FAÇADE GLAZING AND INSULATING GLAZING UNIT

Abstract

A façade glazing with a metal frame and an insulating glazing unit inserted into the frame, which unit has at least two glass panes and a spacer and sealing profile extending circumferentially therebetween close to their edges, wherein at least one RFID transponder is attached to the insulating glazing unit as an identification element and wherein the frame engages around the edges of the insulating glazing unit and, at the same time, covers the at least one RFID transponder in the through-vision direction (arrow A) through the glass panes, wherein at least one separate metal coupling element is inserted into the frame adjacent the transponder for coupling out and coupling in HF radiation transmitted via the transponder to the outside of the façade glazing and received from the outside.

Claims

1. A façade glazing with a metal frame and an insulating glazing unit inserted into the metal frame, which insulating glazing unit includes at least two glass panes and a spacer and sealing profile extending circumferentially therebetween close to edges of the at least two glass sheets, wherein at least one RFID transponder is attached to the insulating glazing unit as an identification element and wherein the metal frame engages around the edges of the insulating glazing unit and, at the same time, covers the at least one RFID transponder in a through-vision direction through the at least two glass panes, wherein at least one separate metal coupling element is inserted into the metal frame adjacent the at least one RFID transponder for coupling out and coupling in HF radiation transmitted via the at least one RFID transponder to an outside of the façade glazing and received from the outside, and wherein the metal coupling element is placed in the metal frame in a position only partially overlapping with the at least one RFID transponder.

2. The façade glazing according to claim 1, wherein the metal reinforcing element and the at least one RFID transponder are arranged at or near a corner of the metal frame or of the insulating glazing unit.

3. The façade glazing according to claim 1, wherein at least two metal coupling elements are arranged in the metal frame such that the insulating glazing unit rests on the at least two metal coupling elements, as a result of which the at least two metal coupling elements serve at the same time as insulating glazing support elements.

4. The façade glazing according to claim 1, wherein the metal frame comprises a metal holding element, a metal frame cover, and a connecting element that connects the metal holding element to the metal frame cover in an electrically insulating manner, and the metal coupling element, is secured to the metal holding element.

5. The façade glazing according to claim 1, wherein the metal coupling element is designed strip-shaped or as an elongated L-profile.

6. The façade glazing according to claim 1, wherein the metal coupling element has a length greater than or equal to 7 cm.

7. The façade glazing according to claim 1, wherein the metal coupling element is made of copper, aluminum or an aluminum alloy, or stainless steel.

8. The façade glazing according claim 1, wherein the metal coupling element is placed at a distance in the range from 1 mm to 10 mm from the adjacent at least one RFID transponder.

9. The façade glazing according to claim 1, wherein the metal coupling element is inserted into the metal frame together with a shock-absorbing nonmetallic element or has an elastic covering layer.

10. The façade glazing according to claim 1, wherein the metal coupling element is glued or force-fittingly inserted into a metal holding device of the metal frame.

11. The façade glazing according to claim 1, wherein the metal coupling element is inserted into the metal frame in a position predetermined by an assembly specification.

12. The façade glazing according to claim 1, wherein one edge of the metal coupling element is arranged with an offset of at most 30 mm from a center of a dipole antenna of the at least one RFID transponder.

13. A method for producing a façade glazing according to claim 1, comprising: S1) arranging a metal holding device on a façade, S2) snapping an insulating glazing support element with a metal coupling element into the metal holding device and placing an insulating glazing unit on the insulating glazing support element, S3) connecting a frame cover to the holding device via an electrically insulating connecting element and the insulating glazing unit is thereby secured in the façade glazing.

14. The method for producing a façade glazing according to claim 13, wherein the metal coupling element is placed in the metal frame in a position only partially overlapping with the at least one RFID transponder.

15. A method comprising manufacturing a window, door, or interior partition with a façade glazing according to claim 1.

16. The façade glazing according to claim 4, wherein the connecting element is a polymeric connecting element.

17. The façade glazing according to claim 6, wherein the metal coupling element has a length of 7 cm to 40 cm.

18. The façade glazing according to claim 8, wherein the metal coupling element is placed at a distance in the range from 3 mm to 8 mm from the adjacent at least one RFID transponder.

19. The façade glazing according to claim 9, wherein the shock-absorbing nonmetallic element is an elastic plastic element.

20. The façade glazing according to claim 10, wherein the metal coupling element is galvanically or capacitively connected to the metal holding device.

Description

[0038] 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. They depict:

[0039] FIG. 1 a schematic representation (cross-sectional view) of an edge region of a façade glazing according to the invention,

[0040] FIG. 2 a schematic representation (plan view) of the edge region of FIG. 1, and

[0041] FIG. 3 a flow chart of a method according to the invention.

[0042] In the figures and the following description, the insulating glazing unit as well as the façade glazing 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.

[0043] FIG. 1 depicts, in a cross-sectional view, a section of a façade glazing 11 in which an insulating glazing unit 1 is inserted into a façade frame profile 3.

[0044] In this embodiment, the insulating glazing unit 1 comprises two glass panes 4a and 4b that are held apart at a predetermined distance by a spacer profile 5 placed between the glass panes 4a, 4b near the end face of the insulating glazing unit 1. The spacer profile 5 is usually hollow and filled with a desiccant (not shown) that, via small openings on the interior-side (also not shown), binds any moisture that has penetrated into the interpane space. The interpane space between the glass panes 4a and 4b is evacuated or filled with a noble gas, such as argon.

[0045] An elastomer seal (sealing profile) 6 is introduced in the edge region of the insulating glazing unit 1, between the glass panes 4a and 4b and outside the spacer profile 5. This is shown here simplified as one piece. In practice, it customarily comprises two components, one of which seals between the spacer and the glass and the other additionally stabilizes the insulating glazing unit.

[0046] Here, the insulating glazing unit 1 includes an RFID transponder 9 that is attached, for example, to the outer side of the spacer profile 5. It goes without saying that the RFID transponder can also be arranged on the glass panes 4a, 4b or in the middle of the sealing profile 6.

[0047] The frame 3 of the façade device includes a holding device 3.1, which is, for example, fixedly arranged on a building wall (not shown); further, a frame cover 3.3, which is attached to the holding device 3.1 via a polymeric and electrically insulating connecting element 3.2.

[0048] The insulating glazing unit 1 rests on at least one insulating glazing support element 12. The insulating glazing support element 12 includes a metal coupling element 10 that supports the glass panes 4a, 4b. Arranged between the metal coupling element 10 and the glass panes 4a, 4b is a plastic intermediate layer 8 that prevents damage to the glass panes 4a, 4b by direct contact with the metal of the coupling element 10.

[0049] The metal coupling element 10 has a nearly L-shaped cross-section and is snapped on one side into the holding device 3.1 and is thus electrically conductively connected to the metal of the holding device 3.1.

[0050] Furthermore, arranged between the frame 3 and the glass panes 4a, 4b are two elastomer profiles 7a, 7b that clamp the glass panes 4a, 4b in the frame 3.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a simplified representation indicating the position of the metal coupling element 10 relative to the RFID transponder 9. FIG. 2 depicts a plan view in the viewing direction of the arrow A of or through the first glass pane 4a.

[0052] The RFID transponder 9 includes, in this exemplary embodiment, a dipole antenna 9.1, which is arranged on a dielectric carrier element 9.2. Such RFID transponders 9 are commercially available and can be used both on electrically insulating substrates and on electrically conductive substrates (for example, in the case of a metallized insulation film on the spacer 5).

[0053] In this embodiment, the insulating glazing support element 12 is placed with the metal coupling element such that an edge 15 of the metal coupling element 10 is arranged roughly below the center 14 of the dipole antenna 9.1 of the RFID transponder 9.

[0054] The metal coupling element is therefore under exactly one antenna pole of the dipole antenna 9.1 and, due to the small distance, capacitively coupled thereto. The mechanical contact of the metal coupling element 10 with the metal holding device 3.1 yields, for example, galvanic coupling. It goes without saying that at the usual operating frequencies of RFID transponders, capacitive coupling of the metal coupling element 10 to the holding device 3.1 would also suffice.

[0055] All of this results in an improved coupling and decoupling of the RFID signal and in a considerably greater readout range of the RFID signal outside the glazing. This was unexpected and surprising for the inventors.

[0056] Precise positioning of the edge 15 below the center 14 of the dipole antenna 9.1 yields the greatest reading ranges of up to 2 m distance (measured with a handheld RFID readout device). Nevertheless, an offset between the edge 15 and the center 14 of, for example, up to 30 mm yields a significant improvement in the reading ranges.

[0057] The length L of the metal coupling element 10, i.e., the dimension parallel to the pane edge or to the direction of extension of the dipole antenna 9.1 of the RFID transponder 9 is, for example, 15 cm, for an RFID transponder in the UHF range with an operating frequency of 866.6 MHz.

[0058] FIG. 3 depicts the steps of a method of production according to the invention fora façade glazing 11 according to the invention, wherein

S1) a metal holding device 3.1 is provided and is arranged, in particular, on a façade,
S2) an insulating glazing support element 12 with a metal coupling element 10 is snapped into the holding device 3.1 and an insulating glazing unit 1 is placed on the insulating glazing support element 12,
S3) a metal frame cover 3.3 is connected to the holding device 3.3 via an electrically insulating and preferably polymeric connecting element 3.2 and thus the insulating glazing unit 1 is secured in the façade glazing 11.

[0059] Another embodiment comprises a method according to the invention, wherein the metal coupling element 10 is placed in the frame 3 in a position only partially overlapping with the transponder 9.

[0060] The embodiment of the invention is not restricted to the above-described example and highlighted aspects of the embodiments, but is also possible in a large number of modifications that are evident to the person skilled in the art from the dependent claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0061] 1 insulating glazing unit [0062] 3 frame, façade frame profile [0063] 3.1 holding device [0064] 3.2 connecting element [0065] 3.3 frame cover [0066] 4a, 4b glass panes [0067] 5 spacer profil [0068] 6 sealing profile of the insulating glazing unit [0069] 7a, 7b elastomer profile [0070] 8 plastic intermediate layer [0071] 9 RFID transponder [0072] 9.1 dipole antenna [0073] 9.2 carrier element [0074] 10 metal coupling element [0075] 11 façade glazing [0076] 12 insulating glazing support element [0077] 14 center of the RFID transponder 9 [0078] 15 edge of the metal coupling element 12 [0079] arrow A viewing direction [0080] L length of the metal coupling element 12