Glass panel unit and method for manufacturing the glass panel unit
Provided are a glass panel unit and a method for manufacturing the glass panel unit, both of which are designed to overcome the problem of poor handleability of known glass panel units with no through holes. A glass panel unit includes a first panel, a second panel, a seal, and a boundary wall. The seal has a frame shape and hermetically bonds respective peripheral edge portions of the first panel and the second panel. The boundary wall partitions an internal space into a first space as a hermetically sealed evacuated space and a second space spatially separated from the first space. The first panel has a first through hole provided through a portion, corresponding to the second space, of the first panel. The second panel has a second through hole provided through a portion, corresponding to the second space and facing the first through hole, of the second panel.
1 . A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit containing a seal and a partition, the method comprising:
a glue arrangement step including arranging a hot glue on either a first panel or a second panel, the hot glue being to form the seal or the partition, the first panel including a first glass pane and having a first through hole, the second panel including a second glass pane and having a second through hole;
a glass composite producing step including producing a glass composite that includes the first panel, the second panel, and the hot glue by arranging the second panel with respect to the first panel such that the second panel faces the first panel with the first through hole aligned with the second through hole;
an internal space forming step including heating the glass composite to melt the hot glue and thereby form the seal or the partition, the seal having a frame shape and hermetically bonding respective peripheral edge portions of the first panel and the second panel to create an internal space between the first panel and the second panel, the partition hermetically bonding the first panel and the second panel together to partition the internal space into a first space and a second space, the partition having an exhaust path that allows the first space and the second space to communicate with each other, the first space being sealed except the exhaust path, the second space being spatially separated from the first space and communicating with the first through hole and the second through hole;
an evacuation step including evacuating the first space by exhausting a gas from the first space via the exhaust path using: an exhaust port portion hermetically connected to one through hole selected from the first through hole and the second through hole; a closing member to close the other through hole out of the first through hole and the second through hole; and a vacuum pump connected to the exhaust port portion; and
an evacuated space forming step including sealing the first space by closing the exhaust path with the partition deformed while keeping the first space evacuated and thereby turning the first space into a hermetically sealed evacuated space.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the evacuation step includes using: a clip to clamp the exhaust port portion and the closing member such that the exhaust port portion and the closing member are close to each other.
3 . A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit, the method comprising:
a glue arrangement step including arranging a hot glue on either a first panel or a second panel, the hot glue being to form a seal or a partition, the first panel including a first glass pane and having a first through hole, the second panel including a second glass pane;
a glass composite producing step including producing a glass composite that includes the first panel, the second panel, and the hot glue by arranging the second panel with respect to the first panel such that the first panel and the second panel face each other;
an internal space forming step including heating the glass composite to melt the hot glue and thereby form the seal or the partition, the seal having a frame shape and hermetically bonding respective peripheral edge portions of the first panel and the second panel to create an internal space between the first panel and the second panel, the partition hermetically bonding the first panel and the second panel together to partition the internal space into a first space and a second space, the partition having an exhaust path that allows the first space and the second space to communicate with each other, the first space being sealed except the exhaust path, the second space being spatially separated from the first space;
an evacuation step including evacuating the first space by exhausting a gas from the first space via the exhaust path;
an evacuated space forming step including sealing the first space by closing the exhaust path with the partition deformed while keeping the first space evacuated and thereby turning the first space into a hermetically sealed evacuated space; and
a through hole forming step including providing a second through hole through a portion, corresponding to the second space and facing the first through hole, of the second panel.