Patent ID: 9695628
Date: 2017-07-04
CPC Classifications: B32B,E06B,Y02A,Y02B

Claim:
1. A vacuum insulated window assembly, comprising: first and second substantially parallel spaced apart substantially transparent substrates; a seal disposed at least between said first and second spaced apart substrates, the seal and first and second substrates defining a cavity therebetween with the cavity being at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure; a pump-out tube extending at least partially through an aperture in said first substrate so as to communicate with the cavity and extending beyond an outer surface of said first substrate; a protective ring disposed proximate an outer surface of the first substrate so as to at least partially surround said pump-out tube of the vacuum insulated window assembly; wherein the protective ring is spaced apart from the pump-out tube so that the protective ring does not contact the pump-out tube; wherein the protective ring does not extend laterally beyond a periphery of the first substrate and has a height that is: (i) no greater than a height of the pump-out tube, relative to the outer surface of the first substrate, and (ii) greater than a height of sealant at a periphery of the pump-out tube that bonds the pump-out tube to the first substrate; and a cap disposed over said pump-out tube and said protective ring, wherein the protective ring is configured so that it does not support the cap.