Method and device for closing a joint in spacers

Abstract

When connecting the ends that lie one on top of the other at a joint (7) of a strand (3) that forms a spacer (1) for insulating glass, ribs (17) that are provided on the effective surface (16) of a pressing ram (13) form lateral depressions (9) in the strand (3). Air in the region of the joint (7) can escape through the depressions (9) when an assembly, containing the spacer (1) with depressions (9), consisting of glass panes (2 and 23) and the spacer (1) is pressed together to form an insulating glass blank. This method, and the device provided for it, are used in particular in the manufacture of insulating glass panes.

Description

[0001] Method and device for closing a joint in spacers

[0002] The invention relates to a method having the features of the introductory part of claim 1 and to a device having the features of the introductory part of claim 11.

[0003] From WO 2015 / 113080 A1 it is known, in the production of insulating glass from two glass panes and a spacer made of thermoplastic material arranged between them, to press the start and end of the spacer together using jaws placed against the side surfaces of the spacer. In the region of the joint thus formed between the start and end of the spacer, the width of the spacer is reduced by creating a depression using a pressure stamp with a convexly curved effective surface. This depression creates an opening after the assembly of an insulating glass blank by placing a second glass pane onto the free edges of the spacer, which opening allows pressure equalization during the subsequent pressing of insulating glass blanks.

[0004] From WO 2020 / 114633 A1, it is known to inject a hardening material into the space between the ends of a spacer applied to a glass pane to connect the ends of the spacer. Prior to this, the space is enclosed by a formwork comprising two lateral cover plates and an upper cover plate.

[0005] WO 2016 / 062601 A1 (EP 3 209 842 B1) discloses a method for forming a closed, frame-shaped spacer for an insulating glass pane by applying a pasty and subsequently solidifying strand. The thickness of the strand is intended to increase at the beginning and decrease complementarily at the end of the strand. WO 2016 / 062601 A1 proposes that the plastic strand forming the spacer is post-treated by subjecting one side surface of the strand to mechanical vibrations. As a result of these vibrations, the position of the interface between the beginning and the end of the strand on that side surface which delimits the interior of the insulating glass pane after assembly is no longer clearly visible. The generation and transmission of such vibrations is not only complex but can also lead to breakage of the glass panes of the insulating glass pane.

[0006] DE 44 33 749 A1 discloses forming the ends of a strand of deformable material applied to a glass pane, which serves as a spacer in insulating glass, into a wedge-shaped, oppositely spaced joint. The wedge-shaped ends of the strand forming the spacer overlap each other at the joint. DE 44 33 749 A1 does not teach any process steps to prevent air pockets from forming in the joint area.

[0007] KR 20210085350 A and KR 20210085351 A show spacers made of deformable material, with the ends of the strand forming the spacer for insulating glass, which are oppositely wedge-shaped at the joint, arranged in the area of ​​a corner. Special measures to prevent air pockets in the joint area are not disclosed.

[0008] US 2014 / 0268520 A1 discloses the manufacture of an electronic device, such as a solar cell. It proposes a frame-like seal between two glass plates, with the seal joint being sealed by laser treatment.

[0009] EP 2 878 233 A1 discloses a pane composite consisting of two panes bonded together by a curing adhesive arranged between the panes. WO 97 / 06332 A2 discloses a thermally insulating spacer for insulating glass panes. The spacer comprises a foamed insulating body and a secondary insulating material. However, WO 97 / 06332 A2 does not disclose any information on how the ends of the spacer can be tightly connected to one another.

[0010] With the known methods for joining the ends of a strand forming a spacer in insulating glass, the problem that air pockets can form between the strand and the glass pane placed on the free surface of the strand in the area of ​​the joint between the ends of the strand forming the spacer remains unsolved. The reason for this is that when the ends of the strand are pressed together using a conventional pressure stamp with a flat active surface acting on the strand, fringes (flags) made of the strand material form on the lateral edges of the strand. The lateral fringes prevent the air located between them from escaping when the package of two glass panes and the spacer is pressed together to the desired size of the insulating glass blank, but remain trapped between the glass pane and the strand.Such air pockets result in irregular edge geometry and / or diffusion of the noble gas enclosed in the insulating glazing due to the smaller effective width of the spacer and therefore a reduced contact area in spacers made of deformable material, such as thermoplastic. Air pockets between a spacer and a glass pane placed on it also have the disadvantageous effect of reducing the size of the surface with which the spacer rests against the glass pane, and thus the adhesive force between the glass pane and the spacer. The object of the invention is to provide a method and a device with which air pockets in the region of the joint of a spacer can be eliminated.

[0011] This object is achieved according to the invention with a method having the features of claim 1.

[0012] As far as the device according to the invention is concerned, the object underlying the invention is achieved by a device which has the features of claim 11.

[0013] Preferred and advantageous embodiments of the method and device according to the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0014] Since, on the one hand, the method according to the invention and, on the other hand, the device according to the invention create at least one depression in the area of ​​the free edges of the strand forming the spacer frame, these depressions prevent air from being trapped in the area of ​​the joint when the second glass pane is placed on the spacer and the insulating glass blank thus formed is pressed. The reason for this is that the depressions prevent the fringes (flags) that occur in the prior art on the lateral edges of the strand when the ends of the strand are pressed together in the area of ​​the joint with a pressure stamp.

[0015] The free edges of the strand forming the spacer are the lateral edges of the surface of the strand facing away from the glass pane to which the strand has been applied as a spacer, i.e. is not covered but lies exposed. It is preferred if the depressions produced according to the invention are provided on both side surfaces of the strand forming the spacer that are perpendicular to the plane of the glass pane, which can be achieved simply by providing two projecting, longitudinal ribs on the side of the active surface of a pressure stamp that can be inserted between jaws applied to the side surfaces of the strand.

[0016] The formation of air inclusions between the strand forming the spacer and the glass pane placed on the free surface of the strand is particularly reliably prevented if, according to a preferred embodiment, the free surface of the strand is deformed during the pressing of the joint so that it is convexly curved.

[0017] Further details and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. It shows:

[0018] Fig. 1 a glass pane with a spacer applied to it,

[0019] Fig. 2a the first end of a spacer at the beginning of the application,

[0020] Fig. 2b shows a side view of the first end of a spacer, Fig. 3 shows the second end of the applied spacer, Fig. 4 shows an oblique view of a device at a corner of a spacer,

[0021] Fig. 5 in oblique view a device in a straight section of a spacer,

[0022] Fig. 6 shows an oblique view of a device according to the invention, Fig. 7 shows a section through the device according to the invention shown in Fig.

[0023] 6 ,

[0024] Fig. 8 shows a partial section through a printing stamp of the device according to the invention, Figs. 9 to 11 show schematically the method according to the prior art and

[0025] Fig. 12 to 14 schematically show steps of the method according to the invention.

[0026] Fig. 1 shows a view of a glass pane 2 to which a spacer 1 has been applied at a distance from the outer edge of the glass pane 2. The spacer 1 consists of a strand 3 of deformable material, in particular of thermoplastic.

[0027] Fig. 2a shows the beginning of the application of a spacer 1 to a glass pane 2, with the strand 3 forming the spacer 1 being applied starting at a corner. As indicated in Fig. 2b, the first end 4 of the strand forming the spacer 1 is formed with a wedge-shaped, thickening effect.

[0028] Fig. 3 shows that the second end 5 of the strand 3 forming the spacer 1 is applied over the first, wedge-shaped, thickening end 4, wherein this end 5 is formed in a wedge-shaped tapered manner - complementary to the end 4.

[0029] In Figs. 2a and 3, the direction of application of the strand 3, which forms the spacer 1, is indicated by arrows 6.

[0030] In order to close the ends 4 and 5 of the strand 3, which forms the spacer 1 and lie one above the other at the butt joint 7, a device 10 is provided which, in the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 4, has an angled, outer jaw 11 and an angled, inner jaw 12. An angled pressure stamp 13 is provided between the jaws 11 and 12 and can be inserted between the jaws 11 and 12, so that the pressure stamp 13 can be placed on the free surface 15 (the surface facing away from the glass pane 2) of the strand 3 and can act on the strand 3 with its active surface 16.

[0031] Fig. 4 shows that the angled outer jaw 11 is applied to the outer side surface 14a of the strand 3, which is perpendicular to the plane of the glass pane 2. The angled inner jaw 12 is applied to the inner side surface 14b of the strand 3, which is perpendicular to the glass pane 2.

[0032] The pressure stamp 13 of the device 10 is shown in Fig . 4 inserted between the jaws 11 and 12 and has two legs 21 and 22 , between which there is a curved region 18 .

[0033] In the application example shown in Fig. 5, the joint 7 is provided in a straight area of ​​the spacer 1. Here, too, jaws rest from both sides against the side surfaces 14a and 14b of the strand 3 forming the spacer 1. The pressure stamp insertable between the straight jaws is not shown in Fig. 5.

[0034] Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of the device 10 in which the outer jaw 11 and the inner jaw 12 are formed by bodies 19 and 20 which each have surfaces at an angle to one another which are applied to the side surfaces 14a and 14b of the strand 3.

[0035] Fig. 6 also shows that there is a curved transition surface between the surfaces lying against the strand 3, the curvature of which transition surface is selected to correspond to the curvature of the strand 3 in the corner region. The transition surface between the surfaces of the outer body 19 (jaw 11) to be applied to the strand 3 is concavely curved, whereas the transition surface between the surfaces of the inner body 20 (jaw 12) to be applied to the strand 3 is convexly curved. Fig. 6 also shows that the pressure stamp 13, which has two legs 21, 22 connected to one another via a curved region 18, is introduced between the bodies 19 and 20 (arrow 25).

[0036] Fig. 6 shows the situation during insertion of the pressure stamp 13, and that the pressure stamp 13 has two projecting, longitudinal ribs 17 on its active surface 16 (see also Fig. 8). The ribs 17 are provided on the outer longitudinal edges of the active surface 16 of the pressure stamp 13.

[0037] Fig. 8 shows that the effective surface 16 of the pressure stamp 13, located between the ribs 17, is concavely curved. Due to the concavely curved effective surface 16, the free surface 15 of the strand 3 forming the spacer 1 is deformed in the region of the joint 7 when the ends 4 and 5 are pressed together, so that it is convexly curved (cf. Fig. 12 and Fig. 13).

[0038] The pressure stamp 13, or at least the part of the pressure stamp 13 having the active surface 16, and the ribs 17 of the pressure stamp 13 are made of a material (for example, a silicone) to which the material of which the strand 3 is made does not adhere. It is also contemplated to coat the active surface 16 and the inner sides of the ribs 17 of the pressure stamp 13 with a coating having anti-adhesion properties, for example, with a silicone coating, or to spray them with an anti-adhesion agent.

[0039] When the active surface 16 of the pressure stamp 13 with the ribs 17 acts on the strand 3, two depressions 9 are formed in the region of the free edges 8 of the strand 3, as shown in Fig. 12 and Fig. 13. The depressions 9 extend into the side surfaces 14a and 14b of the strand 3. The depressions 9 are also open towards the surface 15 of the strand 3 facing away from the glass pane 2.

[0040] If - starting from the situation according to Fig. 9 - a pressure stamp with a flat active surface is pressed onto the strand 3 in the area of ​​the joint 7, which can be located in the area of ​​a corner or in a straight area of ​​the spacer 1, fringes 25 are created in the area of ​​the free edges of the strand 3 lying on the edge of the surface 15 (Fig. 10). This leads to the formation of an air inclusion 24 (Fig. 11) when the package comprising the glass pane 2 and the second glass pane 23, which has been placed against the spacer 1, and the spacer formed by the strand 3 is pressed to the desired size of the insulating glass blank. This is because air which is present between the fringes 25 cannot escape because of the fringes 25.

[0041] When the method of the invention is carried out - in particular when working with the device according to the invention - no air inclusion 24 is formed in the area of ​​the joint 7. The reason for this is that, as can be seen from Fig. 12, in the area of ​​the edges 8 of the strand 3 there are depressions 9 on both sides instead of fringes 25 and, in addition, the free surface 15 of the strand 3 is convexly curved. Therefore, when the package shown (partially) in Fig. 13 and consisting of the glass panes 2 and 23 and the spacer 1 formed by the strand 3 is pressed to the desired size of the insulating glass blank, no air inclusions can arise. Thus, when the method of the invention is carried out, air inclusions between a glass pane 23 and the spacer 1 of an insulating glass pane are avoided.

[0042] When a second glass pane 23 has been placed on the free surface 15 of the strand 3 and the insulating glass blank thus formed is pressed by the distance Ah to the desired thickness - from h0 to 1g (cf. Fig. 14), no air inclusion 24 can form in the region of the joint 7 because there are no lateral fringes 25 (cf. Fig. 13). This ultimately results in a joint 7 without any air inclusion, even if the joint 7 - as preferred - is provided in the region of a corner of the spacer 1.

[0043] The described procedure of the method according to the invention is used, for example, in the production of insulating glass panes (double-pane or multi-pane insulating glass) when a spacer made from a strand of deformable material has been applied to a first (or a further) glass pane of the insulating glass pane to be produced. The use of the method according to the invention and the device according to the invention ensures that there are no air inclusions in the region of the joint between the ends of the strand 3 forming the spacer 1 after the insulating glass blank has been pressed to its desired size. This is because when the insulating glass blank is pressed in the region of the joint 7, air can escape via the depressions 9 produced according to the invention. The device according to the invention can also be used in a plant for producing insulating glass.

[0044] In summary, an embodiment of the invention can be described as follows:

[0045] When connecting the ends, which lie one above the other at a joint 7 of a strand 3 forming a spacer 1 for insulating glass, lateral depressions 9 are formed in the strand 3 by ribs 17 provided on the active surface 16 of a pressure stamp 13. Air can escape through the depressions 9 in the region of the joint 7 when a package of glass panes 2 and 23 and spacer 1 containing the spacer 1 with depressions 9 is pressed into an insulating glass blank. This procedure and the device provided for it are used in particular in the manufacture of insulating glass panes.

Claims

Patent claims:

1. Method for connecting the ends (4, 5) of a spacer (1) which is applied to a glass pane (2) and which has the form of a strand (3) made of deformable material, in particular thermoplastic material, which ends (4, 5) are present in a butt joint (7), in which jaws (11, 12) are placed on the side surfaces (14a, 14b) of the spacer (1) which are oriented essentially perpendicularly to the glass pane (2) in the region of the butt joint (7), and a pressure stamp (13) which acts on the surface (15) of the spacer (1) facing away from the glass pane (2) is introduced between the jaws (11, 12, characterized in that when the pressure stamp (13) is placed on the strand (3) in the region of free edges (8) of the strand (3) forming the spacer (1), at least one depression (9) is produced.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the recess (9) is produced in a side surface (14a, 14b) of the strand (3) forming the spacer (1).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the recess (9) is produced extending up to the surface (15) of the strand (3) forming the spacer (1) applied by the glass pane (2).

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the recess (9) is produced by pressing at least one rib (17) provided on the pressure stamp (13) onto the strand (3) forming the spacer (1).

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that recesses (9) are formed on both free Edges (8) of the strand forming the spacer (1) (3) are generated.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the depressions are produced by pressing onto the strand (3) forming the spacer (1) with two ribs (17) provided on the lateral longitudinal edges of the pressure stamp (13).

7. Method according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that at least one rib (17) extending over the length of the pressure stamp (13) is pressed onto the strand (3) forming the spacer (1).

8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the pressure stamp (13) is used to press against ends (4, 5) of the strand (3) forming the spacer (1) which are wedge-shaped in opposite directions and overlap each other in the joint (7).

9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the strand (3) forming the spacer (1) is applied to the glass pane (2) with the joint (7) in a straight region of the spacer (1).

10. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the strand (3) forming the spacer (1) is applied to the glass pane (2) with the joint (7) in a corner region of the spacer (1).

11. Method according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the surface (15) of the strand (3) lying between the free edges (8) is deformed into a surface with a convex curvature.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the convexly curved surface is produced by pressing a pressure stamp (13), the active surface (16) of which is located between the ribs (17) and is concavely curved, onto the strand (3) forming the spacer (1).

13. Device (10) for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 12, comprising two jaws (11, 12) which can be placed on the side surfaces (14a, 14b) of the strand (3) and a pressure stamp (13) which can be inserted between the jaws (11, 12), characterized in that at least one projection is provided on the active surface (16) of the pressure stamp (13) which is to be placed on the strand (3) forming the spacer (1) between the jaws (11, 12).

14. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the projection is a rib (17) arranged on the lateral edge of the active surface (16) of the pressure stamp (13).

15. Device according to claim 14, characterized in that the rib (17) is aligned in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the active surface (16).

16. Device according to one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that two projections, in particular two ribs (17), are provided on the active surface (16) of the pressure stamp (13).

17. Device according to one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that the jaws and the pressure stamp are straight.

18. Device according to one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that the jaws (11 and 12) and the Pressure stamps (13) are angled to form two legs (21, 22) each.

19. Device according to claim 18, characterized in that the jaws (11 and 12) and the pressure stamp (13) are curved substantially in a quarter-circle shape in the region lying between the legs (21, 22).

20. Device according to one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that the jaws (11 and 12) are designed as bodies (19 and 20) with two surfaces at an angle to one another, which are to be applied to the strand (3) forming the spacer (1) in the region of a corner of the spacer (1).

21. Device according to claim 20, characterized in that the transition surface between the surfaces of the bodies (19, 20) is a curved surface, the transition surface of the body (19) to be applied from the outside to the spacer (1) being concave and the transition surface of the body (20) to be applied from the inside to the spacer (1) being convex.

22. Device according to one of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that the active surface (16) of the pressure stamp (13) arranged between the ribs (17) is concavely curved.

23. Device according to one of claims 13 to 22, characterized in that at least the active surface (16) and optionally the inner surfaces of the ribs (17) have anti-adhesion properties with respect to the material of the strand (3) forming the spacer (1).

24. Applying the method according to one of claims 1 to 12 in the manufacture of insulating glass panes, with the proviso that the steps of the method are applied after the application of a strand (3) serving as a spacer (1) to a glass pane (2) and before the pressing of an insulating glass blank to the desired size.

25. Use of the device according to one of claims 13 to 23 in a plant for producing insulating glass, with the proviso that the device is provided in the plant for producing insulating glass panes downstream of a device for applying a strand (3) forming a spacer (1) and upstream of a press for pressing insulating glass blanks to the desired size, in particular is integrated into the plant.

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