LASER WELDING TRANSPARENT GLASS PANES USING A LOW EMISSIVITY COATING

• US 20180362400A1
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Published: 12/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Streitsov, Alexander Mikhailovich, Thomas, John Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,954,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/366 Low-emissivity or solar control coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/211 SnO2
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/212 TiO2
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/213 SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/214 Al2O3
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/216 ZnO
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/251 Al, Cu, Mg or noble metals
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/002 by ultraviolet light
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 27/10 with the aid of adhesive specially adapted for that purpose
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6608 without separate spacing elements E06B3/6707 and E06B3/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6612 Evacuated glazing units
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66304 Discrete spacing elements, e.g. for evacuated glazing units
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/67334 by soldering; Preparing the panes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/249 Glazing, e.g. vacuum glazing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/22 Glazing, e.g. vaccum glazing

Abstract

A sealed article and methods of making the same. The sealed article includes a first and second glass pane. The first and second glass panes include inner surfaces opposite outer surfaces and at least one outer edge. The second glass pane is spaced apart from and positioned substantially parallel to the first glass pane with a low emissivity layer there between. An seal is formed between the first and second glass panes contiguous the low emissivity layer.

Claims

1. A sealed article comprising:

a first glass pane comprising a first glass material, a first inner surface opposite a first outer surface, and a first outer edge;

a second glass pane comprising a second glass material, a second inner surface opposite a second outer surface, and a second outer edge;

the second glass pane spaced apart from and positioned substantially parallel to the first glass pane such that the first and second inner surfaces face each other;

a low emissivity layer between the opposite inner surfaces of the first and second glass panes; and

an edge seal contiguous the low emissivity layer is formed around and connects at least part of the first and second outer edges so as to define a sealed interior region between the first and second glass panes.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein the bond is a laser-induced bond formed by absorption of at least 30% of laser radiation having a wavelength predetermined by the low emissivity layer.

3. The article of claim 2 wherein the predetermined wavelength of the laser radiation is between 100 nm and 400 nm.

4. The article of claim 2 wherein the laser-induced bond has a width from about 10 microns to about 1,000 microns.

5. The article of claim 1 wherein the first glass pane, the second glass pane, and the low emissivity layer are transmissive at 420 nm to 750 nm.

6. The article of claim 1 wherein the low emissivity coating has a thickness from about 50 nm to about 500 nm.

7. The article of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of glass-bumps formed on the inner surface of the first glass pane or the second glass pane, the low emissivity layer between the plurality of glass-bumps and the opposite inner surface.

8. The article of claim 7 wherein:

the low emissivity layer reduces friction between the plurality of glass-bumps and the opposite inner surface; and

a static coefficient of friction between the low emissivity layer and one of the plurality of glass-bumps ranges from about 0.1 to about 0.4 for a load of 1 N to 200 N on one of the plurality of glass-bumps, the load substantially orthogonal to the first inside surface.

10. The article of claim 1 wherein the bond creates a sealed interior region between the inner surfaces of the first and second glass panes.

9. (canceled)

11. A vacuum insulated glass (VIG) window comprising:

a first glass pane comprising a first glass material, a first inner surface opposite a first outer surface, and a first outer edge;

a second glass pane comprising a second glass material, a second inner surface opposite a second outer surface, and a second outer edge;

the second glass pane spaced apart from and positioned substantially parallel to the first glass pane;

a low emissivity coating on the second inner surface of the second glass pane;

a plurality of glass-bumps formed from the first glass material on the first inner surface of the first glass pane;

a laser-induced edge seal contiguous the low emissivity layer formed around at least respective portions of the first and second outer edges so as to define a sealed interior region between the first and second glass panes; and

wherein the plurality of laser-formed glass-bumps on the first inner surface of the first glass pane contact the low emissivity coating on the second inner surface of the second glass pane.

12. The window of claim 11 wherein the low emissivity coating includes and inorganic layer selected from the group consisting of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, ZnO, TiO₂, SnO₂, and combinations thereof.

13. The window of claim 11 wherein the low emissivity coating includes a metal layer selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, and combinations thereof.

14. The window of claim 11 wherein a top layer of the low emissivity coating opposite the first inner surface of the first glass pane comprises SiO₂, Al₂O₃, or combinations thereof.

15. The window of claim 11 wherein the low emissivity coating reflects sunlight having a wavelength between 701 nm and 2,000 nm.

16. The window of claim 11 wherein a static coefficient of friction between the low emissivity coating and one of the plurality of glass-bumps ranges from 0.1 to 0.4 for a load of 40 N to 160 N on one of the plurality of glass-bumps, the load substantially orthogonal to the first inside surface.

17. The window of claim 11 wherein the first glass pane, the second glass pane, and the low emissivity coating have a combined transmission of up to 70% at wavelengths from about 450 nm to about 625 nm.

18. The window of claim 11 wherein the plurality of glass-bumps have a height from about 80 microns to about 300 microns.

19. (canceled)

20. A method of making a vacuum insulated glass (VIG) window comprising:

irradiating a first glass pane with laser radiation to form a plurality of glass-bumps on a first inner surface of the first glass pane;

the first glass pane comprising a first glass material, the first inner surface opposite a first outer surface, and a first outer edge;

arranging the first inner surface of the first glass pane adjacent and substantially parallel to a second inner surface of a second glass pane; and

the second glass pane comprising a second glass material, the second inner surface opposite a second outer surface, and a second outer edge;

the second inner surface comprising a low emissivity coating;

bonding the first and second glass panes to create a sealed interior region between the first and second inner surfaces of the first and second glass panes by contacting the low emissivity coating with laser radiation having a predetermined wavelength;

wherein the plurality of glass-bumps on a first inner surface contact the low emissivity coating on the second inner surface of the second glass pane within the sealed interior region.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising producing a pressure below atmospheric pressure inside the sealed interior region.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein contacting the low emissivity coating with laser radiation having a predetermined wavelength further comprises moving a laser spot form by the laser radiation at a speed of about 1 mm/s to about 1000 mm/s to heat the low emissivity coating.