Joinery Glazing Cutting for Clean, Automated Frame Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for recycling joinery, particularly for separating glazing from frames, are inefficient, hazardous, time-consuming, and result in impure glass due to the presence of connecting elements, requiring additional cleaning and handling that violates recycling standards.
Innovation Solution
A cutting method and device that separates glazing from a frame by cutting along the frame at a predetermined distance, using a single tool to obtain a clean glass portion for recycling, and then cutting the frame into pieces, facilitated by position-holding devices and conveyors for automated processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the joinery is lifted and hit on the ground to break the frame, then the glazing can be detached, but the process is dangerous for the operator and impairs the cleanliness of the glass
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of lifting and hitting the joinery with an automated cutting device that uses a cutting tool to separate the glazing from the frame. This substitution eliminates the need for operators to manually handle and strike the joinery, thereby ensuring operator safety and maintaining glass cleanliness through controlled cutting rather than impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting device acts as an intermediary between the operator and the joinery. Instead of the operator directly manipulating the joinery by lifting and striking it, the cutting device performs the separation function, mediating the interaction and eliminating direct contact that leads to safety hazards and glass contamination.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If manual dismantling is performed step by step, then operator safety is improved, but the process becomes time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the slow, manual step-by-step dismantling process with an automated cutting device. The cutting tool can rapidly traverse along the frame and cut through the connecting elements, reducing the time required for glazing removal while maintaining operator safety through automated operation and controlled cutting.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting device enables continuous action by automatically moving along the frame and cutting through all connecting elements in a single operational sequence. This eliminates the intermittent, step-by-step nature of manual dismantling, where operators must repeatedly position and remove individual components, thereby significantly reducing the total time required for the process.
3Ease of manufacture
If glazing is removed at a dedicated sorting facility, then separation is achieved, but additional costs are incurred and glass purity is compromised due to tools used
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rough mechanical tools used at sorting facilities with a precision cutting tool. The cutting tool can cleanly cut through the connecting elements without contaminating the glass surface, thereby maintaining glass purity suitable for recycling while achieving effective separation from the frame.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting device serves as a specialized intermediary that performs separation without the contamination issues associated with general-purpose tools at sorting facilities. By introducing this dedicated cutting mechanism, the process achieves both effective separation and preservation of glass purity, eliminating the need to send joinery to external facilities.
4Loss of substance
If multiple cleaning steps are performed on the glazing, then glass purity is improved, but the process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting device performs preliminary action by making precise cuts that prevent connecting elements from contaminating the glass in the first place. By cutting through the seals and connecting elements at a controlled distance from the glass edge, the process eliminates the need for subsequent cleaning operations to remove these contaminants, thereby maintaining glass purity through prevention rather than correction.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting device extracts the connecting elements and seals from the glazing assembly by cutting them away at a predetermined distance from the glass. This extraction action removes potential contaminants before they can adhere to the glass surface, eliminating the need for multiple cleaning steps and simplifying the overall process while maintaining glass purity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for cutting a joinery (10) by a cutting device (100), the joinery (10) being of the type comprising at least one frame (11) and a glazing (12), the method being characterized in that it comprises a step of cutting the glazing (12) of the joinery (10) by a cutting tool (20) along the frame (11) and at a predetermined distance (d) from said frame (11) so as to separate a main portion (12A) of the glazing (12). The invention also relates to a cutting device (100) for implementing at least one such cutting step.