Methods of making a vacuum insulating glass (VIG) window unit, including edge sealing techniques relating to the same, are provided. Certain example embodiments relate to providing an infrared (IR) absorbing element(s) such as a clip or clamp proximate an edge portion of a VIG assembly during formation of an edge seal. The IR absorbing element(s) absorb applied IR radiation and heat up during an edge seal formation process. Because the IR absorbing element(s) is/are thermally conductive and in contact with at least one of the glass substrates the element(s) causes/cause heat to be transferred from the element(s) to the adjacent glass substrate(s) and to the adjacent edge seal material thereby helping the edge seal material to heat up faster during the edge seal formation process and keeping other areas of glass at lower temperatures.

The present invention discloses a vacuum plate and a method for manufacturing it. The vacuum plate comprises at least two layers of plate, a plurality of support structures with different heights, and an organic film. The plates in adjacent layers are separated by a plurality of the support structures with different heights, peripheries of the at least two layers of plate are connected and sealed via a sealing mixture; and the peripheries of the at least two layers of plate and the outside of the sealing mixture are covered with the organic film. According to surface undulation of the plate, the supporting structures with corresponding heights are arranged on corresponding positions between the layers of plate, and the heights of the support structures match with the spacings at corresponding positions in the vacuum plate, so that each support structure can be clamped by the upper and the lower plate layers, and effectively plays a supporting role, thereby reducing the security risk from damage of the vacuum plate.

A manufacturing method of a glass panel for a glass panel unit includes a melting step, a spreading step, an annealing step, a cutting step, and a spacer disposition step. The spacer disposition step is a step of disposing spacers onto a glass sheet and is performed by a spacer disposition device prior to the cutting step.

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 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.

An insulating glass unit cooling assembly and method of cooling an insulating glass unit is provided. The cooling assembly includes a cooling unit that directs air at insulating glass units and a conveyor that transports insulating glass units along a path of travel defining an axis of travel for the insulating glass units. The conveyor has a conveyor planar surface that supports a corresponding planar glass surface of the insulating glass units as the insulating glass units are conveyed along the axis of travel such that the planar surface of the insulating glass units are substantially horizontal and substantially parallel to the conveyor planar surface. The air from the cooling unit is directed in a path substantially parallel with the conveyor planar surface and the planar glass surface of the insulating glass units as the insulating glass units travel along the conveyor.

Disclosed are a method of manufacturing double vacuum glass and double vacuum glass manufactured by the method. The double vacuum glass includes: a plate-shaped base panel configured to form one side surface of the double vacuum glass; a plate-shaped cover panel configured to form the other side surface of the double vacuum glass; spacers configured to space the base panel and the cover panel apart from each other so that a space is formed between the base panel and the cover panel; strip members configured to couple the base panel and the cover panel that are spaced apart from each other by the spacers; and a sealer configured to seal a space between the edges of the base panel and the edges of the cover panel by filling the space between the edges of the base panel and the edges of the cover panel outside the strip members.

Provided are a glass panel unit and a method for manufacturing the glass panel unit, both of which are designed to overcome the problem of poor handleability of known glass panel units with no through holes. A glass panel unit includes a first panel, a second panel, a seal, and a boundary wall. The seal has a frame shape and hermetically bonds respective peripheral edge portions of the first panel and the second panel. The boundary wall partitions an internal space into a first space as a hermetically sealed evacuated space and a second space spatially separated from the first space. The first panel has a first through hole provided through a portion, corresponding to the second space, of the first panel. The second panel has a second through hole provided through a portion, corresponding to the second space and facing the first through hole, of the second panel.

A method for manufacturing a multi-layer stack includes bonding a transparent plate to an outer surface of at least one of a first glass panel or a second glass panel of a glass panel unit with an intermediate film interposed therebetween. The glass panel unit includes: the first glass panel; the second glass panel; and an evacuated space provided between the first glass panel and the second glass panel. A plurality of spacers are provided in the evacuated space between the first glass panel and the second glass panel. A pressure applied for bonding the glass panel unit and the transparent plate together is less than a compressive strength of the plurality of spacers.

The present invention refers to a Vacuum Insulating Glazing (VIG) able to provide excellent thermal insulation to the transparent components of curtain walling systems in buildings and to cabinets for domestic or commercial refrigerators, and to a process for its manufacture.