Edge seal assemblies for hermetic insulating glass units and vacuum insulating glass units
AssigneeEverSealed Windows, Inc.
InventorsDAVID H. STARK, PATRICK MICHAEL HONOR
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing VIGUs and IGUs comprises providing a first lite; providing a second lite spaced apart from the first lite to form a cavity therebetween; and encircling the lites with a one piece band. Spacers of a metal solder alloy or other reflowable material are inserted between the band and the perimeter edges of the lites. The assembly is heated in an evacuated environment, causing the spacers to melt and hermetically bond to the lites, but not until the cavity has been substantially evacuated.
Claims10
A vacuum insulating glass unit (“VIGU”) comprising:
- a first lite;
- a second lite spaced apart from the first lite to form a cavity therebetween;
- and
- a one piece hermetic band encircling the two lites and hermetically bonded to the edges of the lites to hermetically seal the cavity from the environment, the cavity having a reduced-pressure atmosphere relative to the environment;
- wherein the hermetic band, when viewed in cross section, includes
- a first bonding region at a first end of the band, the first bond region hermetically bonded to the periphery of the first lite,
- a second bonding region at a second end of the band, the second bond region hermetically bonded to the periphery of the second lite, and
- a center region extending continuously between the first bonding region and the second bonding region and including a first section of three-dimensional corrugations disposed in a line substantially parallel to the peripheral edges of the lites.
An insulating glass unit (“IGU”) comprising:
- a first lite;
- a second lite spaced apart from the first lite to form a cavity therebetween;
- and
- a one piece hermetic band encircling the two lites and hermetically bonded to the edges of the lites to hermetically seal the cavity from the environment, the cavity having a modified-composition atmosphere relative to the environment;
- wherein the hermetic band, when viewed in cross section, includes
- a first bonding region at a first end of the band, the first bond region hermetically bonded to the periphery of the first lite,
- a second bonding region at a second end of the band, the second bond region hermetically bonded to the periphery of the second lite, and
- a center region extending continuously between the first bonding region and the second bonding region and including a first section of three-dimensional corrugations disposed in a line substantially parallel to the peripheral edges of the lites.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.