Spacer for spacing glass panes in a multiple glass pane, a multiple glass pane, and a method for producing a multiple glass pane

• US 10,125,535 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LISEC Austria GmbH
• Original Assignee: LISEC Austria GmbH
• Inventors: Mader, Hans Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Tucker, Philip C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blades, John
• Application Number:
  US13/263,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20120141699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,507 Days
• Field of Search: 156 99, 156109
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/66366 specially adapted for units comprising more than two panes or for attaching intermediate sheets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The invention relates to a multiple glass pane (6) comprising two outer glass panes (4, 4′), at least one center glass pane (5), and a spacer (1), wherein the spacer (1) comprises a hollow space (2, 2′) for receiving a desiccant (3) and a receiving profile (7) for each center glass pane (5), and the hollow space (2, 2′) of the spacer (1) is filled with a desiccant (3).

Claims

1. A method for producing a multiple glass pane with two outer glass panes and at least one center glass pane, the method comprising:

providing the at least one center glass pane and a spacer, wherein said spacer is formed in a continuous one piece manner of an integral material, the spacer defines one receiving profile for each of the at least one center glass pane, and the spacer has two opposed outwardly facing flat lateral surfaces,

displacing the at least one center glass pane, with respect to a production line, to a bordering station such that an outer glass pane is transported along the production line past the displaced at least one center glass pane to an assembly area,

bordering each of the at least one center glass pane with said spacer, while being displaced from the production line, so that each of the at least one center glass pane is received and enclosed, about its periphery, by said receiving profile of said spacer,

conveying the bordered at least one center glass pane to the assembly area,

providing a second outer glass pane to the assembly area, and

placing and connecting each of the two outer glass panes against a respective one of the two opposed outwardly facing flat lateral surfaces of said spacer such that the outer glass panes form a seal with the spacer and are parallel to each other and to the at least one center glass pane,

wherein providing outer glass panes takes place during the bordering of the at least one center glass pane.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a desiccant is introduced into or onto the spacer immediately before, or at the same time as, the bordering of the at least one center glass pane.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the desiccant is filled into at least one hollow space of the spacer.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, as the desiccant is being introduced into or onto the spacer, the desiccant is monitored by an analyzing device for measuring the degree of activity of the desiccant.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, as each center glass pane is being bordered, the center glass pane is fixed in the receiving profile of the spacer with the aid of a primary seal.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, as the desiccant is being introduced into or onto the spacer, the desiccant is monitored by an analyzing device for measuring an adsorption capacity of the desiccant.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein providing of a glass pane comprises the step of washing and inspecting the glass pane for impurities and defects.

8. A method for producing a multiple glass pane with two outer glass panes and at least one center glass pane, the method comprising steps of:

providing a one continuous piece spacer of integral material having a cross section profile that has two opposed outwardly facing flat lateral surfaces and at least one receiving profile for receiving a respective one of the at least one center glass pane, the at least one receiving profile being arranged in the spacer laterally between the two opposed outwardly facing flat laterally surfaces of the continuous piece spacer,

displacing the at least one center glass pane, with respect to a production line, to a bordering station such that outer glass panes are transported along the production line past the displaced at least one center glass pane to an assembly area,

bordering each of the at least one center glass pane, while being displaced from the production line, with the spacer such that an outer periphery each of the at least one center glass pane is received and enclosed within the respective at least one receiving profile of the spacer,

providing the two outer glass panes to the assembly area during the step of bordering each of the at least one center glass pane with the spacer,

subsequently connecting the two outer glass panes, at the assembly area, to a respective one of the two opposed outwardly facing flat lateral surfaces, such that the two outer glass panes form a seal with the spacer and are parallel to each other and to the at least one center glass pane.

9. A method for producing a multiple glass pane with two outer glass panes and at least one center glass pane, and the center glass pane has a spacer, the spacer is formed in a continuous one piece manner of an integral material, the spacer defines one receiving profile for each of the at least one center glass pane, and the spacer has two opposed outwardly facing flat lateral surfaces, the method comprising:

1) feeding the at least one center glass pane along a production line,

2) displacing the at least one center glass pane with respect to the production line,

3) transporting at least one subsequent glass pane, which will form a first one of the two outer panes, along the production line past the displaced at least one center glass pane to an assembly station,

4) bordering the displaced at least one center glass pane with a spacer, while that at least one center glass pane is displaced from the production line, so that the at least one center glass pane is received and enclosed, about its periphery, within the receiving profile of the spacer,

5) after the displaced at least one center glass pane is bordered with the spacer, transporting the at least one center glass pane, bordered with the spacer, along the production line to the assembly station,

6) transporting a second one of the two outer glass panes along the production line to the assembly station, and

7) assembling the first and the second two outer glass panes against a respective one of the two opposed outwardly facing flat lateral surfaces of the spacer, at the assembly station, such that the first and second outer glass panes form a seal with the spacer and are parallel to each other and to the at least one center glass pane.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising transporting the second one of the two outer glass panes to the assembly station before the at least one center glass pane, bordered with the spacer, is transported to the assembly station.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, further assembling the second one of the two outer glass panes with the at least one center glass pane, bordered with the spacer, prior to reaching the assembly station.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising repeating steps 1-7 to produce additional multiple glass panes with two outer glass panes.