Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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"Design Improvements to Vacuum Glazing"
jN2RODUCT10N
This invention concerns design improvements to vacuum
glazing. Vacuum glazing consists of two sheets of glass,
s hermetically sealed around the edge, with a thermally insulating
internal vacuum. In order to maintain the separation of the glass
sheets under the influence of the large forces due to atmospheric
pressure, an array of very small support pillars is placed over the
surface of the glass sheets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The design of vacuum glazing involves a complex set of
trade vffs between thermal performance and stress. In particular,
the support pillars serve to concentrate the forces due to
atmospheric pressure, leading to high levels of stress in the glass in
the immediate vicinity of the support pillars. Such stresses can lead
to local fractures of the glass. Further, the glass sheets bend over
the .support piliars~ giving rise to regions of tensile stress on the
external surfaces of the glass sheets' immediately above the support
pillars. In addition, the pillars themselves experience high levels of
2o stress, and must be made out of a material which has a very high
compressive strength. Finally, the support pillars themselves act as
thermal bridges between the glass sheets, leading to heat flow
through the glazing.
Substantial progress has been made in the design and
2s manufacture of vacuum glazing over the last few years. Vacuum
glazings up to 7 ni x 1 m have been produced with high levels of
thermal insulation. It has been shown that reasonable design
compromises can be achieved between the competing constraints
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associated with mechanical tensile stress on the one hand, and heat
flow through the glazing on the other.
S~(,~~AR STRESSES NEAR THE SUPPQRT PILLAI[~S
The support pillars concentrate the forces due to
atmospheric pressure leading to high stresses in the glass and in the
pillars. The nature of this stress concentration is well understood.
The probability of fracture due to the concentrated forces can be
determined by reference to the literature on indentation fracture of
glass. In the design approach for vacuum glazing, dimensions of
the pillar array are chosen to ensure that the formation of classical
conical indentation fractures in the glass due to the support pillars
should not occur.
Experience with the production of vacuum glazing has
shown that there is another mode of fracture which can occur in the
glass sheets near the support pillars. These fractures arise because
of shear sideways) stresses between the glass sheets and the
pillars. The shear stresses are associated with in-plane movement
of one glass sheet relative to another. Such movement can occur
because of bending of the g4ass sheets, particularly complex
2o bending modes in which the sheets are not deformed spherically, or
because of temperature non-uniformities in either glass sheet.
Either influence tends to cause the interface between the pillar and
one glass sheet to move sideways relative to this interface on the
other sheet. The large axial force between the pillars and the glass
sheets prevents the contacting surfaces from moving relative to
each other. This results in shear force between the support pillar
and the glass sheets and leads to small crescent shaped fractures in
the glass sheets adjacent to the pillars. The fact that these
fractures are associated with shear stress can be confirmed by
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RECEIVED 2 6 JUL 1996
observing that they tend to be seen in pairs, on opposite edges of
the support pillars in either glass sheet.
One of the reasons why these shear stresses occur is
because, in practical designs of vacuum glazing, the support pillars
s must be made of material of very high compressive strength. If the
pillars are not of high enough compressive strength, they deform
inelastically during the establishment of the vacuum in the glazing,
leading to large bending of the glass sheets in the vicinity of the
edge seal. The fact that the support pillars are of high strength
io means that they do not deform significantly when shear forces are
present.
1 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect, as currently envisaged, the
invention provides a vacuum glazing comprising two sheets of
~s glass, hermetically sealed around the edge, with a thermally
insulating internal vacuum, and an array of support pillars placed
between the glass sheets to be in contact therewith, wherein the
pillars are one piece elements consisting of a core or central body,
made of a material of higher compressive strength, and at least one
2o contact layer, made of softer metallic material, preferably selected
from the group consisting of nickel, iron, chromium, copper, silver,
gold, aluminium, alloys of these metals, or soft carbon, the contact
layer arranged to provide an integral interface at at (east one of the
ends of the central body such as to absorb shear forces in the
2s contact zone pillar - glass sheet. A pillar of this construction can
have a very high compressive strength overall, provided that the
contact layer of softer material on one or both ends ~~ the core is
relatively thin. However, since the softer material contact layer can
deform more readily under shear than the core, a small amount of
3 0 lateral sideways movement is possible. This reduces the magnitude
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of the stress in the glass plates, and thus decreases the chance of
formation of a shear crack.
The dimensions of the support pillars are relatively non-
criticai. Typically, support pillars are 0.1 to 0.2 mm in height
s overall, and approximately 0.2 to 0.3 mm in diameter. The contact
layer of soft material on one or both ends of the pillar can be up to
30 Nm (0.03 mm) thick without causing stresses near the edge of
the glazing which are too large. The materials of the cores and the
soft contact layers are capable of withstanding the high temperature
io (about 500°Cl which is necessary for formation of the glazing edge
sea! without excessive oxidation or annealing. They are also
compatible with the high internal vacuum.
One method to produce integral support pillars with a core
and soft contact layer on one, or both contact ends of the pillar is
is to begin with a composite sheet of material consisting of a high
strength central layer, and a soft layer on one, or both sides. The
pi.ilars are then formed from this sheet by conventional techniques.
The pillars can be made mechanically, by stamping, punching,
abrading ~ or sawing the composite sheet. Alternatively they can be
2o chemically or electrolyticalljr etched from the sheet using
photolithographic methods.
An alternative way of producing the pillars is to deposit the
soft layer after the formation of the hard cores. The layer can be
deposited using conventional electrolytic, or electroiess plating
2s methods. In this case, the soft layer also coats the sides of the
pillars, but this does not affect the operation of the soft layer on the
ends. Pillars of this type can also be made by plastically deforming
a hard core into a flat disk. The core may be coated with soft
material either before, or after the deformation process.
3o A further advantage of the composite pillar construction
described here is that it ensures that the ends of the pillars contact
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a ECE~V~~ Z 6 JUL 199fi
the glass uniformly over the entire contact area of the pillar. There
is some evidence that very hard pillars can not be manufactured
with entirely plain flat contact surfaces and therefore do not contact
the glass uniformly and that this increases the local stresses in the
s glass, thus increasing the chance of fracture. The small
deformation that occurs in the soft material on the end of the pillars
overcomes this problem.
According to an alternative aspect of the invention, which is
believed to also solve above mentioned problems related to shear
to stresses, there is provided a vacuum glazing comprising two sheets
of glass, hermetically sealed around the edge, with a thermally
insulating vacuum, and an array of support pillars placed between
- the glass sheets to be in contact therewith, wherein the array
consists of a small number of first support pillars, made solely of
15 fused solder glass, and a majority number of second support pillars
of high compressive strength, the first support pillars being
distributed between the second support pillars over the entire
surface of the glazing and arranged in use, to absorb shear forcEs
and reduce the magnitude of these forces on the second support
2o pillars. The majority number of second pillars of higher compressive
strength can be ceramic or high strength metal pillars. The fused
solder glass pillars may be formed during the same process that
makes the hermetic solder glass edge seal around the periphery of
the glass sheets. The solder glass pillars make a strong mechanical
25 bond to the internal surfaces of both glass sheets. When shear is
present in the vacuum glazing, the solder glass pillars can absorb
the shear forces, reducing the magnitude of these forces on the
majority of the pillars.
The solder glass pillars may be larger than the 0.2 to 0.3
mm diameter typically used for support pillars, to be strong enough
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to absorb the shear forces. Only a relatively small proportion of the
pillars will usually be made from solder glass, otherwise a
substantial increase in the thermal conductance of the vacuum
glazing will occur due to heat flow through these pillars. Up to
s about 10% of the pillars can be made from solder glass without
resulting in too large an increase in the thermal conductance of the
glazing associated with heat flow through the support pillars.
Typical dimensions of the solder glass pillars are up to 2
mm in diameter, although generally these pillars would be smaller
io than this - no more than 1 mm in diameter. The class from which
the solder glass pillars are made can be highly transparent, so that
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these pillars do not result in a substantial degradation of the optical
properties of the glazing.
DESIGN OF TH SIE UPPO~RT PILLARS
A typical vacuum glazing contains a large number of
s mechanical support pillars - approximately 1500 per m2. These
pillars must be placed on the surface of the glazing using an
automated technique. Typical dimensions of the pillars are 0.2 to
0.3 mm in diameter, and 0.1 to 0.2 mm high. Satisfactory vacuum
glazing requires that the height of all the support pillars should be
io very nearly the same. If this is not the case, substantial stresses
occur in the glass sheets of the glazing near the contact of those
pillars which are slightly higher than the adjacent pillars. Vacuum
glazing has been made with pillars having round ends (cylinders) or
square ends (square or rectangular prisms).
i5 During the manufacture of vacuum glazing, it is extremely
important that all pillars should lie on the surface of the glass in the
same orientation. For example, for cylindrical pillars, the flat end
faces of the pillars must contact the glass with the axis of the pillar
perpendicular to the glass. If a pillar should lie on the glass on its
2o edge, the height of this pillar will be different than its neighbours,
and large stresses will develop in the glass sheets when the vacuum
is applied. '~ It is therefore very important that all of the pillars should
lie on the surface of the glass sheet in the orientation for which
they are designed.
25 ,?s, SUMMARY OF THE IN~(~,,~'[I~.N
According to another aspect, as currently envisaged, the
invention provides a support pillar for vacuum glazing, comprising
two flat parallel ends shaped to' provide stable equilibrium, and sides
shaped to provide unstable equilibrium, t8 ensure that the pillars
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when placed on a glass sheet will fall onto one of the flat faces and
thereafter lie on that face. The sides can be curved outwards in a
cuspodial shape, or tapered outwards. The cuspodial or tapered
shape can be symmetric with respect to both sides of the pillars, or
s asymmetric, with one face of the pillar larger than the other.
The pillars may have circular cross-section; alternatively the
pillars may have other cross-sectional shapes including squares,
rectangles, polygons or irregular shapes.
This aspect of the invention also incorporates vacuum
o glazing comprising two sheets of glass, hermetically sealed around
the edge, with a thermally insulating internal vacuum, and an array
of support pillars placed between the glass sheets, wherein the
support pillars each comprise two flat parallel ends shaped to
provide stable equilibrium, and sides shaped to provide unstable
equilibrium, to ensure that the pillars when placed on a glass sheet
will fall onto one of the flat faces and thereafter lie on that face.
VACUUM GLAZING ~,TRUCTURE
The manufacture of vacuum glazing requires that the
temperature of the glass sheets forming the glazing be held at a
2o high value whilst the solder glass edge seal is formed. This-process
essentially prevents the use of heat tempered glass for the
manufacture of glazing, because the high temperature edge forming
process removes most of the temper from the glass. It is also not
possible to use conventional laminated glass for the glazing because
2 s the temperatures required for formation of the edge seal cause the
plastic adhesive in laminated glass to deteriorate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to another aspect, as currently envisaged, the
invention provides vacuum glazing comprising two sheets of glass,
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hermetically sealed around the edge, with a thermally insulating
internal vacuum, and an array of support pillars placed between the
glass sheets, wherein at least one of the sheets of glass is
laminated after the vacuum glazing has been manufactured.
s According to a further aspect, as currently envisaged, the
invention provides a method of manufacturing vacuum glazing,
comprising the steps of:
holding the glass sheets at a high temperature while a
solder glass edge seal is formed; and
to subsequently laminating at (east one of the glass sheets
with a further sheet of glass.
This procedure may consist of placing a layer of plastic
material on one surface of the glazing, and then locating the further
glass sheet above this material. The entire assembly is forced
~5 together, and then heated to a temperature at which the plastic
material softens and bonds to both sheets. The lamination may be
performed on one side of the glazing only, or on both sides, as
desired. This method of manufacture overcomes the problems
associated with the inability of the laminated glass to withstand the
2o high temperature edge sealing process. The vacuum glazing itself
is, however, quite capable of withstanding the relatively low
temperatures associated with the formation of the bonding between
the glass sheets during the laminating process.
RIB EF D~SCRIPTIOj~OF~t R~4~V111NGS
2s The invention will now be described, by way of example
only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
figure 1 a is a perspective view of conventional vacuum-
glazing, and figure 1 b is a cross-sectional view of the glazing of
figure 1 a;
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figure 2 is a scratch-section illustrating the. formation of
crescent cracks due to shear forces;
figure 3 is a scratch-section illustrating a first aspect of the
present invention;
s figure 4 illustrates a method of making a composite pillar for
the first aspect of the present invention, from a laminated sheet of
high strength material and soft material;
figure 5 illustrates a method of making a composite pillar for
a first aspect of the present invention, from an individual high
io strength core;
figure 6a, b, c and d illustrates examples of the design of
support pillars embodying a further aspect of the present invention;
and
figure 7a, b and c illustrates steps in the manufacture of a
i5 laminated vacuum glazing.
i,~'~~ST MO~E FOR CARRYING OUT THE I~['~ N_i= TION
Referring now to figure 1 vacuum glazing 1 comprises two
sheets of, glass 2 and 3, hermetically sealed around the edge with a
solder glass seal 4 to enclose a vacuum. An array of support pillars
20 5 placed between the glass sheets maintains their separation
against the large forces due to atmospheric pressure. Internal
transparent low emittance coatings on one, or both of the glass
sheets, may be used to reduce radiative heat transport to low
levels.
2s The vacuum will often be established after formation of the
structure by-pumping atmosphere from between the sheets out ~~
through a pump-out tube 6. Pump-out tube 6 will be sealed into a
hole in glass sheet 2 by the use of a solder glass seal 7. A cavity 8
is machined into the other glass sheet 3 in registration with the end
30 of the pump-out tube in order to accommodate it in a small place
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provided between the sheets of glass. A second cavity 9 machined
into the outer face of the first glass sheet 2 accommodates the
external stump of the pump-out tube 6 after it has been tipped-off
and closed, following its use to evacuate the panel.
Sideways, or shear stresses between the glass sheets and
the pillars will arise when there are in-plane movements of one glass
sheet relative to the other. These movements occur during bending
of the glass sheets or as a result of temperature differences
between the sheets. As shown in figure 2 this results in shear
1o forces 10 building up between the support pillars and the glass
sheets, and to regions of high tensile stress 11. Small crescent
shaped cracks 12 can arise and be observed in pairs on opposite
edges of the support pillars in either glass sheet.
COMPOSITE PILLARS
Referring now to figure 3, the support pillar 5 is of a
composite design having a high compressive strength core 13, and
soft ends 14. This pillar has a very high compressive strength
overall, provided that the layers of soft material on either end are
relatively thin. However, under shear the soft material can deform
2o permitting a small amount of lateral sideways movement, and
reducing the magnitude of the stress in the glass sheets and
decreasing the chance of formation of shear cracks.
The support pillars are usually 0.1 to 0.2 mm in height
overall, and approximately 0.2 to 0.3 mm in diameter. Layers of
soft material 14 can be up to 30 ,um thick without causing stresses
near the edge of the glazing which are too large. The materials of
the pillars and the soft layers are capable of withstanding about
500°C which is experienced during the formation of the edge seal,
without excess of oxidation or annealing. The materials must also
3 o be compatible with. high internal vacuum, and metals such as nickel,
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iron, chromium, copper, silver, gold, aluminium, and alloys of these
metals, and in addition soft films of carbon may be used for the soft
material 14.
Composite support pillars may be produced, as indicated in
s figure 4, from a composite sheet of material consisting of a high
strength central layer 13 and a soft layer 14 on one or both sides.
The pillars 5 are then formed from this sheet by stamping,
punching, abrading or sawing, or other mechanical means.
Alternatively they may be chemically or electrolytically etched from
to the sheet using photolithographic methods.
An alternative way of producing pillars is to deposit the soft
layer 14 after the formation of the hard cores 13. As shown in
figure 5 the layer can be deposited using conventional electrolytic or
electrolysis plating methods. In this case, the soft layer also coats
s5 the sides of the pillars, but this does not affect the operation of
both layers on the ends. Pillars of this type can also be made by
plastically deforming a hard core into a flat disk. The core may be
coated with soft material either before or after the deformation
process.
2o FUSED SOLDER GLASS PILLARS
Some of the pillars 5 may be made of fused solder glass,
while the majority of the pillars may be made of a material having a
high compressive strength, such as ceramic or high strength metal.
The fused solder glass pillars may be formed during the same
2s process that makes the' hermetic solder glass edge seal around the
periphery of the glass sheets.
The solder glass pillars make a strong mechanical bond to
the internal surfaces of both glass sheets. When shear is present in
the vacuum glazing, the solder glass pillars can absorb the shear
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forces, reducing the magnitude of these forces on the majority of
the pillars.
The solder glass pillars are larger than the 0.2 to 0.3 mm
diameter typically used for support pillars, to be strong enough to
s absorb the shear forces. Only a relatively small proportion of the
pillars will usually be made from solder glass, otherwise a
substantial increase in the thermal conductance of the vacuum
glazing will occur due to heat flow through these pillars. Up to
about 10% of the pillars are made from solder glass without
to resulting in too large an increase in the thermal conductance of the
glazing associated with heat flow through the support pillars.
The solder glass pillars are up to 2 mm in diameter,
although generally these pillars would be smaller than this - no more
than 1 mm in diameter. The glass from which the solder glass
is pillars are made can be highly transparent, so that these pillars do
not result in a substantial degradation of the optical properties of
the glazing.
DESIGN OF SUPPORT PILLARS
Referring now to figure 6, the support pillars 5 comprising
2o two flat parallel ends 15 and 16 shaped to provide stable
equilibrium, and sides 17 shaped to provide unstable equilibrium, to
ensure that the pillars when placed on a glass sheet will fall onto
one of the flat faces and thereafter lie on that face.
The sides 17 are tapered outwards in figures 6(a) with one
2s end larger than the other. In figure 6(b) the sides taper from both
ends in a cusjiodial shape. In figure 6(c) the sides are curved and in
figure 6(d) the sides are curved from both ends in a cuspoidal
shape.
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VACUUM GL,~4ZING STRUCTURE
In figure 7 the steps in a process, of producing a laminated
evacuated panel are illustrated. First the evacuated panel is
produced as shown in figure 7(a). Then a layer of plastic laminate
s material 20 is placed on one surface of the glazing. A further glass
sheet 21 is located above this material as shown in figure 7(b). The
entire assembly is forced together, and then heated to a
temperature at which the plastic material 20 softens and bonds to
both sheets of glass 2 and 21 as shown in figure 7(c). The
so laminating process may be performed on one or both sides of the
glazing to produce a laminated evacuated panel.
Although this invention has been described with reference
to specific embodiments it should be appreciated that it could be
embodied in other forms. A glazing structure may incorporate one
is or more of the improvements according to the aspects of the
invention.
