Vacuum insulating glazing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Vacuum Insulating Glazing (VIG) devices face challenges with gas permeability, particularly with polymer-based sealants, which are semi-permeable and cannot maintain the required high vacuum levels due to outgassing and permeation, leading to inefficient thermal insulation and structural reliability issues.
Innovation Solution
A novel VIG system utilizing a curable thermosetting non-halogenated polyepoxide resin sealant composition with an aromatic diamine curing agent and an inorganic dryer, combined with a non-evaporable getter system, to achieve exceptional gas barrier properties and mechanical strength, ensuring low gas permeability and thermal insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional polymer-based sealants are used in VIG devices, then ease of manufacture is improved, but gas permeability increases leading to inability to maintain high vacuum levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure consisting of an inner glass frit sealant layer and an outer polymer-based sealant layer. The glass frit layer provides the hermetic barrier against gas permeation, while the polymer layer provides flexibility and ease of application. This composite approach combines the advantages of both materials to solve the contradiction between ease of manufacture and vacuum maintenance.
2Reliability
If glass frit or soldered metallic strips are used as edge sealant, then gas permeability is reduced, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sealant system into two distinct functional layers: an inner glass frit layer for hermetic sealing and an outer polymer layer for flexibility and ease of application. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function optimally while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The glass frit layer acts as an intermediary hermetic barrier between the vacuum space and the external environment, while the polymer layer serves as an outer protective and flexible coating. This intermediary structure simplifies the overall design compared to using complex metallic sealing systems.
3Ease of operation
If polymers are used as VIG edge sealant, then ease of application is improved, but the amount of gas permeation increases requiring larger getter systems
Solution Approach 1:
The dual-layer sealant structure with glass frit inner layer and polymer outer layer allows the use of easy-to-apply polymer material while preventing excessive gas permeation through the hermetic glass frit barrier, eliminating the need for larger getter systems.
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 solution provides high barrier properties against atmospheric gases and moisture, maintaining vacuum grade over time, and exhibits high mechanical strength, accommodating thermal dilation and stress, while being cost-effective and simple to manufacture.
Implementation Method 1
A non-evaporable getter system is placed in the inner volume of the VIG device
Implementation Method 2
the presence of a dryer comprised in the sealant composition
Implementation Method 3
provides a hermetic barrier against atmospheric gases and moisture
Implementation Method 4
a curable thermosetting non-halogenated polyepoxide resin sealant composition with an aromatic diamine curing agent
Implementation Method 5
containing a narrow, evacuated space created by spacers placed between the two sheets of glass
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention refers to a Vacuum Insulating Glazing (VIG) able to provide excellent thermal insulation to the transparent components of curtain walling systems in buildings and to cabinets for domestic or commercial refrigerators, and to a process for its manufacture.