US20040040666A1 - Device for de-airing laminates - Google Patents
Device for de-airing laminates Download PDFInfo
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- US20040040666A1 US20040040666A1 US09/736,340 US73634000A US2004040666A1 US 20040040666 A1 US20040040666 A1 US 20040040666A1 US 73634000 A US73634000 A US 73634000A US 2004040666 A1 US2004040666 A1 US 2004040666A1
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- Prior art keywords
- laminate
- ring
- channel
- male connector
- flexible
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- 229920001971 elastomer Polymers 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000005060 rubber Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 abstract 1
- 238000000429 assembly Methods 0.000 abstract 1
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 10
- 239000005340 laminated glass Substances 0.000 description 8
- 238000003475 lamination Methods 0.000 description 5
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 5
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 4
- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 description 4
- 239000011229 interlayer Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 229920002037 poly(vinyl butyral) polymer Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 238000004026 adhesive bonding Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000000903 blocking effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000007812 deficiency Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000002939 deleterious effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000010030 laminating Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 2
- 241001379910 Ephemera danica Species 0.000 description 1
- 244000043261 Hevea brasiliensis Species 0.000 description 1
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000004035 construction material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000806 elastomer Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012467 final product Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005304 joining Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229920003052 natural elastomer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920001194 natural rubber Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920006285 olefinic elastomer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920002379 silicone rubber Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004945 silicone rubber Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012815 thermoplastic material Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
- B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B32B17/00—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres
- B32B17/06—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
- B32B17/10—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material of synthetic resin
- B32B17/10005—Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or glass, slag, or like fibres comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material of synthetic resin laminated safety glass or glazing
- B32B17/10807—Making laminated safety glass or glazing; Apparatus therefor
- B32B17/10972—Degassing during the lamination
Definitions
- This invention relates to a device that can be readily used for de-airing multi-ply laminates of different shapes, thickness, and sizes.
- multi-ply laminates are widely used in industry and consumer products. For example, automobile windshields and some building windows are made from laminated glass in order to improve safety or security. Unlike ordinary glass, upon impact laminated glass will not shatter but will only break or crack.
- Laminated glass is usually made of one or more sheets of thermoplastic material, such as polyvinyl butyral (“PVB”), bonded to two sheets of glass, forming a so-called “sandwich” structure.
- PVB polyvinyl butyral
- the laminated glass must be made optically transparent.
- the surfaces of the inner polymer are uneven and when the sheets are pressed together during lamination, air bubbles are trapped in the uneven portions, decreasing the transparency of the final product.
- an evacuation system must be constructed to “de-air” the multi-ply laminate.
- U.S. Pat. No. 1,870,284 to Drake discloses the use of rigid peripheral evacuation chambers to apply suction to two adjacent sides of an assembly of glass and inter-layer sheets to evacuate air from the interfaces between the sheets during lamination. These evacuation chambers had to be aligned exactly with the side faces of the assembly, perfectly matching their thickness because of a lack of flexible lips that engage the outside major surfaces of the assembly.
- U.S. Pat. No. 2,948,645 to Keim discloses using a de-airing ring comprising an endless flexible, air-impervious channel-shaped member having flexible lips that fit over the outer edge portions of an assembly of curved glass sheets and a flexible interlayer sheet to be laminated.
- This patent requires that the evacuation channel extend around the complete periphery of the assembly.
- each different outline shape of an assembly to be laminated requires a different shape for the channel shaped member that defines the evacuation chamber.
- the flexible channel members extend continuously around the periphery of the assembly to be laminated.
- This approach suffers from a deficiency in that it necessitates using a different size ring for a different size laminate. Since the ring must surround the periphery of the laminate and then be attached to the vacuum pump, that ring will no longer be sufficient to provide an airtight connection with the glass when the size of the laminate changes. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain an inventory of flexible channel members for each production pattern. The storage and inventory problem is tremendous. Also, the fabrication of such channel members is expensive, requiring a separate mold for each pattern if the channel member is made as a single piece, or from several molds followed by a vulcanizing step, if the channel member is made in several sections.
- U.S. Pat. No. 2,992,953 (Talburtt) describes a de-airing ring made of flexible channeled tubing, wrapped about most of the periphery of a laminate, and a grooved supporting strip that is attached to the remaining exposed edge of the laminate.
- the invention covered by this patent represents an improvement over the endless rings of the other patents in that the Talburtt de-airing ring is not limited to a specific size and it, allegedly, is not as difficult or time consuming to apply as the endless rings of the other patents.
- the Talburtt de-airing ring is applied by mounting a bottom edge of the assembly into the grooved supporting strip, applying the flexible channel tubing about the remainder of the periphery of the assembly and clamping appropriate portions of the flexible channel tubing to the ends of the grooved supporting strip. A portion of the flexible channel tubing is left beyond each clamped portion. Different lengths of flexible channel tubing remain for different patterns depending on the length of the perimeter of the assembly to be laminated.
- the Talburtt invention is limited in its application to automobile windshields that have an edge straight enough to be received within the grooved supporting strip and corners of sufficiently rounded configuration to enable the application of the flexible channel tubing to the periphery of the assembly without having the tubing buckle in the vicinity of any sharp corners.
- the Talburtt de-airing rings would not likely be suitable for laminating windows of a rectangular or polygonal configuration that has sharp corners, such as those used in buildings.
- U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,979 attempts to overcome many of the above described issues that are involved in making large and variably sized windows with sharp corners.
- This patent describes a laminating method using a plurality of channel-shaped members and connecting channel-shaped connection pieces all attached to the periphery of a laminate.
- Cathers et al. is still plagued by deficiencies. It requires new channel-shaped and connecting members for each laminate of different shape and size. This escalates production costs, increases storage needs and lengthens the time period required to replace the old members in order to conduct another lamination. Even a single laminate requires multiple members in order to carry out the lamination. For example, a rectangular laminate would necessitate four channel-shaped members and four connecting members that have to be specifically fitted for the angles and dimensions of this particular laminate. This approach also significantly increases the potential for air/vacuum leaks because multiple connecting pieces are employed.
- This invention is directed to a de-airing ring comprising: a) a flexible vacuum ring having a longitudinal channel imbedded therein that can be matingly mounted about a periphery of a laminate; b) a male connector attached to one end of the flexible vacuum ring; c) at least one vacuum connection port communicating with the longitudinal channel.
- the male connector is designed and shaped to slidingly engage the longitudinal channel of the vacuum ring at any location along its length to form an airtight seal while enclosing the ring around the periphery of an assembly of the multiply laminate, and to provide gas flow through the flexible vacuum ring mounted about the periphery of the laminate.
- a male connector further comprises a connector channel, fluidly engaging the longitudinal channel at one end of the flexible vacuum ring, to provide gas flow through the flexible vacuum ring mounted about the periphery of the laminate.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a device according to the present invention when mated to the laminate.
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a male connector according to the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible vacuum ring channel according to the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 6A is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 6B is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the present invention.
- the present invention is directed to a device for readily de-airing laminates of different shapes, sizes and thickness.
- Laminated glass 9 is made of one or more polymer sheet 7 , typically PVB, bonded on both sides to two sheets of glass 6 , 8 (FIG. 2).
- air that is present between the polymer sheet 7 and the glass sheets 6 , 8 must be evacuated.
- the present invention provides a device that allows fast and cost effective de-airing during lamination, and this single device also easily accommodates and can be applied to multi-ply laminates of different shapes, sizes and thickness.
- This device comprises a male connector 1 attached by, for example, gluing, welding, molding, etc., to one end 14 of a flexible vacuum ring 2 .
- a weld line 17 joining the end 14 of ring 2 with the male connector 1 is illustrated in FIG. 1.
- the attachment of the male connector 1 to the ring 2 may be made in such a manner that the stopper portion 1 a of the male connector 1 forms an angle with the ring 2 of about 30° to about 150°, preferably about 45° to about 135° and most preferably about 90°, i.e., the stopper portion 1 a is substantially perpendicular to the ring 2 at the point of attachment as shown in FIG. 1.
- a support 4 may be used to attach or enhance attachment of the male connector 1 to the ring 4 .
- the support 4 may be an integral part of male connector 1 , i.e., stopper portion 1 a and support 4 are for example a single molded piece, or the support 4 and male stopper 1 a may be two pieces that are joined together, for example, by gluing, welding or fasteners.
- the ring has a longitudinal channel 3 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which is sized to receive, but not necessarily exactly fit, a peripheral portion of the laminate 9 .
- the flexible vacuum ring 2 is gradually mounted about an entire periphery of the laminate 9 starting from the one end 14 of the ring.
- the male connector 1 is shaped such that it substantially matches the shape of the longitudinal channel 3 .
- the flexible vacuum ring 2 can slide onto the male connector 1 at any point along its length, forming an airtight seal while still maintaining a gas flow system around the periphery of the laminate through the portion of the longitudinal channel 3 mounted about the laminate 9 .
- the device need not be restricted to any specific length to fit a particular laminate, and it can consequently be applied to laminates of different shapes, sizes and thickness.
- the extending end 15 of the flexible vacuum ring 2 can be used to slidingly adjust the ring to completely mate about the periphery of the laminate.
- the size of the flexible vacuum ring 2 and the longitudinal channel 3 are such that the device can accommodate a laminate of variable thickness.
- the properties of the materials used in constructing the de-airing device enable the ring 2 to negotiate sharp-angled, non-rounded laminate corners without blocking the air flow or breaking the tight seal between the ring and the glass, which would invariably result in a loss of vacuum. Consequently, the design and construction materials featured in this invention avoid the need for a fixed size ring or specific multiple corner pieces that the other proposed de-airing systems necessitate.
- a preferred embodiment of the present invention has a support member 4 as a part the male connector 1 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
- the support member serves to enhance the integrity of the connection of the male connector 1 to the vacuum ring 2 and can take any shape or size.
- the support member 4 is triangular in shape and made of a resilient flexible material. Such materials include, but are not limited to, silicone rubber, natural rubber, olefinic rubbers, elastomers, etc.
- the ring 2 has at least one vacuum connection port 5 that communicates with the longitudinal channel 3 .
- a vacuum connection port 5 is disposed at, or close to, one end 14 of the flexible vacuum ring 2 , adjacent or close to the male connector 1 , as shown in FIG. 1.
- a suction source (not shown), preferable a vacuum pump, is connected to the vacuum connection port 5 . The suction source is then engaged to remove the remaining air, so that the laminate can be produced without deleterious air bubbles or without excessive air being dissolved in the polymer interlayer.
- the longitudinal channel provides a continuous path about the laminate, although it is also possible to interrupt that continuous path, e.g., with the male connector.
- the present invention provides a means for de-airing laminates of different dimensions, such as rectangular, multi-sided or a combination of curved and straight sheets.
- the ring is at least 3 feet (0.9 meters) and preferably greater than 6 feet (1.8 meters) long, so that laminates with relatively large circumferences can be processed.
- An optimally shaped longitudinal channel 3 permits the ring to negotiate laminates that have curves or sharp angles without blocking the circulation or collapsing due to vacuum and maintain a tight fit around the periphery of the glass.
- different shaped longitudinal channels can be used so long as the vacuum seal may be maintained with the laminate.
- the present invention can be used for laminates that have sharp corner angles of about 30° to about 150°, preferably about 45° to about 135°.
- the flexible vacuum ring 2 is made of rubber with durometer hardness between 20 and 45 units.
- a connector channel 11 as part of male connector 1 fluidly engages the longitudinal channel 3 , as shown in FIG. 5.
- the ring stopper portion 1 a of the male connector 1 can make an angle with connector portion 1 b in a range similar to that previously described for the male connector 1 and the ring 2 in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1.
- the connector portion 1 b which has the connector channel 11 embedded therein, is substantially perpendicular to the ring stopper portion 1 a of the male connector 1 .
- support member 4 connects the stopper portion 1 a and the connector portion 1 b , resulting in increased agility of the male connector 1 .
- the added support and resiliency of the male connector 1 in this embodiment improves the speed with which the device can be applied to the laminate without sacrificing the device's flexibility or narrowing the range of its applicability.
- the connector channel 11 has a shape substantially identical to the longitudinal channel 3 .
- the one end 14 of the ring is attached to the connector portion 1 b of the male connector 1 .
- This connection can be made using a connector clamp 18 .
- the connector portion 1 b could include a sleeve for accepting the end 14 of ring 2 to make the desired connection.
- the vacuum connection port 5 may extend from the ring 2 .
- the vacuum connection port 5 can extend either from the connector portion 1 b , as shown in FIG. 6A, or from the stopper portion 1 a when a longitudinal bore is dug through the connector portion 1 a , as shown in FIG. 6B.
- vacuum connection port 5 could also pass through the support 4 or stopper portion 1 a of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1.
- the present invention also provides a de-airing device that may have multiple vacuum connection ports that are in fluid communication with the longitudinal channel 3 .
- This allows to laminate large size windows without limiting the size of the assembly that can be evacuated.
- this embodiment is used for automotive or architectural glazing.
Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- This invention relates to a device that can be readily used for de-airing multi-ply laminates of different shapes, thickness, and sizes. Today, multi-ply laminates are widely used in industry and consumer products. For example, automobile windshields and some building windows are made from laminated glass in order to improve safety or security. Unlike ordinary glass, upon impact laminated glass will not shatter but will only break or crack.
- 2. Related Background Art
- Laminated glass is usually made of one or more sheets of thermoplastic material, such as polyvinyl butyral (“PVB”), bonded to two sheets of glass, forming a so-called “sandwich” structure. To be used, for example, as an automobile windshield, the laminated glass must be made optically transparent. Typically, the surfaces of the inner polymer are uneven and when the sheets are pressed together during lamination, air bubbles are trapped in the uneven portions, decreasing the transparency of the final product. In order to eliminate the deleterious air bubbles, an evacuation system must be constructed to “de-air” the multi-ply laminate.
- In a typical de-airing technique, an assembly is enclosed within a closed ring comprising one or more channel-shaped members of a fluid-impervious material (such as rubber). Various types of de-airing rings are known.
- U.S. Pat. No. 1,870,284 to Drake discloses the use of rigid peripheral evacuation chambers to apply suction to two adjacent sides of an assembly of glass and inter-layer sheets to evacuate air from the interfaces between the sheets during lamination. These evacuation chambers had to be aligned exactly with the side faces of the assembly, perfectly matching their thickness because of a lack of flexible lips that engage the outside major surfaces of the assembly.
- U.S. Pat. No. 2,948,645 to Keim discloses using a de-airing ring comprising an endless flexible, air-impervious channel-shaped member having flexible lips that fit over the outer edge portions of an assembly of curved glass sheets and a flexible interlayer sheet to be laminated. This patent requires that the evacuation channel extend around the complete periphery of the assembly. Thus, each different outline shape of an assembly to be laminated requires a different shape for the channel shaped member that defines the evacuation chamber.
- Other patents that describe enclosing the peripheral edge of an assembly to be laminated within the lips of a de-airing ring comprising a flexible channel member include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,074,466 and 3,074,838 to Little, U.S. Pat. No. 3,100,173 to Boicey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,234,062 to Morris, U.S. Pat. No. 3,249,479 to Boicey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,281,296 to Jameson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,136 to Plumat et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,731 to Ash et al.
- In these patents, the flexible channel members extend continuously around the periphery of the assembly to be laminated. This approach suffers from a deficiency in that it necessitates using a different size ring for a different size laminate. Since the ring must surround the periphery of the laminate and then be attached to the vacuum pump, that ring will no longer be sufficient to provide an airtight connection with the glass when the size of the laminate changes. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain an inventory of flexible channel members for each production pattern. The storage and inventory problem is tremendous. Also, the fabrication of such channel members is expensive, requiring a separate mold for each pattern if the channel member is made as a single piece, or from several molds followed by a vulcanizing step, if the channel member is made in several sections.
- In addition, it is not believed that the systems described in the above listed patents could be employed for negotiating a sharp corner without a specific, integrated ring corner piece that may or may not be an inherent part of the ring construct. It is further believed that the materials that comprise and/or the shape of the vacuum channels in the prior art are as such that negotiating a sharp corner without a fitted ring corner piece would likely block air flow or eliminate a tight seal between the ring and the glass that would result in a loss of vacuum, thereby negating the purpose for having an evacuation system.
- U.S. Pat. No. 2,992,953 (Talburtt) describes a de-airing ring made of flexible channeled tubing, wrapped about most of the periphery of a laminate, and a grooved supporting strip that is attached to the remaining exposed edge of the laminate. The invention covered by this patent represents an improvement over the endless rings of the other patents in that the Talburtt de-airing ring is not limited to a specific size and it, allegedly, is not as difficult or time consuming to apply as the endless rings of the other patents. Instead, the Talburtt de-airing ring is applied by mounting a bottom edge of the assembly into the grooved supporting strip, applying the flexible channel tubing about the remainder of the periphery of the assembly and clamping appropriate portions of the flexible channel tubing to the ends of the grooved supporting strip. A portion of the flexible channel tubing is left beyond each clamped portion. Different lengths of flexible channel tubing remain for different patterns depending on the length of the perimeter of the assembly to be laminated.
- The Talburtt invention, however, is limited in its application to automobile windshields that have an edge straight enough to be received within the grooved supporting strip and corners of sufficiently rounded configuration to enable the application of the flexible channel tubing to the periphery of the assembly without having the tubing buckle in the vicinity of any sharp corners. The Talburtt de-airing rings would not likely be suitable for laminating windows of a rectangular or polygonal configuration that has sharp corners, such as those used in buildings.
- U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,979 (Cathers et al.) attempts to overcome many of the above described issues that are involved in making large and variably sized windows with sharp corners. This patent describes a laminating method using a plurality of channel-shaped members and connecting channel-shaped connection pieces all attached to the periphery of a laminate. However, Cathers et al. is still plagued by deficiencies. It requires new channel-shaped and connecting members for each laminate of different shape and size. This escalates production costs, increases storage needs and lengthens the time period required to replace the old members in order to conduct another lamination. Even a single laminate requires multiple members in order to carry out the lamination. For example, a rectangular laminate would necessitate four channel-shaped members and four connecting members that have to be specifically fitted for the angles and dimensions of this particular laminate. This approach also significantly increases the potential for air/vacuum leaks because multiple connecting pieces are employed.
- The use of laminated glass is widespread. An urgent need exists for a new, cost-effective de-airing device that is easily adjustable to fit laminates of different shapes, sizes and thickness. Particularly, a device is needed to de-air laminates with sharp corners and large architectural window panels. The present invention meets these needs.
- This invention is directed to a de-airing ring comprising: a) a flexible vacuum ring having a longitudinal channel imbedded therein that can be matingly mounted about a periphery of a laminate; b) a male connector attached to one end of the flexible vacuum ring; c) at least one vacuum connection port communicating with the longitudinal channel.
- The male connector is designed and shaped to slidingly engage the longitudinal channel of the vacuum ring at any location along its length to form an airtight seal while enclosing the ring around the periphery of an assembly of the multiply laminate, and to provide gas flow through the flexible vacuum ring mounted about the periphery of the laminate.
- Also provided is a device for de-airing laminates of different shapes, sizes, and thickness where a male connector further comprises a connector channel, fluidly engaging the longitudinal channel at one end of the flexible vacuum ring, to provide gas flow through the flexible vacuum ring mounted about the periphery of the laminate.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a device according to the present invention when mated to the laminate.
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a male connector according to the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible vacuum ring channel according to the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 6A is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 6B is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the present invention.
- The present invention is directed to a device for readily de-airing laminates of different shapes, sizes and thickness.
- Laminated glass9 is made of one or
more polymer sheet 7, typically PVB, bonded on both sides to two sheets ofglass 6, 8 (FIG. 2). In order to manufacture laminated glass, air that is present between thepolymer sheet 7 and theglass sheets male connector 1 attached by, for example, gluing, welding, molding, etc., to oneend 14 of aflexible vacuum ring 2. Aweld line 17 joining theend 14 ofring 2 with themale connector 1 is illustrated in FIG. 1. The attachment of themale connector 1 to thering 2 may be made in such a manner that thestopper portion 1 a of themale connector 1 forms an angle with thering 2 of about 30° to about 150°, preferably about 45° to about 135° and most preferably about 90°, i.e., thestopper portion 1 a is substantially perpendicular to thering 2 at the point of attachment as shown in FIG. 1. Optionally and preferably, asupport 4 may be used to attach or enhance attachment of themale connector 1 to thering 4. Thesupport 4 may be an integral part ofmale connector 1, i.e.,stopper portion 1 a andsupport 4 are for example a single molded piece, or thesupport 4 andmale stopper 1 a may be two pieces that are joined together, for example, by gluing, welding or fasteners. - The ring has a
longitudinal channel 3, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which is sized to receive, but not necessarily exactly fit, a peripheral portion of the laminate 9. Theflexible vacuum ring 2 is gradually mounted about an entire periphery of the laminate 9 starting from the oneend 14 of the ring. - In order to evacuate the air from the laminate9, a closed system must be achieved around the laminate. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the
male connector 1 is shaped such that it substantially matches the shape of thelongitudinal channel 3. Thus, when theflexible vacuum ring 2 completely surrounds the laminate 9, the flexible vacuum ring can slide onto themale connector 1 at any point along its length, forming an airtight seal while still maintaining a gas flow system around the periphery of the laminate through the portion of thelongitudinal channel 3 mounted about the laminate 9. - Since any part of the
longitudinal channel 3 can slide onto themale connector 1, the device need not be restricted to any specific length to fit a particular laminate, and it can consequently be applied to laminates of different shapes, sizes and thickness. The extendingend 15 of theflexible vacuum ring 2 can be used to slidingly adjust the ring to completely mate about the periphery of the laminate. The size of theflexible vacuum ring 2 and thelongitudinal channel 3 are such that the device can accommodate a laminate of variable thickness. In addition, the properties of the materials used in constructing the de-airing device enable thering 2 to negotiate sharp-angled, non-rounded laminate corners without blocking the air flow or breaking the tight seal between the ring and the glass, which would invariably result in a loss of vacuum. Consequently, the design and construction materials featured in this invention avoid the need for a fixed size ring or specific multiple corner pieces that the other proposed de-airing systems necessitate. - To ensure that the device can be applied quickly and easily, and to assure that the
vacuum channel 3 is sealed completely by themale connector 1, a preferred embodiment of the present invention has asupport member 4 as a part themale connector 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The support member serves to enhance the integrity of the connection of themale connector 1 to thevacuum ring 2 and can take any shape or size. Preferably, thesupport member 4 is triangular in shape and made of a resilient flexible material. Such materials include, but are not limited to, silicone rubber, natural rubber, olefinic rubbers, elastomers, etc. - After the
ring 2 is fitted onto the laminate 9, the air needs to be evacuated. For that purpose, thering 2 has at least onevacuum connection port 5 that communicates with thelongitudinal channel 3. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, avacuum connection port 5 is disposed at, or close to, oneend 14 of theflexible vacuum ring 2, adjacent or close to themale connector 1, as shown in FIG. 1. A suction source (not shown), preferable a vacuum pump, is connected to thevacuum connection port 5. The suction source is then engaged to remove the remaining air, so that the laminate can be produced without deleterious air bubbles or without excessive air being dissolved in the polymer interlayer. Preferably, the longitudinal channel provides a continuous path about the laminate, although it is also possible to interrupt that continuous path, e.g., with the male connector. - The present invention provides a means for de-airing laminates of different dimensions, such as rectangular, multi-sided or a combination of curved and straight sheets. Preferably, the ring is at least 3 feet (0.9 meters) and preferably greater than 6 feet (1.8 meters) long, so that laminates with relatively large circumferences can be processed. An optimally shaped
longitudinal channel 3, as shown in FIG. 4, permits the ring to negotiate laminates that have curves or sharp angles without blocking the circulation or collapsing due to vacuum and maintain a tight fit around the periphery of the glass. Of course, different shaped longitudinal channels can be used so long as the vacuum seal may be maintained with the laminate. - Specifically, the present invention can be used for laminates that have sharp corner angles of about 30° to about 150°, preferably about 45° to about 135°. Preferably, the
flexible vacuum ring 2 is made of rubber with durometer hardness between 20 and 45 units. - In a separate embodiment a connector channel11 as part of
male connector 1 fluidly engages thelongitudinal channel 3, as shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, thering stopper portion 1 a of themale connector 1 can make an angle with connector portion 1 b in a range similar to that previously described for themale connector 1 and thering 2 in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. Preferably, the connector portion 1 b, which has the connector channel 11 embedded therein, is substantially perpendicular to thering stopper portion 1 a of themale connector 1. In a further preferredembodiment support member 4 connects thestopper portion 1 a and the connector portion 1 b, resulting in increased agility of themale connector 1. The added support and resiliency of themale connector 1 in this embodiment improves the speed with which the device can be applied to the laminate without sacrificing the device's flexibility or narrowing the range of its applicability. - In this embodiment, the connector channel11 has a shape substantially identical to the
longitudinal channel 3. This allows the connector portion 1 b of themale connector 1 to mate around the periphery of the laminate in a similar fashion to theflexible vacuum ring 2. The oneend 14 of the ring is attached to the connector portion 1 b of themale connector 1. This connection can be made using aconnector clamp 18. Similarly, the connector portion 1 b could include a sleeve for accepting theend 14 ofring 2 to make the desired connection. Thus, when the ring is gradually applied around the glass laminate and then slid onto thestopper portion 1 a of themale connector 1, the closed system is preserved. However, it should be noted that a complete circulating system is not necessary. The device will still function even if thelongitudinal channel 3 is blocked at one or more points along the periphery of the laminate so long as suction can be applied to a substantial portion of the periphery of the laminate. - As noted previously the
vacuum connection port 5 may extend from thering 2. Alternatively, thevacuum connection port 5 can extend either from the connector portion 1 b, as shown in FIG. 6A, or from thestopper portion 1 a when a longitudinal bore is dug through theconnector portion 1 a, as shown in FIG. 6B. Similarly, it should be apparent thatvacuum connection port 5 could also pass through thesupport 4 orstopper portion 1 a of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. - The present invention also provides a de-airing device that may have multiple vacuum connection ports that are in fluid communication with the
longitudinal channel 3. This allows to laminate large size windows without limiting the size of the assembly that can be evacuated. Preferably, this embodiment is used for automotive or architectural glazing. - It is understood that the invention is not limited or restricted to the embodiments described above, as other variation and modifications are possible.
Claims (10)
Priority Applications (12)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/736,340 US6698485B1 (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2000-12-15 | Device for de-airing laminates |
PCT/US2001/043190 WO2002047903A2 (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2001-11-20 | Device for de-airing laminates |
AU2002216662A AU2002216662B2 (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2001-11-20 | Device for de-airing laminates |
AT01270422T ATE344133T1 (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2001-11-20 | DEVICE FOR VENTING COMPOSITE WINDOWS |
RU2003121395/03A RU2295449C2 (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2001-11-20 | Device for the multilayered structure deaeration |
AU1666202A AU1666202A (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2001-11-20 | Device for de-airing laminates |
DE60124297T DE60124297T2 (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2001-11-20 | DEVICE FOR VENTILATION OF CONNECTION DISCS |
JP2002549461A JP4139218B2 (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2001-11-20 | Laminated product deaerator |
ES01270422T ES2275617T3 (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2001-11-20 | DEVICE FOR DESAIRING LAMINATES. |
EP01270422A EP1341667B1 (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2001-11-20 | Device for de-airing laminates |
KR1020037008015A KR100833153B1 (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2001-11-20 | Device for de-airing laminates |
ZA200304640A ZA200304640B (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2003-06-13 | Device for de-airing laminates. |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/736,340 US6698485B1 (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2000-12-15 | Device for de-airing laminates |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US6698485B1 US6698485B1 (en) | 2004-03-02 |
US20040040666A1 true US20040040666A1 (en) | 2004-03-04 |
Family
ID=24959497
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/736,340 Expired - Fee Related US6698485B1 (en) | 2000-12-15 | 2000-12-15 | Device for de-airing laminates |
Country Status (11)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US6698485B1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1341667B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4139218B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR100833153B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE344133T1 (en) |
AU (2) | AU1666202A (en) |
DE (1) | DE60124297T2 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2275617T3 (en) |
RU (1) | RU2295449C2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002047903A2 (en) |
ZA (1) | ZA200304640B (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2012082923A1 (en) * | 2010-12-15 | 2012-06-21 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Method for sealing electrical leads extending through a collapsed stem and module produced thereby |
CN107443856A (en) * | 2017-07-31 | 2017-12-08 | 重庆市成吉思机械制造有限公司 | A kind of motorcycle accessories processing unit (plant) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2946917B1 (en) * | 2009-06-19 | 2012-06-29 | Saint Gobain | MANUFACTURING METHOD AND SHEET GLAZING WITH AT LEAST ONE HOLE |
Family Cites Families (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1870284A (en) | 1926-09-18 | 1932-08-09 | Libbey Owens Ford Glass Co | Laminated glass apparatus |
NL209656A (en) | 1955-08-19 | 1900-01-01 | ||
US3249479A (en) | 1957-10-21 | 1966-05-03 | Libbey Owens Ford Glass Co | Pressing glass-plastic sandwiches |
US3100173A (en) | 1957-12-13 | 1963-08-06 | Libbey Owens Ford Glass Co | Apparatus for pressing glass-plastic sandwiches |
US3074838A (en) | 1959-11-30 | 1963-01-22 | Harvey J Little | Evacuation ring for laminating process |
US2992953A (en) | 1960-02-23 | 1961-07-18 | Chrysler Corp | Glass laminating de-airing means |
NL284479A (en) * | 1961-10-23 | 1900-01-01 | ||
US3074466A (en) | 1962-07-23 | 1963-01-22 | Harvey J Little | Evacuation ring for laminating process |
US3281296A (en) | 1963-04-08 | 1966-10-25 | Permaglass | Method for edge sealing safety glass |
US3852136A (en) | 1971-12-08 | 1974-12-03 | Glaverbel | Production of laminated glazing |
US4398979A (en) | 1982-02-22 | 1983-08-16 | Ppg Industries, Inc. | Vacuum channel method of laminating glass sheets |
US4624731A (en) | 1985-03-11 | 1986-11-25 | Libbey-Owens-Ford Company | Vacuum ring for producing laminated glass |
-
2000
- 2000-12-15 US US09/736,340 patent/US6698485B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2001
- 2001-11-20 AT AT01270422T patent/ATE344133T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2001-11-20 EP EP01270422A patent/EP1341667B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2001-11-20 ES ES01270422T patent/ES2275617T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2001-11-20 KR KR1020037008015A patent/KR100833153B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2001-11-20 JP JP2002549461A patent/JP4139218B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2001-11-20 RU RU2003121395/03A patent/RU2295449C2/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2001-11-20 DE DE60124297T patent/DE60124297T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2001-11-20 AU AU1666202A patent/AU1666202A/en active Pending
- 2001-11-20 WO PCT/US2001/043190 patent/WO2002047903A2/en active IP Right Grant
- 2001-11-20 AU AU2002216662A patent/AU2002216662B2/en not_active Ceased
-
2003
- 2003-06-13 ZA ZA200304640A patent/ZA200304640B/en unknown
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2012082923A1 (en) * | 2010-12-15 | 2012-06-21 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Method for sealing electrical leads extending through a collapsed stem and module produced thereby |
WO2012082943A1 (en) * | 2010-12-15 | 2012-06-21 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Method for fabricating a photovoltaic module using a fixture and using localized heating to heat areas of increased heating capability and module produced thereby |
WO2012082917A1 (en) * | 2010-12-15 | 2012-06-21 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Method for sealing electrical leads passing through an access aperture using a sealing plug and module produced thereby |
WO2012082913A1 (en) * | 2010-12-15 | 2012-06-21 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Method for fabricating a photovoltaic module using a fixture having pressure generating members or an external force transmitting seal or sealing insert |
CN107443856A (en) * | 2017-07-31 | 2017-12-08 | 重庆市成吉思机械制造有限公司 | A kind of motorcycle accessories processing unit (plant) |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1341667A2 (en) | 2003-09-10 |
US6698485B1 (en) | 2004-03-02 |
KR20030069185A (en) | 2003-08-25 |
AU1666202A (en) | 2002-06-24 |
ATE344133T1 (en) | 2006-11-15 |
ES2275617T3 (en) | 2007-06-16 |
WO2002047903A2 (en) | 2002-06-20 |
ZA200304640B (en) | 2004-04-28 |
WO2002047903A3 (en) | 2002-08-29 |
JP2004526648A (en) | 2004-09-02 |
KR100833153B1 (en) | 2008-05-28 |
JP4139218B2 (en) | 2008-08-27 |
RU2295449C2 (en) | 2007-03-20 |
DE60124297T2 (en) | 2007-03-01 |
EP1341667B1 (en) | 2006-11-02 |
DE60124297D1 (en) | 2006-12-14 |
AU2002216662B2 (en) | 2006-08-31 |
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