular, to the principal and secondary characteristics defined in annexes 4 to 12;

2.14.1 - Although a change in the principal characteristics implies that the product is of a new type, it is recognized that in certain cases a change in shape and dimension does not necessarily require a complete set of tests to be carried out. For certain of the tests prescribed in the individual annexes, glass panes may be grouped if it is evident that they have similar principal characteristics.

2.14.2 - Glass panes exhibiting differences only as regards their secondary characteristics may be deemed to be of the same type; certain tests may however be carried out on samples of such panes in the performance of those tests is explicitely stipulated in the test conditions;

2.15 - Curvature «r»: means the approximate value of the smallest radius of arc of the windscreen as measured in the most curved area.

3 - Application for approval.

3.1 - The application for approval of a type of glass pane shall be submitted by the manufacturer of the safety-glass pane or by his duly accredited representative in the country where the application is made.

3.2 - For each type of safety-glass pane the application shall be accompanied by the undermentioned documents in triplicate and by the following particulars:

3.2.1 - A technical description comprising all principal and secondary characteristics; and

3.2.1.1 - In the case of glass panes other than windscreens, diagrams in a format not exceeding A4 of folded to that format showing:

The maximum area;

The smallest angle between two adjacent sides of the glass pane;

The greatest height of segment, where applicable.

3.2.1.2 - In the case of windscreens:

3.2.1.2.1 - A list of the models of windscreens for which approval is sought, specifying the name of the vehicle manufacturer and the type and category of the vehicle;

3.2.1.2.2 - Drawings on a scale 1:1 for M(índice 1) category and 1:1 or 1:10 for all other categories, and diagrams of the windscreen and its positioning in the vehicle in sufficient detail to show:

3.2.1.2.2.1 - The position of the windscreen relative to the R point of the driver's seat, where applicable;

3.2.1.2.2.2 - The inclination angle of the windscreen;

3.2.1.2.2.3 - The inclination angle of the seat-back;

3.2.1.2.2.4 - The position and size of the zones in which the optical qualities are verified and, where appropriate, the area subjected to differential toughening;

3.2.1.2.2.5 - The developed area of the windscreen.

3.2.1.2.2.6 - The maximum height of segment of the windscreen;

3.2.1.2.2.7 - The curvature of the windscreen (for windscreen-grouping purposes only).

3.2.1.3 - In the case of double-glazed units, diagrams in a format not exceeding A4 or folded to that format, showing, in addition to the information referred to in paragraph 3.2.1.1:

The type of each component glass pane;

The type of sealing (organic, glass to glass/glass to metal);

The nominal width of the gap between the two glass panes.

3.3 - In addition, the applicant for approval shall submit a sufficient number of test pieces and samples of the finished glass panes of the models considered, the number being if necessary determined by agreement with the technical service responsible for conducting the tests.

3.4 - The competent authority shall verify the existence of satisfactory arrangements for ensuring effective control of conformity of production before type approval is granted.

4 - Markings.

4.1 - Every safety-glass pane, including the samples and test pieces submitted for approval, shall bear the trade name or mark of the manufacturer. The marking shall be clearly legible and indelible.

5 - Approval.

5.1 - If the samples submitted for approval meet the requirements of paragraphs 6 to 8 of this Regulation, approval of the pertinent type of safety-glass pane shall be granted.

5.2 - An approval number shall be assigned to each type as defined in annexes 5, 7, 11 and 12 or, in the case of windscreens, to each group approved. Its first two digits (at present 00 for the Regulation in its original form) shall indicate the series of amendments incorporating the most recent major technical amendments made to the Regulation at the time of issue of the approval. The same Contracting Party may not assign the same number to another type or group of safety-glass panes.

5.3 - Approval, extension of approval or refusal of approval of a type of safety-glass pane pursuant to this Regulation shall be communicated to the Parties to the Agreement applying this Regulation, by means of a form conforming to the model in annex 1 - and its appendices - to this Regulation.

5.3.1 - In the case of windscreens, the notice of approval shall be accompanied by a document listing every windscreen model in the approved group, together with the characteristics of the group pursuant to annex 1, appendix 8.

5.4 - There shall be affixed conspicuously to every safety-glass pane and double-glazed unit conforming to a type approved under this Regulation, in addition to the marking prescribed in paragraph 4.1, an international approval mark.

Any specific approval mark assigned to each pane forming a double-glazed unit may also be affixed.

This approval mark shall consist of:

5.4.1 - A circle surrounding the letter «E», followed by the distinguishing number of the country which has granted approval (ver nota 1).

5.4.2 - The number of this Regulation, followed by the letter «R», a dash and the approval number to the right of the circle prescribed in paragraph 5.4.1.

5.5 - The following additional symbols shall be affixed near the above approval mark:

5.5.1 - In the case of a windscreen:

I - For toughened glass (I/P if faced) (ver nota 2);

II - For ordinary laminated glass (II/P if faced) (ver nota 2);

III - For treated laminated glass (III/P if faced) (ver nota 2);

IV - For glass-plastics glazing.

5.5.2 - V - In the case of a glass-pane other than a windscreen covered by the provisions of annex 3, paragraph 9.1.4.2;

5.5.3 - VI - In the case of a double-glazed unit;

5.5.4 - VII - In the case of uniformly-toughened glass panes which can be used as windscreens for slowmoving vehicles which, by construction, cannot exceed 30 km/h.

5.6 - The approval mark and symbol shall be clearly legible and be indelible.

5.7 - Annex 2 to this Regulation gives examples of arrangements of approval marks.

6 - General requirements.

6.1 - All glass, including glass for the manufacture of windscreens, shall be such that, in the event of shattering, the danger of bodily injury is reduced as far as possible. The glass shall be sufficiently resistant to the indicents likely to occur in normal traffic, and to atmospheric and temperature conditions, chemical action, combustion and abrasion.

6.2 - Safety glass shall in addition be sufficiently transparent, shall not cause any noticeable distortions of objects as seen through the windscreen, and shall not give rise to any confusion between the colours used in road-traffic signs and signals. In the event of the windscreen's shattering, the driver must still be able to see the road clearly enough to be able to brake and stop his vehicle safely.

7 - Particular requirements.

All types of safety glass shall, depending on the category to which they bolong, comply with the following particular requirements:

7.1 - As regards toughened-glass windscreens, the requirements contained in annex 4;

7.2 - As regards uniformly-toughened glass panes, the requirements contained in annex 5;

7.3 - As regards ordinary laminated-glass windscreens, the requirements contained in annex 6;

7.4 - As regards ordinary laminated-glass panes other than windscreens, the requirements contained in annex 7;

7.5 - As regards treated laminated-glass windscreens, the requirements contained in annex 8;

7.6 - As regards safety-glass panes faced with plastics material, in addition to the relevant requirements listed above, the requirements contained in annex 9;

7.7 - As regards glass-plastics windscreens, the requirements contained in annex 10;

7.8 - As regards glass-plastics panes other than windscreens, the requirements contained in annex 11;

7.9 - As regards double-glazed units, the requirements contained in annex 12.

8 - Tests.

8.1 - The following tests are prescribed in this Regulation:

8.1.1 - Fragmentation test.

The purpose of this test is:

8.1.1.1 - To verify that the fragments and splinters produced by fracture of the glass pane are such as to minimize the risk of injury; and

8.1.1.2 - In the case of windscreens, to check residual visibility after shattering.

8.1.2 - Mechanical strength test.

8.1.2.1 - Ball-impact test.

There are two forms of tests, one using a 227 g ball and one using a 2,260 g ball.

8.1.2.1.1 - 227 g ball test: the purpose of this test is to assess the adhesion of the interlayer of laminated glass and the mechanical strength of uniformly-toughened glass.

8.1.2.1.2 - 2,260 g ball test: the purpose of this test is to assess ball-penetration resistance of laminated glass.

8.1.2.2 - Headform test.

The purpose of this test is to verify the glass pane's compliance with requirements relating to the limitation of injury in the event of impact of the head against the windscreen, against laminated-glass panes or glass-plastics panes other than windscreens, or against double-glazed units used in side windows.

8.1.3 - Test of resistance to the environment.

8.1.3.1 - Test of resistance to abrasion.

The purpose of this test is to determine whether the resistance of a safety-glass pane to abrasion exceeds a specified value.

8.1.3.2 - Test of resistance to high temperature.

The purpose of this test is to verify that no bubbles or other defects occur in the interlayer in laminated glass or glass-plastics glazing when exposed to high temperatures over an extended period of time.

8.1.3.3 - Resistance-to-radiation test.

The purpose of this test is to determine whether the light transmittance of laminated-glass panes, glass-plastics panes or glass panes faced with plastics material when exposed to radiation over an extended period of time is significantly reduced thereby or whether the glazing is significantly discoloured.

8.1.3.4 - Resistance-to-humidity test.

The purpose of this test is to determine whether laminated-glass panes, glass-plastics panes or glass panes faced with plastics material will withstand, without significant deterioration, the effects of prolonged exposure to atmospheric humidity.

8.1.3.5 - Resistance-to-temperature-changes test.

The purpose of this test is to check that plastics material(s) used in safety glazing as defined in paragraphs 2.3 and 2.4 above will withstand the effects of prolonged exposure to extremes of temperature without significant deterioration.

8.1.4 - Optical qualities.

8.1.4.1 - Light-transmission test.

The purpose of this test is to determine whether the regular transmittance os safety-glass panes exceeds a specified value.

8.1.4.2 - Optical-distortion test.

The purpose of this test is to verify that the distortion of objects as seen through the windscreen is not of such extent as to be likely to confuse the driver.

8.1.4.3 - Secondary-image-separation test.

The purpose of this test is to verify that the angular separation of the secondary image from the primary image does not exceed a specified value.

8.1.4.4 - Identification-of-colours test.

The purpose of this test is to verify that there is no risk of confusion of colours as seen through a windscreen.

8.1.5 - Burning-behaviour (fire-resistance) test.

The purpose of this test is to verify that the inner face of a safety-glass pane as defined in paragraphs 2.3 and 2.4 above has a sufficiently low burn rate.

8.1.6 - Test of resistance to chemicals.

The purpose of this test is to determine that the inner face of a safety-glass pane as defined in paragraphs 2.3 and 2.4 above will withstand the effects of exposure to chemicals likely to be normally present or used within the vehicle (e. g. cleaning compounds) without significant deterioration.

8.2 - Tests prescribed for glass panes of the categories defined in paragraphs 2.1 to 2.4 of this Regulation.