Apparatuses for vacuum insulating glass (VIG) unit tip-off, and/or associated methods

A kit, comprising:

• at least one vacuum insulating glass (VIG) unit subassembly, the VIG unit subassembly including a glass pump-out tube to be sealed and a pump cup located over the pump-out tube;
• and
• a laser tip-off system for sealing the pump-out tube of the VIG unit subassembly, the system comprising:
• an oven having an oven interior and a wall in which at least one opening is formed, at least one window being located in the at least one opening;
• at least one reflector located in the oven interior;
• and
• at least one laser source located outside of the oven, the at least one laser source being aligned with the window and configured to emit a laser beam towards the at least one reflector,
• wherein the at least one reflector is oriented within the oven interior to cause laser beams emitted from the at least one laser source to be redirected towards the pump-out tube of the VIG unit subassembly when the VIG unit subassembly is provided to the oven interior.

A method of making a vacuum insulating glass (VIG) unit, the method comprising:

• providing an oven having an oven interior and a sidewall in which an opening is formed, wherein a reflector is located in the oven interior and at least one window is located in the sidewall;
• supplying a VIG unit subassembly to the oven, the VIG unit subassembly having a pump-out tube to be sealed;
• emitting a laser beam from a laser source located outside of the oven, the laser beam being emitted through the at least one window and towards the reflector and being redirected by the reflector towards the pump-out tube to be sealed;
• and
• melting the pump-out tube using the laser beam in making the VIG unit.

A method of making vacuum insulating glass (VIG) units, the method comprising:

• providing an oven having an oven interior and a wall in which a plurality of openings are formed, each opening corresponding to a different level of the oven and each level being suitable to accommodate a respective VIG unit subassembly, wherein a laser-grade mirror is located in the oven interior at each said level and wherein at least one window is located in each said opening;
• and
• supplying VIG unit subassemblies to the oven at different respective levels thereof, the VIG unit subassemblies each having a pump-out tube to be sealed;
• emitting laser beams from laser sources located outside of the oven, each said laser beam being (a) emitted through an associated opening and any windows of the associated opening, (b) directed towards the mirror associated with that opening, and (c) redirected by the mirror towards the pump-out tube of the VIG unit subassembly at the corresponding level;
• the pump-out tubes being melted in making the VIG units.