Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G49/00—Conveying systems characterised by their application for specified purposes not otherwise provided for
  • B65G49/05—Conveying systems characterised by their application for specified purposes not otherwise provided for for fragile or damageable materials or articles
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J9/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture, installation, removal, maintenance of electric discharge tubes, discharge lamps, or parts thereof; Recovery of material from discharge tubes or lamps
  • H01J9/02—Manufacture of electrodes or electrode systems
  • H01J9/18—Assembling together the component parts of electrode systems
  • H01J9/185—Assembling together the component parts of electrode systems of flat panel display devices, e.g. by using spacers
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
  • C03B37/00—Manufacture or treatment of flakes, fibres, or filaments from softened glass, minerals, or slags
  • C03B37/01—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments
  • C03B37/02—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments by drawing or extruding, e.g. direct drawing of molten glass from nozzles; Cooling fins therefor
  • C03B37/025—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments by drawing or extruding, e.g. direct drawing of molten glass from nozzles; Cooling fins therefor from reheated softened tubes, rods, fibres or filaments, e.g. drawing fibres from preforms
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
  • C03B37/00—Manufacture or treatment of flakes, fibres, or filaments from softened glass, minerals, or slags
  • C03B37/075—Manufacture of non-optical fibres or filaments consisting of different sorts of glass or characterised by shape, e.g. undulated fibres
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
  • C03B37/00—Manufacture or treatment of flakes, fibres, or filaments from softened glass, minerals, or slags
  • C03B37/10—Non-chemical treatment
  • C03B37/14—Re-forming fibres or filaments, i.e. changing their shape
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
  • E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
  • E06B3/00—Window sashes, door leaves, or like elements for closing wall or like openings; Layout of fixed or moving closures, e.g. windows in wall or like openings; Features of rigidly-mounted outer frames relating to the mounting of wing frames
  • E06B3/66—Units comprising two or more parallel glass or like panes permanently secured together
  • E06B3/663—Elements for spacing panes
  • E06B3/66309—Section members positioned at the edges of the glazing unit
  • E06B3/66333—Section members positioned at the edges of the glazing unit of unusual substances, e.g. wood or other fibrous materials, glass or other transparent materials
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J2211/00—Plasma display panels with alternate current induction of the discharge, e.g. AC-PDPs
  • H01J2211/20—Constructional details
  • H01J2211/34—Vessels, containers or parts thereof, e.g. substrates
  • H01J2211/36—Spacers, barriers, ribs, partitions or the like
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J2329/00—Electron emission display panels, e.g. field emission display panels
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/21—Circular sheet or circular blank
  • Y10T428/215—Seal, gasket, or packing
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/21—Circular sheet or circular blank
  • Y10T428/219—Edge structure
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/31—Surface property or characteristic of web, sheet or block
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/31—Surface property or characteristic of web, sheet or block
  • Y10T428/315—Surface modified glass [e.g., tempered, strengthened, etc.]

Definitions

• the spacers must be placed very precisely on separating strips. These separating bands are provided either in one direction or in two perpendicular directions to delimit the "pixels" of colors. The spacers must be placed so that they do not encroach on the "pixel" areas.
• the inventors have therefore given themselves the task of defining glass spacers which fulfill their holding function between, for example, two flat substrates and which can be placed in a precise manner, for example without risk of disturbing the "pixels" and the setting. in 3 place can be performed in an industrializable way.
• a glass spacer obtained by a drawing process, having a substantially polygonal support section having at least one rectilinear surface which fits into a rectangle of dimension a, b, said spacer rising to a height 1, and the dimensions of the spacer verifying the following relationships: a ⁇ 300 ⁇ m
• a spacer thus defined according to the invention can perform its function for example between two sheets of glass in the case of a display screen. Furthermore, it is possible to install such spacers using an industrial robot; it is in particular possible to position such spacers on the separating strips without the risk of obstructing the pixels, this taking into account the uncertainty of precision of the robots and the minimum dimensions required to perform the function. For applications relating to screens of the FED type at medium and high voltages, the dimensions of the spacer advantageously verify the relationship 0.5 ⁇ I ⁇ 5mm and preferably, 1 ⁇ I ⁇ 3mm.
• the dimensions of the spacer verify the relationship:
• the dimensions of the spacer advantageously check the relationship: b / l ⁇ 50
• This stretching step is carried out with an increase in the temperature of the original rod to a temperature close to its softening temperature and the actual stretching can then be carried out in one or more steps.
• the drawn rod obtained after drawing the original bar has a section similar in shape to that of the original bar except for a homothetic ratio, which corresponds to the section of the desired spacers. Furthermore, the rod has a polished appearance on its lateral faces due to the passage at high temperature which creates a "fire polish" This phenomenon can make it possible not to use a primitive bar polished on its lateral faces but having another aspect such as a "soft finish” aspect.
• fire polish refers to a surface roughness (RMS value) of less than 5A by AFM measurement (atomic force microscope) on a swept surface of approximately 6 ⁇ m 2 Preferably this roughness is of the order of 2A
• these rods are assembled parallel to each other
• these rods are assembled in a cylinder, in particular made of glass, and are joined together using a binder such as a wax or glue.
• the set of rods is then cut to the desired length so that they form the desired spacers
• the spacers are then separated from one another, in particular by melting the binder, or by chemical dissolution.
• the process thus described makes it possible to obtain the spacers with precise dimensions and at low cost. Indeed, the manual operations executed by an operator are very limited On the one hand, this reduces production costs and on the other hand, the operations leading to dimensions not being manual are both precise and regular. 5
• the rods are not cut to the desired length and these constitute in a way a
• the spacers can be marketed or delivered in the form of coils or rollers made up of the uncut rod.
• the rod has transverse notches which delimit the spacers.
• Such notches are for example obtained by a mechanical tool of the preferably rotary diamond type, placed under the stretching mechanism.
• These notches advantageously have a form of indentation. They may have a depth of at most 30% of the minimum width of the polygonal section. This depth can be at most equal to 20 ⁇ m, and preferably to 10 ⁇ m.
• the width of a notch is advantageously less than 20 ⁇ m.
• the section of the spacer in a plane orthogonal to the direction of stretching, has a square, triangular, rectangular or trapezoidal shape.
• the section according to a plane orthogonal to the sense of stretching, has a “U” shape, a “H” shape, a cross shape, or a shape that includes at least one crenellated part.
• the spacers obtained according to one or other of these variants are such that the vertices of the section, which are substantially polygonal, are, due to the drawing process, rounded with a radius of curvature between 2 and 10 microns and preferably between 5 and 10 microns. These rounded tops make it possible in particular for certain applications to limit the risks of damage to the glass sheets and possibly of the layers deposited on their surfaces in the event of sliding, for example during the positioning of said spacers.
• the spacers verify the relationship: b ⁇ 5mm, and preferably b ⁇ 3mm.
• the spacers verify the relation 5mm ⁇ b
• the dimension b can be equal has the dimension of one of the sides of the object in which the spacer must be integrated, for example a screen
• the rounding mentioned previously obtained due to the stretching process, makes it possible to hide the edge constituting the triple point (void, metal, spacer) with regard to the opposite anode point known to favor the breakdown primers
• the substantially polygonal support section of the spacer does not correspond to the section of the rod obtained after stretching
• this support section of the spacer is in this variant a lateral face of said rod, one of which dimensions corresponds to the length at which the spacer is cut (or notched) after stretching
• a spacer which has the shape of a right prism whose section is an orthogonal polygon deforms according to at least one of its sides.
• orthogonal polygon one designates polygons of which two adjacent sides are orthogonal
• the shape of the spacer is such that its section has at least one curved side.
• the polygonal section of the spacer has at least two consecutive sides forming a non-right angle and of obtuse preference
• the shape of the spacer allows an optical control of the dimensions of the rod during the stretching.
• such shapes which can be a "deformation" of an orthogonal polyhedron. make it possible to obtain, during the optical control, a transmission image having sufficient contrast.
• Such a contrast has different peaks which allow on the one hand to control the centering of the rod relative to the drawing device and on the other hand to measure the dimensional characteristics ab
• the drawing speed can be adjusted automatically to guarantee the required dimensions of the spacer
• the spacer may have the various characteristics or properties which will now be stated. These are electrical, optical and mechanical properties. These various characteristics may be present simultaneously or not. Furthermore, if they are presented as particularly advantageous in the case of spacers having the characteristics set out above, these new characteristics can be applied to any type of spacer and can be considered as innovative characteristics as such 8
• the spacer advantageously has at least partially a surface having electronic conduction
• Such a surface has this extremely advantageous that when the glass spacer is used to separate two sheets of glass belonging to a field emission screen (FED), any risk of so-called “breakdown” effect is avoided.
• the breakdown effect results from an accumulation of charges and occurs between the grid and the anode of a field emission screen and, in many situations, through the spacer (s) considered (s)
• the aforementioned surface the resistivity of which will be adequately selected by those skilled in the art according to the geometric dimensions of the spacer and the type of screen used, contributes considerably to the evacuation of charges This evacuation of charges results in establishing a leakage current and therefore avoiding any risk of breakdown
• Such a conductive layer which makes it possible to avoid the accumulation of charges, is advantageously chosen to have an emission coefficient of secondary electrons less than or equal to 1
• the spacer has a resistance to the passage of current, for example between two sheets of glass, comprised between 0.1 G ⁇ and 200 G ⁇ , preferably between 0.5 G ⁇ and 200 G ⁇ , more preferably between 1 G ⁇ and 100 G ⁇ and advantageously equal to 10 G ⁇ Several variants can be envisaged to give the lateral surface an adequate resistivity
• the lateral surface of the fiber is covered at least in part with a conductive coating.
• a conductive coating can, for example, be obtained by a gas phase pyrolysis technique, called CVD, in the liquid phase, in the solid phase under powder form or a vacuum deposition technique This deposition can be carried out during the manufacture of the glass fiber according to the invention or later
• the coating is, for example, produced from amorphous silicon with little hydrogenation, that is to say with a hydrogen content of less than 5%. It may also be amorphous silicon doubly doped, for example by elements such as boron, phosphorus, arsenic or antimony
• the glass fiber contains at its periphery conductive elements of the Ag, Au or Cu type.
• a person skilled in the art may, for example, once the bar stretched and put into the form of the glass fiber according to the invention, subject the latter adequate heat treatment.
• This heat treatment could for example be a prolonged treatment in an oven under a reducing atmosphere so as to migrate the metal atoms towards the surface to form aggregates.
• the temperature and the duration of the heat treatment will be controlled to obtain the value of resistivity of the spacer in question.
• an ion exchange treatment for example in a mixed bath combining silver and potassium in the form of nitrates.
• This treatment can be carried out after stretching either before or after cutting the stretched rods to forming the spacers.
• the time of treatment defines whether only the side walls will be conductive or whether also the sections corresponding to the cutting and / or polishing area will be conductive.
• Such a property makes it possible to obtain diffusing spacers which have an advantage for example for uses in flat lamps or insulating glazing under vacuum.
• the frosted appearance can for example be obtained by an acid attack in a bath of ammonium fluoride and hydrochloric acid.
• the treatment can be carried out at different stages of the manufacturing process depending on the areas to be ground. It can be carried out on the rod after stretching so that polished sections are kept; it can be carried out after obtaining spacers so as to etch all of their surfaces; it can also be carried out at an intermediate stage, that is to say after the spacers have been cut to length, but when these are still embedded in a binder so as to only etch the sections of said spacers.
• the surfaces thus frosted have a fine relief made up of a juxtaposition of a kind of small pyramids which make an effect of light trap.
• the spacers are covered on at least part of their surface with an optical coating, for example with an anti-reflection stack consisting of one or more thin layers, in particular interference layers which can also lead to an effect light trap
• such a treatment is combined with the ion exchange treatment previously described for the formation of conductive zones, in a bath combining for example silver and potassium.
• spacers thus described according to the invention are particularly suitable for uses for the production of display screens, such as plasma or microtip screens, or else the production of insulating glazing under vacuum or of flat lamps
• FIGS. 1 to 14 respectively represent
• FIG. 1 a diagram of a device for producing spacers according to the invention
• Figure 2 an enlarged schematic view of part of the device shown in Figure 1
• Figure 3 a schematic perspective view of a first spacer according to the invention
• FIG. 4 a schematic perspective view of a second spacer according to the invention
• Figures 8 to 17 various possible shapes of the section of a spacer more particularly suitable for optical control during manufacturing
• FIG. 1 represents the diagram of an installation for producing spacers according to the invention, the dimensions of which are given in the table below.
• a primitive bar 1 in the present case of rectangular section, the dimensions of which are also given. in the table below, is fixed to a support 2
• the support 2 is itself fixed to a mechanical system.
• This mechanical system 2 which can for example be an endless screw, makes it possible to give a vertical downward movement to the primitive bar 1 along the axis 3 which can thus pass through a heating ring 4, of a height approximately equal to 70 millimeters
• This heating ring 4 shown in FIG. 2 is heated by the Joule effect at low voltage and is slightly oval in shape. This allows a better distribution of the heat around the pitch bar to the point that the temperature regulation is made more or less. 0.1 degree at 800 ° C
• the heating ring 4 is surrounded by an insulating refractory 5 Place under the heating ring at a distance of approximately 500 millimeters, a drawing device 6 allows the drawing of the primitive bar 1 so as to obtain a rod or fiberglass 7
• the device 6 consists of two driving belts 8, 9 on which lateral pressure forces 10, 11 are exerted. These pressure forces 10, 11 promote stretching and are exerted by means not shown which are by example of small hydraulic cylinders with adjustable pressure
• the drawing speed is directly related to the speed of rotation of the rollers 12 which each drive the two drive belts 8, 9
• the driving belts 8, 9 are made of a material, for example silicone, making it possible to avoid sliding on the glass and therefore to obtain a stretching. 12 regular.
• the rods 7 at least are optionally cut to a length 13 approximate and are assembled parallel to each other in a cylinder and are joined together using a low-melting wax.
• the set of rods 7 is then cut and polished to form the spacers. These are then recovered. by melting the wax or by chemical dissolution
• the spacers can then or during the drawing process undergo various types of treatment such as those mentioned above, giving them mechanical properties, for example by chemical reinforcement, optical, for example by making them at least partially diffusing or even electric, for example by making the surfaces at least partially conductive.
• Such spacers according to the invention are shown in perspective in FIGS. 3 and 4
• FIG. 3 represents a spacer 16 of the strip or " ⁇ bs" type, the drawing section of which is trapezoidal
• the support surface that is to say the surface in contact, for example with a sheet of glass, is rectangular and has the dimensions a, b
• the height I of the spacer makes it possible to maintain an identical space I between two sheets of glass
• FIG. 4 illustrates a spacer 17 of the pillar or “pillar” type, the drawing section of which is in the form of a cross, the support section which this time corresponds to the drawing section has a surface rectilinear rectangular of dimensions a, b the spacer 17 also has a height I
• 17 is particularly well suited to uses for screens of 14 visualizations for which the precision of the positioning is important
• FIGS. 5 to 17 illustrate different stretching sections 1 that the spacers according to the invention may have.
• the stretching sections 1 thus represented may in some cases constitute the support surface of the spacer, or else in other cases they define the height of the spacer and therefore for example the distance which will separate two sheets of glass.
• Figures 8 to 17 illustrate different forms of the stretching section 1 more particularly suited to optical control. Such a control is carried out as stated above to guarantee the dimensions of the spacer obtained by stretching.
• Such a control makes it possible in particular to measure the dimensions of the drawn rod and the centering of the latter with respect to the stretching device and more particularly with respect to the heating ring 4
• Figures 11, 12, 13 are alternative embodiments of Figures 4 and 7

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Joining Of Glass To Other Materials (AREA)
• Manufacture Of Electron Tubes, Discharge Lamp Vessels, Lead-In Wires, And The Like (AREA)

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• 1998
  • 1998-04-29 FR FR9805371A patent/FR2778180B3/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1999
  • 1999-04-28 KR KR1019997012318A patent/KR100590274B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-04-28 WO PCT/FR1999/001004 patent/WO1999056302A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-04-28 TW TW088106887A patent/TW567173B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-04-28 JP JP55374599A patent/JP2002506563A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 1999-04-28 EP EP99915855A patent/EP0993681A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 1999-04-28 US US09/446,133 patent/US6677024B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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