Abstract:
A method for manufacturing an insulating glass unit. The glass unit comprises an insulating glass structure having parallel, spaced glass panes (12, 14) defining between them an interpane space (24) and a peripheral support (16) supporting and spacing the panes with respect to each other. Respective confronting surfaces of the peripheral support and the glass panes define exteriorly accessible spaced recesses (48, 50) between them adjacent each glass surface. In one embodiment, the silicone sealant composition has the capacity to gel within 45 seconds at a predetermined elevated temperature. Flowable components of the heat-curable silicone sealing composition are mixed together without entrapment of air to provide a bubble-free, heat curable sealing composition, and the sealing composition (36) is flowed into the space recesses at the predetermined elevated temperature and gels within 45 seconds, thus reducing or eliminating sagging of the sealant and providing for rapid assembly of the insulating glass units.
Abstract:
A heat-resistant transparent glass article is formed with an inner sandwich structure comprising a metallic infrared-reflective metal film sandwiched between thin protective silicon films, the inner sandwich structure in turn being sandwiched between transparent dielectric films and the film stack being deposited upon a glass substrate. One or both of the transparent dielectric films may also contain silicon.
Abstract:
A heat formable mirror is formed by sputter depositing upon a sheet such as glass a reflective coating utilizing a base layer of silicon or a combination of silicon and stainless steel films, a reflective layer formed of a reflective metallic film such as titanium or aluminum, and a protective layer comprising preferably silicon nitride. The resulting mirror can be heat formed at elevated temperatures to form a curved mirror having a reflective coating free of objectionable defects.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for assembling a small number of custom sealed double glazing units in which spacers can have different widths and panes of different assemblies can be differently sized. In accordance with one method of the invention, a spacer (31) having sealant (34) on opposing surfaces thereof is adhered to a first glass pane (21) and a resilient member (40) is positioned alongside a portion of the spacer. A seond glass pane (26) is positioned over the spacer so that it is partially adhered to the spacer to define an interpane space (36) around which the spacer is adhered, but with the resilient member preventing contact with the whole of the spacer, so maintaining a gap between a portion of the spacer and the second glass pane. The resulting assembly is moved into a gas exchange chamber (60), and air is removed from the chamber and accordingly also the interpane space. A gas having a coefficient of thermal conductivity lower than that of air is introduced into the chamber and accordingly also the interpane space, and the glass panes are pressed together while in the gas exchange chamber to compress the resilient member and adhere the second glass pane to all of the spacer to seal the interpane space.
Abstract:
A shipping container (10) comprises a floor (12) and an upright rear wall (14) that intersect at approximately a right angle for vertically supporting a plurality of parallel panels such as insulating glass units, with the edges of the panels being supported by the floor (12) and the rear wall (14). Elastic restraining means comprising a plurality of elongated, elastic restraints (70), such as elastic cords, are carried by the container (10) and are positioned so as to encounter a respective panel and to elastically urge that panel toward said intersection. Each elongated elastic restraint (70) extends generally in the plane of its respective panel from the rear wall (14) above the floor to the floor (12) forwardly of the rear wall (14), the restraint (70) contacting and elastically pressing against the upper, forward corner of the glass unit.
Abstract:
An insulating glass unit is shown comprising a pair of generally parallel, spaced-apart glass panes (10, 12) and a spacer (14) peripherally joining the glass panes (10, 12) to each other. The spacer (14) is a tubular structure (16), and may include a particular desiccant (42) filling at least a section of the interior (26) and conforming to the interior (26) configuration thereof to contribute compressive strength to the spacer (14). The spacer (14) desirably is made from stainless steel sheeting having a thickness not greater than about 0.005 inches. In a preferred embodiment, the spacer (14) includes side walls (20) sealed to the glass panes (10, 12) and an outer wall (18) extending between the side walls (20) and having a sealant free portion (23) between the side walls (20) that extends substantially completely about the periphery of the glass unit.
Abstract:
Mirrors are formed in an environmentally compatible and substantially pollution-free manner by a sputtering process in which a transparent substrate (10) such as glass has first sputtered upon it a primer layer (12) and then a reflective layer (14) of silver or other bright reflective metal. A barrier layer (16) is provided over the reflective layer (14) to protect the latter from corrosive environments. If the transmittance of the reflective layer (14) is greater than zero percent, the barrier layer (16) includes a different bright reflective metal sufficient to reduce the transmittance of the combined reflective and barrier layers to zero percent. The mirror includes a lead-free polymeric protective layer (22) spaced further from the transparent substrate than the barrier layer. The inclusion of zinc pigment in the polymeric coating (26) provides sulfiding protection, and the use of an outer sputtered on film of zinc (24) or zinc oxide (24) provides substantial adhesion thereto of the polymeric coating (26).
Abstract:
A heat formable mirror is formed by sputter depositing upon a sheet such as glass a reflective coating utilizing a base layer of silicon or a combination of silicon and stainless steel films, a reflective layer formed of a reflective metallic film such as niobium, titanium or aluminum, and a protective layer comprising preferably silicon nitride. The resulting mirror can be heat formed at elevated temperatures to form a curved mirror having a reflective coating free of objectionable defects.
Abstract:
A heat-resistant transparent glass article is formed with a film stack deposited on a glass substrate, the film stack comprising one or more infrared reflective films (20) each bearing on its surface facing away from the substrate a barrier film of niobium metal (18, 22) having a thickness of up to 25 ANGSTROM and preferably in the range of about 7 ANGSTROM to 20 ANGSTROM . A barrier film of niobium metal (18, 22) or, preferably, a metal oxide may be formed on the other surface (facing the substrate) of each infrared reflective film (20). Metal nitride films (16, 24) such as silicon nitride may be employed between neighboring infrared reflective films (20), and as an outer protective film.
Abstract:
Transparent articles comprising transparent, nonmetallic substrate and a transparent film stack is sputter deposited on the substrate. The film stack is characterized by including at least one infrared reflective metal film, a dielectric film over the metal film, and a protective silicon nitride film of 10 ANGSTROM to 150 ANGSTROM in thickness over the said dielectric film. The dielectric film desirably has substantially the same index of refraction as does silicon nitride and is contiguous with the silicon nitride film.