JPS6187089A - Production of heat insulating glass unit having plastic filmlaminated thereto and free from optical distortion - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the manufacture of insulating glass units for use in windows, doors, freezers, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Insulated, glazing units used in window or door applications typically include two or more parallel panes separated from each other by spacers along the edges.
There is e). Multiple glazing in various configurations (mul ti
-pane) are known in the art, and such configurations may include two, three or more panes. Some of these configurations use thin sheets of plastic film spaced parallel to the window pane.

In one embodiment, the film is held tight by small springs that are held by, or are part of, spacers that separate the two panes from each other. As in the 5olaire Fi1m system manufactured by Weather Shield Manufacturing in conjunction with 3M, these springs are only on the opposite side of the film, and the ends of the film are unconstrained and slide through the grooves in the ends. do.

O'Shaughnessy U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,
In another embodiment shown in No. 166, the film is sandwiched between a pair of end spacers, which are coated with a thick ( 0.020 inch to 0.060 inch) layer. In this particular example, the film extends from the observation area through a spacer and is embedded in a two-part silicone insulating glass sealant, such as General Electric's GE3204, by curing the sealant and heating the plastic film. After shrinking and pulling it taut, the entire unit is sealed in an oven.

In any window system incorporating stretched film, the optical properties of the constructed unit depend on the flatness of the film. All wrinkles and eyes,
It's unpleasant. Views through the window and reflections within the window are distorted. The film must maintain its flatness under all conditions of use and during the life of the window.

Both of the above embodiments have inherent design flaws that make the products optically unacceptable for most applications. In the Weathershield/3M system, tension is applied to the - axis and the other axis is relaxed, causing the film to contract laterally. This transverse shrinkage produces wrinkles parallel to the direction of stress. Additionally, the springs with the small parts attached to the two narrow ends protrude undesirably into the viewing area of the window.

In the O'Shaughnessy system, the film is stretched biaxially, initially with generally acceptable optical properties. However, the combination of silicone and polyimbutylene is not sufficient to prevent the film from being pulled through the spacer. When this happens, the film loses its tension and wrinkles. Further, O'Shaughnessy does not specify the material of the spacer, other than that it may be "aluminum or plastic or other rigid material."

In fact, when units approximately 37 x 3/or larger are manufactured by this method with aluminum spacers and exposed to extreme temperatures in most climates, an inappropriate combination of coefficients of thermal expansion between aluminum and glass results. Warp the corners of the spacer frame (approximately 2 times), which are elastically attached to the glass. This distortion of the spacer causes severe distortion of the corners of the film. Furthermore, this process is incompatible with single seal insulated glass units, which do not use polyimbutylene and replace it with a polysulfide polymer. Such single seal Unisoto constitutes approximately 80% of the insulating glass manufactured in the United States.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, a multi-pane insulating window is fabricated using flexible heat-shrinkable plastic sheets or films in parallel.
Manufactured by supporting between spaced panes. The window glass is separated from the plastic film by spacers placed near its edges. The glazing is secured by spacers, by structural fixing means attached to the outer peripheral edge of the plastic film, and by one or more sealants which together with the heat-shrinkable plastic provide a substantially complete window unit. substantially sealed from each other. The sealed unit itself is then heated at a sufficient temperature for a sufficient period of time to cause the plastic film to shrink and taut to eliminate wrinkles. Once cooled, the resulting complete unit requires no further manufacturing steps, but rather can be inserted directly into a suitable frame for applications such as insulating glass units. Because the plastic film is fixed in place, it is under tension, does not wrinkle under water, and does not shift relative to the spacer like the plastic film of conventional window units.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved multi-pane insulating window unit and for mounting in a sealed manner between parallel, spaced panes. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned window unit having a flexible heat-shrinkable plastic sheet still attached to the film, whereby the film is fixed against the internal movements associated with the spacer that keeps the window panes apart. However, it is an excellent window unit that can be made quickly and easily and its surroundings can be completely sealed, thereby eliminating the drawbacks of conventional window units. be formed.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the manufacturing process of the window unit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The window unit of the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 10 and is shown in FIG. The unit 10 consists of a pair of generally parallel, spaced apart panes 12 and 14 and a plastic film or sheet 16 between the panes 12 and 140, with the film 16 generally parallel to the panes 12 and 14; Interlocking spacers 18 are located within and spaced from each window pane between the window glass 12 and the outer peripheral edge of the plastic film 16. Similarly, the interconnecting spacer 20 is between the window pane 14 and the outer peripheral edge of the plastic film 16, which may be coated or tinted to obtain the desired wit-effect.

In use, the window unit 10 is mounted to an outer frame 22 as shown in FIG. 1, so that the frame supports the window unit used in windows, doors, etc.

Frame 22 may be any suitable structure known in the art (and need not be described in detail here).

Spacers 18 and 20 typically have the cross-section shown in FIG. 5, and are hollow to accommodate desiccant for drying purposes. In the context of the invention, the spacer is metal, for example steel or aluminum. Metal spacers have a long life (useful) and do not degrade like plastic spacers.

Each spacer has parallel flat sides 23 (Figure 7a), typically about 1/4 inch wide. These surfaces are in contact with adjacent window panes and plastic films, respectively. Fifth
As shown, the double-sided adhesive tape 24 is between one piece 23 and the adjacent window pane, and the double-sided tape 26 is between the surface 26 and the plastic film 16. Instead of using tape, a layer of polyisobutylene can be used for the adhesive. Spacers 18 and 20 are aligned with each other as shown in FIG. 5, with the outer peripheral edge of the plastic film being between the spacers.

FIG. 2 shows a partially assembled window unit using one assembly method. For example, a pane 14 with an adhesively bonded spacer 20 is typically underneath the film 16 in a loose state. The pane 12 with adhesively bonded spacer 18 is then applied to the plastic film 16 so that the assembly is in the configuration shown in FIG.

Curable epoxy layer 28 is bonded to adjacent spacers 18 and 2.
It is placed in a concave space defined by the outer surface of 0. An epoxy layer 28 is also applied to the opposite side of the film 16 at the outer peripheral edge of the film 16. A layer 30 of a suitable sealant, such as polysulfide, is then applied to layer 28 and pane 1.
It is applied to the outer surface of the spacer as shown in FIG. 5 so as to cover the space between 2, 14 and 9. Therefore, the window unit has the configuration shown in FIG. 6 before being placed in a heated environment.

Layer 28 serves to secure the film to the spacer, and layer 60 structurally seals the circumferential space between panes 12 and 14. The vapor seal for window unit 10 is tape and adhesive layers 24 and 26 (FIG. 5).

Upon heating after curing layers 28 and 60, the plastic film becomes taut as shown in FIG.
Once heating is removed, the window unit is ready for use and ready for installation in a frame, such as frame 22 shown in FIG.

When assembling the window unit 10, the manufacturing area in which this process is performed is clean, relatively free of drafts, and free of contaminant solvents or vapors that may have become trapped in the window unit during manufacturing. It shouldn't be.

Prepare window glass and cut it to the same length and width. These must be very clean, especially at the edges, so that the sealant can properly bond to them. film f
Individual panes generally should not exceed 4 square feet because of their tendency to buckle due to backlash.

A preferred method of assembling window unit 10 is to use spacers 18 and 2 that incorporate plastic film.
The purpose is to form a spacer frame consisting of zero.

After forming the spacer frame, attach the window glass to it.

The entire spacer frame is designated by the numeral 61 and is shown at the bottom. The spacer frame is the first subframe 6
2 and a second sub-frame 64, the shark frames 62 and 64 being on opposite sides of the plastic film 16 as shown in FIG. 8a. Each subframe is generally rectangular or square and is comprised of four spacers, with subframe 62 formed by spacers 18 and subframe 64 formed by spacers 20.

Spacers 18 and 20 are cut to appropriate lengths approximately 1 inch shorter than the length of the window pane. A common spacer is of the type manufactured by Allmetal, a standard racer-welded spacer that is electrogalvanized steel. The spacer is limited to being square cut, free of burrs, and without flared seams, except for a minimum of about 1/8 inch of sealant layer 30 covering the back of the spacer. Then fill the spacer with desiccant. Each subframe is assembled into a rectangular frame with corner keys 66 (Figure 6a) connecting adjacent spacers of the subframes. The key may be of cast material or plastic, but must not slip within the spacer. These may be of serrated design or may be serrated in place.

The subframe must be handled in such a way that it will not twist or warp. The subframe spacers are flat and covered with thin layers 24 and 26 (0.010 inches) of double-sided tape or polyisobutylene. This material acts as a pressure sensitive adhesive to hold the film in place prior to applying the structural adhesive, and it provides a first moisture barrier between the glazing and the subframe.

By reducing the thickness of the tape or polyisobutylene from the amounts previously used, the mechanical stiffness of the two spacer assemblies in close fit is increased considerably.

Windows are cleaned using a conventional glass washer. Given that the system and conditions combine to leave a static charge on the glass,
This condition must be removed or the film will stick to the glass and the unit will fail. A suitable static control device, such as that manufactured by Simco Corporation, is readily available.

To attach the subframe to the plastic film, attach the subframe to the plastic film as shown in Figures 6 and 7.
The subframe can generally be mounted on a vertical table, or the subframe can be attached to a horizontal table, such as that shown in FIG. To use the vertical table of FIG. 6, a subframe 62 is supported on a table 40 having a lower, generally horizontal rail 41. The table 40 includes a movable pedestal 42 and a pin 46 at the top of the pedestal 42.
There is a pivotably mounted support grate 44. Plate 44 can be magnetized to permanently retain subframe 32.

A guide S (not shown) connects the subframe to the plate 44.
Can be used to place in a predetermined position on top. The support plate 44 is mounted at an angle of approximately 5° to the vertical as shown in FIG. The rail 41 is attached directly to the lower end of the plate 44.

A roll 48 of chiefly filled plastic film 16 is placed below and the roll is supported by a bracket 50 attached to a ceiling 52 or other support on a floor 54 from which pedestal 42 can move. The plastic film 16 supported by the rail 41 and the subframe 32 are at a relatively small angle,
The plastic film 16 is fed vertically downward at an angle of about 5[deg.] and the roll 48 is unwound. The tilting of the plate 44 ensures that the subframe 62 does not tilt the table, for example in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. However, the 5° angle is not large enough to cause problems with film movement relative to the subframe 32 for securing the film to the subframe.

Plastic film 16 is unwound from roll 48 and unrolled to the bottom 174 inches of rail 41. Because the film is freely suspended, air movement and static charge dissipation make the film smooth and uniform. Non-uniform stresses and strains will correct themselves. For example, when handling film with a vacuum chuck, this is not the case.

The film is bonded to the exposed, adhesive coated surface of subframe 32. To do this, use a straight, smooth bar longer than the width of the film and move the bottom edge of the film into contact with the exposed adhesive-coated surface of the bottom spacer. Then use the same bar to contact the film to the top of the spacer. The edges of the film do not touch the bar.

The film is then cut flat on the back side of the spacer frame 32 using a new razor blade in the prescribed order.

The order is as follows. .

1. At the top, cut 1/4 inch from the side spacer at the beginning and end.

2. Cut the film vertically, first up and down past the first cut, then down past the bottom spacer.

6. Cut the film at the top and release it from the roll.

4. Cut the film at the bottom.

If you do this in an order other than the above, the corners of the film may become jagged because you are trying to cut a loose film, or the film may be misaligned due to uneven release of the film tension at the top. It is important to do them in this order.

Once the film is attached to the subframe 32, the next step is to contact the subframe 54 with the film 16 so that the subframes are aligned with each other. When this is done, the adhesive coated side of the subframe filter 4 is brought into contact with the film and the subframe 64 is bonded to the film. Next, attach the subframe 4 to the table rail 4.
1 and clamp the two subframes together using appropriate ramps. If you do this, frame 3
1 (Fig. 8a) is formed. Next, the frame filter 1 is assembled with the window glasses 12 and 14 to complete the assembly of the window unit 10.

When moving the frame 31, the hand-held magnet filter 5 may be brought to the side of the frame filter 1.

These magnets grip the outer surfaces of subframes 32 and 34. In this way, the frame 31
can be placed on the pane 14 and brought to an assembly position where it is adhesively bonded, after which the pane 12 is lowered onto the frame filter 1 and similarly bonded. In the next issue, layer 2
8 and 30 (FIG. 5) are applied in place, preferably by spraying, to complete the structural assembly of the window unit.

Layer 2B and filter 0 are allowed to cure for a suitable period of time, for example 12-16 hours. Once the curing time has elapsed, the window unit is placed in a heated environment and heated to an elevated temperature, such as 210° F., for a predetermined period of time, such as one hour. This causes the plastic film 16 to shrink and become taut in all directions, eliminating all wrinkles so that the film is smooth over the entire exposed area. After the window unit is removed from the heated environment and cooled, the frame 22 is assembled into the window unit 10, thereby making the window unit ready for use.

Frame 61 can be assembled using a horizontal table of the type shown in Figures 9 and 9a.

The entire table is indicated by the number 60. table 60 has 6 legs
2 with a horizontal upper support surface. This support surface 61 is such that the subframe 34 can be placed thereon generally horizontally. Guides (not shown) can be used to position subframe 64 on surface 61. The subframe 64 is assembled with keys as shown in Figure 6a.

The flat outer surface of the subframe is then coated to allow adhesive bonding.

A roll 64 of plastic film 16 is mounted at its end on a guide roller 66 that moves on the top surface 61 of table 60. A vacuum chuck 67 or other film holding device is located at the end of the table 60 and releasably grips one end of the film 16, and a roller 64 is moved to the other end of the table, e.g., to the dotted position in FIG. I keep it even when I'm doing it. Rollers 66 are mounted in tracks 68 on opposite sides of the table so that roll 64 moves in a straight path as film 16 is unwound from roll 64. Other guiding means can be used if desired.

As the roll is unwound, the film edge falls onto the pair of perforated conduits 70 and onto opposite sides of the table surface 61 just inside each track.

Each conduit 70 has a number of holes 72 in its top surface, each conduit leading to a vacuum source, represented by the numeral 74;
Shown in Figure 9a. As the film unwinds from roll 64, it is drawn by suction toward the top of 4IJ'70.

The suction force therefore keeps the film slightly taut and adhesively bonded to the subframe 64 as shown in Figure 9b.

Immediately after placing the film on the sub-frame filter 4, the sub-frame filter 2 is positioned and secured to the sub-frame 34 in a suitable manner. This is essentially to form a frame λ; As described above, it can be moved with magnets to the assembly area, where the panes 12 and 1
4 is assembled into a frame as described above with reference to Figure 8b.

If desired, a mechanism for moving roll 64 over track 68 at a uniform speed can be shown. Various braking devices 69 may be provided to control the tension in the film while it is being unwound from the roll 64.

Conduit 70 is pivotally mounted by leg 7 on table 60 in any suitable manner. Leg 7 by hand or other means
The filters can be shifted outward to provide lateral tension to the film. For dust removal, a cover 75 can be placed on the roll holder to prevent the film from getting dirty. Furthermore, the surface 61 of the table 60 is attached to the subframe 60 by lifting the surface 61 upwardly while pulling the film thereon.
The adhesive-coated side of can be made to contact the film.

In operation, roll holder 64 is rotated through vacuum conduit 70 so that the film unravels.

The height of the film is 172 inches above the subframe 34. As the roll holder advances along the track, the edges of the film are held in place by side vacuum conduits. These conduits preferably have a metal spring roll-up force hardware that brings the holes directly in front of the film so that the vacuum is not lost and the holes used by the conduits are not ineffective. As the roll 64 moves past the end of the spacer frame 34, the side conduits 70 move slightly laterally to pull the film.

The film is inspected for distribution or material defects. The work surface is then raised to bring the subframe into contact with the film. The cutting mechanism on the roll holder cuts the film on the roll from the film glued to the spacer frame, and trims the other three sides by hand.

In window unit 100 assembly using either the vertical or horizontal table method, after making the frame 51,
Drill a small (1/16 inch diameter) hole in the edge of the film with heat, a scale, or a small torch. This provides a vent to equalize the pressure on both sides of the film between the panes 12 and 14.

Layer 28 is applied to both sides of the film. There the layer spreads into the spacer. This adhesive layer is made of a two-component chikyotropic epoxy paste, such as Arms, Trong-61.
It is. The purpose of this adhesion is to adhere the film to the spacer with a highly cross-linked structure. Without this material, the force exerted by the film on attached small parts (we measured approximately 1.2 pounds per inch of edge) would be such that the film weakly creeps the spacer over several weeks. This proved to be enough force to wrinkle the corners of the film and then make it baggy all over. These conditions are visually unacceptable in many different applications. The cured resin layer 28 must be flexible since the completed unit will flex under the wind loads associated with previous handling and insulation during installation. Instead of using layer 28, the film may be heated with a suitable flame or torch to shrink the outwardly protruding portion of the film outside of subframe filters 2 and 4 to form a bead. . This bead covers the recessed space created by the outer surfaces of subframes 62 and 34. By collapsing, these outer surfaces hold the film taut and prevent it from moving inwardly relative to the subframe.

Two-component high modulus (35-50 Shore A) polysulfide resin sealant, such as Th1okol
805 is then applied onto the uncured epoxy resin layer 28 (or bead) so as to be consistent with the glass edges, as shown in FIG. The sealant must be applied without voids. This generally requires spray equipment. Brushing and troweling introduce too much air. However, the spray pressure must not be so high as to cause the spacer to tilt inward. It has been found that this cannot be done satisfactorily with low modulus sealants. This material is not strong enough to withstand the forces exerted by the taut film, causing the spacer to move and the film to wrinkle.

Preferably, a 1/18 inch vent hole is left in one spacer. Next, sealant filter 0 and Hiehoxy layer 2
8. Once cured, place the unit vertically onto the open wheel rank for heat shrinking. The rack must allow air to circulate freely through the unit, and the rank must support both panes equally. It was found that when the unit was placed horizontally, the film spread out in the heat before shrinking, sagging, and eventually came into contact with the lower window pane and did not shrink satisfactorily. Open the glass quickly to a relatively high temperature, e.g.
10°F ± 5° and held at this temperature for a sufficient time to taut the film, usually 1 hour.

To ensure uniform temperature and heat shrinkage, the circulating blower capacity, cubic feet per minute, must be approximately 20 times the open volume (cubic feet). Heater capacity is approximately 2000 btu per hour open cubic foot
should be. Space between units should be 1/2 inch or more. The required shrinkage cycle will depend on the properties of the film used.

Typical polyester films of the type used in industry will exude short groups of oligomers or monomer units that have not formed long polymer chains at temperatures below 220°C. These oligomers give the film a cloudy, blotchy or flaky appearance. For the shortest manufacturing cycles, shrinkage should be performed at the highest temperature that does not cause clouding. Heat Mir manufactured by Southwall, Palo Alto, California
For films such as ROR™ transparent insulation, this temperature is about 210°F.

Then remove the unit from the open and let it cool. Sealants 60 are soft and weak at high temperatures, so window units should not be touched until they cool to below 100°C. Moving the unit often causes permanent distortion of the product. Seal the spacer vents with additional sealant. A metal or plastic vent tube of the type known in the art may be sealed into the hole. At this point, the unit requires no further manufacturing steps and is ready to be inserted into a suitable sash.

Although the invention has been shown and described as using a single film between spacers 18 and 20 (FIG. 5), it is theoretically possible to use a second film 16; A second film is aligned between the spacer 18 and another subframe of the spacer on the opposite side of the second film.

The two films thus remain spaced from each other and become taut after heating as described above. The dual film idea is useful for refrigerator doors or windows and other similar applications.

Instead of leaving the window unit open and heating it to shrink the film, heat from a bank of heat lamps can be applied to the unit. The plate 44 (FIG. 6) can also be magnetized to hold the subframe in place on the plate. Telescoping bins can be used on plate 44 to guide the subframe into position. The bottle works with air pressure.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a partially broken window unit of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the window unit showing the two panes and the flexible plastic film between the panes. FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged cross-sectional view of a window unit with assembled panes. FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 6, but shows the window after the window unit has been heated to tension the film. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the window unit showing the spacer at one end of the plastic film. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of an inclined table and film roll used to incorporate plastic film into a spacer frame. Figure 6a shows the method used to connect keys to the ends of adjacent spacers to form the corners of the spacer frame. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the end of the spacer frame. FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the table of FIG. 6, showing a portion of the spacer frame supported on the lower rail on the table; FIG. 7a is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7a-7a of FIG. FIG. 8 shows a complete spacer frame incorporating the film, with magnets for transporting the frame to an assembly area where it is attached to spaced panes to form a window unit. FIG. 8a is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8a-8a of FIG. Figure 8b is an enlarged view of the spacer frame between the panes showing how the first and second panes are attached to the spacer frame. FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of the horizontal table. Figure 9b is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9b-9b of Figure 9a. 10: Window glass unit 12. 14: Window glass 16: Plastic film or sheet 18. 20 varnish spacer 22: Frame 24. 26: Double-sided adhesive tape 30: 7-ru material 62, filter 4: Sub-frame 40: Table 41: Rail 42: Movable pedestal 44 Nibrate 48 Two rolls 50 Ni bracket 60: Table 64: Roll 66: Guide roller 68 Nidrak 70: Conduit (geshib name) FIG, 8b 14-103 Procedure I 1h Orthographic (method) % Formula %[] 1'1. , 'F Agency Director Shiga Bill, Mr. Ill's 1959 Patent Head No. 207915 / - The relationship between the splitting of the insulated crow unit and Masatake Nagisa and the 4th name of the office. S. Sauswall Co. 71; Lane Con 4 Agent address: Chiyo 1, Tokyo]] 2-2-2 Osencho, January 5, 2018
, r(l+iE instruction 1] Attachment 7, Contents of amendment (1) Specification 1) The following statement is added between the 4th and 6th lines from the bottom of page 1, page 1. "Figure 9+2 is a plane of the table in Figure 9 from above."
It is. (2) Items (1) and (2) in the column to be amended are as shown in the attached sheet. that's all

Claims (9)

[Claims] (1) A method for manufacturing a window unit: prepare a pair of window glasses; fix spacers to the window glasses near their outer peripheral edges; place a flexible plastic film between the spacers on the window glasses; securing the ends to the spacer at an external location of the spacer; and placing the pane, spacer and film assembly in a heating area;
A process as described above comprising heating the assembly and causing the film to shrink and become taut. (2) The fixing step includes applying a curable material to the outer periphery of the film in engagement with the adjacent outer surface of the spacer, and curing the material prior to performing the placing step. The method described in section 1). 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first curable material is a two-component flexible thixotropic epoxy paste. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of sealing includes applying a curable material to said area and curing the material prior to performing said step of placing. (5) The method according to claim (1), wherein the second material of the curable material is a two-component high modulus polysulfide resin sealant. (6) the fixing step includes applying a first curable material to the outer periphery of the film in engagement with the adjacent outer surface of the spacer, and the sealing step includes applying a second curable material to the area; and curing the first and second materials before performing said placing step. (7) Claim No. 6, wherein the first material is a two-component flexible thixotropic epoxy paste and the second material is a two-component high modulus polysulfide resin sealant. The method described in section. (8) The steps of applying the first material and applying the second material include spraying the first and second materials in place. A method according to claim (6). (9) Claim (1), wherein the fixing step includes forming a bead on the outer periphery of the film and engaging the bead with the outer periphery of the spacer after shrinking the film. Method described.