GLASS WELDING METHOD AND GLASS LAYER FIXING METHOD

• US 20120240628A1
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,233,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 65/43
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/02 with glass C03C17/34, C03C17/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/04 by fritting glass powder
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/0025 by a laser beam
• 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

Abstract

When fixing a glass layer 3 to a glass member 4 by irradiation with laser light employing a one portion 31 of the glass layer 3 as start and end points, the glass layer 3 is cut at the one portion 31. In the glass layer 3, the one portion 31 is made thicker than a main portion 32, whereby end parts 3a, 3b rise fully. Melting the end parts 3a, 3b by irradiation with laser light L2 for a preliminary stage for final firing while pressing them toward the glass member 4 reliably buries a gap G and homogenizes the thickness of the glass layer 3. Thus constructed glass layer 3 is irradiated with the laser light L2 for final firing, so as to fuse the glass members 4, 5 to each other.

Claims

1. A glass fusing method for manufacturing a glass fusing structure by fusing first and second glass members to each other, the method comprising the steps of:

arranging a glass layer containing a laser-light-absorbing material and a glass powder on the first glass member along a region to be fused extending like a closed ring so that a one portion of the glass layer has a volume per unit length greater than that of a main portion of the glass layer excluding the one portion;

irradiating the glass layer with first laser light while relatively moving an irradiation region of the first laser light along the region to be fused and employing the one portion or one or the other end of the main portion connected to the one portion as start and end points, so as to melt the glass layer, thereby fixing the glass layer to the first glass member;

irradiating the part employed as the start and end points in the glass layer with second laser light while pressing the part toward the first glass member, so as to melt the part; and

irradiating the glass layer with third laser light in a state where the second glass member is superposed on the first glass member having the glass layer fixed thereto with the glass layer interposed therebetween, so as to fuse the first and second glass members to each other.

2. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the one portion of the glass layer has a thickness greater than that of the main portion of the glass layer.

3. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the one portion of the glass layer has a width greater than that of the main portion of the glass layer.

4. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the part employed as the start and end points is molten by irradiation with the third laser light used as the second laser light while being pressed toward the first glass member by the second glass member superposed on the first glass member having the glass layer fixed thereto with the glass layer interposed therebetween, and then the glass layer is irradiated with the third laser light, so as to fuse the first and second glass members to each other.

5. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the part employed as the start and end points is irradiated with the second laser light while being included in an irradiation region.

6. A glass layer fixing method for manufacturing a glass-layer-fixed member by fixing a glass layer to a first glass member, the method comprising the steps of:

arranging a glass layer containing a laser-light-absorbing material and a glass powder on the first glass member along a region to be fused extending like a closed ring so that a one portion of the glass layer has a volume per unit length greater than that of a main portion of the glass layer excluding the one portion; and

irradiating the glass layer with first laser light while relatively moving an irradiation region of the first laser light along the region to be fused and employing the one portion or one or the other end of the main portion connected to the one portion as start and end points, so as to melt the glass layer, thereby fixing the glass layer to the first glass member.