INSULATING GLAZING UNIT AND GLAZING

Abstract

An insulating glazing unit includes at least one spacer, which is shaped around the periphery to produce a spacer frame and delimits an inner region, a first glass pane, which is arranged on a pane contact surface of the spacer frame and a second glass pane, which is arranged on a second pane contact surface of the spacer frame, and the glass panes project beyond the spacer frame and an outer region is formed, which is filled, at least in some sections with a sealing element. At least one NFC transponder is arranged in the inner region, the NFC transponder includes an electronics unit, which is arranged on the inner surface of the spacer, and an antenna unit, which is arranged on the inner surface of one of the glass panes, and the electronics unit is electrically conductively connected to the antenna unit.

Claims

1. An insulating glazing unit, comprising: at least one spacer, which is shaped around a periphery to produce a spacer frame and delimits an inner region, a first glass pane, which is arranged on a pane contact surface of the spacer frame and a second glass pane, which is arranged on a second pane contact surface of the spacer frame, and the first and second glass panes project beyond the spacer frame and an outer region is formed, which is filled, at least in some sections with a sealing element, wherein at least one NFC transponder is arranged in the inner region, the NFC transponder comprises an electronics unit, which is arranged on the inner surface of the spacer, and an antenna unit, which is arranged on the inner surface of one of the glass panes, and the electronics unit is electrically conductively connected to the antenna unit.

2. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein the antenna unit contains or consists of an antenna conductor.

3. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 2, wherein the antenna conductor contains or consists of a thin electrically conductive structure.

4. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 2, wherein the antenna conductor is arranged on a carrier film or a rigid carrier plate.

5. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein the electronics unit contains or consists of an NFC circuit.

6. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 5, wherein the NFC circuit is arranged on a rigid carrier plate or a carrier film.

7. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein the electronics unit is connected to the spacer via an adhesive surface.

8. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein an electrically conductive coating transparent in the visible wavelength range is arranged on the inner surface of at least one of the first and second glass panes, and the antenna conductor contains or consists of a structure delimited by local stripping of the coating.

9. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein the antenna conductor is an electrically conductive imprint on the inner surface of the first and second glass panes.

10. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 8, wherein the electronics unit is electrically conductively connected to the antenna conductor arranged directly on the at least one of the first and second glass panes via a contact region having at least two contact surfaces.

11. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein the NFC transponder has an operating frequency of 13.50 MHz to 13.60 MHz.

12. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein the NFC transponder has or is connected to at least one sensor for measuring temperature, pressure, moisture, heat flow, electromagnetic radiation.

13. A glazing comprising a frame, and an insulating glazing unit according to claim 1 arranged in the frame.

14. The glazing according to claim 13, wherein the frame surrounds end faces of the insulating glazing unit and, at the same time, covers the electronics unit or units in a through-vision direction through the first and second glass panes and enables a top view of the antenna conductor.

15. A system comprising: an insulating glazing unit according to claim 1, and an NFC transmission unit and/or reception unit arranged outside the insulating glazing unit for transmitting and/or receiving data from the insulating glazing unit to the outside or from the outside into the insulating glazing unit.

16. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 1, wherein the outer region is filled entirely with the sealing element.

17. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 2, wherein the antenna conductor is a conductor loop or a coil.

18. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 3, wherein the thin electrically conductive structure is a thin metallic or metal structure.

19. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 18, wherein the thin metallic or metal structure is a wire or a print of an electrically conductive paste.

20. The insulating glazing unit according to claim 4, wherein the antenna conductor is arranged on a polymer film, which is a polyethylene terephthalate film and/or polyimide film, with a thickness of 20 μm to 800 μm.

Description

[0060] Advantages and functionalities of the invention are also evident from the following description of exemplary embodiments and aspects of the invention with reference to the figures. The drawings are purely schematic representations and not to scale. They in no way restrict the invention. They depict:

[0061] FIG. 1A a detailed view (cross-sectional representation) of an edge region of an insulating glazing unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention,

[0062] FIG. 1B a plan view of an NFC transponder according to the invention in accordance with the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 1A,

[0063] FIG. 2A a detailed view (cross-sectional representation) of an edge region of a glazing with an insulating glazing unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention,

[0064] FIG. 2B a plan view auf a glazing according to the invention in accordance with the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 2A,

[0065] FIG. 3A a detailed view (cross-sectional representation) of an edge region of an insulating glazing unit in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention,

[0066] FIG. 3B a plan view of an NFC transponder according to the invention in accordance with the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 3A.

[0067] In the figures as well as the following description, the insulating glazing units as well as the glazings and the individual components are in each case identified with the same or similar reference numbers, regardless of the fact that the specific embodiments differ.

[0068] FIG. 1A depicts an edge region of an insulating glazing unit 1 in cross-section. The insulating glazing unit 1 comprises, in this embodiment, two glass panes 4a and 4b. These are held apart at a predetermined distance by a spacer 5 placed between the glass panes 4a, 4b near the end face 14 of the insulating glazing unit 1. The main body of the spacer 5 is made, for example, of glass-fiber-reinforced styrene acrylonitrile (SAN).

[0069] Multiple spacers 5 (here, for example, four) are routed along the side edges of the glass panes 4a, 4b and form a spacer frame 5′. The pane contact surfaces 5.1, 5.2 of the spacers 5, i.e., the contact surfaces of the spacers 5 with the glass panes 4a, 4b, are bonded in each case to the glass panes 4a or 4b and thus mechanically fixed and sealed. The adhesive bond consists, for example, of polyisobutylene or butyl rubber. The inner surface 5.4 of the spacer frame 5′ delimits, together with the glass panes 4a, 4b, an inner region 12.

[0070] The spacer 5 is usually hollow (not shown) and filled with a desiccant (not shown), which binds, via small interior-side openings (likewise not shown), any moisture that has penetrated into the inner region 12. The desiccant contains, for example, molecular sieves such as natural and/or synthetic zeolites. The inner region 12 between the glass panes 4a and 4b is filled, for example, with a noble gas, such as argon.

[0071] The glass panes 4a, 4b usually project beyond the spacer frame 5′ on all sides such that the outer surface 5.3 of the spacer 5 and the outer sections of the glass panes 4a, 4b form an outer region 13. A sealing element (sealing profile) 6 is introduced into this outer region 13 of the insulating glazing unit 1 between the glass panes 4a and 4b and outside the spacer 5. This is shown here in simplified form as a single piece. In practice, it usually comprises two components, one of which seals the contact surface between the spacer 5 and the glass panes 4a, 4b and protects against penetrating moisture and external influences. The second component of the sealing element 6 additionally seals and mechanically stabilizes the insulating glazing unit 1. The sealing element 6 is, for example, formed from an organic polysulfide.

[0072] An insulation film (not shown here), which reduces the heat transfer through the polymeric spacer 5 into the inner region 12, is applied, for example, on the outer surface 5.3 of the spacer 5, i.e., on the side of the spacer 5 facing the outer region 13. The insulation film can, for example, be attached to the polymeric spacer 5 with a polyurethane hot-melt adhesive. The insulation film contains, for example, three polymeric layers of polyethylene terephthalate with a thickness of 12 μm and three metallic layers made of aluminum with a thickness of 50 nm. The metallic layers and the polymeric layers are attached alternatingly in each case, with the two outer plies formed by polymeric layers. In other words, the layer sequence consists of a polymeric layer, followed by a metallic layer, followed by an adhesive layer, followed by a polymeric layer, followed by a metallic layer, followed by an adhesive layer, followed by a metallic layer, followed by a polymeric layer.

[0073] As already mentioned, the main body of the spacer 5 is made, for example, of glass-fiber-reinforced styrene acrylonitrile (SAN). By means of the selection of the glass fiber content in the spacer main body, its coefficient of thermal expansion can be varied and adjusted. By adjusting the coefficient of thermal expansion of the spacer main body and of the insulation film, temperature-induced stresses between the different materials and flaking of the insulation film can be avoided. The spacer main body has, for example, a glass fiber content of 35%. The glass fiber content in the spacer main body simultaneously improves strength and stability.

[0074] The first glass pane 4a and the second glass pane 4b are made, for example, of soda lime glass with a thickness of 3 mm and have, for example, dimensions of 1000 mm×1200 mm. It goes without saying that each insulating glazing unit 1 depicted in this and the following exemplary embodiments can also have three or more glass panes.

[0075] The insulating glazing unit 1 has, for example, an NFC transponder 9. The NFC transponder 9 according to the invention consists of an antenna unit 9.1 and an electronics unit 9.2. The electronics unit 9.2 is, for example, connected to the inner surface 5.4 of the spacer 5 via an adhesive surface 9.4, and is attached thereon. The antenna unit 9.1 is arranged orthogonally to the electronics unit 9.2 and thus orthogonally to the inner surface 5.4 of the spacer 5. The antenna unit 9.1 is thus arranged parallel to the second glass pane 4b and connected thereto, for example, via an adhesive surface 9.4. The adhesive of the adhesive surface 9.4 is advantageously optically transparent at least in the region of the connection to the glass pane 4b, in particular in the visible wavelength range.

[0076] FIG. 1B depicts a schematic plan view of a simplified representation of an NFC transponders 9 according to the invention. In this simplified representation, the antenna unit 9.1 and the electronics unit 9.2 are shown in one plane. This corresponds, for example, to the NFC transponder 9 prior to assembly in the insulating glazing unit 1. During assembly, the NFC transponder 9 is kinked along the curvature line 9.3 such that the planar regions of the antenna unit 9.1 and of the electronics unit 9.2 are orthogonal to one another.

[0077] The electronics unit 9.2 consists here, for example, of an NFC circuit 9.2.1 that is arranged on a carrier film 9.2.2. The carrier film 9.2.2 is, for example, a PET film with a thickness of 170 μm.

[0078] In this example, the antenna unit 9.1 consists of an antenna conductor 9.1.1 that is arranged on a carrier film 9.1.2. The antenna conductor 9.1.1 is made, for example, from a very thin wire that is hardly detectable visually, for example, with a thickness of 10 μm. Alternatively or in combination, the antenna conductor 9.1.1 can be made of a thin electrically conductive imprint on the carrier film 9.1.2. Advantageously, the imprint itself is optically transparent.

[0079] The antenna conductor 9.1.1 is tuned to the operating frequency of the electronics unit 9.2, is, for example, at 13.56 MHz.

[0080] The carrier film 9.1.2 is made, for example, from an ultrathin PET film, for example, with a thickness of 50 μm. Advantageously, the carrier film 9.1.2 is optically transparent.

[0081] The carrier film 9.1.2 the antenna unit 9.1 is fixedly connected to the carrier film 9.2.2 of the electronics unit 9.2, for example, by being formed in one piece in sections. The carrier film 9.2.2 can then be implemented multi-ply and thus thickened in the region of the electronics unit 9.2, for example.

[0082] The antenna conductor 9.1.1 can have any form suitable for transmitting and receiving NFC signals. For example, the antenna conductor 9.1.1 has the form of a multi-wound conductor loop that is arranged in one plane. This plane is arranged parallel to the glass panes 4a, 4b in the installed position of the insulating glazing unit 1.

[0083] This makes it possible to communicate with the NFC transponder 9 with a commercially available NFC-capable transmitting and/or receiving device (mobile terminal), such as a smartphone, tablet, or the like. For this, for example, the NFC-capable receiving and/or transmitting device is held with its antenna plane parallel to the glass panes 4a, 4b above the antenna unit 9.1. The distance between the NFC-capable receiving and/or transmitting device and the antenna unit 9.1 is typically less than 10 cm. Advantageously, the NFC-capable receiving and/or transmitting device is held directly against the outer side 18 of the glass pane 4b and congruently with the antenna conductor 9.1.1.

[0084] With a corresponding computer program product that is executed on the NFC-capable transmitting and/or receiving device (front-end software) and/or on a server (back-end software) connected via mobile radio to the NFC-capable receiving and transmitting device.

[0085] FIG. 2A depicts a detailed view (cross-sectional representation) of an edge region of a glazing 2 with an insulating glazing unit 1 of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0086] FIG. 2B depicts a plan view of the glazing 2 with insulating glazing unit 1 of FIG. 2A with a viewing direction according to the Arrow A of FIG. 2A.

[0087] FIGS. 2A and 2B show views of the insulating glazing unit 1 of FIGS. 1A and 1B, as they can be, for example, arranged within a glazing 2. For details concerning the insulating glazing unit 1, reference is therefore made to the description of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0088] Furthermore, a, for example, U-shaped frame 3 surrounds the edges of the insulating glazing unit 1 together with the electronics unit 9.2 of the NFC transponder 9.

[0089] It goes without saying that the frame 3 can be configured as desired. The frame 3 can, for example, consist of a U-shaped metallic or nonmetallic profile.

[0090] In this example, the frame 3 also includes a first metallic frame element 3.1 that is connected to a second metallic frame element 3.2 via a polymeric, electrically insulating third frame element 3.3. In this example, the first and second frame elements 3.1, 3.2 are L-shaped. Consequently, the frame 3 surrounds the end face 14 of the insulating glazing unit 1 in the shape of a U. The sections of the first and second frame elements extending parallel to the large surfaces of the glass panes 4a, 4b are implemented such that they completely cover at least the outer region 13 with the sealing element 6 and the spacer frames 5′ in the through-vision direction (arrow A)

[0091] The insulating glazing unit 1 is arranged on carriers (not shown here), in particular on plastic carriers or carrier elements electrically insulated by plastics. Furthermore, an elastomer profile 7 is arranged in each case between the metallic frame elements 3.1, 3.2 and the glass panes 4a, 4b such that the insulating glazing unit 1 is firmly held within the frame 3. The elastomer profile 7 has, for example, a thickness of 6.5 mm and fixes the distance between the respective frame elements 3.1, 3.2 and the glass panes 4a, 4b.

[0092] The frame 3 also obscures, in particular, the view of the NFC electronics 9.2 when viewed through the glazing 2. However, the frame 3 does not obscure the view of or through the antenna unit 9.1. This is hardly perceptible optically because they consist only of components that are hardly perceptible optically, such as very thin antenna conductors 9.1.1 and optically transparent carrier film 9.1.2 and are bonded to the glass pane 4b by an adhesive surface 9.4 made of an optically transparent adhesive.

[0093] As a result of the undisturbed signal path for electromagnetic radiation in the NFC range (here 13.56 MHz) between the antenna unit 9.1 and the outer region of the glazing 2, the NFC transponder 9 can communicate undisturbed with an NFC-capable transmitting and/or receiving device.

[0094] FIG. 3A depicts a detailed view (cross-sectional representation) of an edge region of a glazing 2 with an insulating glazing unit 1 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The insulating glazing unit 1 and the NFC transponder 9 correspond essentially to the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 1B such that in the following, only the differences will be discussed.

[0095] In this example, the inner surface 19 of the glass pane 4b facing the interior 12 has an electrically conductive coating 20 that is transparent in the visible wavelength range. Such coatings 20 are in particular suitable for reflecting or absorbing IR radiation and thus avoiding undesired heating or undesired cooling of an interior.

[0096] In this example, the antenna unit 9.1 comprises an antenna conductor 9.1.1, introduced into a region 20.1 of the coating 20, for example, by laser decoating. For example, a conductor loop can be produced by electrically insulating the outer contours by laser decoating of thin lines in the transparent, electrically conductive coating 20. The thin decoated lines have, for example, a width of 100 μm and are hardly perceptible to the human eye.

[0097] FIG. 3B shows a schematic plan view of a simplified representation of an NFC transponders 9 according to the invention for such an application. Analogously to FIG. 1B, the NFC transponder 9 in FIG. 3B has an electronics unit 9.2 consisting of an NFC circuit 9.2.1 that is arranged on a carrier film 9.2.2. In this exemplary embodiment, the carrier film 9.2.2 is connected to a contact region 9.5. The contact region 9.5 contains a carrier film 9.5.2 on which, here, for example, two contact surfaces 9.5.1 are arranged. The contact surfaces 9.5.1 are arranged on the side of the carrier film 9.5.2 facing away from the NFC circuit 9.2.1. The contact surfaces 9.5.1 are electrically conductively connected to the NFC circuit 9.2.1 via electrical leads. Analogously to FIG. 1B, the NFC transponder 9 is folded along the curvature line 9.3.

[0098] Here, the electronics unit 9.2 is likewise arranged on the inner surface 5.4 of the spacer 5 via an adhesive surface 9.4. The contact surfaces 9.5.1 are parallel to the inner surface 19 of the glass pane 4b and are electrically conductively connected, preferably galvanically or capacitively, to the antenna conductor 9.1.1 in the transparent, electrically conductive coating 20.

[0099] In an embodiment not shown here of an insulating glazing unit 1 according to the invention, the antenna conductor 9.1.1 is printed on the inner surface 19 of one of the glass panes 4a, 4b or applied in another form, for example, by gluing a thin wire directly onto the glass pane 9.4. Here, the antenna conductor 9.1.1. is likewise preferably transparent or so thin that it is hardly perceptible visually. Such antenna conductors 9.1.1 can also be contacted particularly well to an arrangement according to FIG. 3B via contact surfaces 9.5.1.

[0100] It goes without saying that in all exemplary embodiments mentioned, the carrier films 9.2.2 of the electronics unit 9.1 can be formed in one piece or in multiple pieces with the carrier films 9.1.2 of the antenna unit 9.1 or the carrier films 9.5.2 of the contact region 9.5. It also goes without saying that one or all carrier films can also be of corresponding thickness or formed as carrier plates that are flexibly connected to one another, in particular in the region of the curvature line 9.3.

[0101] The practice of the invention is not limited to the examples and highlighted aspects of the embodiments, but is also possible in a large variety of modifications apparent to the person skilled in the art from the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0102] 1 insulating glazing unit [0103] 2 glazing [0104] 3 frame [0105] 3.1,3.2 metallic, first or second frame element [0106] 3.3 polymeric, third frame element [0107] 4a, 4b glass panes [0108] 5 spacer [0109] 5′ spacer frame [0110] 5.1,5.2 pane contact surface [0111] 5.3 outer surface of the spacer 5 [0112] 5.4 inner surface of the spacer 5 [0113] 6 sealing element [0114] 7 elastomer profile [0115] 9 NFC transponder [0116] 9.1 antenna unit [0117] 9.1.1 antenna conductor [0118] 9.1.2 carrier film [0119] 9.2 electronics unit [0120] 9.2.1 NFC circuit [0121] 9.2.2 carrier film [0122] 9.3 curvature line [0123] 9.4 adhesive surface [0124] 9.5 contact region [0125] 9.5.1 contact surface [0126] 9.5.2 carrier film [0127] 12 inner region [0128] 13 outer region [0129] 14 end face of the insulating glazing unit 1 or the glass panes 4a, 4b [0130] 18 outer surface of the glass pane 4a or 4b [0131] 19 inner surface of the glass pane 4a or 4b [0132] 20 transparent, electrically conductive coating [0133] 20.1 region of the coating 20 [0134] Arrow A top view direction or through-vision direction