Vacuum insulated glass building component and method and apparatus for its manufacture

Abstract

In a vacuum-insulated glass building component comprising first and second glass panes which are supported with respect to each other by spacers and are closed along their edges by a vacuum-tight edge connection so as to enclose between them a thin evacuated intermediate space, the edge connection is formed by first and second metal foil strips which are connected to the edge areas of the first and, respectively, second glass panes in a vacuum tight manner and the areas of the first and second metal foil strips projecting beyond the edges of the respective glass panes are welded together to join the glass panes.

1 . A vacuum insulated glass building element, comprising a first glass pane ( 1 ) and a second glass pane ( 2 ), spacer elements ( 4 ) arranged between the glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) so as to support the glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) in spaced relationship relative to each other, first and second metal foil strips ( 5 ) connected to the edges of the respective first and second glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) in a vacuum-tight manner, said first and second metal foil strips ( 5 ) having edge areas extending beyond the circumferential edges of the respective glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) to which they are welded and being joined at their projecting edges areas by a circumferential vacuum-tight weld seam so as to enclose between them a thin sealed intermediate space ( 3 ) which is evacuated. 
   
   
       2 . A vacuum insulated glass building element according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal foil strip ( 5 ) is connected to the respective glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) by ultrasound welding wherein, between the respective metal foil strip ( 5 ) and the respective glass pane ( 1 ,  2 ), a thin aluminum foil strip ( 6 ) is interposed which, by the ultrasound welding, is on one side connected to the glass surface in a vacuum-tight manner and, on the other side to the metal foil strip ( 5 ) in a vacuum tight manner. 
   
   
       3 . A vacuum insulated glass building element according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal foil strips ( 5 ) are connected to the respective glass panels ( 1 ,  2 ) by welding via glass solder. 
   
   
       4 . A vacuum insulated glass building element according to  claim 1 , wherein a getter material ( 8 ) is applied to at least one of the metal foil strips ( 5 ), so that, after the welding of the metal foil strips, it is disposed on the side of the evacuated intermediate space ( 3 ) between the two glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) of the welding seam ( 7 ) of the metal foil strips ( 5 ). 
   
   
       5 . A vacuum insulated glass building element according to f  claim 1 , wherein the metal foil strips ( 5 ) are connected to the two glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) at the sides which face each other. 
   
   
       6 . A vacuum insulated glass building element according to one of  claims 1 , wherein the metal foil strips ( 5 ) consist of stainless steel. 
   
   
       7 . A vacuum insulated glass building element according to  claim 1 , wherein gap spaces between the metal foil strip ( 5 ) and the respective glass surfaces outside the respective metal foil strip-glass surface weld areas are filled with a filler material ( 9 ). 
   
   
       8 . A vacuum insulated glass building element according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the first and the second glass pane is combined with an additional element, that is, one of a solar module, a photovoltaic module and another element or is in the form of such an element. 
   
   
       9 . A method for the manufacture of a vacuum insulated glass building element, comprising a first glass pane ( 1 ) and a second glass pane ( 2 ), spacer elements ( 4 ) arranged between the glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) so as to support the glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) in spaced relationship relative to each other, first and second metal foil strips ( 5 ) connected to the edges of the respective first and second glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) in a vacuum-tight manner, said first and second metal foil strips ( 5 ) having edge areas extending beyond the circumferential edges of the respective glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) to which they are welded and being joined at their projecting edges areas by a circumferential vacuum-tight weld seam so as to enclose between them a thin sealed intermediate space ( 3 ) which is evacuated, said method comprising the steps of: introducing the prepared glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) together with the metal foils strips ( 5 ) connected thereto into a vacuum chamber and placing them therein on top of one another and performing the welding of the metal foil strips within the vacuum chamber ( 13 ) by a laser beam which is generated outside the vacuum chamber and is moved along the metal foil strip and which is introduced into the vacuum chamber ( 13 ) through a line-like window ( 14 ). 
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein, before their introduction into the vacuum chamber ( 13 ) in which the metal foil strips ( 5 ) are welded together, the two glass-panes ( 1 ,  2 ) are cleaned in another vacuum chamber ( 12 ) on both sides by one of ion sputtering and plasma etching for the removal of moisture. 
   
   
       11 . An apparatus for performing the method for the manufacture of a vacuum insulated glass building element, comprising a first glass pane ( 1 ) and a second glass pane ( 2 ), spacer elements ( 4 ) arranged between the glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) so as to support the glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) in spaced relationship relative to each other, first and second metal foil strips ( 5 ) connected to the edges of the respective first and second glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) in a vacuum-tight manner, said first and second metal foil strips ( 5 ) having edge areas extending beyond the circumferential edges of the respective glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) to which they are welded and being joined at their projecting edges areas by a circumferential vacuum-tight weld seam so as to enclose between them a thin sealed intermediate space ( 3 ) which is evacuated, said method comprising the steps of: introducing the prepared glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) together with the metal foils strips ( 5 ) connected thereto into a vacuum chamber and placing them therein on top of one another and performing the welding of the metal foil strips within the vacuum chamber ( 13 ) by a laser beam which is generated outside the vacuum chamber and is moved along the metal foil strip and which is introduced into the vacuum chamber ( 13 ) through a line-like window ( 14 ), said apparatus including a vacuum chamber ( 13 ) provided with line-like windows ( 14 ) which extend along the edge areas of the vacuum chamber ( 13 ) and are transparent to laser radiation, a laser cannon ( 15 ) which is movable along the windows ( 14 ), and a carriage arranged in the vacuum chamber ( 13 ) for the limited movement of the pane arrangement formed by the glass panes ( 1 ,  2 ) disposed on top of one another in the vacuum chamber ( 13 ) on the carriage.