DEVICE FOR CONVEYING AND RETAINING A GLASS SHEET, PARTICULARLY IN A WASHING FACILITY

Abstract

A device for conveying and holding a sheet of glass, includes a conveyor and a holder configured to hold a sheet of glass in position, in particular in a horizontal position, wherein the device includes two spaced-apart and parallel lateral conveying systems, and a plurality of holding elements which are connected to each conveying system and are intended to support and locally clamp one or both faces of the sheet of glass.

Claims

1. A device for conveying and holding a sheet of glass, comprising a conveyor and a holder configured to hold a sheet of glass in position wherein the device comprises two spaced-apart and parallel lateral conveying systems, and a plurality of holding elements which are connected to each conveying system and are configured to support and locally clamp one or both faces of the sheet of glass.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding elements support and clamp either, the supported face of the sheet of glass using suction, or the two opposite faces of the sheet of glass, by gripping.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding elements are secured to arms which are associated with the lateral conveying systems, extending substantially perpendicular to the latter.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each lateral conveying system comprises at least two holding elements which are arranged a distance apart along a longitudinal axis of the system.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each holding element is intended to generate a local contact with the glass.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding elements engage against and/or near the two opposite lateral edges of the sheet of glass.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each holding element forms a gripper comprising two opposing jaws, one of the jaws being intended to support the sheet of glass, while the other jaw is mobile and intended to engage by gripping with the opposite face of the sheet of glass.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each jaw of a gripper comprises a plurality of spaced-apart protuberances and a water removal device.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each holding element forms a suction cup against which the underside face of the glass, which is intended to be clamped by suction, is intended to rest, the suction cup being connected to a reservoir that creates a vacuum.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding elements are removable or moveable and are adjustable in position, along the associated lateral conveying system, and/or horizontally away from or toward the lateral conveying system, and/or vertically and/or in pivoting with respect to an axis parallel to the associated lateral conveying system.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding elements are made of a plastics material.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding elements are actuatable in an automated manner.

13. An assembly comprising at least one central conveying system and one or more conveying and holding devices which are distant in a conveying direction, wherein the lateral conveying systems are arranged on either side of the central conveying system, the central conveying system and the lateral conveying systems being driven at a same speed.

14. A washing and drying facility comprising at least one conveying and holding device as claimed in claim 1 for cleaning sheets of glass for vehicle glazing.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder is configured to hold the sheet of glass a horizontal position.

16. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the local contact with the glass is in the form of at least one point of contact or at least one line of contact.

17. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein a contact area is at most 25 mm.sup.2 or the line of contact has a width of at most 3 mm.

Description

[0056] The present invention is now described with the aid of examples which are purely illustrative and do not in any way restrict the scope of the invention, and on the basis of the attached illustrations in which:

[0057] FIG. 1 depicts, in a washing facility, a schematic view in cross section of the conveying and holding device of the invention according to a first embodiment in the position of holding a sheet of glass, the view in cross section being a transverse section with respect to the longitudinal direction of conveying and situated in a vertical plane passing through the edge face of the downstream side of the sheet of glass;

[0058] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the conveying and holding device of the invention of FIG. 1;

[0059] FIG. 3a is a detailed view in cross section of a holding element in the form of a gripper of FIG. 1, the gripper being in the open position;

[0060] FIG. 3b corresponds to FIG. 3a, the gripper being in the position of clamping against the sheet of glass;

[0061] FIG. 4a is a perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of a gripper in the closed position;

[0062] FIG. 4b illustrates a partial schematic view from above of a horizontal section on the plane containing the lower face of the sheet of glass, of the gripper of FIG. 4a associated with the sheet of glass;

[0063] FIG. 4c is another embodiment of a jaw of a gripper;

[0064] FIG. 5a is a detailed view in cross section of another embodiment of a holding element, in the form of a suction cup;

[0065] FIG. 5b is an alternative form of FIG. 5a.

[0066] The conveying and holding device 1 of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 has the purpose of holding a sheet of glass 2 in a substantially horizontal plane of conveying it or contributing to conveying it in a direction F and of holding it in position without any effect of amplitude or at the very least by minimizing these effects of amplitude when subjected to high vibrations on its two faces, in particular by water and air pressure jets.

[0067] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration in cross section of a conveying and air-spraying facility 3 comprising the conveying and holding device 1 for conveying and holding a sheet of glass 2, comprising two parallel and spaced-apart conveying systems 10A and 10B arranged laterally with respect to the sheet of glass 2, and for preference a central conveyer 4 comprising two drive belts 40 and 41 and positioned between the two lateral conveying systems 10A and 10B and water or air pressure jets symbolized by the arrows F1 and F2 directed vertically respectively upward and downward. The lateral conveying systems 10A and 10B comprise holding elements 11A to 11F to support and clamp the sheet of glass.

[0068] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, clamping is obtained by the gripping of the sheet of glass, the holding elements taking the form of grippers illustrated in FIGS. 3A to 4B.

[0069] According to another embodiment, gripping is performed by a suction on the underside face of the sheet of glass, the holding elements taking the form of a suction cup 5, as illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

[0070] The sheet of glass 2 has two opposite faces, a lower face 20 and an upper face 21, extending horizontally, the lower face 20 faces downward. The sheet of glass comprises two opposite lateral sides 22A and 22B which are parallel to the direction of travel, and two other sides referred to as the upstream side 23A and downstream side 23B, which are transverse to the lateral sides.

[0071] The sheet of glass 2 rests horizontally on the drive belts 40 and 41 via its edge face at its upstream 23A and downstream 23B sides (at least at three points depending on its curvature) while the conveying and holding device 1 guarantees that the sheet of glass 2 is held in this horizontal plane perpendicular to the jets.

[0072] The sheet of glass 2 in the example depicted is curved, the lower face 20 corresponding to the concave face 20. The concavity of the sheet of glass therefore faces downward, which means to say faces the central conveyer 4.

[0073] The holding elements 11A to 11F are applied locally against the glass, as illustrated in FIG. 2, near the opposite lateral edges 22A and 22B of the sheet of glass.

[0074] The sheet of glass 2 therefore rests in its middle part via its lower face 20 on the central conveyer 4, while the conveying and holding device 1 engages locally via the elements 11A to 11F with the periphery of the lateral sides of the sheet of glass, in particular by local clamping of the two opposite faces 20 and 21.

[0075] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the plurality of elements 11A to 11F are associated with the lateral systems 10A and 10B via arms 12, particularly mobile arms, extending perpendicularly to said systems and facing one another.

[0076] The holding elements 11A to 11F are distributed over the length of the lateral conveying systems in a balanced manner at the region of the lateral edges 22A and 22B of the sheet of glass.

[0077] The arm 12 of each support is secured to a conveying system 10A, 10B, extending toward the opposite system, namely toward the central part of the sheet of glass, and perpendicular to the lateral edges 22A and 22B of the sheet of glass.

[0078] Each holding element 11A to 11F forms a system for holding and clamping the sheet of glass by engaging locally with at least the underside face 20 of the sheet of glass along limited contact areas, preferably in the manner of points of contact or lines of contact.

[0079] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, this engagement of the holding elements is on the two opposite faces 20 and 21 of the sheets of glass and facing one another. Furthermore, it is achieved between 6 and 20 mm from the lateral edge 22A, 22B, respectively, of the sheet of glass.

[0080] The conveying systems with their holding elements are positioned by adjusting the holding elements before the start of the production run (the washing of sheets of glass), so as to support the shape of the sheets of glass (generally for windshields) of the coming production run. The holding elements 11A to 11F are able to be adjusted in terms of position: [0081] in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the axis of travel of the sheet of glass (which is symbolized by the arrow G2 in FIG. 1), [0082] height wise in a vertical plane (symbolized by the arrow G1 in FIG. 1), and [0083] in terms of inclination in a vertical plane by being able to pivot about an axis that is horizontal and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conveying systems and therefore of the travel (symbolized by the arrow G3 in FIG. 1).

[0084] In the embodiment of the elements of FIGS. 3a and 3b, each holding support forms a gripper and comprises two opposite jaws, a lower jaw 13 and an upper jaw 14, which are intended respectively to engage with the lower 20 and upper 21 faces of the sheet of glass 2.

[0085] Each jaw 13, 14 for preference comprises several lower protuberances 13A, 13B, 13C and upper protuberances 14A to 14C respectively intended to press via points of contact or a line of contact against the faces 20 and 21 respectively of the sheet of glass 2.

[0086] The lower jaw 13 is fixed while the upper jaw 14 is mobile, for example in pivoting in a vertical plane about an axis parallel to the associated edge of the frame. The pressing of the jaws against the faces of the glass produces clamping. The clamping is tailored so that it does not generate risks of breakage or rupture iniators.

[0087] Prior to clamping, the upper jaw 14 is opened by being moved vertically (FIG. 3a), which means to say transversally to the plane in which the sheet of glass 2 is intended to extend, so that the sheet of glass can be brought in from above the device and laid onto the holding elements 13A and 13B.

[0088] After the sheet of glass 2 has been applied against the lower protuberances 13A, 13B and 13C, the upper jaw 14 is swung toward the lower jaw 13 to sandwich the sheet of glass (FIG. 3b), the upper protuberances 14A to 14C coming to press against the upper face 21 of the sheet of glass. The lower protuberances 13A to 13C are arranged facing the respective upper protuberances 14A and 14C. The pressure applied by the upper jaw 14 is tailored to apply a clamping force of the order for example of one kilogram, which is sufficient to hold the glass in position with respect to the pressure of the water and air jets that the sheet of glass is going to experience, while at the same time avoiding a risk of breakage or rupture initiator.

[0089] Furthermore, the material of which the holding elements (protuberances) pressed against the glass are made is tailored to avoid the creation of rupture iniators when the glass experiences vibrations due to washing and to drying. For preference, the material is a plastics material which does not risk scratching the glass, for example with a shore D hardness of less than 90 and advantageously soft enough, for example being made of soft rubber, or in particular of a shore A hardness comprised between 20 and 80, and able to adapt to suit the local curvature of the glass without exerting too great a reaction force on the glass.

[0090] In order to minimize the areas of contact with the glass to optimize the surface area washed, the protuberances 13A to 13C, 14A to 14C have bearing/contact surfaces which engage in the manner of lines of contact (when viewed from above in the cross section of FIG. 4b).

[0091] The holding elements may extend lengthwise perpendicular or indeed parallel to the lateral sides 22A, 22B of the sheet of glass as described in FIGS. 3a and 4b and form spaced-apart lines of contact as illustrated schematically in FIG. 4b which shows the lower protuberances 13A to 13C pressed against the glass (the upper part of the jaw is not visible in this cross-sectional view). The lines are spaced by 6 mm for example, and the width of each line is 1 mm.

[0092] The protuberances 13A to 13C and 14A to 14C are derived for example from notched or wavy surfaces (FIG. 4a) affording an alternation of ribs (protuberances) and voids 14 in alternation and parallel. In the alternative form of FIG. 4C, the protuberances form pyramids the truncated or non-truncated tips of which are intended to engage with the glass. Other geometries are conceivable, such as spheres or half-spheres even.

[0093] Each jaw 13, 14 is designed to remove the water during the washing and drying. The jaws comprise removal grooves 15 between the protuberances and in the lower part of the lower jaw a removal spout 16, substantially facing the free lateral edge 22A (22B) of the sheet of glass.

[0094] Moreover, each holding element comprises, between and laterally with respect to the two jaws 13 and 14 and on the interior side of the gripper, an end stop 17, preferably made of a substantially elastic material, against which the free peripheral edge 22A of the sheet of glass can rest.

[0095] The actuation of the conveying systems 10A and 10B and the holding elements 11A to 11F of the device of the invention are performed in an automated manner.

[0096] FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate the second alternative form of embodiment of a holding and clamping element in the form of a suction cup 5.

[0097] The support involving a suction cup 5 engages only with the underside face 20 of the sheet of glass 2.

[0098] The suction cup 5 comprises a termination 50 intended to have the underside face 20 of the sheet of glass 2 resting against it, which sheet is brought in as for the embodiment with gripper, vertically over the lateral conveying systems 10A and 10B.

[0099] Like with the elements 11A to 11F, a plurality of suction cup elements 5 is distributed along the length of the lateral sides 22A and 22B of the sheet of glass, this being some distance from the lateral conveying systems via the support arms 12.

[0100] The suction cup 5 comprises an air suction cup 51 which is connected to the termination 50 of the suction cup and opens to the outside facing the underside face 20 of the sheet of glass. This suction duct 51 is housed in a flexible pipe 52 connecting the termination 50 to the arm 12. The suction duct 51 is then extended into the arm 12 and connected to a vacuum pump supported by the lateral conveying systems.

[0101] In the position for clamping of the sheet of glass a vacuum is imposed in the duct 51, sucking air in the direction of the arrow F3 and fixing the underside face 20 of the sheet glass by suction, while at the same time controlling the pressure in order to avoid any risk of breakage or rupture intiator in the glass. The vacuum is created in such a way that a residual pressure at the interface between the glass and suction cup is preferably comprised between 0.1 and 1 bar, for example of the order of 0.5 bar.

[0102] In the alternative form of FIG. 5b, the suction cup 5 comprises, at the interface between the termination 50 and the arm 12, elastic means 53, such as soft foam so as to adapt more easily to the geometry of the sheet of glass and guarantee close application of the sheet of glass facing the entirety of the contact area of the suction cup, and so as to ease removal of the sheet of glass from the device after the drying operation.

[0103] The contact surface of the suction cup head 50 has a diameter for example between 10 and 50 mm, a central hole of 3 mm being enough to create the vacuum. This area of contact is very small and remains localized to a few points with respect to the entirety of the surface area of the sheet of glass. This second embodiment with suction cup elements is rather reserved for sheets of glass intended to constitute the sheet of glass referred to as the inner sheet in a laminated glazing, namely on the concave side in the case of a windshield, given that the part of the glass in contact with the suction cup will not in this case ultimately be the one in contact with the plastic interlayer.