Low-Melting Member Bonding for Getter Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing glass panel units with vacuum gaps require heating the getter to a high temperature for activation, limiting energy efficiency and restricting the use of getters with high activation temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a gas adsorption unit with a pre-activated getter encapsulated in a package, using a low-melting member with a lower melting point than the package to bond the connector, allowing thermal stress to break the package open and expose the getter, thereby adsorbing gases without the need for high-temperature activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the getter is heated to high temperature for activation during the evacuating process, then the getter can adsorb gas effectively, but energy consumption increases and the use of getters is restricted to those with low activation temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The getter is pre-activated before being sealed in the package, so that when the package breaks during evacuation, the getter is already in its active state and can immediately adsorb gas without requiring high-temperature heating during the manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
A low-melting-point alloy is introduced as an intermediary material that, when heated, melts and causes thermal stress to break the package sealing the getter, thereby releasing the pre-activated getter without requiring direct high-temperature heating of the getter itself
2Reliability
If the getter is heated to high temperature for activation, then gas adsorption can be achieved, but the types of usable getters are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The getter is pre-activated outside the vacuum chamber and sealed in a package, allowing any type of getter (regardless of its activation temperature requirements) to be used, since the activation process occurs before sealing and does not depend on the vacuum chamber's temperature capabilities
3Reliability
If the package is made of high-melting-point material to contain the getter, then the getter remains protected, but the package cannot be broken open easily to expose the getter
Solution Approach 1:
A low-melting-point alloy is placed between the package and the heater, acting as a mediator that melts at a lower temperature and transfers thermal stress to the package, causing it to break open and release the getter without requiring direct high-temperature heating of the package itself
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables efficient gas adsorption in glass panel units with excellent thermal insulation properties, reducing energy consumption and allowing the use of getters with high activation temperatures, while maintaining the getter in an activated state.
Implementation Method 1
The low-melting member has a lower melting point than the package. The melting step includes heating, and thereby melting, the low-melting member at a temperature lower than a melting point of the package
Implementation Method 2
The seal opening step includes causing, either during, or after, the evacuating and hermetically sealing step, thermal stress resulting from a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the package and the connector to the package connected to the connector and breaking the package open with the thermal stress
Implementation Method 3
The gas adsorption unit includes zeolite as a getter. When heated while the internal space is evacuated during the manufacturing process, the getter is activated to adsorb the gas emitted from the frame-shaped material and other members
Data Source
AI summary
A gas adsorption unit includes a getter, a package encapsulating the getter, and a low-melting member. The low-melting member is heated, and thereby melted, at a temperature lower than a melting point of the package to bond a connector including the low-melting member onto the package. Next, the low-melting member that has melted is cooled and cured. Then, thermal stress resulting from a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the package and the connector is caused to the package connected to the connector, thereby breaking the package open.