Patent ID: 7476284

Claim:
A method for laminating glass articles, comprising: assembling a sandwich structure consisting of at least two glass articles separated by at least one laminating film; preheating at least one selected area of the articles to a temperature of approximately 55° C. to approximately 75° C. by a convectional heat source with uniformity over the articles outside surfaces of better than 5° C.; subjecting said sandwich structure to a vacuum pressure of at least 20 kPa; irradiating first at least one selected area of said sandwich structure by electromagnetic radiation with a frequency to provide heating with uniformity over the surface over the surface of an article facing a radiation source of better than 5° C.; and having a power density sufficient to heat the glass articles to a temperature of approximately 95° C. to approximately 105° C. with a heating rate of approximately 0.5° C./sec to approximately 5° C./sec; maintaining the sandwich under vacuum without irradiating for a time sufficient for equalizing the articles and film temperatures; irradiating second at least one selected area of said sandwich structure by electromagnetic radiation to provide heating with uniformity of the glass article surface facing the radiation source of better than 5° C.; and having a power density sufficient to heat the glass articles to a temperature of approximately 120° C. to approximately 135° C. with a heating rate of approximately 0.5° C./sec to approximately 5° C./sec; subjecting said sandwich structure to an atmospheric pressure and heating, at least one selected area of the articles by a convectional heat source to a predetermined film bonding temperature for selected adhesion; applying pressure in a continuous manner during the irradiations, while maintaining the sandwich under the vacuum and heating, which is selected to be P(in Pa) about 14×{remaining partial pressure of air and moisture seepage from the film at the end of the heating} 1/2 (in Pa)×exp {0.3×(150° C. minus selected bonding temperature)} (in °C.)×{a moisture content of the film material} (in percent by weight); and cooling said heated area under the selected pressure whereby an appropriate bond is obtained between said laminating film and said glass articles in at least said selected area.