Fire-Resistant Laminated Glazing Spacer Degassing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fire-resistant laminated glazings using preformed tapes with aqueous alkali metal silicate solutions often experience edge bubbles due to air or low molecular weight gases trapped in the adhesive materials, especially when toughened glass is used, leading to optical defects and requiring expensive TPS technology.
Innovation Solution
A fire-resistant laminated glazing design featuring a spacer with a shim and a rubber portion, where the rubber portion is pre-treated to remove gases, ensuring no bubbles form at the interlayer-spacer and glass-spacer interfaces, and using a curable resin interlayer with alkali metal silicate, allowing for accurate spacing and improved sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If preformed tapes with adhesive materials are used as spacers, then the manufacturing process is simple and cost-effective, but air or low molecular weight gases become trapped in the adhesive materials causing edge bubbles at the interlayer-spacer and glass-spacer interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is pre-treated by heating to at least 60°C under reduced pressure for a predetermined time (at least 2 hours) before use in the lamination process. This preliminary degassing action removes air and low molecular weight gases from the rubber portion of the spacer, preventing bubble formation during subsequent curing while maintaining the simplicity of using preformed tapes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the spacer by applying heat and reduced pressure treatment to alter the gas content in the rubber material. This parameter change (temperature and pressure conditions) enables the spacer to be free of bubbles after curing, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability
2Reliability
If TPS technology is used to minimise edge bubbles, then bubble formation is reduced, but expensive capital investment in bulky equipment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses conventional, inexpensive preformed spacer tapes that can be easily manufactured and applied, replacing the need for expensive TPS equipment. The spacers are disposable components that achieve bubble-free results through pre-treatment rather than requiring complex manufacturing equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical TPS system (requiring bulky equipment for extrusion and assembly) with a chemical/physical pre-treatment approach. By heating and degassing the spacers beforehand, the need for complex mechanical TPS equipment is eliminated while achieving the same bubble-minimizing effect
3Strength
If toughened glass is used in laminated glazings, then fire resistance and strength are improved, but surface distortions cause poor contact of adhesive material leading to increased air entrapment and edge bubbles
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is pre-degassed by heating under reduced pressure before assembly with the toughened glass. This preliminary action removes gases that would otherwise be trapped by the surface distortions of toughened glass, allowing the adhesive material to maintain good contact despite the glass irregularities
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies preliminary anti-action by removing gases from the spacer before assembly, counteracting the tendency of surface distortions to trap air. This pre-emptive gas removal prevents the harmful effect of air entrapment that would otherwise be exacerbated by toughened glass surface irregularities
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces or eliminates edge bubbles, even with toughened glass, and allows for cost-effective, flexible manufacturing without the need for expensive TPS technology, enabling the production of fire-resistant glazings with good optical properties.
Implementation Method 1
said spacer having been pre-treated by heating the spacer to a temperature of at least 60°C under reduced pressure for a predetermined time of at least 2 hours
Implementation Method 2
The alkali metal silicate solution is then cured by heat, UV or chemical reaction to form an interlayer
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A fire-resistant laminated glazing comprising at least two glazing panes and at least one transparent intumescent interlayer between the glazing panes, said glazing panes being separated by a spacer extending at least partially around their peripheries so as to define a cavity to contain said interlayer, wherein the spacer comprises a shim for controlling the separation between the glazing panes to a predetermined distance and a rubber portion at least partially enclosing the shim, and wherein the interlayer comprises an alkali metal silicate.