Glass Panel Evacuation Port Sealing Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glass panel manufacturing methods leave traces of evacuation pipes on the outer surface of thermally insulating glass panel units due to the heating and cutting off of evacuation pipes during the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a bonding step, an evacuating step, and a sealing step, where a first and second substrate are bonded with a frame-shaped sealing material, the internal space is evacuated through an evacuation port, and the port is sealed using a second sealing material with a different shape, which is melted and pressed to seal the port hermetically, eliminating any pipe traces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the evacuation pipe is heated and cut off after evacuation, then the internal space can be sealed, but traces of the evacuation pipe are left protruding from the outer surface
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the evacuation pipe from the system after evacuation is complete. The pipe is pulled out through the evacuation port, and the port is then sealed with sealing material, eliminating any protruding traces from the outer surface while maintaining sealing reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies preliminary sealing preparation by placing sealing material around the evacuation port before removing the evacuation pipe. This ensures that when the pipe is removed, the port is already prepared for sealing, preventing any traces from remaining on the surface
2Reliability
If the evacuation port is sealed by heating and melting sealing material, then hermetic sealing is achieved, but the sealing material must be pressed against the substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple sealing actions into a single integrated process. The sealing material is simultaneously heated to melt and pressed against the substrate through coordinated heating and pressing operations, achieving hermetic sealing in one step rather than separate operations
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the sealing material from solid to liquid through heating, and then uses the liquid state to flow and fill the sealing area. After cooling, the material solidifies to create a hermetic seal, utilizing phase change to simplify the sealing process
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
The method results in a glass panel unit with an evacuated internal space that exhibits excellent thermal insulation properties and no visible traces of the evacuation pipe, ensuring reliable sealing and improved aesthetics.
Implementation Method 1
heating and melting a second sealing material inserted into the evacuation port
Implementation Method 2
evacuating the internal space through the evacuation port of the first substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A first substrate, having an evacuation port, and a second substrate are bonded together with a first sealing material in a frame shape interposed between them to create an internal space. The internal space is evacuated through the evacuation port, and the evacuation port is sealed up with the internal space kept evacuated. At this time, a second sealing material inserted into the evacuation port is heated and melted while being pressed toward the second substrate such that the evacuation port is sealed up with the second sealing material melted. The evacuation port and the second sealing material have dissimilar shapes when viewed along the center axis of the evacuation port in a state where the second sealing material has been inserted into the evacuation port but has not melted yet.