초록 ▼

The present invention provides a multi-sheet unit with a spacer frame having at least three sides, at least three corners, a first sheet supporting surface and an opposite second sheet supporting surface. The spacer frame includes a spacer stock member having a first end, an opposite second end, the

The present invention provides a multi-sheet unit with a spacer frame having at least three sides, at least three corners, a first sheet supporting surface and an opposite second sheet supporting surface. The spacer frame includes a spacer stock member having a first end, an opposite second end, the at least three sides and at least two corners of the at least three corners; a corner key comprising a bendable elongated body having a first end in the first end of the spacer stock member, an opposite second end in the second end of the spacer stock member to provide one of the corners of the at least three corners of the spacer frame, and a cut out between the ends of the corner key, the ends of the corner key bendable relative to one another to decrease the spacing of the cut out; a first sheet secured to the first sheet supporting surface by a first moisture and/or gas impervious layer, and a second sheet secured to the second sheet supporting surface by a second moisture and/or gas impervious layer.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A multi-sheet unit comprising: a spacer frame comprising at least three sides, at least three corners, a first sheet supporting surface and an opposite second sheet supporting surface, the spacer frame comprising: a spacer stock member comprising: a first end, an opposite sec

What is claimed is: 1. A multi-sheet unit comprising: a spacer frame comprising at least three sides, at least three corners, a first sheet supporting surface and an opposite second sheet supporting surface, the spacer frame comprising: a spacer stock member comprising: a first end, an opposite second end, the at least three sides and at least two corners of the at least three corners; a first upright member having an outer surface and an opposite inner surface, wherein the outer supporting surface of the first upright member is the first sheet supporting surface; a second upright member having an outer surface and an opposite inner surface, wherein the outer supporting surface of the second upright member is the second sheet supporting surface; a base interconnecting the first and second upright members to provide the spacer stock segment with a generally U-shaped cross section, the base having an inner surface facing a space between the upright members, and an opposite outer surface, and the at least two corners each comprising a V-shaped area, wherein all of the wall thickness of the upright members within the V-shaped area is greater than zero and less than a wall thickness of the upright members adjacent to and outside of the V-shaped area, and the portions of the first and second upright members within the V-shape area at the at least two corners of the spacer frame extending toward one another and extending over the inner surface of the base, wherein the wall thickness of the first or the second upright members is the distance between the outer surface and the inner surface of the first or second upright members, respectively; a corner key comprising: an elongated body having a first end in the first end of the spacer stock member, an opposite second end in the second end of the spacer stock member to provide one of the corners of the at least three corners of the spacer frame, and a cut out between the ends of the corner key, the elongated body bendable at the cut out to move the ends of the corner key relative to one another to decrease the spacing of the cut out, wherein at least one of the spacer stock member, and the corner key, of the spacer frame comprises a core made from a material selected from a group of moisture pervious material, a gas pervious material, and a moisture and gas pervious material and a barrier film over selected surfaces of the core, the barrier film selected from a group of a moisture impervious material, a gas impervious material, and a moisture and gas impervious material; a first sheet secured to the first sheet supporting surface by a first moisture and/or gas impervious layer, and a second sheet secured to the second sheet supporting surface by a second moisture and/or gas impervious layer. 2. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and the second sheets are selected from the group of glass sheets, metal sheets, coated transparent sheets, clear sheets, color sheets, laminated sheets, wood sheets, glass ceramic sheets and environmentally coated glass sheets, the space between the sheets is a sealed compartment and the spacer frame has four sides and four corners, and further comprising a desiccant communicating with the sealed compartment. 3. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 1, wherein the spacer frame further comprises a protective film over selected portions of outer surface of the barrier film to prevent ultraviolet degradation of the barrier film. 4. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 3, wherein the barrier film is selected from a two-component isocyanate containing clear coat, and a solvent-borne, thermosetting clear coat. 5. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 1, wherein the cut out of the body of the corner key is a first cut out and the body of the corner key further comprises: a first upright leg and a second upright leg joined to a support base, and the first and the second legs spaced from one another to provide the body of the corner key with a generally U-shaped cross section; a second cut out, and wherein the first end of the body of the corner key comprises first end of the first and second upright legs and the support base; the opposite second end of the body of the corner key comprises second opposite end of the first and second upright legs and the support base; the first cut out is in the first upright leg between the first and second ends of the body of the corner key, and the second cut out is in the second upright leg between the first and second ends of the body of the corner key. 6. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 5 wherein the first and the second upright legs of the corner key each have an inner surface, the inner surface of the first upright leg facing and spaced from the inner surface of the second upright leg, and the support base of the corner key has an inner surface and an opposite outer surface, wherein the space between the first and the second upright legs and the inner surface of the support base extends from the first end to the second end of the body of the corner key and the inner surface of the support base faces the space between the first and second upright legs of the corner key and each of the first and second cut outs of the corner key have a first sloping wall and second sloping wall meeting at a vertex adjacent to the inner surface of the support base of the corner key to provide the first and second cut outs with a generally V-shape, wherein the vertex of the first and second cut outs of the corner key extend below the inner surface of the support base of the corner key and terminate short of the outer surface of the support base, and further comprising a groove in the inner surface of the support base between and connected to the vertex of the first and second cut outs, wherein the groove extends below the inner surface of the support base of the corner key and terminates short of the outer surface of the support base. 7. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 6, wherein: the first upright leg of the corner key further comprises an opposite outer surface; a first outer portion extending from the first end of the first leg toward and terminating short of first sloping wall of the first cut out; a second outer portion extending from the second end of the first leg toward and terminating short of the second sloping wall of the first cut out; an intermediate portion between the first and second outer portions of the first leg, and thickness of the intermediate portion of the first leg greater than thickness of the first outer portion, and of the second outer portion, of the first leg; the second upright leg of the corner key further comprises an opposite outer surface; a first outer portion extending from the first end of the second leg toward and terminating short of first sloping wall of the second cut out; a second outer portion extending from the second end of the second leg toward and terminating short of the second sloping wall of the second cut out; an intermediate portion between the first and second outer portions of the second leg, and thickness of the intermediate portion of the second leg greater than thickness of the first outer portion, and of the second outer portion, of the second leg, and the support base of the corner key further comprises a first outer portion extending from the first end of the support base to a first predetermined location spaced from the groove in the inner surface of the support base, a second outer portion extending from the second end of the support base to a second predetermined distance spaced from the groove in the inner surface of the support base; an intermediate portion between the first and second predetermined locations, and thickness of the intermediate portion of the support base greater than thickness of the first outer portion, and of the second outer portion, of the support base such that the first outer portion of the corner key fits into the first end of the spacer stock member, the second outer portion of the corner key fits into the second end of the spacer stock member and outer surface of the intermediate portions of the corner key are generally flush with their respective surface of the spacer stock member and the intermediate portion of the first upright leg is a portion of the first sheet supporting surface of the spacer frame and the intermediate portion of the second upright leg is a portion of the second sheet supporting surface of the spacer frame. 8. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 7, wherein height of the first outer portion, and of the second outer portion, of the first leg of the corner key is less than the height of the intermediate portion of the first leg, and the height of the first outer portion and of the second outer portion, of the second leg of the corner key is less than the height of the intermediate portion of the second leg such that portions of the first and second ends of the spacer stock member contact the intermediate portion of the corner key. 9. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 5, wherein a wall of one of the cut outs of the corner key has a tab and a facing wall of the one of the cut outs has a groove sized to receive the tab when the space of the one of the cut outs is decreased. 10. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 1, wherein thickness of the base is greater than thickness of the first upright member, and greater than thickness of the second upright member, of the spacer stock member. 11. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second upright members and the base are made from a material selected from a moisture impervious material, a gas impervious material, a moisture pervious material, a gas pervious material, and combinations thereof, and further comprising a moisture and/or gas impervious barrier layer between the outer and inner surface, of the base. 12. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 1, wherein the V-shaped area at the at least two corners of the spacer stock member is one of a plurality of V-shaped areas, wherein each one of the V-shaped areas in the first upright member is opposite to a V-shaped area in the second upright member to provide a plurality of pairs of V-shaped areas at the at least two corners of the spacer stock member wherein portions of the upright members within the V-shaped areas extend over the inner surface of the base toward one another. 13. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 12, further comprising a groove in the base between the upright members at one of the at least two corners of the spacer stock member. 14. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 1, further comprising a third sheet between the first and second sheet, and engaging members to maintain the third sheet in position between the first sheet and the second sheet. 15. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 1 wherein the V-shaped areas of the at least two corners each comprises a first bend line, a second bend line and a third bend line, the first and second bend lines angled toward one another and meeting at a vertex, wherein the first bend line and the second bend line defines the boundary of the V-shaped areas; the third bend line extending from the vertex in a direction away from the vertex to divide each of the bending area into a first section and a second section, wherein the first section of each of the bending areas is between the first bend line, and the third bend line of the respective bending area, and the second section is between the second bend line, and the third bend line of their respective bend area. 16. A multi-sheet unit comprising: a spacer frame having four sides and four corners, the spacer frame comprising: a spacer stock member comprising: a first end and an opposite second end; the at least four sides and at least three of the four corners; a first upright leg and a second upright leg joined by a base, the first and the second upright legs each having an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to the outer surface with the inner surface of the first and the second upright legs spaced from one another to provide the spacer stock member with a generally U-shaped cross section; a core made from a material selected from a group of moisture pervious material, a gas pervious material, and a moisture and gas pervious material and a barrier film over selected surfaces of the core, the barrier film selected from a group of a moisture impervious material, a gas impervious material, and a moisture and gas impervious material, wherein the core comprises: a first upright leg member; a second upright leg member opposite to the first upright leg member, and base member between and connecting the first and second upright leg members to provide the core with a U-shaped cross section, wherein the barrier film is over outer surfaces of the first and the second upright leg members and the base member, and wherein each of the corners of the spacer stock member comprises a V-shaped bending area in each of the first and the second upright legs, wherein each of the V-shaped bending areas is defined by V-shaped weakening lines imposed in the first and the second upright legs and wall thickness of all of the upright members within the V-shaped weakening lines is greater than zero and less than a wall thickness of the upright members adjacent to and out of the V-shaped weakening lines, and the portion of the first and second upright members within the V-shaped weakening lines at the at least two corners of the spacer frame extending toward one another and extending over the inner surface of the base member of the core, wherein the wall thickness of the first or the second upright legs is the distance between the outer surface and the inner surface of the first or second upright legs, respectively; a first sheet secured to the first sheet supporting surface by a first moisture and/or gas impervious layer, and a second sheet secured to the second sheet supporting surface by a second moisture and/or gas impervious layer. 17. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 16, wherein the spacer stock is one continuous piece extending from the first end to the second end of the spacer stock and perimeter of the spacer frame is continuous and uninterrupted from the first end to the second end of the spacer stock and continuous and uninterrupted around the at least two corners of the spacer stock member. 18. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 17, wherein the base member of the core of the spacer stock member further comprises an inner surface facing a space between the first and second upright leg members of the core, the inner surface of the base member having a groove at the at least two corners of the spacer stock member, the grooves extending from the first upright leg, member to the second upright leg member. 19. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 17, wherein each of the first and second upright members of the spacer stock member at the at least two corners has a cut out, wherein the cut out has a V-shape with an apex of the V-shape cut out of each of the upright members below the inner surface of the base of the spacer stock member, with the first and second upright members of the spacer stock member each comprising an extension extending from the upright members toward one another over the inner surface of the base with the extensions of each of the upright members generally continuous at the at least one corner of the spacer stock member. 20. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 16, wherein the cut out of the body of the corner key is a first cut out and the body of the corner key further comprises: a first upright member and a second upright member joined to a support base and spaced from one another to provide the body of the corner key with a generally U-shaped cross section; a second cut out, and wherein the first end of the body of the corner key comprises first end of the first and second upright members and the support base; the opposite second end of the body of the corner key comprises second opposite end of the first and second upright members and the support base; the first cut out is in the first upright member between the first and second ends of the body of the corner key, and the second cut out is in the second upright member between the first and second ends of the body of the corner key. 21. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 20 wherein the first and the second upright members of the corner key each have an inner surface, the inner surface of the first upright member facing and spaced from the inner surface of the second upright member, and the support base of the corner key has an inner surface and an opposite outer surface, wherein the space between the first and the second upright members and the inner surface of the support base extends from the first end to the second end of the body of the corner key and the inner surface of the support base faces the space between the first and second upright members of the corner key and each of the first and second cut outs of the corner key have a first sloping wall and second sloping wall meeting at a vertex adjacent to the inner surface of the support base of the corner key to provide the first and second cut outs with a generally V-shape, wherein the vertex of the first and second cut outs of the corner key extend below the inner surface of the support base of the corner key and terminate short of the outer surface of the support base, and further comprising a groove in the inner surface of the support base between and connected to the vertex of the first and second cut outs, wherein the groove extends below the inner surface of the support base of the corner key and terminates short of the outer surface of the support base. 22. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 21, wherein: the first upright member of the corner key further comprises an opposite outer surface; a first outer portion extending from the first end of the first member toward and terminating short of first sloping wall of the first cut out; a second outer portion extending from the second end of the first member toward and terminating short of the second sloping wall of the first cut out; an intermediate portion between the first and second outer portions of the first member, and thickness of the intermediate portion of the first member greater than thickness of the first outer portion, and of the second outer portion, of the first member; the second upright member of the corner key further comprises an opposite outer surface; a first outer portion extending from the first end of the second member toward and terminating short of first sloping wall of the second cut out; a second outer portion extending from the second end of the second member toward and terminating short of the second sloping wall of the second cut out; an intermediate portion between the first and second outer portions of the second member, and thickness of the intermediate portion of the second member greater than thickness of the first outer portion, and of the second outer portion, of the second upright member, and the support base of the corner key further comprises a first outer portion extending from the first end of the support base to a first predetermined location spaced from the groove in the inner surface of the support base, a second outer portion extending from the second end of the support base to a second predetermined distance spaced from the groove in the inner surface of the support base; an intermediate portion between the first and second predetermined location, and thickness of the intermediate portion of the support base greater than thickness of the first outer portion, and of the second outer portion, of the support base such that the first outer portion of the corner key fits into the first end of the spacer stock member, the second outer portion of the corner key fits into the second end of the spacer stock member and outer surface of the intermediate portion of the first and the second leg members of the corner key is a portion of the first and second sheet supporting surface. 23. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 22, wherein: height of the first outer portion, and of the second outer portion, of the first upright member of the corner key is less than the height of the intermediate portion of the first upright member, and the height of the first outer portion and of the second outer portion, of the second upright member of the corner key is less than the height of the intermediate portion of the second upright member such that portions of the first and second ends of the spacer stock member contact the intermediate portion of the corner key. 24. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 23, further comprising a third sheet between the first and second sheet, and engaging members to maintain the third sheet in position between the first sheet and the second sheet. 25. The multi-sheet according to claim 24 wherein the engaging members comprise: a support platform mounted on the spacer frame spaced from the base of the spacer frame and between the sheets; a pair of fingers, each finger having a first side and an opposite side designated as a second side with the first side of each finger mounted to the support spaced from one another with the fingers extending over the support platform with the second side of each finger facing one another and each finger bendable adjacent its first side, and the third sheet mounted between the second end of the fingers, the third sheet mounted within the spacer frame and between the first and the second sheets. 26. The multi-sheet unit according to claim 16 further comprising an intermediate weakening line imposed in each portion of the first and second upright legs within the V-shaped weakening lines of the first and the second upright legs, wherein the intermediate weakening line extends from the vertex of the V-shaped weakening lines in a direction away from the vertex of the V-shaped weakening lines.