Spacers for insulated glass units
This disclosure provides spacers for smart windows. In one aspect, a window assembly includes a first substantially transparent substrate having an optically switchable device on a surface of the first substrate. The optically switchable device includes electrodes. A first electrode of the electrodes has a length about the length of a side of the optically switchable device. The window assembly further includes a second substantially transparent substrate a metal spacer between the first and the second substrates. The metal spacer has a substantially rectangular cross section, with one side of the metal spacer including a recess configured to accommodate the length of the first electrode such that there is no contact between the first electrode and the metal spacer. A primary seal material bonds the first substrate to the metal spacer and bonds the second substrate to the metal spacer.
1. An insulated glass unit comprising:
a laminate structure with a first substantially transparent substrate laminated to a reinforcing pane;
a second substantially transparent substrate;
an electrochromic device disposed on at least one of the first and second transparent substrates, the electrochromic device comprising a first transparent conductive oxide layer, a second transparent conductive oxide layer, and an electrochromic device stack between the first and second transparent conductive oxide layers;
first and second bus bars in electrical communication with first and second transparent conductive oxide layers respectively;
an electrically-insulating spacer between the first and the second substantially transparent substrates; and
a primary seal between the electrically-insulating spacer and each of the first and second substantially transparent substrates.
2. The insulated glass unit of claim 1 , wherein at least one external face of the electrically-insulating spacer has an electrically-insulating coating configured to avoid electrical communication between the electrically insulating spacer and the one or more bus bars.
3. The insulated glass unit of claim 2 , wherein the electrically-insulating coating includes one or more of a resin, a wax, an elastomer, and a polymeric material.
4. The insulated glass unit of claim 2 , wherein the electrically-insulating coating is an organic-based material.
5. The insulated glass unit of claim 2 , wherein the electrically-insulating coating is a powder or a paint.
6. The insulated glass unit of claim 2 , wherein all external faces of the electrically-insulating spacer are coated with electrically-insulating coating.
7. The insulated glass unit of claim 2 , wherein the electrically-insulating spacer comprises a metal portion coated with the electrically-insulating coating on the at least one external face.
8. The insulated glass unit of claim 7 , wherein the metal portion is aluminum and the electrically-insulating coating is an anodized layer.
9. The insulated glass unit of claim 7 , wherein the metal portion is stainless steel.
10. The insulated glass unit of claim 2 , wherein the first substantially transparent substrate is laminated to the reinforcing pane with a resin.
11. The insulated glass unit of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second transparent substrates further comprises a diffusion barrier layer.
12. The insulated glass unit of claim 1 , wherein the primary seal includes polyisobutylene or polyvinyl butyral.
13. The insulated glass unit of claim 1 , wherein the electrically-insulating spacer is of a substantially rectangular cross-section.
14. The insulated glass unit of claim 1 , further comprising wiring traversing the primary seal, wherein the wiring is in electrical communication with the one or more bus bars.
15. The insulated glass unit of claim 14 , wherein the wiring is in electrical communication with a controller.
16. The insulated glass unit of claim 1 , further comprising wiring disposed within the electrically-insulating spacer, the wiring configured to provide electrical communication between the bus bars and a power source.
17. The insulated glass unit of claim 1 , wherein the electrically-insulating spacer comprises one or more connector keys, each connector key configured to mate with open ends of the electrically-insulating spacer.
18. The insulated glass unit of claim 17 , wherein each connector key is further configured to accommodate wiring in electrical communication with the bus bars.