Method of making coated glass article, and intermediate product used in same

{
  "publication_number": "US8236116B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Method of making coated glass article, and intermediate product used in same",
  "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.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method of making an insulating glass (IG) window unit, the method comprising: forming a multi-layered low-E coating on a glass substrate, wherein the low-E coating comprises at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver sandwiched between at least first and second dielectric layers; adhering at least two flexible protective sheets in non-liquid form to a top surface of the low-E coating via at least an adhesive layer to form a protected coated article, wherein one or more gaps is/are formed proximate the flexible protective sheets such that the top surface of the low-E coating is at least partially in contact with the one or more gaps; applying at least one protective coating in liquid form directly on the low-E coating and/or over at least one of the flexible protective sheets in order to substantially fill the one or more gaps formed between the low-E coating and the flexible protective sheet(s) and/or between the flexible protective sheets to form a temporary protective coating, so as to reduce an occurrence of visible line(s) on the coated article proximate a location of the one or more gaps after any thermal tempering; following formation of the temporary protective coating, shipping the protected coated article to a fabricator of IG window units; the fabricator cutting the protected coated article into an appropriate shape and size with the protective sheets thereon, edge seaming the protected coated article with the protective sheets thereon, and/or washing the protected coated article with the protective sheets thereon, so that following the cutting, edge seaming, and/or washing the protective sheets and protective coating remain at least partially adhered to the top surface of the low-E coating; following said cutting, edge seaming, and/or washing, removing at least part of the temporary protective coating by peeling the protective sheets off of the top surface of the low-E coating to form an unprotected coated article, and also by removing at least part of the protective coating when peeling off the protective sheets; after peeling the protective sheets off of the top surface of the low-E coating, thermally tempering the coated article including the glass substrate and low-E coating; and after said tempering, coupling the tempered coated article including the glass substrate and low-E coating to another glass substrate to form an IG window unit.",
    "2. The method of claim 1, wherein the protective sheets comprise polyethylene.",
    "3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one protective coating deposited initially in liquid form comprises a solvent-based and/or UV-curable liquid coating.",
    "4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one protective coating deposited initially in liquid form is applied by spraying, extruding, or roll coating.",
    "5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two flexible protective sheets comprise a first protective sheet and a second protective sheet to be adhered to the top surface of the low-E coating so that the first and second protective sheets overlap each other at least at edges portions thereof.",
    "6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second protective sheets overlap by at least about 1 inch.",
    "7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one liquid coating is applied to the top surface of the low-E coating proximate where the first and second protective sheets overlap or will overlap.",
    "8. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one protective coating deposited initially in liquid form is applied to the top surface of the first protective sheet proximate to where the first and second protective sheets overlap or will overlap.",
    "9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two flexible protective sheets comprise a first protective sheet and a second protective sheet adhered to the top surface of the low-E in a slightly spaced-apart manner such that a gap is formed between the first and second protective layers.",
    "10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second protective sheets are spaced apart by about 5-10 mm.",
    "11. The method of claim 9, wherein a first liquid coating is applied directly to the top surface of the low-E coating proximate to where the gap between the first and second protective layers is formed or will be formed.",
    "12. The method of claim 11, wherein a second liquid coating is applied to a top surface of the first and second protective layers proximate to where the gap between the first and second protective layers is formed or will be formed.",
    "13. The method of claim 12, wherein a third protective layer is adhered to the first and second protective layers such that the third protective layer is adhered over at least the second liquid coating.",
    "14. The method of claim 12, wherein a third liquid coating is adhered to the first and second protective layers such that the third liquid coating is adhered over the second liquid coating.",
    "15. A method of making a window unit, the method comprising: sputtering a multi-layered low-E and/or solar control coating onto a glass substrate, wherein the coating comprises at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer sandwiched between at least first and second dielectric layers; adhering at least two protective sheets in non-liquid form to a top surface of the coating to form a protected coated article; applying at least one protective coating initially in liquid form directly on the top surface of the coating and over at least one of the flexible protective sheets to reduce one or more gaps formed between the coating and the flexible protective sheet(s) and/or between the flexible protective sheets; the protective coating curing; following curing of the protective coating and applying the protective sheets, cutting the protected coated article into at least one shape and size with the protective sheets and protective coating thereon, and thereafter washing the protected coated article with the protective sheets and protective coating thereon, so that following the cutting and washing at least the protective sheets at least partially remain on the glass substrate; following said cutting and washing, peeling the protective sheets off of the top surface of the coating to form a substantially unprotected coated article; after peeling the protective sheets off of the top surface of the coating, inserting the unprotected coated article into a furnace and heat treating the unprotected coated article including the glass substrate and coating in the furnace; and after said tempering, using the tempered coated article in making a window unit.",
    "16. The method of claim 15, wherein the protective sheets comprises polyethylene.",
    "17. The method of claim 15, wherein the protective coating as initially applied comprises a solvent-based and/or UV-curable liquid coating.",
    "18. A method of making a window, the method comprising: forming a coated article by 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 UV-curable 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; cutting, edge seaming, and/or washing the coated article, optionally 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 before or after the cutting, edge seaming and/or washing.",
    "19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: after peeling the protective sheets off the top surface of the low-E coating, thermally tempering the coated article including the glass substrate and low-E coating; and after said tempering, using the coated article in a window unit."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This invention in certain example instances relates to a method of making and/or transporting a coated glass article. In certain example instances, one or more temporary protective polymer based layers is/are formed on a coated glass substrate to protect the low-E and/or solar control coating thereof during transport, cutting, edge seaming, washing and handling prior to heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering). To reduce gaps and/or capillaries that may form proximate to the glass substrate, a liquid coating may be applied above, between, and/or below the protective layer(s) on the glass substrate and/or on, between, or under the protective layer(s). Typically, the temporary protective layer(s) may be removed by peeling prior to heat treatment. BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION It is known in the art to use coated articles in the context of window units such as insulating glass (IG) window units. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,632,491, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the '491 patent for example, a solar management coating (e.g., low-E coating) is provided on the inner surface of one of the glass substrates of an IG window unit so as to protect a building interior against infrared (IR) radiation and the heat generated thereby. Coated glass substrates of IG units often have to be heat treated (e.g., tempered), prior to IG unit assembly, to meet certain code requirements.\n\nFIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating processing steps carried out during the conventional manufacture of an IG window unit.",
  "cpc": [
    "C09D 5/008",
    "B65G 49/069",
    "C03C 17/36",
    "C03C 17/3613",
    "C03C 17/3626",
    "C03C 17/3639",
    "C03C 17/3644",
    "C03C 17/3652",
    "C03C 17/366",
    "C03C 17/3681",
    "C03C 17/42",
    "C03C 2218/355",
    "Y10S 156/918",
    "Y10T 156/1168"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B32B 17/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "SOL JEAN-MARC",
    "LAGE HERBERT",
    "VANDERPLOEG JOHN A",
    "VARAPRASAD DESARAJU V",
    "HENKEL LUTZ",
    "SCHLOREMBERG MARCEL",
    "CT LUXEMBOURGEOIS RECH VERRE",
    "GUARDIAN INDUSTRIES"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "SOL JEAN-MARC",
    "LAGE HERBERT",
    "VANDERPLOEG JOHN A",
    "VARAPRASAD DESARAJU V",
    "HENKEL LUTZ",
    "SCHLOREMBERG MARCEL"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2007-06-06",
  "publication_date": "2012-08-07",
  "grant_date": "2012-08-07",
  "priority_date": "2007-06-06",
  "application_number": "US-80813307-A",
  "family_id": "39638755",
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}