PACKAGED GLASS PARTS

Abstract

A packaging assembly includes: a packaging, which is flexible; and a plurality of glass parts having a tubular-shaped geometry or a rod-shaped geometry, the plurality of glass parts including a glass and being enclosed in the packaging while being in mutual contact with one another, the packaging exerting a pressure on the plurality of glass parts such that the packaging clings to the plurality of glass parts so that the plurality of glass parts are pressed onto one another and secured against relative movement with respect to one another.

Claims

1. A packaging assembly, the packaging assembly including a plurality of glass parts having a tubular-shaped geometry or a rod-shaped geometry, the packaging assembly comprising: a packaging, which is flexible; and the plurality of glass parts having the tubular-shaped geometry or the rod-shaped geometry, the plurality of glass parts including a glass and being enclosed in the packaging while being in mutual contact with one another, the packaging exerting a pressure on the plurality of glass parts such that the packaging clings to the plurality of glass parts so that the plurality of glass parts are pressed onto one another and secured against relative movement with respect to one another.

2. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: (a) the plurality of glass parts includes at least 100 glass parts; (b) the plurality of glass parts are arranged in the packaging without order; and (c) the plurality of glass parts are pressed onto one another in the packaging with a density which lies between 0.5 kg/l and 2 kg/l.

3. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein the packaging at least one of: (a) is configured as a bag; and (b) includes two flexible films which oppose one another and are connected to one another.

4. The packaging assembly according to claim 3, wherein the two flexible films are connected at an edge of the package by at least one weld seam, which is at least 0.5 mm.

5. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein the packaging has a thickness which lies between 0.02 mm and 2 mm.

6. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pressure that the packaging exerts on the plurality of glass parts is reduced and is at least 0.05 bar.

7. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein the packaging comprises or consists of plastic.

8. The packaging assembly according to claim 7, wherein the plastic is polyethylene.

9. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of glass parts pressed onto one another in the packaging define a maximum first measurement along a first dimension and define a maximum second measurement along a second dimension perpendicular to the first dimension, wherein the ratio of the first measurement to the second measurement is between 1 and 10.

10. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of glass parts respectively include at least one processed position.

11. The packaging assembly according to claim 10, wherein the at least one processed position is at least one processed end, wherein at least one of: (a) the at least one processed position includes at least one of a sawn face, a cut face, a ground face, a frosted face, and a polished face; and (b) the at least one processed position includes an edge which is formed with at least one sharp edge by a right angle.

12. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: (a) the plurality of glass parts respectively include a cross-section which remains the same along a first dimension or remains the same along at least 50 percent of a first length of a respective one of the plurality of glass parts along the first dimension; (b) the plurality of glass parts respectively have an elongate geometry along a first dimension; and (c) the plurality of glass parts respectively have a rotationally symmetrical geometry about a first dimension.

13. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of glass parts at least one of: (a) respectively have a first measurement along a first dimension which is between 0.2 mm and 35 mm; (b) respectively have a second measurement along a second dimension, which is between 0.5 mm and 150 mm; and (c) respectively have a wall thickness, which is between 0.1 mm and 10 mm.

14. The packaging assembly according to claim 13, wherein, regarding (b), the second dimension is a diameter and extends perpendicularly to the first dimension, and wherein, regarding (c), the wall thickness is a lateral wall thickness of a tube.

15. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of glass parts respectively define a smallest possible bounding box having a first edge length, a second edge length, and a third edge length, and respectively have a wall thickness, and wherein at least one of: (a) a ratio of the first edge length to the second edge length is between 0.5 and 30; (b) a ratio of the second edge length to the third edge length is between 0.5 and 2; and (c) a ratio of the second edge length to the wall thickness is between 0.05 and 3.4.

16. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: (a) the plurality of glass parts are configured identically; (b) for each one of the plurality of glass parts, a deviation of a first measurement along a first dimension is less than 1 percent from a median; (c) for each one of the plurality of glass parts, a deviation of a second measurement along a second dimension is less than 2 percent from a median; and (d) for each one of the plurality of glass parts, a deviation of a wall thickness is less than 5 percent from a median.

17. The packaging assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: (a) of all the plurality of glass parts enclosed in the packaging, fewer than 50% have damage; and (b) the plurality of glass parts respectively include a lateral face and two end faces.

18. The packaging assembly according to claim 17, wherein at least one of: (a) the damage is formed as an eruption which has a greatest measurement that is more than 0.035 mm; and (b) the plurality of glass parts respectively include two processed positions which are formed by the two end faces.

19. The packaging assembly according to claim 17, wherein the fewer than 50% of the plurality of glass parts which are enclosed in the packaging and which have damage are present after at least one of transport and a shaking test.

20. The package assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of glass parts are a plurality of precision glass parts.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0058] FIG. 1 shows a multiplicity of tubular glass parts which are enclosed in a packaging while being in mutual contact with one another;

[0059] FIGS. 2-3 show an exemplary tubular glass part having a lateral face and two end faces;

[0060] FIGS. 4-5 show measurement results for glass parts packaged according to the present invention, relating to the percentage fraction of the multiplicity of the glass parts in the packaging which have damage on the lateral face (FIG. 4) and respectively on the end faces (FIG. 5), before or after the transport; and

[0061] FIGS. 6-7 show as a comparative example measurement results for glass parts packaged only in casings and/or packets, relating to the percentage fraction of the multiplicity of the glass parts in the packaging which have damage on the lateral face (FIG. 6) and respectively on the end faces (FIG. 7), before or after the transport.

[0062] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate at least one embodiment of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0063] FIG. 1 shows a multiplicity of glass parts 10, in this case configured tubularly, which are enclosed in a flexible vacuum packaging 20. The packaging has a front film and a rear film, which are connected to one another at edge regions by way of weld seams 22.

[0064] As a result of a reduced pressure prevailing in the packaging 20, the packaging 20, or the front and rear films of the packaging, clings to the glass parts 10 so that the glass parts 10 are pressed onto one another and secured against relative movements with respect to one another.

[0065] The packaging in this case has a flat shape, such that the packaging has a significantly greater measurement along the first dimension X1 than along the second dimension X2 and/or along the third dimension X3. In the present case, the measurement along the dimension X1 is greater by more than a factor of 2.5 than the measurement along the dimension X2 and furthermore also greater by more than a factor of 3 than the measurement along the dimension X3.

[0066] The elongate glass parts are arranged randomly in the packaging. In particular, the longest length L1 of the glass parts is therefore oriented randomly. There is however an optional direction, which extends in the plane X1-X2.

[0067] FIGS. 2-3 again show the glass parts enclosed in the packaging in detail. In this example, they are tubular glass parts 10, in particular tube sections, having a length L1 and a diameter L2 (or L3), which therefore define a bounding box H that has a square end face L2-L3.

[0068] In general, it may be provided that they are elongate glass parts 10, which as represented are sawn along their length L1 and therefore have two opposite end faces 20, which are connected to one another by a lateral face 18.

[0069] The glass parts 10 therefore have opposite processed ends 12, which respectively define a sawn face 14. In the present example, they are tube sections having a wall thickness d. Rod sections, or other shapes, are however also possible.

[0070] FIGS. 4-5 show measurement results for glass parts which are packaged according to FIG. 1. The measurement results show the percentage fraction of those glass parts in the packaging which have damage on the lateral face (FIG. 4) or on the end faces (FIG. 5) before or after transport, the transport being simulated in particular by a shaking test in the present case.

[0071] As may be seen with the aid of FIGS. 4-5, before the transport, more than 50% of the glass parts have only minimal damage on the lateral face (FIG. 4) or on the end face (FIG. 5), for instance minimal eruptions, namely ones whose greatest measurement is less than or equal to 0.035 mm (category A). Only fewer than 10% of the glass parts have damage whose greatest measurement is more than 0.035 mm but less than or equal to 0.070 mm (category B). The same applies for damage in categories C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J and K.

[0072] After the transport (or shaking test), the proportion of damage in category A decreases slightly, while the proportion of damage, particularly in categories H-K, increases slightly. Nevertheless, only fewer than 10% of the glass parts still have in each case damage in category B. The same applies for damage in categories C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J and K, with the exception that damage in category H on the lateral face exists for 11% of the glass parts.

[0073] FIGS. 6-7 show, as comparative examples, corresponding measurement results for glass parts packaged only in casings and/or packets, that is to say in particular without contact pressure and/or reduced pressure, which are therefore not secured against relative movements.

[0074] As may be seen, after the transport (or shaking test) the proportion of minimal damage in category A decreases significantly here, while the proportion of damage, particularly in categories H-K, and more particularly in category K (that is to say more than 0.35 mm), increases significantly.

[0075] Overall, it is thereby seen that the glass parts packaged according to the invention advantageously have significantly reduced damage to the glass parts, in particular due to relative movements of the glass parts with respect to one another.

[0076] While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.