Patents by Inventor Tetsuo Minaai

Tetsuo Minaai has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7244480
    Abstract: A glass panel comprising: a pair of glass sheets (1), (2) disposed in opposition to each other via a gap (V) therebetween, peripheral edges of the two glass sheets (1), (2) being bonded with low melting glass (4) for sealing the gap (V); wherein in a cross section substantially normal to faces of the two glass sheets, (1), (2), an adjacent face (4a) of the low melting glass (4) adjacent the gap (V) has a center portion thereof between the two glass sheets (1), (2) bulging toward the gap (V).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignees: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd., The University of Sydney
    Inventors: Tetsuo Minaai, Richard Edward Collins, Nelson Ng
  • Patent number: 7165424
    Abstract: In order to provide a method of manufacturing a glass panel which, in time of a baking process, restrains an internal stress generated in both of glass plates (1, 2) to prevent a decline in strength, and restrains inorganic and organic substances remaining within a void (V) defined between the glass plates (1, 2) to prevent deterioration in quality, a method of manufacturing a glass panel comprises the steps of executing a joining process for joining the pair of glass plates (1, 2) opposed to each other across the void (V) at peripheries thereof by using a low melting point glass (4) in a melted condition, executing a baking process for suctioning gas from said void (V) through a suction portion disposed in said glass plates while heating said void (V) defined between the glass plates (1, 2), and sealing said suction portion to seal said void (V), wherein the gas is suctioned from said void (V) with said low melting point glass (4) being in a softened condition in which a coefficient of viscosity thereof is 1
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignees: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd., The University of Sydney
    Inventors: Tetsuo Minaai, Richard Edward Collins, Nelson Ng
  • Patent number: 7141130
    Abstract: A glass panel (P) comprising a pair of glass plates (1A, 1B) opposed to each other, spacers (2) disposed between the pair of glass plates for maintaining a gap therebetween, and a sealing member (3) having a lower melting point than the glass plates (1) for sealing the pair of glass plates (1A, 1B) at outer peripheries (9) thereof to form a decompression void (V) between the pair of glass plates (1A, 1B), wherein a compressive force Fc is allowed to remain at outer surfaces of the outer peripheries (9) of the glass plates (1), with the decompression void (V) being in atmospheric pressure condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuo Minaai, Masao Misonou, Toru Futagami
  • Patent number: 7114306
    Abstract: A glass panel (P) comprising a pair of glass plates (1A, 1B) opposed to each other, spacers (2) disposed between the pair of glass plates for maintaining a gap therebetween, and a sealing member (3) having a lower melting point than the glass plates (1) for sealing the pair of glass plates (1A, 1B) at outer peripheries (9) thereof to form a decompression void (V) between the pair of glass plates (1A, 1B), wherein a compressive force Fc is allowed to remain at outer surfaces of the outer peripheries (9) of the glass plates (1), with the decompression void (V) being in atmospheric pressure condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuo Minaai, Masao Misonou, Toru Futagami
  • Publication number: 20060207217
    Abstract: A glass panel (P) comprising a pair of glass plates (1A, 1B) opposed to each other, spacers (2) disposed between the pair of glass plates for maintaining a gap therebetween, and a sealing member (3) having a lower melting point than the glass plates (1) for sealing the pair of glass plates (1A, 1B) at outer peripheries (9) thereof to form a decompression void (V) between the pair of glass plates (1A, 1B), wherein a compressive force Fc is allowed to remain at outer surfaces of the outer peripheries (9) of the glass plates (1), with the decompression void (V) being in atmospheric pressure condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Inventors: Tetsuo Minaai, Masao Misonou, Toru Futagami
  • Publication number: 20060207218
    Abstract: A glass panel (P) comprising a pair of glass plates (1A, 1B) opposed to each other, spacers (2) disposed between the pair of glass plates for maintaining a gap therebetween, and a sealing member (3) having a lower melting point than the glass plates (1) for sealing the pair of glass plates (1A, 1B) at outer peripheries (9) thereof to form a decompression void (V) between the pair of glass plates (1A, 1B), wherein a compressive force Fc is allowed to remain at outer surfaces of the outer peripheries (9) of the glass plates (1), with the decompression void (V) being in atmospheric pressure condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Inventors: Tetsuo Minaai, Masao Misonou, Toru Futagami
  • Publication number: 20060083873
    Abstract: A heat insulating and shielding glass panel that is capable of maintaining heat shielding performance even if heat treatment is carried out during manufacture. The heat insulating and shielding glass panel 1 is comprised of a pair of glass plates 11 and 12 that are hermetically joined together at their outer peripheral edges via a sealing frame 13 that fluidizes at low temperature, such that respective one surfaces of the glass plates 11, 12 face each other and a hollow layer 14 is formed between the glass plates; and pillars 15 that are substantially cylindrical spacers that are inserted into the hollow layer 14 as atmospheric pressure supporting members and determine the gap between the glass plates 11 and 12. A low-emission transparent multilayer 17 having an emittance of not more than 0.1 is coated by sputtering on each of surfaces 11a and 12a of the respective glass plates 11 and 12 facing the hollow layer 14 so as to realize high heat insulation performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Applicant: Nippon Sheet Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Osamu Asano, Terufusa Kunisada, Tetsuo Minaai
  • Publication number: 20050103052
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a glass panel and a glass panel manufactured such a method, comprising a pair of glass plates opposed to each other to define a void therebetween by a number of space-maintaining members arranged along plate surfaces with predetermined intervals between rows, and a thermally meltable seal member for joining the glass plates throughout a circumference thereof to be hermetically sealed by a heat-joining process. The void between the glass plates being decompressed by a decompressing process and the distance between outermost rows of the space-maintaining members and peripheral edges of the glass plates being at most 5.8 times the thickness of the thinner one of the glass plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Inventor: Tetsuo Minaai
  • Patent number: 6790494
    Abstract: A heat insulating/heat shielding glass panel is produced by forming a functional film on a sheet of plate glass, which film is high in solar radiation reflectance, small in solar radiation absorptivity, and has emissivity of 0.20 or less, superposing another sheet of plate glass on the side of the functional film, and adhesively sealing the two sheets of plate glass, under the condition that a gap layer is provided between the two sheets of plate glass. Accordingly, there is obtained a glass panel which has a sufficient heat insulating performance and a sufficient heat shielding performance, and in which no warping is generated even when suffering the solar radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Asano, Terufusa Kunisada, Tetsuo Minaai
  • Publication number: 20040157010
    Abstract: A glass panel comprising: a pair of glass sheets (1), (2) disposed in opposition to each other via a gap (V) therebetween, peripheral edges of the two glass sheets (1), (2) being bonded with low melting glass (4) for sealing the gap (V);
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Tetsuo Minaai, Richard Edward Collins, Nelson Ng
  • Publication number: 20040035086
    Abstract: A glass panel (P) comprising a pair of glass plates (1A, 1B) opposed to each other, spacers (2) disposed between the pair of glass plates for maintaining a gap therebetween, and a sealing member (3) having a lower melting point than the glass plates (1) for sealing the pair of glass plates (1A, 1B) at outer peripheries (9) thereof to form a decompression void (V) between the pair of glass plates (1A, 1B), wherein a compressive force Fc is allowed to remain at outer surfaces of the outer peripheries (9) of the glass plates (1), with the decompression void (V) being in atmospheric pressure condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Tetsuo Minaai, Masao Misonou, Toru Futagami
  • Publication number: 20040028845
    Abstract: A heat insulating/heat shielding glass panel is produced by forming a functional film on a sheet of plate glass, which film is high in solar radiation reflectance, small in solar radiation absorptivity, and has emissivity of 0.20 or less, superposing another sheet of plate glass on the side of the functional film, and adhesively sealing the two sheets of plate glass, under the condition that a gap layer is provided between the two sheets of plate glass. Accordingly, there is obtained a glass panel which has a sufficient heat insulating performance and a sufficient heat shielding performance, and in which no warping is generated even when suffering the solar radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventors: Osamu Asano, Terufusa Kunisada, Tetsuo Minaai
  • Publication number: 20040028846
    Abstract: In order to provide a method of manufacturing a glass panel which, in time of a baking process, restrains an internal stress generated in both of glass plates (1, 2) to prevent a decline in strength, and restrains inorganic and organic substances remaining within a void (V) defined between the glass plates (1, 2) to prevent deterioration in quality, a method of manufacturing a glass panel comprises the steps of executing a joining process for joining the pair of glass plates (1, 2) opposed to each other across the void (V) at peripheries thereof by using a low melting point glass (4) in a melted condition, executing a baking process for suctioning gas from said void (V) through a suction portion disposed in said glass plates while heating said void (V) defined between the glass plates (1, 2), and sealing said suction portion to seal said void (V), wherein the gas is suctioned from said void (V) with said low melting point glass (4) being in a softened condition in which a coefficient of viscosity thereof is 1
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventors: Tetsuo Minaai, Richard Edward Collins, Nelson Ng
  • Patent number: 6309733
    Abstract: A glass panel in which spacing members (2) are interposed between a pair of glass sheets (1A, 1B) and a heat-fusible outer periphery sealing portion is provided along the entire outer periphery of the two glass sheets (1A, 1B) for sealing the space (V) between the glass sheets (1A, 1B) under a pressure-reduced condition. A linear expansion coefficient (&agr;1) of one (1A) of the glass sheets (1A, 1B) and a linear expansion coefficient (&agr;2) of the other glass sheet (1B) are set within a range which satisfies a predetermined relation expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., LTD
    Inventors: Tetsuo Minaai, Michihiro Kato, Masashi Kikuta
  • Patent number: 5989659
    Abstract: This invention relates to double glazing having two glass sheets with numerous spacers arranged therebetween, a void therebetween being sealed in a decompressed condition. Conventionally, the glass sheets have edges thereof spaced from each other by a seal. Under the influence of the binding force of the seal atmospheric pressure tends to act less on outermost spacers than on the other spacers. Consequently, the outermost spacers tend to move between the glass sheets. According to this invention, an outer interval (L1) between each outermost row of spacers (2) and a seal (4) is set at least equal to a basic interval (L0) between the outermost row and a second row adjacent thereto. Consequently, the spacers in the outermost rows bear a larger share of atmospheric pressure acting on the sheet surfaces than the spacers in the other rows. A sufficient force is secured to hold the spacers in the outermost rows in place, thereby preventing the spacers in the outermost rows from moving between the two glass sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidemi Kato, Tetsuo Minaai