Thermally insulative gas replacement system for vacuum insulating glass units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10465435-B2
Application number	US-201715425406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2017
Priority date	Feb 6, 2017
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

The invention provides a vacuum insulating glass unit with two panes assembled in a spaced-apart configuration so as to have a between-pane space located between them. The between-pane space has a high vacuum. The vacuum insulating glass unit also includes a bleed chamber filled with an insulative gas at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure and configured such that over time insulative gas from the bleed chamber diffuses into the between-pane space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vacuum insulating glass unit comprising a first pane and a second pane assembled in a spaced-apart configuration so as to have a between-pane space located between them, the between-pane space having a high vacuum, the vacuum insulating glass unit further comprising a bleed chamber, the bleed chamber being filled with thermally insulative gas at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure and configured such that over time thermally insulative gas from the bleed chamber diffuses into the between-pane space, the thermally insulative gas being noble gas or a mix of noble gas and air, the pressure in the bleed chamber being characterized by a gas pressure of 765 torr or higher.

2. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 1 wherein the gas pressure of the bleed chamber is 770 torr or higher.

3. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 1 wherein the high vacuum in the between-pane space is characterized by a gas pressure of 0.00085 torr or lower.

4. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 1 wherein the high vacuum in the between-pane space is characterized by a gas pressure of between 0.0008 torr and 10 −9 torr.

5. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 1 wherein the bleed chamber has a first volume, the between-pane space has a second volume, and the first volume is at least 25% as great as the second volume.

6. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 5 wherein the first volume is greater than the second volume.

7. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 1 comprising an edge region delineating a perimeter of the vacuum insulating glass unit, the first and second panes having between them a seal that extends about the perimeter, the bleed chamber located peripherally outside of the edge region.

8. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 1 wherein the thermally insulative gas is selected from argon, krypton, and xenon.

9. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 1 wherein the vacuum insulating glass unit includes a fill tube having one end in communication with an interior of the bleed chamber.

10. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 9 wherein the vacuum insulating glass unit further includes an evacuation tube having one end in communication with an interior of the between-pane space.

11. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 1 wherein the first pane and the second pane are the only panes of the vacuum insulating glass unit.

12. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 1 wherein the vacuum insulating glass unit is devoid of a metal spacer.

13. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 1 wherein the first pane and the second pane have a seal between them, the seal consisting of a single bead of polymer sealant.

14. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 1 further comprising a third pane spaced apart from both the first and second panes, wherein the first pane, the second pane, and the third pane are the only panes of the vacuum insulating glass unit.

15. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 1 wherein the first pane and the second pane have a seal between them, the seal being made of rubber.

16. A vacuum insulating glass unit comprising a first pane and a second pane assembled in a spaced-apart configuration so as to have a between-pane space located between them, the between-pane space having a high vacuum, the vacuum insulating glass unit further comprising a bleed chamber, the bleed chamber being filled with thermally insulative gas at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure and configured such that over time thermally insulative gas from the bleed chamber diffuses into the between-pane space, the thermally insulative gas being noble gas or a mix of noble gas and air, the pressure in the bleed chamber being characterized by a gas pressure of 765 torr or higher,
the vacuum insulating glass unit comprising an edge region delineating a perimeter of the vacuum insulating glass unit, the first and second panes having between them a seal that extends about the perimeter, the bleed chamber located peripherally outside of the between-pane space, the bleed chamber being encased by a housing that is separate from the first pane and the second pane.

17. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 16 wherein the seal is located between the between-pane space and the bleed chamber.

18. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 16 wherein the bleed chamber has an annular configuration.

19. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 18 wherein the annular configuration of the bleed chamber entirely surrounds the between-pane space.

20. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 16 wherein the seal creates a substantially hermetic seal between the first and second panes.

21. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 16 wherein the gas pressure of the bleed chamber is 770 torr or higher.

22. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 16 wherein the bleed chamber is mounted against edges of the first and second panes.

23. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 16 wherein the bleed chamber has a greater width, measured perpendicular to major surfaces of the first and second panes, than does the between-pane space.

24. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 16 wherein the first pane and the second pane are the only panes of the vacuum insulating glass unit.

25. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 16 wherein the seal is a glass frit.

26. A vacuum insulating glass unit comprising a first pane and a second pane assembled in a spaced-apart configuration so as to have a between-pane space located between them, the between-pane space having a high vacuum, the vacuum insulating glass unit further comprising a bleed chamber, the bleed chamber being filled with thermally insulative gas at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure and configured such that over time thermally insulative gas from the bleed chamber diffuses into the between-pane space, the thermally insulative gas being noble gas or a mix of noble gas and air, the pressure in the bleed chamber being characterized by a gas pressure of 765 torr or higher,
wherein the first and second panes define confronting interior surfaces, and the bleed chamber is bounded by the confronting interior surfaces of the first and second panes.

27. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 26 comprising an edge region delineating a perimeter of the vacuum insulating glass unit, the first and second panes having between them a first seal that extends about the perimeter and a second seal spaced inwardly from the first seal, the bleed chamber being located peripherally inside of the edge region and between the first and second seals.

28. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 26 wherein the gas pressure of the bleed chamber is 770 torr or higher.

29. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 26 comprising a first seal and a second seal, the confronting interior surfaces of the first and second panes together with the first seal forming the between-pane space, the bleed chamber being located along a perimeter of the vacuum insulating glass unit between the first seal and the second seal, the first seal and the second seal each consisting of a single bead of polymer sealant.

30. The vacuum insulating glass unit of claim 26 further comprising an evacuation and/or fill tube mounted so as to extend through a hole in one

Assignees

• Cardinal Cg Co

Inventors

• Burrows Keith James

Classifications

• E06B3/6775

  Evacuating or filling the gap during assembly · CPC title

• E06B3/677 Primary

  Evacuating or filling the gap between the panes {; Equilibration of inside and outside pressure}; Preventing condensation in the gap between the panes (by means of spacing elements E06B3/663); Cleaning the gap between the panes · CPC title

• E06B3/66309

  Section members positioned at the edges of the glazing unit · CPC title

• E06B3/6612

  Evacuated glazing units · CPC title

• E06B3/66366

  specially adapted for units comprising more than two panes or for attaching intermediate sheets · CPC title