WO2009143896A1

WO2009143896A1 - Method and device for manufacturing a panel of laminated glass

Info

Publication number: WO2009143896A1
Application number: PCT/EP2008/056678
Authority: WO
Inventors: Antoine Luijckx; Hugues Lefevre; Eric Martin
Original assignee: Agc Flat Glass Europe Sa
Priority date: 2008-05-30
Filing date: 2008-05-30
Publication date: 2009-12-03

Abstract

The inventions relates to a method for manufacturing a panel of laminated glass 10 with the steps providing a first glass plate 1, providing a plastics interlayer 4, cutting the plastics interlayer 4 to a tailored sheet with dimensions which relate to the dimensions of the first glass plate 1, applying the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer 4 on the first glass plate 1, applying a second glass plate on the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer 4 and laminating the first glass plate 1, the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer 4 and the second glass plate. This is advantageous since the invention diminishes the cycle time of manufacturing a panel of laminated glass 10 and increases the yield.

Description

Method and device for manufacturing a panel of laminated glass

The invention relates to a method and to a device for manufacturing a panel of laminated glass as well as to the product made by the method.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND Laminated glass is a type of safety glass that holds together when shuttered. In the event of breaking, it is held in place by a plastics interlayer, typically of Polyvinylbutyral (PVB), between its two or more layers of glass. The plastics interlayer keeps the layers of glass bonded even when broken, and its high strength prevents the glass from break- ing-up into large sharp pieces.

Methods for manufacturing laminated glass are well-known in the window industry since decades. A so-called sandwich of a first layer of glass, a plastics interlayer, and a second layer of glass is laminated in an automated laminating line by using the procedures of calendering and autoclaving. Calendering means the pre-gluing of the sand- wich under the action of a pressure imposed by two rolls applied on either side of the glass. The final gluing of the glass by a vacuum/heating cycle, which combines pressure and temperatures, and takes place during the step of autoclaving, which completely removes air between the interlayer and the layers of glass.

In the automotive, aviation and other industries, laminated glass panels with integrated electronic components, such as light emitting diodes (LED), are often used, e. g. for displaying information or lighting purposes. For these application areas, the manufacturing of a laminated glass panel with electronic components typically comprises the steps of depositing a conducting layer on a first layer of glass, realization of electronic circuits in the conducting layer and depositing of electronic components on the conducting layer, connected to the electronic circuits. The plastics interlayer is then deposited

4466 - PVBASPIRATION on the conducting layer. The sandwich is obtained by the application of a second layer of glass on the plastics interlayer, which is then laminated as outlined before.

Conventional laminating lines in the window industry possess systems for automated deposit where the plastics interlayer is first of all stretched horizontally along the glass layer and then cut once the proper length is obtained. Stretching the plastics interlayer horizontally generates a load in applied shear onto the electronic components which has the risk of pulling-out the electronic components. Especially in case of wide glass layers, the process of stretching horizontally the interlayer sheet increases the risk of pull- ing-out electronic components significantly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is the object of the invention to provide a method and to a device for manufacturing a panel of laminated glass as well as the product made by the method. An advantage of the present invention is the possibility for depositing a plastics interlayer on a glass layer that is not exposed to a risk of pulling-out electronic components.

This object is addressed by a method for manufacturing a panel of laminated glass with the steps of providing a first glass plate, providing a plastics interlayer, cutting the plas- tics interlayer to a tailored sheet with dimensions which relate to the dimensions of the first glass plate, applying the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer on the first glass plate, applying a second glass plate on the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer, and laminating the first glass plate, the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer and the second glass plate.

Accordingly, it is an essential idea of the invention firstly to cut the plastics interlayer to a tailored sheet and then secondly to apply the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer on the first glass plate. Preferably, the plastics interlayer is spread and cut on a cutting table. In this way, the invention solves the conventional problem of pulling-out electronic components during manufacturing of a panel of laminated glass. Subsequently, the invention

4466 - PVBASPIRATION diminishes the cycle time of manufacturing a panel of laminated glass and increases the yield.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the step of capturing the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer in a flat state, preferably by means of a manipulation device having access to at least a sucker. The manipulation device can be provided with suction cups, which can be used for transporting the plastics interlayer from a cutting table onto the first glass plate.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the step of applying the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer on the first glass plate is performed by depositing the plastics interlayer on the first glass plate from above. This means that preferably the manipulation device captures the sheet of plastics interlayer with at least a sucker, transports it towards the first glass plate and deposits it from above on the first glass plate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least an electronic component is laminated in the panel of laminated glass. It is further preferred that the electronic component is at least a light emitting device (LED) fixed to at least an electronic circuit realized in a conducting layer previously deposited on the first glass plate. Preferably, the electronic component and/or the LED are electrically connected to the conducting layer by means of glueing e. g. with conducting glue, or by soldering.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the electronic circuit is realized by previously patterning the first glass plate with a conductive layer and/or by previously removing at least a part of the conducting layer deposited on the first glass plate by means of a laser. In this way, electrically conductive circuits can be provided on the first glass plate to which the electronic components can be connected. In addition, electrodes can be provided for providing electrically power to the electronic components via the

4466 - PVBASPIRATION electronic circuits. For example, a plurality of electronic circuits can be provided, wherein each circuit connects to a plurality of LEDs in different colours.

In general, the plastics interlayer can be provided as a plastic foil or a plastic sheet. Ac- cording to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plastics interlayer is provided as Polyvinylbutyral (PVB). Typically, the plastics interlayer is not transparent when applied, but becomes transparent after laminating, i.e. after calendering and autoclaving. Further, a thermoplastic material such as Polyurethan is preferably used as a plastics interlayer.

The object of the invention is further addressed by a device for manufacturing a panel of laminated glass, comprising a cutting unit for cutting a tailored sheet of a plastics interlayer with dimensions which relate to the dimensions of a first glass plate, a manipulation device for capturing the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer and for depositing the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer on the first glass plate, and a lamination unit for laminating the first glass plate, the sheet of plastics interlayer and a second glass plate.

Instead of stretching the plastics interlayer over the first glass plate, as known from prior art, according to the invention, first a tailored sheet of a plastics interlayer is cut and then deposited on the first glass plate. Preferably, the cutting unit is provided as a cutting table for cutting the tailored sheet of the plastics interlayer.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, a conveyor is provided for conveying the first glass plate and/or the sheet of plastics interlayer and/or the second glass plate. Preferably, the conveyor first conveys the first glass plate, so that the manipulation device can then deposit the sheet of plastics interlayer on the first glass plate. A second glass plate is provided on the plastics interlayer and then conveyed into the lamination unit for laminating the first glass plate, the sheet of plastics interlayer and the second glass plate.

4466 - PVBASPIRATION According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the manipulation device is provided with at least a sucker for capturing the sheet of plastics interlayer and for depositing the sheet of plastics interlayer on the first glass plate. It is further preferred that the manipulation device is adapted for capturing the sheet of plastics interlayer and for depositing the sheet of plastics interlayer in a flat state. For example, the manipulation device can be provided as a crane or a crane runway with suction cups for capturing the sheet of plastics interlayer from the cutting unit and for depositing the sheet of plastics interlayer on the first glass plate conveyed on the conveyer in a flat state.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, an assembling unit is provided for depositing at least an electronic component on a conducting layer provided on the first glass plate prior to depositing the sheet of plastics interlayer on the first glass plate. Preferably, LEDs are electrically connected onto the conducting layer as elec- tronic components by means of conducting glue and/or soldering. Further, electronic circuits can be provided by patterning the first glass plate with the conducting layer and/or by removing at least a part of the conducting layer deposited on the first glass plate by means of a laser.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the manipulation device is adapted for depositing or lowering the sheet of plastics interlayer on the first glass plate from above. This means that instead of stretching the sheet of plastics interlayer over the first glass plate, the sheet of plastics interlayer is deposited or lowered by the manipulation device from above by means of a crane or crane runway.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

4466 - PVBASPIRATION In the drawings:

Fig. 1 schematically shows a lamination line for manufacturing a panel of laminated glass according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 2 schematically depicts a manipulation device according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different depend- ent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measured cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Where the term "comprising" is used in the present description and claims, it does not exclude other elements or steps. Where an indefinite or definite article is used when referring to a singular noun e.g. "a" or "an", "the", this includes a plural of that noun unless something else is specifically stated.

Furthermore, the terms first, second and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking or in any other manner. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

4466 - PVBASPIRATION Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.

Similarly it should be appreciated that in the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive as- pects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form different embodi- ments, as would be understood by those in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a lamination line for manufacturing a panel of laminated glass according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. A first glass plate 1 is con-

4466 - PVBASPIRATION veyed on a conveyer 2 towards a cutting unit 3, which is provided for cutting a tailored sheet of plasties interlayer 4 with dimensions, which relate to the dimensions of the first glass plate 1, on a cutting table 5. Typically, and as depicting in Fig. 1, the plasties interlayer is stored on a roll 6. For cutting a tailored sheet of the plasties interlayer 4, the plasties interlayer is rolled up from the roll 6 onto the cutting table 5 and cut by the cutting unit 3 to dimensions which relate to the dimensions of the first glass plate 1. In an embodiment of the invention, the dimensions of the plastic interlayer can be chosen greater (about one centimetre larger) than the dimensions of the first glass plate (which can be obtained by measuring the first glass plate), the exceeding part of the plastic layer (which exceeds from the panel) can be removed in a trimming step later in the process (for instance, an operator can remove the exceeding part with a knife). In another embodiment, the dimensions of the plastic layer are chosen equal to the dimensions of the first glass plate. In this case, no later removing step has to be done. The tailored sheet of plasties interlayer 4 is then captured by a manipulation device 7 by means of a sucker 8. The conveyor 2 optionally conveys the first glass plate 1 close to the manipulation device 3 in a position 9, so that the manipulation device 7 can deposit the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer 4 onto the first glass plate 1. The deposition of the plastics interlayer is preferably done vertically downwards. A second glass plate, not depicted, is also deposited on the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer 4 for forming a so- called sandwich of a panel of laminated glass 10. The panel of laminated glass 10 is then calendered by means of calendering roles 11 and autoclaved by means of autoclav- ing 12.

Fig. 2 further depicts schematically the steps of cutting the plastics interlayer 4 to a tailored sheet and of applying the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer 4 on the first glass plate 1. First, the plastics interlayer 4 is cut on the cutting table 5 to a tailored sheet. In the next step the manipulation device 7 captures the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer 4 by means of a sucker 8 and lifts up the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer 4 from the cutting table 5. The manipulation device 7 then transports the tailored sheet of plastics

4466 - PVBASPIRATION interlayer 4 towards the first glass plate 1 and deposits the tailored sheet of plastics in- terlayer 4 from above onto the first glass plate 1, e.g. vertically downwards.

As can be seen further from Fig. 2, a plurality of electronic components 13, preferably LEDs, are provided in electrical contact with a conducting layer 14 previously deposited on the first glass plate 1. Preferably, electronic circuits, not depicted, are provided within the conducting layer 14 for connecting the electronic components. The electronic or electrical components 13 can be any suitable devices and can be selected from any such devices such as switches, transistors, light emitting devices, microprocessors, re- sistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, microcontrollers, radio frequency devices, receivers, transmitters, network interfaces, etc.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

4466 - PVBASPIRATION

Claims

1. Method for manufacturing a panel of laminated glass comprising a first glass plate (1), a plastics interlayer (4) and a second glass plate, the method comprising: cutting the plastics interlayer (4) to a tailored sheet with dimensions which relate to the dimensions of the first glass plate (1); applying the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer (4) on the first glass plate (1); applying a second glass plate on the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer (4); and laminating the first glass plate (1), the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer (4) and the second glass plate.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of capturing the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer (4) in a flat state, preferably by means of a manipulation device (7) having access to at least a sucker (8).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step applying the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer (4) on the first glass plate (1) is performed by depositing the sheet of plastics interlayer (4) on the first glass plate (1) from above.

4. Method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least an electronic component (13) is laminated in the panel of laminated glass (10).

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the electronic component (13) is at least an LED fixed to at least an electronic circuit realized in a conducting layer (14) previ- ously deposited on the first glass plate (1).

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the electronic circuit is realized by previously patterning the first glass plate (1) with a conducting layer (14) and/or by previ-

4466 - PVBASPIRATION ously removing at least a part of the conducting layer (14) deposited on the first glass plate (1) by means of a laser.

7. Method according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plastics interlayer (4) is Polyvinylbutyral.

8. Device for manufacturing a panel of laminated glass (10), comprising a cutting unit (3) for cutting a tailored sheet of a plastics interlayer (4) with dimensions which relate to the dimensions of a first glass plate (1), a manipulation device (7) for capturing the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer

(4) and for depositing the tailored sheet of plastics interlayer (4) on the first glass plate (1), and a lamination unit for laminating the first glass plate (1), the sheet of plastics interlayer (4) and a second glass plate.

9. Device according to claim 8, wherein a conveyer (2) is provided for conveying the first glass plate (1) and/or the sheet of plastics interlayer (4) and/or the second glass plate.

10. Device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the manipulation device (7) is provided with at least a sucker (8) for capturing the sheet of plastics interlayer (4) and for depositing the sheet of plastics interlayer (4) on the first glass plate (1).

11. Device according to any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the manipulation device (7) is adapted for capturing the sheet of plastics interlayer (4) and for depositing the sheet of plastics interlayer (4) in a flat state.

12. Device according to any of claims 8 to 11, wherein an assembling unit is provided for depositing at least an electronic component (13) on a conducting layer (14)

4466 - PVBASPIRATION provided on the first glass plate (1) prior to depositing the sheet of plasties interlay er (4) on the first glass plate (1).

13. Device according to any of claims 8 to 12, wherein the manipulation device (7) is adapted for depositing the sheet of plastics interlayer (4) on the first glass plate (1) from above.

4466 - PVBASPIRATION