Climate stress compensating spacer
AssigneeTechnoform Glass Insulation Holding GmbH
InventorsPetra Sommer, Matteo Dolcera, Jörg Lenz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spacer is provided for an insulating glazing unit that includes at least two spaced-apart glazing panes connected along their edges via the spacer in a mounted state in which the spacer is mounted at the edges to limit an interspace, which is defined between the glazing planes and is filled with gas. The spacer has an inner wall (14) connecting side walls (11, 12) on an inner side that faces the interspace. The inner wall (14) includes a recess portion (14rs, 14rt, 14rc) that enables the length of the inner wall to change in the width direction in response to an external pressure force or an external tensional force applied to the side walls (11, 12).
Claims20
A spacer for use in manufacturing an insulating glazing unit, in which edges of at least two spaced-apart glazing panes are connected via the spacer in a mounted state in which the spacer is mounted along the edges to limit an interspace filled with gas, the spacer extending with an essentially constant cross-section (x-y) in a longitudinal direction (z), the spacer comprising:
- a plastic body extending in the longitudinal direction (z) and having two lateral side walls and an inner wall located on an inner side of the spacer and configured to face the interspace when the spacer is mounted between the glazing panes, and a gas-diffusion barrier film formed on the outer side of the spacer which faces away from the interspace when the spacer is mounted between the glazing panes,
- wherein:
- the lateral side walls are configured to respectively face the glazing panes in a width direction (x) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (z) when the spacer is mounted between the glazing panes,
- the lateral side walls extend, in the cross section (x-y), in a height direction (y) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (z) and the width direction (x), towards the inner side up to respective inner ends of the lateral side walls,
- lateral outer sides at the inner ends of the lateral side walls are separated by a predetermined distance (w1) in a state in which no external pressure force or no external tensional force is applied to the lateral side walls,
- the inner wall connects the lateral side walls on the inner side of the spacer,
- a chamber configured to accommodate desiccating material is defined, in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (z), on respective lateral sides by the lateral side walls and on the side facing the interspace by the inner wall,
- the inner wall is configured to allow gas exchange between the interspace and the chamber when the spacer is mounted between the glazing panes,
- the spacer has a predetermined width (w1) in the width direction (x) corresponding to the predetermined distance, and a predetermined height (h1) in the height direction (y),
- the predetermined width (w1) is a value selected from a range of 10-20 mm,
- the predetermined height (h1) is a value selected from a range of 6-8 mm, and
- the inner wall comprises a recess portion having a depth (dr) in the height direction (y) of at least 1.5 mm, a width (w2) in the width direction (x) of at least 2.5 mm and a wall thickness (dt) in a range of 20% to 80% of a wall thickness (diw) of other parts of the inner wall, the recess portion being configured to allow a length of the inner wall to change in the width direction in response to an external pressure force or an external tensional force applied to the side walls in the width direction (x).
A spacer for use in manufacturing an insulating glazing unit, the spacer comprising:
- a body composed of a polymer and extending in a longitudinal direction (z) with a substantially constant cross-section (x-y), the body including a first wall connecting two side walls to define the shape of a chamber within the body, wherein:
- the first wall is gas permeable,
- a gas-diffusion barrier is continuously formed on the side of the chamber opposite the first wall,
- the side walls extend in a height direction (y) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (z) and are configured to respectively face glazing panes of the insulating glazing unit in a width direction (x) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (z) and the height direction (y),
- the spacer has a total width (w1) between 10-20 mm in the width direction (x) and a total height (h1) between 6-8 mm in the height direction (y),
- a recess is defined in the first wall, the recess having a depth (dr) in the height direction (y) of at least 1.5 mm, and a width (w2) in the width direction (x) of at least 2.5 mm,
- within an area defining the recess, the first wall has a wall thickness (dt) in a range of 20% to 80% of a wall thickness (diw) of portions of the first wall outside of the recess, and the recess enables a length of the inner wall to change in the width direction (y) in response to application of an external compression force or an external tensile force on at least one of the two side walls in the width direction (x).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.