Low thermal conducting spacer assembly for an insulating glazing unit and method of making same

In an insulating unit having a closed spacer frame, the spacer frame comprising an outer peripheral surface, a first side and an opposite second side, the spacer frame between a pair of sheets with one of the sheets secured to outer surface of the first side of the spacer frame by a first layer of a moisture impervious sealant and with the other one of the sheets secured to outer surface of the second side of the spacer frame by a second layer of a moisture impervious adhesive to provide a compartment between the sheets, the improvement comprising:

• the spacer frame made of a moisture and gas impervious material and comprises at least three corners with the spacer frame between adjacent corners having a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration having the first side of the frame extending from a base and the second side of the frame extending from the base, the first and second sides spaced from one another and only connected by the base, portion of outer surface of the base on one side of one of the corners defined as a first corner extends away from the first corner and lies in a first plane, portion of the outer surface of the base on other side of the first corner extends away from the first corner and lies in a second plane with the first and second planes intersecting on another at the first corner of the frame, the outer surface of the first side of the frame lies in a the third plane normal to the first and second planes and the outer surface of the second side of the frame lies in a fourth plane parallel to the third plane and normal to the first and second planes wherein portions of the first and second sides of the frame at the first corner of the frame extend toward one another over inner surface of the base, and
• a bead of a moisture pervious matrix having a desiccant mixed therein between the first and second sides of the frame on selected surface portions of the base.

In an insulating unit having a pair of sheets separated by a spacer frame, the spacer frame having a pair of opposed outer major surfaces with a first moisture impervious adhesive layer securing one of the opposed outer major surfaces of the spacer frame to portions of inner major surface of one of the pair of sheets and a second moisture impervious adhesive layer securing the other one of the opposed outer major surfaces of the spacer frame to portions of inner major surface of the other one of the pair of sheets to provide a compartment between the pair of sheets, the improvement comprising:

• the spacer frame is a laminated closed ended spacer frame comprising a base and a pair of outer legs spaced from one another and are only interconnected by the base to provide the spacer frame with a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration, and a first member and a second member wherein the first member is a structurally stable plastic core having a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration, an outer surface area and an opposite inner surface area, and the second member is a moisture and gas impervious film secured to and completely covering all of the surface area of at least one of the inner and outer surface areas of the plastic core to substantially prevent movement of moisture through the plastic core, the outer surface of one of the legs of the laminated spacer frame is adhered to one of the sheets by the first moisture impervious adhesive layer and outer surface of other one of the legs of the laminated spacer frame is adhered to the other one of the sheets by the second moisture impervious adhesive layer, and
• a bead of a moisture pervious adhesive matrix having a desiccant mixed therein on selected portions of inner surface of the base of the spacer frame.

In an insulating unit having a spacer frame between, and secured by a moisture impervious sealant to a pair of sheets to provide a compartment between the sheets, the improvement comprising:

• the spacer frame comprising four sides, four corners, a structurally stable U-shaped plastic core having a first outer leg and a second outer leg, the first and second outer legs spaced from one another and connected to a base, a moisture and gas impervious film secured to outer major surface of the first leg, the second leg and the base to provide a laminated spacer frame, the base and the first and second outer legs are each continuous from a first position adjacent to and spaced from a first corner around the first corner, around adjacent next corner defined as the second corner, around next adjacent corner defined as the third corner and terminating at a position spaced from the third corner, portions of the first outer leg between the corners providing a first sheet supporting surface and portions of the second outer leg between the corners providing a second sheet supporting surface, the outer legs connected only by the base and portions of the first leg and portions of the second leg at the first, second and third corners extending toward one another over the base of the spacer frame;
• the moisture impervious sealant comprising a first moisture impervious adhesive layer on outer surface of the first sheet supporting surface to secure the first sheet supporting surface and adjacent major surface portion of one of the pair of sheets to one another and a second moisture impervious adhesive layer on outer surface of the second sheet supporting surface to secure the second sheet supporting surface and adjacent major surface portion of other one of the pair of sheets to one another, and
• a bead of a moisture pervious matrix having a desiccant mixed therein on selected portions of inner surface of the base.

A strip for use in the fabrication of a spacer frame used in the fabrication of an insulating unit wherein the spacer frame has a perimeter having a predetermined length;

• a first leg extending upward from a base;
• a second leg spaced from the first leg and extending upward from the base;
• the base having a predetermined width as measured between the first and second legs;
• the first and second legs each having a predetermined height as measured from surface of the base between the legs, and the first and second legs and the base forming generally U-shaped cross section, the strip comprising:
• a contiguous elongated flat bendable plastic substrate having opposed major surfaces, at least one of the major surfaces of the substrate being fluid impervious, the substrate having a predetermined length equal to or greater than the predetermined length of the spacer frame and a width equal to or greater than the sum of the predetermined height of the first and second legs and the predetermined width of the base, and
• an elongated bead of a fluid pervious adhesive having a desiccant mixed therein with the bead adhered directly to one of the major surfaces of the plastic substrate spaced from edges of the substrate, wherein the height of the bead as measured from the major surface of the plastic substrate is less than predetermined height of the first leg, and the adhesive has structural stability less than the structural stability of the substrate.