Vacuum Insulated Panel Edge Seal Width for Hermeticity and Glass Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vacuum insulated glass panels face issues such as significant de-tempering of glass substrates, high manufacturing costs, slow processing times, and lack of durability due to thermal stress and hermeticity problems, which hinder their commercial viability and compliance with safety codes.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum insulating panel design with a multi-layer edge seal structure, utilizing a main seal layer and primer layers with controlled thermal expansion coefficients, combined with laser heating to minimize transient thermal stress, ensuring hermeticity and durability while maintaining tempered glass properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sealing methods are used to create hermetic seals in vacuum insulated panels, then sealing is achieved, but significant de-tempering of glass substrates and thermal stress occur
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into multiple layers with different material properties. The first seal layer has a first coefficient of thermal expansion and the second seal layer has a second coefficient of thermal expansion, allowing each layer to manage thermal stress differently while collectively providing hermetic sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal comprises composite material structure with at least two different seal layers. These layers have different thermal expansion coefficients and material compositions, creating a composite seal that balances hermeticity requirements with thermal stress management to prevent glass substrate de-tempering.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional single-layer seals are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but thermal stress and durability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is segmented into multiple functional layers. The first seal layer provides primary sealing with its specific thermal expansion properties, while the second seal layer provides secondary sealing and stress management. This segmentation improves durability without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters of the seal layers, specifically the coefficients of thermal expansion. By selecting materials with appropriate thermal expansion coefficients for each layer, the seal achieves improved durability and stress resistance while maintaining manufacturability.
3Reliability
If wider seals are used to improve hermeticity, then sealing performance improves, but thermal stress increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the seal have different material properties. The first seal layer and second seal layer have different coefficients of thermal expansion, allowing each layer to be optimized for specific functions: one layer for hermeticity and the other for thermal stress management.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes the thermal expansion parameters of each seal layer. By carefully selecting the coefficients of thermal expansion for the first and second seal layers, the seal achieves adequate hermeticity while minimizing thermal stress through parameter optimization rather than simply reducing seal width.
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 maintains high compressive and tensile stresses in glass substrates, reduces thermal stress gradients, and enhances production efficiency, resulting in a durable and cost-effective vacuum insulating panel that meets safety standards.
Implementation Method 1
the seal comprising a first seal layer and a second seal layer, wherein, for at least one location of the seal, the first seal layer has a first width and the second seal layer has a second width... The first and/or second seal layers may comprise ceramic(s)
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum insulating panel may include: a first substrate; a second substrate; a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second substrates, wherein the gap is at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure; a seal provided between at least the first and second substrates, the seal including a first seal layer and a second seal layer, wherein, for at least one location of the seal, the first seal layer has a first width and the second seal layer has a second width, wherein the first width of the first seal layer may be from about 2-20 mm, more preferably from about 3-10 mm, and possibly from about 4-8 mm.