A vacuum glass sealing device

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of vacuum glass production and discloses a vacuum glass sealing device, including a worktable with multiple rows of synchronously rotating rollers, a positioning groove and a limiting groove located between the rollers, a positioning component for longitudinally positioning the glass in the positioning groove, and a limiting component for laterally limiting the glass in the limiting groove, as well as two liftable conductive probe assemblies and a pressure application component. This invention not only simplifies and reduces the cost of metal edge sealing of vacuum glass but also facilitates large-scale production. Therefore, this invention is of great significance for reducing vacuum glass production costs, minimizing environmental pollution, and expanding the application range of vacuum glass. This invention overcomes the shortcomings of traditional sealing methods, such as high sealing temperatures, complex processes, and stringent sealing conditions, improving the sealing quality and production efficiency of vacuum glass, and is suitable for widespread application.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vacuum glass production, and more specifically to a vacuum glass sealing device. Background Technology

[0002] Vacuum glass is a new type of green and energy-saving glass. Based on the principle of a thermos flask, vacuum glass is made by joining two pieces of glass together and sealing them with a sealing material, creating a thin vacuum layer between the two pieces. Because there is no gas for heat transfer in this thin vacuum layer, and the inner surface of one glass piece is coated with a Low-E film (transparent low-emissivity film), heat conduction and convection are significantly reduced. Therefore, the thermal insulation performance of vacuum glass is far superior to that of insulated glass. In addition to its thermal insulation capabilities, vacuum glass also offers sound insulation and noise reduction, energy saving, anti-fogging and anti-condensation properties, environmental friendliness, and improved comfort. Therefore, vacuum glass is widely used in construction, automobiles, and green energy-saving fields. With the increasing contradiction between energy and environmental issues, economic development, and rising demands for environmental comfort, low-carbon and environmentally friendly practices are the core and trend of future urban development. New green and energy-saving materials have received widespread attention, and vacuum glass has ushered in significant development opportunities. However, it also has some problems. For example, if the unprocessed glass sheet is damaged, it may detach or break, posing a certain threat to personal safety. The glass sheet after tempering can reach a strength of 90MPa, which greatly improves the strength of the glass. At the same time, when tempered glass is broken, it will form spider web-like glass fragments, which greatly reduces the threat to personal safety.

[0003] Traditional vacuum glass sealing materials are low-melting-point glass frits or paste-alloy sealing materials. However, sealing with glass frits requires high temperatures (e.g., above 450°C). The physical properties of tempered glass mean that prolonged high-temperature sealing will cause a significant decrease in strength and impact resistance, eventually resulting in annealing into ordinary glass. Therefore, paste-alloy sealing materials are generally chosen for sealing. Among various metal pastes, silver powder is a plastic material with good affinity to glass frits. It can be used to alleviate stress and reduce brittle fracture caused by mismatched coefficients of thermal expansion. Therefore, silver paste can be used as a vacuum glass sealing material. Traditional sealing methods include electromagnetic welding or soldering. Since both the upper and lower panes of vacuum glass are tempered glass, they have slight warping. Therefore, pressure is applied during sealing to eliminate the gap between the upper and lower panes. When using electromagnetic welding, the pressure applied by the welding head works well on straight sections, but at the perimeter and corners, there is a lack of pressure within the radius of the welding head, resulting in the inability to hold the glass in place. This causes breakage and cracking at the perimeter and corners of the vacuum glass, affecting its usability. Furthermore, traditional sealing methods have limitations such as complex processes, long sealing times, and stringent sealing conditions, which reduce sealing quality and hinder the large-scale production of vacuum glass.

[0004] In order to ensure that the finished vacuum glass still has the characteristics of high strength and high safety, and to make the sealing of vacuum glass metal paste convenient, low-cost, and easy to achieve large-scale production, it is necessary to optimize the existing sealing process.

[0005] Therefore, researching and developing a new sealing technology that reduces the production cost of vacuum glass, minimizes environmental pollution, and broadens the application range of vacuum glass is of great significance. It also aligns with current environmental development trends and market demands, and has promising application prospects. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a vacuum glass sealing device to solve the problem that the existing technology of using electromagnetic welding to seal the edges of vacuum glass has insufficient pressure at the four corners, resulting in damage to the four corners of the vacuum glass and poor sealing quality.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a vacuum glass sealing device, comprising a worktable, on which multiple rows of rollers are provided that can rotate synchronously under power drive, the rollers being used to support the glass, and a positioning groove and a limiting groove located between the multiple rows of rollers on the worktable, the positioning groove being located on the discharge side of the worktable, the positioning groove containing a liftable positioning component, the positioning component being used to position the glass longitudinally, the limiting groove containing multiple limiting grooves in the middle of the worktable, the limiting groove containing a liftable limiting component, the limiting component being used to limit the glass laterally, the positioning groove containing welding grooves arranged side by side near the feed side of the worktable, the welding groove containing two liftable conductive probe assemblies, the conductive probe assemblies including conductive tips with their tips facing the middle of the worktable, and a pressure assembly above the worktable, the pressure assembly being used to apply pressure to the glass vertically.

[0008] Preferably, as an improvement, the conductive probe assembly includes a lifting member, an ejector member, and a conductive probe. The lifting member is located within the welding groove, the ejector member is laterally fixed to the top of the lifting member, and the conductive probe is fixed to the ejector end of the ejector member. The conductive probe can be moved into the glass gap to contact the silver paste layer solder strip under the drive of the lifting member and the ejector member.

[0009] Preferably, as an improvement, the conductive probe includes an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder, and a conductive tip. The inner cylinder is inserted into the outer cylinder, and a stress-relieving spring is connected between the middle of the outer wall of the inner cylinder and the bottom of the outer cylinder. An electrode is provided at the tail end of the inner cylinder, and the conductive tip is inserted into the front end of the inner cylinder and abuts against the electrode.

[0010] Preferably, as an improvement, the conductive tip has a cylindrical tail end and a pointed head end, the conductive tip is made of tin or its alloy, and the surface of the conductive tip is coated with a polyimide film.

[0011] Preferably, as an improvement, the positioning component includes a positioning plate, which is a silicone plate, and the positioning plate is also connected to a lifting component. Under the drive of the lifting component, the positioning plate can be raised to block and position the glass.

[0012] Preferably, as an improvement, there are multiple limiting components, which are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the glass. Each limiting component includes a limiting block, which is a cylindrical silicone part. The limiting block is also connected to an ejector, which is also connected to a lifting component.

[0013] Preferably, as an improvement, the pressurizing component includes a pressurizing head, and a lifting component is also connected to the top of the pressurizing head. The pressurizing head is a rectangular piece made of rubber.

[0014] Preferably, as an improvement, the rollers are silicone rollers, each row of rollers is coaxially arranged, and the shafts of multiple rows of rollers are driven by a gear set. The shaft of the first row of rollers located on the feed side of the worktable is connected to a motor.

[0015] Preferably, as an improvement, the workbench is covered with a housing, the pressurizing component is located inside the housing, the housing has an inlet and an outlet, the inlet has a lifting and closing inlet door, and the outlet has a lifting and closing outlet door.

[0016] Preferably, as an improvement, the conductive probe is moved to the corner of the glass and contacts the silver paste solder strip under the drive of the lifting and pushing components.

[0017] The principle and advantages of this solution are as follows: In practical applications, the sealing device provided by this invention can be used in a vacuum environment or by drawing a vacuum within the housing of this device. First, two pieces of vacuum glass, coated with silver paste and dried, are tempered and surface-treated. A metal welding strip is fixed to the surface of one piece, and the other piece of glass is stacked on top. After preheating, the glass is fed into the sealing device through the inlet. Rollers, driven by a motor, transport the glass to the outlet on the worktable. A positioning plate, driven by a lifting component, rises to position and block the glass in the middle of the worktable. A limiting component, driven by the lifting and pushing components, rises and laterally limits the glass, ensuring stable positioning on the worktable. Then, conductive probes move to the two corners at the front end of the glass, and the conductive tips of the probes contact the metal welding strip in the middle of the glass. After energization, current enters from one conductive tip, flows through the metal welding strip, and exits from the other conductive tip. During energization, the thermal effect of the current causes the metal welding strip to heat up and melt. The pressure head of the pressure component applies pressure from above, covering the entire glass and causing the welding strip to firmly weld the two pieces of glass together.

[0018] The vacuum glass sealing device disclosed in this invention has the following advantages: (1) By using current welding and heating with current, the welding strip acts as a conductor. The heat generated during the current process melts and welds the welding strip, simplifying the process and shortening the sealing time. At the same time, it can obtain a firm and reliable sealing edge, ensuring the airtight sealing effect of the vacuum glass; (2) It can reduce welding costs and is suitable for promotion and application in the industry; (3) By pressing down with an overall pressure device, the glass is subjected to uniform force in all parts, and the welding strip deforms uniformly after welding, so that the stress release after welding is uniform and consistent, ensuring the integrity of the vacuum glass welding.

[0019] This invention not only simplifies and reduces the cost of metal edge sealing for vacuum glass, but also facilitates large-scale production. Therefore, it is of great significance for reducing the production cost of vacuum glass, minimizing environmental pollution, and expanding the application range of vacuum glass. This invention overcomes the shortcomings of traditional sealing methods, such as high sealing temperatures, complex processes, and stringent sealing conditions, thereby improving the sealing quality and production efficiency of vacuum glass, making it suitable for widespread application. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a top view of the workbench in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the vacuum glass sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the conductive probe assembly in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a side view of the limiting component in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following detailed description illustrates the specific implementation method:

[0025] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings include: motor 1, roller 2, worktable 3, rotating shaft 4, gear set 5, limiting groove 6, welding groove 7, positioning groove 8, positioning plate 9, rotary cylinder 10, conductive probe assembly 11, glass 12, welding strip 13, limiting assembly 14, housing 15, pressurizing cylinder 16, pressurizing head 17, feed port 18, feed gate 19, discharge port 20, discharge gate 21, cylinder 22, limiting block 23, ejection cylinder 24, lifting cylinder 25, outer cylinder 26, inner cylinder 27, conductive tip 28, unloading spring 29, electrode 30.

[0026] The basic implementation examples are as follows: Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown: A vacuum glass sealing device includes a rectangular marble workbench 3, with a housing 15 covering the outside of the workbench 3. The housing 15 has an inlet 18 and an outlet 20. The inlet 18 has a lifting and closing inlet gate 19, and the outlet 20 has a lifting and closing outlet gate 21. A cylinder 22 is bolted to the housing 15 above the inlet gate 19 and the outlet gate 21 to drive the inlet gate 19 and the outlet gate 21 to rise and fall. The workbench 3 has six rows of rollers 2 that can rotate synchronously under power drive. The rollers 2 are used to support the glass 12. The rollers 2 are silicone rollers. Each row of rollers 2 is coaxially arranged. The rotating shafts 4 of adjacent rows of rollers 2 are driven by a gear set 5. The rotating shaft 4 of the first row of rollers 2 located on the inlet side of the workbench 3 is connected to a motor 1.

[0027] The workbench 3 is also provided with a positioning groove 8 and a limiting groove 6 located between rows of rollers 2. The positioning groove 8 is located between the first and second rows of rollers 2 on the discharge side of the workbench 3. The positioning groove 8 is provided with a liftable positioning component. The positioning component is used to position the glass 12 in the longitudinal direction. The positioning component is a strip-shaped positioning plate 9 made of silicone. The end of the positioning plate 9 is connected to a rotary cylinder 10 located in the positioning groove 8. The rotary cylinder 10 drives the positioning plate 9 to swing and achieve lifting. After being lifted, the positioning plate 9 protrudes above the workbench 3.

[0028] Six limiting grooves 6 are provided in the middle of the worktable 3. These six limiting grooves 6 are symmetrically distributed in groups of three on the worktable 3 in front of the welding groove 7. The limiting grooves 6 are located between the second, third, fourth, and fifth rows of rollers 2 in the feeding direction of the worktable 3. Each limiting groove 6 is equipped with a liftable limiting component 14, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the limiting component 14 is used to limit the glass 12 in the horizontal direction. The limiting component 14 includes a limiting block 23, which is a cylindrical silicone part. The limiting block 23 is threadedly connected to a vertical lifting cylinder 25. The bottom of the ejection cylinder 24 is threadedly connected to a horizontal ejection cylinder 24. The ejection cylinder 24 is bolted and fixed in the limiting groove 6.

[0029] On the worktable 3 in front of the positioning groove 8, welding grooves 7 are arranged side by side. Two adjustable conductive probe assemblies 11 slide within the welding grooves 7. Figure 3As shown, the conductive probe assembly 11 includes a lifting cylinder 25, a pushing cylinder 24 and a conductive probe. The pushing cylinder 24 is bolted and fixed in the welding groove 7. The lifting cylinder 25 is bolted and fixed at the telescopic end of the pushing cylinder 24. The conductive probe is threadedly fixed at the top of the lifting cylinder 25. The conductive probe includes an outer cylinder 26, an inner cylinder 27 and a conductive tip 28. The outer cylinder 26 is threadedly fixed at the top of the lifting cylinder 25. The inner cylinder 27 is inserted into the outer cylinder 26. A force-relieving spring 29 is connected between the middle of the outer wall of the inner cylinder 27 and the bottom of the outer cylinder 26. An electrode 30 is provided at the tail end of the inner cylinder 27, and the electrode 30 is connected to a power source. The tail end of the conductive tip 28 is cylindrical and the head end is pointed. The conductive tip 28 is made of tin and its alloy. The surface of the conductive tip 28 is coated with a polyimide film. The conductive tip 28 is inserted into the front end of the inner cylinder 27 and abuts against the electrode 30. The conductive probe can be moved to the corner point of the glass 12 to contact the metal solder strip 13 under the drive of the lifting cylinder 25 and the pushing cylinder 24.

[0030] Above the workbench 3, a pressing component is provided. The pressing component includes a pressing cylinder 16 bolted and fixed on the top of the housing 15. The bottom of the pressing cylinder 16 is threadedly connected with a rectangular pressing head 17, and the pressing head 17 is made of rubber.

[0031] During specific implementation, the use process of the sealing device in this embodiment belongs to the sealing process. Specifically, a vacuum glass 12 sealing process includes the following steps:

[0032] A. Use a screen printing device to print silver paste on the surface of the glass 12 substrate to form a "square" - shaped metal silver paste layer. The width of the metal silver paste layer is 6 mm. Dry and temper the glass 12.

[0033] B. After grinding and applying a soldering aid treatment to the surface of the metal silver paste layer of the tempered glass 12, select a piece of glass 12 and fix a metal solder strip 13 on its surface. The width of the metal solder strip 13 is 4 mm.

[0034] C. Stack it with another glass 12 substrate without a fixed metal solder strip 13 and place it in an environment of 180 °C for preheating.

[0035] D. The cylinder 22 of the start sealing device feed port 18 raises the feed gate 19, and the preheated glass 12 is fed into the feed port 18. The roller 2 is started by the motor 1 to rotate and transport the glass 12 into the worktable 3. The rotating cylinder 10 drives the positioning plate 9 to rise and block the glass 12. The motor 1 stops driving the roller 2 to stop the glass 12 from moving. The limiting component 14 is started to limit the glass 12 from the left and right sides. The limiting block 23 abuts against the side of the glass 12 to limit the glass 12 and prevent it from moving. Then, the conductive probe component 11 moves and the conductive tip 28 contacts the metal welding strip 13 at the two corners of the glass 12. Current is input to the conductive tip 28 at the vertex of the edge of the glass 12. The welding strip 13 is melted by the current and welded. The pressure head 17 of the pressure component applies pressure to the glass 12 from top to bottom, so that the melted welding strip 13 welds the two glass 12 substrates together.

[0036] E. Cool the glass substrate 12 to complete the sealing process.

[0037] Therefore, the present invention provides an electric current welding process and equipment for sealing vacuum glass 12. Through the rational design of the worktable 3, positioning component, limiting component 14, conductive probe component 11, and pressure component, the conductive probe contacts the solder strip 13 from the edge vertex, using the solder strip 13 as a conductor to form a closed circuit. During the energizing process, the solder strip 13 generates heat, melting it. The pressure component presses down, causing it to bond tightly to the silver paste layer of the glass 12. This shortens the sealing time of the glass 12, eliminates the need for manual welding, avoids uneven stress release caused by uneven pressure in electromagnetic welding, and prevents defects such as breakage and cracking at the four corners of the glass 12. It also reduces the labor intensity of operators, improves production efficiency, and facilitates the large-scale development of vacuum glass 12.

[0038] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present invention, and common knowledge such as specific technical solutions and / or characteristics are not described in detail here. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the technical solutions of the present invention, and these should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention. These modifications and improvements will not affect the effectiveness of the implementation of the present invention or the practicality of the patent. The scope of protection claimed in this application should be determined by the content of its claims, and the specific embodiments described in the specification can be used to interpret the content of the claims.

Claims

1. A vacuum glass sealing device, characterized in that: The device includes a worktable with multiple rows of synchronously rotating rollers driven by a power source. These rollers support the glass. The worktable also has positioning grooves and limiting grooves located between the rollers. The positioning grooves are located on the discharge side of the worktable and contain lifting positioning components for longitudinal positioning of the glass. Multiple limiting grooves are located in the middle of the worktable and contain lifting limiting components for lateral limiting of the glass. Welding grooves are arranged side-by-side near the feed side of the worktable, and two lifting conductive probe assemblies slide within these grooves. Each conductive probe assembly includes a conductive tip with its tip pointing towards the middle of the worktable. A pressure-applying assembly is located above the worktable for vertically pressurizing the glass. The conductive probe assembly includes a lifting component, an ejector component, and a conductive probe. The lifting component is located in the welding groove, the ejector component is horizontally fixed at the top of the lifting component, and the conductive probe is fixed at the ejector end of the ejector component. The conductive probe can be moved into the glass gap to contact the silver paste layer solder strip under the drive of the lifting component and the ejector component. The conductive probe includes an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder, and a conductive tip. The inner cylinder is inserted into the outer cylinder. A stress relief spring is connected between the middle of the outer wall of the inner cylinder and the bottom of the outer cylinder. An electrode is provided at the tail end of the inner cylinder. The conductive tip is inserted into the front end of the inner cylinder and abuts against the electrode. The conductive tip of the conductive probe contacts the metal solder strip in the middle of the glass. When energized, the current enters from one conductive tip, flows through the metal solder strip, and exits from the other conductive tip. During the energization process, the thermal effect of the current causes the metal solder strip to heat up and melt.

2. The vacuum glass sealing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive tip has a cylindrical tail and a pointed head. The conductive tip is made of tin and its alloys, and the surface of the conductive tip is coated with a polyimide film.

3. The vacuum glass sealing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The positioning component includes a positioning plate, which is a silicone plate. The positioning plate is also connected to a lifting component. Driven by the lifting component, the positioning plate can be raised to block and position the glass.

4. The vacuum glass sealing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: There are multiple limiting components, which are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the glass. Each limiting component includes a limiting block, which is a cylindrical silicone part. The limiting block is also connected to an ejector, which is also connected to a lifting component.

5. A vacuum glass sealing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pressurizing assembly includes a pressurizing head, and a lifting component is also connected to the top of the pressurizing head. The pressurizing head is a rectangular piece made of rubber.

6. A vacuum glass sealing device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The rollers are silicone rollers, and each row of rollers is coaxially arranged. The shafts of the multiple rows of rollers are driven by a gear set. The shaft of the first row of rollers located on the feed side of the worktable is connected to a motor.

7. A vacuum glass sealing device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The workbench is covered by a shell, and the pressurization component is located inside the shell. The shell has an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is equipped with a lifting and closing inlet gate, and the outlet is equipped with a lifting and closing outlet gate.

8. A vacuum glass sealing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Driven by the lifting and pushing components, the conductive probe moves to the corner of the glass and contacts the silver paste solder strip.

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