The University of Sydney

Nippon Sheet Glass Company, Limited

Rheem Australia Limited

Richard Edward Collins

Jian-Zheng Tang

Nelson Ng

Tetsuo Minaai

Hideo Yoshizawa

Hiroaki Kato

Brendan V Bourke

Takeshi Amari

Manfred Lenzen

Jian Zheng Tang

Stephen James Robinson

Bernard Pailthorpe

Tetsuo Nippon Sheet Glass Co Ltd Minaai

A panel comprises two confronting glass sheetsthat are hermetically sealed together by a solder glass, with the hermetic sealcomprising remelted solder glass.

Glass panel

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);

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 constructing a glass panel which comprises two confronting edge sealed glass sheets, the method comprises the steps of providing a solder glass band around the margin of one surface of each glass sheet, forming, at a first temperature, an hermetic bond between the solder glass band and the associated surface of each glass sheet, positioning the glass sheets in spaced-apart confronting relationship, forming, at a second temperature which is lower than the first temperature, an hermetic seal between the two solder glass bands whilst maintaining the spaced apart relationship between the glass sheets.

A method of producing support pillars for use in the fabrication of evacuated glass panels and, in particular, for use in the fabrication of evacuated glazing. The method comprises the steps of: (a) forming in opposite surfaces () of a metal blank () periodically spaced pairs of aligned linearly extending indentations (and) and, as a consequence, creating regions of weakness () that extend between troughs () of the respective pairs of indentations, and (b) parting individual support pillars () from the metal blank (in which the indentations are formed) at the respective regions () of weakness.

Method of producing support pillars

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.

Method of and apparatus for evacuating a glass chamber

A thermally insulating glass panel comprises two spaced-apart sheets of glass enclosing a low pressure space and interconnected by a glass solder edge seal and an array of support pillars, wherein the glass sheets are sized or configured, or both, such that their edges are not in registration, and, at any point around the periphery of the panel, the edge of one of the sheets extends beyond the edge of the other in order to provide a peripheral stepped cavity in which solder glass material for forming the edge seal is deposited prior to being melted and fused. A method of forming the edge seal for a thermally insulating glass panel comprises the steps of: (a) preparing first and second sheets of glass such that when they are brought together their edges are not in registration, at any point around the periphery of the panel the edge of one of the sheets of glass extending beyond the edge of the other; (b) depositing a strip of solder glass around the periphery of the panel on the extending edges of the glass sheets; (c) heating the panel to melt the solder glass such that it runs between the glass sheets; and (d) cooling the panel to solidify the solder glass.

Methods of construction of evacuated glazing

Vacuum glazing comprising two sheets of glass, hermetically sealed around the edge, with a thermally insulating internal vacuum, and an array of support pillars placed between the glass sheets to be in contact therewith, wherein the pillars are one piece elements consisting of a core or central body, made of a material of higher compressive strength, and at least one contact layer, made of a softer metallic or carbon material, the contact layer being arranged to provide an integral interface between at least one of the ends of the central body and the adjacent glass sheet, the contact layer being arranged to absorb shear forces.

Design improvements to vacuum glazing

A vacuum glazing comprises two sheets of glass hermetically sealed around the edge with a thermally insulating internal vacuum, and an array of support pillars placed between the glass sheets, wherein one of the sheets of glass is laminated, after the vacuum glazing has been manufactured.

Vacuum glazing

A thermally insulating glass panel comprises two spaced apart sheets of glass enclosing a low pressure space and interconnected by a glass solder edge seal and an array of support pillars, and further comprises a pump-out tube which penetrates one of the glass sheets and has a radial flange which is cemented to the inner surface of that glass sheet. A method of constructing a thermally insulating glass panel includes the step of installing a pump-out tube through one of the glass sheets of the panel with the pump-out tube having a radial flange that is sealed to the interior surface of the glass sheet.

Method of construction of evacuated glazing

Thermally insulating glass panels

A thermally insulating glass panel comprises two spaced apart sheets of glass enclosing a low pressure space and interconnected by a peripheral joint of fused solder glass and an array of support pillars, and a pump-out tube used to provide communication between the low pressure space and the exterior of the panel during the creation of the low pressure space. The support pillars each comprise a preformed core of a selected geometry and a selected material and a coating of solder glass at least in the areas between the preformed core and the sheet glass. Preferably the preformed core is spherically shaped and completely coated by solder glass. The preformed core serves to separate the glass sheets during the heating process of the panel's fabrication when the solder glass is in its molten state, and the solder glass serves as a mechanical joint to support the glass sheets after solidification. Furthermore, to increase the strength of the mechanical joint, a thin film of solder glass may be placed in the vicinity of the support pillars on the glass sheets, thereby increasing the wetted area of the solder glass coating of the support pillar.

Growing community of inventors

Riverstone, Australia

Richard Edward Collins