Patent ID: 7832177

Claim:
A hermetically sealed multi-pane window assembly comprising: a first windowpane sheet formed of a transparent material and having a periphery and a pre-bond surface finish; a first sealing member having an inner edge, an outer edge and a first center portion therebetween, the inner edge being bonded to the first windowpane sheet around the periphery to create a hermetic seal therebetween while maintaining the pre-bond surface finish of the first windowpane sheet; a second windowpane sheet formed of a transparent material and having a periphery and a pre-bond surface finish; a second sealing member having an inner edge, an outer edge and a second center portion therebetween, the inner edge being bonded to the second windowpane sheet around the periphery to create a hermetic seal therebetween while maintaining the pre-bond surface finish of the second windowpane sheet; a spacer assembly disposed between the first and the second windowpane sheets for maintaining a gap therebetween, the spacer being slidably movable with respect to at least one of the first and second windowpane sheets; wherein at least one of the first center portion and the second center portion has, when viewed in the direction of the edge of the respective windowpane sheet to which it is bonded, a convolute cross-section including at least one radius of curvature on one side of the respective center portion and at least two radii of curvature on the other side of the same center portion, and further wherein the cross-section is asymmetrical, with respect to a plane defined by the center of the gap between the windowpane sheets, to the cross-section of the center portion of the other sealing member; the outer edge of the first sealing member being hermetically attached to the outer edge of the second sealing member; and whereby a hermetically sealed cavity containing the spacer assembly is formed between the first and the second windowpanes.