Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Hollow or container type article – Glass – ceramic – or sintered – fused – fired – or calcined metal...
Patent
1996-03-27
1999-05-11
Loney, Donald
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Hollow or container type article
Glass, ceramic, or sintered, fused, fired, or calcined metal...
5278613, E06B3/24
Patent
active
059026529
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The inventions described in this specification concern a number of improvements to the design of thermally insulating glass panels. These panels typically comprise two spaced apart sheets of glass enclosing a low pressure space and interconnected by an edge seal and an array of support pillars. The panels are used for glazing, and such thermally insulating windows are generally referred to as evacuated glazing.
Thermally insulating panels are typically constructed by depositing a strip of solder glass around the periphery of the glass sheets; depositing an array of support pillars onto one or other of the sheets of glass; bringing the sheets together or permitting them to move together; heating the panels to melt the solder glass around the periphery so that the two sheets settle onto the pillars; and then cooling the panel to solidify the edge seal. The panel is then evacuated by pumping out through a tube positioned either through one of the glass sheets or through the edge seal, and finally the pump-out tube is melted and sealed off.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The first improvement concerns the support pillars, and in particular a method of designing the pillar radius and spacing, and a panel constructed in accordance with the design constraints of the method.
The second improvement concerns the edge seal, and in particular a method of constructing a thermally insulating glass panel with a superior edge seal, and a panel incorporating the superior seal.
The third improvement concerns the evacuation of the panels, and in particular a method of improving the evacuation of the panels during construction, and a panel produced by the improved method.
The fourth improvement concerns the pump-out tube, in particular a panel incorporating the improved pump-out tube, and a method of constructing such panels.
Several conditions must be satisfied in the construction of evacuated glazing. First, it is necessary to produce an hermetic (leak-free) edge seal around the periphery of the panel. Second, in order to prevent the glass sheets from being forced into contact with each other, by the large atmospheric pressure forces acting, it is essential to include an array of support pillars within the glazing. Third, the space between the glass sheets must be evacuated to a high level, and this level of vacuum maintained over the life of the glazing. Fourth, in order to reduce radiative heat flow through the glass, a low emittance coating is applied to the inner surfaces of one or both sheets of glass.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a graphical representation of the design constraints relating to the construction of a glazing panel in accordance with the first improvement;
FIG. 2a shows the detail of the edge of a panel under construction before the solder glass is melted in accordance with the second improvement;
FIG. 2b shows the same detail as FIG. 2a after the solder glass has been melted in accordance with the second improvement;
FIG. 3a is a graph showing time constant for pressure reduction in evacuated panels of various lateral dimensions as a function of the gap between the glass sheets in accordance with the third improvement;
FIG. 3b is a graph of the time constant for pressure reduction within evacuated panels of different sizes with a very small gap (0.01 mm) as a function of the position of the pump-out tube along the edge of the panel in accordance with the third improvement;
FIG. 4a is a sectional view through the edge of a thermally insulated glass panel showing a known pump-out tube arrangement; and
FIG. 4b is a sectional view through the edge of a thermally insulating glass panel showing a pump-out tube arrangement in accordance with the fourth improvement.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT AND/OR METHOD OF EACH
IMPROVEMENT
The First Improvement
The Support Pillars
Several factors have been identified which influence the design choices for the dimensions of a pillar array, in particular the pillar radius and the pillar spacing or separ
REFERENCES:
patent: 1370974 (1921-03-01), Kirlin
patent: 2168216 (1939-08-01), Kennedy et al.
patent: 2198578 (1940-04-01), Hazelton, Jr. et al.
patent: 2749579 (1956-06-01), Shaw
patent: 2896272 (1959-07-01), Latenser
patent: 3027607 (1962-04-01), Badger et al.
patent: 3472640 (1969-10-01), Stockdale
patent: 3778126 (1973-12-01), Wilson
patent: 3778127 (1973-12-01), Langston, Jr. et al.
patent: 3914000 (1975-10-01), Beckerman et al.
patent: 3947260 (1976-03-01), Salisbury
patent: 3961871 (1976-06-01), Kurio
patent: 3990201 (1976-11-01), Falbel
patent: 4038797 (1977-08-01), Hermann et al.
patent: 4125390 (1978-11-01), Kawai et al.
patent: 4184480 (1980-01-01), Kenny
patent: 4186723 (1980-02-01), Coppola et al.
patent: 4312457 (1982-01-01), Allaire
patent: 4359042 (1982-11-01), Belentepe et al.
patent: 4393105 (1983-07-01), Kreisman
patent: 4683154 (1987-07-01), Benson et al.
patent: 4786344 (1988-11-01), Beuther
patent: 5009218 (1991-04-01), Bachli
patent: 5124185 (1992-06-01), Kerr et al.
patent: 5270084 (1993-12-01), Parker
patent: 5664395 (1997-09-01), Collins et al.
John D. Garrison, "A Thermally Insulating Vacuum Window" (undated).
Collins Richard Edward
Tang Jian-Zheng
Loney Donald
University of Sydney
LandOfFree
Methods of construction of evacuated glazing does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Methods of construction of evacuated glazing, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Methods of construction of evacuated glazing will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-244762