Integrated tube for vacuum insulated glass (VIG) unit evacuation and hermetic sealing, VIG unit including integrated tube, and associated methods

Abstract

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to vacuum insulated glass (VIG) units, and/or methods of making the same. An integrated pump-out tube is formed in a first substrate such that, when viewed in cross-section, the first glass substrate includes (a) first and second channel portions provided adjacent to opposite sides of a through-hole and (b) first and second sealing wall portions defined therebetween. An edge seal seals together the first and second substrates. A cavity is defined by the first and second substrates. Spacers provided between the first and second substrates in the cavity help maintain the first and second substrates in substantially parallel, spaced-apart relation to one another. The cavity is evacuated to a pressure less than atmospheric. The first and second sealing wall portions are preferentially heating to cause them to sag together and form a bridge covering the through-hole, hermetically sealing the VIG unit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.