Double-glazed glass and its manufacturing method

Abstract

Double-glazed glass that achieves both high thermal insulation and high light transmission can be easily obtained. [Solution] A double-layered glass 1 comprising a pair of glass substrates 2A, 2B facing each other, and a spacer substrate 3 disposed in a reduced-pressure space V formed between the pair of glass substrates, wherein the spacer substrate has a plurality of spacer portions 3a that maintain the distance between the pair of glass substrates, linear connecting portions 3b, 3c that connect the plurality of spacer portions to each other, and a substrate penetration portion 3e surrounded by the spacer portions and linear connecting portions, characterized in that the thickness of the linear connecting portions in the spacer substrate is thinner than the thickness of the spacer portions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a multilayer glass and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a multilayer glass including a pair of glass substrates facing each other and a spacer substrate disposed in a reduced-pressure space formed between these glass substrates is known. For example, in Patent Document 1, as a spacer substrate, a spacer substrate having a substrate through-hole surrounded by spacer portions and thin lines (linear connecting portions) by connecting a plurality of spacer portions for maintaining the distance between the glass substrates to each other with thin lines is used in a multilayer glass. This spacer substrate is manufactured by punching out the location of the substrate through-hole in a 0.2 mm thick stainless steel plate with a press machine. Further, for example, in Patent Document 2, a multilayer glass using a sheet in which a plurality of spacer portions are integrally formed on the sheet surface as a spacer substrate is disclosed. This spacer substrate has a structure in which the spacer portions are connected to each other by a sheet.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional multilayer glass, it has been difficult to obtain a multilayer glass that can achieve both high heat insulation and high light transmittance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a double-layered glass comprising a pair of glass substrates facing each other and a spacer substrate disposed in a reduced-pressure space formed between the pair of glass substrates, wherein the spacer substrate has a plurality of spacer portions that maintain the distance between the pair of glass substrates, linear connecting portions that connect the plurality of spacer portions to each other, and substrate penetration portions surrounded by the spacer portions and the linear connecting portions, characterized in that the thickness of the linear connecting portions in the spacer substrate is thinner than the thickness of the spacer portions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily obtain double-glazed glass that can achieve both high thermal insulation and high light transmittance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing a double-glazed glass in an embodiment. [Figure 2] (a) is a cross-sectional view of the double-glazed glass at A-A' in Figure 1. (b) is a cross-sectional view of the double-glazed glass at B-B' in Figure 1. [Figure 3] (a) is a plan view of the spacer substrate in the double-glazed glass, as seen from the first surface. (b) is a plan view of the spacer substrate, as seen from the second surface. [Figure 4] (a) is a perspective view diagram showing the state after masking the areas to be etched before etching. (b) is a perspective view diagram showing the state after etching and removal of the mask. [Figure 5] A perspective diagram illustrating another example of the process where masking tape has been applied to areas to be left intact before etching. [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram illustrating each step in the manufacturing process of the double-glazed glass according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the double-glazed glass according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the double-glazed glass 1 of this embodiment. The double-layered glass 1 of this embodiment is a double-layered glass comprising a pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B facing each other, and a spacer substrate 3 placed in a reduced-pressure space V formed between the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B, and is used as vacuum glass or vacuum insulated glass. The pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B are bonded together by a sealing material 4 that seals the entire outside of the spacer substrate 3, and the reduced-pressure space V is formed by reducing the pressure in the space surrounded by the inner surfaces of the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B and the sealing material 4 to a near-vacuum state.

[0009] In addition to ordinary glass plates, functional glass with various added functions such as tempered glass, colored glass, heat-resistant glass, and heat-reflective glass can also be used as glass substrates 2A and 2B.

[0010] The spacer substrate 3 is located within the reduced-pressure space V and comprises a plurality of spacer portions 3a that maintain the distance between the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B. The plurality of spacer portions 3a are arranged to be scattered within the reduced-pressure space V, preferably in a regularly distributed manner. In this embodiment, the plurality of spacer portions 3a are arranged in rows with equal intervals in the vertical direction (up and down direction in Figure 1) and the horizontal direction (left and right direction in Figure 1), but this is not limited to this arrangement, and the arrangement method can be determined as appropriate.

[0011] The spacer substrate 3 also includes linear connecting portions 3b and 3c that connect multiple spacer portions 3a to each other. In this embodiment, the linear connecting portions 3b and 3c consist of a vertically extending linear connecting portion 3b that connects spacer portions 3a arranged in the vertical direction, and a horizontally extending linear connecting portion 3c that connects spacer portions 3a arranged in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the linear connecting portions 3b and 3c form a grid shape in a plan view taken from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the glass substrates 2A and 2B. Note that the way in which multiple spacer portions 3a are connected by the linear connecting portions is not limited to this and can be determined as appropriate.

[0012] Furthermore, by connecting multiple spacer sections 3a with linear connecting sections 3b and 3c, the strength of the double-glazed glass 1 is increased, and the manufacturing process of the double-glazed glass is simplified. In other words, if the multiple spacer sections 3a are independent and not connected to each other, the manufacturing process of the double-glazed glass requires the extremely complicated task of positioning and placing each of the multiple spacer sections 3a at its respective target position. If the multiple spacer sections 3a are connected by linear connecting sections 3b and 3c, then each of the multiple spacer sections 3a can be positioned and placed at its respective target position simply by positioning and placing the spacer substrate 3, which is the connecting body, at its target position.

[0013] In particular, the spacer substrate 3 of this embodiment is equipped with a frame portion 3d that surrounds the periphery of the spacer substrate 3, and this frame portion 3d connects the ends of the vertical linear connecting portion 3b and the horizontal linear connecting portion 3c that connect the multiple spacer portions 3a to each other. If the ends of the linear connecting portions 3b and 3c are in an independent state (free end state), each end can be easily bent or broken with even a slight external force, making it difficult to handle the spacer substrate 3 during the manufacturing process of double-glazed glass. By providing the spacer substrate 3 with a frame portion 3d, bending and breaking of the ends of the linear connecting portions 3b and 3c can be suppressed, increasing the overall rigidity of the spacer substrate 3 and making it easier to handle the spacer substrate 3 during the manufacturing process of double-glazed glass.

[0014] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the plate thickness (height) of the frame portion 3d is the same as the plate thickness (height) of the spacer portion 3a. This ensures that even when using glass substrates 2A and 2B with a simple structure and flat inner surfaces, the presence of the frame portion 3d does not hinder the function of the spacer portion 3a (the function of maintaining the distance between the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B), and the frame portion 3d can also perform this function, in addition to making the spacer substrate 3 easy to manufacture.

[0015] The portion surrounded by the spacer portions 3a and the linear connecting portions 3b and 3c in the spacer substrate 3 is a space portion (hollow portion) penetrating the spacer substrate 3 in the plate thickness direction, which is the substrate penetrating portion 3e. Therefore, there is no member in the substrate penetrating portion 3e of the present embodiment that obstructs the transmission of light passing between the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B. Thus, the members that obstruct the transmission of light in the spacer substrate 3 are only the scattered spacer portions 3a and the thin linear connecting portions 3b and 3c. Therefore, according to the multilayer glass 1 of the present embodiment, higher light transmittance can be obtained as compared with a configuration in which a member that obstructs the transmission of light passing between the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B exists in the substrate penetrating portion 3e.

[0016] Further, the substrate penetrating portion 3e is a space that forms a part of the decompressed space V that provides a heat insulation effect, and due to the heat insulation effect of this substrate penetrating portion 3e, high heat insulation performance of the multilayer glass 1 can be obtained. However, in the spacer substrate 3 disposed between the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B, if the portion that contacts both of the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B is large, heat is likely to move through that portion, which becomes a factor in reducing the heat insulation performance of the multilayer glass 1.

[0017] FIG. 2(a) is a cross-sectional view of the multilayer glass 1 at A-A' in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view of the multilayer glass 1 at B-B' in FIG. 1. FIG. 3(a) is a plan view of the spacer substrate 3 as viewed from the first surface side of the spacer substrate 3, and FIG. 3(b) is a plan view of the spacer substrate 3 as viewed from the second surface side of the spacer substrate 3. In FIGS. 3(a) and (b), the solid line portions indicate the portions located at the forefront (the plate surface of the spacer substrate 3) in the figure, and the dotted line portions indicate the portions located below the forefront in the figure.

[0018] In this embodiment, the spacer substrate 3 is configured such that the plate thickness (height) of the linear connection portions 3b and 3c is thinner than the plate thickness (height) of the spacer portion 3a. Specifically, the plate thickness (height) of the linear connection portions 3b and 3c in the spacer substrate 3 is configured to be approximately half of the plate thickness of the spacer portion 3a (that is, the plate thickness of the spacer substrate 3). As a result, although the spacer portion 3a of the spacer substrate 3 is arranged in contact with both of the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B for its function, the linear connection portions 3b and 3c can be configured to contact only one of the glass substrates 2A and 2B or not to contact either of the glass substrates 2A and 2B.

[0019] Therefore, compared with a configuration in which not only the spacer portion 3a but also the linear connection portions contact both of the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B, the multilayer glass 1 of this embodiment has a smaller portion arranged in contact with both of the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B, and a reduction in the heat insulation effect due to this portion is suppressed. Moreover, since there is a gap between at least one of the glass substrates 2A and 2B and the linear connection portions 3b and 3c, this gap also constitutes the decompression space V, and a heat insulation effect can be obtained. As a result, according to the multilayer glass 1 of this embodiment, high heat insulation can be obtained.

[0020] In particular, in this embodiment, the linear connection portions 3b and 3c are arranged such that the longitudinal linear connection portion 3b as the first linear connection portion formed on the first surface side of the spacer substrate 3 and the transverse linear connection portion 3c as the second linear connection portion formed on the second surface side of the spacer substrate 3 intersect with each other. And the intersection portion of the longitudinal linear connection portion 3b and the transverse linear connection portion 3c functions as the spacer portion 3a. According to such a configuration, the spacer substrate 3 can be manufactured by processing the blank of the spacer substrate 3, and the spacer substrate 3 can be easily manufactured without the need for a complicated operation of joining a plurality of spacer portions 3a and linear connection portions 3b and 3c.

[0021] Examples of materials for the spacer substrate 3 include metals such as SUS, ceramics such as alumina and zirconia, and heat-resistant resins such as polyimide. However, from the viewpoint of being very light, flexible, resistant to cracking, and readily available after processing, SUS (especially SUS430 or SUS304) is preferred. In particular, SUS430 is especially suitable when etching is performed as described in the manufacturing method.

[0022] Furthermore, if a magnetic material is used for the spacer substrate 3, it becomes possible to attach magnets to the glass surface of the double-glazed glass 1, expanding the applications of the double-glazed glass 1. In addition, during the manufacturing process of the double-glazed glass 1, when setting the spacer substrate 3 on one of the glass substrates 2A, 2B, a magnet can be placed under the glass substrate to fix (position) the spacer substrate 3 on the glass substrate by magnetic force, which has the advantage of making subsequent manufacturing processes easier.

[0023] Furthermore, if a flexible material is used as the material for the spacer substrate 3, the method can be easily applied even when, for example, the glass substrates 2A and 2B are curved glass.

[0024] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the spacer substrate 3 in this embodiment will be described. In the manufacturing process of the spacer substrate 3 in this embodiment, a thin plate with a thickness t of 0.2 [mm] made of, for example, SUS430 is prepared as the base plate for the spacer substrate 3, and the spacer substrate 3 is obtained by etching this base plate.

[0025] Figure 4(a) is a perspective view illustrating the state after masking has been applied to the areas to be left etched before etching. Figure 4(b) is a perspective view illustrating the state after etching has been performed to remove the mask. Figures 4(a) and 4(b) show enlarged views of the area corresponding to one spacer portion 3a.

[0026] In this embodiment, first, the areas to be left unetched on the base plate 30 of the spacer substrate 3 are masked. The masking process may be performed, for example, by screen printing the resist material to be used as a mask, or by applying it using a dispenser that does not require a screen plate. After applying the resist material, the masking process is completed after a drying process, for example, at 120°C for 30 minutes.

[0027] In the masking process, a mask for the frame portion 3d is applied to both sides of the peripheral edge of the base plate 30. Here, for example, a mask for the frame portion 3d with a width of approximately 3 mm is applied. In addition, a vertical mask 31 extending linearly in the vertical direction is applied at intervals of approximately 20 mm to the location corresponding to the vertical linear connecting portion 3b on the first surface side (upper side in the figure) of the base plate 30 (first masking process). In addition, a horizontal mask 32 extending linearly in the horizontal direction is applied at intervals of approximately 20 mm to the location corresponding to the horizontal linear connecting portion 3c on the second surface side (lower side in the figure) of the base plate 30 (second masking process). The width W1 of the vertical mask 31 and the width W2 of the horizontal mask 32 are set to approximately 0.5 mm.

[0028] Once masking is complete, etching is started on both sides of the masked base plate 30 using FeCl3 etching solution. This etching process is performed, for example, by moving the base plate 30 on a belt and applying the etching solution in a shower-like manner from above and below. Through this etching process, the exposed areas of the base plate 30 other than those masked by the frame portion 3d mask, the vertical mask 31, and the horizontal mask 32 are removed in the thickness direction. The etching is then terminated at a predetermined timing after the area of ​​the base plate 30 corresponding to the substrate penetration portion 3e has been removed (for example, immediately after that area is removed).

[0029] In this etching process, the areas of the mask for the frame portion 3d that mask both sides of the base plate 30 are not etched and remain with the thickness t of the base plate 30, resulting in the formation of a frame portion 3d with thickness t. In addition, the areas of the base plate 30 that are not masked on both sides are etched from both sides of the base plate 30 and completely removed, becoming the substrate penetration portion 3e.

[0030] Furthermore, in areas where only the first surface of the base plate 30 is masked by the vertical mask 31 (where the back surface is not masked by the horizontal mask 32), etching is performed only from the second surface, removing approximately half of the base plate thickness t. This forms a vertical linear connecting portion 3b with a thickness (height) of t / 2, which is half of the base plate thickness t. Similarly, in areas where only the second surface of the base plate 30 is masked by the horizontal mask 32 (where the back surface is not masked by the vertical mask 31), etching is performed only from the first surface, removing approximately half of the base plate thickness t. This forms a horizontal linear connecting portion 3c with a thickness (height) of t / 2, which is half of the base plate thickness t.

[0031] Furthermore, the areas on both sides of the base plate 30 that are masked by the vertical mask 31 and the horizontal mask 32, respectively, are not etched and remain with the thickness t of the base plate 30, resulting in the formation of a spacer portion 3a with thickness t.

[0032] As described above, once the etching process is complete, the mask remaining on the base plate 30 is removed to obtain the spacer substrate 3. Note that the manufacturing method for the spacer substrate 3 is not limited to this embodiment; it can also be manufactured using other etching methods, press working, or other processing methods.

[0033] In the etching process of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, a third masking step may be added in which a third masking step is performed at locations corresponding to the substrate penetration portion 3e on the first and second surfaces of the base plate 30, leaving the peripheral region of the substrate penetration portion 3e vacant. That is, the penetration portion mask 33 masked on the first surface of the base plate 30 is formed with a small gap (corresponding to the peripheral region of the substrate penetration portion 3e) between it and the vertical mask 31 also masked on the first surface, and a small gap (corresponding to the peripheral region of the substrate penetration portion 3e) is also formed between it and the projected portion obtained by projecting the horizontal mask 32 masked on the second surface onto the first surface. The same applies to the penetration portion mask 33 masked on the second surface of the base plate 30.

[0034] According to this method, during etching, only the peripheral region of the substrate penetration portion 3e is removed from the area corresponding to the substrate penetration portion 3e. As a result, the central region of the substrate penetration portion 3e (the area that is not etched), which is masked on both sides by the penetration portion mask 33, is separated from the base plate 30, and the substrate penetration portion 3e is formed. In this case, it is not necessary to remove the entire area corresponding to the substrate penetration portion 3e by etching, which has advantages such as suppressing the deterioration of the etching solution and reducing the frequency of etching solution replacement.

[0035] Next, an example of a manufacturing method for producing the multilayer glass 1 of this embodiment using the spacer substrate 3 prepared as described above will be explained. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating each process A to F for manufacturing the double-glazed glass 1 of this embodiment.

[0036] Process A is the substrate preparation and cleaning process. In this process A, the glass substrate 2B, which is the lower of the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B used in the double-layered glass 1, is set and cleaned. This glass substrate 2B has an exhaust hole 10 formed therein to later reduce the pressure in the reduced-pressure space V.

[0037] Step B is a sealing material application step. In this step B, a dispenser 11 is used to apply the sealing material 4 to the lower surface of the glass substrate 2A and the upper surface of the glass substrate 2B. The sealing material 4 is applied along the periphery of each glass substrate 2A and 2B, which are rectangular in plan view, and covers the entire circumference of the glass substrates 2A and 2B. The exhaust holes 10 of the glass substrate 2B are located inside the sealing material 4 being applied. After application, the sealing material 4 is dried, for example, at 150°C for 10 minutes. Alternatively, the sealing material 4 may be applied to only one of the glass substrates, dried, and then pre-fired.

[0038] Step C is the installation step of the spacer substrate 3. In this step C, the pre-fabricated spacer substrate 3 is placed on the upper surface of the glass substrate 2B. The spacer substrate 3 is positioned inside the sealant 4 applied to the glass substrate 2B.

[0039] Process D is the substrate lamination and assembly process. In this process D, another glass substrate 2A, which is paired with the glass substrate 2B on which the spacer substrate 3 is placed, is laminated from above so that the dried film surfaces of the sealing material 4 of both glass substrates 2A and 2B overlap. Then, as shown in process E, the outer circumferences of both glass substrates 2A and 2B are clamped and fixed with heat-resistant clips 14, and the temperature is increased at a heating rate of 10°C / min, and the substrates are fired in a continuous furnace for 30 minutes while maintaining a temperature of 460°C. In addition, an exhaust pipe 12 is connected from below to the exhaust hole 10 of the lower glass substrate 2B.

[0040] Process E is the exhaust process. In this process E, the exhaust pipe 12 connected to the glass substrate 2B is connected to the vacuum piping via the seal head 13, and a vacuum is drawn from the sealed space sealed with the sealing material 4. This vacuum drawing turns the sealed space into a reduced-pressure space V. At this time, the spacer substrate 3 located in the reduced-pressure space V is pressed by atmospheric pressure from the glass substrates 2A and 2B on both the upper and lower sides, and is sandwiched and fixed between the pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B, thereby positioning itself.

[0041] In this embodiment, the spacer substrate 3 has a configuration in which the thickness of the linear connecting portions 3b and 3c that connect the spacer portions 3a to each other is thinner than the thickness t of the spacer portion 3a. Therefore, there is a gap between the linear connecting portions 3b and 3c and the glass substrates 2A and 2B. As a result, the substrate penetration portions 3e surrounded by the spacer portion 3a and the linear connecting portions 3b and 3c are in communication with each other through this gap. Consequently, when vacuuming is performed from the exhaust hole 10 that communicates with one of the substrate penetration portions 3e, vacuuming can be performed smoothly over the entire substrate penetration portion 3e of the spacer substrate 3. Therefore, the entire substrate penetration portion 3e can be depressurized to the desired value in a shorter time, and the exhaust process E can be shortened.

[0042] Furthermore, in order to reduce the pressure in the reduced-pressure space between the frame portion 3d of the spacer substrate 3 and the sealing material 4 in a shorter time when performing vacuuming, a connecting passage 3f is formed in the frame portion 3d of the spacer substrate 3, as shown in Figure 1, to connect the inner and outer sides of the spacer substrate 3 in the direction of the substrate surface. As a result, the space between the frame portion 3d of the spacer substrate 3 and the sealing material 4 is connected to the substrate penetration portion 3e via the connecting passage 3f, allowing for smooth vacuuming of that space as well, and thus shortening the exhaust process E.

[0043] In particular, in this embodiment, the clamping force of the heat-resistant clip 14 crushes the sealing material 4, and the frame portion 3d of the spacer substrate 3 is pressed against each glass substrate 2A, 2B, making it easy for them to adhere tightly. Therefore, since it is difficult to degas between the frame portion 3d of the spacer substrate 3 and the sealing material 4, a passage 3f is formed in the frame portion 3d of the spacer substrate 3. Also, if the sealing material 4 is not pre-fired, the gas generated during firing accumulates between the frame portion 3d of the spacer substrate 3 and the sealing material 4, so degassing of this gas is also necessary, thus increasing the need for the passage 3f.

[0044] Process F is a tip-off process. In this process F, the exhaust pipe 12 is melted using a burner or the like to seal the reduced pressure space V in a reduced pressure state (vacuum state), and the exhaust pipe 12 is cut.

[0045] In this embodiment, a configuration in which one spacer substrate 3 is placed between a pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B has been described. However, a configuration in which two or more spacer substrates 3 are arranged side by side in the substrate plane direction between a pair of glass substrates 2A and 2B is also possible. Furthermore, although the double-layered glass 1 in this embodiment has a two-layer structure consisting of two glass substrates 2A and 2B, it may also have a structure of three or more layers.

[0046] The above is just one example; each of the following embodiments produces its own unique effects. [First aspect] The first embodiment is a double-layered glass comprising a pair of glass substrates facing each other and a spacer substrate disposed in a reduced-pressure space formed between the pair of glass substrates, wherein the spacer substrate has a plurality of spacer portions that maintain the distance between the pair of glass substrates, linear connecting portions that connect the plurality of spacer portions to each other, and substrate penetration portions surrounded by the spacer portions and the linear connecting portions, characterized in that the thickness of the linear connecting portions in the spacer substrate is thinner than the thickness of the spacer portions. Generally, the thermal insulation of double-glazed glass is achieved by the thermal insulation effect of the substrate penetration portion (reduced pressure space) of the spacer substrate placed between the pair of glass substrates. The presence of parts of the spacer substrate that are in contact with both of the pair of glass substrates (such as the spacer portion) reduces the thermal insulation effect between the pair of glass substrates. Furthermore, regarding the light transmittance of double-glazed glass, increasing the area of ​​the substrate penetration portion of the spacer substrate interposed between the pair of glass substrates results in higher light transmittance over a wider area. Conversely, the larger the area of ​​the part of the spacer substrate other than the substrate penetration portion, the more light transmission is obstructed by that part, reducing the light transmittance of the double-glazed glass. In the double-glazed glass disclosed in Patent Document 1, the portion enclosed by the spacer portion and linear connecting portion of the spacer substrate is a substrate penetration portion (hollow portion), and the only part that obstructs the transmission of light passing between the pair of glass substrates is the small portion consisting of the spacer portion and linear connecting portion. Therefore, it is easy to obtain high light transmittance in the double-glazed glass. However, in this double-glazed glass, since the spacer portion and linear connecting portion of the spacer substrate are of the same height (plate thickness), not only the spacer portion but also the linear connecting portion is positioned in contact with both of the pair of glass substrates. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain high heat insulation performance compared to a configuration in which only the spacer portion of the spacer substrate is positioned in contact with both of the pair of glass substrates. Furthermore, in the double-glazed glass disclosed in Patent Document 2, the portion of the spacer substrate that contacts both of the pair of glass substrates is only the spacer portion, and the sheet connecting the spacer portions contacts only one of the pair of glass substrates. Therefore, a gap (reduced pressure space) exists between the sheet and the other glass substrate, and a heat insulating effect is obtained therefrom, making it easy to obtain high heat insulating properties for double-glazed glass. However, the sheet connecting the spacer portions of the spacer substrate is arranged to cover the entire area between the pair of glass substrates other than the spacer portions. Therefore, the sheet portion, as well as the spacer portion of the spacer substrate, is configured to obstruct the transmission of light passing between the pair of glass substrates. In this sheet portion, it is difficult to obtain the same level of high light transmittance as in the substrate penetration portion (hollow portion) where there is no material obstructing light transmission, and thus it is difficult to obtain high light transmittance for double-glazed glass. In this embodiment, the spacer substrate has a substrate penetration portion (hollow portion) surrounded by the spacer portion and the linear connecting portion. Therefore, the only components that obstruct the transmission of light between the pair of glass substrates are the spacer portion and the linear connecting portion. Thus, it is easy to obtain high light transmittance of the double-layered glass. Moreover, in this embodiment, since the plate thickness of the linear connecting portion in the spacer substrate is thinner than the plate thickness of the spacer portion, the linear connecting portion can be configured to contact only one of the glass substrates, or not contact either glass substrate. Therefore, it is easier to obtain high thermal insulation compared to a configuration in which not only the spacer portion but also the linear connecting portion contacts both of the pair of glass substrates.

[0047] [Second aspect] The second embodiment is characterized in that, in the first embodiment, the linear connecting portion is arranged such that a first linear connecting portion formed on the first surface side of the spacer substrate and a second linear connecting portion formed on the second surface side of the spacer substrate intersect with each other, and the intersection of the first linear connecting portion and the second linear connecting portion functions as the spacer portion. According to this, spacer substrates can be manufactured using processing methods such as etching. Therefore, spacer substrates can be easily manufactured without requiring complicated work such as joining multiple spacer parts and linear connecting parts, thereby facilitating the manufacture of multilayer glass.

[0048] [Third aspect] The third embodiment is characterized in that, in the first or second embodiment, the spacer substrate has a frame portion that has the same thickness as the thickness of the spacer portion and surrounds the periphery of the spacer substrate, and a communication passage is formed in the frame portion that connects the inner and outer sides of the spacer substrate in the substrate surface direction. According to this, the space between the sealing material used to seal the reduced pressure space between a pair of glass substrates and the frame portion of the spacer substrate can be connected to the substrate penetration portion via a connecting passage. This allows for smooth vacuuming of the space, facilitating the manufacture of double-glazed glass.

[0049] [Fourth aspect] A fourth embodiment is a manufacturing method for manufacturing a double-layered glass according to the second embodiment, characterized in that the manufacturing step of the spacer substrate includes a first masking step of performing linear first masking on a portion corresponding to the first linear connecting portion on the first surface side of the base plate of the spacer substrate, a second masking step of performing linear second masking on a portion corresponding to the second linear connecting portion on the second surface side of the base plate, and an etching step of starting etching from both sides of the base plate on which the first and second masking have been performed, and ending the etching at a predetermined timing after the portion corresponding to the substrate penetration portion has been removed. According to this, a spacer substrate that achieves both high thermal insulation and high light transmittance in double-glazed glass can be easily manufactured by etching, and double-glazed glass that achieves both high thermal insulation and high light transmittance can be easily manufactured. Furthermore, because the thickness of the linear connecting portion of this spacer substrate is thinner than the thickness of the spacer portion, a gap is created between the linear connecting portion and the glass substrate. As a result, the entire substrate penetration portion of the spacer substrate is in communication through this gap, allowing for smooth vacuuming of the entire substrate penetration portion of the spacer substrate when performing vacuuming in a reduced-pressure space. Therefore, vacuuming can be completed in a shorter time, and double-glazed glass can be manufactured more easily.

[0050] [Fifth aspect] The fifth aspect is characterized in that, in the fourth aspect, the manufacturing process of the spacer substrate includes a third masking step in which a third masking is performed on the first and second surfaces of the base plate, at locations corresponding to the substrate penetrations, leaving the peripheral region of the substrate penetrations vacant, and the etching step is performed on the base plate that has undergone the first masking, the second masking, and the third masking. In this embodiment, during etching, only the peripheral region of the substrate penetration area is removed from the area corresponding to the substrate penetration area. As a result, the central region of the substrate penetration area (the area that is not etched) where the third masking is applied is separated from the base plate, and the substrate penetration area is formed. This eliminates the need to remove the entire area corresponding to the substrate penetration area by etching, and provides advantages such as suppression of etching solution degradation. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1: Double-glazed windows 2A, 2B: Glass substrate 3: Spacer board 3a: Spacer section 3b, 3c: Linear connection part 3d:Frame 3e: Through-hole of substrate 3f: Communication path 4: Sealant 10: Exhaust vent 11: Dispenser 12: Exhaust pipe 13: Seal Head 30: Plain board 31: Vertical Mask 32: Horizontal Mask 33: Mask for penetration V: Decompression space t: plate thickness

Claims

1. A pair of glass substrates facing each other, A double-layered glass comprising a spacer substrate disposed in a reduced-pressure space formed between the pair of glass substrates, The spacer substrate has a plurality of spacer portions that maintain the distance between the pair of glass substrates, linear connecting portions that connect the plurality of spacer portions to each other, and a substrate penetration portion surrounded by the spacer portions and the linear connecting portions. A double-glazed glass characterized in that the thickness of the linear connecting portion in the spacer substrate is thinner than the thickness of the spacer portion.

2. In the double-glazed glass according to claim 1, The linear connecting portion is arranged such that a first linear connecting portion formed on the first surface side of the spacer substrate and a second linear connecting portion formed on the second surface side of the spacer substrate intersect each other. A double-glazed glass characterized in that the intersection of the first linear connecting portion and the second linear connecting portion functions as the spacer portion.

3. In the double-glazed glass according to claim 1 or 2, The spacer substrate has the same thickness as the spacer portion and has a frame portion that surrounds the periphery of the spacer substrate. The frame portion is characterized by having a communication passage that connects the inner and outer sides of the spacer substrate in the substrate surface direction.

4. A manufacturing method for producing double-glazed glass as described in claim 2, The manufacturing process for the aforementioned spacer substrate is as follows: A first masking step involves applying a linear first mask to the portion of the first linear connecting portion on the first surface side of the spacer substrate, A second masking step is performed by applying a linear second mask to the portion of the second surface of the base plate corresponding to the second linear connecting portion, A manufacturing method characterized by including an etching step in which etching is started from both sides of the blank plate on which the first masking and the second masking have been performed, and the etching is terminated at a predetermined timing after the portion corresponding to the substrate penetration portion has been removed.

5. A manufacturing method according to claim 4, The manufacturing process of the spacer substrate includes a third masking step in which a third masking is performed on the first and second surfaces of the base plate, at locations corresponding to the substrate penetrations, leaving the peripheral region of the substrate penetrations vacant. The manufacturing method is characterized in that the etching step is performed on a blank sheet that has undergone the first masking, the second masking, and the third masking.

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