Thermally strengthened architectural glass and related systems and methods

• US 10,611,664 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2016
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Lezzi, Peter Joseph, Maschmeyer, Richard Orr, Thomas, John Christopher, Wasson, Kevin Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Hern, Brent T
• Application Number:
  US15/748,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20190002328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 428141
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10055 with at least one intermediate air space
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10091 thermally hardened
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/101 having a predetermined coefficient of thermal expansion [CTE]
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10137 Chemical strengthening
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10743 containing acrylate (co)polymers or salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/1077 containing polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10788 containing ethylene vinylacetate
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/001 Double glazing for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 27/012 by heat treatment, e.g. for crystallisation; Heat treatment of glass products before tempering by cooling C03B27/008, C03B27/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 27/016 by absorbing heat radiated from the glass product
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 27/04 using gas
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 27/0404 Nozzles, blow heads, blowing units or their arrangements, specially adapted for flat or bent glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 27/0413 Stresses, e.g. patterns, values or formulae for flat or bent glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 27/044 for flat or bent glass sheets being in a horizontal position
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 27/048 on a gas cushion
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 27/052 for flat or bent glass sheets being in a vertical position
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 27/0526 Stresses, e.g. patterns, values or formulae
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 29/12 being in a horizontal position on a fluid support, e.g. a gas or molten metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 29/16 : Glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 35/24 : on a gas support bed
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/00 : Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by coating optical coatings of optical elements G02B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 21/002 : to perform ion-exchange between alkali ions C03C21/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 27/06 : Joining glass to glass by processes other than fusing fusing C03B23/20; units for use as elements for closing wall or like openings and comprising two or more parallel glass panes in spaced relationship, the panes being permanently secured together E06B3/66
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/078 : containing an oxide of a divalent metal, e.g. an oxide of zinc
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/085 : containing an oxide of a divalent metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/087 : containing calcium oxide, e.g. common sheet or container glass
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/095 : containing rare earths
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/11 : containing halogen or nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/57 : Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/315 : Surface modified glass [e.g., tempered, strengthened, etc.]

Abstract

A strengthened architectural glass or glass-ceramic sheet or article as well as processes and systems for making the strengthened architectural glass or glass-ceramic sheet or article is provided. The process comprises cooling the architectural glass sheet by non-contact thermal conduction for sufficiently long to fix a surface compression and central tension of the sheet. The process results in thermally strengthened architectural glass sheets that may be incorporated into one or more panes in single or multi-pane windows.

Claims

1. A window comprising:

a first glass-based layer comprising first and second major surfaces, a first body formed from a first glass material, and a first outer edge;

a second glass-based layer comprising first and second major surfaces, a second body formed from a second glass material, and a second outer edge;

the second glass-based layer spaced apart from and disposed substantially parallel to the first glass-based layer by a first distance;

the first and second major surfaces of the second glass-based layer separated by the thickness t, the first major surface of the second glass-based layer being flat to 100 μ

m total indicator run-out (TIR) along any 50 mm or less profile of the first major surface;

the second glass material having a low temperature linear CTE, expressed in 1/°

C., of α

^SCTE, a high temperature linear CTE, expressed in 1/°

C., of α

^LCTE, an elastic modulus, expressed in GPa, of E, a strain temperature, expressed in units of °

C., of T_strain, and a softening temperature, expressed in units of °

C., of T_soft;

the first major surface of the second glass-based layer having a thermally induced surface compressive stress of less than 600 MPa and greater than

2. The window of claim 1, wherein the first and second major surfaces of the second glass-based layer have respective areas and wherein the areas of the first and second major surfaces of the second glass-based layer are at least 50 cm².

3. The window of claim 1, wherein the second glass-based layer further comprises, a length, expressed in millimeters, of l, and a width, expressed in millimeters, of w, wherein t is less than l, and t is less than w.

4. The window according to claim 1, wherein a surface roughness of the second glass-based layer second major surface is between 0.2 and 1.5 nm Ra roughness.

5. The window according to claim 1, wherein the first and second major surfaces of the second glass-based layer are flat to at least 50 μ

m total indicator run-out along a 50 mm profile of the first and second major surfaces of the second glass-based layer.

6. The window according to claim 1, wherein the first or second glass material is soda-lime glass, alkali aluminosilicate glass, alkali containing borosilicate glass, alkali aluminophosphosilicate glass, alkali aluminoborosilicate glass, photochromic glass, electrochromic glass, or thermochromic glass.

7. The window according to claim 1, wherein the first glass-based layer comprises a thermally strengthened glass layer, a chemically strengthened glass layer, a mechanically strengthened glass layer, a thermally and chemically strengthened glass layer, a thermally and mechanically strengthened glass layer or a chemically and mechanically strengthened glass layer.

8. The window according to claim 1, wherein the first glass material and the second glass material are the same.

9. The window according to claim 1, wherein the first distance between the first and second glass-based layers comprises a noble gas or air.

10. The window according to claim 1, further comprising a third glass-based layer having first and second major surfaces, a body formed from a third glass material, and a third outer edge;

wherein the third glass-based layer is spaced apart from and disposed substantially parallel to the first glass-based layer on a side opposite the second glass-based layer at a second spaced apart distance.

11. The window of claim 10, wherein the third glass material is soda-lime glass, alkali aluminosilicate glass, alkali containing borosilicate glass, alkali aluminophosphosilicate glass, alkali aluminoborosilicate glass, photochromic glass, electrochromic glass, or thermochromic glass.

12. The window of claim 10, wherein the first glass material, second glass material, and third glass material are the same.

13. The window according to claim 10, wherein the third glass-based layer comprises a thermally strengthened glass layer, a chemically strengthened glass layer, a mechanically strengthened glass layer, a thermally and chemically strengthened glass layer, a thermally and mechanically strengthened glass layer or a chemically and mechanically strengthened glass layer.

14. The window according to claim 1, wherein the first glass-based layer further comprises a first plurality of glass-bump spacers formed from the first body from one of the first and second major surfaces and consisting of the first glass material, wherein the plurality of glass bump spacers contact the second glass-based layer to maintain the spaced apart first distance;

a first edge seal formed around at least respective portions of the first and second outer edges so as to define a first sealed interior region between the first and second glass-based layers,

wherein the first sealed interior region has a vacuum pressure of less than atmospheric pressure.

15. The window of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of glass-bump spacers are formed by laser beam irradiation on the one of the first and second major surfaces of the first glass-based layer.

16. The window according to claim 10, further comprising a second plurality of glass-bump spacers formed integrally in the first glass-based layer in the major surface opposite that having the first plurality of glass-bump spacers, the second plurality of glass-bump spacers consisting of the first glass material and contact the third glass-based layer to maintain the spaced apart second distance;

and

either (i) a second edge seal surrounds at least respective portions of the first and third outer edges to define, between the first and third glass-based layers, a second sealed interior region having a vacuum pressure of less than atmospheric pressure, or (ii) the first edge seal further surrounds at least a portion of the third outer edge to further define, between the first and third glass-based layers, a second sealed interior region having a vacuum pressure of less than atmospheric pressure.

17. The window of claim 16, wherein the second plurality of glass-bump spacers are formed by laser beam irradiation on the first or second major surface of the first glass-based layer.

18. The window according to claim 10, further comprising a second plurality of glass-bump spacers formed integrally in the first or second major surface of the third glass-based layer, adjacent the first glass-based layer, opposite the second plurality of glass-bump spacers and consisting of the third glass material and contact the first glass-based layer to maintain the spaced apart second distance;

and

either i) a second edge seal surrounds at least respective portions of the first and third outer edges to define, between the first and third glass-based layer, a second sealed interior region having a vacuum pressure of less than atmospheric pressure, or ii) the first edge seal further surrounds at least a portion of the third outer edge to further define, between the first and third glass-based layers, a second sealed interior region having a vacuum pressure of less than atmospheric pressure.

19. The window of claim 18, wherein the second plurality of glass-bump spacers are formed by laser beam irradiation on the first or second major surface of the third glass-based layer.

20. The window according to claim 1, wherein at least one of first glass-based layer or second glass-based layer further comprises a low emissivity layer.

21. The window according to claim 10, wherein the third glass-based layer further comprises a low emissivity layer.

22. The window according to claim 1, wherein the second glass-based layer is laminated to a glass pane by at least one interlayer, the interlayer at least partially coextensive with the second glass-based layer and coupled directly or indirectly to a side of the glass pane.

23. The window of claim 22, wherein the interlayer comprises a polymer material selected from the group consisting of poly vinyl butyral (PVB), polycarbonate, acoustic PVB, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), ionomer, a thermoplastic material, and combinations thereof.