Vacuum Insulated Panel Seal Widths for Hermetic Glass Edges
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
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 and ensure hermeticity, durability, and compliance with safety standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sealing methods are used to create hermetic seals in vacuum insulated panels, then the panels can maintain vacuum, but significant de-tempering of glass substrates occurs and thermal stress gradients increase
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into multiple layers with different materials and properties. The first seal layer has different thermal expansion characteristics than the second seal layer, allowing each layer to accommodate thermal stress differently and prevent catastrophic failure that would compromise hermeticity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the seal layers, specifically their thermal expansion coefficients and material composition. This allows the seal structure to adapt to thermal stress conditions while maintaining hermetic sealing, resolving the contradiction between reliability under thermal stress and hermeticity
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional manufacturing processes are used for vacuum insulated panels, then production can proceed, but processing times are slow and manufacturing costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The spacers are pre-formed with integrated sealant structures before assembly. This preliminary preparation of sealing components allows for faster assembly and reduces on-site manufacturing time, improving productivity while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical sealing methods with chemical or thermal bonding mechanisms. This substitution enables faster sealing processes and reduces complex mechanical assembly steps, thereby increasing production speed while keeping the manufacturing process feasible
3Device complexity
If conventional seal structures are used, then assembly can be simple, but durability is reduced due to thermal stress and hermeticity problems
Solution Approach 1:
The seal structure uses composite materials with different thermal expansion coefficients in each layer. This composite approach increases durability by distributing thermal stress across materials with complementary properties, while the layered structure itself manages complexity in a controlled manner
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 durability and hermeticity, enabling cost-effective and efficient production of vacuum insulated panels that meet safety requirements.
Implementation Method 1
Providing a vacuum in the space between the substrates reduces conduction and convection heat transport, and thus provides insulating properties
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a main seal layer and primer layers with controlled thermal expansion coefficients, combined with laser heating to minimize transient thermal stress
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.