Vacuum heated glass with facilitated electrode extraction
By designing the first glass substrate to be smaller than the second glass substrate, and setting the electrodes outside its outline, the problem of complex electrode lead-out in vacuum-heated glass is solved, achieving the effects of simplified production and improved product reliability.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHONGSHANG TECH (BEIJING) CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-07
AI Technical Summary
The electrode lead-out structure in existing vacuum-heated glass is complex, which increases manufacturing costs and process difficulty, and may also damage the airtightness of the sealing area, affecting the vacuum level and service life.
The first glass substrate is designed to have a smaller outline than the second glass substrate, so that the electrodes are located outside its outline range. The electrodes are reliably led out through the support and sealing material, which simplifies the production process and maintains airtightness.
It simplifies the electrode lead-out process, reduces manufacturing costs, improves the vacuum stability and long-term reliability of the product, and ensures the convenience and durability of electrical connections.
Smart Images
Figure CN224473435U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of special glass technology, and in particular to a vacuum-heated glass that facilitates electrode lead-out. Background Technology
[0002] Vacuum glass has been widely used in construction, home appliances and other fields due to its excellent thermal insulation properties. To give vacuum glass the function of active heating, existing technology usually places a transparent conductive layer on the surface of one of the glass substrates, which is heated by passing electricity to form vacuum-heated glass.
[0003] In a common structure, a transparent conductive layer and its electrodes are disposed within a vacuum cavity between two glass substrates. However, this structure faces a common manufacturing challenge: how to safely and reliably lead the electrodes from inside the vacuum cavity to the outside. Traditional lead-out methods are often structurally complex, requiring, for example, opening holes in the glass or pre-embedding wires in the edge sealing structure. This not only increases manufacturing costs and process difficulty but may also compromise the airtightness of the edge sealing area, affecting the vacuum level of the vacuum cavity and the product's lifespan. Furthermore, improperly designed electrode lead-out structures can easily become stress concentration points during subsequent use, posing safety hazards.
[0004] Therefore, how to provide a vacuum-heated glass with a simple structure and convenient electrode lead-out has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a vacuum-heated glass that facilitates electrode lead-out, aiming to solve the technical problems of complex electrode lead-out structures and cumbersome processes in the existing vacuum-heated glass.
[0006] This invention provides a vacuum heating glass that facilitates electrode lead-out, comprising: a first glass substrate; and a second glass substrate; wherein the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate are spaced apart and connected by a sealing material disposed around their perimeter, forming a vacuum cavity between them; a transparent conductive layer serving as a heating element and an electrode electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer are disposed on the surface of the second glass substrate facing the vacuum cavity; the outer contour dimensions of the first glass substrate are smaller than those of the second glass substrate, thereby allowing at least a portion of the electrode to be disposed outside the contour range of the first glass substrate, so as to be suitable for connection with an external circuit.
[0007] As can be seen, this invention cleverly designs the size difference between the two glass substrates—that is, the outer contour dimensions of the first glass substrate are smaller than those of the second glass substrate—allowing at least a portion of the electrode to be positioned outside the contour range of the first glass substrate. This design fundamentally solves the problem of difficult electrode lead-out in existing technologies. It eliminates the need for drilling holes in the glass or using complex pre-embedded lead sealing structures, greatly simplifying the production process and reducing manufacturing costs. Simultaneously, since the electrode lead-out does not pass through the sealing area, it avoids damage to the airtightness of the sealing material, thereby significantly improving the vacuum stability and long-term reliability of the product. This structure covers all embodiments with exposed electrode portions, providing broad protection and possessing high practical value.
[0008] Optionally, the wiring portion of the electrode for external circuit connection is completely outside the outline of the first glass substrate.
[0009] As can be seen, by placing the electrode for external circuit connection entirely outside the contour of the first glass substrate, ample and unobstructed operating space is provided for subsequent wiring processes (such as soldering wires or installing connectors). This ensures the convenience and robustness of the electrical connection, effectively avoiding problems such as poor soldering or unreliable connections caused by limited operating space, further improving product production efficiency and the durability of the electrical connection, which is a preferred embodiment of this utility model.
[0010] Optionally, the vacuum chamber is provided with a plurality of support members for supporting the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate.
[0011] It is evident that by setting up support components, atmospheric pressure can be effectively resisted, preventing the two glass substrates from deforming or sticking together, thus ensuring the stability of the vacuum chamber and the structural strength of the product.
[0012] Optionally, the support member is a ceramic support ball or a metal support ball.
[0013] It is evident that using high-strength, high-temperature resistant ceramic or metal materials as support components ensures stable performance and high reliability of the support components during the high-temperature process of vacuum sealing and long-term use.
[0014] Optionally, a low-emissivity film layer is provided on the surface of the first glass substrate facing the vacuum cavity.
[0015] It is evident that this low-emissivity film can reflect a large amount of the thermal radiation generated by the transparent conductive layer back to the heating side, reducing heat loss to the non-heating side and significantly improving heating efficiency and energy utilization.
[0016] Optionally, the welding temperature of the edge banding material is 350-400℃.
[0017] It is evident that selecting an edge sealing material with this welding temperature can ensure reliable sealing while avoiding damage to the glass substrate or transparent conductive layer due to excessive temperature, thus guaranteeing product yield and performance stability.
[0018] Optionally, the edge banding material is glass powder.
[0019] It is evident that using glass powder as the sealing material results in good compatibility and a matching coefficient of thermal expansion with the glass substrate, enabling the formation of a robust and highly airtight seal that ensures the long-term vacuum level of the vacuum chamber.
[0020] Optionally, the electrode is a sintered silver paste electrode.
[0021] It is evident that sintered silver paste electrodes have the advantages of good conductivity and strong bonding with the transparent conductive layer, which can ensure stable current transmission to the heating layer and reduce contact resistance and energy loss.
[0022] Optionally, the transparent conductive layer is made of at least one of indium tin oxide, zinc aluminum oxide, tin fluoride oxide, tin antimony oxide, or indium gallium oxide.
[0023] It is evident that by selecting these mature transparent conductive materials, excellent electric heating performance can be achieved while ensuring high light transmittance of the glass, thus meeting the cost and performance requirements of different application scenarios.
[0024] Optionally, the first glass substrate and / or the second glass substrate are tempered glass.
[0025] It is evident that using tempered glass can significantly improve the product's impact resistance and thermal stability, ensuring safe use even in the event of accidental breakage.
[0026] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description
[0027] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.
[0028] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present utility model.
[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. First glass substrate; 2. Second glass substrate; 3. Transparent conductive layer; 4. Electrode; 5. Support member; 6. Edge sealing material. Detailed Implementation
[0030] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention.
[0031] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or use.
[0032] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, they should be considered part of the specification.
[0033] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.
[0034] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.
[0035] Please see Figure 1 This embodiment provides a vacuum heating glass that facilitates electrode lead-out, including a first glass substrate 1 serving as the non-heating side glass and a second glass substrate 2 serving as the heating side glass.
[0036] Specifically, both the first glass substrate 1 and the second glass substrate 2 are flat glass plates, such as tempered glass, to ensure sufficient mechanical strength and safety.
[0037] A first glass substrate 1 and a second glass substrate 2 are placed opposite each other at a distance. A tiny gap of uniform thickness is formed between them, and this gap is evacuated to form a vacuum cavity. To resist external atmospheric pressure, multiple tiny support members 5 are uniformly arranged inside the vacuum cavity. The support members 5 can be microparticles made of high-strength, low-thermal-conductivity materials, such as zirconia ceramic support spheres.
[0038] A transparent conductive layer 3 is provided on one surface of the second glass substrate 2. This transparent conductive layer 3 is the core component for realizing the heating function and has good light transmittance and conductivity.
[0039] To meet different application scenarios and cost requirements, the transparent conductive layer 3 can be made of various mature transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films. In one specific embodiment, the transparent conductive layer 3 is made of indium tin oxide (ITO), which has excellent overall performance. In another embodiment, zinc aluminum oxide (AZO), which has a lower cost, can be used. In addition, depending on the requirements for weather resistance, conductivity, or specific spectral transmittance, fluorine tin oxide (FTO), antimony tin oxide (ATO), or gallium indium oxide (IGO) can also be selected. In some applications, any combination or stacked structure of two or more of the above materials can also be used to obtain a conductive layer with better overall performance.
[0040] The transparent conductive layer 3 achieves a balance between conductivity and light transmittance through its inherent physical properties and microstructure. Firstly, the material of the transparent conductive layer, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), is essentially a wide-bandgap semiconductor. For wide-bandgap semiconductors, the band gap between the valence and conduction bands is relatively wide (typically greater than 3 electron volts). The photon energy in the visible light band is insufficient to excite valence band electrons to undergo cross-band transitions. Therefore, most visible light is not absorbed by the material but can directly penetrate the thin film, resulting in a macroscopically transparent film. Secondly, by using precise deposition processes (such as magnetron sputtering), the thickness of this conductive layer is controlled at the extremely thin nanometer level (e.g., 50-300 nm). This extremely thin thickness minimizes light absorption and scattering during propagation, ensuring high visible light transmittance for the entire glass assembly and meeting the transparency requirements for applications such as architectural windows.
[0041] In this embodiment, a transparent conductive layer 3 is disposed on the surface of the second glass substrate 2 facing the internal vacuum cavity. Electrodes 4 are formed at both ends or opposite edges of the transparent conductive layer 3 by screen printing and high-temperature sintering of conductive silver paste. The electrodes 4 are used to connect to an external power source to energize the transparent conductive layer 3.
[0042] The heating function of this invention is based on Joule's law. The transparent conductive layer 3 itself has a certain resistance value and can be regarded as a planar resistor. The electrodes 4 serve as positive and negative terminals, respectively, and are connected to an external heating control system via wires. The system includes at least a power supply and a controller. In a preferred embodiment, the controller is an intelligent temperature controller, which is connected to one or more temperature sensors disposed on the indoor surface of the second glass substrate 2. During operation, the user sets a target temperature through the controller. The controller monitors the glass surface temperature fed back by the temperature sensors in real time. When the surface temperature is lower than the set value, the controller turns on the power supply, and current flows through the electrodes 4 and the transparent conductive layer 3, generating heat to heat the second glass substrate 2. When the temperature reaches the set value, the controller turns off the power supply and stops heating. This cycle is repeated to achieve constant control of the indoor glass surface temperature, and through optimized electrode design and conductive layer material, it can be ensured that the temperature difference of the glass surface during heating does not exceed ±5℃, achieving uniform heating.
[0043] The overall outline dimensions of the first glass substrate 1 are designed to be smaller than those of the second glass substrate 2. For example... Figure 1 As shown, when the two glass substrates are aligned and bonded together, because the first glass substrate 1 is smaller, the edge region of the second glass substrate 2 will extend beyond the outline of the first glass substrate 1. The electrode 4 is precisely located on this extended edge region. In this way, the electrode 4 is completely exposed and not obstructed by the first glass substrate 1.
[0044] An edge-sealing material 6 is applied around the perimeter of the two glass substrates. In one specific embodiment, the edge-sealing material 6 is low-temperature glass powder. During the encapsulation process, the glass assembly coated with the glass powder is placed in a vacuum furnace and heated to approximately 350-400°C in a vacuum environment and maintained for 0.1 to 2 hours. These process parameters are optimized: a welding temperature of 350-400°C is chosen because this temperature range ensures that the low-temperature glass powder softens sufficiently, flows, and forms a strong molecular-level wetting and airtight seal with the glass substrate, while remaining below the stress annealing temperature of ordinary tempered glass (typically above 450°C). This avoids damaging the pre-stress of the glass substrate during the sealing process, ensuring the mechanical strength and safety of the product. If the temperature is below 350°C, insufficient glass powder welding may occur, posing a risk of leakage; if the temperature is above 400°C, irreversible damage may be caused to the transparent conductive layer, affecting its conductivity and service life, and increasing unnecessary energy consumption. The heating time depends on the size and thickness of the glass and can be adjusted within the range of 0.1 to 2 hours to ensure uniform heat transfer and complete fusion of the edge banding material.
[0045] With the structure of this utility model, after the vacuum glass product is made, the electrode 4 is completely exposed, making subsequent wiring processes (such as welding wires) very convenient, with a large operating space and high connection reliability, which greatly improves production efficiency.
[0046] In a preferred embodiment, a low-emissivity film layer is provided on the surface of the first glass substrate 1 facing the vacuum cavity. This low-emissivity film layer has the function of reflecting thermal radiation. Thus, when the transparent conductive layer 3 on the second glass substrate 2 is energized and heats up, the low-emissivity film layer can reflect most of the heat radiated towards the first glass substrate 1 back, forming a highly efficient thermal barrier together with the vacuum cavity. This allows heat to be transferred more concentratedly to the side of the second glass substrate 2 that needs to be heated, achieving directional heating and improving energy utilization efficiency.
[0047] In summary, by designing the size of the first glass substrate to be smaller than that of the second glass substrate, the electrodes disposed on the second glass substrate can be exposed outside the outline of the first glass substrate. This provides a vacuum heating glass with a simple structure, convenient electrode lead-out, simplified manufacturing process, and high reliability, effectively solving the problems of difficult electrode lead-out and easy damage to sealing in the prior art.
[0048] Those skilled in the art should understand that the first glass substrate described in the above embodiments, which is smaller than the second glass substrate in all peripheral contours, is only a preferred embodiment. Various modifications are possible without departing from the core concept of this invention. For example, the first glass substrate may be smaller than the second glass substrate only on one or two opposite sides, thus exposing the electrodes only on those one or two sides. Alternatively, the first and second glass substrates may be non-rectangular structures, as long as the outline of the first glass substrate lies within the outline of the second glass substrate in the area where the electrodes need to be led out. Furthermore, the electrodes need not be strictly positioned at the edge of the second glass substrate; they can be positioned at any suitable location outside the area defined by the outline of the first glass substrate. All such equivalent modifications and variations should fall within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.
[0049] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A vacuum-heated glass that facilitates electrode lead-out, characterized in that, include: First glass substrate; Second glass substrate; The first glass substrate and the second glass substrate are placed opposite each other at a distance and are sealed together by a sealing material provided around the perimeter, forming a vacuum cavity between them; The second glass substrate has a transparent conductive layer serving as a heating element and an electrode electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer on its surface facing the vacuum cavity. The outer contour dimensions of the first glass substrate are smaller than those of the second glass substrate, so that at least a portion of the electrode is disposed outside the contour range of the first glass substrate, which is suitable for connection to an external circuit.
2. The vacuum heating glass according to claim 1, which facilitates electrode lead-out, is characterized in that: The wiring portion of the electrode used for external circuit connection is completely outside the outline of the first glass substrate.
3. The vacuum heating glass according to claim 1, which facilitates electrode lead-out, is characterized in that: The vacuum chamber is provided with a plurality of support members for supporting the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate.
4. The vacuum heating glass according to claim 3, which facilitates electrode lead-out, is characterized in that: The support component is a ceramic support ball or a metal support ball.
5. The vacuum heating glass according to claim 1, which facilitates electrode lead-out, is characterized in that: A low-emissivity film is provided on the surface of the first glass substrate facing the vacuum cavity.
6. The vacuum heating glass according to claim 1, which facilitates electrode lead-out, is characterized in that: The welding temperature of the edge banding material is 350-400℃.
7. The vacuum heating glass according to claim 6, which facilitates electrode lead-out, is characterized in that: The edge banding material is glass powder.
8. The vacuum heating glass according to claim 1, which facilitates electrode lead-out, is characterized in that: The electrode is a sintered silver paste electrode.
9. The vacuum heating glass according to claim 1, which facilitates electrode lead-out, is characterized in that: The transparent conductive layer is made of at least one of indium tin oxide, zinc aluminum oxide, tin fluoride oxide, tin antimony oxide, or indium gallium oxide.
10. The vacuum heating glass according to claim 1, which facilitates electrode lead-out, is characterized in that: The first glass substrate and / or the second glass substrate are tempered glass.