Method for dismantling an insulating glazing in order to recycle same

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for dismantling an insulating glazing (100) in order to recycle same, having the steps of: - providing an insulating glazing (100) which contains at least two glass panes (1, 2) that are connected together by means of at least one spacer (3), said spacer (3) extending adjacently to and along an end-face edge (6) of the insulating glazing (100) and being arranged between the two glass panes (1, 2) within an edge region (10) of the insulating glazing (100), i) severing the spacer (3) using at least one cutting wire (11) of at least one wire saw (12), whereby the two glass panes (1, 2) are separated, wherein the at least one cutting wire (11) is heated to such a temperature that the spacer (3) locally melts and / or the at least one cutting wire (11) is only used in the edge region (10) of the insulating glazing, and / or ii) cutting off the edge region (10) which contains the spacer (3) from the inner region (13) of the insulating glazing (100) using at least one heating wire (18), whereby the two glass panes (1, 2) are separated. The at least one heating wire (18) is heated to such a temperature that upon contacting a glass pane (1, 2), the glass pane (1, 2) locally melts, or the at least one heating wire (18) is heated to such a temperature that upon contacting a glass pane (1, 2), the glass pane (1, 2) is locally heated, said locally heated region subsequently being quenched in order to break the glass.

Description

[0001] Method for dismantling an insulating glazing unit for its recycling

[0002] The invention lies in the technical field of pane manufacturing and relates to a method for dismantling insulating glazing for its further recycling.

[0003] The thermal conductivity of glass is significantly lower than that of concrete or similar building materials. However, since panes are generally thinner than comparable elements made of stone or concrete, buildings lose most of their heat through the exterior glazing. This effect is particularly noticeable in high-rise buildings with glass facades. Insulated glazing, which contains at least two panes of glass, connected to each other by at least one circumferential spacer, can help to combat this. A gap is formed between two adjacent panes of glass, which is filled with air or gas for insulation purposes. The spacer between the panes of glass is often made from a polymer material in the form of a prefabricated hollow profile and is then fixed between the panes of glass or extruded directly onto one of the panes.

[0004] Due to the high optical quality of the glass panes used, insulating glazing is a high-quality glass product whose production is associated with comparatively high costs. When insulating glazing installed in a building is no longer needed or is replaced, it is often disposed of as construction waste or the insulating glazing is melted down, which significantly impairs the optical quality of the glass. This is very disadvantageous from an ecological and economic perspective, especially since the high-quality glass used is a valuable raw material.

[0005] AT 364513 B discloses a device for cutting insulating glazing using a measuring blade. WO 2022 / 114544 A1 and WO 2019 / 043329 A1 disclose the use of a cutting wire. JP 2006267801 A discloses the cutting of glazing using a cutting tool positioned perpendicular to the glazing.

[0006] In contrast, the object of the present invention is to create a simple way to recycle insulating glazing while minimizing the deterioration of the optical quality of the glass. These and other objects are achieved according to the invention by a method for dismantling insulating glazing according to the independent patent claim. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

[0007] According to the invention, a method for dismantling an insulating glazing for the further utilization (recycling) of components of the insulating glazing is shown.

[0008] In a first step, a conventional insulating glazing unit, known to those skilled in the art, is provided. The insulating glazing unit is to be disassembled in order to recycle at least its glass components.

[0009] Insulated glazing consists of at least two panes of glass that are (permanently) connected by at least one surrounding spacer. A gap is formed between the two panes, defined by the panes and the spacer. The gap is filled with air or gas (e.g., argon) for insulation purposes.

[0010] The two glass panes can be firmly connected to each other by a single spacer, although structures with two or more spacers between the two glass panes are also known and provided according to the invention.

[0011] The insulating glazing can comprise exactly two panes of glass, but more than two panes can also be provided, e.g., three or four panes of glass, with at least one spacer being arranged between each adjacent pane of glass, connecting these two panes together. Such multiple glazing can further improve the insulation effect.

[0012] For the sake of simplicity, the method according to the invention will be described below in connection with an insulating glazing with exactly two glass panes and a single spacer, it being understood that the invention is equally applicable to insulating glazing with more than two glass panes (multiple glazing) and more than one spacer between two adjacent glass panes.

[0013] In one embodiment, the spacer comprises a polymer hollow profile made of a polymeric material as its base component. However, it is also possible for the spacer to have a base component made of another (non-polymeric) material, whereby the base component can also be made of a metallic material, such as aluminum.

[0014] Typically, but not necessarily, the spacer comprises additional components in addition to the base component, such as a moisture barrier applied to the base component or a desiccant that is introduced into the cavity of the base component designed as a hollow profile. It is also common practice to connect the spacer to the two glass panes using a first or primary sealant, and to additionally apply a second or secondary sealant to the surface of the spacer facing the outside, which usually also comes into contact with the two glass panes. The outer surface of the secondary sealant usually creates a flush outer seal with the end edges of the two glass panes. The outer surface of the secondary sealant can be flat, curved outwards, or recessed inwards.The structure of an insulating glazing unit described above is known in the art and has already been described many times in the patent literature, with reference being made to WO 2021 / 151705 A1 merely as an example (see in particular Figure 6).

[0015] The two glass panes of the insulating glazing unit each have a front edge, whereby the insulating glazing itself also has a front edge, which results from the front edges of the two glass panes and a structure located between the glass panes. Typically, but not necessarily, the structure located between the glass panes is a (secondary) sealant or the spacer itself. It is understood that the front edge of the insulating glazing unit is circumferential. Unless otherwise stated, the term "front edge" here and below refers to the front edge of the insulating glazing unit.

[0016] In the insulating glazing provided, the spacer extends along the front edge (of the insulating glazing) and borders the front edge, i.e., the spacer is positioned at the edge. The spacer is circumferential, i.e., it has a continuous profile along the front edge.

[0017] Furthermore, the spacer is arranged between the two glass panes, wherein the spacer is arranged within an edge region of the insulating glazing between the two glass panes. In the sense of the present invention, the edge region borders on the front edge (of the insulating glazing) and contains the at least one spacer between the two glass panes. Thus, the edge region of the insulating glazing extends, starting from the front edge, far enough into the insulating glazing that the spacer is contained between the two glass panes. The edge region of the insulating glazing is merely a notional region of the insulating glazing and can also extend beyond the spacer, i.e. beyond the spacer, but not over the entire insulating glazing. In any case, there remains an inner region of the insulating glazing delimited by the edge region which does not have a spacer.It goes without saying that the edge area of ​​the insulating glazing is designed to follow the circumferential contour of the spacer. Thus, the insulating glazing consists of the inner area (without spacer) and the edge area (with spacer).

[0018] After the insulating glazing has been prepared in the first step, the insulating glazing is disassembled in a second step, separating the two glass panes from each other and thus no longer connecting them to each other by the spacer. According to the invention, the second step can be carried out in two variants.

[0019] In a first variant (step i), the spacer is cut by means of at least one wire, hereinafter referred to as "cutting wire", of at least one wire saw, whereby the two glass panes are separated from each other.

[0020] In a second variant (step ii), which can be implemented alternatively or in addition to the first variant, the edge region of the insulating glazing containing the spacer is separated from the rest (inner region) of the insulating glazing using at least one hot wire, hereinafter referred to as the "heating wire," of at least one heating wire cutter, thereby separating the two glass panes from each other. By separating the peripheral edge region of the insulating glazing, the inner region of the insulating glazing remains, which no longer contains a spacer, so that the two glass panes can be separated from each other in the inner region, since they are no longer firmly connected to each other.

[0021] In the first variant, the spacer is severed, with at least one cutting wire of at least one wire saw being used for this purpose. Wire saws as such are well known to those skilled in the art. They contain at least one cutting wire which can be set into a cutting movement such that an object brought into contact with the cutting wire can be cut by the cutting wire. The cutting wire can be moved back and forth for this purpose. A circumferential movement of a cutting wire in the form of an endless wire is possible and particularly practical for technical implementation. The wire saw used in the first variant of the method according to the invention comprises one or more cutting areas in which the at least one cutting wire can be used to cut the spacer.

[0022] In the first variant (step i), the spacer consists of a material that can be cut through by the cutting wire. Advantageously, the spacer comprises a base component made of a polymeric material in the form of a hollow profile. Polymeric materials can be easily cut by the cutting wire.

[0023] In a first embodiment of the first variant (step i), in which the spacer contains a base component made of a polymeric material, the cutting wire is heated to a temperature such that the spacer melts locally. This advantageously facilitates the cutting of the spacer by means of the cutting wire.

[0024] In a second embodiment of the first variant (step i), which can be implemented alternatively or in addition to the immediately above first embodiment of the first variant, the at least one cutting wire is used only in the edge area of ​​the insulating glazing. This measure has the particular advantage that the interior of the insulating glazing is not subjected to any mechanical stress from the cutting wire, and thus there is no risk of the glass panes in the interior being mechanically damaged by the cutting wire.

[0025] In the second variant (step ii), the edge area of ​​the insulating glazing is separated from the rest (inner area) of the insulating glazing, using at least one heating wire of at least one heating wire cutter for this purpose. Heating wire cutters as such are well known to those skilled in the art. These contain at least one heating wire, which is typically heated by an electric current, so that an object brought into contact with the heating wire is heated by the heating wire.

[0026] In a first embodiment of the second variant (step ii), the heating wire is heated to such a temperature that, upon contact with a glass pane, the glass pane melts locally. This measure has the particular advantage that the glass panes can be easily cut through to separate the edge area of ​​the insulating glazing from the rest of the insulating glazing.

[0027] In a second embodiment of the second variant (step ii), which can be carried out alternatively to the immediately above first embodiment of the second variant, the heating wire is heated to such a temperature that upon contact with a glass pane, the glass pane does not melt locally, but is merely heated locally. The heated area of ​​the glass pane is subsequently quenched with a cooler fluid, e.g., water, to cause the glass to break. This measure also allows the edge area of ​​the insulating glazing to be reliably and safely separated from the rest of the insulating glazing.

[0028] In the second variant (step ii), the edge area of ​​the insulating glazing is separated from the rest or interior of the insulating glazing, so that the spacer connecting the two glass panes is removed from the interior, allowing the two glass panes to be separated from each other. Since the edge area, including the spacer, is separated, the spacer can be made of any material, in particular a non-polymer material, such as a metallic one.

[0029] In both variants of the method according to the invention, the two glass panes can be separated from each other after the spacer has been completely severed (first variant) or the edge region containing the spacer has been removed (second variant) and can then be recycled. In particular, the two glass panes can be melted down to obtain a high-quality glass raw material, or the glass panes can be reused.

[0030] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, at least two cutting wires are provided in the first variant (step i), with one cutting wire cutting through the spacer adjacent to one glass pane and the other cutting wire cutting through the spacer adjacent to the other glass pane. Alternatively, it is equally possible for at least two cutting regions of a single cutting wire to be provided, with one cutting region cutting through the spacer adjacent to one glass pane and the other cutting region cutting through the spacer adjacent to the other glass pane. Particularly preferably, the two cutting wires or the two cutting regions of a single cutting wire cut through the spacer simultaneously.This measure particularly advantageously allows the spacer to be removed from the glass panes adjacent to the glass panes, so that the separated glass panes contain only a small amount of foreign material (spacer). This allows the glass panes to be reused or, by melting the two glass panes together, a glass raw material with a particularly high optical quality can be produced. Furthermore, the spacer can even be almost completely separated from the glass panes, allowing even reuse of at least the polymer hollow profile (base component) of the spacer. These are major advantages of the method according to the invention.

[0031] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, at least two heating wires are provided in the second variant (step ii), wherein one heating wire is brought into contact with one glass pane and the other heating wire is brought into contact with the other glass pane. Alternatively, it is equally possible for at least two heating wire regions of a single heating wire to be provided, wherein one heating wire region is brought into contact with one glass pane and the other heating wire region is brought into contact with the other glass pane. This measure particularly advantageously enables the edge region to be separated from the interior region of the insulating glazing in a time-efficient manner, wherein the glass panes of the interior region have a particularly high quality.

[0032] Typically, but not necessarily, the insulating glazing has a rectangular or square shape when viewed from above (the view through the glass panes). This type of insulating glazing therefore has a front edge with four straight edge sections, whereby the front edge is made up of two pairs of opposite (parallel) and straight edge sections. The four straight edge sections together form the front edge of the insulating glazing. The spacer is formed all the way around the front edge and accordingly has four straight spacer sections that extend along the straight edge sections. Typically, the spacer is not formed in one piece or in one part, but the straight spacer sections are connected to one another via respective corner pieces (e.g. by inserting them into the corner pieces).

[0033] In the first variant (step i) of the method according to the invention, at least one wire saw is used, which has at least one cutting wire, which is advantageously designed in the form of a continuous wire and can be set in a circular motion for cutting the spacer. The cutting wire is guided around two or more deflection rollers, with a cutting area of ​​the cutting wire being provided between each two adjacent deflection rollers.

[0034] Particularly advantageously, at least one deflection roller is movable relative to the insulating glazing. In particular, all deflection rollers are movable relative to the insulating glazing. This makes it easy to move the cutting wire or the one or more cutting areas relative to the insulating glazing. For example, three deflection rollers are provided to guide a single cutting wire, so that two cutting areas, arranged, for example, at an angle of 90°, can be used on the insulating glazing to sever the spacer. If the insulating glazing is rectangular or square, the cutting areas can be used on two edge sections arranged at an angle of 90°, in particular simultaneously. Advantageously, the cutting wire is guided around four deflection rollers, wherein the deflection rollers are each movable relative to the insulating glazing.If the insulating glazing is rectangular or square, the cutting areas can be used on all four straight edge sections, especially simultaneously.

[0035] In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, when the insulating glazing is rectangular or square, the cutting wire runs parallel to the straight edge section of the insulating glazing during the cutting of the spacer, where the cutting wire is positioned. This allows for a particularly simple process.

[0036] In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, when the insulating glazing is rectangular or square, the cutting wire, while cutting through the spacer, has an oblique course, at least temporarily, to the straight edge section of the insulating glazing at which the cutting wire is positioned. The oblique course can remain the same or change while cutting through the spacer. This enables a method in which the insulating glazing is applied at an angle to an edge section and then successively rotated to cut through the spacer. Advantageously, the insulating glazing is applied close to a deflection roller (e.g. at a distance of up to a quarter of the distance between two deflection rollers), so that bending of the cutting wire, which is always guided around the deflection rollers with play, due to force exerted by the insulating glazing is at least largely avoided.In the method according to the invention, the surrounding spacer is completely severed (first variant) and / or the edge region of the insulating glazing containing the spacer, including the spacer, is completely removed. In this process, the relative orientation between the insulating glazing and the cutting or heating wire is changed.

[0037] In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, in the first variant (step i), the straight edge sections are each positioned by moving the insulating glazing relative to the cutting wire and / or by moving the cutting wire relative to the insulating glazing to cut through the spacer. In the second variant (step ii), the straight edge sections are each positioned by moving the insulating glazing relative to the heating wire and / or by moving the heating wire relative to the insulating glazing to cut off the edge region.

[0038] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, in the first variant (step i), the spacer is severed simultaneously along at least two straight edge sections. In the second variant (step i), the edge region (or parts thereof) is severed simultaneously along at least two straight edge sections. This measure enables a particularly time-efficient disassembly of the insulating glazing.

[0039] The glass panes of the provided insulating glazing can be designed in any way. For example, the glass panes are made of soda-lime glass, as is common for window panes. However, other types of glass can also be used, such as quartz glass, borosilicate glass, or aluminosilicate glass. The glass panes are preferably transparent. The thickness of the glass panes is preferably between 0.5 mm and 5 mm. The thicknesses of the glass panes can be selected independently of one another. The glass panes can be clear, i.e., have no tints or colors, or they can be tinted or colored.

[0040] As already explained, the base component of the spacer, typically in the form of a hollow profile, can be made of any material, provided that the spacer can be severed by a cutting wire in the process according to the first variant (step i). Advantageously, the base component consists of a polymeric material, in particular a bio-based polymer, polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene, polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PET-G), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyamide, polyamide 6,6, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), acrylate ester styrene acrylonitrile (ASA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polycarbonate (ABS / PC), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), PET / PC, PBT / PC, or copolymers thereof. The base component can also be, in particular, glass fiber reinforced.

[0041] Insulating glazing can be designed to separate an interior space from the outside environment in an opening in a building.

[0042] The various embodiments of the invention can be implemented individually or in any combination. In particular, the features mentioned above and explained below can be used not only in the specified combinations, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0043] The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments, with reference to the accompanying figures. They show, in simplified form and not to scale:

[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of part of an exemplary insulating glazing with a cutting wire in position to illustrate an embodiment of the method according to the invention,

[0045] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the insulating glazing of Figure 1 with two cutting wires positioned to illustrate a further embodiment of the method according to the invention

[0046] Figures 3A-3B are schematic perspective views of an exemplary insulating glazing with a cutting wire positioned in two different positions of the insulating glazing to illustrate a further embodiment of the method according to the invention,

[0047] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary insulating glazing unit with a cutting wire positioned with one cutting area to illustrate a further embodiment of the method according to the invention. Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary insulating glazing unit with a cutting wire positioned with four cutting areas to illustrate a further embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0048] Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary insulating glazing with a heating wire in position to illustrate a further embodiment of the method according to the invention,

[0049] Figure 7 is a flow chart of the method according to the invention for dismantling an insulating glazing.

[0050] Let us first consider Figure 1 to illustrate an embodiment of the method according to the invention. Figure 1 shows, in a schematic perspective view, part of an exemplary insulating glazing unit 100, which is intended, for example, to separate an interior space from the exterior environment in an opening in a building.

[0051] The insulating glazing 100 comprises a first glass pane 1 and a second glass pane 2, which are firmly connected to each other by a circumferential spacer 3. Between the two glass panes 1, 2, an air- or gas-filled cavity or intermediate space 4 is formed, which is delimited by the two glass panes 1, 2 and the spacer 3.

[0052] In the exemplary embodiment of Figure 1, the insulating glazing 100 comprises two glass panes 1, 2 and a spacer 3. It is equally possible to provide multiple spacers between two immediately adjacent glass panes, and more than two glass panes, each with at least one spacer between a pair of immediately adjacent glass panes, can be provided. The invention is equally suitable for this purpose.

[0053] For the sake of simplicity, only the base component of the spacer 3 is shown in Figure 1. Not shown, as they are not necessary for understanding the invention, are other components such as sealants by which the spacer 3 is connected to the two glass panes 1, 2. The two glass panes 1, 2 consist, for example, of soda-lime glass, with each of the glass panes 1, 2 having a thickness of, for example, 0.5 mm to 5 mm. The spacer 3 contains, as its base component, a polymeric hollow profile made of a polymeric material selected from the aforementioned list of polymeric materials for the base component.

[0054] The insulating glazing 100 has a rectangular shape in plan view, although this is not fully shown in Figures 1 and 2. In addition to the two main surfaces 5, which correspond to the view-through areas of the two glass panes 1, 2, the insulating glazing 100 comprises an end edge 6 with four straight edge sections 7 (see Figures 3A, 3B), wherein the end edge 6 is composed of two pairs, each with opposite (parallel) and straight edge sections 7. The spacer 3 is formed circumferentially around the end edge 6 and accordingly has four straight spacer regions 8, each of which extends along the straight edge sections 7 and is connected to one another by corner parts (not shown) (see Figures 3A, 3B).

[0055] In the embodiment of Figure 1, the front edge 6 of the insulating glazing 100 is formed by the two front edges 9 of the glass panes 1, 2. It is understood that a (secondary) sealing means is typically provided on the outside of the spacer 3.

[0056] The spacer 3 extends circumferentially along the front edge 6 and borders the front edge 6. The spacer 3 is arranged only within an edge region 10 between the two glass panes 1, 2. In Figure 1, the edge region 10 containing the spacer 3 is marked by a dashed line. The edge region 10 extends from the front edge 6 to the dashed line. The merely conceptually constructed edge region 10 extends beyond the spacer 3, but could equally well extend only to the surface of the spacer 3 facing the intermediate space 3. The dashed line is arbitrarily positioned for illustrative purposes and could equally well be arranged closer to or further away from the spacer 3.

[0057] Also shown in Figure 1 is a cutting wire 11 for severing the spacer 3, which is positioned on a straight edge section 7 of the insulating glazing 100 approximately at the center height of the spacer 3. The cutting wire 11 is arranged parallel to the straight edge section 7 and can be guided between the two glass panes 1, 2 to cut or sever the spacer 3, e.g., while maintaining parallelism to the straight edge section 7, which is indicated in Figure 1 by the two arrows.

[0058] The cutting wire 11 can be guided through the insulating glazing 100 in a consistently constant direction, so that the surrounding spacer 3 is completely severed and the two glass panes 1, 2 are no longer firmly connected to one another by the spacer 3 and can be separately recycled. According to one embodiment of the invention, another procedure is provided in which the straight edge sections 7 of the insulating glazing 100 and / or the cutting wire 11 are positioned relative to one another and the cutting wire 11 is only used in the edge region 10, which will be discussed in more detail below. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cutting wire 11 is heated so that it can be guided more easily through the spacer 3. These two embodiments can also be combined.

[0059] The cutting wire 11 is part of a wire saw 12 (not shown in further detail), by means of which the cutting wire, which is preferably designed as an endless wire, can be brought into a circumferential movement, for example, so that the cutting wire 11 can exert a cutting effect.

[0060] As schematically illustrated in Figure 2, it is particularly advantageous if two cutting wires 11 are used, wherein one cutting wire 11 cuts through the spacer 3 adjacent to one glass pane 1 and the other cutting wire 11 cuts through the spacer 3 adjacent to the other glass pane 2. Although not shown in Figure 1, it would alternatively be equally possible for only a single cutting wire 11 to be provided, for which two cutting areas are formed (see below). This allows the spacer 3 to be at least almost completely removed from the two glass panes 1, 2, so that the two glass panes 1, 2 can be reused or melted down to obtain glass of a particularly high quality as a raw product.

[0061] As shown in Figure 2 and illustrated by the two arrows, it is advantageous if the two cutting wires 11 simultaneously cut through the spacer 3. The two cutting wires 11 are arranged parallel to the straight edge section 7, even during the cutting through of the spacer 3. Figures 3A-3B show schematic perspective views of an exemplary insulating glazing 100 with a cutting wire 11 positioned in two different positions of the insulating glazing 100. These figures explain an advantageous method for cutting through the spacer 3.

[0062] As shown in Figure 3A, a straight edge section 7 of the insulating glazing 100 is first brought into position with respect to a cutting wire 11 (parallel arrangement). As illustrated by the arrows, the cutting wire 11 is guided between the two glass panes 1, 2, and the spacer 3 is severed. The cutting wire 11 is not guided any further than the end of the edge region 10, which is shown circumferentially in Figure 3A. The spacer 3 is located only in the edge region 10, with the edge region 10 delimiting the inner region 13 of the insulating glazing 100, in which no spacer 3 is located. This has the advantage that the two glass panes 1, 2 in the inner region 13 cannot be mechanically damaged by the cutting wire 11.

[0063] As shown in Figure 3B, another straight edge section 7 of the insulating glazing 100 is next brought into position with respect to the cutting wire 11 (parallel arrangement), with the insulating glazing 100 being rotated by 90°. As illustrated by the arrows, the cutting wire 11 is again guided between the two glass panes 1, 2, and the spacer 3 is severed. The cutting wire 11 is only inserted in the edge region 10, i.e., it is only guided to the end of the edge region 11.

[0064] This procedure is repeated twice more in the same manner, with the insulating glazing 100 being rotated 90° each time. This results in the spacer 3 being completely severed and the two glass panes 1, 2 being separated from each other.

[0065] Figure 4 illustrates a further exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention using a schematic perspective view of an exemplary insulating glazing unit 100 with a cutting wire 11 in position. The cutting wire 11 is designed as a continuous wire and guided around two deflection rollers 14. Between the two deflection rollers 14 is a cutting area 15 of the cutting wire 11 or the wire saw 12. As illustrated, in this exemplary embodiment, the insulating glazing unit 100 is guided with a corner 16 to the cutting wire 11, followed by screwing the adjacent straight edge section 7 into the cutting wire 11, so that the spacer 3 is severed at this straight edge section 7. This procedure is then repeated in the same way for the three remaining corners 16 in order to completely severe the spacer 3.

[0066] As illustrated in Figure 4, the corners 16 of the insulating glazing 100 are each positioned near a deflection roller 14 (e.g., at a distance from the deflection roller 14 of a maximum of one-quarter the distance of the cutting area 15). This procedure has the particular advantage that the cutting wire 11 has little play near the deflection roller 14 and can therefore be cut very precisely. The cutting wire 11 is used only within the edge area 10.

[0067] Figure 5 illustrates a further embodiment of the method according to the invention. According to this, an insulating glazing unit 100 is cut by a single cutting wire 11, which is designed as a continuous wire and is guided so as to encircle four deflection rollers 14. A cutting region 15 of the cutting wire 11 is located between every two adjacent deflection rollers 14, so that there are a total of four cutting regions 15, each of which is rotated by 90°. The cutting regions 15 are arranged parallel to the straight edge sections 7 of the insulating glazing unit 100. The deflection rollers 14 can be moved (e.g. diagonally) towards the insulating glazing unit 100, so that the cutting regions 15 and thus the cutting wire 11 can be moved simultaneously at all four edge sections 7 between the glass panes 1, 2 into the insulating glazing unit 100, in order to sever the spacer 3. The cutting wire 11 is only used within the edge area 10.One of the deflection rollers 14 is coupled to a compensating roller 17 to shorten or lengthen the length of the cutting wire 11 used as needed or depending on the position of the deflection rollers 14. The cutting areas 15 can be retracted accordingly. This allows the spacer 3 to be severed particularly time-efficiently and precisely.

[0068] The embodiment of Figure 6 is analogous to the embodiment of Figure 2, wherein instead of cutting wires, two heating wires 18 are provided for severing the edge region 10 at a straight edge section 7. The heating wires 18 are positioned on both glass panes 1, 2 at the end of the edge region 10. The heating wires 18 are heated, for example, to a temperature such that upon contact with a glass pane 1, 2, the glass pane 1, 2 melts locally. The glass panes 1, 2 can thus be severed in a simple manner in order to separate the edge region 10 from the inner region 13 of the insulating glazing 100. Alternatively, only the glass panes 1, 2 can be heated, followed by quenching using a cool fluid, e.g. water, in order to cause the glass to break. In this embodiment, the spacer can be made of any material, even a metallic material.

[0069] Figure 7 illustrates the method according to the invention for dismantling an insulating glazing unit using a flowchart. Here, the following are meant:

[0070] Step a)

[0071] Providing an insulating glazing unit comprising at least two glass panes connected to one another by at least one spacer, the spacer extending adjacent to and along a front edge of the insulating glazing unit and being arranged within an edge region of the insulating glazing unit between the two glass panes,

[0072] Step b) i) Cutting the spacer by means of at least one cutting wire of at least one wire saw, whereby the two glass panes are separated from one another, wherein the at least one cutting wire is heated to a temperature such that the spacer melts locally and / or the at least one cutting wire is used only in the edge region of the insulating glazing, and / or ii) Separating the edge region containing the spacer from the rest of the insulating glazing using at least one heating wire of at least one heating wire cutter, whereby the two glass panes are separated from one another, wherein the at least one heating wire is heated to a temperature such that the glass pane melts locally upon contact with a glass pane or the at least one heating wire is heated to a temperature such that the glass pane is locally heated upon contact with a glass pane, wherein the locally heated region is subsequently quenched,to cause glass breakage.,

[0073] From the above, it can be seen that the invention provides an improved method for dismantling insulating glazing units, by which the glass panes can be recycled with high optical quality due to comparatively low mechanical stress and the possibility of at least largely removing the spacer. The method can be implemented in common industrial systems and carried out cost- and time-efficiently.

[0074] Reference symbol:

[0075] 1 first glass pane

[0076] 2 second glass pane

[0077] 3 spacers

[0078] 4 gap

[0079] 5 Main area

[0080] 6 front edge of the insulating glazing

[0081] 7 straight edge section

[0082] 8 straight spacer area

[0083] 9 front edge of a glass pane

[0084] 10 Marginal area

[0085] 11 Cutting wire

[0086] 12 Wire saw

[0087] 13 Interior

[0088] 14 Deflection roller

[0089] 15 Cutting area

[0090] 16 Corner

[0091] 17 Compensating roller

[0092] 18 heating wire

[0093] 100 insulating glazing

Claims

Claims 1. A method for dismantling an insulating glazing unit (100) for further recycling, comprising: Providing an insulating glazing unit (100) comprising at least two glass panes (1, 2) which are connected to one another by at least one spacer (3), wherein the spacer (3) extends adjacent to and along a front edge (6) of the insulating glazing unit (100) and is arranged within an edge region (10) of the insulating glazing unit (100) between the two glass panes (1, 2), i) severing the spacer (3) by means of at least one cutting wire (11) of at least one wire saw (12), whereby the two glass panes (1, 2) are separated from one another, wherein the at least one cutting wire (11) is heated to a temperature such that the spacer (3) melts locally and / or the at least one cutting wire (11) is used only in the edge region (10) of the insulating glazing unit,and / or ii) separating the edge region (10) containing the spacer (3) from an inner region (13) of the insulating glazing (100) using at least one heating wire (18), whereby the two glass panes (1, 2) are separated from each other, wherein the at least one heating wire (18) is heated to a temperature such that upon contact with a glass pane (1, 2), the glass pane (1, 2) melts locally or the at least one heating wire (18) is heated to a temperature such that upon contact with a glass pane (1, 2), the glass pane (1, 2) is locally heated, wherein the locally heated region is subsequently quenched to cause glass breakage.

2. Method for dismantling an insulating glazing (100) according to claim 1, in which in step i) at least two cutting wires (11) are provided, wherein one cutting wire (11) adjacent to one glass pane (1) and the other cutting wire (11) adjacent to the other glass pane (2) cuts through the spacer (3), or at least two cutting regions (15) of a single cutting wire (11) are provided, wherein one cutting region adjacent to one glass pane (1) and the other cutting region adjacent to the other glass pane (2) cuts through the spacer (3).

3. A method for dismantling an insulating glazing (100) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein in step ii) at least two heating wires (18) are provided, wherein one heating wire is brought into contact with one glass pane (1) and the other heating wire is brought into contact with the other glass pane (2), or at least two heating wire regions of a single heating wire are provided, wherein one heating wire region is brought into contact with one glass pane and the other heating wire region is brought into contact with the other glass pane.

4. A method for dismantling an insulating glazing (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in step i) the wire saw has at least one cutting wire (11) which is in the form of an endless cutting wire and can be brought into a circular movement for cutting the spacer, wherein the cutting wire is guided around two or more deflection rollers (14), wherein a cutting region (15) of the cutting wire (11) is provided between each two adjacent deflection rollers (14).

5. Method for dismantling an insulating glazing (100) according to claim 4, in which at least one deflection roller (14), in particular all deflection rollers, are movable relative to the insulating glazing (100).

6. A method for dismantling an insulating glazing (100) according to claim 5, wherein the cutting wire is guided around four deflection rollers (14), the deflection rollers each being movable relative to the insulating glazing.

7. A method for dismantling an insulating glazing unit (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an insulating glazing unit is provided which has a rectangular or square shape in plan view, the end edge (6) of the insulating glazing unit having two pairs of opposite, straight edge portions (7).

8. A method for dismantling an insulating glazing (100) according to claim 7, wherein in step i) the cutting wire (11) has a parallel course to the straight edge section (7) of the insulating glazing at which the cutting wire (11) is brought into position during the severing of the spacer (3).

9. Method for dismantling an insulating glazing according to claim 7, in which the cutting wire (11) during the cutting through of the spacer (3) is at least temporarily has an oblique course to the straight edge section (7) of the insulating glazing, at which the cutting wire (11) is brought into position.

10. Method for dismantling an insulating glazing (100) according to one of claims 7 to 9, in which in step i) for severing the spacer (3), the straight edge sections (7) are each brought into position by a movement of the insulating glazing (100) relative to the cutting wire (11) and / or by a movement of the cutting wire (11) relative to the insulating glazing (100), or in step ii) for severing the edge region (10), the straight edge sections (7) are each brought into position by a movement of the insulating glazing (100) relative to the heating wire (18) and / or by a movement of the heating wire (18) relative to the insulating glazing (100). 11 . Method for dismantling an insulating glazing (100) according to one of claims 7 to 10, in which in step i) the spacer (3) is severed at least two straight edge sections (7) simultaneously, and / or in step ii) the edge region (10) is severed at least two straight edge sections (7) simultaneously.

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