Glass-inclusive sample viewer, and/or associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11790809-B2
Application number	US-202016822374-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2020
Priority date	Mar 19, 2019
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

Certain example embodiments relate to a box or other viewer that accommodates one or more glass-inclusive samples and that is usable in a plurality of different configurations to facilitate evaluation of the sample(s) from indoor and outdoor viewing perspectives. The sample viewer is “convertible” between a transportation configuration and the indoor and outdoor viewing perspective configurations. For example, certain example embodiments may be used as glass-inclusive sample shipping and storage containers that transform into miniature mockup walls with little manual effort and with little risk of human viewers looking at glass the wrong way (e.g., a manner that would lead to a false impression of the visual aesthetic of the sample(s) therein). The glass-inclusive sample(s) may include one or more uncoated or coated glass sheets, insulated glass (IG) units, vacuum insulated glass (VIG) units, laminated products, and/or the like.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An insulated glass (IG) unit viewing kit, comprising:
at least one sample IG unit, each said sample IG unit comprising:
first and second substantially parallel, spaced apart glass substrates;
a spacer system provided around peripheral edges of the first and second substrates, wherein the spacer system comprises a gap or cavity being defined between the first and second substrates; and
a sample viewer comprising one or more sample-receiving slots;
an inner sleeve in which the one or more sample-receiving slots are defined;
first and second outer shell members;
at least one first support provided to the first outer shell member;
at least one second support provided to the second outer shell member; and
an inner member provided to the second outer shell member;
wherein the sample viewer is transformable into at least two configurations, wherein the at least two configurations are selected from the group consisting of a first configuration being an outdoor viewing configuration, a second configuration being an indoor viewing configuration, a third configuration being packaged and adapted for transport with the at least one sample IG unit therein, and combinations thereof.

2. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the sample viewer comprises corrugated cardboard.

3. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the sample viewer is transformable between the first and second configurations, and between the second and third configurations.

4. A sample viewer comprising:
one or more sample-receiving slots,
an inner sleeve in which the one or more sample-receiving slots are defined;
first and second outer shell members;
at least one first support provided to the first outer shell member;
at least one second support provided to the second outer shell member; and
an inner member provided to the second outer shell member,
wherein the sample viewer being transformable into at least two of first, second, and third configurations, the first configuration being an outdoor viewing configuration, the second configuration being an indoor viewing configuration, and the third configuration being packaged and adapted for transport with a at least one sample insulated glass (IG) unit therein.

5. The sample viewer of claim 4 , comprising at least two sample-receiving slots.

6. The sample viewer of claim 4 , being transformable between the first and second configurations, and between the first and third configurations.

7. The sample viewer of claim 4 , being transformable into the first, second, and third configurations, wherein the first and second outer shell members constitute outer major faces of the sample viewer when the sample viewer is arranged in the third configuration.

8. The sample viewer of claim 4 , further comprising a first set of one or more slots arranged to receive element(s) of the at least one first support and a second set of one or more slots arranged to receive element(s) of the at least one second support.

9. The sample viewer of claim 8 , being transformable into at least the first configuration, wherein, in the first configuration:
the second set of one or more slots receives the element(s) of the at least one second support such that the inner sleeve is supported by the at least one second support, the inner member, and the second outer shell member;
the first set of one or more slots do not receive the element(s) of the first at least one support;
the inner member extends generally downward from an upper portion of the inner sleeve towards where it meets with the second outer shell member;
the second outer shell member extends generally forward from where it meets with the inner member towards a lower portion of the inner sleeve; and
the first outer shell member extends generally forward from the lower portion of the inner sleeve such than an obtuse angle is formed between an upward facing surface of the first outer shell member and a forward facing surface of the inner sleeve.

10. The sample viewer of claim 9 , being transformable into at least the second configuration, and further comprising at least two first supports and at least two second supports, wherein surfaces of second supports that face one another when the sample viewer is in the first configuration, and surfaces of the inner member and second outer shell member that are behind the forward facing surface of the inner sleeve when the sample viewer is in the first configuration, are darker than a surface of the first outer shell member that faces upwards when the sample viewer is in the second configuration.

11. The sample viewer of claim 10 , wherein aesthetics of sample(s) provided to the viewer are discernable by having the sample viewer outside and viewing reflection in the sample(s) of a target that is adjacent a light source, when the sample viewer is in the first configuration.

12. The sample viewer of claim 9 , being transformable into at least the second configuration, wherein, in the second configuration:
the second set of one or more slots receive the element(s) of the at least one second support;
the first set of one or more slots receive the element(s) of the at least one first support such that the inner sleeve is supported by the at least one first support and the first outer shell member;
the upper portion of the inner sleeve is forward of the lower portion of the inner sleeve; and
the first outer shell member extends generally forward from the lower portion of the inner sleeve such than an acute angle is formed between the upward facing surface of the first outer shell member and the forward facing surface of the inner sleeve.

13. The sample viewer of claim 12 , wherein aesthetics of sample(s) provided to the viewer are discernable by having the sample viewer inside and viewing reflection in the sample(s) of a target placed on the first outer shell member, when the sample viewer is in the second configuration.

14. The sample viewer of claim 12 , wherein aesthetics of sample(s) provided to the viewer are discernable by having the sample viewer inside and viewing reflection in the sample(s) of the first outer shell member, when the sample viewer is in the second configuration.

15. The sample viewer of claim 8 , being transformable into at least the second configuration, wherein, in the second configuration:
the second set of one or more slots receive the element(s) of the at least one second support;
the first set of one or more slots receive the element(s) of the at least one first support such that the inner sleeve is supported by the at least one first support and the first outer shell member;
an upper portion of the inner sleeve is forward of a lower portion of the inner sleeve; and
the first outer shell member extends generally forward from the lower portion of the inner sleeve such than an acute angle is formed between an upward facing surface of the first outer shell member and a forward facing surface of the inner sleeve.

16. The sample viewer of claim 4 , comprising a plurality of sample-receiving slots, each of the sample-receiving slots in the sample viewer having the same size and shape.

17. The sample viewer of claim 4 , comprising a plurality of sample-receiving slots, wherein two have the same size and shape, and at least one has a different size and/or shape.

18. The sample viewer of claim 4 , wherein an upper edge of each product-receiving slot has outer widthwise portions that are higher than central widthwise portions thereof.

19. The sample viewer of claim 4 , further comprising:
an inner sleeve in whic

Assignees

• Guardian Glass Llc

Inventors

• Sobolev Alexander

Classifications

• G09F5/02 Primary

  Portable sample cases · CPC title

• G01N21/29 Primary

  using visual detection (G01N21/31 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B27/028

  characterised by the supporting structure · CPC title

• G02B30/29

  characterised by the geometry of the lenticular array, e.g. slanted arrays, irregular arrays or arrays of varying shape or size · CPC title

• G02B30/37

  Collapsible stereoscopes · CPC title