Insulating glazing and method for making same

• US 20040209019A1
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Elluin, Jean-Christophe, Demars, Yves, Vidal, Boris
• Granted Patent: US 7,141,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/34
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2003/6638 with coatings
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6621 with special provisions for fitting in window frames or to adjacent units; Separate edge protecting strips E06B3/66347 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66309 Section members positioned at the edges of the glazing unit
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66371 positioned entirely outside the gap between the panes
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/67321 Covering spacer elements, e.g. with sealants
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/67326 Assembling spacer elements with the panes
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/67356 Covering the edges with bands or profiles

Abstract

An insulating glazing unit including at least two glass sheets separated by, e.g., a gas-filled cavity. An insert serves for spacing the at least two glass sheets apart and has an internal face facing the gas-filled cavity and an opposed external face, together with a mechanism for sealing the inside of the glazing unit. The insert is in the form of a substantially flat profiled strip that girds the perimeter of the glazing unit by its internal face being pressed against the edges of the at least two glass sheets and held fast by a fastening device.

Claims

1-34. -34 (Canceled).

35. Insulating glazing unit comprising:

at least two glass sheets separated by a gas-filled cavity;

an insert serving for spacing the at least two glass sheets and having an internal face facing the gas-filled cavity and an opposed external face, said insert having a linear buckling strength of at least 400 N/m; and

a sealing element configured to seal an inside of the insulating glazing unit, wherein the insert is in a form of a substantially flat profiled strip that girds a perimeter of the insulating glazing unit by its internal face being pressed against edges of the at least two glass sheets and held fast by a fastener.

36. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 35, wherein the insert seals against gases, dust, and liquid water.

37. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 35, wherein the sealing element is placed at least on the external face of the insert.

38. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 37, wherein the sealing element includes a metal coating.

39. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 35, wherein the insert is entirely metallic.

40. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 37, wherein the insert includes a thermoplastic.

41. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 37, wherein the insert is based on a thermoplastic and reinforcing fibers.

42. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 41, wherein the reinforcing fibers are continuous or chopped glass fibers.

43. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 41, wherein the insert has a thickness of at least 0.25 mm.

44. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 37, wherein the insert includes stainless steel and has a thickness of at least 0.10 mm.

45. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 37, wherein the insert includes aluminum and has a thickness of at least 0.15 mm.

47. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 38, wherein the metal coating has a thickness of between 2 and 50 μ

m.

48. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 37, wherein the fastener is impermeable to water vapor and to gases.

49. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 37, wherein the fastener includes an adhesive.

50. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 49, wherein the adhesive has a tear strength of at least 0.45 MPa.

51. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 37, wherein the insert has first and second free ends joined together to gird the entire insulating glazing unit so that the first free end overlaps the second free end, and complementary sealing elements are provided to seal off lateral portions left open by the overlap.

52. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 37, wherein the insert has first and second free ends that have complementary shapes configured to fit together to produce an abutment to gird the entire insulating glazing unit.

53. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 52, wherein an adhesive tape, or adhesive, impermeable to gases and to water vapor, is applied to a region of the abutment.

54. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 37, having a complex shape, particularly with curved parts.

69. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 35, wherein said insert comprises at least one element configured to position the insert on the insulating glazing unit, said at least one element located on said internal face of said insert.

70. Insulating glazing unit according to claim 35, wherein said insert is arranged entirely outwardly of the edges of the at least two glass sheets.

46. (Canceled).

55-63. -63 (Canceled).

64. Profiled strip configured to form an insert of an insulating glazing unit, that is substantially flat, of approximately parallelepipedal shape, and has a metal coating on at least one of its faces.

65. Profiled strip according to claim 64, wherein the glazing unit is made of a reinforced thermoplastic.

66. Profiled strip according to claim 65, wherein the thermoplastic includes a desiccant.

67. Profiled strip according to claim 64, wherein a desiccant is deposited on an opposite face to that provided with the metal coating.

68. Profiled strip according to claim 64, wherein the glazing unit includes, on an opposite face to that having the metal coating, means for centering and for positioning the insert on the glazing unit.

71. Insulating glazing unit comprising:

at least two glass sheets separated by a gas-filled cavity;

an insert serving for spacing the at least two glass sheets and having an internal face facing the gas-filled cavity and an opposed external face, said insert having a linear buckling strength of at least 400 N/m; and

a sealing element configured to seal an inside of the insulating glazing unit,

wherein the insert is in a form of a substantially flat profiled strip that girds a perimeter of the insulating glazing unit by its internal face being pressed against edges of the at least two glass sheets and held fast by a fastener, and a desiccant is associated with said insert.

72. The insulating glazing unit recited in claim 71, wherein said desiccant is partially or completely intrinsically incorporated into said insert material.

73. The insulating glazing unit recited in claim 71, wherein said desiccant is deposited on said internal face of said insert.

74. Process for manufacturing an insulating glazing unit comprising steps of:

holding at least two glass sheets parallel and spaced apart;

unwinding a wound tape of insert material configured to be unwound;

creating an insert by stretching said tape and cutting said tape to a length corresponding approximately to a perimeter of the insulating glazing unit, said tape having a fastener deposited thereon;

fitting said insert by placing an internal face of said insert against edges of the at least two glass sheets over said perimeter of said at least two glass sheets;

girding said insulating glazing unit by applying pressure against an external face of the insert virtually at a same time as fitting the insert; and

firmly assembling first and second ends of the insert after the entire insulating glazing unit has been girded.

75. The process recited in claim 74, wherein said insert material comprises a desiccant, said desiccant partially or completely intrinsically incorporated into said insert material.

76. The process recited in claim 74, wherein said creating an insert step comprises:

depositing a desiccant onto the tape while said tape is stretched and during application of the fastener.

77. The process recited in claim 74, wherein said fitting step comprises:

applying the insert by compression at a starting point against edges of a first side of the insulating glazing unit.

78. The process recited in claim 77, wherein said starting point is a corner of the insulating glazing unit.

79. The process recited in claim 74, wherein said girding step comprises:

preheating the external face of the insert to help to bend the external face of said insert around corners of said insulating glazing unit and such that said insert closely follows a contour of the corners.

80. The process recited in claim 74, wherein said girding step comprises:

starting to apply the insert at a point in a middle of one side of the insulating glazing unit; and

applying and compressing the insert simultaneously in two opposed directions.

81. The process recited in claim 74, further comprising:

placing the at least two glass sheets in a chamber filled with gas to be contained in the insulating glazing unit, wherein all steps of the process for manufacturing the insulating glazing unit are carried out in the chamber.

82. The process recited in claim 74, wherein said girding step comprises:

inserting a gas supply device between the two glass sheets to deliver gas; and

withdrawing said device just before an end of said girding step.

83. The process recited in claim 74, wherein said insert comprises elements for centering and for positioning the insert on the insulating glazing unit, said elements located on said internal face of said insert.

84. Process for manufacturing an insulating glazing unit comprising steps of:

holding at least two glass sheets parallel and spaced apart;

unwinding a wound tape of insert material configured to be unwound;

creating two inserts by stretching and cutting said tape to a first length and a second length, each of said first length and said second length less than a perimeter of the insulating glazing unit, said tape having a fastener deposited thereon;

fitting said two inserts by compression at two starting points using a distribution and compression element, said distribution and compression element performing at least one translational movement.

girding said insulating glazing unit by applying pressure against an external face of the insert virtually at a same time as fitting the insert; and

firmly assembling ends of said inserts after the entire insulating glazing unit has been girded.

85. The process recited in claim 84, wherein said insert material comprises a desiccant, said desiccant partially or completely intrinsically incorporated into said insert material.

86. The process recited in claim 84, wherein said creating two inserts step comprises:

depositing a desiccant onto the tape while said tape is stretched and during application of the fastener.