Masking for insulating glass units, monolithic panes, and other substrates

Abstract

The invention provides improved masking for monolithic panes, insulating glass units, and other substrates. In some embodiments, the protective covering comprises a plurality of strips of masking material. In some embodiments, the protective covering (which may take the form of a single masking sheet or of multiple masking strips) is sized, shaped, and positioned such that an oversized masked portion of a pane surface has a lesser area than the pane surface itself but has a greater than an exposed central region of the pane surface that remains exposed (i.e., is left uncovered) by a frame when the pane is mounted in the frame. In some embodiments, a pane is mounted to a frame such that at least one edge of the pane is received in the frame. The pane has a protective covering disposed over a masked portion of a major surface of the pane. This major surface has an unmasked apron between an outer periphery of the protective covering and an outer periphery of the pane. The protective covering is sized, shaped, and positioned such that at least one peripheral side portion of the protective covering extends at least somewhat beneath a confronting surface of the frame.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A transparent pane having first and second generally-opposed major surfaces, the transparent pane being sized and shaped to be mounted in a frame configured to receive at least one edge of the pane, the transparent pane having a protective covering disposed over a major portion of said first surface, the protective covering comprising a plurality of strips of masking material.  
     
     
         2 . The transparent pane of  claim 1  wherein the masking material is transparent.  
     
     
         3 . The transparent pane of  claim 1  wherein said strips of masking material are disposed in a sequentially overlapping fashion with each subsequent strip overlapping a portion of a preceding strip.  
     
     
         4 . The transparent pane of  claim 3  wherein said strips of masking material extend substantially in parallel across the first surface of the pane.  
     
     
         5 . The transparent pane of  claim 1  wherein said protective covering is disposed over substantially the entire first surface of the pane.  
     
     
         6 . The transparent pane of  claim 5  wherein the first surface of the pane has an unmasked apron between an outer periphery of said protective covering and an outer periphery of the pane.  
     
     
         7 . The transparent pane of  claim 6  wherein the first surface of the pane is entirely masked other than its unmasked peripheral apron.  
     
     
         8 . The transparent pane of  claim 1  wherein said protective covering is sized, shaped, and positioned such that at least one peripheral side portion of the protective covering extends significantly beneath a confronting surface of the frame when the pane is mounted.  
     
     
         9 . The transparent pane of  claim 8  wherein said peripheral side portion of the protective covering does not extend so far beneath said confronting surface of the frame as to engage glazing compound between the frame and the pane.  
     
     
         10 . The transparent pane of  claim 1  wherein said protective covering is sized, shaped, and positioned such that all peripheral side portions of the protective covering extend significantly beneath confronting surfaces of the frame when the pane is mounted.  
     
     
         11 . The transparent pane of  claim 10  wherein said peripheral side portions of the protective covering do not extend so far beneath said confronting surfaces of the frame as to engage glazing compound between the frame and the pane.  
     
     
         12 . The transparent pane of  claim 1  wherein the pane is part of a multiple-pane insulating glass unit.  
     
     
         13 . A transparent pane having first and second generally-opposed major surfaces, the transparent pane being sized and shaped to be mounted in a frame configured to receive at least one edge of the pane, the transparent pane having a protective covering disposed over an oversized masked portion of said first surface, the protective covering comprising at least one piece of masking material, the oversized masked portion of the first surface having a lesser area than the first surface itself but having a greater area than an exposed central portion of the first surface that is left uncovered by the frame when the pane is mounted.  
     
     
         14 . The transparent pane of  claim 13  wherein the oversized masked portion of the first surface has a significantly greater area than said exposed central portion of the first surface.  
     
     
         15 . The transparent pane of  claim 13  wherein the protective covering consists of a single sheet of masking material.  
     
     
         16 . The transparent pane of  claim 13  wherein the protective covering comprises a plurality of strips of masking material.  
     
     
         17 . The transparent pane of  claim 13  wherein said protective covering is sized, shaped, and positioned such that at least one peripheral side portion of the protective covering extends significantly beneath a confronting surface of the frame when the pane is mounted.  
     
     
         18 . The transparent pane of  claim 13  wherein said protective covering is sized, shaped, and positioned such that at least one peripheral side portion of the protective covering extends a predetermined distance beneath a confronting surface of the frame when the pane is mounted.  
     
     
         19 . The transparent pane of  claim 18  wherein said predetermined distance is at least about {fraction (1/16)} inch.  
     
     
         20 . The transparent pane of  claim 19  wherein said predetermined distance is about ⅛ inch.  
     
     
         21 . The transparent pane of  claim 17  wherein said peripheral side portion of the protective covering does not extend so far beneath said confronting surface of the frame as to engage glazing compound between the frame and the pane.  
     
     
         22 . The transparent pane of  claim 13  wherein said protective covering is sized, shaped, and positioned such that all peripheral side portions of the protective covering extend significantly beneath confronting surfaces of the frame when the pane is mounted.  
     
     
         23 . The transparent pane of  claim 13  wherein said protective covering is sized, shaped, and positioned such that all peripheral side portions of the protective covering extend a predetermined distance beneath confronting surfaces of the frame when the pane is mounted.  
     
     
         24 . The transparent pane of  claim 23  wherein said predetermined distance is at least about {fraction (1/16)} inch.  
     
     
         25 . The transparent pane of  claim 24  wherein said predetermined distance is about ⅛ inch.  
     
     
         26 . The transparent pane of  claim 22  wherein said peripheral side portions of the protective covering do not extend so far beneath said confronting surfaces of the frame as to engage glazing compound between the frame and the pane.  
     
     
         27 . The transparent pane of  claim 13  wherein the first surface of the pane has an unmasked apron between an outer periphery of said protective covering and an outer periphery of the pane.  
     
     
         28 . The transparent pane of  claim 27  wherein the first surface of the pane is entirely masked other than its unmasked peripheral apron.  
     
     
         29 . The transparent pane of  claim 27  wherein the first surface of the pane has a polygonal shape with three or more sides and the unmasked apron extends along at least one side of said first surface.  
     
     
         30 . The transparent pane of  claim 29  wherein the unmasked apron extends along all sides of said first surface such that a complete periphery of said first surface is unmasked.  
     
     
         31 . The transparent pane of  claim 30  wherein the unmasked apron has a width along all sides of said first surface that is significantly less than an overlap distance by which confronting surfaces of the frame extend over said first surface when the pane is mounted, such that all peripheral edges of the protective covering are concealed beneath the frame.  
     
     
         32 . The transparent pane of  claim 31  wherein said peripheral edges of the protective covering are concealed beneath the frame but do not engage glazing compound between the frame and the pane.  
     
     
         33 . The transparent pane of  claim 13  wherein the pane is part of a multiple-pane insulating glass unit.  
     
     
         34 . A transparent pane having first and second generally-opposed major surfaces, the transparent pane being mounted to a frame in which at least one edge of the pane is received, the transparent pane having a protective covering disposed over a masked portion of said first surface, said first surface having an unmasked apron extending between an outer periphery of the protective covering and an outer periphery of the pane, the protective covering comprising at least one piece of masking material and being sized, shaped, and positioned such that at least one peripheral side portion of the protective covering extends significantly beneath a confronting surface of the frame.  
     
     
         35 . The transparent pane of  claim 34  wherein said peripheral side portion extends a predetermined distance beneath said confronting surface of the frame.  
     
     
         36 . The transparent pane of  claim 35  wherein said predetermined distance is at least about {fraction (1/16)} inch.  
     
     
         37 . The transparent pane of  claim 36  wherein said predetermined distance is about ⅛ inch.  
     
     
         38 . The transparent pane of  claim 34  wherein said peripheral side portion does not extend so far beneath said confronting surface of the frame as to engage glazing compound between the frame and the pane.  
     
     
         39 . The transparent pane of  claim 34  wherein the pane is mounted such that all edges of the pane are received in the frame.  
     
     
         40 . The transparent pane of  claim 39  wherein said protective covering is sized, shaped, and positioned such that all peripheral side portions of the protective covering extend significantly beneath confronting surfaces of the frame.  
     
     
         41 . The transparent pane of  claim 40  wherein said peripheral side portions extend a predetermined distance beneath said confronting surfaces of the frame.  
     
     
         42 . The transparent pane of  claim 41  wherein said predetermined distance is at least about {fraction (1/16)} inch.  
     
     
         43 . The transparent pane of  claim 42  wherein said predetermined distance is about ⅛ inch.  
     
     
         44 . The transparent pane of  claim 34  wherein said peripheral side portions do not extend so far beneath said confronting surfaces of the frame as to engage glazing compound between the frame and the pane.  
     
     
         45 . The transparent pane of  claim 34  wherein the protective covering consists of a single sheet of masking material.  
     
     
         46 . The transparent pane of  claim 34  wherein the protective covering comprises a plurality of strips of masking material.  
     
     
         47 . The transparent pane of  claim 34  wherein the pane is part of a multiple-pane insulating glass unit.  
     
     
         48 . A glazing assembly comprising a transparent pane and a frame to which the pane is mounted, the transparent pane having first and second generally-opposed major surfaces and at least one edge received in the frame, the transparent pane having a protective covering disposed over a portion of said first surface, said first surface having an unmasked apron extending between an outer periphery of the protective covering and an outer periphery of the pane, the protective covering comprising at least one piece of masking material and being sized, shaped, and positioned such that at least one peripheral side portion of the protective covering extends significantly beneath a confronting surface of the frame.  
     
     
         49 . The glazing assembly of  claim 48  wherein the pane is mounted such that all edges of the pane are received in the frame.  
     
     
         50 . The glazing assembly of  claim 49  wherein said protective covering is sized, shaped, and positioned such that all peripheral side portions of the protective covering extend significantly beneath confronting surfaces of the frame.  
     
     
         51 . The glazing assembly of  claim 50  wherein said peripheral side portions extend a predetermined distance beneath said confronting surfaces of the frame.  
     
     
         52 . The glazing assembly of  claim 50  further comprising glazing compound between the frame and the pane, wherein said peripheral side portions of the protective covering do not extend so far beneath said confronting surfaces of the frame as to engage said glazing compound.  
     
     
         53 . The glazing assembly of  claim 48  wherein the protective covering consists of a single sheet of masking material.  
     
     
         54 . The glazing assembly of  claim 48  wherein the protective covering comprises a plurality of strips of masking material.  
     
     
         55 . The glazing assembly of  claim 48  wherein the pane is part of a multiple-pane insulating glass unit.