Glass panel and production method therefor

• US 6,733,850 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2001
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited
• Inventors: Domi, Shinjiro, Sakaguchi, Koichi, Misonou, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Loney, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US09/869,090
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 428/34, 428/409, 527/861, 527/861.3
• US Class Current: 428/34
• 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: E06B 3/66 Units comprising two or more parallel glass or like panes permanently secured together reforming and uniting glass sheets by fusing C03B23/00; joining glass to glass or to other materials C03C27/00; laminated glass B32B17/10
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6612 Evacuated glazing units
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/249 Glazing, e.g. vacuum glazing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/22 Glazing, e.g. vaccum glazing

Abstract

In order to provide a glass panel in which any substance which may be present on the glass surface and may then become detached to invite deterioration in the vacuum degree has been sufficiently reduced and which can maintain highly sealed condition against the surround atmosphere for an extended period of time, in a glass panel comprising a pair of glass sheet disposed in an opposing and spaced relationship with each other with a gap formed therebetween, the gap being air-tightly sealed by joining peripheral edges of the glass sheets with a sealing material, at least one of the glass sheets has a water contact angle of 30 degrees or less on a gap-side glass surface thereof.

Claims

1. A glass panel comprising:

a pair of glass sheets disposed in an opposing and spaced relationship with each other with a gap formed therebetween, the gap being evacuated and sealed by joining peripheral edges of the glass sheets with a sealing material, wherein at least one of the glass sheets has a water contact angle of 30 degrees or less on a gap-side glass surface thereof.

2. A glass panel according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the glass sheets has a water contact angle of 20 degrees or less on a gap-side glass surface of the glass sheet.

3. A glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material has a lead content below 0.1 wt. %.

4. A glass panel according to claim 2, wherein the sealing material has a lead content below 0.1 wt. %.

5. A glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material is a metal material.

6. A glass panel according to claim 2, wherein the sealing material is a metal material.

7. A glass panel according to claim 3, wherein the sealing material is a metal material.

8. A glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the glass panel satisfies the condition:

100≦

T_L≦

(T_S−

100), where T_L (°

C.) is the liquidus temperature of the metal material and T_S (°

C.) is the distortion point of the glass sheet.

9. A glass panel according to claim 2, wherein the glass panel satisfies the condition:

100≦

T_L≦

(T_S−

100), where T_L (°

C.) is the liquidus temperature of the metal material and T_S (°

C.) is the distortion point of the glass sheet.

10. A glass panel according to claim 3, wherein the glass panel satisfies the condition:

100≦

T_L≦

(T_S−

100), where T_L (°

C.) is the liquidus temperature of the metal material and T_S (°

C.) is the distortion point of the glass sheet.

11. A glass panel according to claim 5, wherein the glass panel satisfies the condition:

100≦

T_L≦

(T_S−

100), where T_L (°

C.) is the liquidus temperature of the metal material and T_S (°

C.) is the distortion point of the glass sheet.

12. A glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the metal material contains two or more kinds selected from a group consisting of Sn, Zn, Al, Si and Ti.

13. A glass panel according to claim 2, wherein the metal material contains two or more kinds selected from a group consisting of Sn, Zn, Al, Si and Ti.

14. A glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material is a glass material.

15. A glass panel according to claim 2, wherein the sealing material is a glass material.

16. A glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the panel satisfies the condition:

100≦

Tg≦

300, where Tg (°

C.) is the glass-transition temperature of the glass material.

17. A glass panel according to claim 14, wherein the panel satisfies the condition:

100≦

Tg≦

300, where Tg (°

C.) is the glass-transition temperature of the glass material.

18. A glass panel according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the glass sheets is an air-cooled tempered glass sheet.