Glass Panel Evacuation Port Sealing Without Surface Traces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing thermally insulating glass panel units leave a trace of the exhaust pipe on the outer surface, which is aesthetically undesirable.
Innovation Solution
A glass panel unit manufacturing method involving a bonding step, an insertion step, an evacuation step, and a sealing step, where a sealing material is inserted into an evacuation port and heated while monitoring pressure variations to detect softening, ensuring the exhaust pipe is sealed without leaving a trace.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an exhaust pipe is connected to evacuate the internal space and then melted and cut off, then the internal space can be evacuated and sealed, but a trace of the exhaust pipe is left on the outer surface of the glass panel unit
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust pipe is extracted from the system by pulling it out through the evacuation port after sealing, removing the source of the surface trace while maintaining the sealed evacuated state
Solution Approach 2:
The evacuation port is sealed with the exhaust pipe in place before evacuation, ensuring proper sealing is established prior to the evacuation process, and then the pipe is removed after sealing completes
2Ease of manufacture
If the exhaust pipe is melted and cut off to seal the evacuation port, then the evacuation port is sealed, but the cutting process creates a visible trace on the glass surface
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of cutting the exhaust pipe in place, the pipe is extracted by pulling it out through the sealed evacuation port, eliminating the need for melting and cutting operations that create surface traces
Solution Approach 2:
The conventional approach melts and cuts the pipe to seal it; this invention inverts the approach by sealing the port first and then removing the pipe through the sealed port, achieving sealing without destructive cutting
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 evacuates and seals the internal space of the glass panel unit, eliminating the trace of the exhaust pipe and achieving high thermal insulation properties without visible remnants.
Implementation Method 1
a sealing material is inserted into an evacuation port and heated while monitoring pressure variations to detect softening
Implementation Method 2
a step of evacuating the internal space by connecting an exhaust device including a pressure gauge to the evacuation port and driving the exhaust device
Data Source
AI summary
A glass panel unit manufacturing method includes a bonding step, an insertion step, an evacuation step, and a sealing step. The bonding step includes bonding a first substrate having an evacuation port and a second substrate with a bonding material having a frame shape to form an internal space. The insertion step includes inserting a sealing material into the evacuation port. The evacuation step includes evacuating the internal space by connecting an exhaust device to the evacuation port and driving the exhaust device. The sealing step includes sealing the evacuation port with the sealing material while an evacuated state in the internal space is maintained. In the sealing step, a measured value by a pressure gauge is monitored while the sealing material is heated, softening of the sealing material is detected based on the transition of the measured value, and heating of the sealing material is stopped.