Vacuum liquid resin laminated glass panels and methods of making and using

Abstract

A liquid resin laminated glass panel includes a first glass layer, a second glass layer, and a polymer layer that is polymerized or cured from a liquid resin and is in contact with the first glass layer and the second glass layer of glass. The liquid resin is applied by vacuum to a substantially sealed glass cavity formed between the first glass layer and the second glass layer.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 332,824, filed April 20, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. [Background technology]

[0002] The present disclosure is generally directed to a method for making laminated glass panels by vacuum filling a glass cavity with a liquid resin and curing the liquid resin.

[0003] Glass lamination is the process of creating flat or curved compound glass products by gluing a thin layer of glue between two or more sheets of glass, then heating, pressing, and bonding the glass sheets together. Glass lamination has been around for a long time. The most common methods used to make laminated glass are interlaminar or autoclave lamination and cast lamination. Common interlayers used in autoclave lamination are thermoplastic materials: polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU). A common liquid resin used in cast lamination is UV-curable polyurethane.

[0004] There is a need for improved techniques for producing laminated glass that include cost reduction, good quality, toughness, stiffness, wide temperature range, and use with a greater variety of polymers. These capabilities are achieved by improved vacuum liquid resin lamination (VLRL), discussed below.

[0005] Glass lamination is a common process that creates more durable and safer glass panels. Lamination with an interlayer of thermoplastic sheets is a common method of making laminated glass. Bent or tempered glass is usually difficult to use for interlayer lamination because it lacks the necessary flatness. Furthermore, most polymers formed from two or more parts are not suitable for cast lamination due to the difficulties associated with removing microscopic air bubbles after all the parts are mixed, as discussed below. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth in the claims that follow the description.

[0007] The panel device includes a glass layer and an interlayer polymerized from a liquid resin within the panel. A vacuum liquid resin lamination (VLRL) method of making the device is disclosed. In some embodiments, low compressed air pressure may be applied to accelerate the process speed.

[0008] In some embodiments of the panel apparatus, the liquid resin is added to the substantially sealed glass cavity while degassing.

[0009] In some embodiments of the panel apparatus, the polymer layer is formed from a one-part resin or a multiple-part resin.

[0010] In some embodiments of the panel apparatus, the polymer or liquid resin includes a spacer.

[0011] In some embodiments of the panel apparatus, the polymer layer comprises one or more of a polyacrylate, a polyurethane, a polycarbonate, a polysilicone, a polyester, an epoxy, a polysulfide, a polyimide, a polyphenol, a polyethylene, or a copolymer.

[0012] In some embodiments of the panel device, the polymer or liquid resin further comprises one or more of a dye, a pigment, a coupling agent, and / or a UV absorber.

[0013] In some embodiments of the panel device, the glass layer includes a low-e coating.

[0014] In some embodiments of the panel device, the polymer layer includes inserts of various materials including natural carbohydrates, paper, photographs, or plastic sheets for various purposes including decoration or reinforcement.

[0015] In some embodiments of the panel apparatus, two e-glass layers are placed on the edges of the glass layers, thereby separated by a seal spacer that defines a gap between the two glass layers to form a laminated insulated glass unit.

[0016] In some embodiments of the panel apparatus, the gap is filled with air or an inert gas, or is a vacuum.

[0017] A method for making a liquid resin laminated glass panel includes providing a glass cavity including a first glass layer and a second glass layer, where the glass cavity is then substantially sealed at the edges; disposing a liquid resin between the first glass layer and the second glass layer; and curing the liquid resin to form the panel. In some implementations of the method, the liquid resin is added to the glass cavity by vacuum and then cured to bond to the first glass layer and the second glass layer.

[0018] In some embodiments of the method, the glass cavity is sealed with tape.

[0019] In some embodiments of the method, the first and second glass layers are separated by a spacer when bonded together.

[0020] In some embodiments, the method further includes creating an opening at an end of the glass cavity and attaching an adapter attached to the opening to allow air or liquid resin to enter and exit the glass cavity.

[0021] In some embodiments of the method, the liquid resin is degassed before or during filling of the glass cavity with the liquid resin.

[0022] In some embodiments of the method, the liquid resin is cured by exposing the liquid resin to sunlight, ultraviolet light, or heat.

[0023] In some embodiments of the method, the step of disposing the liquid resin includes using compressed air to increase the filling speed and / or prevent the formation of vacuum spots.

[0024] In some embodiments of the method, the panel is attached to the third glass layer disposed on the panel such that the third glass layer is separated from the panel by a seal spacer disposed on the edge of the panel, thereby defining a gap between the panel and the third glass layer. A system for making liquid resin laminated glass panels includes a glass cavity substantially sealed at the edge configured to be filled with liquid resin under vacuum; an adapter attached to the glass cavity to transfer liquid resin or air into or out of the glass cavity; a vacuum pump for filling, degassing, or filling the glass cavity with liquid resin; a container for holding liquid resin for filling the glass cavity or collecting liquid resin from the glass cavity; and a valve connecting the adapter and the container to control the liquid resin and / or air passing through.

[0025] Additional aspects, features, functions, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a conventional laminated glass panel. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example of an improved vacuum resin laminated glass panel according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a front view of an example of a glass cavity for forming a vacuum resin laminated glass (VLRLG) panel apparatus according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a vacuum liquid resin lamination system apparatus for filling a single part resin according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a Vacuum Liquid Resin Lamination (VLRL) system for filling multi-part resins according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a laminated insulated glass unit (IGU) according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing various features of the present disclosure. Specific examples of components and configurations are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a first feature above or on a second feature described below may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed between the first and second features, and thus the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Furthermore, the present disclosure may repeat reference numbers and / or letters in various examples. This repetition is for the purposes of brevity and clarity and does not, in itself, indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0028] Laminated glass (LG) is a type of safety glass that holds together when broken. In the event of a break, it is held in place by a thin polymer interlayer. Methods and processes for making laminated glass have been in use for a long time. However, the requirements of modern industry are constantly changing and require improved properties of laminated glass, such as higher toughness and stiffness, a wider temperature range, and lower manufacturing costs. However, traditional methods and processes of glass lamination have their limitations, including requiring large equipment, high energy consumption, relatively long process times, and limited suitable polymers. As a result, meeting the requirements of modern industry due to these existing limitations is a difficult task.

[0029] For better durability and safety, glass is often laminated to two or more pieces of glass using an interlayer, which is a soft film material that can have adhesive function when melted at high temperature. The interlayer is a thermoplastic material that can be used to bond glass or plastic together by a high temperature process called interlayer lamination. Sometimes, both the interlayer material and the interlayer film before being used for lamination, and the inner layer formed from the interlayer material after the lamination process are called "interlayer" in the glass industry.

[0030] As used herein, "liquid resin lamination" can refer to a lamination process that uses a liquid resin added to the space between two pieces of glass resulting in a seamless laminated glass, "cast lamination" refers to a lamination process that uses a liquid resin added to the space between two pieces of glass by gravity resulting in a seamless laminated glass, and "vacuum liquid resin lamination" (VLRL) refers to a lamination process that uses a liquid resin added to the space between two pieces of glass by vacuum resulting in a seamless laminated glass.

[0031] As used herein, "glass" can refer to conventional silica-based glass, and polymer-based transparent materials, such as acrylic glass and polycarbonate glass, which have a relatively rigid flat or curved form. Glass may be colored or include tints. Glass may also include annealed, tempered, reinforced and / or laminated glass, or any other type of transparent material with higher strength, safety or other special features, such as self-cleaning features. Glass may also have an anti-reflective or anti-glare coating. The aforementioned types of glass may also have a low-e coating.

[0032] As used herein, "liquid resin" means a liquid resin that can be polymerized to form a solid. Liquid resins include various types of resins, such as acrylic resins, methacrylate resins, urethane resins, silicone resins, polyester resins, epoxy resins, and polysulfide resins.

[0033] As used herein, a "multi-part resin" is a type of resin that consists of two or more separate parts that must be mixed together to activate the curing process.

[0034] 1, there is illustrated a cross-sectional view of an example of a conventional laminated glass 100. The structure of the conventional laminated glass 100 includes a glass 120 having a glass surface 130 and a layer of an interlayer 110. Although the interlayer 110 is used in this discussion, it should be understood that the interlayer 110 is a thermoplastic material, such as polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and / or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

[0035] Referring to FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of an example of an improved vacuum liquid resin laminated glass 200 is shown. The structure of the vacuum liquid resin laminated glass 200 includes a glass 120 having a glass surface 130 and an improved interlayer 210. A significant difference should be recognized between the interlayer 110 of the conventional laminated glass 100 with reference to FIG. 1 and the interlayer 210 of this example. Specifically, the interlayer 110 is typically a polymer made of a thermoplastic material, such as polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and / or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). In contrast, the interlayer 210 is a polymer or copolymer polymerized directly from a monomeric or oligomeric resin that is filled under vacuum and contacted with the glass 120. Depending on the size of the panel to be manufactured, in some embodiments, the laminated glass 200 can contain a spacer 220 in the interlayer 210 to precisely control the thickness of the interlayer 210. For making small size glass panels or where the thickness of the interlayer is not critical, it is not necessary to add a spacer as discussed herein.

[0036] Cast lamination using liquid resin is another lamination process used in the industry. In the conventional process for cast lamination, a glass cavity is made from two pieces of glass with sealed edges, and liquid resin is filled from the top edge by gravity. This specification provides an improved method for making vacuum liquid resin laminated glass. To make laminated glass using this method of making vacuum liquid resin laminated glass 200, a glass cavity 300 is also required, as discussed below.

[0037] 3A and 3B are front views of an example of a glass cavity 300. In both examples, the glass cavity 300 is formed by two layers of glass and sealed using tape. FIG. 3A illustrates a glass cavity where double-sided tape 310 is placed on all edges of the cavity 300. In this embodiment, the thickness of the cavity is determined by the thickness of the double-sided tape 310. The double-sided tape 310 is placed on the inside of the glass edges between the two layers of glass, and the tape 310 typically remains in the final product. For larger glass cavities, a spacer (not shown) may be sprayed onto the inner surface of one (first) layer of glass before applying the double-sided tape 310. After removing the spacer on all edges by wiping, the double-sided tape 310 may be placed on the edges before making (cutting) two openings on the top and bottom of the first layer, and then a second glass layer is added on top of the first glass layer to form the cavity. The thickness of the double-sided tape 310 or the diameter of the spacer may be between 0.015-0.03 inches (0.38-0.76 mm), which is equivalent to one or two layers of interlayers, such as PVB interlayers with a thickness of 0.015 inches (0.381 mm). The liquid resin is relatively inexpensive, so the thickness of the cavity can be increased. Using the spacer 220 (FIG. 2), the thickness of the interlayer 210 between the two glass layers can be precisely controlled with sizes ranging from 10 microns to 1 mm. When making a small size laminated glass 200, the spacer is not necessary because the rigidity of the double-sided tape 310 and the glass 120 can hold the appropriate thickness of the cavity 300. Furthermore, in some applications, the thickness of the interlayer may not be important. On the other hand, when making laminated glass with a specific characteristic, for example, bulletproof glass, the ability to control the thickness of the interlayer by the tape and spacer, as well as the easy selection of properties, are advantages, since the impact resistance depends on the type and thickness of the interlayer material used, as well as the type of glass thickness used. Calculations can be used to determine what type of materials and strengths and layer thicknesses are needed to meet the required characteristics, and as described below, the flexibility of VLRL technology is extremely useful in reaching such goals.

[0038] 3B illustrates a glass cavity with a single sided tape 320. The single sided tape 320 is placed on the outside of all edges of the glass panel, and the tape 320 can be removed from the final product. If a wider tape 320 is used, the top and bottom surfaces of the edges can also be covered.

[0039] In cast lamination, the top end or a portion of the top end is not sealed prior to adding liquid resin to a cavity similar to cavity 300. Liquid resin pours into the cavity by gravity from the unsealed top end. When the resin level is close to the top end, resin addition stops. The trapped air is essentially pushed out prior to sealing the top end. However, some air is still trapped in the cavity, and adding liquid resin to the cavity creates small bubbles. The air and small bubbles must then be removed using a syringe with a long needle.

[0040] All processes of cast lamination are carried out under atmospheric pressure (i.e., the pressure inside the cavity is the same as the pressure of the environment), which makes it difficult to remove small air bubbles from the resin before curing. If these air bubbles are not completely removed from the cavity, defects may occur. It is a difficult challenge to remove small air bubbles from a large-sized glass cavity, since a long syringe needle cannot accurately pierce a small bubble from a relatively far distance. Therefore, the size of the product produced by cast lamination has a practical limit. Due to the difficulty of removing air bubbles in cast lamination, only UV-curable resins can be used, because this type of resin does not need to be mixed immediately before use, that is, there is enough time for the air bubbles to be naturally removed by leaving it for a long time. However, in order to use a resin with two or more components, such as a monomer or oligomer and a hardener, a mixing process is required, and the mixing process creates a large amount of small bubbles, which are difficult to remove within the limited working time before the resin gels. Therefore, cast lamination is not suitable for use with resins with more than two parts, however, most polymers are formed in more than two parts. Furthermore, the exothermic process of UV curing generates heat in the UV curable resin, which causes the material to shrink in the cavity when the laminated glass is cooled after UV curing, resulting in the creation of "vacuum spots" or "vacuum bubbles". Most liquid resins shrink in volume or increase in density when cured, or when they change from a liquid state to a solid state, or when they cool from an elevated temperature. Large shrinkage can cause "vacuum spots" or "vacuum bubbles". Such challenges often reduce yields and increase process time and costs in cast lamination processes. Despite being studied for many years, cast lamination has not been widely used in the industry.

[0041] The present specification provides an improved material system and method, referred to as Vacuum Liquid Resin Lamination (VLRL), that effectively overcomes the above-referenced problems and challenges associated with cast lamination and interlaminar lamination.

[0042] FIG. 4 illustrates a system 400 for performing vacuum liquid resin lamination (VLRL). The system 400 comprises a glass cavity 300 connected to an inlet adapter 410 and an outlet adapter 420. An enlarged isometric view of the outlet adapter 420 is provided for detail. The adapters 410 and 420 are attached to the cavity 300 using a double-sided tape 310 or a glue layer such as silicone glue. The adapters 410 and 420 may have the same design and are made of materials such as plastic or metals such as aluminum. The adapters 410 and 420 are connected by a flexible tube 430. A valve 440 is located near the inlet adapter 410 and a valve 450 is located near the outlet adapter 420. The inlet adapter 410 is connected to a resin container 460 by a flexible tube 430 and a short rigid tube 431. The outlet adapter 420 is connected to a gas-liquid separator 470, which acts as a receiver. Receptacle 470 is equipped with a vacuum and pressure gauge 480 and is connected to the atmosphere by a vacuum pump 491 and a three-way valve 490 .

[0043] In some embodiments, to make vacuum liquid resin laminated glass, the VLRL system 400 can be used to carry out a process that includes the following operational steps (A1)-(A5).

[0044] (A1) Prepare the glass cavity 300. Manually or mechanically clean two pieces of glass. Place one (first) piece of glass on a table or tilt table, and spray a mixture of spacers and isopropyl alcohol (99%) on the surface of the first piece of glass. If you want to make the glass cavity shown in Figure 3A, remove the spacers at all edges using cleanroom wipes, then place double-sided tape 310 on the edges, make openings as shown in Figure 3A, and place the second piece of glass on top of the first piece of glass to form a glass cavity 300 with two openings at the top and bottom (the position of the openings may be changed). If you want to make the glass cavity 300 shown in Figure 3B, after spraying the spacers, there is no need to remove the spacers at the edges, and place the second piece of glass on top of the first piece of glass. Single-sided tape 320 is used to seal all edges to form a glass cavity, then a sharp blade is used to create two openings at the top and bottom of the sealed panel by removing portions of the tape 320.

[0045] (A2) Assemble the VLRL system 400. Attach adapters 410 and 420 to the cavity 300 (adapters 410 and 420 can be the same design with double-sided tape and a single-use liner, or a glue layer such as silicone glue). Ensure that the cavity 300 is set in an essentially vertical position so that air in the unfilled space of the cavity 300 can be pushed out by filling with liquid resin, ensure that there is enough resin in the resin container 460, that the receiver 470 is nearly empty, all parts are connected as shown in FIG. 4, and that the 3-way valve 490 is in position to connect to the atmosphere.

[0046] (A3) Test system 400 for leaks. Set valve 440 to "closed" position and valve 450 is in "open" position. Turn 3-way valve 490 to the position connecting it to receiver 470 and vacuum pump 491 and start vacuum pump 491. If vacuum and pressure gauge 480 indicates a vacuum level near the maximum vacuum level of vacuum pump 491 and this vacuum level is maintained for several minutes after stopping vacuum pump 491, this means the system is well sealed and ready to be filled with resin, if not, the leak should be checked and repaired and the process repeated.

[0047] (A4) Vacuum liquid resin lamination is performed. Ensure that the vacuum pump 491 is started. Slowly turn the valve 440 to the "open" position to allow the resin to fill the cavity 300. As soon as the filled resin leaves the bottom of the cavity 300, close the valve 440, during which time allow the air bubbles in this first part of the resin to be removed by the vacuum, and then open the valve 440 to continue filling. The valve 440 can have two functions, including providing a degassing function and supplying resin. When there is no resin supply or the resin supply is limited by the valve 440, the degassing function occurs in the cavity 300. When the resin reaches the top end of the cavity 300, continue filling the panel, and the excess resin is collected in the receiver 470. When no bubbles remain in the filling cavity 300, close the valve 450, stop the vacuum pump 491, and then turn the three-way valve 490 to the "atmosphere" position. Wait for the filling cavity to reach pressure equilibrium by continuously drawing more resin into the cavity for about one minute, then close valve 440. Now cavity 300 is completely filled with resin. If some bubbles remain in the upper corners of cavity 300, the filling process can be partially repeated by turning 3-way valve 490 to the position connecting to receiver 470 and atmosphere, slightly lowering the level of filled resin, and then turning 3-way valve back to the position connecting to receiver 470 and vacuum pump 491, and resuming suction. It is easy to fill the cavity without air bubbles, since the repeating steps are very simple. Place pipe clamps at positions A and B, and cut the hose between positions A and B. Place pipe clamps at positions C and D, and cut the hose between positions C and D. Remove the filling panel from VLRL system 400, and then subject the filling panel to a curing process. In many cases, the resin collected in receiver 470 can be reused, with or without filtration.

[0048] As can be seen, in some embodiments, the tubes are cut at a location near the glass panel for ease of handling and resin conservation since the next step after cutting the tubes is to move the filled panel to the curing area.

[0049] (A5) Curing the resin. Depending on the type of resin used, the filled panel can be cured using various curing conditions. For example, if a UV curable resin is used, e.g., acrylate, methacrylate, UV curable polyurethane, UV curable silicone or dual (UV and heat) curing resin, the filled panel may be passed through a UV exposure system to cure the resin, or may be cured using a UV chandelier for large area irradiation. If a room temperature curing resin is used, e.g., epoxy resin or silicone resin, the filled panel may be placed at room temperature for curing. If a heat curing resin is used, e.g., epoxy resin, the filled panel may be placed in a heat curing device, e.g., a reflow oven or a walk-in oven or a room such as a high temperature sauna room, for curing. After curing, the vacuum liquid resin laminated glass (VLRLG) product is produced by peeling off the adapters 410 and 420 and / or the tape 320. It should be noted that most UV curable resins are photosensitive, and UV curable resins are usually stored in a light-proof container. When the UV-curable resin near the opening of the cavity is cured by a portable UV light, the panel filled with the UV-curable resin can also be cured by placing it in a bright area with natural light, but a relatively longer curing time may be required than that of the UV exposure system. Slow curing is favorable to prevent the appearance of vacuum spots due to polymer shrinkage.

[0050] One important difference between the conventional method and the method described herein is that the conventional method uses low vacuum before and during filling, and in the conventional method, the vacuum is only a force pulling the resin. In contrast, the method described herein performs the function of pulling the resin in addition to the degassing function of high vacuum before and during filling. The terms "low vacuum" and "high vacuum" used herein are qualitative industrial terms and are primarily relative to atmospheric pressure. One atmosphere is equal to 760 millimeters of mercury. A vacuum near 760 mmHg is called low vacuum, and a vacuum near 0 mmHg is called high vacuum. A glass cavity under high vacuum may be a true vacuum or near 0 mmHg, where most of the air has been removed. Therefore, it is nearly impossible for air bubbles to form in the liquid resin layer of the glass cavity.

[0051] As discussed herein, high vacuum is a strong driving force for filling and therefore can handle higher viscosities and / or have higher filling rates. Also, the degassing method has a much higher tolerance to dirty glass surfaces. Finally, vacuum spots are very difficult to form as they are easily destroyed by the application of pressure.

[0052] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in some embodiments, the VLRL system 400 includes simple components and can be easily operated by small businesses to perform glass lamination without large equipment. The method overcomes the long-standing problem of preventing small bubbles and / or removing small bubbles from filled cavities, especially when making large panels. That is, while autoclave and vacuum oven methods have limitations on maximum glass panel size, the VLRL method does not have limitations on panel size. Furthermore, in cast lamination, it is a time-consuming task to find and remove small bubbles in the filled resin. In contrast, VLRL provides much more reliable results and defect-free products.

[0053] As mentioned above, the exemplary operation and / or experimental procedure described above has the advantage that all the parts including the pump 491 and the gas-liquid separator or receiver 470 are inexpensive parts of laboratory devices. For example, a laboratory vacuum Erlenmeyer flask may be used as the receiver, and furthermore, a manually operated pump may be used for such a process. For the VLRL process, the vacuum working space is very small, so a small vacuum pump may be up to the job. However, when using a two-part resin system, this has a working time, i.e., the time the mixture remains fluid after mixing the resin with the hardener, and is usually not reusable. Therefore, the resin collected in the receiver 470 is discarded. The filling situation may be improved by a high-performance vacuum pump, for example, a two-stage vacuum pump. A two-stage vacuum pump may reach a high vacuum of 20-40 microns of mercury. Under such high vacuum, air expands its volume by more than 25,000 times, or a pea-sized bubble under 20-40 microns vacuum will shrink to 1 / 25,000th of its size under atmospheric pressure, and such shrinkage bubbles are invisible to the human eye under atmospheric pressure, and such small bubbles can also be easily dissolved in liquid resin.

[0054] 5 illustrates a VLRL system 500 for filling multi-part resins. In some embodiments, the VLRL system 500 can be used to carry out a process for making vacuum liquid resin laminated glass, including the following operational steps (B1)-(B6).

[0055] As an operational or experimental procedure, FIG. 5 and the following operational steps show the use of the VLRL system apparatus 500 to make vacuum liquid resin laminated glass, with the added advantage of better handling multi-part resins.

[0056] (B1) Preparation of glass cavity 300 is the same as procedure (A1) for system 400 described above.

[0057] (B2) Assembling the VLRL system 500 is similar to procedure (A2) for system 400 described above, but the system 500 includes different devices as shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, adapters 410 and 420 are attached to the cavity 300. The cavity 300 can be set in an essentially vertical position. The inlet adapter 410 is connected to the resin supply container 560 by a soft tube 430 and a long rigid tube 531. The resin supply container 560 has a similar structure to the receptacle 470, except that it has a window 540 and a rubber seal ring 530. The long rigid tube 531 can be slid above the surface of the resin or into the resin. There is a transparent container 520 with resin contained in the resin supply container 560. Since the multi-part resin will harden after mixing, a disposable receptacle 510 is placed inside the receptacle 470. A high-performance vacuum pump 591, such as a two-stage vacuum pump, is used for the VLRL system apparatus 500. The three-way valve 490 is set in a position that connects to the atmosphere.

[0058] (B3) Resin Preparation. Unlike one-part resins, all components of resins with two or more parts need to be mixed just before use. Add the required parts to a (plastic or glass) clear container 520. The resin level may be for approximately half the height of the clear container 520, so that there is enough head space left to hold the bubbles created by the vacuum. Mix the resin using a mechanical mixing tool or a hand tool and place the mixed resin into the resin supply container 560. All parts are connected as shown in FIG. 5.

[0059] (B4) Test the glass cavity and the system for leaks. Set valve 440 to "closed" position and valve 450 is in "open" position. Turn 3-way valve 490 to the position connecting to receiver 470 and high performance vacuum pump 591 and start vacuum pump 591. If vacuum and pressure gauge 480 indicates a vacuum level near the maximum vacuum level of high performance vacuum pump 591 and this vacuum level is maintained after stopping vacuum pump 591, this means that the system is well sealed and ready to be filled with resin, if not, you need to check and repair the leak before repeating this step.

[0060] (B5) Vacuum liquid resin lamination is performed. This process includes the following steps (a) to (d).

[0061] (a) System Check. Shut off vacuum pump 591. 3-way valve 490 is in position to connect together receiver 470 and vacuum pump 591. Ensure the lower end of long rigid tube 531 is above transparent container 520. Turn 3-way valve 590 to closed position to resin supply container 560. Vacuum and pressure regulator 592 is adjusted to low pressure, such as 5 PSI. Turn valves 440 and 450 to "open" position to ensure all spaces in VLRL system apparatus 500 are connected.

[0062] (b) Resin Degassing. Turn the three-way valve 590 to a position connecting the resin supply container 560 to the atmosphere. Start the vacuum pump 591 to create a vacuum in the VLRL system 500. Slowly close the three-way valve 490 to create a rough vacuum in the system 500 and degas the resin in the transparent container 520 while ensuring that the bubble level in the resin is below the opening of the transparent container 520. Hold the rough vacuum level for a few minutes to allow any remaining bubbles to rise to the top of the resin and pop, creating bubble-free resin at the bottom of the transparent container 520. The purpose of this operation is not only to degas the top of the resin, but also to remove as many bubbles as possible at the bottom of the resin. Close the three-way valve 590 to gradually increase the vacuum to a relatively high vacuum, which does not necessarily have to be the maximum vacuum level of the vacuum pump 591.

[0063] (c) Degas the first part of the resin, i.e. the resin that first enters the cavity 300. Push the long rigid tube 531 down below the surface of the resin, near the bottom of the transparent container 520 (see situation 531A in FIG. 5), where the cavity 300 space and the resin supply container 560 space are now divided by the resin. After some resin has entered the bottom of the cavity 300, close the valve 440 and turn the 3-way valve 590 to a position connecting the resin supply container 560 to the atmosphere (by the horizontal tube). This operation allows the part of the resin that entered the cavity 300 to be further degassed under high vacuum. Ensure that the 3-way valve 490 is fully connected to the receiver 470 and the vacuum pump 591 to create the highest vacuum in the cavity 300.

[0064] (d) Filling the resin. For average viscosity resin, the operation procedure is as follows: Open valve 440 slowly to allow the clear resin to slowly enter cavity 300 under high vacuum until some resin is collected in receiver 510. Close valve 450 and leave valve 440 open to allow the resin in the cavity to reach equilibrium pressure. Stop vacuum pump 591 and turn valve 440 to closed position. Place pipe clamps at positions A and B and cut the hose between positions A and B. Place pipe clamps at positions C and D and cut the hose between positions C and D. Remove the filling panel from system 500 for the curing process. Remove long rigid tube 531 and connect single-use flexible tube 430. Due to the high vacuum, the filling cavity 300 is bubble-free. The filling process can be done in a few minutes.

[0065] For any viscosity, especially high viscosity, and for faster filling, the operation procedure is as follows: Open valve 440 slowly to allow clear resin to enter cavity 300 under high vacuum. Turn 3-way valve 590 to connect resin supply container 560 and supply compressed air until some resin is collected in receiver 510. Close valve 450 and leave valve 440 open to allow the resin in the cavity to reach equilibrium pressure. This operation eliminates vacuum spots or "vacuum bubbles" due to the additional pushing force from the compressed air pressure. Stop vacuum pump 591 and close valves 450 and 440. Place pipe clamps at positions A and B and cut the hose between positions A and B. Place pipe clamps at positions C and D and cut the hose between positions C and D. Remove the filling panel from system 500 for the next curing process. Remove long rigid tube 531 and connect single-use soft tube 430. Due to the high vacuum, the filling cavity 300 is bubble-free. The filling process can be completed in a few minutes. Of course, the system 500 can also be used for the single part resin shown in the system 400, and the manufacturing process can be even further simplified and accelerated.

[0066] (B6) Resin curing is similar to procedure (A5) for system 400 described above. Depending on the type of resin used, the filled panel can be cured at room temperature with or without illumination, or at elevated temperature. For dual-cure polymers that can be cured either by UV or by room temperature, such as commercially available Uvekol A or Uvekol S (UV-curable polyurethane type) or DayLightCure (acrylate type), the filled panel can be cured by room temperature. The working time or gel time can be adjusted from 1 hour to 3 hours depending on the amount of hardener or catalyst added. After curing, a vacuum liquid resin laminated glass product is produced by peeling off the adapters 410 and 420 and / or the tape 320, as described above.

[0067] In the conventional method, a vacuum force is used to draw the resin into the glass cavity. The degree of vacuum is relatively low, since only a small vacuum force is sufficient to draw the liquid resin into the cavity. Furthermore, the cavity contains a large amount of air. There is no degassing function in the process, nor is there any control when the resin is fed into the cavity, so without a controlled supply of resin, the degassing function is not applied and bubbles may move with the resin. Due to various reasons, such as local differences in surface tension at the glass surface due to a dirty glass surface, or unfavorable filling location changes such as the corners of the cavity, bubbles that form during the filling process are actual air bubbles that are difficult to remove. In contrast, the degassing function requires a relatively high vacuum and limited or no resin feeding into the cavity during degassing.

[0068] In the method described herein, the high vacuum degassing process is carried out before and / or during the start of filling, unlike the conventional method. Specifically, in some embodiments, there are three degassing steps: First, the pre-fill space of the cavity is suctioned to remove air and test whether it is sealed. Second, the resin supply tank 560 is subjected to vacuum to move bubbles in the resin to the upper part of the container and degas it, so that at least the resin in the bottom part is bubble-free. Third, a long rigid tube 531 is inserted into the bottom of the resin supply tank 560, the tube 531 goes through the upper part of the resin that may contain some bubbles, and the bubbles at the beginning of the tube are degassed after the first part of the resin enters the cavity. After this point, most of the air in the pre-fill cavity has been removed by the high vacuum, and it is not important to maintain the cavity 300 in an essentially vertical position. The resin used in the bottom of the transparent container 520 is also bubble-free.

[0069] Due to the absence of air in the pre-filled cavities and the resin after these degassing treatments, it is nearly impossible for bubbles to form during the filling process even under many unfavorable conditions, such as the change in surface tension of the glass surface due to dirty surfaces, or in unfavorable filling locations such as the corners of the cavities. The high vacuum degassing process before filling and at the beginning of filling effectively eliminates the possibility of bubbles being contained in the final product.

[0070] Compressed air is mainly used to accelerate the filling speed and add slightly more resin to the cavity due to the possibility of shrinkage of some resin formulations. Essentially, high viscosity resin is filled by using compressed air. In traditional lamination methods, the pressure difference between the pressure applied to the propulsion or pre-fill cavity and the resin supply tank gradually decreases during the filling process without the force of compressed air and continuous suction. Due to the weaker propulsion force, the filling efficiency near the end is very low.

[0071] In contrast, using compressed air in combination with a vacuum increases the maximum thrust, for example, to up to 1.5 atm (in this case the contribution of the pressure difference between the vacuum and the environment may be 1 atm, with an additional 0.5 atm pressure coming from the compressed air.) Since the total packing efficiency is significantly improved in this arrangement, higher viscosity resins can be used in these embodiments.

[0072] Another advantage of the vacuum pressure filling method is that it can prevent the formation of vacuum spots for some formulations with high shrinkage. It does this by feeding slightly more resin into the cavity or providing a slightly thicker layer of resin to compensate for the shrinkage. Thus, yields are improved.

[0073] As can be seen, the method described herein provides a great deal of freedom in the choice of resin. For example, some acrylate resins have good UV stability but do not have very good adhesion to glass. However, the use of copolymers of acrylate and polyurethane can improve adhesion to glass. While the choice of copolymers of acrylate and polyurethane can result in high viscosity resins, the use of compressed air and degassing of the resin overcomes these problems. Adding a coupling agent to the acrylate resin can also improve the adhesion of the acrylate to glass, and due to the great freedom, it does not matter whether a liquid or solid coupling agent is added to the original acrylate resin. The method described herein can greatly expand the scope of application, reduce the implementation requirements, and increase the production yield.

[0074] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, low viscosity resins can also be filled using compressed air, resulting in very short filling times, and therefore the final pressure needs to be well controlled to avoid application of too high a pressure that could destroy the final glass panel.

[0075] Most paints contain pigments and have a viscosity of approximately 100 cps (1P, 0.1 Pa·s). Similarly, most resins with monomers and oligomers have a viscosity less than 100 cps (1P, 0.1 Pa·s). However, some resins have a viscosity greater than 100 cps (1P, 0.1 Pa·s). High viscosity resins have a slower filling rate when making vacuum liquid resin laminated glass (VLRLG), but the filling rate can be accelerated by using air pressure as described above. As shown in FIG. 5, turn the three-way valve 590 to connect to a compressed air system, such as an air compressor with regulator 592. Since the cavity is formed by the ultra-high adhesive tape 310 or 320, the pressure applied should not be too high, or else the edge of the cavity may split due to high pressure. The pressure regulator 592 is for safe use of compressed air. Depending on the end protection, the air pressure used can be set at a low level, such as 5 PSI or less, with regulator 592 without stiffening the ends. Using clamps on the ends can stiffen the ends, allowing higher pressures to be applied.

[0076] For fast filling, a long rigid tube 531 is inserted into the resin, then a three-way valve 590 is turned to connect to the compressed air system and the resin supply container 560. The resin is at a pressure difference between the vacuum in the cavity and the pressure in the resin supply container 560, which increases the filling speed and / or allows the use of resins with much higher viscosities. The pressure difference also eliminates the possibility of vacuum spots or "vacuum bubbles" in the cavity 300 during filling, and avoids the creation of vacuum spots for some formulations that have a high shrinkage rate after curing. Applying low pressure also allows the thickness of the resin layer 210 to be slightly thicker than that determined by the spacer, so that this additional thickness can compensate for the shrinkage of the material and avoid the creation of vacuum spots. The vacuum spots formed after curing are not round.

[0077] As described above, the example shown in Figure 5 is suitable for handling multi-part resin systems. It is also suitable for handling single-part resin systems, especially those with high viscosity.

[0078] Compared with interlaminar lamination, VLRL avoids investment in large equipment, saves energy resulting from the use of autoclaves or large ovens, and reduces costs by using low-cost liquid resin materials. The process is fast, improving operation efficiency by increasing yield, and product quality. In addition to using non-flammable and odorless resin materials, VLRL technology provides superior interlayers with stronger adhesion, higher optical transparency, and better performance, unprecedented adhesion, resistance to water and moisture, and UV blocking of over 99%, as well as sound deadening properties. Importantly, VLRL technology overcomes the limitations of traditional interlayer materials or thermoplastic polymers that are not suitable for high temperature applications. The VLRL method can use all kinds of polymer systems and their combinations to meet higher and more stringent standards and requirements. With the method introduced in this disclosure, glass lamination is not limited to 5m x 5m, and anyone can produce large laminated glass without heavy equipment.

[0079] The creation of large VLRLGs may reflect some advantages of the VLRL technology, which has a large degree of freedom. Although float glass manufacturing can produce very large sizes, due to limitations in transportation, loading, unloading and storage, float glass is typically cut into sizes of 3m x 6m or smaller. Autoclaves with diameters of 4m or more are rarely seen, and therefore it is difficult to produce laminated glass with a size of 5m x 5m by interlaminar lamination. Also, for cast lamination, it is nearly impossible to remove small air bubbles in a 4m x 4m polyurethane resin-filled glass cavity with a long needle syringe. In contrast, the VLRL technology easily handles very large sizes by vacuum resin filling and curing with natural sunlight outdoors, or by placing outdoors in sunlight or shade, for UV-curable or sunlight-curable resins. The sensitivity of the resin can be adjusted to suit various brightnesses of natural light, such as direct sunlight or shade, or to receive exposure from UV light, such as medium pressure mercury lamps. For some resins, such as silicone resins, catalyzed curing is not dependent on lighting conditions.

[0080] The VLRL method provides a packing force (pressure difference) essential to the lamination speed. Without such a packing force, it is practically impossible to use relatively higher viscosity materials and / or multi-part resins. Also, the use of high viscosity resins in cast lamination is a difficult challenge, since it is difficult to naturally form a uniform thickness glass cavity starting with a resin layer of non-uniform thickness. Specifically, the panel does not have enough counterbalancing force to quickly flatten itself to a large size. Thus, cast lamination can only use a few resins, such as UV-curable polyurethanes, and only within a limited viscosity range, due to the lack of spacers. Conversely, the VLRL method can use spacers to ensure panel thickness and flatness, and utilize vacuum forces to ensure fast packing of resins with a wide range of viscosities, among other things, high vacuum increases yield by efficiently removing air bubbles.

[0081] Another important function of the vacuum is degassing, which depends on the control of the liquid resin feed. If the resin feed is not controlled, there is no degassing function. It should be understood that the degassing feature is an important feature of the VLRL method, greatly expanding the range of resins that can be used, thereby expanding the range of applications. Most polymers, such as epoxy resins, polyester resins, polyimide resins, silicone resins, phenolic resins and polyethylene resins, and many others, are formed in two or more parts, and all of the components must be mixed just before the resin is used for polymerization. For simplicity, in this disclosure, the name of the resin may be referred to by the name of its polymer. Such resins usually have high viscosity. An efficient degassing feature is essential to utilize a large group of monomers, oligomers, resins or prepolymers, as discussed herein. This degassing feature allows many commercially available liquid resins to be used to make laminated glass, thereby greatly enhancing the performance of the final product. For example, silicone resins improve heat resistance, polycarbonate resins greatly improve UV resistance, and polyimide resins improve both heat and UV resistance. The expansion of the range of resin materials ensures a wider and better performance of laminated glass products.

[0082] In this process, spacers 220 are used to prevent the two glass layers 120 from contacting each other, which would slow down the filling speed, make it difficult to remove air bubbles, and result in an unsuitable or non-uniform thickness. The spacers 220 may be made of plastic or glass. The shape of the spacer may be spherical or cylindrical, and the size of the spacer 220 may be between 5 microns and 200 microns, or larger. If the spacer 220 is less than 100 microns or is a transparent plastic, the spacer 220 will not be visible in the cured resin 210, and an ultra-clear cured interlayer may be formed. By using spacers, the VLRL process is easier and faster to control. The VLRL process can still produce products when spacers are not desired or available in the appropriate size. If the pre-filled cavity 300 is maintained in a vertical position during filling, spacers are not necessary even for making large size VLRL panels. However, the cure should be lowered to a horizontal position like the cure position in cast lamination (no spacers are used in cast lamination) or to a vertical position.

[0083] Laminated glass is needed for better durability and safety in many applications, especially in public areas such as stores, malls, and airports. Laminated glass was invented a century ago, and interlaminar lamination has been used for a long time using thermoplastic polymers. Cast lamination can use some non-thermoplastic polymers, but has limitations. For example, polymers formed from two or more parts cannot be used, and air bubbles formed in the filled resin cannot be quickly and easily removed. Vacuum liquid resin lamination as described in this disclosure has many advantages over interlaminar lamination and cast lamination for making laminated glass. These advantages include the new feature of degassing, which greatly expands the range of applicable polymers, including polymers formed from two or more parts. The new feature and function of degassing during filling is well suited to the thickness of the interlayer of typical laminated glass, so VLRL in the manufacture of laminated glass is new, and this new method can surprisingly handle viscosities of 100 cps (1 P, 0.1-Pa·s), a viscosity range that encompasses most paints and higher viscosity polymers. The lower the viscosity, the easier the VLRL process is, since it is easier to remove air bubbles by vacuum. Therefore, the new method of VLRL significantly expands the range of applicable polymers, resulting in laminated glass with many extended new features and high performance. It is very convenient to observe the polymerization of liquid resins that can be cured at room temperature or in sunlight or UV-A (long-wave UV that does not produce ozone). Such liquid resins can have adjustable viscosity to fit various filling mechanisms, designed toughness to fit various applications, and strong adhesion to handle in various application conditions. The method introduced in this disclosure provides the flexibility to meet these higher standards and challenges while supporting an expanded range of applicable materials.

[0084] The manufacturing process of vacuum liquid resin laminated glass (VLRLG), e.g., apparatus 200, has significant advantages in terms of energy consumption compared to conventional interlaminated glass manufacturing processes, e.g., apparatus 100. The manufacturing process of apparatus 200 can be carried out at room temperature, whereas the interlaminated glass process must be carried out at high temperature and pressure, requiring large equipment such as large autoclaves or vacuum ovens. VLRL is the most economical manufacturing method to produce better quality and / or larger size laminated glass with a much wider selection of polymers or copolymers.

[0085] Materials used are also saved in apparatus 200 compared to apparatus 100 because apparatus 200 avoids the use of expensive interlayer materials. The liquid resin used in apparatus 200 is typically a monomer or oligomer that is the starting material for producing the interlayer material. The cost of the liquid resin is only a fraction of the cost of the interlayer material used in autoclave lamination.

[0086] The omission of the thermoplastic interlayer used in autoclave lamination also eliminates optical distortion and some level of haze common to thermoplastic interlayers. Interlayer lamination introduces some polarization into the laminated glass due to the thermoplastic interlayer material expanding and contracting while in a semi-solid state. Polarized laminated glass is not suitable for use as an optical device such as a projection panel, as typical laser projectors using polarized light can show all kinds of defect patterns. Wearing polarized sunglasses can also show all kinds of optical defects in laminated glass car windows, etc.

[0087] The VLRL process used to make device 200 is more efficient than the traditional interlaminar lamination used to make device 100. Interlaminar lamination has special requirements for glass thickness to ensure uniform heating. The thickness in the interlaminar lamination cannot be too thick or too thin. In contrast, the VLRL used to form device 200 allows for a large variation in glass thickness, ranging from several inches to paper-thin glass.

[0088] When comparing manufacturing efficiency, the VLRL process has a much higher efficiency than the interlaminar lamination process using an autoclave. In the autoclave process, it takes several hours to suck air out of an airbag containing multiple layers of different materials. It takes a long time to remove air from the multiple very fine gaps between the glass and the interlayers, and air contamination causes defects in the final laminated glass as noticeable air bubbles. A slow heating process requires the material in the autoclave to maintain a uniform temperature to avoid glass deformation. A slow cooling process requires the glass to be broken. Lamination in a vacuum oven has similar inefficiencies, except that no additional pressure is applied to the airbag. These requirements reduce the efficiency of the entire interlaminar lamination process, which usually requires a full shift to complete one process cycle. In contrast, the new VLRLG structure of the apparatus 200 simplifies the manufacturing process and greatly increases the efficiency. The process of making a VLRLG as in the apparatus 200 can be completed in less than an hour by one person, or a group of a few people. The VLRL process is also suitable for manufacturing in an automated mass production line. The VLRLG process does not require heavy equipment and special materials and can be as simple as assembly of prefabricated parts. The manufacture of VLRLG can also be done by one person or at the customer's site. Existing single layers of glazing can be converted into VLRLG panels at the customer's site.

[0089] Prevention of delamination is important in the manufacture of laminated glass, especially when the glass is used in buildings and automobiles that require long-term outdoor applications, since delamination areas are visually evident. The uneven bottom edges of the two pieces of glass can delaminate due to the shear forces that arise between them. Delamination can occur in old automobile windows. Such a risk is usually not present in vacuum liquid resin laminated products, because the interlayer only partially melts during the heat lamination in the autoclave, and the adhesion of the cured resin to the glass (paint adhesion, chemical adhesion) is usually much stronger than the adhesion of the interlayer (tape adhesion, physical adhesion) due to the good adhesive effect of the plasticizer contained in the interlayer. The adhesion in VLRL is entirely at the molecular level, and in this material, the molecules provide a chemical adhesion that is much stronger than the physical adhesion. Due to the different thermal expansion coefficients and shortening between the glass and the polymer, a coupling agent may be added to the liquid resin to improve the bond strength between the glass and the polymer formed from the resin. A coupling agent is a chemical that strengthens the adhesion between different materials. The cost of manufacturing and using the apparatus 200 is therefore reduced compared to the apparatus 100. The benefits of VLRLG include low cost materials and energy savings, use of less material, simple equipment, simple process, less manpower required, and highly efficient manufacturing. The cost of manufacturing VLRLG is easily half the cost of interlaminated or cast laminated glass. Such new methods and new materials may support newer applications and may be more suitable for generalizing the use of laminated glass.

[0090] The device 200 combines the advantages of durability, ease of use and manufacture, well-protected formation of glass forms, low manufacturing costs, and no need for large manufacturing equipment. VLRLG can be manufactured by one person at very low cost without the need for large equipment. The process is also suitable for creating hurricane-resistant glass or hurricane-resistant safety glass, or bulletproof glass. VLRLG can be used not only for existing applications in laminated glass made by interlayer process or cast lamination process, but also for high performance applications such as bulletproof laminated glass, and highly efficient soundproof laminated glass, and laminated glass used at high temperatures, with fewer layers or lighter weight. Interlayers cured with liquid resin can be easily designed with special properties of density, elasticity, and stability according to the requirements of the application or optimization by calculation.

[0091] In some applications of VLRLG, such as glass curtain walls, safety can be important. All types of structural safety glass, including tempered, reinforced and laminated glass, can be used as the glass 120 of the device 200. The glass 120 can be in a more durable form for added strength and safety, such as tempered glass, hurricane-resistant glass or bulletproof glass. Any transparent panel with special features such as safety, dual layer or self-cleaning can be used in the device 200. More specifically, the VLRLG 200 can be formed by two or more layers of silica-based glass or a combination of silica-based glass and polymer-based panels. The different layers can have the same material glass or different materials glass. Bulletproof glass is a type of laminated glass that has the strength to stop bullets. The VLRLG 200 can be formed by curing with UV or sunlight or natural light or catalytic or thermal curing processes. Catalysts include photoinitiator 1173 for acrylic resins, MEK peroxide for polyester resins, and triethylenediamine for polyurethanes. These methods not only result in high strength but also have a much lower cost.

[0092] One of the main advantages of VLRLG200 is its safety features. Throughout this specification, "glass" refers to both silica-based and organic-based glasses. Upon impact, glass shards adhere to the interlayer, greatly reducing the risk of serious injury. This feature depends on two important material properties: adhesion to glass and the strength of the interlayer itself. VLRL has several advantages over interlayer or cast laminates with respect to these two important properties.

[0093] First, the interlayer has limited mobility since it is a thermoplastic polymer solid and contains plasticizers to reduce the lamination temperature. During lamination, it is in a semi-molten state and has limited adhesion (mainly physical adhesion). In contrast, liquid resins usually contain monomers or oligomers with high mobility as a liquid that makes full molecular contact with the glass surface, resulting in much higher adhesion (mainly chemical adhesion or bonding) compared to solid polymers. This is similar to the two different types of adhesion between chemical bonding / adhesion to paint and physical adhesion to tape. Furthermore, adhesion is effectively improved by adding adhesion promoters such as silanes, which are small coupling molecules that react at the molecular level.

[0094] Second, to have its bonding function, the interlayer cannot have a high level of crosslinking, otherwise it would not melt at high temperatures in autoclave lamination. Although plasticizers are added to reduce lamination temperatures, the interlayer still cannot have a high level of crosslinking, since the plasticizer cannot soften highly polymerized or highly crosslinked materials. A low level of crosslinking would severely limit the strength of the interlayer, necessitating an additional layer of plastic, such as a polycarbonate layer, to absorb the impact energy to the bulletproof glass. In VLRL, any level of crosslinking can be designed and implemented in the cured resin to increase or adjust the strength of the resin. The level of crosslinking can be easily engineered by the ratio of various functional groups or the amount of catalyst. Thus, the interlayer formed from the liquid resin can have three improved functions: the adhesive function of combining two glass panels, the function of receiving and absorbing impact energy, and UV protection.

[0095] VLRL can easily handle viscosities of 100 cps, and liquid resin can utilize essentially most paint-like polymers without pigments. Liquid resin can also have transparent colors such as dyes to create colored laminated glass. Such colored laminated glass has a much lower cost than tinted glass. With these advantages, bulletproof or hurricane-resistant glass panels created by liquid resin lamination can have fewer layers or be thinner or lighter, thereby lowering their cost. VLRLG can also have a variety of colors to match architectural colors for better appearance.

[0096] VLRL offers a way to manufacture a wide range of products. The properties of the liquid resin and its polymers can be easily modified to meet specific requirements and objectives. For example, the same chemicals of different molecular weights, such as monomers and oligomers, can be used to tailor the viscosity and crosslinking level. Different viscosities may be better suited for different applications and improve manufacturing efficiency.

[0097] VLRLGs can be designed to completely block UV radiation by adding UV-stable and UV-absorbing aromatic components such as the bisphenol A group, or by adding UV absorbers. Adding UV stabilizers or UV absorbers to liquid resins is a way to improve the UV stability of the polymer in VLRLGs for outdoor applications. Liquid resins can also be designed to be partially or completely UV-transparent by using aliphatic and aromatic monomers or oligomers, selectively passing UVA and / or UVB for plant growth, or for human vitamin D production.

[0098] Similar to traditional laminated glass with an interlayer, vacuum liquid resin laminated glass (VLRLG) also has safety and energy saving features. VLRLG can be used as architectural glass. Referring to FIG. 6, VLRLG can also be used to make a laminated insulated glass unit (IGU) 600 for architectural use. The laminated IGU 600 consists of one or more glass layers, such as the VLRLG 200 and the third glass layer 610, separated by a space or gap 630 and a seal spacer 620 at all edges between the third glass layer 610, to reduce heat across the architectural envelope. The gap 630 may be filled with air or an inert gas, or may be a vacuum. VLRLG or laminated IGU may be formed with annealed glass or tempered glass. Due to the insufficient flatness of tempered glass, traditional interlayer lamination of tempered glass cannot usually be made into laminated glass, but as discussed above, this is not true for VLRLG. By adding dyes or pigments to the resin, the color of the liquid resin can be easily changed to create a colored VLRLG or colored laminate IGU that matches the desired color of the architectural window.

[0099] Typically, bulletproof glass requires multiple layers, often more than five layers, with a thickness of about 2 inches. Conventional sequential lamination is usually used to make bulletproof glass, adding one or two layers at a time until the desired number of layers is reached. However, this process is time-consuming, energy-intensive, and costly. The VLRL process offers a cost-effective alternative by simultaneously filling and laminating multiple layers to lower costs, or filling separate layers with different resins to improve impact resistance with fewer layers. In addition, VLRL can be done at room temperature without the need for heavy equipment, saving energy and reducing costs. This makes liquid resin laminated bulletproof or hurricane-resistant glass more affordable than similar products made using interlaminar or cast lamination.

[0100] One advantage of VLRL is its ability to laminate tempered glass. Tempered glass is typically not flat, and bent tempered glass has poor parallelism, making it difficult to laminate with an interlayer. However, VLRL can easily handle variations in flatness and parallelism due to its liquid mobility.

[0101] The glass used in the device 200 can be made of a variety of materials, including silicone-based glass and polymer-based glass, such as acrylic and polycarbonate. In interlaminar lamination, plastic panels, often called plastic glass, can be used. VLRLG with plastic materials offers advantages such as light weight and bendability. Interlaminar lamination with plastic layers requires special interlayers suitable for lower lamination temperatures. However, many interlayer materials cannot be used for plastic lamination in an autoclave due to the risk of permanent deformation of the plastic layer or panel. This risk is avoided with VLRLG, since it can be made using a room temperature curing process.

[0102] The device 200 may have inserts in the layer of polymer 210, such as test strips, photographs, or plastic sheets for decorative or other purposes. The inserts may be made of a wide variety of materials, for example, natural carbohydrates, paper, or plastic sheets, and may occupy part or the entire area of ​​the resin layer 210.

[0103] Although the present disclosure has been described with respect to specific details, such details should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure except to the extent that they are included in the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 100, 200 laminated glass 110, 210 Middle class 120 Glass 130 Glass Surface 220 Spacer 300 Glass Cavity 310 Double-sided tape 320 Single-sided tape 400 VLRL System 410 Inlet Adapter 420 Outlet Adapter 430 Soft Tube 431, 531 Hard tube 440, 450 valve 460 Resin Container 470, 510 Receptor 480 Vacuum and Pressure Gauge 490, 590 3-way valve 491, 591 Vacuum pump 500 VLRL System 520 Transparent container 530 Rubber seal ring 540 Window 560 Resin supply container 592 Vacuum and Pressure Regulators 600 Stacked IGU 610 Third Glass Layer 620 Seal spacer 630 Gap

Claims

1. The first glass layer, The second glass layer, A polymer layer, which is polymerized or cured from a liquid resin and is in contact with the first glass layer and the second glass layer, A liquid resin laminated glass panel comprising the liquid resin, wherein the liquid resin is added by vacuum to a substantially sealed glass cavity formed between the first glass layer and the second glass layer.

2. The liquid resin laminated glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the liquid resin is added to the substantially sealed glass cavity by degassing.

3. The liquid resin laminated glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is formed from a one-component resin or a multi-component resin.

4. The liquid resin laminated glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the polymer or the liquid resin includes a spacer.

5. The liquid resin laminated glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises one or more of polyacrylate, polyurethane, polycarbonate, polysilicon, polyester, epoxy, polysulfide, polyimide, polyphenol, polyethylene, or copolymer.

6. The liquid resin laminated glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the first glass layer and the second glass layer is 0.01 to 2.00 millimeters.

7. The liquid resin laminated glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the liquid resin comprises one or more of dyes, pigments, coupling agents, or UV absorbers.

8. The liquid resin laminated glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the first glass layer or the second glass layer includes a low-e coating.

9. The liquid resin laminated glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises one or more inserts selected from natural carbohydrates, paper, photographs, or plastic sheets.

10. The liquid resin laminated glass panel according to claim 1, wherein the panel is attached to the third glass layer, which is positioned on the panel, such that the third glass layer is separated from the panel by a seal spacer positioned at the edge of the panel, thereby defining a gap between the panel and the third glass layer, and thereby forming a laminated thermal insulation glass unit.

11. The liquid resin laminated glass panel according to claim 10, wherein the gap is filled with air or an inert gas, or the gap is a vacuum.

12. A method for producing a liquid resin laminated glass panel, The steps include providing a glass cavity comprising a first glass layer and a second glass layer, wherein the glass cavity is substantially sealed at its edges, The steps include placing a liquid resin between the first glass layer and the second glass layer, The steps include curing the liquid resin to form a panel and A method comprising adding the liquid resin to the glass cavity by suction, and subsequently curing it to bond the first glass layer and the second glass layer.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the glass cavity is sealed using tape.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first glass layer and the second glass layer are separated by a spacer when they are bonded together.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of creating an opening at the end of the glass cavity and attaching an adapter to the opening so as to allow air or the liquid resin to enter and exit the glass cavity.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the liquid resin is degassed before or during the filling of the glass cavity.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the liquid resin is cured by exposure to sunlight, ultraviolet light, or heat.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of distributing the liquid resin includes using compressed air to increase the filling rate and / or prevent the formation of vacuum spots.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the panel is attached to the third glass layer, which is positioned on the panel, such that the third glass layer is separated from the panel by a seal spacer positioned at the edge of the panel, thereby defining a gap between the panel and the third glass layer.

20. A system for manufacturing liquid resin laminated glass panels, A glass cavity, substantially sealed at the ends, configured to be filled with liquid resin under vacuum, An adapter attached to the glass cavity to transfer the liquid resin and / or air into or out of the glass cavity, A vacuum pump for degassing the liquid resin and / or filling the glass cavity with the liquid resin, A container for holding the liquid resin for filling the glass cavity or for collecting the liquid resin from the glass cavity, The adapter and the container are connected to a valve that controls the liquid resin and / or air passing through. A system equipped with these features.

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