Climatic condition reproducer cabinet

• US 6,435,630 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bonnet-Neve, Sovis Co.
• Original Assignee: Bonnet-Neve, Sovis Co.
• Inventors: Villeminot, Eric, Anin, Marc, Jorland, Jean-Michel, Vasseur, Lionel
• Primary Examiner(s): HANSEN, JAMES ORVILLE
• Application Number:
  US09/446,106
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 312/116, 312/138.1, 312/109, 312/405, 312/296, 493/66, 493/67, 493/68, 527/881, 527/861, 527/861.3
• US Class Current: 312/116
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels

Abstract

An environmental cabinet including at least two opening leaves which have an insulating glazing unit composed of at least two glass sheets between which a vacuum has been created. The sheets are joined together around their periphery by an inorganic seal. The sealing between the two opening leaves is achieved by a vertical member which overlaps the edges of both opening leaves and is fixed to one of the edges.

Claims

1. An environmental cabinet comprising:

at least two opening leaves each including an insulating glazing unit having at least two glass sheets between which a vacuum has been created, said at least two sheets being joined together at periphery by an inorganic seal; and

a vertical member overlapping edges of said at least two opening leaves and fixed to one of the edges of said at least two opening leaves;

wherein the at least two opening leaves and lateral ends of the environmental cabinet are sealed by a seal configured to deform locally in thickness and over width and placed on the lateral ends of the environmental cabinet.

2. An environmental cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said vertical member comprises a plastic capable of following deformation due to bowing of the insulating glazing unit.

3. An environmental cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said vertical member has a magnetic strip at a point of contact with other one of the edges of the at least two opening leaves.

4. An environmental cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the vertical member includes a bellows configured to support the magnetic strip.

5. An environmental cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said seal has a width greater than a maximum width of bowing deformation of the insulating glazing unit.

6. An environmental cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said seal comprises a biocidal flexible polyvinyl chloride.

7. An environmental cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the at least two opening leaves and upper and lower edges of the environmental cabinet is sealed by compressible magnetic seals placed on the upper and lower edges of the environmental cabinet.

8. An environmental cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the opening leaf includes a pivot pin provided off-center with respect to a plane of the opening leaf and a pivoting element adhesively bonded thereto.

9. An environmental cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the at least two glass sheets are offset around an entire periphery and includes a heating system deposited on an offset portion along the inorganic seal.

10. An environmental cabinet according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least two glass sheets of the insulating glazing unit is covered with at least one functional layer on at least one face of the one of the at least two glass sheets.

11. An environmental cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the insulating glazing unit is provided with an adhesively bonded profile on at least one edge portion.

12. An environmental cabinet according to claim 11, wherein the adhesively bonded profile comprises a semi-rigid plastic with at least one part having a metal overextrusion.

13. An environmental cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the opening leaf is fitted with a return element of a rod-spring type.

14. An environmental cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the at least two opening leaves and upper and lower edges of the environmental cabinet is sealed by compressible magnetic seals placed on the upper and lower edges of the environmental cabinet.

15. An environmental cabinet comprising:

at least two opening leaves each including an insulating glazing unit having at least two glass sheets between which a vacuum has been created, said at least two sheets being joined together at periphery by an inorganic seal; and

a vertical member overlapping edges of said at least two opening leaves and fixed to one of the edges of said at least two opening leaves;

wherein when the at least two opening leaves comprise an odd number of doors, sealing between two lateral ends of an opening leaf of the at least two opening leaves corresponding to an independent door and the environmental cabinet is sealed by a seal configured to deform locally in thickness and over width and placed on a lateral part of the environmental cabinet and an intermediate vertical member.