Process and apparatus for producing non-glare glass by etching

• US 5,196,088 A
• Filed: 05/28/1991
• Issued: 03/23/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tru Vue Inc. (Apogee Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Tru Vue Inc. (Apogee Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Soda, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, THI D
• Application Number:
  US07/706,551
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 156/99, 156/152, 156/344, 156/584, 156/629, 156/630, 156/631, 156/663, 428/40
• US Class Current: 216/36
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 15/00 Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by etching etching or surface-brightening compositions, in general C09K13/00

Abstract

A process is disclosed for simultaneously etching only one side of at least two sheets of glass to reduce specular reflectance on the etched side while improving resolution and process efficiency. In the process, two face to face sheets of glass are aligned and a seal is formed to render the adjacent inside faces of the glass sheets substantially fluid-tight during the etching process. The sealed sheets are then transferred to an etching bath where their outside faces are etched, but their inside faces are not visibly etched.

Claims

1. A process for etching only one side of a sheet of glass comprising the steps of:

providing an etching solution;

applying a viscous liquid to a major planar surface of a first sheet of glass;

placing the first sheet of glass and a second sheet of glass having corresponding edges of similar dimensions in a face to face relationship so that the viscous liquid contacts the major planar surface of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass when in said face-to-face relationship;

maintaining said first sheet of glass in close proximity to said second sheet of glass;

applying a flexible non-porous sealing means resistant to said etching solution along the edges of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass to provide a fluid tight seal around said edges;

dipping said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass in said etching solution to visibly etch only one side of said first sheet of glass and only one side of said second sheet of glass;

removing said sealing means from said edges of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass; and

thereafter separating said first and second sheets of glass.

2. The process for etching glass set forth in claim 1 including aligning said corresponding edges of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass.

3. The process for etching glass set forth in claim 1 wherein said sheets of glass are placed together such that the tin or uncut sides of said sheets of glass face one another.

4. A process for etching only one side of a piece of glass comprising the steps of:

providing an etching solution;

placing at least a first sheet of glass and a second sheet of glass having corresponding edges of similar dimensions in face to face relationship;

applying a viscous liquid to a major planar surface of at least one of the sheets of glass so that the viscous liquid contacts at least a portion of the major planar surface of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass when in said face to face relationship;

maintaining said first sheet of glass in close proximity to said second sheet of glass;

applying a glue composition, resistant to said etching solution, to said corresponding edges of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass to provide a fluid tight seal around said edges;

dipping said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass in said etching solution to visibly etch only one side of said first sheet of glass and only one side of said second sheet of glass;

removing said glue composition from said corresponding edges of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass; and

thereafter separating said first and second sheets of glass.

5. The process for etching glass set forth in claim 4 including aligning said corresponding edges of said first sheet of glass and said second sheet of glass prior to applying said glue composition.

6. The process of etching glass set forth in claim 4 wherein said sheets of glass are joined together such that the air or cut sides thereof are in said face to face relationship.

7. A process for simultaneously etching at least two separate sheets of glass on only one side of each sheet, each of said sheets having an outside face to be exposed to an etching solution and an inside face not to be exposed to said etching solution comprising the steps of:

placing said sheets of glass to be etched so that their inside edges are generally facing one another and the edges of each sheet generally correspond to the edges of other sheets;

applying a viscous liquid to the inside face of one of the sheets of glass prior to said placing step so that the viscous liquid contacts the inside faces of said sheets of glass when they are brought into contact with one another;

conveying said sheets of glass to be etched into a joining station;

registering said sheets of glass with one another so that corresponding edges thereof are aligned with one another;

sealing said corresponding edges of said sheets of glass in a substantially fluid-tight relationship with each other by applying a flexible non-porous sealing means resistant to said etching solution around said corresponding edges;

conveying said sheets of glass to an etching station;

dipping said joined sheets into said etching solution so that their outside faces are exposed to said etching solution; and

separating said individual sheets of glass by removing said flexible non-porous sealing means.

8. The process for etching glass set forth in claim 7 wherein said sheets of glass are joined together such that the air or cut sides thereof are in said face to face relationship.