CN116888337A - Multi-sheet insulating glass unit having a relaxed film forming a third sheet and method of making the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An insulated glass unit and method of forming the same, the insulated glass unit including a pair of parallel and spaced apart glass sheets, at least one edge spacer and at least primary sealant between adjacent edges of the pair of glass sheets to provide an integral sealing unit defining a space therebetween, and at least one transparent film within the space between the pair of glass sheets, the at least one transparent film being secured to one of a support structure and the at least one edge spacer, wherein the film is positioned between the pair of glass sheets in spaced apart parallel relationship, and wherein the film is annealed to a relaxed state prior to positioning the film between the pair of glass sheets.

Description

Multi-sheet insulating glass unit having a relaxed film forming a third sheet and method of making the same

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 63/150222 filed on month 17 of 2021 and U.S. patent application No. 17/670859 filed on month 14 of 2022, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a multi-ply insulating glass unit having a third ply (pane) formed of a relaxed film supported by a flexible frame or edge spacer and a method of producing the same.

Background

Insulating glass units having a third or even more sheets in the form of a plastic sheet or a multilayer film supported between a pair of glass sheets are known. Each glass ply is connected to one another via at least one circumferential spacer, at least a primary sealant, and a secondary sealant provided along an edge of the glass ply. The third sheet forms a space between each glass sheet that may be filled with air or gas to reduce heat conduction through the window structure. Any inert low heat transfer gas may be used including krypton, argon, sulfur hexafluoride, carbon dioxide, and the like. Such fill gas may contain some significant amount of oxygen to prevent or minimize yellowing of the inner plastic third sheet. An example of an insulating glass unit is shown in figure 1. In this design, the third ply comprises a low e-coated PET film, which is a high cost component. The third ply is secured to the circumferential spacer, the primary sealant and the secondary sealant. This process requires that at least the secondary sealant be first fully thermally cured to support the film during the heat de-wrinkling step. Fully assembled units result in very inefficient heat transfer to the membrane, requiring 2-4 hours to assemble, typically closer to 4 hours. In addition to the long assembly time, one of the main drawbacks of this design is that the membrane is often wrinkled, which results in that the whole unit has to be discarded, since the membrane is fully integrated into the system. Even if the membrane is attached to the spacer, any distortion of the unit during transport or service, even if no leakage occurs, can result in wrinkling of the membrane. In designs comprising multiple intermediate sheets, additional interfaces between the intermediate sheets, primary and secondary sealants are necessary, which increases the risk of air ingress.

Many prior art insulating glass units having two sheets do not perform better than R5.

There is a need in the art for an insulating glass unit in which third ply wrinkling has been minimized and which can be easily assembled in a short period of time. There is also a need in the art for insulating glass units that allow for the presence of additional intermediate sheets without creating additional interfaces.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to an insulating glass unit comprising a pair of parallel and spaced apart glass sheets, at least one edge spacer and at least a primary sealant between adjacent edges of the pair of sheets to provide an integral sealing unit defining a space therebetween, and at least one transparent film within the space between the pair of glass sheets. The at least one transparent film is secured to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer such that the film is positioned in a spaced parallel relationship between the pair of glass sheets. The film is annealed to a relaxed state by heating the film for a predetermined time before positioning the film between the pair of glass sheets.

The at least one transparent film is supported by a support structure or an edge spacer. According to one embodiment, the membrane may be directly secured to the edge spacer. According to another embodiment, the membrane may be secured to a support structure, wherein the support structure comprises at least one frame member located adjacent to an edge of the membrane. The at least one frame member may be flexible and of a thickness large enough that it does not lose shape under its weight. According to one embodiment, a 1/16' thick aluminum frame may be used. According to another embodiment, the support structure may comprise a pair of frame members that grip the edges of the membrane.

The membrane may be annealed before or after the membrane is secured to the support structure. Annealing the film to a relaxed state, wherein the relaxed state of the film has a tension less than or equal to 0.1 lbs/linear inch.

Depending on the type of film used, the film is heated to an annealing temperature to cause stress-induced crystallization of the film. According to one embodiment, the film may be heated to an annealing temperature of at least 70 ℃ for about 10 minutes.

The film may comprise at least one of a polymer sheet, a thin glass sheet, and/or any other transparent sheet. According to one embodiment, the film may be a polymer sheet comprising polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The film may also include further materials embedded therein or coated on one or both sides to control the transmission and/or reflection spectrum. At least one surface of the film may include a low e coating. The membrane may also be configured to function as a sound emitting membrane.

The film may be secured to the support structure or at least one edge spacer by at least one of a mechanical member, an adhesive, and a thermoplastic welding process. The support structure may be secured to the edge spacer.

According to one embodiment, the pair of glass sheets may include a first glass sheet and a second glass sheet, and the support structure may be configured to allow gas to move between a first chamber between the first glass sheet and the first side of the membrane and a second chamber between the second glass sheet and the second side of the membrane to ensure pressure balance between the first chamber and the second chamber.

According to another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method for forming an insulated glass unit, the method comprising providing a pair of glass sheets in parallel and spaced apart relationship, providing at least one film, stretching the film to remove wrinkles, securing the film to one of a support structure and at least one edge spacer, applying heat to the film to anneal the film to a relaxed state, wherein the step of annealing the film occurs before or after the step of securing the film to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer, positioning the film secured to the support structure between the pair of glass sheets such that the film and support structure are positioned between the pair of glass sheets in spaced apart parallel relationship, and providing at least one edge spacer and primary sealant between adjacent edges of the pair of sheets to provide an integral sealing unit defining a space therebetween.

According to one embodiment, the membrane may be directly secured to the at least one edge spacer. Alternatively, the film may be secured to a support structure and the film and support structure positioned between the pair of glass sheets at a location spaced apart from the at least one edge spacer.

The support structure may comprise at least one flexible frame member located adjacent to the edge of the membrane or a pair of flexible frame members sandwiching the edge of the membrane. According to one embodiment, the support structure may comprise at least one frame member located adjacent to the edge of the membrane, wherein the at least one frame member is flexible and has a thickness large enough that it does not lose shape under its weight. According to one embodiment, an aluminum frame about 1/16 "thick may be used.

The film may be heated at a temperature and for a time sufficient to cause stress-induced crystallization such that the relaxed state of the film has a tension of less than or equal to 0.1 lbs/linear inch.

The method also includes trimming the film after annealing the film to a relaxed state and securing to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer. The film may be secured to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer by at least one of a mechanical member, an adhesive, and/or a thermoplastic welding process.

The use of the separator polymer film of the present invention with a low thermal mass can reach the wrinkle removal temperature in less than an hour or even less, for example less than one second, compared to the 2-4 hour total wrinkle removal time of the prior art. The invention also allows arrangements with respect to various combinations of glass thickness, low e coatings and the location of these coatings in the unit. This allows manufacturers to customize designs to provide desired cost/performance tradeoffs for a given building, geographic area, or specification requirement. Supporting the intermediate separator or third sheet on a separate structure allows for easier displacement of the separator from the center line of the unit than in the prior art. This allows for easier placement/addition of muntin bars while still improving thermal performance. Furthermore, unlike the prior art, in which the intermediate plies are integrated into a unit, the system of the present invention can be divided into sub-components for assembly. This allows for improved throughput of the final system by allowing off-specification parts to be handled early in the process. Furthermore, it becomes much easier to include multiple intermediate panels or sheets in a unit.

Drawings

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. The drawings are not to scale unless otherwise indicated.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a multi-ply insulating glass unit according to the prior art.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a multi-ply insulating glass unit according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side perspective view of a portion of the multi-ply insulating glass unit of fig. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4A-4D are cross-sectional side views of a multi-ply insulating glass unit showing various arrangements for securing a third ply within the glass unit in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 5A-5C are partial cross-sectional views illustrating various arrangements for mounting a support structure in a multi-ply insulating glass unit.

Fig. 6A is a cross-sectional partial side view of a frame/third sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6B is a perspective view of the frame of fig. 6A according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7A is a cross-sectional partial side view of a frame/third sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7B is a perspective view of the frame of fig. 6A according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8A is a cross-sectional partial side view of a frame/third sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8B is a perspective view of the frame of fig. 6A according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9A-9D illustrate steps for securing a third sheet to a support structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10A and 10B are graphs showing an optimized temperature determination illustrating pre-attachment heating VS with film shrink applying pre-shrink or low shrink film according to the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a graph showing the optical position of the center panel for optimal thermal performance according to features of the present invention.

Fig. 12A-12D are partial cross-sectional views showing various arrangements for balancing pressure between panels of a multi-ply insulating glass unit according to the invention.

Fig. 13A shows a perspective view of a multi-ply insulating glass unit including muntin bars in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the multi-ply insulating glass unit of FIG. 13A, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Spatial or directional terms used herein, such as "left", "right", "upper", "lower", and the like, relate to the invention as it is shown in the drawings. It is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations and, accordingly, such terms are not to be considered as limiting.

As used herein, spatial or directional terms, such as "left", "right", "inner", "outer", "above", "below", and the like, relate to the invention as it is shown in the drawings. However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations and, accordingly, such terms are not to be considered as limiting. Furthermore, as used herein, all numbers expressing dimensions, physical characteristics, processing parameters, quantities of ingredients, reaction conditions, and the like, used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about". Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical values set forth in the following specification and claims can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical value should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Furthermore, all ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass the beginning and ending range values and any and all subranges subsumed therein. For example, a recitation of ranges from "1 to 10" should be interpreted to include any and all subranges between the minimum value of 1 (including 1) and the maximum value of 10; i.e. all subranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less, e.g. 1 to 3.3, 4.7 to 7.5, 5.5 to 10, etc. Furthermore, all documents referred to herein, such as, but not limited to, published patents and patent applications, are deemed to be incorporated by reference in their entirety.

All numbers used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about". All ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass the beginning and ending range values and any and all subranges subsumed therein. The ranges recited herein represent average values over the specified ranges.

All documents mentioned herein are to be considered as being incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Any amounts mentioned are "weight percent" unless otherwise specified.

Discussion of the invention herein may describe certain features as "particularly" or "preferred" within certain limitations (e.g., "preferred", "more preferred" or "even more preferred" within certain limitations). It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these specific or preferred limitations, but includes the full scope of the disclosure.

As used herein, the transitional term "comprising" (as well as other comparable terms such as "comprising" and "containing") is "open ended" and may include unspecified matter. Although described as "comprising," the terms "consisting essentially of …" and "consisting of …" are also within the scope of this disclosure.

The invention includes, consists of, or consists essentially of the following aspects of the invention in any combination. Various aspects of the invention are illustrated in separate figures. However, it should be understood that this is merely for ease of illustration and discussion. In the practice of the invention, one or more aspects of the invention shown in one drawing may be combined with one or more aspects of the invention shown in one or more other drawings.

Referring now to fig. 1, there is shown a cross-sectional side view of a multi-ply insulating glass unit according to the prior art, generally designated 1. The unit 1 comprises a pair of glass sheets 2a, 2b in parallel and spaced apart relationship. A third ply in the form of a coating layer 4 is located between the plies 2a, 2b, with open spaces or chambers 5a, 5b formed between the plies 2a, 2b and the film 4. The film 4 is fixed to the edge spacers 8a, 8b by means of the primary sealant 6. The edge spacers 8a, 8b extend substantially around the periphery of their respective sheets 2a, 2b. The edge spacers 8a, 8b have the same dimensions in cross section such that the film 4 is positioned midway between the opposing sheets 2a, 2b. The shape of the edge spacers 8a, 8b is such that when the sheets 2a, 2b are attached to the edge spacers 8a, 8b, the sheets 2a, 2b are parallel to each other and to the film 4. A secondary sealant 7 is provided to further secure the membrane 4 within the unit 1. The manufacturing process of the glass unit 1 of the prior art comprises the following steps: the entire unit (including sheets 2a, 2b, film 4, edge spacers 8a, 8b, primary sealant 6, secondary sealant 7) is assembled, the sealant is cured (which may take up to 2 hours), the film 4 is shrunk in an oven (which may take an additional 2 hours), and then the spaces 5a, 5b are filled manually with an inert gas such as argon.

In prior art designs, two interfaces are formed with the primary sealant material 6 using edge spacers 8a, 8b sandwiching the center membrane 4, which extends further outward to be in intimate contact with the secondary sealant 7, thereby providing mechanical support. This can result in a shear stress being placed on the seal, which can increase the likelihood of seal failure. Furthermore, these two additional interfaces create additional points of failure for the ingress of air, which can reduce the thermal performance of the unit 1. In addition, the time to construct the unit 1 may take several hours, about 3-5 hours or more.

Referring now to fig. 2 and 3, fig. 2 and 3 illustrate a multi-ply insulating glass unit, generally designated 10, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The unit 10 includes a pair of glass sheets 12a, 12b in parallel and spaced apart relationship. At least one edge spacer 18 is disposed between the glass plies 12a, 12b. A first or primary sealant 16 is located between adjacent edges of the pair of sheets 12a, 12b to provide an integral sealing unit defining a space 15 therebetween. At least one transparent film 14 is positioned in the space 15 between the pair of glass sheets 12a, 12b. The at least one transparent film 14 is secured to one of the support structure 20 (shown in fig. 2, 3 and 4A-4C) or the at least one edge spacer 18 (shown in fig. 4D) such that the film is positioned in a spaced parallel relationship between the pair of glass sheets 12a, 12b to form a pair of spaces 15a, 15b. The support structure 20 may be a single frame or a pair of frames 20a, 20b. The spaces 15a, 15b may be filled with air or gas to reduce heat conduction across the window structure. Any inert low heat transfer gas may be used including krypton, argon, sulfur hexafluoride, carbon dioxide, and the like. A combined and/or different gas may be used in the spaces 15a, 15b to obtain the desired thermal conductivity reduction. Such fill gas may contain some significant amount of oxygen to prevent or minimize yellowing of the inner membrane 14.

The film 14 is annealed prior to positioning the film 14 between the pair of glass sheets 12a, 12 b. Annealing of the film reduces internal stresses in the film that are typically introduced during manufacture, provides the film with greater ductility during forming or any further processing, and reduces the likelihood of cracking, particularly when exposed to temperature fluctuations.

The annealing step releases the tension in the film 14 by stress-induced crystallization. This step typically takes several minutes, depending on the material used for the film 14 and the temperature at which the film 14 is heated to anneal.

Depending on the type of film 14 used, the film 14 is heated to an annealing temperature to cause stress-induced crystallization of the film 14. If the film is a plastic material, the annealing process may include heating the film to half its melting temperature for a period of time, and then cooling the film down to relax the film. If the film is a metallic material, it is typically annealed by heating the metal above its recrystallization temperature, holding at the appropriate temperature for the appropriate time, and then cooling. The film formed from the glass is subjected to a controlled cooling process to prevent cracking or breaking of the film. According to one embodiment, the film may be heated to an annealing temperature of at least 70 ℃ for about 10 minutes. According to other embodiments, the film may be heated to more than 110 ℃, 90 ℃ or 85 ℃.

According to the embodiment shown in fig. 2, 3 and 4A-4C, the at least one transparent film 14 is supported by a support structure or frame 20. The membrane 14 may be secured to the support structure or frame with the frame 20 positioned adjacent the edge and extending around the perimeter of the membrane 14. The at least one frame 20 may be flexible and have a thickness large enough so that it does not lose its weight but retains its shape. According to one embodiment, an aluminum frame about 1/16 "thick may be used. It will be appreciated that the thickness of the frame may be less than or greater than 1/16 "depending on the material used for the frame. According to another embodiment, the support structure may include a pair of frames 20a, 20b that grip the edges of the membrane 14 and extend around the perimeter of the membrane 14.

In the arrangement of fig. 4A, a single edge spacer 18 is located between the sheets 12a, 12b and a single frame 20 is provided to support the membrane 14. The edge spacer 18 may be a C-shaped member having vertical sides 28 and horizontal top and bottom 29. The edge spacers 18 generally extend around the perimeter of the sheets 12a, 12 b. The frame 20 may be mechanically or adhesively secured to the edge spacer 18, or by any other known technique. The frame 20 and the membrane 14 may be positioned equidistantly between the sheets 12a, 12b so as to create equal spaces 15a, 15b between the membrane 14 and the sheets 12a and 12 b. Alternatively, the frame 20 and the membrane 14 may be positioned between the sheets 12a, 12B in such a way that one of the spaces 15A or 15B is larger than the other of the spaces 15A, 15B. The primary sealant 16 may be used to secure the edge frame 18 to the sheets 12a, 12 and may extend along the vertical sides 28 of the edge spacer 18.

The arrangement of fig. 4B shows a pair of edge spacers 18a, 18B for supporting the frame 20. In this arrangement, the membrane 14 is secured to a single frame 20, and the frame 20 is mounted between the edge spacers 18a, 18b and secured therein with an adhesive 22. The edge spacers 18a, 18b generally extend around the perimeter of their respective sheets 12a, 12 b. The edge spacers 18a, 18b may have the same dimensions in cross section, however, because the frame 20 is interposed between the spacers 18a, 18b, the film 14 is not positioned midway between the opposing sheets 12a, 12b, and one of the spaces 15a, 15b is larger than the other of the spaces 15a and 15 b. The edge spacers 18a, 18b are shaped such that when the sheets 12a, 12b are attached to the edge spacers 18a, 18b, the sheets 12a and 12b are parallel to each other and to the film 14. The primary sealant 16 may be located between the edge member 18 and the sheet 12, and the secondary sealant 17 may be provided along the vertical sides of the spacers 18a, 18b to seal the unit 10.

The arrangement of fig. 4C shows a pair of edge spacers 18a, 18b for supporting the frame 20. This arrangement is similar to the arrangement of fig. 4B in that the membrane 14 is secured to a single frame 20, with the frame 20 being mounted between the edge spacers 18a, 18B and secured therein with an adhesive 22. In this arrangement, the frame 20 is thinner and may be shaped like an L, with vertically extending legs (leg) 24 positioned adjacent the vertical sides 28 of the edge dividers 18 and horizontally extending legs 26 positioned adjacent the horizontal tops 29 of the edge dividers 18. The edge spacers 18a, 18b generally extend around the perimeter of their respective sheets 12a, 12 b. The edge spacers 18a, 18b may have the same dimensions in cross section, however, because the horizontal leg 26 of the frame 20 is interposed between the spacers 18a, 18b, the position of the membrane 14 is not intermediate between the opposing sheets 12a, 12b, and one of the spaces 15a, 15b is larger than the other of the spaces 15a and 15 b. The shape of the edge spacers 18a, 18b may be such that when the sheets 12a, 12b are attached to the edge spacers 18a, 18b, the sheets 12a and 12b are parallel to each other and to the film 14. The primary sealant 16 may be positioned between the edge spacers 18a, 18b and the sheets 12a, 12b, and the secondary sealant 17 may be provided along the vertical sides of the spacers 18a and 18b to seal the unit 10.

According to the embodiment of fig. 4D, the membrane 14 may be directly secured to the edge spacers 18a, 18b. The film 14 may be adhered to the edge spacers 18a, 18b with the first sealant 16 or with a separate adhesive (not shown). The edge spacers 18a, 18b generally extend around the perimeter of their respective sheets 12a, 12 b. The edge spacers 18a, 18b may have the same dimensions in cross-section such that the film 14 is positioned equidistant between the opposing sheets 12a, 12b and the spaces 15a, 15b are substantially the same size. Alternatively, one of the edge spaces 18a, 18b may be larger than the other such that the film is not positioned midway between the opposing sheets 12a, 12, and one of the spaces 15a, 15b is larger than the other of the spaces 15a and 15 b. The edge spacers 18a, 18b are shaped such that when the sheets 12a, 12b are attached to the edge spacers 18a, 18b, the sheets 12a and 12b are parallel to each other and to the film 14. The primary sealant 16 may be located between the edge spacers 18a, 18b and the sheet 12, and the secondary sealant 17 may be provided along the vertical sides of the spacers 18a and 18b to seal the unit 10.

Referring now to fig. 5A-5C, various arrangements for securing the support structure 20 to the edge spacer 18 are shown. Fig. 5A shows an arrangement in which the frame 20 holding the membrane 14 is positioned inside and within the edge spacer 18. Fig. 5B illustrates an arrangement in which the frame holding the membrane 14 is placed in the cell 10 so that it is outside the edge spacer 18 and inside the viewable area 13 of the cell 10. Fig. 5C shows another arrangement in which the frame 20 holding the membrane 14 is located inside the vision area 13, but is snapped into the edge spacer 18 by means of the clips 6.

The membrane 14 may be annealed before or after being secured to the support structure. The film 14 is annealed to a relaxed state, wherein the relaxed state of the film 14 has a tension less than or equal to 0.1 lbs/linear inch.

The film 14 may be formed from at least one of a polymer sheet, a thin glass sheet, and/or any other transparent sheet. The polymer sheet may include a reinforced organic material. According to one embodiment, the film 14 may be a polymer sheet comprising polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The PET film 14 may have a thickness of 0.5-10 mils, 0.5-5 mils, or even 0.5-2 mils. At least one surface of the film 14 may include a low e coating. It has been found that by including a low e coating on one or more surfaces of the glass sheets 12a, 12b and/or the film 14, the insulated glass unit 10 of the present invention can achieve much better thermal performance than prior art arrangements. In particular, it has been found that the cell 10 of the present invention can achieve R5 performance over a wider overall thickness range using low cost argon (Ar), or R9 or better performance using krypton (Kr).

According to one embodiment, the membrane 14 may be secured to the support structure 20 using an adhesive 22, as shown in FIG. 4C. Alternatively, an adhesive may be used to secure the membrane 14 to the edge spacer 18 (not shown). Adhesive 22 may be any known adhesive including contact adhesives, pressure sensitive adhesives, UV curable adhesives, heat curable adhesives, or chemically curable adhesives. According to another embodiment, the film 14 may be secured to the edge spacer 18 with the primary sealant 16. According to yet another embodiment, the film may be melted by heat and bonded to the support structure 20 or edge spacer 18 without the need for an adhesive or sealant.

According to one embodiment, and with reference to fig. 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 8A and 8B, the membrane 14 may be secured to the support structure 20 or the at least one edge spacer 18 by using mechanical means. The support structure 20 may include a pair of frames 20a, 20b with a membrane sandwiched therebetween. According to one embodiment, the frames 20a, 20b are held together at the corners (corners) with pins (keys) or other mechanical fixtures or connection structures (not shown), such as dovetails, adhesive covering at least a portion of the side members, and transparent plates adhered to the side members by the adhesive. Another arrangement may include a support frame 20a, 20b having corners that are manufactured with notches in the sides, then folding the sides to form the corners, an adhesive covering at least a portion of the side members, and a transparent film 14 adhered to the sides by the adhesive. According to yet another embodiment, it has been found that the use of a frame without corner clips allows additional space for the film and prevents the film from shrinking at the corners (cramping up) and forming wrinkles in the film.

The membrane 14 may be attached to the pair of frames 20a, 20b by means of mechanical clips or other securing means. As described below, mechanical securement of the membrane 14 may be achieved using a pin/lock formed pair of frames.

For example, as shown in fig. 6A and 6B, the pin/lock member may be a plurality of conical discrete members 52a, 52B running along the edges of the frame members 20a, 20B, configured to mechanically engage the membrane 14 therebetween. Fig. 7A and 7B illustrate a series of pin/lock bar rounded members or parallelograms 54a, 54B extending along the length of the edges of the frame members 20a, 20B. Fig. 8A and 8B illustrate a series of pin/lock lever like tapered members 56a, 56B extending along the length of the edges of the frame members 20a, 20B.

With continued reference to fig. 2 and 3, and with further reference to fig. 9A-9D, the method of forming the insulated glass unit 10 includes providing a pair of glass sheet layers 12a, 12b in parallel and spaced apart relation. As shown in fig. 9A, at least one film 14 is provided and stretched to remove wrinkles by using an arcuate roll, vacuum roll, or compression roll type wrinkle removal system 30 or any other wrinkle prevention system. This process typically takes less than 1 minute to complete. As shown in fig. 9B, the next step in the process includes securing the membrane 14 to the support structure 20 or at least one edge spacer 18. This step takes several seconds to complete. As shown in fig. 9C, application of heat as indicated by arrow 34 anneals the film 14 to a relaxed state, as shown in fig. 9D. Although fig. 9C shows the application of heat to the membrane 14 after the membrane 14 is secured to the support structure 20 or the at least one edge spacer 18, it is understood that annealing of the membrane 14 may occur before the membrane is secured to the support structure 20 or the at least one edge spacer 18. This annealing step may be completed in a matter of minutes, depending on the material used to form the film 14. After annealing, the film 14 is positioned between the pair of glass sheets 12a, 12b such that the film 14, with or without the support structure 20, is positioned between the pair of glass sheets 12a, 12b in a spaced parallel relationship. At least one edge spacer 18 and primary sealant 16 are provided between adjacent edges of the pair of glass sheets 12a, 12b to provide a complete sealing unit 10 defining a space 15 therebetween. It will be appreciated that steps 9A-9D may be performed on a machine having a hinged motion, whereby any or all of the steps may be performed automatically.

According to one embodiment, the membrane 14 may be directly secured to at least one edge spacer 18. Alternatively, the film 14 may be secured to the support structure 20 and the film 14 and support structure 20 positioned between the pair of glass sheets 12a, 12b at a location spaced apart from the at least one edge spacer 18, such as a location within the viewing area of the unit 10.

The support structure 20 may include at least one flexible frame member 20a positioned adjacent to the edge of the membrane 14, or a pair of flexible frame members 20a, 20b sandwiching the edge of the membrane 14. According to one embodiment, the support structure 20 may include at least one frame member 20a located adjacent to an edge of the membrane 14, wherein the at least one frame member 20a is flexible and has a thickness large enough so that it does not lose its weight but retains its shape. According to one embodiment, an aluminum frame about 1/16 "thick may be used. The frames 20a, 20b may be formed using any known method, including a molding process, a stamping process, a 3D printing process, and the like.

The film 14 may be heated at a temperature and for a time sufficient to cause stress-induced crystallization such that the relaxed state of the film 14 has a tension of less than or equal to 0.1 lbs/linear inch.

The method also includes trimming the film 14 after annealing the film 14 to a relaxed state and securing to one of the support structure 20 and the at least one edge spacer 18. The film 14 may be trimmed using a knife, blade, laser, or the like. The film 14 may be secured to one of the support structure 20 and the at least one edge spacer 18 by at least one of a mechanical member, an adhesive, and a thermoplastic welding process.

It will be appreciated that the film 14 may also include at least one material embedded therein or coated on one or both sides to control the transmission and/or reflection spectrum. The pattern may be printed on the film 14 before or after the film 14 is secured to the support structure 20 or the spacer 18. The film 14 may be coated with or have aesthetic material in portions visible to the end user, allowing for additional designs that are visually attractive to the end user. At least one surface of the film 14 may include a low e coating. According to one embodiment, the optical haze of the measurement unit 10 according to BK Gardner Hazegard may be less than 3%, and preferably less than 1.5%, and preferably less than 1%.

The membrane 14 may also be configured to act as a sound emitting means for generating, for example, music, denoised acoustics or white noise to mask acoustic pickup by, for example, laser reflections of conversations in a room. The driving element may be the membrane 14 itself (with electrodes placed appropriately) or with a transducer attached. The absence of a rigid mechanical connection to the spacer 18 through the central support structure 20 or spacer 18 allows the one or more intermediate membranes 14 to be used as acoustic membranes without transmitting sound waves to the spacer 18 and reducing the likelihood of failure, and/or without transmitting sound waves to the building structure in order to control the area and location of sound waves emitted into the environment.

Furthermore, the film 14 may be designed to have thermochromic functionality for passively controlling the optical (visible and/or IR region) transmission and/or reflection spectrum, either in conjunction with a material embedded in the film 14, or by applying a coating on one or both surfaces 14a, 14b of the film 14.

Referring to fig. 10A, an optimized temperature determination for the pre-attachment heating (i.e., film shrinkage) step is shown. Fig. 10B shows a temperature measurement using a pre-shrink or low shrink film, where a heat-stabilized film is not required. The thermal profile (i.e., temperature versus time) is such that the film is wrinkle-free and the stress is such that substantially no force is applied to the frame 20 of the spacer 18.

Referring to fig. 11, a graph of the optical position of the film 14 in terms of optimal thermal performance of the cell 10 is shown. As shown in fig. 11, the optimal position of the membrane 14 is on the centerline between the inner surfaces of the outer glass sheets 12a, 12b. However, as shown in FIG. 11, it is also possible to position the film 14 at an offset position from the centerline of the space 15 between the inner surfaces of the outer glass sheets 12a, 12b, yet achieve improved thermal performance compared to a two-sheet insulating glass unit.

With continued reference to fig. 2 and 3 and 4A-4D, and with further reference to fig. 12A-12D, the pair of glass sheets 12 may include a first glass sheet 12A and a second glass sheet 12b. A space or first chamber 15a is located between the first sheet of glass 12a and the first side 14a of the film 14 and a space or second chamber 15b is located between the second sheet of glass 12b and the second side 14b of the film 14. Openings may be provided to allow gas to move between the first chamber 15a and the second chamber 15b to ensure pressure equalization between the first chamber 15a and the second chamber 15 b. According to the embodiment shown in fig. 12A, in the case where the membrane 14 is integrated with the spacers 18a and 18b, an opening 44a may be provided in the membrane 14. In the embodiment shown in fig. 12B, where the membrane 14 is secured to the support structure 20 and the membrane 14 are located inside the viewable area 13 of the unit 10, an opening 44B may be provided in the support structure 20. In the embodiment shown in fig. 12C, where the support structure 20 and membrane 14 are located within the spacer 18, a plurality of openings 44C in the form of openings may be provided in the support structure 20. In the embodiment shown in fig. 12D, the support structure 20 is secured inside the viewable area 13 of the unit 10 by clips 46 that cooperate with the spacer 18. In this embodiment, the opening 44d is provided in the support structure 20.

Reference is now made to fig. 13a and 13b, which illustrate muntin bar 40. The muntin bar 40 may be connected to the edge spacer 18 (not shown) or the support structure/frame 20a or 20b, or to both. The muntin bar 40 may or may not be attached by clips. According to one arrangement, muntin bar 40 may be inserted into recess 42 in upper frame 20a and membrane 14 may be attached to lower frame 20b. Alternatively, muntin bar 40 could be printed on the film.

The invention is further described in the following numbered clauses.

Clause 1: an insulating glass unit comprising: a pair of parallel and spaced apart glass sheets; at least one edge spacer and at least a primary sealant between adjacent edges of the pair of glass sheets to provide an integral sealing unit defining a space therebetween; and at least one transparent film located within the space between the pair of glass sheets, the at least one transparent film secured to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer, wherein the film is positioned between the pair of glass sheets in a spaced parallel relationship, and wherein the film is annealed to a relaxed state prior to positioning the film between the pair of glass sheets.

Clause 2: the insulating glass unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one transparent film is supported by the support structure and the support member is spaced apart from the edge spacer.

Clause 3: the insulated glass unit of clause 2, wherein the support structure comprises at least one frame member positioned adjacent to an edge of the film.

Clause 4: the insulated glass unit of clause 3, wherein the at least one frame member is flexible and has a thickness large enough to retain its shape under its weight.

Clause 5: the insulated glass unit of clause 4, wherein the at least one frame member is aluminum having a thickness of about 1/16 ".

Clause 6: the insulated glass unit of any of clauses 2-5, wherein the film is annealed before or after being secured to a support structure.

Clause 7: the insulated glass unit of any of clauses 1-6, wherein the relaxed state of the film has a tension less than or equal to 0.1 pounds per linear inch.

Clause 8: the insulated glass unit of any of clauses 1-7, wherein the film is heated to an annealing temperature of at least 70 ℃ for about 10 minutes.

Clause 9: the insulating glass unit of any of clauses 1-8, wherein the film comprises at least one of a polymer sheet, a thin glass sheet, and any other transparent sheet.

Clause 10: the insulated glass unit of clause 9 wherein the film is a polymer sheet comprising polyethylene terephthalate.

Clause 11: the insulated glass unit of any of clauses 1-10, wherein the film is secured to the support structure or the at least one edge spacer by at least one of a mechanical member, an adhesive, a primary sealant, and a thermoplastic weld.

Clause 12: the insulated glass unit of clause 2, wherein the support structure is secured to the edge spacer.

Clause 13: the insulated glass unit of clause 2, wherein the pair of glass sheets comprises a first glass sheet and a second glass sheet, and wherein the support structure is configured to allow gas to move between a first chamber between the first glass sheet and the first side of the membrane and a second chamber between the second glass sheet and the second side of the membrane to ensure pressure balance between the first chamber and the second chamber.

Clause 14: the insulating glass unit of any of clauses 1-13, wherein the film comprises at least one of a material embedded therein or coated on one or both sides to control transmission and/or reflection spectra.

Clause 15: a method of forming an insulating glass unit, the method comprising: providing a pair of parallel and spaced apart glass sheets; providing at least one membrane; stretching the film to remove wrinkles; securing the membrane to one of a support structure and at least one edge spacer; applying heat to the film to anneal the film to a relaxed state, wherein the step of annealing the film occurs before or after the step of securing the film to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer; positioning the film secured to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer between the pair of glass sheets such that the film is positioned between the pair of glass sheets in a spaced parallel relationship; and providing the at least one edge spacer and primary sealant between adjacent edges of the pair of glass sheets to provide an integral sealing unit defining a space therebetween.

Clause 16: the method of clause 15, wherein the film is fixed to the support structure, and the film and support structure are positioned between the pair of glass sheets at a location separate from the at least one edge spacer.

Clause 17: the method of clause 15 or 16, wherein the support structure comprises at least one flexible frame member located adjacent to an edge of the film.

Clause 18: the method of any of clauses 15-17, wherein the film is heated to a temperature and for a duration sufficient to cause stress-induced crystallization such that the relaxed state of the film has a tension of less than or equal to 0.1 lbs/linear inch.

Clause 19: the method of any of clauses 15-18, further comprising trimming the film after annealing the film to the relaxed state and securing to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer.

Clause 20: the method of any of clauses 15-19, wherein the film is secured to one of the support structure and at least one edge spacer by at least one of a mechanical member, an adhesive, a primary sealant, and a thermoplastic welding process.

Clause 21: the method of any of clauses 15-20, wherein the support structure comprises at least one frame member located adjacent to an edge of the film, wherein the at least one frame member is flexible and has a thickness large enough that it retains its shape under its weight.

Clause 22: the method of clause 22, wherein the at least one frame member comprises aluminum having a thickness of about 1/16 ".

While this disclosure has been described as having an exemplary design, the present disclosure may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Furthermore, the application is intended to cover modifications of this disclosure that are within the scope of known or conventional practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and that are within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims (22)

1. An insulating glass unit comprising:

a pair of parallel and spaced apart glass sheets;

at least one edge spacer and at least a primary sealant between adjacent edges of the pair of glass sheets to provide an integral sealing unit defining a space therebetween; and

At least one transparent film located within the space between the pair of glass sheets, the at least one transparent film being secured to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer, wherein the film is positioned between the pair of glass sheets in a spaced parallel relationship, and wherein the film is annealed to a relaxed state prior to positioning the film between the pair of glass sheets.

2. The insulating glass unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one transparent film is supported by the support structure and the support member is separate from the edge spacer.

3. The insulating glass unit defined in claim 2, wherein the support structure includes at least one frame member located adjacent an edge of the film.

4. The insulating glass unit defined in claim 3, wherein the at least one frame member is flexible and has a thickness large enough to retain its shape under its weight.

5. The insulating glass unit defined in claim 4, wherein said at least one frame member is aluminum having a thickness of about 1/16 ".

6. The insulating glass unit of claim 2, wherein the film is annealed before or after the film is secured to the support structure.

7. The insulating glass unit defined in claim 1, wherein the relaxed state of the film has a tension of less than or equal to 0.1 lbs/linear inch.

8. The insulating glass unit of claim 1, wherein the film is heated to an annealing temperature of at least 70 ℃ for about 10 minutes.

9. The insulating glass unit defined in claim 1, wherein said film comprises at least one of a polymer sheet, a thin glass sheet, and any other transparent sheet.

10. The insulating glass unit defined in claim 9, wherein said film is a polymer sheet comprising polyethylene terephthalate.

11. The insulating glass unit of claim 1, wherein the film is secured to the support structure or the at least one edge spacer by at least one of a mechanical member, an adhesive, a primary sealant, and a thermoplastic weld.

12. The insulating glass unit defined in claim 2, wherein the support structure is secured to the edge spacer.

13. The insulating glass unit defined in claim 2, wherein the pair of glass sheets includes a first glass sheet and a second glass sheet, and wherein the support structure is configured to allow gas to move between a first chamber located between the first glass sheet and a first side of the membrane and a second chamber located between the second glass sheet and a second side of the membrane to ensure pressure equalization between the first chamber and the second chamber.

14. The insulating glass unit of claim 1, wherein said film comprises at least one of a material embedded therein or coated on one or both sides to control transmission and/or reflection spectra.

15. A method for forming an insulating glass unit, comprising:

providing a pair of glass sheets in parallel and spaced apart relationship;

providing at least one membrane;

stretching the film to remove wrinkles;

securing the film to one of a support structure and at least one edge spacer;

applying heat to the film to anneal the film to a relaxed state, wherein the step of annealing the film occurs before or after the step of securing the film to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer;

positioning the film secured to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer between the pair of glass sheets such that the film is positioned between the pair of glass sheets in a spaced parallel relationship; and

the at least one edge spacer and primary sealant are provided between adjacent edges of the pair of glass sheets to provide an integral sealing unit defining a space therebetween.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the film is secured to the support structure and the film and support structure are positioned between the pair of glass sheets at a location spaced apart from the at least one edge spacer.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the support structure comprises at least one flexible frame member located adjacent an edge of the membrane.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the film is heated to a temperature and for a duration sufficient to cause stress-induced crystallization such that the relaxed state of the film has a tension of less than or equal to 0.1 lbs/linear inch.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising trimming the film after annealing the film to the relaxed state and securing to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the film is secured to one of the support structure and the at least one edge spacer by at least one of a mechanical member, an adhesive, a primary sealant, and a thermoplastic welding process.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the support structure comprises at least one frame member located adjacent an edge of the membrane, wherein the at least one frame member is flexible and has a thickness large enough to retain its shape under its weight.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one frame member comprises aluminum having a thickness of about 1/16 ".