LIGHT-EMITTING GLAZING ASSEMBLY, DOOR AND PIECE OF REFRIGERATING EQUIPMENT COMPRISING THIS ASSEMBLY AND MANUFACTURE THEREOF

• US 20170143136A1
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Published: 05/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: GIERENS, Anne, WOLFF, Richard, DIEU, Stphane
• Granted Patent: US 10,194,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 11/10 Arrangements of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/043 Doors, covers A47F3/0434 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10055 with at least one intermediate air space
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10541 comprising a light source or a light guide
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0016 Furnishing for windows and doors sunshades F21V33/006
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0044 Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/301 for furniture
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/305 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0085 Means for removing heat created by the light source from the package heat extraction or cooling elements for semiconductor light sources in general H01L33/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0086 Positioning aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/009 of the light source in the package G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0093 Means for protecting the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0095 Light guides as housings, housing portions, shelves, doors, tiles, windows, or the like

Abstract

A light-emitting glazed door for a piece of refrigerating equipment, includes first and second glazing units forming an insulating glazing unit, the glazing units being spaced apart by a mastic seal; a peripheral light source with a source carrier; a system for extracting guided light in order to form at least one luminous zone; and a fastening part, namely a profile, making direct adhesive contact with the mastic seal.

Claims

1. A light-emitting glazing assembly for a door for a piece of refrigerating equipment comprising an insulating glazing unit having an external main face and an internal main face, the insulating glazing unit comprising:

a first glazing unit comprising the external main face and a first edge face, said first glazing unit including a first glass sheet having a first main face and a second main face;

a second glazing unit comprising the internal main face and a second edge face, said second glazing unit including a second glass sheet, having a third main face and a fourth main face, the second and third main faces being spaced apart by a first gas-filled cavity;

on a periphery of the second and third main faces, a first polymeric seal forming a frame;

a light source external to the insulating glazing unit, said source being chosen from;

light-emitting diodes each comprising a semiconductor chip having an emissive face, and

an optical fiber having a lateral portion forming an emissive zone,

said light source external to the insulating glazing unit being optically coupled to an injection edge face that corresponds to the first edge face, in order to propagate light by total internal reflection in a thickness of the first glazing unit, which then plays the role of a light guide;

a source carrier bearing the light source and not extending beyond the first edge face in a direction of the external main face and, which, for said light source being the light-emitting diodes, is a printed circuit board; and

a light extracting device configured to extract guided light, associated with the first glazing unit, in order to form at least one luminous zone;

a fastening part that makes direct adhesive contact with the first polymeric seal, the fastening part adjacent to the injection edge face, and the fastening part being a profile placed along the periphery of the injection edge face; and

a bottom part, facing and spaced apart from the injection edge face,

the light source being housed between the bottom part and the injection edge face.

2. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening part comprises one or more portions that are spaced apart and that make direct adhesive contact with the first polymeric seal along the injection edge face.

3. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening part is made of metal and does not make contact both with the first glazing unit and the second glazing unit.

4. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first polymeric seal is present between the fastening part and the second main face or wherein the fastening part is adhesively bonded by adhesive bonding to the second main face and/or to an insert between the second main face and the third main face.

5. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom part is against or securely fastened to the fastening part or is against or securely fastened to the second glazing unit.

6. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom part extends the fastening part, the bottom and fastening parts forming a part of unitary construction.

7. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second edge face extends beyond the injection edge face so that the second glazing unit forms a protrusion that protrudes past the source carrier or the optical fiber directly on the bottom part, said protrusion being on the opposite side to the injection edge face, and the source carrier optionally makes direct adhesive contact with the first polymeric seal.

8. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cap closes a cavity bounded by the injection edge face, the fastening part and the bottom part, said cavity housing the light source and the source carrier, said cap extending along a longitudinal direction of the injection edge face.

9. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cavity opens laterally.

10. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cap has a portion against or adhesively bonded to the external main face, the portion having a thickness of at most 1.5 mm.

11. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cap has:

a portion adhesively bonded to the external main face, the portion having a thickness by of at most 1 mm,

wherein the cap extends to form the bottom part;

and wherein the bottom part is against or securely fastened to the fastening part or wherein the bottom part is spaced apart from the fastening part and extends in order to be against or adhesively bonded to the second glazing unit.

12. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cap extends the bottom part which is then bent at an angle, an assembly formed by the fastening part, the bottom part and the cap being a part of unitary construction, a portion of the cap being against or adhesively bonded to the external main face.

13. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the light source and the source carrier do not make adhesive contact in the cavity.

14. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a framing profile comprising a framing jamb facing the injection edge face and positioned on at least the internal or the external main face, the bottom part being between the framing jamb and the injection edge face and fastened to the insulating glazing unit, no adhesive being present from the space between the light source and the injection edge face.

15. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the framing jamb comprises:

a first portion facing the injection edge face and the bottom part and extending onto the external face, adhesively bonded to the external face or to the bottom part; and

a second portion, securely fastened via adhesive bonding to the first portion, facing the second edge face adjacent to the injection edge face and optionally extending onto the internal face, adhesively bonded to the internal face or to the fastening part;

one of the first and second portions being made of metal, the other being thermally insulating.

16. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the second edge face extends beyond the injection edge face and so that the second glazing unit forms a protrusion that protrudes past the source carrier or the optical fiber directly on the bottom part, said protrusion being on the opposite side to the injection edge face, the framing jamb does not comprise a lip on the internal main face and the internal main face comprises a masking arrangement for masking the first polymeric seal.

17. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the framing profile comprises a void capped by an impermeable apertured cover with a sealing device, the cover and/or the sealing device being removable and forming an access flap allowing access to the light source.

18. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein the cover is a part fastened to the framing profile and furthermore comprising a pivot.

19. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein the framing profile is adhesively bonded by an adhesive to the insulating glazing unit and the adhesive is absent between the access flap and a lateral end closest to an open cavity closable by a cap and bounded by the injection edge face, the fastening part and the bottom part, said cavity housing the light source and the source carrier, said cap extending along a longitudinal direction of the injection edge face.

20. A door for a piece of refrigerating equipment comprising a light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1.

21. A refrigerated enclosure comprising a door for a piece of refrigerating equipment as claimed in claim 1.

22. A process for manufacturing a light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1, comprising fastening the fastening part to the first polymeric seal while the first polymeric seal is still in the adhesive state or adhesively bonding the fastening part to the second face and/or to an insert between the second main face and the third main face and the first polymeric seal is applied, the first polymeric seal then making contact with the fastening part.

23. The process for manufacturing a light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 22, further comprising, after the fastening part has been fastened to the first polymeric seal while the first polymeric seal is still in the adhesive state:

forming a cavity bounded by the injection edge face, the fastening part and the bottom part forming a lateral projection of the fastening part, said cavity opening laterally;

housing the light source and the source carrier in the cavity;

closing the cavity is closed with a cap in a longitudinal direction of the injection edge face, the cavity remaining open laterally; and

mounting a framing profile on the insulating glazing unit by adhesive bonding, with a mounting adhesive or with a double-sided adhesive tape, said framing profile including a framing jamb facing the injection edge face.

24. The process for manufacturing a light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

placing a shim against the injection edge face, the shim being longer than the injection edge face;

placing at least one part forming a cap, bottom part and fastening part, around the shim and adhesively fastened to the external main face and to the second main face and/or insert; and

applying said first polymeric seal;

mounting a framing profile on the insulating glazing unit by adhesive bonding, with a mounting adhesive or with a double-sided adhesive tape, said framing profile including a framing jamb facing the injection edge face and adhesively bonded to the bottom part;

removing the shim thereby leaving a laterally open cavity; and

placing the light source and the source carrier in the cavity.

25. The process for manufacturing a light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 23, wherein the mounting adhesive is absent at least between the framing jamb and a lateral end of the cavity and, the framing profile comprising a void capped by an impermeable cover and with a sealing device, the cover and/or the sealing device being removable and forming an access flap allowing access to the light source, the method further comprising removing the cover and/or the sealing device and removing the light source via the lateral end of the open cavity.

26. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first main face is the external main face or the first glass sheet is laminated to another glass sheet or the first glazing unit is a central pane of a triple glazing unit, and wherein the fourth main face is the internal main face or the second glass sheet is laminated to another glass sheet or a third glass sheet is spaced apart from the second glass sheet by a second gas-filled cavity.

27. The light-emitting glazing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the source carrier for the optical fiber is the bottom part or the fastening part directly.