Pillar delivery films for vacuum insulated glass units are disclosed. The delivery films include a support film or pocket tape, a sacrificial material on the support film, and a plurality of pillars. The pillars are at least partially embedded in the sacrificial material or formed within sacrificial material molds, and the sacrificial material is capable of being removed while leaving the pillars substantially intact. Methods of transferring pillars to a substrate using the pillar delivery films are disclosed. In order to make an insulated glass unit, the delivery films are laminated to a receptor such as a glass pane, and the support film and sacrificial material are removed to leave the pillars remaining on the glass.

A flexible spacer for an insulated translucent panel assembly. The flexible spacer includes a flexible thermoset extrudate formed from a two component flowable polymeric formulation and being a flowable mixture. One component carries a desiccant powder, and the other component is a catalyst for curing the extrudate. The flowable mixture is directly cast on to a vapor barrier web. The vapor barrier web includes a length and a width, the length being greater than the width. The vapor barrier web includes a corrugated sheet of material having a plurality of corrugations oriented generally orthogonal to the length of the vapor barrier web.

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.

Method and Apparatus for fabricating a spacer frame for use in an insulating glass unit. One of a multiple number of possible spacer frame materials is chosen for the spacer frame. An elongated strip of the material is moved to a notching station where notches are formed at corner locations. The character of the notches is adjusted based on the selection of the metal strip material and more particularly to achieve bending of the material in an repeatable, straightforward manner. Downstream from the notching station the metal strip is bent into a channel shaped elongated frame member having side walls. Further downstream a leading strip of channel shaped material is severed or separated front succeeding material still passing through the notching and bending station.

A method for manufacturing a pillar supply sheet is a method for manufacturing a pillar supply sheet including a plurality of pillars, a carrier sheet, and an adhesion layer between each of the pillars and the carrier sheet, the method including a pillar forming step. The pillar forming step is a step of forming the plurality of pillars by subjecting the base member to an etching process or a laser irradiation process and removing an unnecessary portion from the base member after the process.

A manufacturing method of a glass panel unit includes an adhesive disposing step, a pillar disposition step of disposing a plurality of pillars on the first panel. Each of the plurality of pillars includes a plurality of resin layers to stacked on one another. In each of the plurality of pillars, a contact area being in contact with the first panel and being included in the resin layer which is in contact with the first panel is different from a contact area being in contact with the second panel and being included in the resin layer which is in contact with the second panel.

Methods for manufacturing insulating glass units (IGUs) include providing an unsealed IGU assembly that has first and second sheets of glass material and at least one spacer frame between the first and second sheets and sealed to at least one of the first and second sheets. The unsealed IGU assembly defines an interpane space and an IGU passage providing fluid communication between the interpane space and an environment external to the interpane space. In some cases the method includes positioning a filling device next to the IGU passage and introducing a gas into the interpane space through the IGU passage using the filling device. In some cases the method includes delivering a sealing material or sealing structure to the IGU passage with the filling device to seal the interpane space. Corresponding systems for manufacturing IGUs are also provided.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing vacuum insulating glass, the method involving applying a vacuum sealant to a first surface of a first glass sheet, the vacuum sealant including a plastic film having a preferably rough surface, placing a second glass sheet on the vacuum sealant such that a cavity is formed between the first and second glass sheets and the vacuum sealant, applying a vacuum to an outer surface of the vacuum sealant until a vacuum is formed in the cavity, wherein the first and second glass sheets are placed in a vacuum bag to apply the vacuum, and heating the vacuum sealant while the first and second glass sheets are in the vacuum bag.

A glass panel unit includes: a first panel; a second panel facing the first panel; a sealing member bonded to respective facing peripheral portions of the first panel and the second panel; and at least one spacer provided in a reduced pressure space between the first panel and the second panel. The at least one spacer includes a resin body and at least one ultraviolet protective layer provided on a surface of the resin body.

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.