The invention provides an IG unit that includes two glass sheets and an aerogel sheet located between the two glass sheets. The aerogel sheet is adhered to an interior surface of one of the two glass sheets by an adhesive, such that a face of the aerogel sheet is carried alongside the interior surface and has a portion that is devoid of the adhesive. In some cases, the adhesive is outside a vision area of the unit. In some cases, the adhesive securing the aerogel sheet to the interior surface is in contact with the first face of the aerogel sheet, and the adhesive contacts less than 10% of the first face of the aerogel sheet. Furthermore, some embodiments provide a glazing assembly that includes a frame and an IG unit mounted in the frame such that a vision area of the glazing assembly is located inwardly of the frame.

A desiccant window includes: a transparent triangular prism that is disposed between first and second plates, is configured of a first side along the first glass and second and third sides which have an angle with respect to the first side in a sectional view, and forms (three) types of optical paths; and a desiccant heat receiving unit that has hygroscopicity and is disposed between the first and second plates, is installed on the second side of the triangular prism), and is received solar heat and releases absorbed moisture by heating using the received heat received.

An electrically dynamic window structure may include first and second panes of transparent material and an electrically controllable optically active material positioned between the two panes. A driver can be electrically connected to electrode layers carried by the two panes. The driver may be configured to alternate between a drive phase in which a drive signal is applied to the electrode layers and an idle phase in which the drive signal is not applied to the electrode layers. The electrically controllable optically active material can maintain its transition state during the idle phase. As a result, the power consumption of the structure may be reduced as compared to if the driver continuously delivers the drive signal.

Thin-film devices, for example, multi-zone electrochromic windows, and methods of manufacturing are described. In certain cases, a multi-zone electrochromic window comprises a monolithic EC device on a transparent substrate and two or more tinting zones, wherein the tinting zones are configured for independent operation.

The present invention describes a liquid crystal composite tunable device for fast polarisation-independent modulation of an incident light beam comprising: (a) two supporting and functional panels, at least one of them coated with a transparent conductive electrode layer and with optionally at least one additional layer selected from an alignment layer, antireflective coating layer, thermochromic or electrochromic layer, photoconductive or photosensitive layer, and (b) a composite structure sandwiched between said two panels and made of a liquid crystal and porous microparticles infiltrated with said liquid crystal. The porous microparticles have an average refractive index approximately equals to one of the liquid crystal principal refractive indices, matching that of the liquid crystal at one orientational state (for example, parallel n.sub.∥), and exhibiting large mismatch at another orientational state (for example, perpendicular n.sub.⊥). This refractive index mismatch between said microparticles and said liquid crystal is tuned by applying an external electric or magnetic field, thermally or optically.

A structural body includes a refrigerant between a first plate and a second plate. A circulation structural part between the first and second plates includes a reservoir portion provided on a first plate side. In the circulation structural part, the refrigerant from the reservoir portion which has evaporated due to heat of the first plate side reaches a second plate side, condenses on the second plate side and is returned to the reservoir portion again. A temperature sensitive mechanism is in a first state when a temperature of the first plate side is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature to allow refrigerant circulation, and is in a second state different from the first state when the temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature to prohibit the refrigerant circulation.

A composite panel element for guiding light, a window having the same, and a method for producing the same. To provide a composite panel element with good light guiding properties and being optically transparent and homogeneous, the composite panel element for guiding light has a first panel element with a first microstructure on a first inner surface and a second panel element with a second microstructure on a second inner surface. The first and the second microstructure have respective depressions/elevations. The panel elements are arranged such that the first and the second inner surface are facing one another, and the first and second microstructure are arranged such that internal micro-cavities are formed between the microstructures. The first and second microstructure have respective planar-contact adhesion sections for force-lockingly securing the panel elements to one another and/or corresponding latching sections for form-lockingly and/or force-lockingly securing the panel elements to one another.

Method for the production of a vacuum insulated glazing unit with more than two panes and a vacuum insulated glazing unit with more than two panes. In one example a triple pane vacuum insulated glazing assembly is fused and the cavity is backfilled during cooling whereby the centre pane temperature may be lowered. This has the advantage of keeping the stresses below the failure boundaries and enabling faster production.

An insulating panel assembly includes an exterior panel that is formed of a metal. The insulating panel assembly also includes an interior panel. A spacer is coupled to the exterior panel and the interior panel. The spacer maintains the exterior panel in a generally parallel, spaced relationship with the interior panel.

The invention relates to a roof or skylight window comprising a frame and an insulated glazing unit, where the insulated glazing unit comprises a first glass pane (10) and a second glass pane (20) each having inner surfaces (11, 21) opposing each other, and a side seal (4) arranged between the first glass pane (10) and the second glass pane (20) creating a sealed cavity (40) between the glass panes (10, 20). The first glass pane (10) comprises an edge surface region (14) overlapping the side seal (4) along at least a first part of the side seal (4), wherein the edge surface region (14) comprises an enamel layer (16) comprising pigments reflecting near infrared light.