Automated Triple-Pane Glass Assembly with 180-Degree Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual construction of triple-pane insulating glass units is labor-intensive, hazardous, and inefficient, as operators struggle with heavy glass panes, leading to increased costs and manufacturing slowdowns due to the risk of breakage and the need for multiple workers.
Innovation Solution
Automated equipment and methods for assembling three glass panes and spacers into a teepee configuration, allowing for the injection of air or gas between the panes, which includes rotating glass panes 180° to handle them safely and efficiently, minimizing disruption to coatings and spacers, and enabling the production of both double- and triple-pane units on the same assembly line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual lifting and carrying of glass panes is used, then the manufacturing process can be completed with simple equipment, but operator safety deteriorates and the likelihood of glass breakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical lifting and carrying with an automated mechanical handling system. The system uses a robotic arm or automated conveyor mechanism to grasp, lift, and position glass panes and spacers, eliminating the need for operators to manually handle heavy and fragile components. This substitution maintains equipment simplicity while dramatically improving operator safety and reducing glass breakage risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated handling system is designed to autonomously perform the assembly operations without human intervention. The system self-regulates the grasping, lifting, positioning, and release of glass panes and spacers, making the process self-service and eliminating the safety risks associated with manual handling while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Reliability
If multiple operators are used to handle glass panes, then operator safety improves, but manufacturing productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces multiple human operators with a single automated mechanical handling system. This substitution maintains the safety benefits of having multiple people handle heavy glass panes while eliminating the productivity loss associated with coordinating multiple operators. The automated system operates continuously at optimal speed without the coordination delays inherent in manual multi-operator processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated handling system performs all assembly operations autonomously without requiring human coordination or intervention. This self-service capability enables continuous operation at high speed, dramatically improving manufacturing throughput while maintaining the safety standards of multi-operator handling through automated control mechanisms.
3Device complexity
If manual assembly methods are used, then equipment complexity is reduced, but manufacturing speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated mechanical handling system that replaces manual assembly operations. While this increases device complexity compared to simple manual tools, the automation enables continuous high-speed operation that dramatically improves manufacturing throughput. The system uses programmable control and automated mechanisms to achieve speeds unattainable by manual methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated handling system incorporates dynamic control capabilities, allowing it to adjust its operations in real-time based on the specific requirements of each glass pane and spacer assembly. This dynamic adaptability enables the system to maintain high speeds while handling variations in component dimensions and assembly requirements, achieving both increased productivity and flexible manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and equipment for automatically assembling three panes of glass and corresponding spacers so that air or other gas can be injected into the two between-pane spaces. The equipment can receive two glass panes that each have spacers coupled to one of their major surfaces, along with a third glass pane having no spacer coupled to its major surfaces, and can assemble the three glass panes into a “teepee” configuration in which the two spacers each contact two of the glass panes along a common edge of the glass panes. Preferred equipment can receive a glass pane in a first orientation and rotate the glass pane 180° to a second orientation in which the glass pane's two major surfaces face opposite directions from the first orientation. Such preferred equipment can then receive a two-pane teepee from a previous piece of equipment and can add the “flipped” single glass pane to the teepee to create a three-pane teepee.