Patent ID: 8236116

Claim:
A method of making an insulating glass (IG) window unit, the method comprising: forming a multi-layered low-E coating on a glass substrate, wherein the low-E coating comprises at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver sandwiched between at least first and second dielectric layers; adhering at least two flexible protective sheets in non-liquid form to a top surface of the low-E coating via at least an adhesive layer to form a protected coated article, wherein one or more gaps is/are formed proximate the flexible protective sheets such that the top surface of the low-E coating is at least partially in contact with the one or more gaps; applying at least one protective coating in liquid form directly on the low-E coating and/or over at least one of the flexible protective sheets in order to substantially fill the one or more gaps formed between the low-E coating and the flexible protective sheet(s) and/or between the flexible protective sheets to form a temporary protective coating, so as to reduce an occurrence of visible line(s) on the coated article proximate a location of the one or more gaps after any thermal tempering; following formation of the temporary protective coating, shipping the protected coated article to a fabricator of IG window units; the fabricator cutting the protected coated article into an appropriate shape and size with the protective sheets thereon, edge seaming the protected coated article with the protective sheets thereon, and/or washing the protected coated article with the protective sheets thereon, so that following the cutting, edge seaming, and/or washing the protective sheets and protective coating remain at least partially adhered to the top surface of the low-E coating; following said cutting, edge seaming, and/or washing, removing at least part of the temporary protective coating by peeling the protective sheets off of the top surface of the low-E coating to form an unprotected coated article, and also by removing at least part of the protective coating when peeling off the protective sheets; after peeling the protective sheets off of the top surface of the low-E coating, thermally tempering the coated article including the glass substrate and low-E coating; and after said tempering, coupling the tempered coated article including the glass substrate and low-E coating to another glass substrate to form an IG window unit.