The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 15, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 22, 1998
Richard Edward Collins, Rouse Hill, AU;
Jian-Zheng Tang, Merrylands, AU;
The University of Sydney, , AU;
Abstract
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.