Preparation methods of laminated glass and laminated glass

Abstract

This invention relates to the technical field of laminated glass manufacturing, and discloses a method for manufacturing laminated glass and the laminated glass itself, including a feeding step, a lamination step, a lamination step, and a cooling step. Feeding: Two glass pieces, a film, and a laminator are provided; the laminator has a lamination chamber. Lamination: The two glass pieces are respectively placed on both sides of the film and connected to the film to form laminated glass. Lamination: The laminated glass is placed in the lamination chamber, and the laminator clamps the laminated glass on its upper and lower sides. The lamination chamber is heated and evacuated to preheat the laminated glass and create a vacuum in the lamination chamber. Pressure is applied to the laminated glass using the laminator to press the laminated glass together and expel air bubbles inside the laminated glass to obtain laminated glass. Cooling: The laminated glass is cooled to room temperature. The method for manufacturing laminated glass of this invention can improve the consistency of the quality of the finished laminated glass. The laminated glass prepared by the above method also has the above advantages.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of laminated glass preparation, and more particularly to a method for preparing laminated glass and laminated glass. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, laminated glass is manufactured by pressing it together in an autoclave. However, during the pressing process, the pressure on different parts of the laminated glass varies, resulting in uneven stress and the formation of air bubbles inside, which in turn leads to a decrease in the consistency of the finished laminated glass quality. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a method for preparing laminated glass, which can improve the consistency of the quality of finished laminated glass products.

[0004] The present invention also proposes a laminated glass prepared by the above preparation method.

[0005] A method for preparing laminated glass according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a feeding step, a lamination step, a lamination step, and a cooling step.

[0006] Supply: Provide two glass pieces, film and laminator, the laminator having a lamination chamber; Lamination: Two glass pieces are respectively placed on both sides of the film and connected to the film to form laminated glass; Lamination: The laminated glass is placed in the lamination chamber, and the laminator is clamped on the upper and lower sides of the laminated glass; the lamination chamber is heated and evacuated to preheat the laminated glass and create a vacuum in the lamination chamber; pressure is applied to the laminated glass using the laminator to press the laminated glass together and remove air bubbles inside the laminated glass to obtain laminated glass; Cooling: Cool the laminated glass to room temperature.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, when heating the lamination cavity during the lamination step, the laminated glass needs to be preheated to between 65 degrees Celsius and 70 degrees Celsius.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the lamination step, during the process of "applying pressure to the laminated glass using the laminator", the laminator needs to continuously heat and evacuate the lamination chamber to remove air bubbles inside the laminated glass until the laminated glass is obtained.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the lamination step, "applying pressure to the laminated glass using the laminator" includes a first lamination stage, a second lamination stage, and a third lamination stage, wherein the pressure applied to the laminated glass in the first lamination stage, the second lamination stage, and the third lamination stage increases sequentially.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first lamination stage, the second lamination stage, and the third lamination stage are performed consecutively.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the lamination step, the method of "applying pressure to the laminated glass using the laminator" includes: First lamination stage: Apply a pressure between 0.1 atm and 0.5 atm to the surface of the laminated glass using the laminator, and apply the pressure for 1 minute; Second lamination stage: Increase the pressure of the laminator to between 0.5 atmospheres and 1 atmosphere, and apply the pressure for 1 minute; Third lamination stage: Increase the pressure of the laminator to not less than 1 atmosphere, and apply the pressure for 3 minutes.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the method of "applying pressure to the laminated glass using the laminator", the first lamination stage, the second lamination stage and the third lamination stage are all performed within the lamination chamber of the same laminator.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, after the third lamination stage is completed, the pressure applied to the laminated glass is stopped, and the evacuation of the lamination chamber is stopped, so that the lamination chamber is restored to the state of standard atmospheric pressure; the lamination chamber is continuously heated to a set temperature.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the set temperature is 135 degrees Celsius to 140 degrees Celsius.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the laminated glass is prepared by the method for preparing laminated glass according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

[0016] The method for preparing laminated glass and the laminated glass according to embodiments of the present invention have at least the following beneficial effects: when the laminator is pressed against the upper and lower sides of the laminated glass, the pressure can be distributed at various positions of the laminated glass to press the glass and the film together, so that the laminated glass is subjected to uniform stress, reducing air bubbles inside the laminated glass and improving the consistency of the quality of the finished laminated glass.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the steps in the preparation method of laminated glass in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lamination step in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0020] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0021] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0022] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0023] In the description of this invention, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0024] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, describes a method for preparing laminated glass according to a first aspect of the present invention and a laminated glass according to a second aspect.

[0025] The first aspect of this invention provides a method for preparing laminated glass, see reference. Figure 1 As shown, the preparation method includes a feeding step S100, a lamination step S200, a lamination step S300, and a cooling step S400. The specific steps are as follows.

[0026] S100, Material Supply: Provides two glass components, film, and a laminator. The laminator has a lamination chamber. The laminator includes a heating element, a mounting platform, and a pressure applying element. All three are located within the lamination chamber. The mounting platform and pressure applying element are arranged opposite each other vertically.

[0027] S200, Lamination: Two glass pieces are positioned on either side of a film, clamping and connecting the two pieces to the film. The two glass pieces and the film together form a laminated glass. The film is an adhesive material that can bond the glass pieces on both sides. The film can be made of materials such as polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ionomer cemented carboxylate (SGP), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), or polyurethane (PU). Under heating, the film can melt to adhere between the two glass pieces.

[0028] S300, Lamination: The laminated glass is placed in the lamination chamber, with one side resting on the mounting platform and the other side abutting against the pressure applicator. The mounting platform and pressure applicator together clamp the laminated glass on both sides for fixation. The lamination chamber is then closed, and the vacuum unit and heating element within the lamination chamber are activated to evacuate the chamber and preheat the laminated glass. Vacuuming the lamination chamber improves the adhesion between the glass and the film, reducing gaps and air bubbles. Preheating also encourages the film to melt, further enhancing the bonding between the glass and the film. Once the lamination chamber is under vacuum and the preheating temperature reaches the set temperature, pressure is applied to the laminated glass using the pressure applicator. This pressure compresses the glass and film together and removes air bubbles from inside the laminated glass, ultimately producing laminated glass.

[0029] S400, Cooling: Remove the laminated glass from the lamination chamber and cool it to room temperature.

[0030] In one example, the method for preparing laminated glass further includes a loading step, a cleaning step, and a removal step. In the preparation process, the loading and cleaning steps are located between the feeding step S100 and the lamination step S200, and the removal step is located after the cooling step S400. Specifically, In the loading step, a robotic arm uses suction cups to pick up the glass pieces to be processed from the glass holder and place them on a conveyor table for cleaning. In the cleaning step, the glass pieces are transported to a glass cleaning machine for thorough cleaning. After cleaning, the glass pieces are transferred to the next process, lamination step S200, for lamination. In lamination step S200, a film is placed between two clean glass pieces for bonding. The film is usually larger than the glass pieces to be bonded. After bonding, the film needs to be cut to fit the dimensions of the glass pieces, resulting in laminated glass. The laminated glass is then placed in a laminator for lamination step S300. Once the laminated glass is in the lamination chamber, the lid is closed, and the lamination chamber is shut. Heating elements heat the laminated glass from both above and below within the lamination chamber. At this time, heating and evacuation occur simultaneously within the lamination chamber. Once the lamination chamber reaches the set temperature and is evacuated, pressure is applied to the laminated glass using a pressure-applying device. Because the laminated glass is clamped by the mounting platform and the pressure-applying device, both its top and bottom sides are subjected to the same pressure for bonding. During bonding, the film melts and fills the gap between the two glass components, improving the adhesion between the film and the glass components and reducing air bubbles inside the laminated glass. After bonding, the pressure in the lamination chamber is restored to standard atmospheric pressure, and the laminated glass is removed. In cooling step S400, because the laminated glass is at a high temperature after leaving the lamination chamber, it is cooled to room temperature using a cooling table. Finally, in the unloading step, the cooled laminated glass is transferred to a glass rack using a robotic suction cup for storage.

[0031] The laminated glass preparation method of this invention involves a laminator abutting against the upper and lower sides of the laminated glass. When the laminator applies pressure to the laminated glass to press the glass components and the film together, the pressure can be distributed at various positions of the laminated glass, thereby ensuring uniform stress on the laminated glass, reducing air bubbles inside the laminated glass, and improving the consistency of the finished laminated glass quality.

[0032] Understandably, in the lamination step S300, when the lamination chamber is heated to preheat the laminated glass, the preheating temperature of the laminated glass is between 65 and 70 degrees Celsius. Specifically, before laminating the laminated glass, the overall temperature of the laminated glass needs to be heated to between 65 and 70 degrees Celsius. Between 65 and 70 degrees Celsius, the film tends to melt and initially eliminates moisture inside the laminated glass. Since the heating is continuous, after the laminated glass is pressed, the temperature will be higher than the melting point of the film. At this time, the melting of the film will occur simultaneously with the pressing, allowing the melted film to flow and, under pressure, improve the adhesion between the film and the glass, reducing gaps and air bubbles between the glass and the film. If the heating temperature is lower than 65 degrees Celsius, after pressing, the film needs to wait for a period of time before melting, resulting in lower production efficiency of laminated glass. If the heating temperature exceeds 70 degrees Celsius, the film will melt before pressure is applied, resulting in insufficient adhesion between the film and the glass, causing air bubbles to appear at the edges of the laminated glass. Therefore, maintaining a preheating temperature of 65 to 70 degrees Celsius can promote adhesion between the film and the glass, reduce air bubbles caused by gaps between the film and the glass, and improve the manufacturing quality of laminated glass.

[0033] Furthermore, in one possible implementation, during the lamination step S300, when applying pressure to the laminated glass using a laminator, the laminator needs to continuously heat and evacuate the lamination chamber to remove air bubbles inside the laminated glass until laminated glass is obtained.

[0034] In a specific embodiment, before laminating the laminated glass, the lamination chamber needs to be heated and evacuated to preheat the laminated glass and bring the lamination chamber into a vacuum state. During the lamination process, heating and evacuation operations also need to be continuously performed. During heating, the film melts and flows to fill the gap between the two glass components. Continuing the heating process increases the melt density of the film, giving it higher flow properties under the pressure of the lamination force, thereby promoting the efficiency of the film filling the gap and improving the adhesion between the film and the two glass components. Simultaneously, during the gap-filling process, the film essentially squeezes out the air from the gap and fills it completely. Gas is generated during this filling process; continuous evacuation allows the air to be extracted from the lamination chamber as it is expelled, thus preventing the formation of air bubbles within the laminated glass and improving the manufacturing quality of the laminated glass.

[0035] In some technologies, the lamination step S300, which involves applying pressure to the laminated glass using a laminator, includes a first lamination stage, a second lamination stage, and a third lamination stage, wherein the pressure applied to the laminated glass in the first, second, and third lamination stages increases sequentially. In this embodiment, the lamination process is divided into three stages, with different pressures in each stage. During the first lamination stage, the pressure-applying component applies a constant first pressure to the laminated glass. Under this first pressure, the laminated glass undergoes initial compression to expel air and moisture between the film and the glass components. Subsequently, in the second lamination stage, the pressure-applying component applies a second pressure to the laminated glass. The second pressure is greater than the first pressure, further bonding the laminated glass. As the pressure increases, the gap between the glass components and the film decreases, further expelling air and moisture from between the film and the glass components. Finally, in the third lamination stage, a pressure-applying component applies a third pressure to the laminated glass. This third pressure is greater than the second pressure, ensuring that air and moisture are completely expelled from between the film and the glass, thus producing laminated glass. This staged pressure application improves the uniformity of stress on the laminated glass and evenly removes air and moisture, preventing uneven stress that could lead to ripple marks on the glass and result in defective products.

[0036] Furthermore, it can be understood that the first, second, and third lamination stages are performed consecutively. That is, after the first lamination stage is completed, the pressure applied in the second lamination stage is increased based on the pressure of the first lamination stage. Similarly, the pressure applied in the third lamination stage is increased based on the pressure of the second lamination stage. This ensures the continuity of the lamination process, avoids the loss of bonding force during lamination, and prevents the film from flowing back, which could cause gaps to reappear in the originally filled areas between the two glass components, thus reducing air bubbles in the laminated glass.

[0037] In one example, see Figure 2 As shown, the method of applying pressure to laminated glass using a laminator includes the steps of a first lamination stage, a second lamination stage, and a third lamination stage, as detailed below.

[0038] S301, First lamination stage: Apply pressure between 0.1 atm and 0.5 atm to the surface of the laminated glass using a laminator, and apply the pressure for 1 minute.

[0039] S302, Second lamination stage: Increase the pressure of the laminator to between 0.5 atmospheres and 1 atmosphere, and apply the pressure for 1 minute.

[0040] S303, Third lamination stage: Increase the pressure of the laminator to not less than 1 atmosphere, and the pressure is applied for 3 minutes.

[0041] Specifically, the lamination process employs a staged pressure application method, dividing the laminated glass into three stages. In the first lamination stage S301, the laminator applies a pressure of 0.1 atmospheres to the surface of the laminated glass for one minute. During this process, the heating element continuously heats the glass, causing it to heat up and initially expelling some air and moisture between the film and the glass. In the second lamination stage S302, the laminator increases the pressure to 0.5 atmospheres for one minute. As the laminated glass continues to heat up, moisture and air between the film and the glass are further expelled. In the third lamination stage S303, the laminator increases the pressure to 1 atmosphere for three minutes. The laminated glass continues to heat up, and moisture and air in the film are completely expelled, resulting in laminated glass. In this embodiment, the staged, progressively increasing pressure method allows moisture and air between the film and the glass to be expelled evenly and sequentially, rather than being extruded under high pressure all at once. If too much pressure is applied at once, it can easily lead to uneven stress on the laminated glass, resulting in ripple marks (optical distortion) on the surface of the laminated glass and causing product defects.

[0042] Furthermore, in one possible implementation, in the method of applying pressure to the laminated glass using a laminator, the first lamination stage S301, the second lamination stage S302, and the third lamination stage S303 are all carried out within the same lamination chamber of the same laminator. That is, during the lamination process, the laminated glass is always located within the same lamination chamber of the same laminator. The laminator adjusts the temperature, pressure, and vacuum level within the lamination chamber in stages to complete the gas discharge, film melting and bonding, and changes in lamination pressure. This avoids the possibility of temperature fluctuations, contamination, or processing interruptions caused by transferring the laminated glass between different lamination chambers, thereby improving lamination efficiency and the quality of laminated glass preparation.

[0043] In some technologies, after completing the third lamination stage S303, the pressure-applying device is shut off to stop the pressure applied to the laminated glass, and the evacuation of the lamination chamber is stopped, allowing the lamination chamber to return to standard atmospheric pressure. However, the interior of the lamination chamber needs to be continuously heated to reach the set temperature. Specifically, when the pressure applied in the third lamination stage S303 lasts for 3 minutes, the lamination of the laminated glass is completed. At this point, the pressure on the laminated glass needs to be released. Since the laminated glass has completed its initial shaping after the third lamination stage S303, no more gas will be generated between the laminated glass panes after the pressure is released. The air pressure inside the lamination chamber needs to be gradually restored until it matches the atmospheric pressure, in preparation for removing the laminated glass. However, the heating element inside the lamination chamber still needs to continuously heat the laminated glass to ensure complete melting of the film, preventing the appearance of white fog after the laminated glass is removed from the lamination chamber due to incomplete melting of some film.

[0044] Furthermore, the temperature continuously heated within the lamination chamber needs to reach between 135 and 140 degrees Celsius. Specifically, during the lamination process, the film cross-links to form a three-dimensional network structure. This transparent network structure is used to bond with the glass components. If the heating temperature is below 135 degrees Celsius, there may be incompletely melted portions of the film. These unmelted portions will precipitate during the cooling of the laminated glass, resulting in a white haze on the surface of the laminated glass. When the heating temperature is above 140 degrees Celsius, the film will further melt. At this point, the melt density of the film increases, and its fluidity improves. Because gas is refilled into the lamination chamber during heating to match the gas pressure in the lamination chamber with the external environment, and no mechanical pressure is applied to the surface of the laminated glass, some gas will enter between the two glass components and the film from the edges of the laminated glass after the fluidity of the film further improves. This will cause air bubbles to form at the edges of the laminated glass. Therefore, keeping the heating temperature between 135 and 140 degrees Celsius ensures complete melting of the film and prevents white fog or bubbles from appearing on the laminated glass.

[0045] A second aspect of this invention provides a laminated glass, which is prepared by the method for preparing laminated glass described in any of the foregoing embodiments. The laminated glass incorporates all the technical solutions and beneficial effects mentioned in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0046] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof can be combined with each other unless otherwise specified.

Claims

1. A method for preparing laminated glass, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Supply: Provide two glass pieces, film and laminator, the laminator having a lamination chamber; Lamination: Two glass pieces are respectively placed on both sides of the film and connected to the film to form laminated glass; Lamination: The laminated glass is placed in the lamination chamber, and the laminator is clamped on the upper and lower sides of the laminated glass; the lamination chamber is heated and evacuated to preheat the laminated glass and create a vacuum in the lamination chamber; pressure is applied to the laminated glass using the laminator to press the laminated glass together and remove air bubbles inside the laminated glass to obtain laminated glass; Cooling: Cool the laminated glass to room temperature.

2. The method for preparing laminated glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the lamination step, when heating the lamination cavity, the laminated glass needs to be preheated to between 65 and 70 degrees Celsius.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method is performed at a temperature of 100 to 200°C. In the lamination step, during the process of "applying pressure to the laminated glass using the laminator", the laminator needs to continuously heat and evacuate the lamination chamber to remove air bubbles inside the laminated glass until the laminated glass is obtained.

4. The method for preparing laminated glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the lamination step, "applying pressure to the laminated glass using the laminator" includes a first lamination stage, a second lamination stage, and a third lamination stage, wherein the pressure applied to the laminated glass in the first lamination stage, the second lamination stage, and the third lamination stage increases sequentially.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method is performed at a temperature of 100 to 200°C. The first lamination stage, the second lamination stage, and the third lamination stage are performed consecutively.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method is performed at a temperature of 20 to 30°C. In the lamination step, the method of "applying pressure to the laminated glass using the laminator" includes: First lamination stage: Apply a pressure between 0.1 atm and 0.5 atm to the surface of the laminated glass using the laminator, and apply the pressure for 1 minute; Second lamination stage: Increase the pressure of the laminator to between 0.5 atmospheres and 1 atmosphere, and apply the pressure for 1 minute; Third lamination stage: Increase the pressure of the laminator to not less than 1 atmosphere, and apply the pressure for 3 minutes.

7. The method for preparing laminated glass according to claim 6, characterized in that, In the method of "applying pressure to the laminated glass using the laminator", the first lamination stage, the second lamination stage and the third lamination stage are all performed within the lamination chamber of the same laminator.

8. The method for preparing laminated glass according to claim 6, characterized in that, After completing the third lamination stage, the pressure applied to the laminated glass is stopped, and the evacuation of the lamination chamber is stopped, allowing the lamination chamber to return to standard atmospheric pressure; the lamination chamber is then continuously heated to the set temperature.

9. The method for preparing laminated glass according to claim 8, characterized in that, The set temperature is 135 degrees Celsius to 140 degrees Celsius.

10. Laminated glass, characterized in that The laminated glass is prepared by the method for preparing laminated glass according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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