Abstract: A vacuum insulating unit has a pair of glass sheets spaced from one another by a plurality of plastic supports. The supports have one end secured to one of the sheets and a low friction material on the other end. A flexible metal edge retainer is secured to sheets to provide a sealed compartment between the sheets. Air in the compartment is removed to put the compartment under negative pressure. A getter is provided in the compartment to adsorb any gas therein during sealing or using the unit. One of the sheets may have an environmental coating.Methods are disclosed for fabricating the unit and the supports.

Abstract: A method for overcoming laminate failure in laminated windows containing adjacent layers of polycarbonate and plasticized polyvinyl acetal is disclosed. The method involves applying a protective adhesive means such as a film of a polyurethane or an epoxy resin to a major surface of at least one of the sheets, assembling the sheets with said film on an interfacial surface of the assembly, and laminating the assembly at high temperature and pressure. Also disclosed are various laminate configurations containing a plasticized polyvinyl acetal-polycarbonate interfacial surface treated according to the present invention. Such laminates are useful as substantially haze-free, transparent articles, such as windows for aircraft.