Method for conveying insulation glass blanks

Abstract

Conveying elements (10) are used for moving insulation glass blanks (1) prior to, during and after sealing the blanks, the conveying elements (10) including supports (12) that support and move the insulation glass blank. The supports (12) on the conveying elements (10) are oriented relative to the insulation glass blank (1) in such a way that no supports (12) are in contact with the insulation glass blank in the region of corners (20) of the insulation glass blank (1), i.e. where sealing compound (2) can project from the outer periphery of the insulation glass blank (1).

Claims

1. A method for conveying an insulation glass blank (1), the method comprising: using a conveying unit (10) comprised of at least one conveyor belt (11) having an outside surface that bears supports (12); delivering the insulation glass blank (1) at a first speed of movement to the conveying unit (10) running at a second speed of movement, so that the conveying unit (10) accepts a lower edge of the insulation glass blank (1) standing on the at least two supports (12) such that the at least two supports (12) are at a distance from first and second corners (20) of the insulation glass blank (1); and supporting and conveying the insulation glass blank (1) standing on the at least two supports (12) of the conveying unit (11), wherein the delivering step includes: i) detecting a position of the first corner (20) of the insulation glass blank (1) moving at a first speed of movement, and ii) adjusting a relative movement between the insulation glass blank (1) and the conveying unit (10) by selecting a difference between the first speed of movement of the insulation glass blank (1) and the second speed of movement of the conveying unit (10), such that the at least two supports (12) are located at the distance from the first and second corners (20) of the insulation glass blank (1) when the lower edge of the insulation glass blank (1) is accepted by the conveying unit (10).

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of cleaning the supports (12) while the supports (12) are at a spaced-apart distance from the insulation glass blank (1).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the supports (12) are selected to comprise a material having an adhesion less than an adhesion of a sealing compound.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein in the supporting and conveying step, the at least one conveyor belt (11) is routed via deflection pulleys (13).

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the supports (12) are selected to comprise an outer surface covered with a material having an adhesion less than an adhesion of a sealing compound.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the supports (12) are selected from the group consisting of rib-shaped supports, cuboidal supports, and L-shaped supports with a concave action surface.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the supports (12) are selected to comprise a material having an adhesion less than an adhesion of a sealing compound.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the supports (12) are selected to be protuberances on the at least one conveyor belt (11).

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the supports are detachable supports and comprising the further step of attaching the supports (12) to the at least one conveyor belt (11).

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the supporting and conveying step, the at least one conveyor belt (11) is routed via deflection pulleys (13).

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one conveyor belt (11) comprises a lower strand and comprising the further step of cleaning the supports (12) when the supports are located on the lower strand.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of changing a speed of movement of the at least one conveyor belt (11).

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the supports (12) are selected to comprise an outer surface covered with a material having an adhesion less than an adhesion of a sealing compound.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

(1) Other details and features of the method according to the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the attached drawings. Here:

(2) FIG. 1 shows the ideal case of sealing an insulation glass blank,

(3) FIG. 2 shows sealing compound protruding above the periphery of the insulation glass blank, in particular in the corner region of an insulation glass blank,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a known embodiment of a conveying means for insulation glass blanks,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a conveying system (known) for insulation glass blanks with two conveyor belts that are located next to one another,

(6) FIG. 5 schematically shows a part of a conveying means that can be used according to the invention,

(7) FIG. 6 shows the assignment of the insulation glass blank to a conveying means in the execution of the method according to the invention,

(8) FIG. 7 shows different embodiments of supports on conveying means according to the invention,

(9) FIG. 8 shows the arrangement of conveying means in a sealing station,

(10) FIG. 9 shows the application of a method according to the invention in stepped elements,

(11) FIG. 10 shows a variant of the application of the method according to the invention in stepped elements, and

(12) FIG. 11 shows a conveying means that can be used within the scope of the invention with supports whose distances from one another can be changed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(13) In a partial view of a section through a two-pane insulation glass 1, FIG. 1 shows the ideal form of a sealing 2. In this ideal form, the sealing compound in the edge joint, which is bordered laterally by the edges of the glass panes 3 and 4 and to the inside by the spacer 5, is filled with sealing compound such that it does not protrude above the inner borders of the edges of the glass panes 3 and 4, and preferably has a concave outer surface 6.

(14) FIG. 2 shows how a sealing 2 in particular in the region of corners of the insulation glass 1 has a convex outer surface 5, i.e., protrudes above the peripheral edge of the insulation glass 1 and also overlaps the edges of the glass panes 3 and 4.

(15) FIG. 3 shows an embodiment, known in the art, of a conveying means for the transport of sealed insulation glass blanks, as is known from, for example, AT 384 596 B. In this known conveying means, there are hook-shaped supports 7 that are mounted on endless chains (not shown) and that extend under solely the outer sides of the edges of the glass panes 3 and 4 of insulation glass 1.

(16) FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of a known conveying means that has two conveyor belts 8 that are separate from one another and that extend under the edge of the glass panes 3 and 4 of the insulation glass andas shown by the broken linecan be aligned in different vertical positions for the transport of stepped elements.

(17) In a partial view, FIG. 5 shows a conveying means 10 that is designed as an endless conveyor belt 11. The conveyor belt 11 can be a toothed belt so that there is a good connection between the driving deflection pulleys 13 and the conveyor belt 12. As FIG. 5 shows, on the conveyor belt 11, there are supports 12 that are designed as ribs (small benches) that are aligned transversely to the longitudinal extension of the conveyor belt 11.

(18) FIG. 7 shows that the supports 12 with the conveyor belt 11 can be one-piece shapings of the conveyor belt 11, i.e., local thickenings of the latter. Alternatively, as shown in the middle sketch of FIG. 7, the supports 11 can be connected by screws 13 or other fasteners to the endless member of the conveyor belt.

(19) Another possibility that is shown in FIG. 7 for connecting supports 12 to the conveyor belt 11 is that the support 12 on its side facing the conveyor belt 11 has an undercut groove 14 with which it can be pushed over a strip 15 of the conveyor belt 11, which strip is profiled in diametrical opposition.

(20) The two latter embodiments make it possible to remove supports 12 from the conveyor belt 11 of the conveying means 10 that is used according to the invention or else to attach additional supports 12. Thus, the distances between adjacent supports 12 can be changed (increased/decreased).

(21) The supports 12 can, as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 7, be ribs that are half-round in cross-section. The generating lines of the envelope surface of the rib-shaped supports 12 according to FIGS. 5 and 7 are straight. In modified embodiments, the supports 12 can have concavely-curved generating lines and, for example, can be designed essentially V-shaped, as is known in principle from WO 92/05333 A.

(22) Within the scope of the invention, consideration is given to assigning devices for cleaning supports 12 to the lower strand of the conveyor belt 12 of conveying means 10 used according to the invention so that if need be, adhering sealing compound is removed from them. These cleaning devices can be brushes, rotationally-driven round brushes being considered (compare WO 92/05333A).

(23) FIG. 6 shows how an insulation glass blank 1 that is being delivered on a roller conveyor 16 coming from the right of FIG. 6, for example from an assembly station in which insulation glass blanks of glass panes 3, 4 and spacers 5 are assembled, is accepted from a conveying means 10 according to the invention. It is apparent that the movements of the insulation glass blank 1, on the one hand, and of the conveying means 10, on the other hand, are matched to one another such that in the region of the corner 20 of the (sealed) insulation glass blank, i.e., where the sealing can appear as is shown in FIG. 2 and protruding above the periphery of the insulation glass blank 1 in regions, a support 12 does not act directly on the insulation glass blank 1.

(24) FIG. 8 shows the situation in a sealing station 30, two conveying means 10 with conveyor belts 11 that are outfitted with supports 12 being used, and in the gap 31 between the two conveying means 10 there being a sealing nozzle 32 that is indicated by an arrow. It is shown in FIG. 8 that supports 12 of the conveying means 10 used according to the invention do not act in the region of the corners 20 of the insulation glass blank 1 so that there is no risk that conveying means 10, their conveyor belts 11 and/or their supports 12 will be fouled by protruding sealing 2 (FIG. 2).

(25) FIG. 9 shows one embodiment in which the conveying means 10 used according to the invention comprises two continuous conveyor belts 11, which are separate from one another, with supports 12, which can be aligned in different vertical positions. This makes it possible, using the method according to the invention, to transport stepped elements, i.e., insulation glass blanks 1 with glass panes 3, 4 of different sizes, such that supports 12 do not act on the insulation glass blank 1 in the corner region.

(26) FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of a conveying means 10 that can be used within the scope of the invention in which on the endless conveyor belt 11 of the conveying means 10, there are L-shaped supports 12 that allow the transport of stepped elements using the method according to the invention.

(27) It is considered within the scope of the invention that the distances from the supports 12 to the conveyor belt 11 of the conveying means 10 are matched to the respectively prevailing conditions, especially the size of the insulation glass blank 1 and the like. This can easily take place by supports 12 being attached to the conveyor belt 11 of the conveying means 10 where they are needed.

(28) FIG. 11 schematically shows one embodiment that makes it possible to change the distances between supports 12. In this embodiment, the conveying means 10 used according to the invention comprises two endless conveyor belts 11 that are located next to one another. On each of the conveyor belts 11, supports 12 are fastened that protrude above the other adjacent conveyor belt 11, but are not fastened to it.

(29) FIG. 11 shows that one support 12 that is identified by longitudinal crosshatching is attached only to the conveyor belt 11 that is the left one in FIG. 11 and the other support 12 that is identified by transverse crosshatching is attached only to the conveyor belt 11 that is the right one in FIG. 11. This embodiment of a conveying means 10 makes it possible to change the distances of the supports 12 from one another by relative adjustment of the two conveyor belts 11 to one another. If the conveying means 10 that is shown in FIG. 11 is used to transport insulation glass blanks 1, the two conveyor belts 11 are driven synchronously.

(30) Within the scope of the invention, consideration is given to supporting the transport of insulation glass blanks 1 before, during, and after sealing by a conveying means 10 used according to the invention with supports 12 by additional conveying systems that are moved synchronously with the conveying means. These additional conveying systems can be suction boxes that are designed as carriers and that are moved synchronously to the movement of the conveying means 10 and act laterally on one of the glass panes 3 or 4 of the insulation glass blank 1.

(31) Alternatively, there can be suction belts that are supplied with negative pressure or simply mechanical carriers that act on one of the vertical edges of the insulation glass blanks 1.

(32) In this case, the additional conveying system takes over the movement (the feed) of an insulation glass blank 1 at least for the most part, and the conveying means 10 provided according to the invention with the supports 12 accommodates the weight (or at least most of the weight) of the insulation glass blank 1.

(33) Conveying means 10 with supports 12, in particular conveying means 10 with conveyor belts 11 that have supports 12 (FIGS. 5-7 and 11), also have the advantage that systems for removing insulation glass blanks 1 or insulation glass, for example from a sealing station, can extend under insulation glass blanks 1 or insulation glass since between the lower edge of the insulation glass blank 1 or of the insulation glass and the conveyor belt 11, there is empty space due to the supports 12.

(34) In summary, one embodiment of the invention can be described as follows:

(35) When the insulation glass blanks 1 are moving before, during, and after their sealing, conveying means 10 with the supports 12 that move and support the insulation glass blanks are used. The supports 12 on the conveying means 10 are aligned relative to the insulation glass blank 1 such that in the region of corners 20 of the insulation glass blank 1, i.e., where sealing 2 can protrude above the outer periphery of the insulation glass blank 1, supports 12 do not adjoin the insulation glass blank.