EP1347142B1 - Process and device for mechanically applying a spacer ribbon onto a glass pane - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for applying an elasto-plastic spacer strip to a glass pane comprises a supporting wall for the glass pane, a horizontal conveyor in the region of the lower edge of the supporting wall, a column in a surface parallel to the surface of the supporting wall, an application head moving on a column between the lower edge and the upper edge of the supporting wall, and units for guiding the strip from a supply drum and for pressing and cutting the strip. The units for guiding the strip comprise a first roller pair (1) having a drive regulated using a machine control device, a compensation path (3) with supporting rollers (31, 32, 33) for the strip, a second roller pair (9) having a drive regulated using a machine control device, and a sensor for recognizing the position of the strip in the compensation path. An Independent claim is also included for a method for applying an elasto-plastic spacer strip to a glass pane. Preferred Features: The supply drum has a spindle drive regulated using a machine control unit synchronously to the application speed.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for the mechanical application of an elastoplastic strip as a spacer on a glass pane, which is intended for assembly with at least one further glass pane to form an insulating glass unit.

Usually, the spacers between a two or more glass panes comprising insulating glass unit made of aluminum or steel hollow sections.

However, DE-A-30 02 904 already discloses a spacer which is often referred to as a "swiggle strip" in the form of a band having a rectangular cross-section which, provided with protective films, comes from a storage drum or reel and by means of a reversible one Head equipped device is applied to the glass. This band-shaped spacer based on butyl rubber is tough-plastic, highly adhesive (which is desirable to achieve a gas-tight connection first with the first and then the second glass pane of the insulating glass unit), and has a highly temperature-dependent viscosity.

More recently, much less temperature-sensitive elastoplastic spacer tapes, presumably polyurethane-based, have been developed, which also have rectangular cross-section, much dimensional and dimensionally stable than the so-called "Swiggle Strip" on the later outside have a lamination of aluminum foil and only on the both for gluing with the glass panes certain narrow sides are provided with a thin, covered until applied with protective films adhesive and sealing layer.

So far, these elastoplastic spacer bands were placed by hand on the first glass and thereby punched out if necessary Eckgehrungen. In a machine application with a device of the type known for example from DE A 37 26 274 has been found that the corners of the spacer come in or out to the edge of the glass, pressed. Also sometimes opens the junction between the beginning and end of the tape or long straight sections waves. The cause of these problems was seen in the fact that the spacer band is not applied at a constant speed. Rather, the application starts at zero speed, reaches a maximum value, is in the first corner again equal to zero, rises again to the next corner, etc. Therefore, it was initially assumed that the described, unsatisfactory work results to difficulties in synchronizing the Movements of the numerous intermittently operating drives of such a device are due.

The invention has for its object to provide a method and an apparatus that allow a clean, accurate application of elastoplastic spacer bands.

• zugspannungsfreies Abrollen des Bandes von einer Vorratstrommel mit einer mindestens im Durchschnitt der Applikationsgeschwindigkeit entsprechenden Lineargeschwindigkeit,
• zug- und schubspannungsfreies Zuführen des Bandes zur Applikationsstelle.

In terms of method, this object is achieved according to the invention by the following steps:

• tension-free unwinding of the belt from a storage drum with a linear speed corresponding at least on average to the application speed,
• tension and thrust stress-free feeding of the tape to the application site.

The invention is based on the finding that the quality defects observed when using correspondingly modified, known devices for applying plastic spacer strips are not caused by the electrical control of the device, ie the machine control, but by the material itself in conjunction with the previously known ones Devices usual type of tape transport, which exerts on the tape, albeit small train and / or thrust. While the resulting low elongations and compressions were harmless due to the plasticity of the tape, it was found that the polyurethane-based elastoplastic spacer tape has some form of memory which tends to cause the tape elongated and / or compressed to tend to be bandy, to resume its original length and its original cross-section, this return operation being able to extend with decreasing speed over a period of several hours.

Therefore, the core idea of the invention, starting from this knowledge, is to guide the band from the supply drum to the application site free from tensile stresses or shear stresses, regardless of the multiple application rates.

• daß das Band zum zug- und schubspannungsfreien Zuführen zur Applikationsstelle mittels eines ersten, angetriebenen Rollenpaares einer Ausgleichsstrecke zugeführt und an deren Ende mittels eines zweiten angetriebenen Rollenpaares der Applikationsstelle zugeführt wird,
• daß die Umfangsgeschwindigkeit des zweiten Rollenpaares synchron zu der Applikationsgeschwindigkeit geregelt wird und
• daß die Bandlänge in der Ausgleichsstrecke zwischen dem ersten und dem zweiten Rollenpaar bestimmt und in Abhängigkeit davon die Umfangsgeschwindigkeit des ersten Rollenpaares geregelt wird (Anspruch 2).

A preferred embodiment of the method is characterized by

• in that the band is supplied to a compensation path for tensile and shear stress-free feeding to the application site by means of a first, driven roller pair and is supplied to the application site at the end thereof by means of a second driven roller pair,
• that the peripheral speed of the second roller pair is controlled synchronously to the application speed, and
• in that the strip length in the compensating section is determined between the first and the second pair of rollers and the peripheral speed of the first pair of rollers is regulated in dependence thereon (claim 2).

It is assumed that the band undergoes no elongations or compressions due to active rolling from the storage drum and subsequent low-friction guidance up to the first pair of driven rollers. The second pair of rollers is best located near the point of application. In the balancing section between the first and the second pair of rollers act on the band, apart from gravity, no external forces. The equalizing section, which is usually arched, acts as a buffer for small over or under delivery of the strip by the first pair of rolls in proportion to the rate at which the second pair of rolls feed the strip to the point of application. In a tradition, the band in the balancing line deviates laterally, transverse to its direction, and thus describes a larger arc. On the other hand, underdelivery reduces the length and accordingly reduces the arc that the band describes in the equalization path. It should be noted that the tape speed during application is not constant but usually (at a rectangular glass) at least four times between zero and a maximum value changes. The slight differences in synchronization, which may also occur, inter alia, due to different slippage of the band relative to the first and the second pair of rollers, are compensated for by the changes in position of the band guided in a manner slack by the compensation path. At the same time, the tape length in the compensation section is monitored. In case of overshoot or undershoot the predetermined (average) nominal length, the speed and thus the peripheral speed of the first pair of rollers is readjusted so that the desired length is reached again. The speed and thus the peripheral speed of the second roller pair, however, is controlled exclusively according to the instantaneous application speed, which depends on the speed of the relative movement between the application tool and the glass pane.

The tape length in the compensation path can be determined in a very simple manner by means of at least one responsive to the position of the tape sensor (claim 3), because the band moves in the compensation path depending on over- or under-delivery transversely to its transport direction. Suitable sensors are known to the person skilled in the art. For example, two sensors can be used in the form of two light barriers, one of which detects the maximum permissible deviation of the strip from the stretched layer and the other the maximum allowable approach to this stretched position.

The peripheral speed of the first pair of rollers is expediently increased or reduced as a function of the position of the band in the compensating section as determined by the at least one sensor, so that the band in the compensating section remains tension-free at least in the vicinity of a predetermined desired position (claim 4).

Preferably, the band will be supported in the equalizing section at least substantially without sagging (claim 5) to prevent the band from undergoing elongation under the influence of its own weight.

The band can be in the compensation path in an arc with mainly the difference in peripheral speeds guided and supported depending on the radius of the first and second roller pair dependent (claim 6). This can be achieved in particular by a plurality of guide rollers and guide roller pairs.

The band is best supplied by means of an applicator head which can be turned about an axis orthogonal to the plane of the glass pane and on which the first pair of rollers and all subsequent belt transport and guiding devices are arranged (claim 7). Although such reversible Applizierköpfe in connection with the application of plastic spacer frame are known per se. Although the elastoplastic band can be readily rotated according to the rotational movements of the Applizierkopfes about its longitudinal axis, so that the proposed tape transport and tape guiding devices could be arranged outside the Applizierkopfes with the exception of the second pair of rollers, it is despite the greater design effort for the Applizierkopf better to arrange the tape transport and tape guide devices on this, in order to ensure a tension-free feeding of the tape to the Applizierstelle.

• einer etwas gegen die Lotrechte geneigten Stützwand für die Glasscheibe,
• mindestens einem Horizontalförderer im Bereich des Unterrandes der Stützwand,
• einer Säule in einer zur Ebene der Stützwand parallelen Ebene,
• einem an der Säule zwischen dem Unterrand und dem Oberrand der Stützwand verfahrbaren Applizierkopf, der um eine zur Ebene der Stützwand orthogonale Achse schrittweise wendbar ist,
• Einrichtungen zum Zuführen des Bandes von einer Vorratstrommel sowie zum Andrücken und maßgenauen Abschneiden des Bandes,
• einer die Bewegungen der Teile der Vorrichtung und den Transport des Bandes messenden, steuernden und überwachenden Maschinensteuerung,

ist die der Erfindung zugrunde liegende Aufgabe dadurch gelöst, daß

• die Einrichtungen zum Zuführen des Bandes mindestens ein erstes Rollenpaar mit über die Maschinensteuerung regelbarem Antrieb, eine Ausgleichsstrecke mit Stützrollen für das Band, ein zweites Rollenpaar mit. über die Maschinensteuerung regelbarem Antrieb und mindestens einen Sensor zur Erkennung der Lage des Bandes in der Ausgleichsstrecke umfassen, sodaß das Zuführen des Bandes zur Applikationsstelle zug- und schubspannungsfrei ist (Anspruch 8).

Starting from a known device for the machine application of an elastoplastic Abstandhal.terbandes on a glass plate, with the following features

• a slightly inclined against the perpendicular support wall for the glass,
• at least one horizontal conveyor in the region of the lower edge of the retaining wall,
• a column in a plane parallel to the plane of the supporting wall,
• a movable on the column between the lower edge and the upper edge of the support wall Applizierkopf, which is an orthogonal to the plane of the support wall axis is gradually reversible,
• Means for feeding the tape from a supply drum and for pressing and accurately cutting the tape,
• a machine control which measures the movements of the parts of the device and the transport of the belt, controlling and monitoring

the object underlying the invention is achieved in that

• the means for feeding the tape at least a first pair of rollers with controllable via the machine control drive, a balancing section with support rollers for the band, a second pair of rollers with. via the machine control controllable drive and at least one sensor for detecting the position of the tape in the compensation path, so that the feeding of the tape to the application site zug- and thrust stress-free (claim 8).

The storage drum should usually have a controllable via the machine control drive (claim 9).

A preferred embodiment of this device is characterized in that the equalizing path between the first and second roller pair comprises at least one slot-shaped guide for the belt, the long axis of the guide slot being substantially orthogonal to the tape transporting direction and the slot width only slightly larger than the width of the tape is (claim 10).

A pivotable lever is expediently arranged at the point of application, which supports the band near the application point, in particular during the turning of the application head (claim 11).

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Applizierkopfes einer Vorrichtung zum Applizieren eines elastoplastischen Abstandhalterbandes

Fig. 2

den gleichen Applizierkopf, gesehen etwa aus der Richtung "A" in Fig. 1

Fig. 3

eine der Fig. 2 entsprechende, etwas vereinfachte Aufsicht und

Fig. 4

eine Schrägaufsicht mit Band.

The invention will be explained below with reference to the drawing. It shows:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of an Applizierkopfes a device for applying an elastoplastic spacer strip

Fig. 2

the same Applizierkopf, as seen from the direction "A" in Fig. 1

Fig. 3

one of FIG. 2 corresponding, somewhat simplified supervision and

Fig. 4

an oblique supervision with tape.

The device for the mechanical application of an elastoplastic spacer strip on a glass according to the method proposed here comprises a slightly inclined against the perpendicular support wall for the gas disk, a plurality of separately controllable horizontal conveyor in the lower edge of the support wall, at a distance from the support wall a parallel to this column and a slide movable up and down the column supporting an applicator head. All the above parts are known per se, 'as their movements. With devices of this type, inter alia, the edge joints between an insulating glass unit forming glass sheets are filled with sealant or applied plastic spacers. In the drawing, therefore, only the special Applizierkopf for applying an elastoplastic spacer tape is shown.

• Eine erster Bandtransport 1 wird über eine Maschinensteuerung 50 und zwei Zahnriemen 2, 2' (vergl. Fig. 2) regelbar angetrieben und umfasst vier Rollen 11, 12, 13, 14, von denen jeweils die Rollenpaare 11 und 13 sowie 12 und 14 zusammenwirken und optimal für Bänder unterschiedlicher Breite bestimmt sind. Dem Bandtransport 1 wird das Band stehend oder hochkant von der nicht dargestellten Vorratstrommel spannungsfrei zugeführt. Hierzu ist die Vorratstrommel mit einem über die Maschinensteuerung geregelten Abwickelantrieb versehen.
• An den Bandtransport 1 schließt sich eine im Bogen geführte Ausgleichstrecke 3 (vgl. Fig. 3) an, in der das Band zwischen schlitzförmigen Führungen, bestehend aus drei Führungs- und Stützrollenpaaren 31, 32, 33, so geführt wird, dass es quer zu seiner Transportrichtung in der Seitenebene, jedoch nicht in der Höhenebene, ausweichen kann.
• Die Ausgleichstrecke (3) endet an einer sechs Rollen umfassenden Bandführung 4, auf welche drei Rollenpaare 5, 6 und 7 folgen, die das Band um 90° in eine "liegende" Orientierung wenden. Weitere Rollen 8 übernehmen die Seitenführung.
• Dann läuft das Band in einen zweiten Bandtransport 9 ein, der zwei zusammenwirkende Rollen 91 und 92 umfasst, die über einen Zahnriemen 93 von der Maschinensteuerung regelbar angetrieben werden.
• Der zweite Bandtransport 9 führt das Band der eigentlichen Applizierstelle zu. Diese umfasst neben den üblichen Andruckrollen 10a (für die horizontalen Schenkel des späteren Rahmens) und 10b (für die vertikalen Schenkel des späteren Rahmens) die ebenfalls üblichen und deshalb nicht näher erläuterten Einrichtungen zum Ausstanzen der Gehrungskeile an den Stellen, an denen der Applizierkopf zur Ausbildung einer Ecke gewendet wird sowie einen Hebel 10c mit einer Bandauflage 10d (vgl. Fig. 2). Der Hebel 10c ist schwenkbar und unterstützt im Wiederausfall das Band, insbesondere bei Annäherung an eine zu bildende Ecke und/oder vor, während und nach dem Abschneiden des Bandes am Ende des Abfahrens der Kontur der Glasscheibe zur Erzeugung eines geschlossenen Abstandhalterrahmens.
• In der Ausgleichstrecke 3, nämlich an den Schmalseiten des durch das Rollenpaar 32 begrenzten,Führungsschlitzes, sind an der Bogeninnenseite ein erster Sensor 21 und an der Bogenaußenseite ein zweiter Sensor 22 angeordnet. Die Sensoren 21, 22, bei denen es sich z.B. um Reflexlichtschranken handeln kann, sind mit der Maschinensteuerung verbunden und geben bei Annäherung des Bandes ein Signal. Nähert sich das Band infolge einer Unterlieferung durch den Bandtransport 1 im Verhältnis zu der durch die augenblickliche Appliziergeschwindigkeit bestimmten Umfangsgeschwindigkeit des Bandtransportes 9 dem Sensor 21, dann erhöht auf dessen Signal die Maschinensteuerung geringfügig die Antriebsdrehzahl und damit die Umfangsgeschwindigkeit des entsprechenden Rollenpaares 11, 13 (oder 12, 14) des Bandtransportes 1 und verhindert damit, dass auf das Band eine Zugspannung ausgeübt wird. Nähert sich umgekehrt das Band infolge einer Überlieferung durch den Bandtransport 1 dem bogenaußenseitigen Sensor 22, so gibt dieser das entsprechende Signal an die Maschinensteuerung, die daraufhin die Umfangsgeschwindigkeit des entsprechenden Rollenpaares des Bandtransportes 1 geringfügig verringert und dadurch verhindert, dass das Band vor dem Bandtransport 9 gestaucht und in diesem Zustand appliziert wird.

The Applizierkopf, which is gradually reversible for traversing the usually four side edges of a glass sheet in a conventional manner about the axis BB in Fig. 3, comprises, in the direction of tape transport of a non Stock drum shown to Applizierstelle, following, functionally essential parts in the present context:

• A first belt transport 1 is controllably driven via a machine control 50 and two toothed belts 2, 2 '(see FIG. 2) and comprises four rollers 11, 12, 13, 14, of which the roller pairs 11 and 13 and 12 and 14 cooperate and are optimally designed for tapes of different widths. The tape transport 1, the tape is fed vertically or upright from the storage drum, not shown, stress-free. For this purpose, the storage drum is provided with an unwinding drive regulated by the machine control.
• The belt transport 1 is followed by an arcuate compensating section 3 (see Fig. 3), in which the strip is guided between slot-shaped guides, consisting of three guide and support roller pairs 31, 32, 33, so that it is transverse to its transport direction in the side plane, but not in the height level, can dodge.
• The equalizing section (3) terminates at a six-roll tape guide 4, followed by three pairs of rollers 5, 6 and 7, which turn the tape by 90 ° in a "lying" orientation. Other rollers 8 take over the side guide.
• Then, the belt enters a second belt transport 9, which comprises two cooperating rollers 91 and 92 which are controllably driven by the machine control via a toothed belt 93.
• The second belt transport 9 leads the belt to the actual application point. This includes besides the conventional pinch rollers 10a (for the horizontal leg of the later frame) and 10b (for the vertical leg of the later frame) also common and therefore not further explained means for punching the miter wedges at the points where the Applizierkopf is turned to form a corner and a lever 10c with a band support 10d (see Fig. 2). The lever 10c is pivotable and, in the event of re-occurrence, assists the belt, in particular when approaching a corner to be formed and / or before, during and after cutting off the belt at the end of the travel of the contour of the glass pane to produce a closed spacer frame.
• In the compensating section 3, namely on the narrow sides of the guide slot bounded by the pair of rollers 32, a first sensor 21 is arranged on the inside of the arch and a second sensor 22 is arranged on the outside of the arch. The sensors 21, 22, which may be, for example, reflex light barriers are connected to the machine control and give a signal when approaching the band. If the tape approaches the sensor 21 as a result of being underdelivered by the tape transport 1 in relation to the peripheral speed of the tape transport 9 determined by the instantaneous application speed, then the machine controller slightly increases the drive speed and thus the peripheral speed of the corresponding pair of rollers 11, 13 (or 12, 14) of the tape transport 1 and thus prevents the tape from being subjected to tensile stress. Conversely, when the tape approaches the outside of the sheet-fed sensor 22 as a result of transmission by the tape transport 1, it gives the corresponding signal to the machine control, which then sets the peripheral speed of the corresponding roller pair of the tape transport 1 slightly reduced and thereby prevents the belt is compressed before the tape transport 9 and applied in this state.

Claims (11)

1. A method for mechanically applying an elastoplastic spacer band onto a glass pane which is determined for assembly with at least one further glass pane for an insulating glass unit, comprising the following steps:

   - unrolling the band in a manner free from tensile stress from a delivery drum with a linear speed corresponding to at least on average the application speed;

   - supplying of the band to the application point in a manner free from tensile stress and shearing stress.
2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that

   - the band is supplied by means of a first driven pair of rollers (1) of a compensating section (3) for the delivery to the application point in a manner free from tensile stress and shearing stress and is supplied at its end by means of a second driven pair of rollers (9) to the application point;

   - the circumferential speed of the second pair of rollers (9) is regulated in a synchronous manner relative to the application speed, and

   - the band length in the compensating section (3) between the first and the second pair of rollers (1, 9) is determined and the circumferential speed of the first pair of rollers (1) is regulated depending on the same.
3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the band length in the compensating section (3) is determined by means of at least one sensor (21, 22) responding to the position of the band.
4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the circumferential speed of the first pair of rollers (1) is increased or decreased depending on the position of the band in the compensating section (3) as determined by means of the at least one sensor, so that the band remains free of tension in the compensating section (3) at least close to a predetermined specified position.
5. A method according to one of the claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the band in the compensating section (3) is supported in a manner at least free from sagging.
6. A method according to one of the claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the band in the compensating section (3) is guided and supported in a bend with a radius depending on the difference of the circumferential speeds of the first and second pair of rollers (1, 9).
7. A method according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the band is supplied by means of an application head which can be turned about an axis orthogonal relative to the plane of the glass pane and the first pair of rollers (1) and all subsequent band conveyance and guiding devices are arranged on the same.
8. An apparatus for the mechanical application of an elastoplastic spacer band onto a glass pane and especially for performing the method according to one of the claims 1 to 7, comprising

   - a supporting wall for the glass pane which is inclined slightly against the perpendicular;

   - at least one horizontal conveyor in the region of the lower edge of the supporting wall;

   - a pillar in a plane parallel to the plane of the supporting wall;

   - an application head which is movable on the pillar between the lower edge and the upper edge of the supporting wall and which can be turned in steps about an axis orthogonal relative to the plane of the supporting wall;

   - devices for feeding the band from a delivery drum and for pressing and cutting the band accurate to size;

   - a machine control unit for measuring, controlling and monitoring the movements of the parts of the apparatus and the transport of the band;

   characterized in that

   - the devices for supplying the band comprise at least one first pair of rollers (1) with a drive controllable via the machine control unit, a compensating section (3) with supporting rollers (31, 32, 33) for the band, a second pair of rollers (9) with a drive controllable via the machine control unit, and at least one sensor (21, 22) for recognizing the position of the band in the compensating section (3), so that the supply of the band to the application point occurs in a manner free from tensile stress and shearing stress.
9. An apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the delivery drum has an unwinding drive which can be controlled synchronously to the application speed via the machine control unit.
10. An apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the compensating section (3) between the first and the second pair of rollers comprises at least one slot-like guide means (31, 32, 33) for the band, with the long axis of the guide slot extending substantially orthogonally to the band conveying direction, and the slot width is only slightly larger than the width of the band.
11. An apparatus according to one of the claims 8 to 10, characterized in that a swivelable lever (10c) is arranged at the application point, which lever supports the band close to the application point especially during the turning of the application head.

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