Vacuum insulating glass (VIG) units, edge seals for VIG units and methods for forming the edge seals are provided. The VIG units include an edge seal that includes a viscous material, which serves to restrict the rate at which gas permeates into a vacuum space defined between the glass sheets of the VIG unit. The edge seals are configured to allow the glass sheets to move laterally relative to one another when the glass sheets experience differential thermal strain and further configured such that viscous shear occurs within at least a portion of the viscous material when there is relative lateral movement between the glass sheets.

The present invention discloses a vacuum plate and a method for manufacturing it. The vacuum plate comprises at least two layers of plate, a plurality of support structures with different heights, and an organic film. The plates in adjacent layers are separated by a plurality of the support structures with different heights, peripheries of the at least two layers of plate are connected and sealed via a sealing mixture; and the peripheries of the at least two layers of plate and the outside of the sealing mixture are covered with the organic film. According to surface undulation of the plate, the supporting structures with corresponding heights are arranged on corresponding positions between the layers of plate, and the heights of the support structures match with the spacings at corresponding positions in the vacuum plate, so that each support structure can be clamped by the upper and the lower plate layers, and effectively plays a supporting role, thereby reducing the security risk from damage of the vacuum plate.

A vacuum glazing includes a vacuum layer formed between a first glazing and a second glazing, a spacer provided in the vacuum layer, a frame provided at edge portions of the first and second glazings, and a sealant interposed between the frame and surfaces of the first and second glazings to perform sealing of the vacuum layer. The insulating performance of the vacuum glazing is improved.

The glass panel unit includes a first glass panel, a second glass panel, a seal, an evacuated space, and a spacer. The second glass panel is placed opposite the first glass panel. The seal with a frame shape hermetically bonds the first glass panel and the second glass panel to each other. The evacuated space is enclosed by the first glass panel, the second glass panel, and the seal. The spacer is placed between the first glass panel and the second glass panel. The spacer includes a stack of two or more films including at least one resin film.

The glass panel unit includes a first glass panel, a second glass panel, a seal, an evacuated space, and a spacer. The second glass panel is placed opposite the first glass panel. The seal with a frame shape hermetically bonds the first glass panel and the second glass panel to each other. The evacuated space is enclosed by the first glass panel, the second glass panel, and the seal. The spacer is placed between the first glass panel and the second glass panel. The spacer includes a stack of two or more films including at least one resin film.

The glass panel unit includes a first glass panel, a second glass panel, a seal, an evacuated space, and a spacer. The second glass panel is placed opposite the first glass panel. The seal with a frame shape hermetically bonds the first glass panel and the second glass panel to each other. The evacuated space is enclosed by the first glass panel, the second glass panel, and the seal. The spacer is placed between the first glass panel and the second glass panel. The spacer contains polyimide represented by chemical formula (1):

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The glass panel unit includes a first glass panel, a second glass panel, a seal, an evacuated space, and a spacer. The second glass panel is placed opposite the first glass panel. The seal with a frame shape hermetically bonds the first glass panel and the second glass panel to each other. The evacuated space is enclosed by the first glass panel, the second glass panel, and the seal. The spacer is placed between the first glass panel and the second glass panel. The spacer contains polyimide represented by chemical formula (1):

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A spacer profile for an insulating glazing unit for maintaining a space between glazing panes includes a profile body formed from a first heat insulating material that has, viewed in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction, outer side walls extending in a height direction and that has a distance in a transverse direction smaller than a first width, each side wall having an inner protrusion protruding towards the opposite side wall into a recess which is open to the inner side, and a diffusion barrier film made from a second material and firmly bonded with the profile body and, viewed in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, extending over the profile body on the outer side of the spacer profile and continuous thereto in the height direction on the outside of the side walls and/or in the same to a second height and into the protrusions.

Methods of making vacuum insulated glass (VIG) window units are provided, including activating getters in a process of making VIG window units. In certain example embodiments, at least one getter is activated during and/or at the end of a pump-out/evacuation process in which the cavity between the substrates is evacuated. In certain example embodiments, the getter(s) may be activated (e.g., by at least a laser beam that is directed through a pump-out tube) during and/or at the end of the evacuation process in which the cavity between the substrates is evacuated to a low pressure that is below atmospheric pressure.

The present disclosure relates to a method of providing an edge sealing in the process of providing a vacuum insulated glass (VIG) unit. A first glass sheet (1a) and a second glass sheet (1b) is provided. A glass frit powder material (5) is heated to a softening temperature (T.sub.frit-powder) to soften the glass frit powder material, and the heated, softened glass frit powder material (5) is applied at the first glass sheet (1a) and/or the second glass sheet (1b). The first glass sheet (1a) and the second glass sheet (1b) are paired before or after applying the heated, softened glass frit powder material. The applied glass frit powder material is re-heated by use of at least one heat source (28, 26), the gap between the paired glass sheets is evacuated in a vacuum chamber (22) and the gap between the paired glass sheets is sealed to provide the VIG unit.