Two-stage hermetic seal and process of making same
AssigneeV-Glass, Inc.
InventorPeter Petit
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An evacuated glazing assembly has first and second spaced-apart, non-metal substrates connected to each other by a seal element to form an evacuable interior space therebetween. The seal element is formed by bonding a metallic bridge element to at least one of the substrates by cold welding to form a first stage seal and forming a second stage seal at least partially in contact with the first stage seal. The seal element is configured to hermetically isolate the interior space from the surrounding environment, and both the first stage seal and the second stage seal contribute to the hermeticity of the seal element.
Claims22
An evacuated glazing assembly having first and second spaced-apart substrates connected to each other by a seal element to form an evacuable interior space therebetween, wherein the seal element is formed by:
- bonding a metallic bridge element to at least one of the substrates using cold welding to form a first stage seal;
- and
- forming a second stage seal in contact with and disposed at least partially over the first stage seal, the second stage seal further positioned partially laterally inward of the first stage seal such that the second stage seal is partially bonded directly to the at least one of the substrates,
- wherein the second stage seal is configured to hermetically seal the first stage seal, and
- wherein the seal element is configured to hermetically isolate the interior space from the surrounding environment.
An evacuated glazing assembly comprising:
- a first substrate;
- a second substrate spaced from the first substrate to define an interior space therebetween;
- a seal element disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate to hermetically isolate the interior space from a surrounding environment, wherein the seal element includes:
- a metallic bridge element at least partially located between the first substrate and the second substrate, the metallic bridge element having an elongated section extending along a peripheral side of the evacuated glazing,
- a first stage seal defined by a cold-welded bond between the metallic bridge element and the first substrate, the first stage seal having an inboard edge extending along the elongated section of the metallic bridge element and the first substrate, and
- a second stage seal in contact with the first stage seal along the inboard edge, and the second stage seal further at least partially covering the first stage seal.
A method of forming a seal element for hermetically isolate an interior space between a first substrate and a second substrate of an evacuated glazing assembly from a surrounding environment, the method comprising:
- bonding a metallic bridge element to each of the first substrate and the second substrate via respective cold-welds to form corresponding first stage seals between the metallic bridge element, each of the first stage seals having an inboard edge extending along the metallic bridge element and the first and second substrates, respectively;
- applying a sealing material at least partially in contact with and along the inboard edge of each of the first stage seals, the sealing material further disposed at least partially over each of the first stage seals;
- and
- heating the sealing material to form a second stage seal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.