The spacer member being disposed at each of support points set at predetermined intervals on opposing faces of a pair of glass sheets opposing to each other when a gap formed between the pair of glass sheets is maintained under a depressurized state, wherein the spacer member includes: at least one contacting member having a first planar part on one side and a second planar part on the other side coming into contact with the respective opposing faces of the glass sheets, and a projecting piece extending integrally from the contacting member, and on the assumption that an imaginary column that circumscribes the spacer member with its height direction being vertical to the first planar part is provided, the total area of the first planar part or the total area of the second planar part is equal to or smaller than one half of a circular cross section of the column.

The spacer member being disposed at each of support points set at predetermined intervals on opposing faces of a pair of glass sheets opposing to each other when a gap formed between the pair of glass sheets is maintained under a depressurized state, wherein the spacer member includes: at least one contacting member having a first planar part on one side and a second planar part on the other side coming into contact with the respective opposing faces of the glass sheets, and a projecting piece extending integrally from the contacting member, and on the assumption that an imaginary column that circumscribes the spacer member with its height direction being vertical to the first planar part is provided, the total area of the first planar part or the total area of the second planar part is equal to or smaller than one half of a circular cross section of the column.

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):

##STR00001##

Glass articles comprising an outer region extending from an outer surface of the glass article to a depth of layer and methods of making the same are described. The outer region is bounded by at least one edge of the glass article and is under an intrinsic neutral stress or an intrinsic compressive stress. A core region of the glass article is under a tensile stress. A compressive element applies an external compressive stress to the at least one edge and increases the intrinsic stress on the outer region and reduces the tensile stress in the core region of the glass article. The glass article may be a strengthened glass article such that the outer region is under compressive stress, and the external compressive stress applied by the compressive element has a magnitude such that the glass article has an overall internal stress defined by:

∫.sub.0.sup.tσdt≠0

where t is a thickness of the glass article and σ is the internal stress.

A sealed structure with high sealing capability, in which a pair of substrates is attached to each other with a glass layer is provided. The sealed structure has a first and second substrates, a first surface of the first substrate facing a first surface of the second substrate, and the glass layer which is in contact with the first and second substrates, defines a space between the first and second substrates, and is provided along the periphery of the first surface of the first substrate. The first substrate has a corner portion. The area of the first surface of the first substrate is smaller than or equal to that of the first surface of the second substrate. In at least one of respective welded regions between the glass layer and the first or second substrate, the width of the corner portion is larger than that of the side portion.

A sealed structure with high sealing capability, in which a pair of substrates is attached to each other with a glass layer is provided. The sealed structure has a first and second substrates, a first surface of the first substrate facing a first surface of the second substrate, and the glass layer which is in contact with the first and second substrates, defines a space between the first and second substrates, and is provided along the periphery of the first surface of the first substrate. The first substrate has a corner portion. The area of the first surface of the first substrate is smaller than or equal to that of the first surface of the second substrate. In at least one of respective welded regions between the glass layer and the first or second substrate, the width of the corner portion is larger than that of the side portion.

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.

A pillar mounting method includes an accommodation step, a mounting step, and a displacement step. The accommodation step is a step of accommodating a plurality of pillars in storage with the plurality of pillars being stacked on each other. The mounting step is a step of pushing one pillar of the plurality of pillars accommodated in the storage out of the storage and mounting the one pillar on a substrate including a glass pane. The displacement step is a step of changing a relative location between the substrate and the storage. The mounting step and the displacement step are alternately repeated to mount the plurality of pillars in a predetermined arrangement on the substrate such that the plurality of pillars are apart from each other.