Method and device for coating spacers

Abstract

A nozzle pair (3, 6) is used to coat the side faces of spacers (1) for insulating glass with an adhesive material, the adhesive material being applied to the side face of the spacers (1) through the nozzles (15) of the nozzle pair. As the side faces of the spacer (1) are coated with adhesive material the nozzle pair (3, 6) is moved along the sides of the spacer (1), the relative movement between the nozzle pair (3, 6) and the spacer (1) being obtained by a movement of the spacer (1) and/or the nozzle pair (3, 6). With this way of working, there is no need to rotate the spacer (1) about an axis perpendicular to its plane and therefore the rotation can be dispensed with.

Claims

1. A method for applying an adhesive to side surfaces of a spacer (1) for insulating glass, comprising: providing at least one nozzle pair (3, 6), each one of said nozzle pair configured to apply the adhesive to the side surfaces of the spacer; and applying, via the nozzle pair (3, 6), adhesive onto the side surfaces of the spacer (1) while a relative movement takes place between the nozzle pair (3, 6) and the spacer (1), wherein the spacer (1) is oriented in an essentially vertical plane while the adhesive material is applied onto lateral surfaces of the sides of the spacer (1), wherein, during said applying, lateral surfaces of the sides of the spacer (1) that are oriented essentially horizontally are coated by the adhesive via the nozzle pair (3, 6) by a first relative movement by way of the spacer (1) being moved linearly, wherein, during said applying, lateral surfaces of the sides of the spacer (1) that are oriented essentially vertically are coated by the adhesive via the nozzle pair (3, 6) by a second relative movement where the nozzle pair (3, 6) being moved along the side of the spacer (1), and wherein the spacer (1) is picked up on one of its sides by at least two clamps, whereby the spacer (1) is suspended essentially vertically downward from the clamps, and the nozzle pair (3, 6) is caused to run on the spacer (1) by conveying means that move the nozzle pair (3, 6) for applying the adhesive to the side surfaces.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, during said applying, lateral surfaces of the sides of the spacer (1) that are neither vertical nor horizontal are coated by the adhesive via the nozzle pair (3, 6) by a third relative movement where the spacer (1) stands still and the nozzle pair (3, 6) is moved in a direction correspondent to the lateral surfaces that are neither vertical nor horizontal.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein, during said applying, lateral surfaces of the sides of the spacer (1) that include curved sections are coated by the adhesive via the nozzle pair (3, 6) by a fourth relative movement where the nozzle pair (3, 6) pivot in the area of said curved sections.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conveying means that move the nozzle pair (3, 6) are rollers, at least one of which are driven.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conveying means that move the nozzle pair (3, 6) are conveyor belts.

6. An apparatus for carrying out the method according to claim 1, comprising: at least one pair of nozzles (3, 6), said pair of nozzles (3, 6) including a drive for adjusting the pair of nozzles (3, 6) in a plane that is parallel to the plane of the spacer; and at least two clamps (27) configured to hold the spacer (1) during the coating and which are linearly adjustable for moving the spacer (1).

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the clamps (27) are provided on a guide rail (25) and are adjustable along a length of said guide rail (25).

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the guide rail (25) transversely to its longitudinal extent in the plane of the spacer (1) is adjustable.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the nozzles (15) of the nozzle pair (3, 6) is associated with a moving storage container for storing adhesive therein.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one pair of nozzles (3, 6) includes rollers, at least one of said rollers being driven.

11. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one pair of nozzles (3, 6) includes a conveyor belt.

Description

(1) Additional details and features of the invention follow from the description below of preferred embodiments. Here:

(2) FIGS. 1 to 4 show various stages in the coating of a spacer using two pairs of nozzles,

(3) FIG. 5 shows diagrammatically and in front view a pair of nozzles without rollers,

(4) FIG. 6 shows a side view of an embodiment for a pair of nozzles,

(5) FIG. 7 shows in section a side of a spacer with rollers assigned to it, whereby the spacer does not have any bars,

(6) FIG. 8 shows in section a side of a spacer with a bar,

(7) FIG. 9 shows the rollers assigned to the spacer of FIG. 8,

(8) FIG. 10 shows the coating of a spacer for insulating glass with rounded corners, and

(9) FIG. 11 shows diagrammatically an embodiment of a device for coating spacers.

(10) In the procedure, shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, for coating a spacer 1 with adhesive material, a spacer 1 is conveyed into a coating station 2. As soon as the spacer 1 in the coating station 2 reaches the area of a first pair of nozzles 3, the spacer 1 is halted, and the pair of nozzles 3 is moved upward along the (front) vertical side 4 of the spacer 1 (arrow 5).

(11) As soon as the side 4 of the spacer 1 has been coated with adhesive material, the pair of nozzles 3 is pivoted, and a second pair of nozzles 6 is brought into an active position. Then, the spacer 1 is moved linearly (arrow 9), so that relative motion is produced between the upper horizontal side 7 and the first nozzle pair 3 assigned to these sides and the lower horizontal side 8 of the spacer 1 and the second pair of nozzles 6 assigned to this side 8, so that the sides 7 and 8 are coated with adhesive material.

(12) As the next step of the coating of the four sides of the spacer 1, the rear vertical side 10, relative to the direction of movement (arrow 9), is coated by the pair of nozzles 3 being moved along the side 10 in the direction of the arrow 11.

(13) In the description of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, it is assumed that the spacer 1 in the coating station 2 is oriented essentially vertically. This is not mandatory, however, since the same sequence of movement and the same method steps can also be carried out in the case of a horizontal spacer 1.

(14) When, in the course of the description of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and in other embodiments thereof, it is said that the spacer 1 stands still, this means that the relative motion between a pair of nozzles 3 or 6 and the spacer 1 is produced only by moving the pair of nozzles 3 or 6. This does not rule out the possibility that the spacer 1 itself may be moved (slightly) crosswise to the orientation of its side that has just been coated.

(15) In FIG. 5, a pair of nozzles 3 or 6 with two nozzles 15, which are assigned to the side of a spacer 1 and on whose lateral surfaces layers 16 made of adhesive material are deposited, is shown in diagrammatic view. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the nozzles 15 are connected, for example screwed, to a holding device, whereby their openings are directed toward the lateral surfaces of the spacer 1 so that adhesive material can be applied on them with the layers 16 of adhesive material being formed.

(16) In the embodiment of a pair of nozzles 3 or 6 shown in FIG. 6, the rollers 17, 18 assigned to the pair of nozzles 3 or 6, which guide the pair of nozzles 3 or 6 to the spacer 1, are also depicted. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, consideration is given to the fact that the rollers 17, or only a single one of them, are driven. The rollers 18 arranged opposite, i.e., outside of the spacer 1, the rollers 17 arranged inside the spacer 1, which rollers rest on its inside surface, are in particular free-wheeling support rollers, which are loaded on the spacer 1 (prestressed), for example, in the direction of the arrow 19 of FIG. 6.

(17) Instead of the rollers 17 of the embodiment of FIG. 6, conveyor belts can also be provided.

(18) FIG. 7 shows how the rollers 17 and 18 on the side of a spacer 1 rest on their inside surfaces (rollers 17) and their outside surfaces (rollers 18).

(19) When a spacer 1 with bars 20 (FIG. 8) is to be coated with adhesive material, a roller arrangement as is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 9 can be used. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 9, the rollers 18 are replaced by two grooved rollers 21 that, without colliding with the bars 10 of the spacer 1, can roll up against the spacer 1.

(20) FIG. 10 shows how a pair of nozzles, represented by nozzles 15 (without rollers 17, 18 or 21), is moved when coating a spacer 1 with rounded corners in order to coat the spacer 1 with adhesive material even in the area of its rounded corners. For this purpose, the pair of nozzles is pivoted during coating of the spacer 1 in the area of its rounded corners around an axis that is oriented perpendicular to the plane of the spacer 1, while it is moved in the area of the bent corners.

(21) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 of a device for the implementation of the method according to the invention for coating spacers 1 with adhesive material, at least two clamps 27 are provided on a rail 25 over slots 26, clamps that are placed to clamp the top side of a spacer 1 in order to keep the spacer 1 in a position that is essentially suspended vertically. The slots 26 can be moved along (arrow 28) the rail 25, so that horizontal movements of the spacer 1 can be implemented. In one embodiment, it can be provided that the rail 25 is adjustable up and down (arrow 29) in order to move the spacer 1 vertically. The possibility of adjusting the rail 25 in the direction of the arrow 29 allows it to match the device to the size of the spacers.

(22) The precise guiding of the spacer 1 during application of adhesive material on its lateral surfaces is done using rollers 17, 18, 21 on the pair of nozzles 3 or 6, which can be designed, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

(23) When the pair of nozzles 3 or 6 for coating the upper, horizontal side of the spacer 1 held by the clamps 27 becomes active and comes into the area of a clamp 27, the latter is detached from the spacer 1 and moves away. As soon as the pair of nozzles 3 or 6 has moved past the position at which the clamp 27 was placed on the spacer 1, the clamp 27 is closed again and placed in a clamping manner on the spacer 1.

(24) The arrangement shown in FIG. 11 can be used not only for holding and moving the spacer 1, while the latter is covered with adhesive material, but also for bringing in and/or removing spacers 1 in the device 2 for coating spacers 1 with adhesive material.

(25) The method according to the invention can be combined just like the device according to the invention with the filling of spacers 1 with desiccant. For example, before they enter the coating station 2, spacers 1 are filled with desiccant, and the fill opening is closed after the spacers 1 are coated with adhesive material; to do this, for example, adhesive material (butyl material) is used.

(26) In order to hold a spacer 1, the grippers 27 shown in FIG. 11 can be replaced by pins, on which the spacer 1 is suspended. For example, such pins are provided in the area of the corners of a spacer 1 and optionally also between the corners (as support pins). Such pins are removable (e.g., retractable) from their active position that holds the spacer 1, so that the nozzles 15 can be moved during coating without being impeded by pins.

(27) One embodiment according to FIG. 11 allows the device according to the invention to be combined in an advantageous way with upstream stations (e.g., bending a profile strip to form a spacer 1 before filling with desiccant) and downstream stations (e.g., attaching the coated spacer 1 to a glass pane). In this case, the movements in stations that are upstream and/or downstream from the device according to the invention can be implemented using slots 26, which are arranged on the (correspondingly lengthened) rail 25.

(28) In summary, an embodiment of the invention can be described as follows:

(29) For coating lateral surfaces of spacers 1 for insulating glass with adhesive material, a pair of nozzles 3, 6 is used, from whose nozzles 15 adhesive material is applied on the lateral surfaces of the spacer 1. In the coating of the lateral surfaces of the spacer 1 with adhesive material, the pair of nozzles 3, 6 is moved along the sides of the spacer 1. In this case, the relative motion between the pair of nozzles 3, 6 and the spacer 1 is achieved in such a way that the spacer 1 and/or the pair of nozzles 3, 6 is/are moved. With this approach, rotating the spacer 1 around an axis that is perpendicular to its plane is unnecessary and is eliminated.