HK1069752B - Continuous flexible spacer assembly having sealant support member - Google Patents

Description

Continuous flexible spacer assembly with sealant support

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a composite spacer and sealant particularly suitable for use in the manufacture of insulation laminates, such as windows.

Background

Generally, the process of assembling an insulated window assembly includes the following steps: the method comprises the steps of placing one surface finished structural sheet on another surface finished structural sheet in a fixed, spaced-apart manner from each other, and then injecting a sealant composition into the gap between the two structural members at and along the periphery of the two surface finished structural members, thereby forming a sandwich-type structure having sealed air pockets between the structural members. In practice, the glazed structure is typically a glass plate, but may also be plastic and other such suitable materials. In order for the glazed structures to be properly spaced, spacer bars are typically inserted between the two structures to maintain proper spacing while the sealant composition is injected into place. Alternatively, the spacer bars and sealant can be prefabricated as a single unit and placed in the gap between the glazed structures after manufacture to form the window structure.

Moisture and organic matter are typically trapped within the sealed air gap due to the manufacturing process of the window assembly. To minimize the effects of moisture and organic matter trapped in the sealed air pocket, a desiccant may be used as a medium to absorb these artifacts. However, it is common for at least some water to diffuse into the sealed air pocket during field use of the window assembly. The use of a desiccant can reduce the moisture concentration, thereby preventing moisture from condensing on and fogging the inner surface of the glass sheet when the window assembly is in use. The desiccant may be contained in the spacer, in the sealant, or throughout the sealant/spacer when the sealant/spacer is a separate component. To absorb additional moisture that enters the window assembly throughout its use, additional desiccant should be included in the sealant/spacer assembly in excess of the amount of desiccant needed to absorb the initial moisture content.

Various prior art implementations of manufacturing windows are inconvenient, labor intensive, or require expensive equipment. U.S. patent No. 4,431,691 to Greenlee proposes a solution to the above limitations in which a sealant spacer tape having folded or contoured spacers to maintain a relative distance under compression of the glass sheets, wherein the tape includes folded or contoured spacers embedded or encapsulated in a deformable sealant. The spacer tape has the advantage of being flexible along its longitudinal axis to enable it to be wound for storage. The Greenlee assembly is therefore a stand-alone component in which the sealant contains a desiccant.

Greenlee's assembly, while addressing the limitations described above, does not provide a straight line of sight after the glass unit is constructed due to undulations in the spacer after the glazed structure is pressed into place. The line of sight in a window is the portion of the spacer/sealant assembly that is visible through the glass sheet but not in contact with the glass sheet. To improve the aesthetic quality of the installed window, it is desirable to have a straight line of sight. Additionally, the Greenlee teaching uses the large amount of sealant material required to encapsulate the spacer and allows the folded assembly to stretch during use and along its longitudinal axis. The stretching can also present problems in maintaining a straight line of sight.

To address some of the shortcomings of Greenlee, U.S. patent application No.08/585,822 (abandoned) filed in PCT form, PCT/US97/00258, and published in WO97/26434 (abandoned) proposes the use of a continuous flexible spacer assembly having shims connected to stiffeners forming a longitudinally flexible spacer strip. The spacer assembly has a so-called "open cell" configuration. While this configuration solves some of the Greenlee's problems associated with line of sight, the "open cell" configuration does not provide adequate support for the sealant when in contact with the glass sheet. This shim/stiffener configuration is not suitable for long term retention of a sealed window assembly because the bond of the spacer/element (i.e., the adhesive layer) tends to lose adhesion and become unsealed.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved flexible continuous spacing assembly that eliminates longitudinal stretching, thereby making it easier to consistently produce windows with a smooth line of sight. Moreover, it may also be desirable for the assembly to be able to provide a sharper radius than the prior art when bending the sealant spacer at the corners. Additionally, there is a need to improve the cross-machine stability of the belt while providing a more cost effective product with the benefits of Greenlee and other prior art constructions. Finally, the assembly should provide the necessary support to maintain an adhesive seal between the spacer assembly and the glazed structure throughout the life of the window unit.

Thus, the sealant spacer tape of the present invention is superior to the prior art in that: eliminating the amount of sealant material required while maintaining the performance of the sealant spacer tape; the tendency of the material to stretch along its longitudinal axis is eliminated; the appearance of the window's sight line is improved; improving the durability of the adhesive layer and providing the necessity of forming relatively sharp corners.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved, longitudinally flexible but laterally stable sealant spacer assembly for use in the assembly of multiple glazed structures and for use in other laminates that can be rolled for storage and easy to use.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flexible, crush-resistant sealant spacer tape or composite tape structure comprising a longitudinally extending spacer comprising: the sealant carrier tape includes an undulating strip of rigid material, a longitudinally coextensive planar strip of stiffener material, and a longitudinally coextensive sealant support element engaging the edges of the undulating strip and stiffener material. Also included is a deformable adhesive sealant that seals the stiffener, shim, and sealant support member to the glass sheet. The spacer may resist compressive forces applied in a direction perpendicular to a plane in which the longitudinal axis of the spacer lies, the spacer cooperating with the stiffener and maintaining the ability to be rolled for storage.

Brief description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view, partially in section, of one embodiment of a window made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a spacer in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the spacer assembly of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of a spacer assembly utilizing an overcoat layer in accordance with the present invention;

fig. 4 is a perspective view of a spacer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Referring now to the drawings, it can be seen that FIG. 1 illustrates a composite structure, such as (but not limited to) a window assembly 10, said window assembly 10 including a first substrate element 12 and a second substrate element 14, said substrate elements 12 and 14 having facing, substantially parallel surfaces. The first and second substrate members 12 and 14 are typically glazing of multi-ply polished construction. The base elements 12 and 14 are bonded together to form an enclosed space 16, the enclosed space 16 being sealed by a composite tape structure (i.e., a sealant spacer tape) that includes a sealant 18, the sealant 18 at least partially encapsulating a spacer assembly 20. The elements 12 and 14 are made of glass. However, it should be understood that the present invention has applicability in environmental contexts not limited by the type of building or construction materials, including, for example, cement, concrete, brick, stone, metal, plastic, and wood.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the spacer assembly 20 comprises: an undulating strip of rigid material, or "shim", 22; a generally planar strip of rigid material, i.e. a reinforcement 24, said reinforcement 24 being coextensive with the shim 22 and preferably intermittently connected to the shim 22 at the apex of each undulation on one side of the shim 22; and a sealant support member 26. The spacer assembly 20 generally features a linear series of contiguous hollow columns, which may comprise tubular or prismatic elements. Accordingly, the spacer assembly 20 may be broadly referred to as a "honeycomb structure". By "undulating", it is meant that the shim 22 has a repeating wave shape that provides edge-to-edge structural integrity in the "z" direction, i.e., parallel to the long axis of the cell shown in fig. 3. The undulations may include folds, ribs, creases, and sine waves that may have a cross-sectional profile that is curved or angular, or any combination thereof. Typically, the undulations will have "peaks" and corresponding "valleys", as is understood in the art and as shown in fig. 2. The magnitude of the shim 22 is the apex to apex distance.

As shown in fig. 1 and 3, for purposes of this patent, "inner" means facing into the sealed air cavity 16 of the window assembly 10, and "outer" means facing out of the sealed air cavity 16 of the window assembly 10. Additionally, FIG. 3 shows the directions of the x, y, and z axes used herein.

A particularly common profile for undulating shims 22 comprises: a flat surface at the apex of the undulations which may be adhered to a sealant support member 26 having a stiffener 24, the stiffener 24 abutting or being attached to the inner surface of the sealant support member 26 relative to the interior of the window assembly 10. However, it should be understood that the stiffener 24 may be attached to the opposite inner surface of the sealant support member 26 and still achieve the same effect. In addition, the undulations provide the shim 22 with a profile that resists compressive forces in the "z" direction.

Thus, the spacer assembly 20 is "crush-resistant", i.e., able to resist compressive forces that tend to reduce the spacing between the elements in use. Moreover, the spacer assembly 20 with the reinforcement 24 is more resistant to twisting or twisting about the longitudinal axis than the shim 22 itself. This aspect of the invention facilitates the use of spacer assembly 20 while reducing distortion caused by torsional forces that prior art spacers are prone to distortion during assembly of multi-layer glazed structures. It should be understood that it is within the scope of the present invention for the spacer assembly 20 to be constructed as a single unit rather than as a combination of components.

The shim 22 may be constructed from any material having sufficient rigidity to resist compressive forces applied in a direction perpendicular to the parallel plane in which the edges of the undulating strip lie. Suitable materials include: steel, stainless steel, aluminum, coated paper, cardboard, plastic, foam, metalized plastic, or a laminate of any combination of the above.

The undulations of the shim 22 are substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis to ensure flexibility in winding or spooling about the z-axis. The undulations can have a frequency in the range of 1 to about 10 per inch, more preferably in the range of 2 to 8 per inch, and most preferably in the range of about 2 to about 5 per inch, and an overall amplitude, i.e., thickness in the x-y plane between the apex and the nadir, in the range of about 0.05 to about 0.5 inches, and most preferably in the range of about 0.08 to about 0.25 inches. However, for some applications, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that larger shapes may also be desirable.

In accordance with the present invention, the compressive load strength of the spacer assembly 20 is increased by the presence of the reinforcement 24, which reinforcement 24 is coextensive with the shim 22. The reinforcement 24 preferably cooperates with the apexes in the undulations of the shim 22. The stiffener 24 may be made of plastic, aluminum, steel, stainless steel, coated paper, or any thermoset or thermoplastic foam, as well as laminates of any combination of the above. However, it is preferred to manufacture the reinforcement 24 from plastic. The shim 22 is attached to the outer surface of the sealant support member 26. One method for attaching the sealant support member 26 to the shim 22 is to have the sealant support member 26 include an adhesive layer intermediate the sealant support member 26 and the shim 22.

Suitable thicknesses for the sealant support member 26 are in the range of about 0.001 to about 0.06 inches, more preferably in the range of about 0.001 to about 0.03 inches, and most preferably in the range of about 0.002 to about 0.015 inches. When the shim 22 is made of a metallic material, the shim 22 has a thickness in the range of about 0.003 to about 0.012 inches, more preferably in the range of about 0.003 to about 0.04 inches, and most preferably in the range of about 0.005 to about 0.01 inches. The thickness of the stiffener 24 is about 0.005 to 0.06, preferably about 0.006 to 0.03. These ranges will apply to the standard window assembly 10 and one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that larger ranges may be used if necessary.

The sealant support member 26 can be made of aluminum foil, plastic laminate, paper/foil, metalized plastic, or any combination of the above, with plastic/aluminum laminates being preferred.

The sealant 18 seals the gap formed between the sealant support member 26 and the base members 12, 14. At least the two longitudinal edges of the sealant support member 26 thus comprise longitudinally extending strips of sealant 18 having a width sufficient to provide a low permeability seal. In particular, the sealant 18 is adhered to at least opposing longitudinal edges of the sealant support member 26. The encapsulant 18 may also include a side surface such that it has a generally U-shaped cross-section.

The appropriate size of the composite sealant spacer assembly 30 will depend on the window configuration, with a length generally commensurate with the window perimeter. The width will be commensurate with the desired spacing between the glazed structures. However, the spacer assembly 20 is typically slightly smaller than the desired spacing between the glazed structures 12, 14, resulting in a width slightly greater than the desired spacing as the sealant 18 is added to the assembly. The desired spacing is achieved in manufacturing when the surface finished structures 12, 14 are pressed to the final desired thickness. However, it should be understood that the present invention can be manufactured in continuous lengths for any desired length, thereby having flexibility suitable for various applications.

The shim 22 may be manufactured by various methods. For example, the shim 22 may be extruded, stamped, pressed, vacuum molded, or crimped depending on the material used. The shim 22 may be connected to the reinforcement 24 by any suitable method, such as by welding, heat fusing, bonding with an adhesive, or joining the shim 22 to the reinforcement 24 by crimping the shim 22 to the reinforcement 24. The stiffener 24 may also be engaged with the sealant support member 26 by a method similar to the process described.

The sealant 18 may thus be applied to the spacer assembly 20 by methods such as dipping, painting, injecting or extruding the sealant 18 onto the sides of the sealant support member 26. Desiccant may be carried in the sealant 18 and the sealant/desiccant may be applied to the edges and inner surfaces of the sealant support member 26 in a single step. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, a desiccant containing topcoat 28 is adhered to the inner surface of the sealant 18. By using a dry topcoat 28, a dry line of sight may be created. Alternatively, the desiccant may be applied to the sealant support member 26 facing the interior of the window.

The spacer assembly 20 of the preferred embodiment has several important advantages over the prior art in that the spacer assembly 20 includes a shim 22 connected to a stiffener 24, wherein both the stiffener 24 and the shim 22 are secured to a sealant support member 26 to define a honeycomb or honeycomb structure. The cylindrical shim 22, sealant support member 26 and stiffener 24 of the spacer assembly 20 increase its compressive strength and increase its ability to resist twisting about the longitudinal axis. Moreover, the stiffener 24 and sealant support member 26 act as a longitudinally stable backing that inhibits stretching of the shim 22 along its longitudinal axis. In addition, the sealant support member 26 improves the adhesion layer formed between the sealant 18 and the glazed structures 12, 14 by maintaining contact between the sealant 18 and both glazed structures 12, 14.

As best shown in fig. 2, the sealant support member 26 can be folded or crimped to facilitate forming the corners. As used herein, fold refers to any shape that enables the sealant support member 26 to stretch when forming a corner. Thus, as used herein, a fold includes a pleat, gusset, crimp, or crease. The pleats 32 of the sealant support member 26 can provide a relatively sharp corner without tearing or damaging the spacer assembly 20. The pleats 32 also provide the flexibility required to bend the sealant/spacer assembly 30 into corners and allow the sealant/spacer assembly 30 to be rolled.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the planar face of the sealant support member 26 is interior to the shim 22 and carries the sealant 18 and/or topcoat 28 in the line of sight direction. It should be understood, however, that the manufacture of the sealant/spacer assembly 30 may be reversed, i.e., the undulations of the shim 22 carry the sealant 18 and/or the outer coating 28 and form a line of sight, and the sealant support member 26 is substantially free of sealant 18 and faces the exterior of the window assembly 10. Finally, the sealant/spacer assembly 30 is used in place of the sealants mentioned in the prior art in order to reduce the amount of sealant adhesive necessary to achieve an effective seal. This can greatly reduce the amount of sealant used.

As described above, the elongate strip of deformable sealant 18 is carried by at least some of the side edges of the spacer assembly 20. The thickness of the elongate strip extending beyond the surfaces and edges of the spacer assembly 20 is not critical as an absolute measure, but is important for functional considerations. For most applications, where the surfaces of the two components 12, 14 being sealed are relatively smooth, the thickness of each edge of the sealant 18 extending beyond the spacer assembly 20 should be in the range of 0.005-0.015 inches. Because the surface of the quenched glass may not be as flat as the surface of the unquenched glass, a slightly greater thickness may be required to provide an adequate seal for the quenched glass.

The term "deformable" as used herein is intended to mean that the sealant has thermoplastic, thermoset, or thermoplastic-thermoset properties that, at least initially, cannot resist the deformation forces applied thereto when used in the fabrication of the proposed composite structure 10. Thus, the term "deformable" is intended to describe a material that can withstand deformation or flow at low pressures across the window assembly 10 throughout its lifetime, but is susceptible to deformation at higher pressures experienced during manufacture of the window assembly 10.

A variety of materials may be used as the substrate for the adhesive sealant 18, including: polysulfide polymers, urethane polymers, acrylate polymers, and styrene-butadiene polymers. The latter comprises a class of thermoplastic resins that exhibit the elastic properties of vulcanized polymers below their flow temperature. Such resins are sold under the trade mark "Kraton" by Shell Chemical co. A preferred type of sealant 18 is butyl rubber. However, the adhesive sealant 18 is preferably a thixotropic pressure sensitive adhesive. If a topcoat 28 is applied, the topcoat 28 is preferably a desiccant, deformable material.

The window assembly 10 generally requires a desiccant to reduce the concentration of moisture and organic matter present in the air gap 16 between the two glazed structures 12, 14 of the window assembly 10. In the present invention, the desiccant is preferably contained in the deformable adhesive sealant 18 and it may be applied to the front face of the sealant 18, or another material containing a desiccant may be used and coextruded or applied in line of sight to the spacer means. One particularly suitable class of drying agents is synthetically manufactured crystalline zeolites sold under the trade name "Molecular Sieves" by UOP corporation. Another useful desiccant is silica gel. Combinations of different desiccants are also contemplated.

In a preferred embodiment, the back or outer surface of the shim 22 is substantially free of the sealant 18, and more particularly, substantially free of the desiccant containing sealant 18. By "substantially free" it is meant that at least one third, and more preferably one half or even three quarters (depending on the final window gap width) of the outer surface of the shim 22 is free of sealant 18. More specifically, the apex of the shim 22 may contain the sealant 18, but the lowest point of the shim 22 may be relatively free of the sealant 18. As shown in fig. 3, the sealant 18 and/or topcoat 28 is preferably U-shaped prior to placement on the window assembly 10. Thus, the sealant 18 and/or topcoat 28 extend along the sides (i.e., line of sight) as well as along the sides (i.e., adhesive layer) of the spacer assembly 20.

A preferred method of making the sealant/spacer assembly 30 in accordance with the present invention is by a co-extrusion process. This can be performed with commercially available coextrusion equipment, which in some cases may require some minor modifications. Typically, a preformed or just preformed spacer assembly 20 is fed through the center of the extrusion die and the deformable sealant 18 is extruded around the spacer assembly 20, with only the outer surface of the spacer assembly 20 remaining substantially free of sealant 18. The composite material is then fed through a sizing die to obtain a sealant/spacer assembly 30, the sealant/spacer assembly 30 having the desired outer dimensions and the appropriate thickness for the sealant 18 to extend outside of the spacer assembly 20. To facilitate winding, a removable liner or paper is attached longitudinally in the line of sight direction. When the sealant/spacer assembly 30 is used to form the window assembly 10, the removable liner is removed and discarded. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that other well known methods may be used to produce the present invention.

In one embodiment, the spacer assembly 20 of the present invention is constructed by forming the shim 22 in such a manner that the shim 22 passes through the gears that are interleaved with each other to form undulations. After the shim 22 is formed, the reinforcement member 24 is attached to the shim 22 with an adhesive. The adhesive may be placed on the stiffener 24 as the shim 22 exits the gear, or the adhesive may be pre-applied. The just-joined shim/stiffener may then be joined to the sealant support member 26 using an adhesive. In one embodiment, the shim/stiffener is centered on the flat sealant support member 26 with the adhesive. The opposite edges of the sealant support member 26 are then folded to contact the sides of the shim 22. The sealant 18 (and, if desired, the topcoat 28) is then adhered to the spacer assembly 20 as previously described. While one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a variety of adhesives may be used, it is preferred that the adhesive maintain a degree of flexibility in the spacer assembly 20.

Alternatively, the sealant 18 may be extruded onto both sides of a preformed spacer component 20, and the outer coating 28 may be applied to the front side surface of the spacer component 20 simultaneously or sequentially, such as by coextrusion, coating, or other lamination techniques. The topcoat 28 may be a different material than the sealant 18, and the topcoat 28 may be designed for aesthetic purposes, for drying purposes, and other reasons.

Finally, while the embodiments described herein relate to window assemblies having two glazed structures, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill that window assemblies having multiple glazed structures, such as triple pane window assemblies, may be formed using the present invention. In another embodiment, grooves or recesses are formed in the sealant 18 and/or topcoat 28 along the line of sight. A glass element can be placed in the channel to form a three pane window assembly.

While the best mode and preferred embodiment have been described in connection with patent statutes, the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, but rather by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (26)

1. A spacer and sealant assembly comprising:

a tensile sealant support member having a planar surface bounded by first and second edges, wherein the first and second edges have at least one fold;

a shim having at least one undulation in contact with the tensile sealant support element such that the at least one fold is oriented inwardly concavely to the at least one undulation of the shim to facilitate bending; and

a sealant attached to at least the first and second edges of the tensile sealant support member.

2. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 1 further comprising a stiffener in contact with said tensile sealant support member.

3. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 2 further comprising a topcoat having a desiccant and coupled to said sealant.

4. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 3 wherein said shim is undulating in a longitudinal axis direction.

5. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 4 wherein said stiffener is adhered to said tensile sealant support member by a first adhesive.

6. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 5 wherein said stiffener is adhered to said shim by a second adhesive.

7. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 6 wherein said shim is adhered to said tensile sealant support member by a third adhesive.

8. A spacer and sealant assembly comprising:

a stretch sealant support member having a planar surface bounded by first and second edges, wherein the first and second edges are creased to form at least one fold;

a stiffener in contact with the planar surface of the tensile sealant support member;

a shim undulating in a longitudinal axis direction locally in contact with the first and second edges of the tensile sealant support element, wherein the at least one fold extends substantially inwardly within at least one cavity created by the undulation to form at least one bent prismatic cell; and

a sealant attached to at least the first and second edges of the tensile sealant support member.

9. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 8 further comprising a topcoat having a desiccant and coupled to said sealant.

10. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 9 wherein said stiffener is adhered to said tensile sealant support member by a first adhesive.

11. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 10 wherein said stiffener is further adhered to said shim by a second adhesive.

12. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 11 wherein said shim is adhered to said tensile sealant support member by a third adhesive.

13. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 12 wherein said assembly is windable.

14. A window assembly, comprising:

a tensile sealant support member having a planar surface bounded by first and second edges, wherein the first and second edges have at least one fold;

a shim having at least one undulation in contact with the tensile sealant support element such that the at least one fold is oriented inwardly concavely to the at least one undulation of the shim to facilitate bending; and

a sealant attached to at least the first and second edges of the tensile sealant support member, the sealant having first and second glass-engaging surfaces;

a first glass structure adhered to the first glass-engaging surface of the sealant; and

a second glass structure adhered to the second glass-bonding surface.

15. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 14 further comprising a stiffener in contact with said tensile sealant support member.

16. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 15 further comprising a topcoat with desiccant associated with said sealant.

17. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 16 wherein said shim is undulating in a longitudinal axis direction.

18. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 17 wherein said stiffener is adhered to said tensile sealant support member by a first adhesive.

19. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 18 wherein said stiffener is adhered to said shim by a second adhesive.

20. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 19 wherein said shim is adhered to said tensile sealant support member by a third adhesive.

21. A window assembly, comprising:

a stretch sealant support member having a planar surface bounded by first and second edges, wherein the first and second edges are creased to form at least one fold;

a stiffener in contact with the planar surface of the tensile sealant support member;

a shim undulating in a longitudinal axis direction locally in contact with the first and second edges of the tensile sealant support element, wherein the at least one fold extends substantially inwardly within at least one cavity created by the undulation to form at least one bent prismatic cell;

a sealant attached to at least the first and second edges of the tensile sealant support member and having first and second substantially parallel glass-engaging surfaces;

a first glass structure adhered to the first glass-engaging surface of the sealant; and

a second glass structure adhered to the second glass-engaging surface of the sealant.

22. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 21 further comprising a topcoat with desiccant associated with said sealant.

23. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 22 wherein said stiffener is adhered to said tensile sealant support member by a first adhesive.

24. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 23 wherein said stiffener is adhered to said shim by a second adhesive.

25. The spacer and sealant assembly of claim 24 wherein said shim is adhered to said tensile sealant support member by a third adhesive.

26. A method for forming a spacer sealant tape for joining and hermetically sealing two substantially parallel surfaces, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a shim that is undulating in its entirety in a longitudinal axis direction;

at least partially pleating the first and second edges of the elongate sealant support member to form at least one partial fold;

joining the shim to shim connection surfaces of the first and second sides of the tensile sealant support element such that the at least one fold extends substantially inwardly within the at least one cavity created by the undulations to form at least one bent prismatic cell;

attaching a stiffener to the planar surface of the tensile sealant support member; and

applying a deformable adhesive sealant to at least the sealant attachment surfaces of the first and second edges of the tensile sealant support member.