The University of Sydney

Nippon Sheet Glass Company, Limited

Nelson Ng

Richard Edward Collins

Tetsuo Minaai

Hideo Yoshizawa

Hiroaki Kato

Takeshi Amari

Manfred Lenzen

Tetsuo Nippon Sheet Glass Co Ltd Minaai

A glass panel comprising: a pair of glass sheets (), () disposed in opposition to each other via a gap (V) therebetween, peripheral edges of the two glass sheets (), () being bonded with low melting glass () for sealing the gap (V);

Glass panel

In order to provide a method of manufacturing a glass panel which, in time of a baking process, restrains an internal stress generated in both of glass plates () to prevent a decline in strength, and restrains inorganic and organic substances remaining within a void (V) defined between the glass plates () to prevent deterioration in quality, a method of manufacturing a glass panel comprises the steps of executing a joining process for joining the pair of glass plates () opposed to each other across the void (V) at peripheries thereof by using a low melting point glass () in a melted condition, executing a baking process for suctioning gas from said void (V) through a suction portion disposed in said glass plates while heating said void (V) defined between the glass plates (), and sealing said suction portion to seal said void (V), wherein the gas is suctioned from said void (V) with said low melting point glass () being in a softened condition in which a coefficient of viscosity thereof is 10Pascal seconds (Pa&#xb7;s) or less when said baking process is executed.

Method of joining glass plates

A glass panel comprising a pair of glass sheets () disposed with respective faces thereof confronting each other in face-to-face relationship with a gap (V) therebetween and with peripheral edges of the glass sheets () being bonded with a bonding sealant () to be sealed thereby; an evacuating port () for evacuating gas present within said gap (V) to the outside; and a getter () for coming into contact with the gas within said gap (V), wherein said evacuating port () includes a getter-retaining space () for retaining said getter () therein, said port () being formed in one () of said pair of glass sheets (), said getter () being retained within said getter-retaining space (), said evacuating port () being closed and sealed by means of a lid (). After the peripheral edges of the glass sheets () are bonded and sealed by a bonding sealant (), the gas present within said gap (V) is drawn and evacuated through said evacuating port () with said getter () being retained within said getter-retaining space (), then, said evacuating port () is closed and sealed by bonding a lid () to said one glass sheet ().

Glass panel and method of manufacturing the glass panel

A method of and apparatus for evacuating a chamber, for example in vacuum glazing, that is enclosed in part by a glass wall that includes an evacuation port. An evacuating head is employed and is arranged to cover the port and a portion of the glass wall that surrounds the port. The evacuating head has a first cavity that communicates with the port and at least one further cavity that surrounds the first cavity. The first and further cavities are connected by conduits to respective vacuum pumps, which apply differential negative pressure to the first and further cavities, and the chamber is evacuated by way of the first cavity. Evacuation of the chamber may be effected whilst the glazing is subjected to high temperature out-gassing.

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Sydney, Australia

Nelson Ng