# US 11,028,637 B2 · Glass panel unit, building component, and method for activating gas adsorbent

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- Number: US 11,028,637 B2
- Document ID: US11028637B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/622,194
- Filed: 2018-06-26
- Published: 2020-04-30
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-30
- Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hiroyuki Abe; Eiichi Uriu; Kazuya Hasegawa; Tasuku Ishibashi; Masataka Nonaka; Takeshi Shimizu; Haruhiko Ishikawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028637B2

## CPC

- C03C 27/06: Joining glass to glass by processes other than fusing (fusing C03B23/20; units for use as elements for closing wall or like openings and comprising two or more parallel glass panes in spaced relationship, the panes being permanently secured together E06B3/66)
- E06B 3/6612: {Evacuated glazing units}
- B32B 3/18: characterised by an internal layer formed of separate pieces of material {which are juxtaposed side-by-side (B32B5/02 takes precedence)}
- B32B 17/06: comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific {material}
- C03B 23/245: {Hollow glass sheets}
- E06B 3/663: Elements for spacing panes
- B32B 2307/724: Permeability to gases, adsorption
- B32B 2315/08: Glass
- B32B 2419/00: Buildings or parts thereof
- E06B 3/6736: {Heat treatment (for soldering E06B3/67334)}
- E06B 3/6775: {Evacuating or filling the gap during assembly}
- C03C: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
- E06B: FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES (shades or blinds for greenhouses A01G9/22; curtains A47H; lids for car boots or bonnets B62D25/10; skylights E04B7/18; sunshades, awnings E04F10/00)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- C03B: MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES

## Abstract

A glass panel unit includes a first panel, a second panel, a sealing portion in a frame shape, a plurality of pillars, and a gas adsorbent. The sealing portion in the frame shape hermetically bonds respective peripheral edges of the first panel and the second panel together so as to create an evacuated, hermetically sealed space between the first panel and the second panel. The plurality of pillars and the gas adsorbent are arranged in the hermetically sealed space. The gas adsorbent contains: a non-metallic getter material having a porous structure with the ability to adsorb gas molecules; and a metallic getter material having a metallic surface with the ability to adsorb gas molecules.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A glass panel unit manufacturing method comprising:
a providing step of providing a first substrate including a glass pane and a second substrate including another glass pane;
a pillar arrangement step of arranging a plurality of pillars on one surface of the second substrate;
a gas adsorbent placement step of placing a gas adsorbent on the second substrate;
a bonding step of bonding the first substrate and the second substrate together with a sealing material in a frame shape by heating in the furnace to a predetermined temperature higher than the melting point of the sealing material so as to create an internal space in which the plurality of pillars and the gas adsorbent are located between the first and second substrates and the sealing material;
an evacuating step of evacuating the internal space;
a sealing step of sealing the internal space while keeping the internal space evacuated; and
an activating step of heating the gas adsorbent placed in the internal space to a predetermined activation temperature,
the gas adsorbent including:
a first gas adsorbent containing a non-metallic getter material having a porous structure with the ability to adsorb gas molecules; and
a second gas adsorbent containing a metallic getter material having a metallic surface with the ability to adsorb gas molecules, and
the activating step including heating and activating the first gas adsorbent according to a heating temperature inside the furnace while performing the evacuating step inside the furnace, and activating the second gas adsorbent by locally heating the second gas adsorbent outside the furnace.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The glass panel unit manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein
the non-metallic getter material is a zeolite-based, active carbon, or magnesium oxide getter material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The glass panel unit manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the metallic getter material is a zirconium-based or titanium-based getter material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The glass panel unit manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein
the first gas adsorbent and the second gas adsorbent being provided separately from each other.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The glass panel unit manufacturing method of claim 1, further comprising:
a third panel including still another glass pane and arranged to face one panel selected from the group consisting of the first panel constituted by the first substrate and the second panel constituted by the second substrate; and
a second sealing portion in a frame shape that is hermetically bonded to the one panel and the third panel so as to create a hermetically sealed space between the one panel and the third panel.