Laminated glazing and means for its peripheral sealing

• US 7,033,655 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2001
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Beteille, Fabien, Giron, Jean-Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Loney, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US10/399,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20040067343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 428/1.5, 428/1.52, 428/1.53, 428/34, 428/157, 428/192, 428/690, 428/917, 527/861, 527/861.3, 296/96.14, 345/105, 359/265, 136/244, 250/200
• US Class Current: 428/1.5
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10302 Edge sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10495 optoelectronic, i.e. optical valve
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10513 Electrochromic layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/1077 containing polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10788 containing ethylene vinylacetate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/12 Photovoltaic modules
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/05 Bonding or intermediate layer characterised by chemical composition, e.g. sealant or spacer
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66328 of rubber, plastics or similar materials E06B3/66314, E06B3/66323 and E06B3/66342 take precedence; transparent materials E06B3/66333
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6722 with adjustable passage of light
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/917 Electroluminescent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 Edge feature

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laminated glazing which has first and second substrates with peripheral edges, an active system disposed between the substrates, and at least two peripheral seals that run contiguously from the first and second substrates.

Claims

1. A laminated glazing comprising a first substrate having a first length, a first width, and a first peripheral edge;

a second substrate having a second length, a second width, and a second peripheral edge;

an active system disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;

a peripheral groove between the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge; and

at least two peripheral seals disposed in the peripheral groove, wherein each of the at least two peripheral seals runs contiguously from the first substrate to the second substrate, and wherein each of the at least two peripheral seals comprises a hot-melt polymer selected from the group consisting of ethylene-vinyl acetates, polyisobutylenes, and polyamides or a mastic selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, polysulfides, or silicons, wherein the active system is electronically controllable, has variable energy/optical properties, and is selected from the group consisting of a solid-state electrochromic system, an optical valve system, a liquid crystal system, a viologen-based system, a photovoltaic system, and an electroluminescent system.

2. The laminated glazing of claim 1, further comprising a separator between the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge.

3. The laminated glazing of claim 1, wherein the active system comprises a thermochromic layer, a thermotropic layer, a photochromic layer, a solar control layer, a low-emissivity layer, or a multilayer.

4. The laminated glazing of claim 1, wherein the active system is a grid of heating wires or a heating layer.

5. The laminated glazing of claim 1, further comprising an interlayer of a thermoplastic polymer having a third length and a third width wherein the interlayer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

6. The laminated glazing of claim 5, wherein the third length and third width of the interlayer are smaller than the first length and fast width of the first substrate and the second length and second width of the second substrate.

7. The laminated glazing of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two peripheral seals is entirely disposed in the peripheral groove.

8. The laminated glazing of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first peripheral edge or the second peripheral edge is beveled.

9. The laminated glazing of claim 6, wherein both the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge are beveled.

10. The laminated glazing of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two peripheral seals further comprises at least one cross-linking agent.

11. The laminated glazing of claim 10, wherein the cross-linking agent is an isocyanate or an epoxide.

12. The laminated glazing of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two peripheral seals further comprises at least one tackifying agent.

13. The laminated glazing of claim 12, wherein the tacldfying agent is a hydrocarbon aliphatic resin having a molar mass of less than 10,000.

14. The laminated glazing of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two peripheral seals further comprises at least one mineral filler.

15. The laminated glazing of claim 14, wherein the mineral filler is selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, silica sand, quartz, pyrogenic silica, non-pyrogenic silica, talc, mica, kaolin, glass microspheres, and calcium carbonate.

16. The laminated glazing of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two peripheral seals has a softening point of from 70 C. to 180°

C.

17. The laminated glazing of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two peripheral seals has a viscosity of 0.01 to 20 Pas.

18. The laminated glazing of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two peripheral seals has a water vapor permeability of 5 g/m²/24 h or less.

19. The laminated glazing of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two peripheral seals is disposed in the peripheral groove by extruding or injecting the peripheral seal as a liquid.

20. The laminated glazing of claim 2, wherein the seperator comprises a rigid or semi-rigid ball, a stud, or a metal wire.

21. The laminated glazing of claim 20, wherein the rigid or semi-rigid ball comprises metal, glass, ceramic, or zoolite.

22. The laminated glazing of claim 20, wherein the stud has a square, rectangular, or trapezoidal cross section and is made of metal, glass, ceramic, or a low melting point glass frit.

23. The laminated glazing of claim 20, wherein the rigid or semi-rigid ball, the stud, or the metal wire is embedded in at least one of the at least two peripheral seals.

24. The laminated glazing of claim 2, wherein the seperator comprises a name made of metal, glass, ceramic, or a low melting point glass frit.

25. The laminated glazing of claim 20, wherein the diameter of the rigid or semi-rigid ball, the height of the stud, or the diameter of the wire is between ½

e and e−

0.1 mm wherein e is the thickness of the space between the fast peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge.

26. The laminated glazing of claim 25, wherein e ranges from 0.35 nun to 1.25 mm.

27. The laminated glazing of claim 24, wherein the height of the frame is between ½

e and e−

0.1 mm wherein e is the thickness of the space between the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge.

28. The laminated glazing of claim 27, wherein e ranges from 0.35 mm to 1.25 mm.

29. The laminated glazing of claim 1, therein the the at least two peripheral seals are joined together.

30. A process for manufacturing the glazing of claim 1 comprising placing an active system disposed between a first substrate having a first peripheral edge and a second substrate having a second peripheral edge to provide a component having a peripheral groove between the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge and injecting at least one of the at least two peripheral seals in liquid form into the peripheral groove.

31. A process for manufacturing the glazing of claim 1 comprising positioning an active system on a surface of a first substrate having a first peripheral edge;

extruding at least one bead of at least one of the at least two peripheral seals along the first peripheral edge, and positioning a second substrate having a second peripheral edge on the active system so that the active system is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and the second peripheral edge contacts at least one of the at least two peripheral seals.