Insulating glazing

• US 5,643,644 A
• Filed: 09/27/1994
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Saint Gobain Vitrage (Saint-Gobain Emballage)
• Original Assignee: Saint Gobain Vitrage (Saint-Gobain Emballage)
• Inventors: Demars, Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): CANO, MILTON I
• Application Number:
  US08/312,761
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 65/36, 65/43, 65/58, 65/42, 65/59.1, 65/34, 428/34, 428/38, 52/171.3, 52/172, 52/786.1, 52/786.13
• US Class Current: 428/34
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 23/245 Hollow glass sheets
• 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 3/677 Evacuating or filling the gap between the panes ; Equilibration of inside and outside pressure; Preventing condensation in the gap between the panes by means of spacing elements E06B3/663; Cleaning the gap between the panes
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6775 Evacuating or filling the gap during assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/249 Glazing, e.g. vacuum glazing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/22 Glazing, e.g. vaccum glazing

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for producing a vacuum in an insulating glazing composed of two glass sheets (2, 3) separated by pins (4). According to the invention, one of the glass sheets includes a hole (12) which is plugged by a softened ball after the vacuum has been achieved. The invention also relates to an insulating glazing whose glass sheets are separated by pins (4) and joined at their periphery by a sealing joint.

Claims

1. An insulating glazing comprising:

two glass sheets, having a vacuum formed between the glass sheets;

pins which separate said two glass sheets from one another and which are distributed over an entire surface of said sheets, said pins being made of aluminum oxide coated with a suspension of sintered solder glass which is devitrified during the production of said pins; and

a sealing joint joining said two glass sheets together at their periphery.

2. An insulating glazing obtained according to claim 1, wherein said glazing exhibits on one of its interior faces an area made of a material having a softening point less than that of the glass sheets.

3. An insulating glazing according to claim 2, wherein one of the glass sheets has a surface area greater than the other glass sheet.

4. An insulating glazing according to claim 1, wherein a number of the pins per square meter is between 600 and 1500.

5. An insulating glazing of claim 4, wherein the number of pins per square meter is 1000.

6. An insulating glazing according to claim 1, wherein the sealing joint is made of the suspension of sintered solder glass.

7. An insulating glazing according to claim 6, wherein the suspension of sintered solder glass constituting the sealing joint is devitrified.

8. An insulating glazing according to claim 1, wherein the glass sheets have a thickness of 4 millimeters.

9. An insulating glazing according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the glass sheets is tempered.

10. An insulating glazing according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the glass sheets has a low emissive layer on its face in contact with the pins.

12. An insulating glazing according to claim 1 or 11, wherein the pins have a diameter less than 0.5 millimeter and a thickness between 0.1 and 0.3 millimeter.

11. An insulating glazing comprising:

two glass sheets, having a vacuum formed between the glass sheets;

pins which separate said two glass sheets from one another and which are distributed over an entire surface of said sheets, said pins being made of silicon carbide coated with a suspension of sintered solder glass which is devitrified during the production of said pins; and

a sealing joint joining said two glass sheets together at their periphery.