Glass Panel Seal Protrusion for Vacuum Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glass panel units are prone to leaks due to seal damage from pressure differences, which can destroy the reduced pressure state within the inner space.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method involving a seal applying step, bonding step, pressure reducing step, and sealing step, where a frame-shaped seal with a protruding portion is applied and bonded between glass panels, and the pressure is reduced while maintaining the seal's integrity by ensuring the protruding portion contacts the panel edges, preventing the seal from being pulled into the inner space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal is used to form an inner space between glass panels, then hermetic bonding and reduced pressure state are achieved, but the seal may be damaged by pressure difference force pulling it into the inner space
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed with a protruding portion that extends in the thickness direction beyond the glass panels' surfaces. This dimensional extension allows the seal to be supported by the glass panels from the outside, preventing the pressure difference from pulling the entire seal into the inner space and causing damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The protruding portion of the seal is positioned outside the edges of the glass panels before the reduced pressure state is established. This preliminary positioning ensures that the seal is already supported and protected against the impending pressure difference force that will occur when the inner space is evacuated.
2Shape
If the seal is positioned flush with glass panel edges, then appearance is improved, but the seal cannot resist pressure difference force effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The seal extends in the thickness direction beyond the glass panel surfaces, creating a protruding portion. This dimensional change allows the seal to maintain aesthetic appearance when viewed from the front while providing structural support points outside the panel edges to resist pressure difference forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal is functionally segmented into different portions: a visible portion that maintains aesthetic appearance and a protruding portion that provides structural support. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
3Reliability
If the protruding portion length is longer than the prescribed interval, then the seal is protected from being pulled into the inner space, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal's geometry is modified by changing the parameter of its length in the thickness direction, creating a protruding portion that extends beyond the glass panels. This parameter change provides structural protection while maintaining a relatively simple overall seal structure that can be manufactured using conventional processes.
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 effectively prevents leaks and maintains the reduced pressure state by ensuring the seal is not pulled into the inner space, even under pressure differences, thus enhancing the durability of the glass panel unit's vacuum state.
Implementation Method 1
hermetically bonding, with the seal, the first surface of the first substrate and the second surface of the second substrate to form an inner space
Implementation Method 2
force is applied to the seal in a direction of pulling the seal into the inside, due to a pressure difference between the inner space reduced in pressure and the ambient atmosphere
Implementation Method 3
exhausting air from the inner space to seal the inner space, thereby forming a glass panel unit
Data Source
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AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a glass panel unit manufacturing method, a glass panel unit, and a glass window with the same, which can suppress a reduced pressure state in an inner space of the glass panel unit from being destroyed. The glass panel unit includes a first panel (10), a second panel (20), a frame body (50) and a reduced pressure space (600). The reduced pressure space (600) is surrounded with the first panel (10), the second panel (20) and the frame body (50) other than an exhaust path capable of exhausting gas to an outside, and sealed in a reduced pressure state. In a state where the inner space has been formed, the seal (5) includes a protruding portion (500) positioned outside of edges of a first surface (la) of a first substrate (1) and a second surface (2a) of a second substrate (2). The protruding portion (500) has a length (L1), along the thickness directions of the first substrate (1) and the second substrate (2), longer than a prescribed interval (L0).