EP0498787A2 - Method and device for manufacturing insulating glazing units - Google Patents

Abstract

The openings (22, 23) for the gas exchange necessary for the production of insulating glass panes (1), in which the air contained in the space (24) arranged between the glass panes is at least partially replaced by a special gas, are produced in the strands (13) from sealing or adhesive compound provides at least two interruptions (20) arranged at a distance from one another. When the interior (24) of the insulating glass panes is filled with special gas, at least part of the gas is separated and stored from the mixture of air and gas drawn from the interior (24) of the insulating glass pane (1). After a certain amount of gas has been stored, stored gas is used to fill the interior (24) of insulating glass panes (1).

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing double or multi-pane insulating glass, in which spacer frames are coated on both sides with sealant or adhesive, at least two glass panes are put together with the spacer frame to form an insulating glass pane blank and, after the insulating glass pane blank has been put together, the air contained in the space between the panes is at least partially preferably about 90% by a heavy gas, e.g. Sulfur hexafluoride or argon is replaced.

The air in the space between the glass panes of insulating glass panes is used to improve heat and sound insulation, i.e. overall, the insulating properties of insulating glass panes are increasingly being replaced by gas (e.g. a heavy gas such as argon or sulfur hexafluoride). In order to achieve sufficient insulating properties, it is often necessary to replace at least 90% of the air in the space with the heavy gas.

Known devices for carrying out the gas exchange work with probes which are inserted through holes in the spacer frame. Such devices are known for example from DE-OS 30 25 122 and DE-OS 31 17 256. A disadvantage of these devices is that holes are made in the spacer frame and these then have to be closed again. This is not easily possible because the spacer frames are made of metal.

It has also already been proposed to fill the insulating glass panes with heavy gas before they are pressed, ie if they are still open in the area of their lower edge, and only then to press them into the insulating glass pane blank. Such devices are from AT-PS 368 985 or DE-OS 34 02 323 known. A disadvantage of these known devices is that large gas losses occur and occasionally (DE-OS 31 01 342) must be worked in large vacuum chambers.

It has also been proposed to obtain access to the interior of the insulating glass pane for the insertion of the probes for carrying out the gas exchange by holding one of the glass panes at a distance from the spacer frame during assembly of the insulating glass pane blank, for which purpose, for example, the one glass pane is in the area of two to one another diagonally opposite corners are deformed elastically concave (see DE-OS 39 14 706).

This last-described method known from DE-OS 39 14 706 can only be carried out with insulating glass panes with comparatively thin glass panes, since thicker glass panes or laminated glass panes cannot be elastically bent with the necessary, tight radii of curvature with reasonable effort in order to gain access to that Obtain interior of the insulating glass blank for carrying out the gas exchange.

The invention has for its object to provide a method of the type mentioned, with which, without having to drill holes in the spacer frame and without glass panes having to be elastically deformed, access to the pane space of the insulating glass blank is possible so that the gas exchange can be carried out.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing at least two interruptions in a strand of sealant or adhesive at a distance from one another, that the spacer frame thus prepared is joined together with the glass panes to form an insulating glass pane blank, and that the gas exchange is carried out by the so between the a glass pane and the spacer frame openings formed.

In particular, if the interruptions in the strand of sealant or adhesive on a side wall of the spacer frame have a length of about 20 mm, taking into account the fact that the strand is usually 0.8 to 1 mm thick, a sufficiently large cross-sectional area of the openings is achieved, so that the gas exchange in an acceptable time, ie without the cycle time more modern Influencing insulating glass production lines can be carried out. At most, interruptions in the strands of sealant or adhesive can also be provided on both side flanks of the spacer frame.

Since the sealant or adhesive used as a coating for the spacer frame (usually a butyl rubber) is easy to process when it has been heated to the appropriate temperature, it is also not difficult to open the openings after the gas exchange has been carried out. to close again by injecting an appropriate amount of sealant or adhesive. This closing is easier than the closing of bores in the spacer frame, since the openings in the invention are delimited by the narrow edges of the strand, by the wall of the spacer frame and by the glass pane. Complex measures, as are known, for example, from US Pat. No. 4,902,213, EP-A-282 685 or EP-A-185 222, can be dispensed with in the invention.

In practice, the actual gas exchange using the method according to the invention can otherwise be carried out as is known from EP-B-276 647. In the working method known per se, it is possible to work with correspondingly high gas flow velocities without there being the risk that the glass panes will become detached from the spacer frame and / or the spacer frames will move outward due to the resulting excess pressure.

In a variant of the method according to the invention, the interruptions in the strand of sealant or adhesive can be provided at two points arranged in the area of a corner of the spacer frame. This measure has the advantage that the lines for supplying heavy gas and for removing air or heavy gas-air mixture can be positioned in the area of a defined corner of the insulating glass blank. It is possible to work with a device which is constructed in principle as that known from EP-A-324 333, with the proviso that no drills are required to create holes in the spacer frame.

In an advantageous variant of the method according to the invention, the procedure is such that the interruptions are generated by, after coating the spacer frame with sealant or adhesive, the sealant or adhesive at at least two spaced locations from a side flank of the spacer frame away. Alternatively, in the invention there is the possibility of generating the interruptions by interrupting the application of sealing or adhesive compound twice on one side flank of the spacer frame.

As already indicated above, in the method according to the invention there is the possibility that the openings between the spacer frame and the glass sheet are closed by injecting a sealing compound after the gas exchange has ended. The procedure is preferably such that the amount of sealing compound which corresponds to the volume of the opening is injected from the outside into each opening. It is preferred that the sealing compound is injected into the opening starting at one end of the opening and progressively being injected along the opening in a direction parallel to the leg of the spacer frame.

In order to be able to carry out a rapid and low-loss gas exchange, it is advisable to carry out the process according to the invention while maintaining the correspondingly high flow rates in such a way that when the gas is exchanged, the heavy gas is introduced into the insulating glass blank through the opening near the corner and through which Air or air / heavy gas mixture is sucked off at a further opening (see DE-GM 90 14 304.3).

An advantageous device for performing the method The invention is based on a known device for coating spacer frames on both side flanks with sealant or adhesive, in particular with butyl rubber. Such devices are known from AT-PS 315 404, AT-PS 365 550, AT-PS 356 832, DE-OS 39 06 293 and DE-OS 40 20 812.

According to the invention, such a device ("butyl machine") is characterized in that a device is provided in the device which removes sealant or adhesive from a side flank of the spacer frame at at least two spaced apart locations. If openings are to be present on both sides of the spacer frame, the device is designed such that it can remove sealant or adhesive from both side flanks of the spacer frame.

The removal of the application of sealant or adhesive from a side wall of the spacer frame is particularly simple if it is provided that the device has two scrapers that can be displaced along a wall of the spacer frame. If the scraper used in this embodiment has sharp side edges and rests elastically on the spacer frame, there are also no problems when separating the sealant or adhesive agent to be removed from the sealant or adhesive remaining on the spacer frame.

In the context of the invention, it is preferably provided that the device for removing sealant or adhesive has a stop at a predetermined distance for the spacer frame, which is arranged in the region of the conveyor of the device for coating spacer frames.

If it is provided according to an embodiment of the invention that the nozzles for the gas exchange have rectangular mouths corresponding to the openings provided between the glass pane and spacer frame and that the nozzles have contact surfaces with which they, on the one hand, protrude from the edge of the glass pane above the spacer frame and on the other hand can be sealingly applied to the outwardly facing surface of the spacer frame, then special sealing measures, such as are also known, for example, from EP-A-276 647, are unnecessary.

The invention further relates to a method for filling the interior of insulating glass panes with gas, in which a gas other than air, such as a heavy gas or an inert gas, is introduced into the interior of the insulating glass pane and air or a mixture of air and gas is withdrawn, wherein this method should be used in particular and advantageously in conjunction with the method according to one of claims 1 to 7 and in which gas losses can be largely avoided.

In solving this problem, it is proposed according to the invention to proceed in such a way that at least part of the gas is separated from the mixture of air and gas drawn off from the interior of the insulating glass pane, and that the gas thus separated is used again to fill the interior of insulating glass panes .

Since in the method according to the invention the gas which is to replace the air in the interior of the insulating glass pane is separated from the mixture of air and gas drawn from the interior of the insulating glass pane and is used again for filling insulating glass panes, gas losses are avoided or at least kept smaller than before .

Known working techniques can be used to separate the gas from the mixture of gas and air. For example, reference is made to the possibility of separating the mixture into air and gas by liquefaction and fractional evaporation or by selective adsorption of one of the two components of the mixture of air and gas. In principle, there is also the possibility of binding a component, either the gas or the air, from the mixture of air and gas by absorption, adsorption or by chemisorption to a fixed bed or in a liquid, so that a direct or indirect connection is also possible Separation of the gas from the mixture is achieved.

According to a variant of the method according to the invention it is proposed that the gas separated from the mixture of gas and air is stored and that after reaching a predetermined, optionally adjustable amount of stored gas, gas is used for filling insulating glass panes. This embodiment in particular offers the possibility of storing the gas obtained in the course of the filling process of one or more insulating glass panes by separating the mixture and (later) for filling (further) insulating glass panes.

In practice, it is advisable to interrupt the supply of gas from the storage container as soon as a predetermined, optionally adjustable amount of separated gas has been stored and this stored gas is used to fill the interior of the insulating glass panes.

In the process variants in which separated gas is stored, one can proceed in such a way that one controls the use of gas separated from the mixture of gas and air for filling the interior of insulating glass panes as a function of the pressure of the stored gas.

In order to accelerate the filling of insulating glass panes with stored gas, one can proceed in such a way that the pressure of the stored gas is increased, for example by a pump or the like, while it flows to the insulating glass pane to be filled with gas.

Since when filling insulating glass panes at the beginning of the filling process, a mixture that primarily consists of air flows out, to simplify the separation of the mixture of air and gas, one can proceed in such a way that only a mixture of air and gas is separated , in which the gas content is above a lower limit, and that mixture of air and gas, in which the gas content is below this limit, is blown off or disposed of in another way.

According to a variant of the method according to the invention, the procedure is followed so that the mixture of air and gas is stored before the mixture is separated or gas is separated from the mixture. This embodiment of the method according to the invention has the advantage that the separation is only carried out after a certain amount of mixture has accumulated which is sufficient for the separation of the air and gas or the separation of gas to be carried out economically.

In order to avoid losses of gas both during filling and during suction, it is provided according to a variant of the method according to the invention that gas in the interior of the insulating glass pane and air or mixture of air and gas from it by sealing to exchange openings (injection and Suction opening) feeds or removes lines (probes).

In the method according to the invention, one can proceed in such a way that gas and air or a mixture of air and gas are supplied or discharged through openings in the spacer frame of the insulating glass pane.

With particular advantage and preference, when carrying out the method according to the invention, gas and air or a mixture of air and gas are supplied or discharged through openings which are interrupted in the coating of the spacer frame made of sealant or adhesive, e.g. Butyl rubber are formed.

The invention also extends to a device for carrying out the method according to claims 8 to 17 with a storage container for the gas, with which the interior of the insulating glass panes is to be filled, with a line from the storage container for gas to at least one probe through which the gas is inserted into the interior of the insulating glass pane when the probe is in close contact with the inlet opening, and with at least one further probe which is sealingly applied to an outlet opening for air or a mixture of air and gas.

According to the invention, this device is characterized in that the air or mixture outlet opening Line leading away from air and gas to a device for separating gas from the withdrawn mixture of air and gas leads to the provision of a line through which the device for separating gas is connected to a store for separated special gas and from the store leads away a line that leads to the line to the probe for introducing gas into the interior of the insulating glass pane.

In practice and preferably, this device can be characterized in that a device is provided which detects the filling level of the storage for the separated gas and which controls a valve which is provided in the line between the storage tank for gas and the nozzle or probe, and that in the line from the store for separated gas to the line to the nozzle or probe a controlled by the device for detecting the filling level of the memory, optionally with the valve and the line between the reservoir and nozzle or probe to a reusable valve is provided, and that the supply of gas from the storage for separated gas or from the storage container is released during operation of the device. It is preferred according to the invention if the device is a pressure sensor.

The supply of gas to the nozzle or probe, via which the interior of the insulating glass pane is filled with gas, is improved if, according to a proposal of the invention, it is provided that a device for increasing the pressure, in particular a pump, is provided in the line leading away from the storage for the gas or the like is provided.

In one embodiment of the invention it can be provided that an intermediate store for the mixture is provided in front of the device for separating gas from the mixture of air and gas drawn off from the interior of the insulating glass pane.

Within the scope of the invention it can also be provided that in the line through which air or mixture of air and gas is led to the device for separating gas or to the intermediate storage device, a device measuring the content of the mixture of gas to be separated and one of outgoing line Derivation is provided, and that a shut-off device assigned to the derivation is provided, which is controlled by the device. This embodiment allows the separation of the mixture of air and gas only to begin when a predetermined content of gas in the mixture has been exceeded.

The device proposed for carrying out the method according to the invention can also be designed, as is known per se. Examples of these are shown and described in EP-A-276 647 or 324 333 and DE-GM 9 014 309.

It is particularly useful if the gas exchange is carried out as is known from EP-B 276 647 when carrying out the process according to the invention.

• Fig. 1 den Eckbereich eines Isolierglasrohlings,
• Fig. 2 einen Schnitt längs der Linie II-II in Fig. 1,
• Fig. 2′ den Eckbereich von unten gesehen,
• Fig. 2" einen Schnitt längs der Linie II-II in Fig. 1 mit angesetzter Düse,
• Fig. 3 bis 5 Phasen beim Gasaustausch,
• Fig. 6 eine Einrichtung zum Entfernen von Dicht- bzw. Klebmasse von einem Abstandhalterrahmen,
• Fig. 7 die Einrichtung von der Seite gesehen,
• Fig. 8 die Einrichtung beim Abschaben von Dicht- bzw. Klebmasse von einem Abstandhalterrahmen und
• Fig. 9 schematisch eine Vorrichtung gemäß der Erfindung.

Further details and features of the invention result from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment, in which reference is made to the attached drawings. It shows:

• 1 shows the corner area of an insulating glass blank,
• 2 shows a section along the line II-II in FIG. 1,
• 2 'seen the corner area from below,
• 2 "shows a section along the line II-II in Fig. 1 with attached nozzle,
• 3 to 5 phases in gas exchange,
• 6 shows a device for removing sealant or adhesive from a spacer frame,
• 7 seen the device from the side,
• Fig. 8 shows the device when scraping sealant or adhesive from a spacer frame and
• Fig. 9 schematically shows a device according to the invention.

An insulating glass blank 1 consists of two glass sheets 10 and 11 and an interposed spacer frame 12, which carries 15 coatings (strands 13) of adhesive or sealant, in particular of butyl rubber, on its two side walls. Devices to provide the spacer frame 12 on both side walls with the coatings of sealing or adhesive, so-called butyl machines, are known in a wide variety of embodiments. Examples of this are mentioned in the introduction to the description.

Insulating glass blanks, i.e. Insulating glass panes, which are not yet filled with sealing compound in the area of their edge joint 14, are assembled from two glass panes 10 and 11 and the spacer frame 12 inserted between them in so-called assembly stations. Such assembly stations are known for example from AT-PS 370 201 and AT-PS 370 706. These assembly stations can also be combined with automatic devices for attaching the spacer frames to one of the insulating glass panes (cf. DE-OS 32 23 848, US Pat. No. 4,836,005 or AT-PS 390 434).

As particularly shown in Fig. 1, on one side of the spacer frame 12, i.e. provided on a side wall 15 of the same interruptions 20 of the coatings in the form of strands 13 of sealant or adhesive. These breaks 20 are spaced apart, i.e. a strip of coating compound 13 'remains between them and are preferably arranged in the region of a corner 21 of the insulating glass blank 1. In principle, it is also possible to provide interruptions 20 on both sides of the spacer frame 12.

Through the two interruptions 20 in the strands 13 of sealing or adhesive, there are, as Fig. 2 'shows, in the area of the corner 21 of the insulating glass blank 1, an opening 22 and an opening 23. Both the opening 22 and the opening 23rd are from the openings 22 and 23 facing surface of the glass sheet 10, the facing wall 5 of the Spacer frame 12 and from the end faces of the strands 20 and 13 '13' adjacent to the interruptions of adhesive or sealing compound. The gas exchange can be carried out via these two openings 22 and 23, as will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

For this purpose, a nozzle 30 is brought into position in the area of the opening 22, as is indicated schematically in FIG. 2 ". The nozzle 30 has an opening 31, the rectangular cross-sectional shape of which corresponds to the rectangular cross-sectional shape of the opening 22. Following the opening 31 the nozzle 30 has a surface 32 which bears against the inside of the edge of the glass pane 10 which projects outwardly beyond the spacer frame 12 and furthermore an inclined surface 33 which bears against the surface of the spacer frame 12 located outside the sealing material strand 13 A good seal of the nozzle 30 is achieved without additional sealing measures and an almost loss-free passage of gas into the interior 24 of the insulating glass blank 1.

To extract air and air-gas mixture from the interior 24 of the insulating glass blank 1, a nozzle 35 can be used, which is constructed similarly to the nozzle 30 and in the region of the opening 23, i.e. the opening further away from corner 21 is brought into position between glass pane 10 and spacer frame 12.

As indicated in FIGS. 3 to 5, the nozzle 30 for supplying gas and the nozzle 35 for extracting air or air / heavy gas mixture from the interior 24 can be mounted on a common carrier 3, which is in the area of the corner 21 of the insulating glass blank is brought into position. This embodiment will be chosen in particular if - what is readily possible - (see below) ensures that the openings 22 and 23 have a predetermined, known distance from the corner 21 of the insulating glass blank 1, which is the distance between the nozzles 30 and 35 on the carrier 3 corresponds.

The insulating glass blank 1, which is conveyed up from an assembly station, is conveyed into a press which, for example, describes that described in DE-PS 31 30 645, AT-PS 385 499 or Austrian patent application 2956/87 published on June 15, 1990 Can have construction. In the press, the insulating glass blank 1 is pressed and the pressure on the glass sheets 10 and 11 is maintained during the gas exchange.

In order to carry out the gas exchange, the nozzles 30 and 35 are brought into position in the region of the corner 21 with the aid of their support 3 such that they are aligned with the openings 22 and 23 and, as explained with reference to FIG. 2 ", on the spacer frame 12 and rest sealingly on the edge of the glass sheet 10. From the nozzle 30, the gas, which is to at least partially replace the air in the interior 24 of the insulating glass pane 1, flows into the interior in a horizontally oriented stream at high speed parallel to the lower horizontal edge of the spacer frame 12 24 is blown in between the glass panes 10 and 11. Mixing of the supplied gas with the outflowing air or the outflowing air-gas mixture is largely prevented by this method of operation, since the gas which replaces the air in the intermediate space 24 spreads across the board (dashed line 6 in FIGS. 3 to 5) on the side opposite the corner 21 to the filling side moving vigorously and gradually pushing the air (possibly with compression) towards the suction nozzle 35.

In the case of gas exchange, it is useful if air or air-gas mixture is withdrawn via the nozzle 35 from the interior 24 of the insulating glass blank 1 to such an extent that there is an overpressure in the interior 24 of the insulating glass blank 1 during the gas exchange. This procedure has the advantage that special sealing measures are unnecessary and yet no air is sucked into the interior 24 of the insulating glass blank 1. The gas exchange is thus carried out so that there is an overpressure in the interior 24 of the insulating glass blank 1.

By blowing gas at high speed and parallel to the lower horizontal leg of the spacer frame 12, the gas flow follows the inner circumference of the spacer frame 12 and compresses towards the center, so that air gradually compresses in an increasingly smaller area and through the opening 23 is displaced from the interior 24 of the insulating glass blank 1, as is indicated in FIGS. 3 to 5 by the "front" 6 between heavy gas and air.

The gas filling is regulated either by measuring the residual oxygen content in the gas-air mixture drawn from the interior 24 of the insulating glass blank 1, by determining the composition of the air-gas mixture in the interior of the insulating glass blank and / or by determining (calculating) the volume of the Interior 24 and supplying a correspondingly metered amount of gas. In the latter variant, a certain loss is taken into account by the calculated volume by e.g. empirically determined fraction is increased.

In addition, it is advantageous in the method according to the invention if the gas discharged via the nozzle 35 is fed to a device for separating gas in order to avoid gas losses. The gas separated in a gas separation device of any design can then either be fed directly to the line for supplying gas to the nozzle 30 or to an intermediate store or else to the storage container for the gas from which it is supplied to the nozzle. With this process variant, losses of gas can be reduced practically to zero. Further details are explained below with reference to FIG. 9.

A device is described below with the aid of FIGS. 6 to 8, with which the interruptions 20 in a strand 13 of sealant or adhesive can be produced in a simple manner. This device is advantageously integrated into an automatic butyl machine, which may have the configuration described above with reference to literature examples. As can be seen from FIGS. 6 to 8, the device for Removing the sealant or adhesive in the area of the interruptions 20, a tool 40 which has two scrapers 41. As shown, for example, in FIG. 7, the scrapers 41 have a front edge 42 designed as a cutting edge and sharp corners 43 be peeled off or scraped off.

For this purpose, the tool 40 is mounted on a carrier 45, on which a drive, for example a pressure medium motor or the like, engages and which can be guided on a guide rail.

The actual tool 40 is designed, for example, to be resilient, so that it rests elastically against the wall 5 of the spacer frame 12, from which the strand 13 of sealant or adhesive is to be peeled off or scraped off in regions.

In order to ensure that the interruptions 20 in the order 13 made of sealant or adhesive are precisely aligned with respect to the corner of the spacer frame 12, the tool 40 is actuated after the spacer frame 12 against a stop 46 which is fixed in its operative position and which has a predetermined distance from the tool 40, has been brought into contact. Such stops are also provided in the known frame coating devices, in particular in the partially or fully automatic devices.

After the exchange of the gas through the openings 22 and 23 thus produced has ended, the openings 22 and 23 are closed with sealing or adhesive, in particular butyl rubber, which are formed by sealing nozzles which are similar to the nozzles 30 and 35 and on a common one Carrier can be mounted, is injected into the openings 22 and 23. The injection is very simple with the help of a metering cylinder, which squeezes the exact amount of sealant or adhesive material through the mouths of the closure nozzles. As already indicated above, both the nozzles 30, 35 for gas exchange and the nozzles for closing can of the openings after the gas exchange has ended, as is known in principle from EP-A-324 333, designed and arranged on a common support which is adjustable relative to the insulating glass blank.

The openings 22 and 23 can also be closed in such a way that a metered amount of sealant or adhesive (for example butyl rubber) is injected as a sealing compound from a nozzle into openings 22 and 23, respectively, while a relative movement between the nozzle and insulating glass blank 1 is carried out is so that the nozzle moves along the opening during the pressing of the sealing compound into the openings 22 and 23, respectively.

The openings 22 and 23 can be closed in succession or, if a closure device with two nozzles is provided, also at the same time.

The interruptions 20 in the strand 13 of sealant or adhesive can also be achieved by temporarily (twice) interrupting the supply of sealant or adhesive without interrupting the advance of the spacer frame to one of the nozzles of the butyl machine.

Instead of the tool described above with two scrapers connected to form a tool for removing the strand of sealant or adhesive in regions, two scrapers spaced apart from one another can also be provided, which are fastened on a common carrier or two separate carriers.

An embodiment with only one scraper is also conceivable. This scraper operates in succession at (at least) two locations on the spacer frame in order to generate the interruptions in the strand. This embodiment is particularly advantageous in the case of an automatic butyl machine in which the spacer frame is moved by a gripper or the like (cf. DE-OS 40 20 812).

The following is a preferred method for filling insulating glass panes with gas other than air Hand described by Fig. 9.

The insulating glass blank 1, consisting of the two glass panes 10 and 11 and the spacer frame 12 interposed therebetween, is conveyed into a plate press for filling the interior with a gas other than air, for example as provided in EP-A-276 647, the press plates of which press Apply to the outer sides of the two glass panes 10 and 11 of the insulating glass blank 1 and prevent the glass panes 10 and 11 from detaching from the spacer frame 12 during filling.

In the example shown in FIG. 9, two bores 55 and 56 are provided in the spacer frame 12, through which the interior 24 between the two glass panes 10 and 11, which is delimited all around by the spacer frame 12, is accessible. Instead of through holes 55 and 56 in the spacer frame 12, the interior 24 can also be made accessible in that the coating of adhesive or sealant, which is applied to both sides of the spacer frame 12, and through which the glass panes 10 and 11 with the spacer frame 12 are glued, interrupted at least on one side of the spacer frame 12 at two points. Through the openings 55, 56 and 22, 23 formed in one way or another, probes 57 and 58 are inserted, which have seals 59 which permit gas-tight attachment of the probes 57 and 58, so that undesired and uncontrolled escape of gas in the Area of the openings 22, 23 or 55 and 56 is avoided. Instead of the probes 57, 58, it is also possible to use the nozzles 30, 35 explained above, which, as shown in FIG. 2 ", are applied to the openings 55, 56 and 22, 23, respectively.

To fill the interior of the insulating glass pane 1 with gas, the gas with which the interior 24 is to be filled is removed from a storage container 60 and passed via the open shut-off valve 61 through a line 62 to the probe 57 or nozzle 30 and via this, for example as in DE -GM 9 014 304 described in the interior 24 of the insulating glass panel 1 passed. Via the probe 58 and a line 63 connected to it, optionally supported by a suction pump 64, initially Air and later a mixture of air and gas with increasing gas content withdrawn from the interior of the insulating glass pane 1.

In the line 63, a measuring device 65 is provided, which determines the content of gas in the withdrawn mixture. It can be provided that the measuring device 65 is functionally connected via a control line 66 to a three-way valve 67, which is either set so that the mixture flows via line 63 into a buffer store 68 or out through a discharge line 69. Usually the valve 67 will be controlled so that pure air or air with only a very low gas content flows through the discharge line 69 and is simply blown off or otherwise supplied or disposed of, whereas the valve 67 from a predetermined gas content in the mixture of the Measuring device 65 is adjusted so that the mixture of air and gas flows into the intermediate container 68.

A pressure sensor 70 is assigned to the intermediate container 68 and controls a valve 72 in a connecting line 73 via a control line 71, which leads to a separating device 74. As soon as a sufficient amount of mixture of gas and air is contained in the intermediate store, the pressure sensor 70 triggers the opening of the valve 72 in the line 73, so that the mixture flows into the separating device 74.

In the separating device 74, the mixture is separated into air, which is blown off via a line 75, and gas, which is fed via a further line 76 to a storage 80 for gas.

A pressure sensor 81 is also assigned to the storage 80 for separated gas. The pressure sensor 81 is connected via a control line 82 to a three-way valve 83 provided in the line 62. The three-way valve 83 connects a line 84, which comes from the storage 80 for separated gas, to the line 62. A pressure booster, for example a pump or a blower 86, can also be provided in this line 84. Starting from the position of the three-way valve 83, in the this releases the line 62 so that gas can flow from the reservoir 60 to the probe 57, the pressure sensor 81 of the memory 80 triggers a switchover of the three-way valve 83 when a predetermined or adjustable pressure is reached in the memory 80, so that gas flows via line 84, three-way valve 83, line 62 and through this to probe 57.

It goes without saying that the device proposed for carrying out the method according to the invention can also be made simpler than the one described with reference to the drawing. For example, the measuring device 65 and the valve 67 controlled by it are not absolutely necessary. This also applies to the intermediate storage 68.

It is essential for the method and the device for performing the same that the extracted mixture of air and gas is separated and the gas thus obtained is used again for filling the interior of insulating glass panes.

Claims (27)

Method for producing double or multi-pane insulating glass, in which spacer frames are coated on both sides with sealant or adhesive, at least two glass panes are put together with the spacer frame to form an insulating glass pane blank, and after the insulating glass pane blank has been put together, the air contained in the space between the panes is at least partially, preferably about 90 % through a gas, e.g. a heavy gas, such as sulfur hexafluoride or a noble gas, such as argon, is replaced, characterized in that at least two interruptions are provided in at least one interruption in at least one strand of sealant or adhesive, that the spacer frame thus prepared is joined together with the glass panes to form an insulating glass pane blank , and that one carries out the gas exchange through the openings thus formed between the one glass pane and the spacer frame. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the interruptions in the strand of sealant or adhesive are provided at two points arranged in the region of a corner of the spacer frame. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the interruptions are generated by removing the sealing or adhesive mass from at least two spaced apart locations from a side flank of the spacer frame after coating the spacer frame with sealing or adhesive. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the interruptions are generated by interrupting the application of sealant or adhesive twice on a side flank of the spacer frame. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the openings between the spacer frame and the glass pane are injected with a sealing compound closes after the gas exchange has ended. Method according to Claim 5, characterized in that the amount of sealing compound which corresponds to the volume of the opening is injected from the outside into each opening. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the sealing compound is injected into the opening beginning at one end of the opening and progressively along the opening in a direction parallel to the leg of the spacer frame. Process for filling the interior of insulating glass panes with gas, in which a gas, e.g. introduces a heavy gas, such as sulfur hexafluoride, or a noble gas, such as argon, and extracts air or a mixture of air and gas, in particular a method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the mixture withdrawn from the interior of the insulating glass pane at least part of the gas is separated from air and gas, and that the gas thus separated is used again to fill the interior of insulating glass panes. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the gas separated from the mixture of gas and air is stored and that after reaching a predetermined, optionally adjustable amount of stored gas, stored gas is used to fill insulating glass panes. Method according to Claims 8 and 9, in which the interior of insulating glass panes is filled with gas supplied from a storage container for the gas, characterized in that the supply of gas from the storage container is interrupted as soon as a predetermined, optionally adjustable amount of separated gas has been stored and this stored gas is used to fill the interior of the insulating glass panes. Method according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the use of gas separated from the mixture of gas and air for filling the interior of insulating glass panes is controlled as a function of the pressure of the stored gas. Method according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the pressure of the stored gas is increased, for example by a pump or the like, while it flows to the insulating glass pane to be filled with gas. Process according to one of Claims 8 to 12, characterized in that only a mixture of air and gas in which the content of gas is above a predetermined or predefinable limit is separated, and in that a mixture of air and gas in which the content of Gas is below the limit, blows off or is disposed of in another way. Method according to one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that the mixture of air and gas is stored before the mixture is separated or gas is separated from the mixture. Method according to one of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that gas is fed into or withdrawn from the interior of the insulating glass pane and air or a mixture of air and gas therefrom through lines sealingly connected to exchange openings. Method according to one of claims 8 to 15, characterized in that gas and air or a mixture of air and gas are supplied or discharged through openings in the spacer frame of the insulating glass pane. Method according to one of claims 8 to 16, characterized in that gas and air or mixture of air and gas are supplied or discharged through openings which are formed by interruptions in the coating of the spacer frame made of sealant or adhesive, for example butyl rubber are. Device for coating spacer frames (12) on both side flanks (15) with sealant or adhesive (13), in particular butyl rubber, for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that a device (40 ) is provided which removes sealing or adhesive means (13) from at least one side flank (15) of the spacer frame (12) at at least two points (20) arranged at a distance from one another. Apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that the device (40) has two scrapers (41) which can be displaced along a wall (15) of the spacer frame (12). Apparatus according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that the device (40) for removing sealant or adhesive (13) at a predetermined distance has an end stop (46) for the spacer frame (12), which in particular in the area of the discharge conveyor Device for coating spacer frames is arranged. Device for carrying out the method according to one of Claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the nozzles (30, 35) for the gas exchange have rectangular openings (22, 23) which are shaped corresponding to the openings (22, 23) provided between the glass pane (10) and the spacer frame (12) (31) and that at least the nozzles (30) for supplying heavy gas have contact surfaces (32, 33) with which they, on the one hand, on the edge of the glass pane (10) projecting above the spacer frame (12) and, on the other hand, on an outward-facing edge Surface of the spacer frame (12) can be applied sealingly. Device for carrying out the method according to one or more of claims 8 to 17 with a storage container (60) for the gas with which the interior of the insulating glass panes (1) is to be filled with a line (62) from the storage container (60) for gas to at least one probe (57) or nozzle (30) through which gas enters the interior of the insulating glass pane (1) when the probe is in tight contact ( 57) or nozzle (30) is introduced to the inlet opening (55, 22), and with at least one further probe (58) or nozzle (35) which seals to an outlet opening (56, 23) for air or a mixture of air and gas is applied, characterized in that the line (63) leading away from the outlet opening (56, 23) for air or mixture of air and gas to a device (74) for separating gas from the extracted mixture of air and gas leads that a line (76) is provided through which the device (74) for separating gas is connected to a storage (80) for separated special gas, and that from the storage (30) leads a line (34) leading to the line (62) to the probe (57) or nozzle (30) for introducing gas into the interior (24) the insulating glass pane (1) leads. Apparatus according to claim 22, characterized in that a device (81) is provided which detects the degree of filling of the store (80) for the separated gas and which controls a valve (83) which is connected in the line between the storage container (60) for gas and the probe (57) or nozzle (30) is provided, and that in the line (84) from the storage (80) for separated gas to line (62) to the probe (57) one from the device (81) for detecting the degree of filling of the memory (80) controlled, optionally with the valve and the line (62) between the reservoir (60) and the probe (57) to a return valve (83) combined valve is provided, and that when the device is operated, the supply of gas from the Storage (80) for separated gas or from the storage container (60) is released. Device according to claim 23, characterized in that the device is a pressure sensor (81). Device according to one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that in the storage (30) for the gas leading line (34) a device for increasing the pressure, in particular a pump (36) or the like is provided. Device according to one of claims 22 to 25, characterized in that an intermediate store (68) for the mixture is provided in front of the device (24) for separating gas from the mixture of air and gas drawn from the interior (24) of the insulating glass pane (1) is. Device according to one of claims 22 to 26, characterized in that in the line (63) through which air or mixture of air and gas is led to the device (74) for separating gas or to the intermediate store (18) the content of the mixture of gas to be separated off device (65) and a discharge line (69) starting from the line (63) are provided, and that a shut-off device (67) assigned to the discharge line (69) is provided, which is connected by the device (65 ) is controlled.

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