Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method and device for assembling two elements spaced apart by means of a peripheral seal, consisting of adding a seal on a surface of a first element facing a surface to be assembled of a second element, bringing the assembly thus constituted, in vacuum conditions, to a temperature enabling the melting of the seal while temporarily maintaining, by means of spacers having a thickness higher than the thickness of the seal and distributed outside the seal, the surface of the second element distant from the seal, and enabling the elements to come closer to each other to assemble them, sealably, by means of the melting seal.
Abstract:
A reflector (e.g., mirror) for use in a solar collector or the like is provided. In certain example embodiments of this invention, a reflector is made performing at least the following steps: (a) forming a reflective coating on a flat glass substrate, (b) cold-bending the glass substrate with the reflective coating thereon; and (c) applying a plate or frame member (e.g., another glass sheet/substrate, or alternatively a thermoplastic member) to the cold-bent glass substrate, the plate or frame member for maintaining the coated glass substrate in a desired bent orientation. In certain example embodiments, the glass substrate supporting the reflective coating may be maintained in desired bent form by using another glass substrate and a glue layer provided between the another glass substrate and the glass substrate supporting the coating. The bent reflector (e.g., mirror) may be used in a solar collector, or in any other suitable application.
Abstract:
A heatable window (e.g., vehicle windshield) includes a heatable layer including one or more conductive layers. The heatable layer may be a single layer conductive coating, or alternatively may be a multi-layer heatable coating including one or more dielectric layer(s) in addition to one or more heatable conductive layer(s). Bus bars are provided so that a voltage may be applied across at least one conductive layer of the coating, in order to heat the layer so that the coating generates heat for defogging, deicing and/or desnowing the window. At least a portion of one of the bus bars includes both an underlying conductive base layer portion, and an overlying conductive braid portion that is conductively attached to the conductive base portion. The braid portion significantly increases the current capacity of the bus bar portion if so desired.
Abstract:
A bus bar arrangement for a heatable vehicle window. An electroconductive coating is divided into two separate coating portions which represent two different respective heating zones. A single bottom bus bar is common to both heating zones, while a first upper/top bus bar portion is provided for the first heating zone and a different second upper/top bus bar portion is provided for the second heating zone. The two upper/top bus bars are spaced apart and electrically insulated from one another. Conductive bus bar extension portions lead from the respective upper bus bars down to a bottom edge of the window (e.g., vehicle windshield) so that electrical connectors for all three bus bars can be located along or proximate a single edge of the window.
Abstract:
A reflector (e.g., mirror) for use in a solar collector or the like is provided. In certain example embodiments of this invention, a reflector is made by (a) forming a reflective coating on a thin substantially flat glass substrate (the thin glass substrate may or may not be pre-bent prior to the coating being applied thereto), (b) optionally, if the glass substrate in (a) was not prebent, then cold-bending the glass substrate with the reflective coating thereon; and (c) applying a plate or frame member to the thin bent glass substrate with the coating thereon from (a) and/or (b), the plate or frame member (which may be another thicker pre-bent glass sheet, for example) for maintaining the thin glass substrate and coating thereon in a desired bent orientation in a final product which may be used as parabolic trough or dish type reflector in a concentrating solar power apparatus or the like.
Abstract:
There is provided a method of making a heat treated (HT) coated article to be used in shower door applications, window applications, or any other suitable applications where transparent coated articles are desired. For example, certain embodiments of this invention relate to a method of making a coated article including a step of heat treating a glass substrate coated with at least a layer of or including diamond-like carbon (DLC) and an overlying protective film thereon. In certain example embodiments, the protective film may be of or include both (a) an oxygen blocking or barrier layer, and (b) a release layer. Following and/or during heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering, or the like) the protective film may be removed via blasting it off using particles mainly of material softer than the DLC. In certain example embodiments, the blasting particles may be of or include sodium bicarbonate and/or may be directed at the protective film at a blasting pressure of from about 2.5 to 7.0 bar, more preferably from about 3 to 4.5 bar. In certain example embodiments, the blasting particles may be soluble in water and/or may have a blasting residue which is basic (pH>7), so as to result in a more environmentally friendly process.
Abstract:
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a method of making a window, the method including: forming a multi-layered low-E and/or solar control coating on a glass substrate; providing at least two flexible protective sheets in non-liquid form to the glass substrate over at least part of the low-E and/or solar control coating; applying at least one protective coating in liquid form, before and/or after the flexible protective sheets are provided, so as to reduce one or more gaps formed between the low-E and/or solar control coating and the flexible protective sheet(s) and/or between the flexible protective sheets; and performing one or more of cutting, edge seaming, and/or washing the coated article with the protective coating and protective sheets thereon and peeling the protective sheets and at least part of the protective coating off of the top surface of the low-E and/or solar control coating. Heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering) may then be performed, and the heat treated coated article may be used in a window unit or the like.
Abstract:
A reflector (e.g., mirror) for use in a solar collector or the like is provided. In certain example embodiments of this invention, a reflector is made performing at least the following steps: (a) forming a reflective coating on a flat glass substrate, (b) cold-bending the glass substrate with the reflective coating thereon; and (c) applying a plate member (e.g., thermoplastic or glass based) to the cold-bent glass substrate, the plate member for maintaining the coated glass substrate in a desired bent orientation. In certain example embodiments, the glass substrate supporting the reflective coating may be maintained in desired bent form by using another glass substrate and a glue layer provided between the another glass substrate and the glass substrate supporting the coating. The bent reflector (e.g., mirror) may be used in a solar collector, or in any other suitable application.
Abstract:
A reflector (e.g., mirror) for use in a solar collector or the like is provided. In certain example embodiments of this invention, a reflector is made by (a) forming a reflective coating on a thin substantially flat glass substrate (the thin glass substrate may or may not be pre-bent prior to the coating being applied thereto), (b) optionally, if the glass substrate in (a) was not prebent, then cold-bending the glass substrate with the reflective coating thereon; and (c) applying a plate or frame member to the thin bent glass substrate with the coating thereon from (a) and/or (b), the plate or frame member (which may be another thicker pre-bent glass sheet, for example) for maintaining the thin glass substrate and coating thereon in a desired bent orientation in a final product which may be used as parabolic trough or dish type reflector in a concentrating solar power apparatus or the like.
Abstract:
Opposing substrates of a vehicle window are laminated to one another using a polymer inclusive interlayer which has a notch or cut-out portion defined therein. Following lamination, at least one bus bar(s) supported by one of the substrates is exposed in this notch or cut-out portion of the interlayer. Then, an external connector may be electrically connected to the bus bar(s) at a location between the opposed substrates, by sliding a portion of the connector into a gap between the two laminated substrates at a location where the bus bar(s) is exposed due to the notch or cut-out in the interlayer. Because the connector can be electrically connected to the bus bar(s) after the lamination process, various techniques (e.g., nipper rolls, vacuum apparatus, etc.) may be used to laminate the substrates to one another prior to this electrical connection.