FR2485389A1 - DESICCANT-CONTAINING ELEMENT AND DESICCANT TAPE AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing an element containing a desiccant as well as a process for manufacturing a desiccant tape and the respective products obtained. OF DESICCING MATERIAL 3 IS FIXED ON A FLEXIBLE CARRIER TAPE 1 THROUGH ADHESIVE 2. THE ASSEMBLY IS INTRODUCED IN AN ELEMENT 25 DURING ITS FORMATION FROM A STRIP-SHAPED MATERIAL 4. THE INVENTION S 'APPLIES IN PARTICULAR TO THE MANUFACTURE OF DOUBLE WINDOWS.

Description

The present invention relates to a manufacturing process

  cation of a desiccant-containing element in which such an element is formed from a web-like material, the web being

  folded so as to obtain the desired cross-section. The inventors

  The invention extends to a method of manufacturing a flexible desiccant tape, desiccant tapes per se, and elements containing such

  desiccant ribbons. It also concerns multiple glazing which

  carry such an element containing a desiccant used as an intermediate element. In the field of hollow panels, for example

  double glazing, it is clearly undesirable

  can be formed on one of the inner faces of the panel. For this purpose, it is common practice to provide the panel with a desiccant

  who is in communication with the or at least one intermediate space.

  For aesthetic reasons, it is common practice to confine the desiccant material along one or more marginal zone (s) of the panel and the desiccant material is often attached to or contained in an intermediate element located between the zones. marginal leaves

  of the panel and which keeps the sheets in spaced relation. The incorporation

  desiccant material in such an intermediate element present

  certain problems during the manufacture of the panel, depending in particular on

  the width of the intermediate element. In the case of elements

  wide spacers, it is easy to pour into the interlayers a

  desiccant form granular form such as a silica gel. However, such a material can easily fall during handling before panel assembly. In the case of intercalary elements

  narrow, the desiccating material is difficult to introduce.

  Similar considerations prevail in the case of elongated elements containing undessicant that can be incorporated

  in hollow glass without being used as intercalibration

  can be used for other purposes.

  One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new method of manufacturing an element containing a desiccant

  who does not suffer from these disadvantages.

  The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a desiccant-containing element in which such an element is formed from a web-like material, the web being

  folded so as to obtain the desired cross-section, which is

  characterized in that a flexible desiccant tape and said unfolded or partially folded web are brought into contact with each other and that said web is then folded to its cross-section.

  definitive version to contain the desiccant tape.

  Because the desiccant tape is assembled to the strip material before the latter is folded to its final cross section, it is relatively easy to incorporate the desiccant even in small section elements. In addition, because the desiccant is present in the form of desiccant tape, the tendency of this material

to fall is very small.

  In some embodiments of the invention, the desiccant tape is a water-permeable extruded polymer tape into which desiccant material has been mixed. However, in the preferred embodiments of the invention, the * ssicant ribbon

  includes a flexible carrier tape which is adhered to

  cules of desiccating matter. Such a carrier tape is easy to manufacture

  quer and incorporate into a folded element. This characteristic-

  particular importance in the implementation of this

  vention as will be described later.

  Preferably, the strip is folded into a channel shape, the desiccant tape is applied in this channel and the edges of the strip

  are then folded to form lips holding the ribbon

  Z5 cant inside the canal. This facilitates the correct positioning of the desiccant tape. Advantageously, the lips are folded to form a key. This provides dimensional stability complementary to the

band in the form of a channel.

  In preferred embodiments of the invention, the strip is folded progressively along its length, for example by passing between profiling rollers. This facilitates mass production. The use of a desiccant tape has been cited

  a flexible carrier tape to which particles of

  desiccant. In this context, the present invention also relates to

  A method of making a flexible desiccant ribbon characterized in that desiccant material is applied to a flexible adhesive-coated moving carrier tape. This is a method

  very simple to make a flexible desiccant tape.

  The desiccant can be applied to the carrier tape in different ways, but it is especially important to guide the carrier tape coated with antifreeze through a container containing

desiccant material.

  The carrier tape can take different forms, but

  it is preferable that the carrier tape is an adhesive tape, and preferably

  basically the tape has an adhesive coating on both sides.

  Such ribbons are widely available under the trade marks

  Sellotape, Scotchtape or from Mac Tac and Johnson Agencies. The desiccant is preferably in the form

granular.

  The invention further comprises a method of manufacturing

  tion of an element containing a desiccant as described above

  taking the step of manufacturing a flexible desiccant tape such as

described above.

  The invention also comprises a desiccant ribbon

  flexible manufactured by a method as described above.

  It is considered that the use of such a flexible desiccant tape is very interesting and that such a ribbon is in itself a novelty. Therefore, the present invention extends to a flexible desiccant tape, characterized in that it carries an adhesive coating to which particles of desiccant adhering. As will be deduced from what has been said above, the carrier tape is preferably an adhesive tape which optimally bears an adhesive coating and desiccant particles on both sides thereof. Preferably,

  the desiccant is in granular form.

  The invention also relates to a desiccant-containing element made by a method as described above and an element of any shape that contains a desiccant tape as described above. The invention also extends to a multiple glazing unit comprising at least two sheets of vitreous material held in spaced relationship by means of one or more intermediate elements, characterized in that it comprises at least an element containing a

  desiccant as described above for which the desiccant is in contact with

  with the or at least one intermediate space of the panel.

  Certain embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a flexible adhesive-coated carrier tape which has been made adhering desiccant particles according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure Z is a sectional view of an element folded to contain a desiccant tape according to a second aspect of the present invention;

  FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a detail of a window

  multiple geometry in which the element is used as spacer element

  represented in FIG. 2 according to a third aspect of the invention.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing the desiccant ribbon of FIG. 1 and its incorporation in the element of FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a detail of a double glazing unit in FIG. which incorporates an element containing

  a desiccant according to another embodiment of the invention.

  In FIG. 1, a desiccant tape comprises a flexible carrier tape 1 carrying on each side a layer of adhesive

  2. Desiccant granules 3 are adhered to the adhesive.

  In a specific practical embodiment, the carrier tape is a double-sided adhesive tape of the type sold under the trademark "Sellotape" or "Scotchtape". The desiccant material comprises granules of a molecular sieve whose average

  grains is between 0.5 mm and 2. mm.

  In a variant of the embodiment

  Tape 1 has an adhesive coating 2 on one side only.

  FIG. 2 shows an element formed of a strip 4, of a material such as galvanized steel, which has been folded so as to contain a desiccant strip as shown in FIG. 1. It will be noted in FIG. some of the grains of desiccant indicated in separated from the adhesive material 2 of the carrier tape 1, but this is not important because they are anyway maintained

  in place by the grains 3 which continue to adhere to the ribbon 1.

  ra that the element formed by the band 4 has a base 6 on which side walls are raised whose lower parts 7 are

  diverging and whose upper parts 8 are generally parallel

  the the. At the top of their upper parts 8, the side walls are folded inwards to form lips 9, and the edges of the lips 9 are in turn folded so as to form between them a key

  in 10, all to form an element II containing a desiccant.

  - The element of Figure 2 is shown schematically

  in Figure 3, where it is also designated by the reference number.

  11. In Figure 3, element 11 is used as the inter-

  Calaire. It is fixed by means of glue 12 to the edges of two sheets of glass 13 so as to maintain them in spaced relation. The assembly thus forms a double glazing having an intermediate space 14. The desiccant material 3, 5 contained in the intermediate element 11 is in communication with the intermediate space 14 by the key 10. If desired, additional communication passages may be practiced in the lips 9 of the element 11. In some embodiments of such a double glazing, it is sufficient to have an element

  insert 11 containing a desiccant along one side. The ele-

  interleaved along the other sides of the panel are folded similarly from a strip material 4 but do not contain

no desiccating material.

  In a variant of the embodiment of FIG. 3, the intermediate elements are welded to the metallized edges.

leaves 13.

  In FIG. 4, a double-sided adhesive tape 1 taken from a roll 15 is conveyed through an enclosure 16 in which grains 3 of desiccant material are blown against the two faces of the ribbon 1 by means of nozzles 17 so as to adhere ribbon

  to form a desiccant ribbon, Figure 4 also illustrates a

  said embodiment of such a desiccant ribbon in an element as shown in Figure 2. Thus, in Figure 4, a strip 4, for example galvanized steel, unwound of a roller 18 is conveyed

  through a pair of rollers 19 to a series of rollers

  20, where the edges of the strip are folded progressively to form the side walls of a channel-shaped element 21 (see FIGS.

  side walls 7, 8 and the base 6 of the element shown in Figure 2).

  The channel-shaped element 21 advances and passes below a

  2Z roll of introduction of desiccant tape obtained at the exit of the

  The roller 22 bends and presses the desiccant tape inside the channel-shaped member 21. The channel-shaped member 21 then passes between other free-rider rollers 23 where the edges of the strip 4 are folded to form a key as indicated at 10 in FIG. 2. It then passes between the free-rider rollers 24 o the edges Of the band

  are folded for. forming lips 9 (Figure 2) thus completing the

  bricking a continuous strip containing a desiccant. This strip may be cut to length to form desiccant-containing elements, as shown in FIG. Z. In a variant of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the ribbon 1 is simply conveyed through a reservoir.

  such as 16 which is partly filled with grains of matter of the sicante.

  In this case, it is sometimes more interesting to route the ribbon

  through the tank in a direction from bottom to top.

  In FIG. 5, a double glazing comprises two glass sheets 30, 31 whose edges are respectively metallized

  for example by copper layers 32, 33 sprayed with flame.

  The metallized layers 32, 33 are coated with solder layers 34, 35 by means of which a U-shaped spacer element 36 is

  secured between the edges of the sheets 30, 31. Within the space

  between the sheets 30, 31, an elongate hollow member 38 formed by rolling a metal strip, for example galvanized steel or tinned copper, and containing a desiccant strip 39 as shown in FIG. One of the solder layers 35. In the illustrated embodiment, the strip of material from which the desiccant-containing member is made is pierced with a plurality of holes 40 to form the communication between the desiccant and the space 37. This strip is laminated to form flanges 41 by means of which

  the element is welded in the desired position.

Claims (13)

  A method of manufacturing a desiccant-containing element in which such an element is formed from a web-like material, the web being folded to obtain the desired cross-section, characterized in that a ribbon flexible desiccant (1, 2, 3, 5 and 39) and said non-folded or partially folded strip (4) are brought into contact with each other and in that said strip   is then folded until its final cross-section   to contain the desiccant tape.   Z. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the desiccant tape comprises a flexible carrier tape (1) to which   particles (3) of desiccant material are adhered to.   3. Method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized   characterized in that the strip is folded into a channel shape (6, 7, 8) and the desiccant strip is applied in this channel and that the edges of the strip are then folded to form lips (9) retaining the   desiccant tape inside the canal.   4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in   what the lips are folded to form a key (10).   5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, ca:   characterized in that the strip is progressively folded along its length, 6, Method of manufacturing a flexible desiccant tape   for carrying out the method according to one of the preceding claims   cedentes, characterized in that desiccant material (3) is   to a flexible carrier tape (1) in motion coated with adhesive (2).   7. Process according to claim 6, characterized in that   the adhesive-coated carrier tape is guided through a reservoir.   see (16) containing desiccant material.   8. Method according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized   characterized in that the carrier tape is an adhesive tape.   9. The method of claim 8, characterized in that said adhesive tape bears an adhesive coating on both sides.   10. Method according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized   characterized in that the desiccant material is in granular form.   11. Flexible drying tape for the implementation of the b 8   process according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that   carries an adhesive coating to which particles of desiccant adhering. Tape according to claim 11, characterized in that the carrier tape is an adhesive tape. Tape according to claim 12, characterized in that the tape has an adhesive coating and particles of material desiccating on both sides.   14. Ribbon according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized   characterized in that the desiccant material is in granular form   15. Element containing a desiccant manufactured by a   assigned according to one of claims 1 to 5.   16. Element containing a desiccant, characterized in that   it comprises a desiccant tape according to one of the claims 11 to 14.   17. Multiple glazing comprising at least two sheets of vitreous material held in spaced relationship by means of one or more intermediate element (s) characterized in that it comprises at least one element (11, 38) containing a desiccant as described   in one of claims 15 or 16 whose desiccant is in contact with   with the or at least one intermediate space (14, 37) of the   panel (11, 12, 13, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36).