Vacuum Window Sealing Apparatus Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum window manufacturing methods face issues with uneven surfaces, low vacuum functionality, product damage, and manual processes due to protruding tips, making automation and high-productivity manufacturing impossible.
Innovation Solution
A sealing apparatus for vacuum window manufacturing equipment that includes a vacuum chamber, cartridge elevator, cover transfer device, cover-rest head, and head elevator to automatically seal vacuum holes with covers, enabling process automation and improving productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tips are welded to seal the vacuum hole, then vacuum sealing is achieved, but tips protrude from the lower plate causing uneven surfaces and product damage
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted from the tip structure and transferred to a separate cover component. The cover is placed over the exhaust hole and sealed using frit, while the tip remains embedded in the lower plate without protruding. This separation resolves the contradiction by achieving vacuum sealing through the cover rather than through protruding welded tips.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system is segmented into multiple components: the lower plate with embedded tip, the separate cover component, and the frit sealing material. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function without the drawbacks of the integrated tip-welding approach, maintaining surface uniformity while achieving reliable vacuum sealing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual processes are used for vacuum window manufacturing, then flexibility is maintained, but productivity is very low and automation is impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process transitions from static manual operations to dynamic automated operations. The lower plate with pre-positioned exhaust holes and embedded tips can be automatically handled by robotic systems, while the cover placement and frit sealing processes can be automated, significantly increasing productivity while maintaining process flexibility through programmable control.
Solution Approach 2:
The exhaust holes and tips are pre-formed and embedded in the lower plate before the vacuum sealing process. This preliminary preparation allows subsequent automated operations to simply place covers and apply frit sealing, eliminating complex manual assembly steps and enabling high-speed automated production while maintaining adaptability.
3Reliability
If vacuum hose is used to create vacuum, then vacuum functionality is achieved, but the degree of vacuum is low
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust hole with cover and frit sealing creates a permanent, high-quality vacuum seal that eliminates the need for temporary vacuum hoses. The frit-sealed cover provides a robust, high-degree vacuum connection that is more reliable and achieves higher vacuum levels compared to temporary hose connections, while the tip structure remains simple and cost-effective.
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
Facilitates precise and automated sealing of vacuum holes, enhancing the manufacturing process by ensuring consistent vacuum formation and reducing manual handling, thereby improving productivity and precision.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum chamber (10) including an internal space and configured to be evacuated for forming a vacuum therein
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a sealing apparatus for vacuum window manufacturing equipment, the sealing apparatus being configured to cover a vacuum hole formed in at least one glass plate for a vacuum window with a cover. The sealing apparatus includes: a vacuum chamber including an internal space and configured to be evacuated for forming a vacuum therein; a cartridge installed in the internal space and accommodating a plurality of covers; a cartridge elevator installed on the vacuum chamber and configured to sequentially lift or lower the cartridge; a cover transfer device installed in the internal space and configured to transfer the covers one by one from the cartridge; a cover-rest head configured to receive a cover from the cover transfer device; and a head elevator configured to lift up the cover-rest head to the vacuum hole of the glass plate.