This disclosure provides spacers for smart windows. In one aspect, a window assembly includes a first substantially transparent substrate having an optically switchable device on a surface of the first substrate. The optically switchable device includes electrodes. A first electrode of the electrodes has a length about the length of a side of the optically switchable device. The window assembly further includes a second substantially transparent substrate a metal spacer between the first and the second substrates. The metal spacer has a substantially rectangular cross section, with one side of the metal spacer including a recess configured to accommodate the length of the first electrode such that there is no contact between the first electrode and the metal spacer. A primary seal material bonds the first substrate to the metal spacer and bonds the second substrate to the metal spacer.

An adapter element for connecting a pane to a spacer having a fastening groove, wherein the adapter element includes at least one receiving profile for securing to the pane and at least one lower part for fixing to the spacer, and the lower part is designed to positively fit the fastening groove of the spacer.

An insulating glazing includes two glass sheets that are spaced apart by an air- or gas-filled cavity, a spacer arranged at periphery of the glass sheets and that keeps the glass sheets spaced apart, the spacer being transparent and placed on one of the sides of the glazing, and a first barrier that is leaktight to water, formed by a structural seal, the material of which is watertight, and a second barrier that is leaktight to gases and to water vapor, the first and second barriers associated to the transparent spacer being made of transparent material, wherein the second barrier that is leaktight to gases and to water vapor and made of transparent material is arranged at an interface between the glass sheets and the transparent spacer on an internal side of the glazing, the structural seal also at the interface being positioned abutted and aligned with the second barrier.

An electrochromic integrated glazing unit (IGU) comprises an electrochromic lite, a glass lite, a spacer, and a sealant. The electrochromic lite can have a first piece of carrier glass, a second piece of carrier glass, and an electrochromic device disposed between them, where the first and second pieces of carrier glass can be offset such that the first piece of carrier glass extends farther than both the second piece of carrier glass and the electrochromic device along a first edge of the electrochromic lite. A sealant can be disposed between the first piece of carrier glass and the glass lite along a first edge of the electrochromic IGU and further disposed between the second piece of carrier glass and the glass lite. An electrochromic laminated glass unit (LGU) with a similar electrochromic lite can contain one or more shear blocks disposed at a first edge of the electrochromic LGU.

An insulating glazing includes two glass sheets spaced apart by an air- or gas-filled cavity, a spacer arranged at a periphery of the glass sheets and that keeps the glass sheets spaced apart, a transparent spacer made of transparent plastic and placed on at least one of the sides of the glazing, and a first leaktight barrier that is leaktight to water, formed by a structural seal, a material of which is watertight, and a second leaktight barrier that is leaktight to gases and to water vapor, the leaktight barriers being made of transparent material, wherein the spacer includes on at least one of its internal and external faces, the internal and external faces being respectively facing and on the opposite side from the gas-filled cavity, a coating which is thin and constitutes the second transparent barrier, the coating and the transparent spacer forming a single assembly.

This disclosure provides spacers for smart windows. In one aspect, a window assembly includes a first substantially transparent substrate having an optically switchable device on a surface of the first substrate. The optically switchable device includes electrodes. A first electrode of the electrodes has a length about the length of a side of the optically switchable device. The window assembly further includes a second substantially transparent substrate a metal spacer between the first and the second substrates. The metal spacer has a substantially rectangular cross section, with one side of the metal spacer including a recess configured to accommodate the length of the first electrode such that there is no contact between the first electrode and the metal spacer. A primary seal material bonds the first substrate to the metal spacer and bonds the second substrate to the metal spacer.

A privacy glazing structure may include an electrically controllable optically active material, such as a liquid crystal material, sandwiched between a flexible substrate and a rigid substrate. The flexible substrate and the rigid substrate may each have a conductive layer deposited on the surface facing the optically active material. The flexible substrate may be bonded about its perimeter to the rigid substrate and may be sufficiently flexible to conform to non-planarity of the rigid substrate. As a result, the flexible substrate may adopt the surface contour of the rigid substrate to maintain a uniform thickness of optically active material between the flexible substrate and the rigid substrate.

An object is to enable sealing of a peripheral portion of a glass panel with less effort and time. A first metal introduction device 5A is moved from one first corner A at which two sides intersect each other of a pair of rectangular glass plates, toward another end of a first side Vab of the two sides, while performing filling with a metal material. Before the metal material filling the first corner A is solidified, a second metal introduction device 5B is moved from the first corner A toward another end of another second side Vad, while performing filling with a metal material. After the first side Vab and the second side Vad are filled with the metal material, both glass plates are rotated by 180 degrees, and the first metal introduction device 5A is moved toward another end of a fourth side Vcd of two sides intersecting each other at a second corner C diagonal to the first corner A, while performing filling with a metal material. Before the metal material filling the second corner C is solidified, the second metal introduction device 5B is moved from the second corner C toward another end of another third side Vbc, while performing filling with a metal material.

A privacy glazing structure may include an electrically controllable optically active material, such as a liquid crystal material, sandwiched between a flexible substrate and a rigid substrate. The flexible substrate and the rigid substrate may each have a conductive layer deposited on the surface facing the optically active material. The flexible substrate may be bonded about its perimeter to the rigid substrate and may be sufficiently flexible to conform to non-planarity of the rigid substrate. As a result, the flexible substrate may adopt the surface contour of the rigid substrate to maintain a uniform thickness of optically active material between the flexible substrate and the rigid substrate.

A window glazing assembly that can convert an existing or already-installed window, or be used to assemble new construction windows as a multi-pane or multi-glazed window unit, is provided herein. In particular, the glazing assembly includes an attachment assembly (e.g., peel-and-stick double-sided adhesive tape) and one or more glazing layers. Some embodiments further include a spacer assembly comprising a plurality of spacer bars that may be individually installed, e.g., one by one, around the perimeter of the window such as, to the window sash, window frame, or glass window pane, itself. The glazing layer(s) can then be secured or adhered to the spacer assembly, for example, around the perimeter thereof. Some embodiments may include additional or intermediate glazing layers, providing additional insulating airspaces and enhanced performance.