NL8620064A - ENCAPSULED MULTIPLE WINDOW UNIT. - Google Patents

Description

... U- 'J U J

Encapsulated multi-pane straightness ^

Grounds of technology

The invention relates to an encapsulated multi-plate or insulating glass pane unit and method of manufacturing the same.

5 Background_of_technique

Multi-pane units generally include two or more glass plates spaced to provide an insulating air space in the area between the facing surfaces of the plates. This air space is effective to reduce the transfer of heat energy through the unit due to transmission and convection. In one typical multi-pane window form, the glass plates are spaced apart by a metal edge spacer element that extends around the periphery of the glass plates. The glass plates are generally adhered to the spacer by a mastic composition that forms a continuous film around the edges of the plates, between each plate and the spacer, to produce a primary hermetic seal. The spacer is typically shaped to hold a hygroscopic substance. In the spacer 20, openings may be provided to establish connection between the air space of the unit and the hygroscopic substance so that air from the air in the unit can be absorbed by the hygroscopic substance. A resilient moisture resistant spacer element with an adhered layer of mastic is preferably placed around the peripheral edges of the glass sheet and the spacer element to provide a secondary hermetic seal. And finally, a channel portion of substantially U-shaped cross section is preferably attached around the periphery of the unit to protect the peripheral edges of the glass plates that form the unit.

A common method of assembling multi-pane units, as described above, involves the application of the mastic layer or bead that forms the primary hermetic 8620064-2 seal along two opposite sides of the metal spacer suitable for engaging the innermost facing surfaces of the glass plates at their edges. The spacer is then placed between two pre-formed glass plates and the plates are then compressed to cause the plates to adhere to the spacer and to seal the interior air space between the facing surfaces of the plates from the atmosphere. The final air space between the two glass plates is a function of the thickness of the spacer and the thickness of the mastic layers between each side of the spacer and the adjacent glass sheet.

A layer of mastic or a resilient, moisture-resistant strip "with an adhered layer of mastic" is then placed around the peripheral edges of the glass plates and the spacer to form a secondary hermetic seal. A channel portion formed of metal, such as stainless steel, for example, is then adhered around the perimeter of the unit.The angle that the flanges or sides of the channel portion form with the center or track portion of the channel portion is slightly less than 90 °. edges of the glass plates, the sides are kept apart to allow the glass to be inserted therebetween, then the sides are released, allowing them to bounce back into contact with the faces of the glass plates and then being so n stand maintained under tension The foregoing, as well as other similar multi-pane window structures, has been fully disclosed and illustrated in U.S. patents. numbers 2.838.810, 2.964.809 and 3.280.523.

Another type of multi-pane unit and method for forming it is also illustrated and described in US Patent No. 2,624,979. The construction described therein utilizes at least two spaced apart glass plates wherein the peripheral edges of the top plate are heated until they soften sufficiently to cause them to sag to contact with the facing peripheral surface of the adjacent 8620064 - 3 - lower plate. The glass near the contact on the peripheral areas is heated to effect a sufficient degree of softening to ensure fusion between the joining glass surfaces to form a continuous weld around the inner zone. The unit is then typically cooled slowly and finally can be placed in a preformed frame assembly prior to mounting in an opening of a building, for example.

The manufacture of the above multi-pane insulating glass units typically requires a number of manufacturing and treatment steps prior to being ready for insertion into a building opening.

Disclosure of the invention.

This invention relates to a multi-pane construction and method for manufacturing such a construction.

In one of its broadest embodiments, this invention contemplates a multi-pane unit having at least one pair of spaced apart plates of breakable pane material, and a polymer frame attached to predetermined portions of the peripheral edges 20 of the ply material to provide a hermetically sealed zone between produce the facing surfaces of the sheet material, the framework material being polymerized and cured in contact with the sheet material and having intimately contacted with the portions of the sheet material to which the autogenous pressure resulting from its polymerization, under confinement, has occurred. it is attached.

This invention also contemplates the method of manufacturing a multi-pane unit comprising the steps of placing at least one pair of optically transparent glass plates one above the other at a distance from each other; inserting spacers for determining a zone between oppositely facing surfaces of the plates; providing a mold cavity in surrounding and overlapping relationship to the peripheral edges of the superimposed and spaced apart plates; injecting 35 into the mold cavity of a composition which can polymerize and cure 6620064-4 to make a framework around the edges of the plates to hermetically seal the area between the facing surfaces of the plates; controlling the pressure at which the composition is sprayed into the cavity at one sufficiently low that the sheet material '5 is not damaged; controlling the temperature of the mold cavity, the injection of the composition, and the amount of injected composition so that the composition polymerizes after its injection, develops intimate contact with the mold cavity and with the sheet material, and under such contact center; and removing the assembly from the mold cavity.

In general, the invention contemplates an optically transparent insulating assembly that can be quickly installed into the opening of a structure with ease. The mechanism for effecting the hermetic sealing between the facing surfaces of transparent sheet material acts simultaneously as a means of maintaining the desired distance of the individual sheets from one another, binds the sheets together in a constructional manner, and works as an architectural framework with any desired dimensional configuration and decorative appearance.

Brief description of the drawings

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-pane unit embodying the features of the invention with broken away parts to more clearly illustrate the construction; Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the sealing ice-cream construction of the invention taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1; FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective cross-sectional view of the edge spacer; FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the process for manufacturing the preferred encapsulated insulating glass pane construction illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3; FIG. 5 is a more detailed schematic view showing the basic component used in performing the process illustrated in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a typical mold designed to fabricate the encapsulated insulating structure of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3; FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the mold construction illustrated in FIG. 6 taken along line 7-7 thereof; FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the vacuum head portion of the mold assembly of FIGS. 6 and 7 taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 6; FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating cooperating padding or sealing members for supporting a multi-pane diamond structure during the manufacture of an assembly in accordance with the invention; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the sealing construction of a second embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 11 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the seal construction of a third embodiment of the invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a multi-pane unit 10 is illustrated which embodies the features of the invention and is manufactured according to the method of the invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the insulating unit 10 comprises a pair of 25 sheets of glass, denoted by reference numbers 12 and 14, which are spaced apart by an elongated spacer strip unit 17. The spacer strip unit 17 is adapted to form a continuous band all around the edges of the facing surfaces of the glass plates 12 and 14 to effectively form a dead air space 20 between the glass plates 12 and 14. The entire assembly is framed by a molded frame portion 22 of a polymeric material that is in-situ polymerized and cured to encapsulate the peripheral edge portions of the assembly. The frame portion 22 is typically formed by a reaction injection molding process.

862Ö064 - 6 -

Fig. 3 shows the spacer strip unit 17 that can be used in the embodiment illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2. The edge spacing 17 is commercially available from Tremco Ltd., Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. and is sold under the trade name "Swiggle Strip". The spacer strip unit 17 consists of an independent spacer 16 which can be any flexible, yet rigid material, such as corrugated aluminum / and a hygroscopic substance-containing material 18. The hygroscopic substance-containing material 18 is formed of an extruded butyl-based mastic 10 which is passed through it. dispersed powdered hygroscopic molecular sieve material contains Any combination of mastic and hygroscopic material having properties suitable for use in this invention may be used. These properties could include, for example, chemical compatibility with other components of the invention, the ability to adhere to the sheet, framework and spacer strip materials, the skill in cooperating to form and maintain a hermetic seal, the stability over a wide range of application conditions and the ability to prevent condensation 20 in the enclosed hermetically sealed area.

The first step in manufacturing the multi-pane unit 10 involves proper cleaning of the front and rear surfaces and peripheral edges of the glass plates 12 and 14 to prepare the surfaces for bonding with the frame member 22 to be used. material.

The next step in manufacturing the unit 10 is to apply a primer to the previously cleaned glass surfaces. Satisfactory results can be achieved by first priming 24 of a product such as "Betaseal, Glass 30 Primer 435.18 Commercial Grade" commercially available from Essex

Chemical Company, Clifton, New Yersey, U.S.A. The glass bonding area is first wiped with the primer to form the layer 24 that acts as a coupling agent. The primer material medium is a clear moisture-sensitive primer / with gamma-aminopropyltrieth-35 oxysilane, which promotes adhesion between other Betaseal products and glass 8620064-7.

Following the application of the layer 24, a second primer layer 26 is applied over the layer 24. Primer 26 assists in the rapid formation of a hydrolytically stable bond between the glass and added polyurethane framework, 22, for example. The material from which layer 26 is built up is a primer, such as, for example, a darkening primer, which serves to prevent ultraviolet degradation of seals and adhesives, or a primer to be used in connection with a framework 22 which itself can be a stable polyurethane \to be. An example of the aforementioned blackout primer is commercially available under the description "Betaseal, Glass Primer 435.20 Commercial Grade" from Essex Chemical Company.

The final composition can be started about 20 minutes after the superimposed layers 24 and 26 have been applied. This period is necessary to allow sufficient reaction and drying of the base coat agents. The exact period required depends on particularly used soil-20 coatings. First, glass plate 12 is placed in a mold cavity of an attached mold. The mold is part of an apparatus which is described in detail below with reference to the material illustrated in Figures 4 to 9. The spacer strip unit 17 is placed continuously around the peripheral edge portion of the glass sheet 12. Then, the glass sheet 14 above the sheet 12 is aligned flush with it.

The spacer strip unit 17 serves to keep the facing surfaces of the glass plates 12 and 14 apart at a predetermined desired distance, as well as to cooperate to define a dead air space 20. An associated mold element with a mold cavity formed therein to cooperate with the aforementioned cavity is then placed over the bottom mold and locked in a closed position. A charge polyurethane reaction mixture is then injected into the mold cavity to form a fully circular frame member 22.

8620064 - 8 -

It is often desirable to apply a coating 28 to the outer uncovered surface of the frame 22 before installing the multi-pane structure in an opening in a building or the like. The coating 28 may be a urethane 5-based paint containing any desired decorative color-generating component such as pigment, for example. One type of urethane-based paint useful for this purpose is one manufactured by PPG Industries, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., under the designation Purethane 700 HSE-848, for example. The paint coating 28 10 is then typically baked at about 140 ° - 150 ° F. for about 20-30 minutes. It is to be understood that in addition to the decorative effect, the layer 28 may serve to protect the exposed polyurethane material forming the frame 22 from degradation that would otherwise be caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays usually present in unfiltered sunlight. In case the frame 22 is composed of an ultraviolet stable polyurethane material, the layer 28 may not be necessary, although it could be applied for decorative purposes.

The frame 22 of the preformed structure 10, 20 described above serves to ensure the desired dead air space between the facing surfaces of the glass plates 12 and 14 and keeps the peripheral edges of the glass plates 12 and 14 in a tightly compressed state against the spacer unit 17. The frame 22 may also be formed in any desired cross-sectional configuration to accommodate existing window framing portions of the double-hung variation, as well as any other framing portion.

Fig. 10 depicts an alternate embodiment of the construction illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which like construction elements are indicated by accent reference numbers. In this embodiment, the cross-section spacer 16 'is formed substantially in the form of the letter "Z", the top portion is formed to maintain mechanical contact with the peripheral edge of plate 12', and the bottom portion is formed to provide mechanical contact with hygroscopic substance 181 to maintain it in position and still allow the hygroscopic substance to communicate with the atmosphere in dead air space 20.

Fig. 11 depicts a second alternate embodiment of the construction illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which like structural elements are designated by double-accent reference numbers. In this embodiment, each of the glass plates 12 "and 14" is provided with an encapsulating frame 30 mounted thereon in the same manner as the frame 22 is mounted on the composite structure of Figures 1 and 2.

Following the mounting or formation of the frames 30 on the glass plates 12 "and 14", the plates 12 "and 14" are equally spaced apart. A spacer hygroscopic fabric strip 18 "is used to serve as a spacer to keep the glass plates 12" and 14 "at a predetermined distance during the time the last frame portion 22" is applied to an encapsulated composite insulating composite - create construction.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the multi-pane construction described above can be readily used in new construction, but it is equally important that the invention provides an economical energy efficient insulating window construction for use in the renovation of existing structures.

Figures 4 to 9 illustrate the method and apparatus used to obtain the constructional embodiments of the invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 10 and 11.

Referring now to Figures 4 through 9, the device for manufacturing the assembly 10 includes a base coat station 50 and a molding station 52 (see Figure 4) covering a mass storage area 54 from which a stream which is a mixture of polyol, a chain extender, for example, ethylene glycol, pigment, and a catalyst, and a separate stream of isocyanate are supplied as desired to a urethane scaling station 56. The isocyanate from the mass storage Reservoir 54 is delivered to a conditioning reservoir 58, 8620064-10 while the polyol blend is delivered to a reservoir 60.

The outlets of the reservoirs 58 and 60 communicate with respective displacement cylinders or high pressure metering pumps 66 and 68 by respective recirculation pumps 62 and 64 to keep material 5 flowing at all times through the feed lines leading to a mixing head 74 and through recirculation pipes to heat exchangers 70 and 72 and from there to the conditioning reservoirs 58 and 60. Heat exchangers 70 and 72 are used in the system to maintain the desired reactant temperatures. Constant motion and temperature control are essential to keep various insoluble compounds that may be in suspension at temperatures at which the reactants remain inert and liquid, but will react quickly when put together.

An injection system is provided to inject a batch composed of precisely controlled portions of the two circulating streams in a smooth even flow into the mold. Metered charges of the two streams are supplied to mixing head 74 from the exits of displacement cylinders 66, 68 and 68, respectively, through the action of pistons shown schematically. Injection into the mixing head 74 is under an applied pressure of about 1000 to 3000 psi. The two streams are mixed thoroughly in the mixing head 74. The mixture is supplied therefrom at a pressure of about 50 to 100 psi through an included nozzle section 90, schematically illustrated in a retracted position in Figure 6, supplied to a supplied mold 76. The mold is typically kept at a temperature within the range of 140 ° -150 ° F.

The mold 76 is composed of a bottom section 78 (Fig. 6) and a top section 80. Suitable means not shown are provided for opening and closing the mold sections 78 and 80. When the sections are open, the glass sheet 12 is placed on the bottom section 78 so that portions of the rear surface of the glass rest in properly placed pads or seals 82. The pads or seals 82 define a portion of the 8620064-11 mold cavity and prevent the flow of the reaction mixture from the window set 22 to the central region of the plates 12 and 14. After the glass plate 12 is suitably placed on the pads 82 of the down casting section 78, spacer unit 17 is placed to continuously surround the edge portions of glass sheet 12. Then, the glass sheet 14 is suitably placed in a position above and spaced from the glass sheet 12 and the spacer strip 17 so that the edges of the plates 12 and 14 are properly aligned, then the top section 80 is lowered into position so that the outer peripheral edges 10 of the cooperating sections 78 and 80 can be clamped together in metal-to-metal contact outside the mold cavity. The top mold section 80 of the mold carries padding 84 which, in conjunction with the padding 82, serves to compliantly press against the glass sheet 14 and hold it within the mold cavity. The cavity 15 of the mold 76 is larger than the glass plates 12 and 14 to avoid any glass-to-metal contact.

A vacuum system of the type illustrated in Figures 6 and 8 is placed in the top casting section 80 of the casting 76 to carry the glass upwardly with the die section 80 When the casting operation is complete and it is desired to install the multi-pane construction 10. remove from the mold 76. The vacuum system mainly consists of a vacuum head 86 which communicates with a vacuum source through a vacuum line 88.

In use, once the cooperating sections 78 and 80 of the mold are clamped together in readiness to receive the charge of sealant or framework reaction mixture charge, the appropriate charge of the reaction mixture is injected into the mold cavity. On polymerization and curing of the reaction mixture, the mold sections 78 and 80 are opened. The final assembly 10 is then released from the mold sections. Any excess of sealing molding material or moldings can be removed at station 102, the assembly / washed and dried at station 110, and a coating 28 of paint can be applied to the outer uncovered portion of the frame 22 and cured pastries. at the station 120 (schematically illustrated in Fig. 4).

8620064 6 - 12 -

The following example represents the best mode currently considered by the inventor. It should be understood as illustrative, not limiting.

EXAMPLE.

The surfaces of the top and bottom mold sections 80 and 78 surrounding the molding of sealant or framework molding cavities between the two, when assembled, are treated with a solvent based wax mixture ; the particular mold release agent is commercially available from Park Chemical Company, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A., under the trade designation PRC-789. Glass plates 12 and 14 with the enclosed spacer strip 16 and hygroscopic fabric strip 18 are then properly placed on the lower casting mold 78, after which the upper casting mold 80 is brought together with the lower casting mold 78, and the two are clamped together. A batch composed of one part by weight of a polyol composition and 0.63 part by weight of an isocyanate is then forced into the mixing head 74 at a pressure of 2500 psi and from there into the mold 76 at a pressure of about 50 psi. The polyol and isocyanate streams are maintained at a temperature of about 100 ° F. while the mold 76 is maintained at a temperature of about 145 ° F. The polyol and isocyanate streams are mixed thoroughly in the head 74 before reaching the mold 76. About a minute and a half after the urethane composition is injected therein, the mold 76 is opened and the assembly 10 is removed therefrom.

The resulting elastomeric framework 22 is microcellular with a specific gravity of 1.07 g / cc, a hardness (Shore "A") of 90, a tensile strength of 1500 psi, a percent elongation at break of 279, and a flexural modulus. (at 75 ° F.) from about 3500 psi.

The polyol composition used in performing the procedure described in the previous example is composed of 100 pounds of a basic polyol, such as, for example, a polyether triol with ethylene oxide "ends" with a molecular weight of 6000, sold under the trademark "Voranol" 5815 by the 8620064 - 13 -

Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan, U.S.A .; 10 pounds of ethylene glycol; and 3 pounds of 20% activated carbon in polyol. The basic polyol may alternatively be a lower molecular weight material, including an amine polyol.

The isocyanate used in the procedure of the previous example is a modified 4,4'-diphenyl methane diisocyanate sold under the trademark Rubinate LF 179 by Rubicon Chemicals Co., Geismar, Louisiana, U.S.A.

The above components are catalyzed by the addition of dibutyl tin dilaurate, and a solution of triethylenediamine in dipropylene glycol.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made in the specific details of the present invention as described above without departing from the spirit r and the scope defined in the appended claims. For example, it should be clearly understood, while the preformed insulating assembly 10 has been described as an opening window construction in a building that an assembly according to the invention may function equally well in a fixed-pane application, including architectural, furnishing and ship environments.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention uses a polyurethane composition to achieve the desired results, other compositions of nylons, polyesters and resins can suitably be used as the framework or molding of sealant-forming material.

8620064

Claims (8)

A multi-pane unit comprising: at least one pair of panels of sheet material; means for keeping facing surfaces of the panels at a predetermined distance from one another? and 5 a frame member which completely surrounds and is adhered to predetermined peripheral edge portions of the plates to form a hermetically sealed dead air space between the facing surfaces of the plates, the frame member being in-situ polished adjacent to the predetermined portions of the plates. and has, through the autogenous mechanism resulting from its polymerization and curing under confinement, made intimate contact with the predetermined portions of the plates to which it is attached. A multi-pane unit according to claim 1, wherein the sheet material is transparent. A multi-pane unit according to claim 2, wherein the sheet material is glass. A multi-pane unit according to any one of claims 1-3, having means for absorbing moisture within the dead air space between the facing surfaces of the plates. A multi-pane unit according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the frame member is formed from a urethane resin. 6. A method of manufacturing an encapsulated multi-pane unit comprising the steps of: a) placing at least a pair of panels of sheet material one above the other and spaced from one another; b) inserting spacers to define a zone between oppositely facing surfaces of the panels; c) providing a mold cavity in surrounding and overlapping relationship to the peripheral edges of the superimposed and spaced panels; d) injecting into the mold cavity a composition 8620064-15 which can polymerize and cure to form a polymerized framework around the edges of the panels to hermetically seal the zone between the facing surfaces of the panels; E) controlling the pressure at which the composition is injected into the cavity at one sufficiently low that the panel sheet material is not damaged; f) controlling the temperature of the mold cavity, the injection of the composition, and the amount of the injected composition so that the composition polymerizes after its injection, is formed in intimate contact with the mold cavities and with the sheet material of the panels, and under such a contact heart; g) removing the mold cavity assembly. 15 ' A method of manufacturing an encapsulated multi-pane unit according to claim 6, wherein the panels are composed of glass plates. A method of manufacturing an encapsulated multi-pane unit according to claim 7, wherein the spacers 20 keep the plates at a predetermined distance from each other. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 8620064