Fire resistant glazing units, processes for the manufacture of such fire resistant glazing units, the use of fire resistant glazing units in construction, and constructions comprising such glazing units. A fire resistant glazing unit may include two panes of glass which are arranged together with a seal to enclose a fire-resistant interlayer. The seal is adapted to breach in the event of a fire causing increased pressure between the panes, releasing pressure before it can build up and cause a pane to break in an unfavourable manner.

A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit includes a glue arrangement step, a pillar placement step, an assembly forming step, a bonding step, an evacuation step, and a sealing step. The evacuation step reduces pressure in an internal space by exhausting, with predetermined suction power, a gas from the internal space via a valve and an exhaust port. The valve includes a first valve allowing the gas to flow through a first channel area and a second valve allowing the gas to flow through a second channel area larger than the first channel area. The evacuation step includes a first evacuation step to be performed first and a second evacuation step to be performed next. In the first evacuation step, the first valve is opened and the second valve is closed. In the second evacuation step, the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened.

Provided is a sealing material for multi-layered glasses, including: a polysulfide resin (A) and a polyester resin (B) which is represented by Formula (1-1): ##STR00001##
or Formula (1-2): ##STR00002##
wherein A represents a dibasic acid residue, G represents a diol residue, X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 represent a hydrogen atom or a group represented by Formula (2-1): ##STR00003## wherein R represents an aromatic group or an aliphatic group, and X.sub.3 and X.sub.4 represent an aromatic group or an aliphatic group, n and m each represent the average number of repetitions of a repeating unit in parentheses and are each a numerical value larger than 0, and some or all A's are aromatic dibasic acid residues, and which has an aromatic dibasic acid residue content of 20 to 70% based on chemical formula weights calculated from the chemical formulae represented by [ ].sub.N and [ ].sub.M and also has a number average molecular weight of 400 to 5,000.

A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit includes an adhesive disposing step, a glass composite generation step, an internal space forming step, an evacuation step, and an evacuated space forming step. The adhesive disposing step includes disposing a thermal adhesive on a second panel. The glass composite generation step includes generating a glass composite including a first panel, the second panel, and the thermal adhesive. The internal space forming step includes heating the glass composite to melt the thermal adhesive to form internal spaces (a first space and a second space). The evacuation step includes exhausting gas from the internal space to evacuate the internal space. The evacuated space forming step includes heating and applying force to part of a first portion or a second portion to deform the part to close an evacuation path to form an evacuated space hermetically closed.

A glass panel unit manufacturing method includes a glue arrangement step, a pillar forming step, an assembly forming step, a bonding step, an evacuation step, and a sealing step. The glue arrangement step includes arranging a hot glue including a frame member and a partition on either a first panel having a predetermined degree of warpage or a second panel. The pillar forming step includes placing pillars on either the first or second panel. The assembly forming step includes forming an assembly. The bonding step includes heating the assembly with the first panel arranged to form an upper part of the assembly and the second panel arranged to form a lower part of the assembly to bond the first panel and the second panel together. The evacuation step includes reducing pressure in an internal space. The sealing step includes creating a hermetically sealed evacuated space by closing an exhaust port.

This invention provides a sealing spacer for spacing apart two window panes to form a window assembly. The spacer has an elongated, flexible strip having opposed edge surfaces and opposed side surfaces. The spacer also has a fiber reinforced polymer layer over the elongated, flexible strip. The opposed edge surfaces undulate with crests and troughs. The spacer has an activatable sealant for directly sealingly securing the flexible strip to each of the two window panes. The activatable sealant is on each of the opposed side surfaces of the fiber reinforced polymer. The invention also provides methods for making the spacer and window assembly.

A glass panel unit including a first panel including at least a first glass plate; a second panel arranged to face the first panel and including at least a second glass plate; a frame member formed in a shape of a frame, corresponding in shape to respective peripheral portions of the first panel and the second panel extending along edges thereof, and bonded to the peripheral portions; and at least one spacer provided in a vacuum space between the first panel and the second panel. The at least one spacer containing a polyimide, where the polyimide has an absorption edge at which an absorption index decreases in an optical absorption spectrum ranging from an ultraviolet ray to visible radiation, the absorption edge being equal to or less than 400 nm, and the polyimide includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a fluorine group and a chlorine group.

Improvements in or relating to transparent units (such as glazing units, which may also be referred to as insulating glass units) and their methods of manufacture are disclosed. Each transparent unit comprises first and second panes of transparent material each having an outwardly facing side and an inwardly facing side. Each inwardly facing side is at least partially coated with a reactive interlayer made by the application of a reactive interlayer coating composition. The inwardly facing side of the first and second panes of transparent material are spaced apart partially or totally by a transparent spacer made of a pre-cured condensation curable material or a substantially pre-cured condensation curable material adhered to the inwardly facing side of the first and second panes of transparent material by way of the reactive interlayers. In various embodiments, the pre-cured condensation curable material is a silicone based material.

A method of producing A vacuum insulated glazing (VIG) unit, including providing a supporting structure and a solid pre-form of port soldering material provided with an opening, the supporting structure resting on the outer surface of the first pane of the VIG unit and extending over the opening of the evacuation hole, evacuating the void through the evacuation hole; and heating the port soldering material to a condition where it flows and merges across the evacuation hole while the supporting structure substantially maintain its position; and subsequently cooling the port soldering material to a solid condition so as to provide a gastight port seal forming a continuous body across the evacuation hole and preventing passage of gas to the void through the evacuation hole, and so that the port seal bonds to the outer surface of the first pane in a pattern that encloses the evacuation hole.

This disclosure describes insulated glass units (IGUs) that incorporate electrochromic devices. More specifically, this disclosure focuses on different configurations available for providing an electrical connection to the interior region of an IGU. In many cases, an IGU includes two panes separated by a spacer. The spacer defines an interior region of the IGU and an exterior region of the IGU. Often, the electrochromic device positioned on the pane does not extend past the spacer, and some electrical connection must be provided to supply power from the exterior of the IGU to the electrochromic device on the interior of the IGU. In some embodiments, the spacer includes one or more holes (e.g, channels, mouse holes, other holes, etc.) through which an electrical connection (e.g., wires, busbar leads, etc.) may pass to provide power to the electrochromic device.