Spacer profile for an insulated glazing unit

Abstract

In order to provide a spacer profile for an insulated glazing unit, which profile has a cross-section based on a rectangular shape, is provided with two parallel spaced side walls which, when said insulated glazing unit is assembled, will be placed against the panes of glass to be kept apart from each other, and is further provided with first and second transverse walls which extend between said side walls and of which the first will be adjacent to the edge of the glazing unit and the second will face the space between the panes, with the intention of enabling simple handling of said profile when assembling the spacer frame whilst maintaining a high absorptive capacity for water vapor, it is proposed that said spacer profile comprises a binder matrix and, embedded therein, a particulate adsorbent material for water vapor, and that the binder matrix is permeable to water vapor.

1 . An insulated glazing unit comprising:
 a first pane of glass;   a second pane of glass parallel to and spaced apart from the first pane of glass;   a spacer profile between the first and second panes of glass, the spacer profile including a first side wall bearing against the first pane of glass, a second side wall bearing against the second pane of glass, a first transverse wall extending between the first and second sidewalls and positioned at the exterior edge of the insulated glazing unit, and a second transverse wall extending between the first and second side walls and facing the space between the panes of glass, the spacer profile comprising a binder matrix permeable to water vapor including a binding agent selected from the group consisting of polyamide and polypropylene and embedded therein a particulate adsorbent material for adsorbing water vapor.   
     
     
         2 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein said particulate adsorbent material is selected from the group consisting of silica gels, aluminosilicates and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein said particulate adsorbent material has a micro-porous structure with pore sizes ranging from 2 to 25 angstrom units. 
     
     
         4 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 3 , wherein said particulate adsorbent material has a micro-porous structure with pore sizes ranging from 2 to 10 angstrom units. 
     
     
         5 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein said particulate adsorbent material comprises particles having an average particle size in the range of 0.1 to 5 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein the proportion of said particulate adsorbent material in the total mass of said spacer profile is from 15 to 85% by weight. 
     
     
         7 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 6 , wherein the proportion of said particulate adsorbent material in the total mass of said spacer profile is from 30 to 65% by weight. 
     
     
         8 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein the content of said adsorbent material in the side walls is less than in the regions of said first and second transverse walls. 
     
     
         9 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein the spacer profile further comprises a material selected from the group consisting of fillers, reinforcing agents, pigments and UV stabilizers embedded in the binder matrix. 
     
     
         10 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein said binding agent has an open-pore expanded structure. 
     
     
         11 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , characterized in that said spacer comprises a vapor barrier layer. 
     
     
         12 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein said spacer comprises an inert gas barrier layer adjacent to said first transverse wall. 
     
     
         13 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein said spacer profile comprises reinforcing elements for stiffening, the reinforcing elements being selected from the group of tapes, wires, angle sections, nets, films, or fibrous bundles. 
     
     
         14 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein said spacer profile is a solid profile. 
     
     
         15 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein said spacer profile is a hollow profile having one or more hollow chambers extending continuously in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         16 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein said spacer comprises a plurality of ducts extending continuously in the longitudinal direction and distributed over the cross-section of the spacer profile. 
     
     
         17 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein said spacer contains one or more voluminous chambers surrounded by hollow chamber walls and comprises a plurality of small volume ducts distributed within the hollow chamber walls. 
     
     
         18 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein said spacer is completely or partially encased by a material selected from the group consisting of plastics material and a metallic material. 
     
     
         19 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein said binder matrix consists predominantly of polypropylene and that the content of adsorbent material is from 15 to 40% by weight, based on the weight of said spacer profile. 
     
     
         20 . The insulating glazing unit of  claim 1 , wherein at least one surface of the spacer has been processed such that particles of adsorbent material present in the binder matrix are at least partially exposed at the surface of said spacer profile.