Abstract: A method of making a vacuum insulating panel, where the vacuum insulating panel may include a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second glass substrates, and a seal provided between at least the first and second glass substrates, the seal including a first seal layer and/or a second seal layer. The method may include at least one of: providing first seal material for the first seal layer at a location between at least the first and second glass substrates; pre-heating the glass substrates, the first seal material, and the second seal layer; wherein said pre-heating may cause at least one of (a) at least one of the glass substrates, (b) the second seal layer, and/or (c) the first seal material, to reach a pre-heat temperature; wherein the pre-heat temperature may be from about 40-120 degrees C.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel includes first and second substrates (e.g., glass substrates), a hermetic edge seal, a pump-out port, and spacers sandwiched between at least the two substrates. The gap between the substrates may be at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure to provide insulating properties. The vacuum insulating panel may include at least one passivation layer for reducing outgassing from a glass substrate, in order to improve lifespan of the vacuum insulating panel.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel may include: a first glass substrate; a second glass substrate; a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second substrates, wherein the gap is at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure; a seal provided between at least the first and second substrates, the seal including a first ceramic seal layer and a second ceramic seal layer, wherein the second ceramic seal layer is located between at least the first ceramic seal layer and the first glass substrate; and wherein one or more of: (i) a thermal (TC) conductivity of the first ceramic seal layer is be less than a thermal conductivity of the first glass substrate, and wherein the thermal conductivity of the first glass substrate is less than a thermal conductivity of the second ceramic seal layer, so that the thermal conductivity of the second ceramic seal layer is greater than the thermal conductivity of the first substrate and greater than the thermal conductivity of the first ceramic seal layer; (ii)

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel may include: a first substrate; a second substrate; a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second substrates, wherein the gap is at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure; a seal provided between at least the first substrate and the second substrate, the seal comprising a first seal layer; wherein the first seal layer comprises tellurium oxide and vanadium oxide; wherein the first seal layer comprises, on a wt. %, more tellurium oxide than vanadium oxide, and has a density of from about 2.8-4.0 g/cm3.

Abstract: A method of making a vacuum insulating panel, the vacuum insulating panel comprising a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second glass substrates, and a seal provided between at least the first and second glass substrates, the seal comprising a first seal layer and/or a second seal layer. The method may include laser heating, using a laser beam from a continuous wave near-IR laser, seal material in order to form the first seal layer; wherein the laser heating may include causing the laser beam to move at a lateral speed of from about 5-70 mm/second relative to the substrates and the first seal material so that the laser beam at least partially passes through at least one of the glass substrates and impinges upon at least the second seal layer in order to heat the second seal layer and fire and/or sinter the first seal material thereby forming the first seal layer.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel includes first and second substrates (e.g., glass substrates), a hermetic edge seal, a pump-out port, and spacers sandwiched between at least the two substrates. The gap between the substrates may be at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure to provide insulating properties. The panel may include a getter. The getter may be laser activated in a manner which causes the getter to transform and realize a Ti—Al—V phase (e.g., Al3V0.333Ti0.667) of crystallite material. The getter may be a thin film getter and/or may be elongated in shape.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel includes first and second substrates (e.g., glass substrates), a hermetic edge seal, a pump-out port, and spacers sandwiched between at least the two substrates. The gap between the substrates may be at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure to provide insulating properties. The vacuum insulating panel may include ceramic (e.g., aluminosilicate glass) spacers, which may be chemically strengthened.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel includes first and second substrates (e.g., glass substrates), a hermetic edge seal, a pump-out port, and spacers sandwiched between at least the two substrates. The gap between the substrates may be at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure to provide insulating properties. The vacuum insulating panel may include a multi-layer edge seal structure with coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) of layers of the seal structure optimized for CTE grading.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel includes first and second substrates (e.g., glass substrates), a hermetic edge seal, a pump-out port, and spacers sandwiched between at least the two substrates. The gap between the substrates may be at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure to provide insulating properties. The panel may include a getter. The getter may be a thin film getter and/or may be elongated in shape.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel includes first and second substrates (e.g., glass substrates), a hermetic edge seal, a pump-out port, and spacers sandwiched between at least the two substrates. The gap between the substrates may be at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure to provide insulating properties. The vacuum insulating panel may include a multi-layer edge seal structure, including at least one layer including boron oxide (e.g., B2O3 or any other stoichiometry).

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel may include: a first substrate; a second substrate; a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second substrates, wherein the gap is at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure; a seal provided between at least the first and second substrates, the seal including a first seal layer and a second seal layer, wherein, for at least one location of the seal, the first seal layer has a first width and the second seal layer has a second width, wherein the first width of the first seal layer may be from about 2-20 mm, more preferably from about 3-10 mm, and possibly from about 4-8 mm.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel includes first and second substrates (e.g., glass substrates), a hermetic edge seal, a pump-out port, and spacers sandwiched between at least the two substrates. The gap between the substrates may be at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure to provide insulating properties. The vacuum insulating panel may include a multi-row edge seal structure.

Abstract: A method of making a vacuum insulating panel including a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second substrates, and a seal provided between at least the first and second substrates, the seal comprising a first seal layer, and optionally second and/or third primer layer(s).

Abstract: A method of making a vacuum insulating panel, the vacuum insulating panel including a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second glass substrates, and a seal provided between at least the first and second glass substrates, the seal comprising a first seal layer. The method may include: providing first seal material for the first seal layer in a location at least partially between at least the first and second glass substrates; laser heating, using a laser beam from a continuous wave near-IR laser, the first seal material in order to form the first seal layer; wherein said laser heating may comprise using the laser beam, having a size of from about 2-15 mm, so that the laser beam at least partially passes through at least one of the glass substrates to fire and/or sinter the first seal material thereby forming the first seal layer, in a manner so that the first seal layer a density of from about 2.8-4.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel may include a first substrate; a second substrate; a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second substrates, wherein the gap is at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure; a seal provided between at least the first and second substrates, the seal including a first seal layer, a second seal layer, and a third seal layer, wherein the first seal layer may be located between at least the second and third seal layers; wherein, for at least one location of the seal, the first seal layer has a first thickness, the second seal layer has a second thickness, and the third seal layer has a third thickness; and wherein the first thickness may be greater than the second thickness and less than the third thickness.

Abstract: A method of making a vacuum insulating panel, where the vacuum insulating panel may include a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second glass substrates, and a seal provided at least partially between at least the first and second glass substrates, wherein the seal may comprise a first seal layer and/or a second seal layer. The method may include at least one of: providing first seal material for the first seal layer at a location at least partially between at least the first and second glass substrates; pre-heating so as to cause at least one of (a) at least one of the glass substrates, (b) the second seal layer, and/or (c) the first seal material, to reach a pre-heat temperature; after said pre-heating, laser heating the first seal material in order to fire and/or sinter the first seal material and form the first seal layer in a manner so that the first seal layer may have a density of from about 2.8-4.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel may include: a first substrate; a second substrate; a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second substrates, wherein the gap is at pressure less than atmospheric pressure; a pump-out/evacuation tube extending at least partly into an aperture in one of the substrates; and a pump-out/evacuation tube seal. The pump-out/evacuation tube seal may include at least one of: (a) from about 20-80 wt. % tellurium oxide, the tellurium oxide comprising TeO4 and TeO3, wherein the pump-out tube seal comprises more TeO3 than TeO4 by wt. %; and/or (b) tellurium oxide and from about 10-50 wt. % vanadium oxide, wherein the pump-out tube seal by wt. % comprises more tellurium oxide than vanadium oxide, and wherein the vanadium oxide comprises VO2 and V2O5, and wherein more V in the pump-out tube seal is in a form of VO2 than V2O5. A substantially donut-shaped laser beam may be used to heat pump-out tube material in order to form a pump-out tube seal.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel includes may include: a first substrate; a second substrate; a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second substrates, wherein the gap is at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure; a seal provided between at least the first and second substrates, the seal comprising a first seal layer and/or a second seal layer; and wherein the first seal layer may include from about 20-80 wt. % tellurium oxide, the tellurium oxide comprising TeO4 and TeO3, and wherein the first seal layer comprises more TeO3 than TeO4 by wt. %.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating panel comprising: a first glass substrate; a second glass substrate; a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second glass substrates, wherein the gap is at pressure less than atmospheric pressure; a seal provided at least partially between at least the first and second substrates; and wherein at least one of the glass substrates is tempered, has compressive stress at a center of the glass substrate as viewed from above in a surface compression region of at least about 10,000 psi, and has one, two, or all three of: (i) a compressive stress proximate an edge of the glass substrate as viewed from above in the surface compression region of at least about 10,000 psi, (ii) tension stress at the center of the glass as viewed from above in the central tension region of at least about 5,800 psi, and/or (iii) compressive stress proximate a corner of the glass substrate as viewed from above in the surface compression region of at least about 10,000 psi.

Abstract: A vacuum insulated glass unit comprises first and second glass panes, each defining interior and exterior surfaces and lateral edges. The interior surfaces of the panes are opposing and spaced apart to define an inter-pane gap. A band of metal solder extends continuously between the interior surfaces and continuously around the peripheries of the panes but is inset from the lateral edges, thus defining an inter-pane cavity surrounded by the solder band and a channel disposed between the band and the lateral edges. The solder band is attached with hermetic glass-to-metal bonds to the interior surfaces of the panes, whereby the cavity is hermetically sealed with respect to the panes. A plurality of stand-offs is disposed within the cavity and extends between the interior surfaces. An adhesive material is disposed within the channel, extending between the interior surfaces and structurally bonding the panes across the inter-pane gap.