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US 5,315,797 AGranted
Convective gas-flow inhibitors
AssigneeLauren Manufacturing Company
InventorsMichael Glover, Gerhard Reichert
Life of this patent
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AssigneeLauren Manufacturing Company
InventorsMichael Glover, Gerhard Reichert
Estimating the term…
There is described a multiple-pane glazing unit which has top and bottom edges and two side edges and two or more, parallel glazing sheets enclosing a vertical cavity, or cavities. A convective-flow barrier is positioned adjacent to the bottom edge of the glazing sheets within the cavity, or cavities. The barrier is a strip-like member, dimensioned to be in sealing contact, in cold temperature conditions, with both glazing sheets which form a cavity between them. The strip is of a selected material, or of a physical configuration, such that it is flexible of itself or has a flexible edge or edges to accommodate variations in cavity width caused by, say, temperature changes along the length of the barrier. A second similar convective-flow barrier may be positioned adjacent and parallel to the top edge of the unit within the cavity and indeed, intermediate barriers may also be provided between top and bottom barriers and parallel thereto. A vertically extending barrier or barriers intersecting the convective-flow barriers may also be provided.
In a sealed, multiple-pane glazing unit having top and bottom edges and two sides and comprising at least two parallel glazing sheets enclosing at least one vertical cavity, the improvement comprising at least one convective-flow barrier positioned spaced above the bottom edge of the glazing unit within the cavity and separating a minor part at the cavity lower end from the remainder of the cavity to effectively prevent gas flow therebetween, said barrier comprising a strip, the edges of which are in substantial sealing contact at cold temperature conditions with both glazing sheets, said strip having flexing means to provide for changes in its effective width whereby to permit said strip to accommodate variations in the width of said vertical cavity while maintaining an effective seal between the sheets, throughout the length of said barrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.