Patent Application
20250188793
The present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a vacuum insulating glass unit.
Vacuum insulating glass (VIG) units are generally known to provide an insulating glass unit with desirable features such as a space saving unit with good heat insulating capabilities. Such VIG units may comprise spacers distributed in an evacuated gap between two glass sheets of the VIG unit. These spacers may be very small, such as below 0.5 mm in height. This may result in issues when providing automation equipment such as a spacer dispensing solution, since a spacer dispensing solution for use in larger scale VIG unit manufacturing should preferably be both reliable and robust. Moreover it should also preferably be fast.
Different spacer dispensing solutions in VIG unit manufacturing have been disclosed. For example, WO2019218901 discloses a dispenser solution for spacers for VIG units where a vibration arrangement may line up and convey the spacers. WO21208628 discloses a solution for separating spacers for VIG units. A vibrator is used and a separation chamber component is arranged obliquely to the horizontal plane. Other types of spacer dispensing solutions comprises a radial drum solution as disclosed in CN205258287U, where a radial drum having a horizontal rotation axis collects spacers from a spacer storage and the drum is rotated around the horizontal axis so the collected spacers are delivered. U.S. Pat. No. 11,396,477 discloses a solution where spacers are arranged stacked in a spacer column of a magazine, and pushed horizontally to leave the magazine from the bottom of the magazine to the glass sheet surface. CN106045286 discloses a further VIG unit spacer dispensing solution comprising a reciprocating collection member, or a rotating collection member with a collection opening for receiving a spacer.
The above solutions may suffer from different drawbacks such as being mechanically complex, risk inaccurate spacer placement, may be less reliable, may be space consuming and/or the like. The present disclosure provides a solution that may e.g. help to reduce or avoid one or more of the above mentioned drawbacks. The present disclosure may additionally or alternatively provide a solution that may help to increase reliability and/or speed when dispensing spacers.
The present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a vacuum insulating glass unit. The method comprises providing a first glass sheet, and dispensing a plurality of spacers comprising predefined, pre-shaped contact surfaces on a major surface of the provided first glass sheet by means of at least one dispenser of a spacer dispensing system. The dispenser comprises a housing comprising a guidance space placed between a first housing surface and a second housing surface of the housing. The dispenser moreover comprises a spacer outlet and a collection member for collecting a spacer from a spacer storage compartment, wherein the collection member is arranged in the guidance space. The dispensing of spacers comprises providing a first relative movement between the collection member and the housing by means of a driver in a first driving direction so that the collection member collects a spacer from the spacer storage compartment, and providing a further relative movement between the collection member and the housing by means of the driver so that the collected spacer enters the guidance space and is delivered to the spacer outlet. Detection of a jamming situation is provided during said first and/or further relative movement. A controller provides one or more anti-jamming operations when predetermined criteria is complied with. The method of manufacturing a vacuum insulating glass unit further comprises providing a second glass sheet, sealing together the first glass sheet and the provided second glass sheet at the periphery of the glass sheets with the plurality of dispensed spacers arranged between major surfaces of the glass sheets so that a gap is provided between the first and second glass sheets, and evacuating the gap.
It is preferred that a dispenser for dispensing spacers during Vacuum insulated glass (VIG) unit manufacturing works smoothly and reliably. If a jamming situation occur this may slow down VIG unit manufacturing, for example because the providing of spacers on a glass unit surface needs to be stopped to resolve the jamming situation. If a dispenser is jammed, it may also cause risk of a spacer not being dispensed, which may increase a risk of manufacturing a VIG unit that may need to be scrapped or may fail before estimated lifetime.
Additionally or alternatively, should the dispenser be exposed to a jamming situation, there may be a risk that a spacer is damaged which in turn may provide issues during subsequent VIG unit manufacturing if that spacer is used, or it may risk providing issues at the manufactured VIG unit.
Tests have indicated that when using dispensers comprising a relative movement between a collection member, such as a collection sheet, and a dispenser housing part, jamming situations may potentially occur.
The inventors have found that jamming situations during dispensing of spacers may be detected. Detecting if a jamming situation occurs, e.g. based on one or more sensors, enables an automatic detection of potential issues. For example, the controller may thereby initiate one or more anti-jamming operations which may help to provide a more reliable VIG unit manufacturing. For example a continuous manufacturing and/or a faster manufacturing may be enabled. It may also help to reduce wear of the dispenser. Additionally or alternatively, the detection and handling of jamming situations may result in an increased yield of higher quality VIG units and/or an improved control and traceability data may be provided. For example, the occurrence of a potential jamming situation may be logged.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the detection of a jamming situation comprises monitoring one or more parameters. This/these monitored parameters may be based on input data.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, said predetermined criteria may be based on and/or relate to the one or more monitored parameters.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the input data may comprise data retrieved by means of one or more sensors.
This may provide an advantageous, automatized jamming monitoring providing detection of a jamming situation and thereby enabling detection of when a anti-jamming operation may be beneficial to provide.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the input data may be provided by means of one or more timers.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the detection of a jamming situation may be based on input from one or more sensors.
Using one or more sensors for jamming detection may provide relevant measurements relating to the operation of the dispenser, and hence enable obtaining real time operational data that reflect the present spacer dispensing conditions. The input from the sensor may hence be processed by a controller to determine if a jamming situation has occurred.
The present inventors have found that a sensor based monitoring of the dispensing of spacers may provide an efficient detection of jamming situations.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the one or more sensors comprises a torque sensor.
A torque sensor may provide an advantageous way of determining if a jamming situation occur. When a jamming situation occur, this may be caused by a spacer being stuck partly or fully in the dispenser. A stuck spacer may result in an increase in power/current consumption by the driver, by increased loads, such as torsion forces, in a driving part connected directly or indirectly to the a driven part (such as the collection member) of the dispenser, and/or the like. This may be registered in an advantageous way by means of a torque sensor.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the driver may comprise a motor. One or more sensors, such as one or more torque sensors, may be configured to provide input data based on one or more of power consumption, voltage and/or consumed electric current of the electric motor.
This may provide an efficient yet efficient solution for detecting a jamming situation. The consumption of power by the electric motor may increase when the jamming solution occur. This may be caused by increased resistance due to two parts, such as a spacer and a part of the dispenser housing, engaging with each other, thereby providing an increased resistance. This may in an advantageous way be detected by monitoring one or more of power consumption, voltage and/or consumed electric current of the electric motor.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the driver may comprise an electric motor.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the driver may comprise an electric servo motor. An electric servo motor may provide advantageous control and drive options.
In some embodiments, the electric servo motor, such as a controller of the server motor, may comprise at least one of said one or more sensors, such as one or more torque sensors, e.g. current and/or power consumption measurement sensors.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the predetermined criteria may be considered complied with when one or more thresholds, such as one or more predefined thresholds, is/are exceeded.
This may e.g. provide an efficient detection of a jamming situation.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the one or more thresholds comprises one or more torque thresholds and/or one or more timer threshold.
The present inventors have found that e.g. utilizing e.g. a threshold related to a parameter that may indicate a torque increase (such as e.g. a parameter related to current and/or power consumption) at the driver may provide a cost efficient and efficient way of detecting a jamming situation. Hence, when e.g. the current and/or power consumption exceeds a threshold, the predefined criteria may be considered complied with and the anti-jamming operation(s) may be initiated.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the collection member comprises a collection sheet providing a bottom part of the spacer storage compartment, wherein the collection sheet comprises at least one collection hole extending between opposing major surfaces of the collection sheet. The first relative movement in the first driving direction may provide that the collection hole is arranged at the bottom of the spacer storage compartment and thereby collects a spacer from the spacer storage compartment prior to entering the guidance space. The further relative movement between the collection sheet and the housing by means of the driver may provide that the collection hole with the collected spacer enters the guidance space and deliver the collected spacer at the outlet.
This may e.g. provide a reliable and/or fast spacer dispensing solution. The collection hole may collect a spacer one at a time from the spacer storage compartment and deliver it at the outlet when desired by operating the driver.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the delivering of the spacer at the outlet comprises that the collection hole is arranged opposite to a spacer outlet of a bottom part of the housing. In some embodiments, the spacer outlet is arranged at the bottom part of the housing. This may e.g. help to provide a more precise delivering of a spacer.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the one or more anti-jamming operations comprises operating the driver according to a predefined control scheme.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the one or more anti-jamming operations may comprise that the driver is stopped and/or that the driving direction of the driver is reversed.
In some embodiments, the predefined control scheme may comprise switching drive direction, such as rotation direction, one or more times, such as at least one time, for example at least two times, e.g. at least four times or at least 8 times. In some embodiments, the one or more anti-jamming operations may comprise operating the driver in order to obtain/provide a vibration or shaking of the collection member.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the one or more anti-jamming operations may comprise that the movement direction of the collection sheet is reversed one or more times such as a plurality of times.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the one or more anti-jamming operations may comprise that a relative movement between the collection member and the housing is provided in a direction opposite to the first driving direction, such as by means of the driver.
Experiments have shown that this may help to resolve a jamming situation. This may e.g. be caused by that one or more spacers in or near the collection opening are moved to be re-orientated, and/or that spacers in the storage may help to push/arrange a spacer in the collection hole into a proper orientation.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the movement between the collection member and the housing in the direction opposite to the first driving direction is followed by resuming a relative movement between the collection member and the housing by means of a driver, in the first driving direction.
This may provide an efficient anti-jamming operation which may be easy to control and/or implement.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the relative, such as rotational, movement between the collection member and the housing provided in the direction opposite to the first driving direction provides that:
This may e.g. enable suitable conditions for resolving a jamming operation.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the relative movement between the collection sheet and the housing provided in the direction opposite to the first driving direction provides that the collection hole is rotated between 1° and 355°, such as between 2° and 270°, for example between 3° and 180°.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the relative movement between the collection sheet and the housing provided in the direction opposite to the first driving direction provides that the collection hole is rotated between 1° and 90°, such as between 5° and 45°, for example between 9° and 20°. In some embodiments, it may be between 13° and 18° but that may e.g. depend on the shape and/or size of the spacer storage and/or the number of collection holes in the collection disc.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the collection disc may comprise a plurality of collection holes, and the relative movement between the collection sheet and the housing in the direction opposite to the first driving direction may comprise that the collection hole is rotated less than the mutual angle between two adjacent collection holes (the mutual angle may be defined from the centre of rotation of the collection sheet which may be coincident with the rotation axis)
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the one or more anti-jamming operations may comprise activation of a vibrator for vibrating the housing and/or collection sheet.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the one or more anti-jamming operations may comprise activation of a fluid flow of gas such as air.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a plurality of spacers are randomly orientated in the spacer storage compartment. This may e.g. provide a more space saving and/or mechanically simple solution. However, randomly orientated spacers may potentially increase the risk of jamming situations. However, the detection of jamming situations and providing of an anti-jamming operation may help to resolve this.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the upper part of the housing comprises the spacer storage compartment. This may e.g. provide a space saving and/or more simple solution.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the first and second relative movement comprises that the collection sheet is moved relative to the housing.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the first relative movement and the further, relative movement may be in the same direction, such as the same rotation direction.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the first and further relative movement comprises that the collection member is rotated around a rotation axis. This may enable providing fast and efficient dispensing of spacers.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a detected jamming situation may be a result of a situation where a collected spacer engages a part, such as a housing part, at a collection hole entrance where a collected spacer is configured to enter the guidance space. In some embodiments hereof, the collected spacer that engages the part may be a spacer collected by means of a collection hole of the collection member, such as a collection sheet.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of spacers in the spacer storage compartment may have a spacer height extending between the contact surfaces and wherein each of said spacers has a spacer width that is larger than the spacer height, wherein the height of the guidance space is smaller than the spacer width.
Such spacers may be advantageous but may cause issues, such as risking jamming issues, during picking and dispensing. However, the anti-jamming situation may help to resolve jamming issues provided due to the shape of such dispensers.
Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the guidance space may have a height which is less than 1.4 times the spacer height.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more, such as all, of the plurality of spacers in the spacer storage compartment has a spacer width that is less than 0.8 mm, such as less than 0.6 mm, such as less than 0.4 mm.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more, such as all, of the spacers (2) in the spacer storage compartment (11) has a spacer height that is less than 0.4 mm, such as less than 0.25 mm, for example 0.2 mm or less,
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the spacer width of the spacers in the spacer storage compartment is larger than the spacer height.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the first and second relative movement comprises that the collection sheet is rotated around a rotation axis in the first driving direction, wherein the one or more anti-jamming operations comprises that the movement direction of the collection sheet is reversed wherein none of the one or more collection holes arranged at the bottom of the spacer storage compartment enters into the guidance space during movement of the collection sheet in said reversed movement direction.
This may e.g. help to prevent a further jamming situation.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the collection sheet may comprise a plurality of said collection holes, and wherein at least two of said collection holes are simultaneously arranged at the bottom of the spacer storage compartment. This may e.g. enable a faster and/or more efficient and/or more reliable collection of spacers, such as with reduced movement speed of the displacer.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the first housing surface may be a housing surface of an upper part of the housing, and the second housing surface may be a housing surface of a bottom part of the housing.
The spacer outlet may in embodiments of the present disclosure be arranged at the bottom part of the housing.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one protruding member may extend into the spacer storage compartment with a distance to the collection sheet so that an intermediate space is provided between the collection sheet and the protruding member. In some embodiments hereof, a collection hole of the collection member may pass at least a part of the intermediate space during the first relative movement before entering the guidance space. The inventors have found that providing a protruding member that extends into the spacer storage compartment with a distance to the collection sheet may help to increase the chance of successfully collecting a spacer in the spacer storage before the collection hole enters the guidance space.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, one of the contact surfaces of the collected spacer may support on and slide on a surface of the dispenser, such as on a housing surface, such as on a surface of a bottom wall, in the guidance space during the further rotational movement.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the collection member, such as a collections sheet may comprise an upwardly facing first major surface and a downwardly facing, oppositely directed second major surface, wherein the second housing surface covers at least 90%, such as at least 98% of the surface area of the second major surface, and/or wherein the first housing surface covers at least 40%, such as at least 60%, such as at least 75% of the surface area of the first major surface of the collection sheet.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the collection sheet has an outer maximum disc diameter, and wherein the housing has a width, such as a diameter, that is larger than a diameter of the collection member, such as a diameter of a collection sheet.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the collection member, such as a collection disc, may be disc shaped.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the housing encloses at least 80% such as at least 95% of the outer boundary, such as periphery, of the collection member, such as a collection sheet, by means of a wall part, such as an annular wall part, arranged opposite to the outer boundary of the disc shaped collection sheet. In some embodiments the housing may fully enclose the outer boundary, such as periphery, of the collection member, such as a collection sheet, by means of a wall part, such as an annular wall part, arranged opposite to the outer boundary of the disc shaped collection sheet.
The present disclosure will in the following be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings:
a: illustrates various embodiments of a dispenser comprising a protruding member arranged with a distance to a collection sheet, according to different embodiments of the present disclosure,
As can be seen, the dispenser comprises a housing 12. The housing 12 comprises an upper part 12a such as a body part 12a and a bottom part 12b. The upper body part 12a is configured to be attached to the lower body part 12b by mechanical fastening means 26, such as releasable fastening means such as one or more threaded bolts, screws, clips or the like. The fastening means in
The upper body part 12a comprises a spacer storage compartment 11. This storage compartment is configured to store a plurality of spacers 2 therein. The spacers for VIG units are small (ad explained in more details below), such as having a spacer height H1 less than 0.4 mm, such as less than 0.25 mm, for example 0.2 mm or less. More than 10.000, such as more than 20.000, for example more than 40.000 spacers may be stored in the storage 11 at the same time.
A guidance space 13 is placed between the upper body part 12a of the housing 12 and the bottom part (12b) of the housing. In the embodiments of
As can be seen, the annular wall 19 of the bottom part 12b may extend around and encircle/enclose the guidance space when the dispenser is assembled.
The dispenser 10 also comprises a collection sheet 15. This collection sheet 15 may e.g. as illustrated in
In some embodiments of the present disclosure (not illustrated), the collection sheet 15 may have another shape than disc shape. E.g., in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the collection sheet 15 may have a polygonal shape, such as a symmetric polygonal shape.
The size such as the diameter and thickness TH1 of the collection sheet 15 is adapted so that the collection sheet 15 can be rotated around it's centre CDC in the guidance space 13, around a rotation axis RAX. Hence, the major surfaces of the collection sheet 15 comprises/defines a plane that are substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis RAX. The rotation axis RAX is preferably arranged to extend through the collection sheet centre CDC.
A shaft 27 extends through the upper body part 12a and may be connected/attached to the upper body part by means of a bearing 27a such as roller bearing or another suitable type of bearing that enables relative rotation between the housing 12 and the shaft 27 around the rotation axis RAX. The rotation axis is in
The collection sheet 15 may as illustrated e.g. have hole or the like at the centre CDC, to enable fastening of e.g. a shaft or the like to the collection sheet 15. As can be seen, the bottom wall 24 of the bottom part 12b may be provided with a recess or a hole (the latter being illustrated in
As can be seen, the outer periphery of the housing 12 is circular and has an outer diameter D2, and the housing 12 may as illustrated be substantially cylindrical. Here, the outer sidewall 12c of the dispenser extending between top 12to and bottom 12bo of the dispenser housing is curved to provide the cylinder shape. However, in other embodiments, the outer side wall 12c of the housing 12 may have another shape (not illustrated in
The housing 12 may in embodiments of the present disclosure have a maximum width D2, such as a maximum outer diameter, that is 50 mm or less, such as 40 mm or less, for example 30 mm or less. The housing 12 may in embodiments of the present disclosure have a maximum width D2 that is between 20 mm and 70 mm, such as between 20 mm and 50 mm. such as between 25 mm and 45 mm for example 30 mm.
The width D2 may in an embodiment of the present disclosure be determined/defined along a plane extending in a direction transverse to, such as perpendicular to, the rotation axis RAX1.
The maximum width D2 may in an embodiment of the present disclosure be determined/defined in a direction transverse to, such as perpendicular to, the rotation axis RAX1, such as in a direction extending transverse to, such as perpendicular to, the rotation axis RAX1.
The bottom part 12b comprises a spacer outlet 16 for dispensing spacers one at a time towards a glass sheet surface. The spacer outlet is arranged in the major surface 17b facing towards the upper body part 12a and the collection sheet 15.
The as can be seen from
In other embodiments, the collection sheet 15 may comprise a plurality of collection holes 15a. In some embodiments, these 15a may be distributed with a mutual distance of e.g. π(pi), ½π or less. For example, the collection sheet may comprise 3 collection holes arranged with 120° there between, four collection holes arranged with 90° there between or the like. The collection sheet 15 may comprise between one and ten collection holes15a, such as between one and six collection holes, such as between two and six collection holes (not illustrated). However, it is understood that the collection sheet 15 may also comprise just one collection hole 15a as illustrated. See also
It is understood that in embodiments of the present disclosure, one or both surfaces17a, 17b may be uncoated or coated. If the surface(s) 17a, 17b is/are coated, they may be coated e.g. by an electrically conducting layer or an electrically substantially electrically un-conducting layer. In additional or alternative embodiments, if the surface(s) 17a, 17b is/are coated, the coating may comprise a friction-reducing layer such as a polymer, such as Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or other suitable materials.
It is understood that in embodiments of the present disclosure, one or both surfaces 15b, 15c of the collection sheet may be coated or uncoated. If these/this surface(s) 17a, 17b is/are coated, the coating may e.g. comprise a friction-reducing layer such as a polymer, such as Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or other suitable materials. In embodiments the coating may comprise a magnetic material.
In some embodiments, the coating of the surfaces 17a, 17b and/or the coating at/of the opposing major surfaces 15b, 15c of the collection sheet 15 may comprise or be a chromium nitride (CrN) coating. In some embodiments, the coating may be provided by means of a High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS) technology.
The collection sheet may hence comprise an intermediate structural sheet layer, such as a metal layer, such as a structural steel layer, and said coating(s) on one or both sides of the intermediate structural sheet layer.
The collection sheet 15 provides a bottom part of the spacer storage compartment 11, and hence a plurality of the spacers 2 in the storage compartment are configured to be in touch with and support on the major surface 15b of the collection sheet, such as due to gravity. Hence, the size and/or shape of the spacer storage compartment 11 proximate the collection sheet 15 provides that a plurality of spacers are in touch with the surface 15b. Hence, e.g. more than 50, such as more than 200, such as more than 500 or more than 1000 spacers may be in touch with the collection sheet surface 15b.
In
The relative rotation around the rotation axis RAX provides that the collection hole 15a enters into the bottom of the spacer storage compartment 11 with the spacers in the storage compartment resting on the surface 15b. Hence, a relative movement between the spacers 2 at the bottom of the compartment 11, which supports on the surface 15b of the collection sheet in the compartment 11, and the collection sheet surface 15b, is provided during this “first” movement. Hence, a spacer 2 is collected in the collection hole 15a during the rotational movement when the collection hole 15a “moves through”/swipes the compartment 11 bottom. The collection hole 15a then leaves the spacer storage bottom (with a collected spacer therein) and enters the guidance space 13 again at a guidance space entrance 13a due to a further rotation around the rotation axis RAX.
The dispenser 10 hence dispenses collected spacers consecutively one by one through the spacer outlet 16. This is provided when needed and controlled by a hardware controller that controls a driver 18.
It is understood that these movements in some embodiments may comprise a continuous movement in the same direction, or one or more movements that are separated by a pause in movement.
One or more of the housing top part 12a, bottom part 12b and/or the collection sheet may in embodiments of the present disclosure be made from metal such as steel, such as stainless steel, brass or aluminium. In some embodiments, the entire housing 12 and the collection disc 15 may be made from the same metal material or from different metal materials. The material may be non-magnetic.
The spacer 2 has a spacer height H1 extending between the predefined contact surfaces 2a, 2b. This height H1 may in embodiments of the present disclosure be less than 0.4 mm, such as less than 0.25 mm, for example 0.2 mm or less.
As can be seen, the spacer 2 has a spacer width W1. As the spacer 2 in embodiments of the present disclosure may have an outer circular side periphery (see
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the maximum width W1, such as the maximum diameter, of the spacer 2 may be larger than the height H1 of the spacer 2, such as at least 1.3, times, such as at least 1.5 times or at least 1.8 times larger than the height H1 of the spacer 2.
The spacer side surface 2c as illustrated extends between the contact surfaces 2a, 2b, and may as illustrated, in embodiments of the present disclosure, be curved and convexly extending, such as bulging, between the contact surfaces 2a, 2b. Hence, the width W2 (such as diameter) of the contact surfaces 2a, 2b may be less than the maximum width W1 (such as diameter) of the spacer 2. For example, the width (such as diameter) W2 of the contact surfaces 2a, 2b may be less than 0.95 times, such as less than 0.8 times, for example less than 0.6 times the maximum width W1 (such as diameter) of the spacer 2.
In some embodiments, the width W2 (such as diameter) of the contact surfaces 2a, 2b may be larger than 0.4 times, such as larger than 0.5 times, for example larger than 0.6 times the maximum width W1 (such as diameter) of the spacer 2.
In some embodiments, the width W2 (such as diameter) of the contact surfaces 2a, 2b may be less than 0.7 times, such as less than 0.6 times, for example less than 0.5 times the maximum width W1 (such as diameter) of the spacer 2.
The thickness TH1 of the collection sheet 15 may in embodiments of the present disclosure be within ±15%, such as within ±10%, such as within ±5% or within ±3% of the spacer height H1.
The thickness TH1 (see
The thickness TH1 of the collection sheet 15 may in embodiments of the present disclosure be less than the spacer height H1. The thickness TH1 of the collection sheet may in embodiments of the present disclosure be between 1 and 1.4 times the spacer height H1, such as between 1 and 1.3 times the spacer height H1, for example between 1 and 1.15 times the spacer height H1.
The spacer 2 may e.g. have spacer height H1 extending between the predefined contact surfaces 2a, 2b that may be less than 0.4 mm, such as less than 0.25 mm, for example 0.2 mm or less.
The thickness TH1 of the collection sheet 15 may in embodiments of the present disclosure be less than 0.6 mm such as less than 0.35 mm, for example 0.28 mm or less.
The thickness TH1 may in embodiments of the present disclosure be between 0.05 mm and 0.8 mm, such as between 0.1 mm and 0.6 mm, for example between 0.1 mm and 0.3 mm
The thickness TH1 may in embodiments of the present disclosure be less than the spacer width W1.
The spacer 2 may be made from a metal, such as steel, such as stainless steel, or iron, or a polymer material. The spacer may be made from a material that provides no or low outgassing in the evacuated gap of the VIG unit, in order to maintain the desired vacuum integrity of the VIG unit.
As can be seen, the collection sheet 15 comprises an upwardly facing first major surface 15b and a downwardly facing, oppositely directed second major surface 15c.
The second housing surface 17b facing towards the top 12 to of the housing may in embodiments of the present disclosure cover a major part of the major surface of the collection disc. For example, the surface 17b may in embodiments of the present disclosure cover at least 85% or at least 90%, such as at least 98% of the surface area of the second major surface 15c of the collection sheet.
The first housing surface 17a facing the bottom part with the spacer outlet 16 may in embodiments of the present disclosure cover at least 40%, such as at least 60%, such as at least 75% of the surface area of the first major surface 15b of the disc shaped collection sheet 15.
One or more of the spacer storage compartment 11 and optional holes for sensors, pressurized air and/or the like may cause a reduced covering of the surface 15b by the surface 17a compared to the covering of the surface 15c by the housing surface 17b.
The collection sheet 15 has an outer maximum disc diameter (D1) and the housing 12 has a width D2, such as a diameter, which is larger than the collection sheet diameter D1.
The housing 12 encloses at least 80% such as at least 95%, such as e.g. more than 99% of the outer boundary, such as periphery, 15d of the collection sheet 15. The housing may in embodiments of the present disclosure fully enclose the outer boundary 15d, such as outer periphery, of the collection sheet 15. This may be provided by means of the wall 19 part, such as an annular wall part, that is arranged opposite to the outer periphery 15d of the disc shaped collection sheet 15. The wall part 19 may be part of, such as unitary with the bottom part 12b as illustrated, or may be unitary with the upper body part 12a.
The guidance space 13 may be obtained upon assembly of the upper housing part 12a and the lower bottom part 12b.
In
This movement provides that a spacer 3 enters into the collection hole 15a at the bottom of the storage 11. The collection hole 15a has a width, such as a diameter, that enables only one spacer to move into the collection hole 15a. In some embodiments the collection hole height may be 1.4 times the spacer height H1 or less, such as substantially corresponding the spacer height. This may depend on the sheet 15 thickness and/or the arranging of the sheet 15.
The diameter/width of the collection hole 15a (which may be a circular hole) is fitted/configured to be larger than the spacer width W1 such as spacer diameter. However, not larger than preventing two spacers 2 from entering into the collection hole at once. For example, the collection hole 15a may have a width, such as a diameter that is between 1.01 and 1.6 times, such as between 1.1 and 1.5 times, for example between 1.2 and 1.4 times the spacer width W1.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the collection hole 15a may have a maximum width such as diameter that is between 0.01 mm-0.3 mm larger, such as between 0.05 mm-0.2 mm larger, for example between 0.08 mm-0.13 mm larger than the spacer width W1 such as spacer diameter. For example, for spacers with a diameter of 0.5 mm, the collection hole diameter may be 0.6 mm, i.e. 0.1 mm larger than the spacer diameter.
The spacers 2 in the spacer storage compartment 11 may in embodiments of the present disclosure be randomly intermixed and/or randomly orientated (e.g. as illustrated). This may be provided by loading, pouring or the like the spacers 2 into the storage compartment 11. When the collection hole 15a enter through the bottom of the spacer storage 11, this movement may help to provide that one of the randomly orientated spacers 2 enters into/is collected by the collection hole 15a.
The collection sheet 15 (and the collection hole 15a) moves due to the rotation around the rotation axis RAX (see
In
In some embodiments, the guidance space height H2 may be configured so that the collection sheet 15 can move therein. The guidance space 13 height H2 may hence be larger than the spacer height H1 but may be smaller than the spacer width W1.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the guidance space 13 has a height H2 at the collection hole entrance 13a to the guidance space 13 from the spacer storage compartment 11 which is less than 1.4 times the spacer height H1, the height H2 of the guidance space 13 at the entrance is smaller than the spacer width W1. This height may be substantially constant for the entire guidance space 13 between the surfaces 17a, 17b, or may at least be the case/present for/at the collection hole entrance 13a to assure that only one spacer enters the guidance space. In some embodiments, the height H2 may be larger at other locations than at the entrance 13a.
The edge 28 (See
Hence, the distance between the surface 15b of the collection sheet 15 and the housing surface 17a is less than the spacer height H1, such as less than half of the spacer height.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, guidance space 13 has a height H2 that is between 1.05 and 1.4 times, such as between 1.1 and 1.3 times the spacer height H1.
It is understood that in embodiments of the present disclosure, the spacers 2 may have a spacer height H1 of less than 0.5 mm such as less than 0.3 mm, such as less than 0.25 mm. For example, the spacer height H1 may be 0.2 mm or less.
The surfaces 17a and 17b may help to maintain guidance of the collection sheet 15 and the collected spacer 2, and/or help to maintain collection sheet integrity and/or shape over time.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the height H2 of the guidance space 13 is less than 0.5 mm, such as less than 0.3 mm, such as less than 0.25 mm.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the height H2 of the guidance space 13 is less than 1.5 times, such as less than 1.3 times the thickness TH1 of the disc shaped collection sheet 15.
In
Gravity may induce the dropping of the collected spacer into the spacer outlet, but one or more of applied vibrations, pressurized air and/or the like may in further embodiments of the present disclosure help the spacer 2 to drop into the outlet.
As can be seen, the spacer 2 is designed with the predefined, pre-shaped contact surfaces 2a, 2b. These 2a, 2b are shaped so that when the dispenser 10 dispenses the spacer 2, the spacer 2 will generally land on the glass sheet surface 3a and support on one of the first and second contact surface 2a, 2b.
In some embodiments, if the side edge surface (see e.g.
As illustrated in
In other embodiments, the vacuum channel in the sheet 15 may extend from the collection hole towards the centre portion of the collection sheet, and the vacuum path may hence e.g. be arranged together with and/or inside a shaft for rotating the sheet, or a stationary part extending from the centre of the sheet 26 dependent on the constitution of the dispenser.
The housing 12 may additionally or alternatively comprise a vacuum space, such as a vacuum channel, arranged opposite to a major surface of the collection sheet, wherein the vacuum in the vacuum space provides a suction at the collection hole 15a when the collection hole is arranged at the bottom of the spacer storage compartment to collect a spacer from the bottom of the spacer storage compartment.
It is understood that in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the vacuum path may be designed so that when the collection hole is not arranged at the bottom of the spacer storage compartment, but e.g. is arranged in the guidance space opposite the spacer outlet or in the guidance space between opposing surfaces of the bottom part of the housing and the upper body part, the vacuum/suction in the collection hole may be reduced or omitted/prevented.
The vacuum path may comprises an elongated, curved vacuum channel 21b extending around the rotation axis RAX, such as at least 45° around the rotation axis, for example at least 80° around the rotation axis RAX.
The vacuum path may comprise comprises an elongated, curved vacuum channel 21b extending less than 270° around the rotation axis RAX, such as less than 190° around the rotation axis RAX.
In
In
The output 22a from the sensor 22 and/or the output 22a from the sensor 23 is received by a controller 22c, such as a hardware processor 22c, such as a micro controller, microprocessor, FPGA or the like. The controller 22c can hence, based on the sensor output 22, determine if a spacer should be dispensed dependent on if a spacer is present in the collection hole 15a or not.
If a spacer 22 was detected in the collection hole by sensor 22, but a spacer was not detected by sensor 23, it may be concluded that a spacer has been collected and dispensed.
If a spacer 22 was detected in the collection hole by sensor 22, but a spacer 2 is still detected by sensor 23, it may be concluded that a spacer has clogged the collection hole or the spacer outlet 16 (in the latter case a spacer or a foreign object may clog the spacer outlet 16).
If a spacer 22 was not detected in the collection hole by sensor 22, it may be concluded that the collection sheet did not succeed in collecting a spacer from the storage 11, and a further turn around the rotation axis may be needed to try to collect a new spacer e.g. by means of the same or another collection hole of the collection sheet.
Hence, the controller 12c may provide a warning, a control output and/or the like so that the glass sheet will not be moved further before a spacer 2 has been collected and dispensed, it may provide a warning that the glass sheet may not have received the desired number of spacers and/or the like.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, output from the sensor system 22, 23 may be used by a counter (e.g. a counter of the controller 22c) for counting the number of spacers 2 dispensed by the dispenser.
In
The sensor 22 and/or 23 may have a detection/monitoring zone and/or monitoring/detection direction. The sensor(s) 22, 23 may be arranged so that this detection/monitoring zone and/or monitoring/detection direction is placed opposite to the travel path of the collection hole 15a to be able to detect if a spacer is present in the hole 15a. Hence, when the hole 15a travels in it's travel path (or the housing is rotated dependent on the rotation solution), the hole enters in and out of the detection/monitoring zone of the sensor or sensors 22, 23. Hence, when the housing or collection sheet has rotated 360 degrees around the rotation axis RAX, it will have entered the detection zone of the sensor(s) 23, 22.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the sensor output may be correlated with information of the rotational position of the housing and/or collection sheet, for in order to determine when the collection hole should be within the monitoring zone.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the sensor/sensors 22, 23 and/or a controller 22c may be calibrated or in other ways adapted to be able to distinguish between detecting the major surface 15b of the collection sheet and the surface 17b of the housing. In some embodiments, the sensor or sensors 22, 23 may be a distance sensor.
In embodiments, the sensor or sensors 22, 23 may e.g. be sensor(s) configured to provide different sensor output 22a 23a dependent on the characteristics of the surface 15b, 17 and or contact surface 2a/2b. Here, at least two of these surfaces may provide/comprise different surface characteristics that will trigger the sensor(s) to provide different output 22a, 23a. For example based on difference in surface structure, surface colour, surface reflection properties and/or the like. For example one of the surfaces 2a/2b, 17b, 15b may be configured so that it will return an optical sensor signal, such as a changed polarization, when compared to the returned another of the surfaces.
The length of this travel path TPS is a subset of the continuous/repeated travel path CTP for the collection hole 15 illustrated in
The length of the travel path TPS in the storage 11 may in embodiments of the present disclosure be at least 0.7 times, such as 0.9 times, such as at least 1.2 times, such as at least 1.8 times, the distance DIS2 between the rotation axis RAX and the outer periphery of the dispenser housing 12. For example, in
In embodiments of the of the present disclosure, the length of the travel path TPS of the collection hole 15a in/across the storage bottom 11 may be more than 90° such as more than 140° such as more than 170°.
It is generally understood that the spacer storage compartment 11 in embodiments of the present disclosure may be integrated in, such as milled into, the upper part, and the storage compartment 11 comprises a loading opening spacer inlet at the dispenser housing 12 top.
In
As can be seen from among others
In
In other embodiments, at least a part of the spacer storage 11 may be curved/arc shaped and/or may comprise a part, such as a straight part or a curved part shaped to be non-coincident with the rotation axis RAX. This may e.g. be provided at the area where the collection hole exits the spacer storage, so that the collection hole exits the spacer storage 11 at another location than at an end E2 of the elongated storage 11, for example underneath an edge of the side wall 11b. See e.g.
The narrowing of the walls 11a, 11b in a direction towards the disc shaped collection sheet 15 surface 15b This provides, in
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the volume of the uppermost 25% of the storage compartment 11 proximate the housing 12 top 12 to may be at least 10% such as at least 30% such as at least 50% larger than the volume of the lowermost 25% of the storage compartment 11 proximate the sheet 15 surface 15b at the storage bottom.
This provides that over time when spacers 2 are collected from the storage 11 by means of the hole 15a, the spacers in the storage 11 will be gradually guided towards the storage bottom at the sheet surface 15a, and the funnel shape may moreover provide that the spacers at the lower parts of the storage are guided towards the travel path of the collection opening as illustrated by dashed arrows in
Gravity acts on the spacers 2 in the storage 11 and provides that the weight of the spacers 2 in the storage acts towards the sheet surface 15a, which may help, e.g. together with the funnel shape (if present), to increase the chance of collecting a spacer by the collection hole 15a.
The dispensers are arranged e.g. side by side in a dispenser distribution direction DIR2 that may be transverse to the movement MOV1 (see e.g.
The array 50 may in embodiments of the present disclosure comprise between 4 dispensers and 80 dispensers, such as between 4 dispensers and 50 dispensers, such as between 4 dispensers and 30 dispensers. Each dispenser may be part of/comprised in an individual spacer dispensing system 200.
The spacer dispensing systems 200 may each comprise a spacer storage 11, for example a spacer storage arranged in the housing 12 as previously described, and the storage 11 comprises a plurality of spacers 2. Moreover, the spacer dispensing system 200 may comprise a dispenser 10, such as a dispenser of the type described above in accordance with various embodiments. Each dispensing system 200 comprises a spacer outlet 16 for dispensing spacers 2 collected from the spacer storage 11, In the illustrated embodiment a spacer outlet 16 provided in a dispenser housing 12.
In
Distance controllers 31 are configured to control distance adjustment motors 30 to move the spacer outlet 16 towards and/or away from the glass sheet surface 3a during the spacer placement sequence based on output 32a from a distance sensor 32. This distance control is configured so as to adapt the surface 3a to spacer outlet 16 distance DIS1 to the local surface topology of the major glass sheet surface 3 opposite to the spacer outlet 16 one or more times, such as continuously, during a spacer placement sequence.
It is generally understood that a spacer placement sequence comprises placing a plurality of spacers 2 at the major glass sheet surface 3a by means of the dispenser(s) 10. Here, the spacer placement sequence comprises providing relative movement between the glass sheet surface 3a and the spacer outlet 6 in a direction along the glass sheet surface by means of a displacement motor 80, such as an electrical motor, and distributing a plurality of spacers 2 from the spacer storage 11 with a mutual spacer distance DIS4 (see
The glass sheet is placed on a support 45, such as conveying means, for example a movable table or plate, a conveyer band or chains, rollers and/or the like, e.g. so that the surface 3a extends horizontally, and the motor 80 moves the glass sheet relative to the systems 200. In other embodiments, the motor 80 may be configured to move the array 500/system(s) 200 instead.
In the example of
For example, the glass sheet 3 may be a tempered glass sheet, for example a thermally tempered glass sheet. Such glass sheets may provide advantages with regards to strength, and tempered glass sheets may be cost efficient. However, for example thermally tempered glass may have a glass sheet surface 3a with an unevenness of at least 0.1 mm, such as at least 0.2 mm, for example at least 0.3 mm. In some embodiments, the glass sheet 3, 4 surface 3a, 4a unevenness may even be equal to or larger than the spacer height H1.
The distance controller 31 may e.g. help to provide that the dispenser outlet 16 can get close enough to the glass sheet surface 3a to reduce the risk of spacer 2 misplacement during the spacer placement sequence when arranging spacers s on the glass sheet surface.
For example, the distance setting may be set to e.g. 0.1 mm, and hence, the distance controller provides adjustment/adaption of the spacer outlet 16 to glass surface 3a distance during the spacer placement sequence so that the outlet is maintained substantially at 0.1 mm from the glass sheet surface during spacer dispensing in spite of the glass sheet surface being uneven.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the distance controller 21 controls the distance adjustment motor 30 to move the spacer outlet 16 towards and/or away from the glass sheet surface during the spacer placement sequence based on a distance setting DSE and output from a distance sensor.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, distance sensor 32 may comprise an optical sensor, such as a fibre optic sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor or another suitable type of sensor.
The spacers 2 are placed one by one, consecutively, at the glass sheet surface 3a by means of the respective dispenser, see also
The distance controller may comprise one or more hardware processors, such as one or more microcontrollers, Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), Programmable Logic controllers (PLC), microprocessors and/or the like. For example, the hardware processor may comprise one or more general-purpose hardware processors.
Generally, a system controller (not illustrated in
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the distance controller 31 and the system controller may be the same controller or may be provided by means of different hardware controllers, such as distributed hardware controllers.
For example, in some embodiments, the distance adjustment motor, such as a servo motor, may comprise a hardware controller and regulation circuitry, and may handle the distance control based on direct sensor input or sensor input suppled from another hardware controller. Such a controller may e.g. receive distance-setting input supplied from e.g. a separate hardware controller.
As can be seen in
In several of the figures described above, the disc shaped collection sheet 15 is arranged at the lower fourth, such as the lower sixth, such as the lower eighth of the housing 12, proximate the bottom wall 24a of the housing.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the horizontal distance between adjacent spacer outlets 16 in the spacer array 500 may be between 20 mm and 70 mm, such as between 25 mm and 45 mm. This In this case, the adjacent outlets 16 are aligned and abuts the same horizontal plane.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the horizontal distance between adjacent spacer outlets of more than 50% or more than 60% of the spacer outlets of the spacer dispensing array 500 may be between 20 mm and 70 mm, such as between 25 mm and 45 mm.
The distance controller 31 comprises distance regulation circuitry. This may provide closed loop distance control, such as by means of one or more of Proportional, Integral and/or derivative (PID) control. This closed loop control is based on the output 32a from the distance sensor 32 and at least a distance setting DSE stored in a data storage DS during the spacer placement sequence. Naturally, other regulation settings may be stored in the data storage that may be used by the controller 31. The controller 31 hence may control the distance adjustment motor 30 based on the setting DSE and the sensor output 32a during the spacer placement sequence.
The distance controller 31 may monitor a distance representative of a distance DIS1 between the glass sheet surface 3a and the spacer outlet 16. For example, a predefined distance may be used for the monitoring, and this distance may e.g. be larger than the distance DIS1. This may e.g. be acceptable as long as a distance offset is known.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the distance setting DSE comprises one or more distance set points such as a distance target setting or a distance range setting representing a desired distance.
The distance sensor 32 may in embodiments of the present disclosure monitor the distance DIS1 between the glass sheet surface 83a and the spacer outlet 16 directly or indirectly.
The dispenser housing 10 is attached to a dispenser holding part 61 of the dispenser system 200. The dispenser holding part 61 is attached to or integrated in a height adjustable movable frame part 67. This part 67 that can be displaced vertically by the motor 31 relative to a fixed frame part 69. The movable frame part 67 is connected to, such as attached to, the fixed frame part 69 by means of a displaceable connection such as a rail solution, an actuator and/or the like 68. The movable frame part 67 may thus hang directly or indirectly from the fixed frame part 69. The fixed frame part may in embodiments of the present disclosure comprise a plurality of dispensing systems 200, such as an array 500 as previously described.
The drive motor 18 may as illustrated, in embodiments of the present disclosure, be attached to the movable frame part 67.
In other embodiments, RAX1 and RAX may be coincident.
In other embodiments, DIS1 may be larger than H1.
During a spacer placement sequence, and/or between spacer placement sequences, the distance controller 31 may hence displace the dispenser(s) towards and/or away from the glass sheet surface 3a.
It is generally to be understood that the dispenser 10 used in the system(s) 200 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may in embodiments of the present disclosure be of the rotary type as e.g. described according to various embodiments above and/or further below. However, in other embodiments of the present disclosure, the dispensers 11 used in the system(s) 200 where for example distance control is provided may be of another type such as of the reciprocating collection member/sheet dispenser type or another type.
The distance sensor 32 may in embodiments of the resent disclosure be attached to the dispenser housing, and hence move together with the housing when the motor 30 displaces the housing towards and away from the glass sheet surface 3a.
In some embodiments, the sensor 32 may be arranged in the housing 12 of the dispenser 10. In other embodiments it may be attached to/at the outside of the dispenser 10 housing. In still further embodiments of the present disclosure, the sensor 32 may be attached directly or indirectly to the height adjustable movable frame part 67 for example attached to the dispenser holding part 61.
In
As can be seen from
The distance controller 31 may individually, directly or indirectly, monitor the distance DIS1 between the glass sheet surface 3a and the spacer outlet 16 of the dispenser 10 of the respective individual spacer dispensing system 200 based on output from a distance sensor 32a. Each individual distance controller 31 may hence in embodiments of the present disclosure individually control the/an individual distance adjustment motor 30 to move the spacer outlet 16 of the dispenser 10 of that spacer dispensing system 200 towards and/or away from the glass sheet surface 3a, for example during the spacer placement sequence.
Individual distance adjustment by means of a distance controller may be based on sensor output 32a from an individual distance sensor 32 assigned each spacer dispensing system 200. In other embodiments, sensor output from a single sensor 32 may be used as input for regulating spacer outlets 16 of two or more systems. For example, adjacent dispensers may be placed close enough so that a single sensor input may be suable for providing spacer outlet 16 to glass sheet surface 3a distance control. The reason for this may be that the surface variation of the surface 3a may not vary so much per distance, and/or the outlet may not be arranged so close DIS1 to the surface 3a during dispensing, that the surface variation within the spacer distance DIS4 may be critical or become an issue. Hence, for example, in some embodiments, the sensor output 32a from a single sensor 32 may be used for, for example common, distance regulation of two or more adjacent dispenser outlets of the array 500, such as for example between two and six, such as between two and four, for example between 2 and 3, adjacent distance outlets (16). This regulation may be provided by e.g. providing a single motor 30 for regulating outlet 16 to glass sheet surface 3a distance of a plurality of spacer outlet 16 of adjacent dispensers 10 during the dispensing sequence. In such embodiments (not illustrated), these dispensers may be attached to and moved by means of a common movable frame part 67.
It is understood that in still further embodiments, distance adjustment may be provided for a whole row/array of dispensers, e.g. based on sensor feedback. Hence, no individual distance DIS1 control may be provided during a spacer placement sequence.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the spacer outlets 16 of the dispensing systems 200 are arranged in a line extending transverse to, such as perpendicular to, the direction of the relative movement MOV1 between the glass sheet surface and the spacer outlet along the glass sheet surface provided by means of a displacement motor 80. In other embodiments, the outlets may be e.g. arranged staggering transverse to, such as perpendicular to, the direction of the relative movement MOV1.
Generally, in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the distance DIS4 between adjacent dispensed spacers on the glass sheet surface 3a along the movement direction MOV, such as between more than 50% or more than 60%, such as more than 90% of the dispensed spacers 2 may be between 20 mm and 70 mm, such as between 25 mm and 45 mm.
Generally, in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the distance DIS4 between adjacent dispensed spacers on the glass sheet surface 3a transverse to the movement direction MOV, such as between more than 50% or more than 60%, such as more than 90% of the dispensed spacers 2 may be between 20 mm and 70 mm, such as between 25 mm and 45 mm.
Generally, the distance DIS4 between more than 60%, such as more than 90% or more than 95% of all the dispensed adjacent spacers 2 on the glass sheet surface 3a may in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure be between 20 mm and 70 mm, such as between 25 mm and 60 mm, such as between 25 mm and 45 mm.
It is to understood that in other embodiments of the present disclosure, no distance adjustment may be provided by means of the distance controller during the spacer placement sequence.
Hence, for example, the spacer outlet(s) 16 may be maintained a predefined distance from the support 45 (at least corresponding to the glass sheet thickness+spacer height+a smaller distance for clearance). A distance controller may hence adapt the distance DIS1 to fit the glass sheet height and spacer height, but may not provide adjustment during the spacer placement sequence as such. The smaller distance for clearance may in embodiments of the present disclosure be at least half the spacer height H1 (H1/2) or at least H1×2. It may however in embodiments be less than H1×30 such as less than H1×20 or less than H1×10 or less than H1×5.
The dispenser holding part 61 is separate to a shaft 27 for rotating the disc shaped collection sheet 15 and/or the housing 12 around the rotation axis RAX.
The vibrator 46 may in embodiments of the present disclosure comprise a motor with an unbalanced mass such as an unbalanced flywheel. I other embodiments of the present disclosure, the vibrator 46 may be of the Linear Resonant Actuator (LRA) vibrator type.
In
In further embodiments, the vibrator may comprise or be provided by means of the drive motor 18 for driving the collection sheet 15 (see e.g.
In some embodiments, the vibrator may be used as an anti-jamming operation in order to solve an issue with a jamming of a spacer in the dispenser.
The glass sheets 3, 4 are sealed together at the periphery of the glass sheets 3, 4 with the plurality of dispensed spacers arranged between the major surfaces 3a, 4a in the gap 5. The sealing together of the first and second glass sheets may comprise use of an edge seal material 7 such as a solder glass edge seal material or a solder metal edge seal, or it may comprise fusing the glass sheets directly together. In some embodiments, the sealing together may comprise locally heating at least at the edge seal location, or heating the entire VIG unit assembly to a desired temperature in e.g. a furnace. The sealing together of the glass sheet 3, 4 edges may provide a fused, rigid edge seal. Other airtight edge seal solutions may alternatively be provided.
The glass sheets 3, 4 may be annealed glass sheets or tempered glass sheets, such as thermally tempered glass sheets. One or both glass sheets 3, 4 may have a thickness between 1 mm and 6 mm, such as between 2 mm and 4 mm, for example between 2.5 mm and 3.5 mm including both end points. The glass sheets 3, 4 may be of the same or different thickness.
The gap 5 has been evacuated to a reduced pressure. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the pressure in the gap 5 may be below 0.05 mbar, such as below 0.005 mbar, such as 0.003 or 0.001 mbar or below. This may be obtained by means of an evacuation pump (not illustrated. For this evacuation of the gap, the pump may have been connected directly or indirectly to an evacuation outlet 6, and after the evacuation, the evacuation outlet 6 is sealed by a sealing 6a, such as at least partly by means of a solder material. In
The spacers 2 placed by means of the dispenser(s) 10 maintains a distance between the glass sheet surfaces 3a, 4a across the evacuated gap when the gap has been evacuated. The distance between the glass sheet surfaces 3a, 4a may in embodiments of the present disclosure be 0.5 mm or below, such as 0.3 mm or below, for example 0.2 mm or below.
The evacuation of the gap 5 may in embodiments of the present disclosure be provided by means of one or more one or more of: a vacuum chamber, such as a vacuum chamber containing the entire VIG unit assembly therein, one or more vacuum pumps in communication with the gap, for example by means of a suction cup. Additionally, one or more getters may be arranged in the gap to provide further pressure reduction in the gap and/or to maintain vacuum integrity.
It is generally to be understood that the VIG unit may e.g. be transparent to at least visible light.
At glass pairing station 180c, the glass sheets 4 and 3 are paired by placing the second glass sheet 4 on top of the first glass sheet 3 to cover the spacers 2. The glass sheet 4 may e.g. rest on the edge seal material 7. The glass pairing station may comprise automation systems such as one or more of a robotic arm, one or more linear displacement members, one or more rails and/or the like for transporting the glass sheet 4 to the position opposite the surface 3a and lowering the glass sheet towards the surface 3a.
After this, the edge seal material 7 of the VIG unit assembly 150 may be heated and the gap is evacuated to a reduced pressure. It is understood that the edge seal material, if even needed, may be placed/applied subsequent to placing the spacers at station 18a instead. It may even in some embodiments be provided in an evacuation chamber or be omitted if the glass sheets are fused directly together by an glass sheet 3, 4 edge melting operation.
In
It is understood that if smaller glass sheets 3 are then to be supplied with spacers in a spacer placement sequence, and hence the number of dispensers in the array is larger than the number of spacers to be arranged in e.g. a row, the number of used dispensers 10 of the array may be reduced so that some of the dispensers are unused for that glass sheet.
One or more of the ionizer device(s) 400, humidity control system 30 and/or the grounding connection 70 may together or alone reduce and/or maintain a difference in electrostatic charge potential between the glass sheet 3 and the dispensing system 200, such as between the between the glass sheet 3 and the one or more dispensers or array 500 to be below a maximum allowed voltage value. This maximum allowed voltage value may in embodiments of the present disclosure be 10 kV, such as 8 kV, such as 5 kV or 2 kV or 1 kV.
One or more of the ionizer device(s) 400, humidity control system 30 and/or the grounding connection 70 may together or alone reduce and/or maintain a difference in electrostatic charge potential between the glass sheet 3 and the dispensing system 200, such as between the between the glass sheet 3 and the one or more dispensers (10) or array 500 to be below 10 kV, such as below 5 kV, such below 2 kV. In certain embodiments, the maximum voltage allowed between the glass sheet 3 and the dispensing system 200, such as between the between the glass sheet 3 and the one or more dispensers (10) or array 500 may be below 1 kV such as below 0.5 kV.
The one or more ionizing device(s) 400, one or more humidity control system(s) 300 and/or one or more grounding connections 70, 71, 72 may be considered a charge modulation system, or considered comprised in a charge modulation system for controlling the electrostatic charge potential between the glass sheet 3 (and/or glass sheet handling system 45) and the dispensing system 200, such as between the glass sheet 3 (and/or glass sheet handling system 45) and the one or more dispensers (10) or array 500 to be below a maximum allowed voltage value as e.g. disclosed above.
In one or more embodiments, for example the ionizer bar may be omitted, and e.g. only the grounding connection(s) 70 and/or humidity control may be used.
Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the charge modulation system may be configured to reduce static electricity/charge between components of the dispenser 10. For example, a grounding connection 70 and/or an ionizer bar may help to provide this. Hence, substantially no static electricity/charge may build up between the spacers in the spacer storage 11, the collection sheet 15 and the housing 12.
The spacer outlet 16 may as illustrated, in embodiments of the present disclosure, be arranged in the respective dispenser housing bottom surface 24, As can be seen from
The dispenser system 200 may as illustrated in
The drive arrangement comprising the drive motor 18, such as an electric motor, frame parts, such as height adjustable frame parts and/or the like if present (see e.g.
In other embodiments (not illustrated), ceramic balls or balls from another material may be processed, such as mechanically (for example by grinding) or chemically processed to have predefined and pre-shaped, such as flat, contact surfaces 2a, 2b. The convex side surfaces 2c, 2d may here describes minor circular arcs having a coinciding centre.
In stull further embodiments, the spacers 2 may e.g. be cylindrical in shape and extend substantially linear between the surfaces 2a, 2b, or may have another shape.
It is generally understood that the spacers may be made from any suitable materials such as be made from, such as comprise or consist of metal, polymer material and/or ceramic.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the maximum width W1, such as the maximum diameter, of the spacer 2 may be at least 2 times, such as at least 2.4 times or at least 2.8 times larger than the height H1 of the spacer 2. In
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the maximum width W1, such as the maximum diameter, of the spacer 2 may be between 1.3 and 6 times, such as between 1.5 and 6 times, for example between 2 times and 4 times larger than the height H1 of the spacer 2.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the maximum width W1, such as the maximum diameter of the spacer 2 may be less than 0.8 mm, such as less than 0.6 mm, such as less than 0.4 mm. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the diameter of the spacer may be 0.3 mm or less.
In
The compressive load on each of at least 50%, such as at least 70% of the spacers 2 in a VIG unit (see e.g.
It is generally understood that the tolerances for the spacers 200 in the spacer storage 11 and/or the distributed spacers may in embodiments of the present disclosure may be ±30 micron, such as ±20 micron, or ±10 micron or less. For example, spacer height H1 may be 0.2 mm with a ±30 micron, such as ±20 micron, or ±10 micron tolerance.
For example, maximum spacer width W1 may be for example 0.44 mm or 0.66 mm with a ±40 micron, such as ±20 micron, or ±10 micron tolerance. The tolerances of the spacer width W1 may in some embodiments of the present disclosure be less restrictive that the tolerance requirements to the spacer height H1.
It may be preferred that surfaces 2a, 2b of spacers are shaped/designed so as not allow to trap pockets of gasses between glass surface and pillar surface, and hence the contact surface 2a, 2b flatness may in embodiments of the present disclosure be substantially flat and/or comprise one or more grooves/furrows and/or the like to reduce the risk of trapping gasses in between the glass sheet surfaces 3a, 4a and the contact surfaces 2a, 2b.
Outgassing from the spacers 2 should be minimized. Particularly outgassing of non-getterable species should be avoided.
As can be seen from e.g.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the surface 17a part of the upper housing part 12 facing the thickened part 15e may be adapted to the shape and size of the thickened part. Hence, for the embodiment of the present disclosure, the surface 17a may have a concavely extending surface (not illustrated). In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a vacuum channel or the like may be provided in a part of the thickened part 15e, for example in order to provide a vacuum path/duct interface between a shaft and the collection hole 15a.
In
In
In
In
In the embodiment of
The inventors have by tests seen indications that the protruding member 75 may improve consistency with regard to collecting a spacer 2 from the storage 11. Additionally or alternatively, the protruding member 75 may help to reduce the occurrence of jamming situations.
The first movement (of e.g. the collection disc) to collect a spacer in the storage, and the further movement (of e.g. the collection disc) to deliver the spacer at the dispenser outlet may, as also previously described, be a movement around a rotation axis RAX. The spacer storage compartment 11 is elongated and extends partly around the rotation axis, thereby providing an at least partly arc shaped spacer storage compartment 11. In
Further embodiments (not illustrated), the entrance position 13a may be located underneath the wall 11a instead of at the end E1 or underneath wall 11b.
Hence it is understood that the spacer storage compartment 11 in some embodiments (as e.g. illustrated in
In other embodiments, the entrance position 13a may be located at the end E2 of the elongated, curved/arc shaped spacer storage 11, as e.g. illustrated in
The dispenser housing 12 may as previously described be grounded 70, and/or another charge modulation system may be provided. The protruding member 75 may be connected to a grounding connection through the housing 12.
a illustrates schematically and in cross section a dispenser 10 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, comprising a protruding member 75. The protruding member 75 is fixated at one end and is suspended to extend into the spacer storage compartment 11 from the surface 11a. A free end 75a of the protruding member may be placed proximate the entrance area 13a (See e.g.
The protruding member 75 in
The collection hole 15a may in some embodiments pass below a part of a half part, or quarter part, of the protruding member 75 that is proximate the unsupported/free end 75a of the protruding member 75. This may help to provide that the resiliency of the pin 75 may provide positive effects on the orientation of a spacer in the compartment 11 and/or collection hole, so that an increased chance of successful spacer collection may be obtained.
The protruding member 75 may have a length of at least 1 mm, such as at least 3 mm, for example at least 5 mm. This length may extend in a length direction away from a side surface 11a, 11b facing the storage 11. The length of the protruding member may be at least ⅙, such as at least ½, such as at least ¾ of the width of the storage 11 at the area of the protruding member. However, in some embodiments, the length of the protruding member may substantially correspond to the width of the storage 11 at the area of the protruding member 75. This may also depend on the desired resiliency of the protruding member/and/or from which side the protruding member extends. It may also depend on the location of the entrance 13a.
As can be seen, the protruding member 75 is arranged with a distance P_DIS to the collection sheet 15 surface 15b. Hereby, an intermediate space 76 is provided between the collection sheet 15 and the protruding member 75.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the spacers 2 in the spacer storage 11 may have a spacer width W1 that is larger than the height H1 of the spacer 2. See e.g.
As illustrated, a distance P_DIS between the protruding member 75 and the collection sheet 15 surface 15b is provided. The distance P_DIS extends between a lower edge 75e of the protrusion that faces the collection sheet 15.
In some embodiments, this distance P_DIS may be smaller than the spacer width W1, such as at least 20% or at least 40% smaller than the spacer width W1.
In some embodiments, the distance between the protruding member 75 and the housing surface 17b of the bottom wall 24 of the bottom part 12b is smaller than the spacer width W1, such as at least 20% or at least 40% smaller than the spacer width W1.
This may provide that when a spacer is placed in the collection hole, the protruding member 75 may directly or indirectly help to arrange the spacer 2 so that a contact surface (see 2a and 2b of
The distance P_DIS between the protruding member 75 and the collection sheet 15 may in some embodiments be less than 1 mm such as less than 0.6 mm, such as 0.4. mm or less, such as 0.3 mm or less.
The distance P_DIS1 between the protruding member 75 and the housing surface 17b of the bottom wall 24 of the bottom part 12b may in some embodiments be less than 5 mm such as less than 3 mm.
The distance P_DIS1 between the protruding member 75 and the housing surface 17b of the bottom wall 24 of the bottom part 12b may in some embodiments be less than 1 mm such as less than 0.6 mm, such as 0.3 mm or less.
The distance P_DIS1 between the protruding member 75 and the housing surface 17b of the wall 24 of the bottom part 12b may in some embodiments be larger than 0.1 mm, such as larger than 0.2 mm, such as larger than 0.4 mm.
In some embodiments, the distance P_DIS between the protruding member 75 and the collection sheet 15 may be larger than 0.1 mm, such as larger than 0.2 mm, for example 0.3 mm or larger.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the distance P_DIS between the protruding member 75 and the collection sheet 15 surface 15b may be larger than the spacer height H1 and smaller than the spacer width W1.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the distance P_DIS1 between the protruding member 75 and the housing surface 17b of the bottom wall 24 of the bottom part 12b may be larger than the spacer height H1 and smaller than the spacer width W1.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the protruding member 75, such as a pin, has a width, such as a diameter PD, of less than 3 mm, such as less than 2 mm, such as less than 1 mm. The width PD may as illustrated extend in a direction away from the surface 15b of the collection sheet 15.
The inventors have provided tests using a pin having a diameter of between 0.5 mm and 0.9 mm, e.g. between 0.8-0.9 mm, and this provided a good result.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the protruding member 75, such as a pin, has a width, such as a diameter, of between 0.3 mm and 5 mm, such as between 0.5 mm and 2 mm, such as between 0.7 and 1.2 mm.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the protruding member 75 may be configured so as to engage with a spacer 2 at or in the collection hole 15a. An example hereof is illustrated schematically where a protruding member 75, in this case a pin, is seen in cross section in
In
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the protruding member 75 may be resilient so as to be displaceable by forces from one or more spacers acting on the spacer. The forces may originate from the relative displacement between housing 12 and collection sheet 15. This may e.g. help to reduce risk of spacer damage and/or help to provide improved rearranging of a spacer 2 in a collection hole 15a that is not arranged as desired therein. The resiliency may e.g. be obtained by arranging the protruding member to only be supported at one end, see e.g.
The resiliency of the protruding member may e.g. be defined by the shape, size and/or material of the protruding member.
In other embodiments, the protruding member 75 may be stiff and substantially non-resilient to forces from spacers acting on the protruding member during normal dispenser use.
It is generally understood that the protruding member in some embodiments may be fixed relative to the housing. In some embodiments, the protruding member 75 may be fixed to or integrated in the housing 12, such as to/in the upper part 12a of the housing. In
In
In
In
In
In
In some embodiments of the present disclosure (not illustrated), the dispenser 10 may comprise a plurality of protruding members 75 extending into the spacer storage 11 at different heights above the collection sheet.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure (not illustrated), the dispenser 10 may comprise a plurality of protruding members 75 of different resilience, different thickness and/or different length.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more of:
It is generally understood that in embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more of one or more protruding members may comprise or consist of a peg.
The collection holes are evenly distributed with the same radial distance to the rotation axis RAX. The number of collection holes and the angular spacing ANS between adjacent collection holes may be configured so that the distance (along the traveling path TPS) between adjacent collection holes is smaller than the length of the traveling path TPS in the compartment 11.
The collection sheet 15 may in some embodiments of the present disclosure comprise between (both end points included) one and thirty collection holes 15a, such as between one and fifteen collection holes, such as between two and twelve collection holes (not illustrated).
The jamming sensor may 90 comprise one or more sensors and/or sensing circuitry for detecting and/or measuring one or more properties, such as physical properties. In some embodiments, the jamming sensor 90 may record, indicate, or otherwise responds to the physical property such as a change in the physical property.
The jamming sensor 90 in
When a jamming situation occur, this may be caused by a spacer being stuck in the dispenser. A stuck spacer 2 may result in an increase in power/current consumption by the driver 18. This may e.g. be caused by increased loads, such as torsion forces, in a driving part 66, 27 connected directly or indirectly to the driven part such as the collection sheet 15 of the dispenser. This may be registered in an advantageous way by means of a sensor arrangement, such as a torque sensor arrangement, of the driver.
In
In additional or other embodiments of the present disclosure, the one or more jamming sensors 90 may comprise one or more of a strain gauge circuitry, such as a Wheatstone bridge circuit, a proximity sensor, an optical sensor, a speed sensor, and/or a magnetic sensor.
In still further embodiments, the jamming detection may be provided by means of a sensor-less solution by means of a timer, or a combination of a timer and one or more sensors 90, 22, 23. For example, if a spacer is not dispensed within a predetermined time interval, or if a portion of a movable part has not reached a certain location within a predetermined interval, This may indicate a jamming situation.
At time t1 (horizontal axis) the driver 18 is started in order to dispense a spacer 2. At time t2, the spacer has been dispensed (e.g. detected by means of a sensor 23 as e.g. previously described), and the driver is hence stopped. The current consumption between t1 and t2 may be considered a normal current/power consumption. During the time t1 and t2, another spacer may be collected from the spacer storage 11 by means of another collection hole and/or another routine (not illustrated) may be provided between t2 and t3 in order to collect a spacer.
At time t3, the driver 18 is started again to dispense a further spacer. However, at time t4, a sudden increase in power/current consumption Id is detected by the jamming sensor 90, and at time t5, the consumed current exceeds a threshold THR1. This may reflect that a jamming situation has occurred, and the driver/motor 18 may be stopped and/or one or more anti-jamming operations may automatically be initiated by a hardware controller in order to resolve the jamming situation.
The threshold THR1 may be or comprise a predetermined threshold such as a fixed threshold. The threshold THR may be determined based on experiential data and/or may be adapted dynamically over time.
It is understood that conversion circuitry may be configured to transform the consumed current into a torque value.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the threshold value THR1 may be below 10 Nm, such as below 3 Nm, for example below 1.5 Nm such as below 1 Nm.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the threshold value THR1 may be above 0.01 Nm, such as above 0.03 Nm, for example above 0.05 Nm.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the threshold value THR1 may be between 0.01 Nm and 10 Nm, such as between 0.03 Nm and 3 Nm, for example between 0.05 Nm and 1 Nm.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the threshold value THR1 may be set to e.g. 0.07, 0.08 or 0.09 Nm.
The above threshold value example may e.g. be relevant for a solution where a servo motor comprises torque sensor circuitry. It is however naturally understood that the threshold THR1 may be adapted based on e.g. sensor 90 type and/or point of measurement.
It is generally understood that the detection of the jamming situation may comprise monitoring one or more parameters (in
In embodiments of the present disclosure, a controller 91 may provide one or more anti-jamming operations AJO when predetermined criteria is complied with. Such criteria may e.g. comprise that the consumed power, consumed current and/or a torque value exceeds a threshold THR1. The controller 91 may also be referred to as a “jamming controller” in the present document.
These predetermined criteria may be based on the one or more monitored parameters Id. For example, when the monitored consumed current Id exceeds the threshold THR1, the predetermined criteria may be complied with. The predetermined criteria may comprise just one criteria or a plurality of predetermined criteria that needs to be complied with before it is determined that a jamming situation may have been detected.
Hence, the detection of a jamming situation may comprises monitoring one or more parameters Id that is/are based on the input from one or more sensors 90.
The predetermined criteria THR1 may be based on and/or relate to the one or more monitored parameters such as e.g. comprising:
In embodiments of the present disclosure, if a jamming situation is detected (e.g. as described above in relation to
For example, in some embodiments, the one or more anti-jamming operations may comprise operating the driver 18 according to a control scheme, such as a predefined control scheme. An embodiment of a control scheme is described in more details in
If no spacer has yet been dispensed, the jamming controller 91 monitors, in test (TE343) the one or more parameters to see if the predetermined criteria is complied with. For example by monitoring power consumption/current consumption of the driver 18 to monitor if the threshold THR1 is exceeded. As long as the criteria is/are not complied with, the dispenser is operated 10 in order to dispense a spacer.
If the criteria is/are complied with (see e.g. t5 of
In
The jamming controller then tests (Test T344) if predetermined criteria are complied with. This may e.g. comprise that the collection sheet is driven a predetermined amount in said opposite direction initiated at step S343. This may e.g. be determined based on sensor input such as distance sensor input, angular sensor input, a timer and/or the like.
In
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the relative movement (S343) between the collection sheet 15 and the housing 12 provided in the direction opposite to the first driving direction may provide that the collection hole 15a is moved at least 1 mm, such as at least 3 mm, for example at least 10 mm in the direction opposite to the first driving direction.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the collection hole 15a may be rotated (S343) at least 1°, such as at least 10° or at least 14° in the opposite direction around a rotation axis in the direction opposite to the first driving direction.
When the test TE344 is complied with, the driver 18 is stopped again (Step S344—STP. MOT), and a new try is initiated in order to try to dispense a spacer. In
The jamming controller 91 may be configured to provide the anti-jamming control illustrated in
In some embodiments, the jamming controller 91 may be integrated in or be part of a hardware controller that may also provide distance control and/or other control of the dispenser. This controller may be integrated in the driver 18 or may be separate to the driver 18.
It is generally understood that the anti-jamming operation AJO may comprise one or more anti-jamming operations such as one or more of:
It is understood that in some embodiments, the anti-jamming operation may comprise just one of the examples mentioned above. In other embodiments, the anti-jamming operation may comprise a plurality of the examples mentioned above. In still further embodiments, the number and/or type of provided anti-jamming operations may be varied, such as increased. This may e.g. be the case if it is detected by the sensor 90 that a jamming situation has not been resolved despite providing a first anti-jamming operation. For example, the anti-jamming operation AJO of
It is generally understood that one or more controllers for controlling dispensing of the spacers 2 during VIG unit manufacturing (see e.g. controllers as described above such as e.g. 22c, 31, 91 and/or a driver 18 controller) in relation to various embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise one or more hardware controllers comprising one or more microprocessors which execute appropriate software. For example, a processor system, such as processor subsystem, may be embodied by a single Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a combination or system of such CPUs and/or other types of processing units. The software for controlling e.g. the dispensing of spacers may have been downloaded and/or stored in a corresponding memory, e.g., a volatile memory such as RAM or a non-volatile memory such as Flash. Additionally or alternatively, the control of the dispensing of spacers may be implemented in the form of programmable logic, e.g., as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). The control of the dispensing of spacers may be provided/executed by means of different, distributed hardware controllers and/or by means of a single hardware controller.
In the description above according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and the in a plurality of the drawings/figures, the means for collecting a spacer may comprise a collection sheet, such as a disc shaped collection sheet, comprising a collection hole is used for collecting a spacer from the storage. It is however understood that the means for collecting a spacer may additionally or alternatively, in further or alternative embodiments (not illustrated) may comprise a pushing member or pulling member for pushing or pulling a spacer from the spacer storage to the outlet. A relative movement between the pushing or pulling member may be provided to obtain this.
In the description above, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the spacers 2 may be randomly orientated and intermixed in the spacer storage compartment 11. It is however understood that in other embodiments of the present disclosure, the spacers 2 in the compartment 11 may be stacked vertically or horizontally (not illustrated), e.g. in a column or row, and here be arranged with a predefined orientation. For example so that predefined contact surfaces 2a, 2b of adjacent spacers abut. In this/these embodiments, the means for collecting a spacer may comprise a collection disc as e.g. described above, and/or may comprise a pushing or pulling member for collecting a spacer from the row or column of spacers.
E.g. from an end of the row or column of spacers. In some embodiments, the spacer storage compartment 11 may comprise or be provided by a cartridge. In some further embodiments, a detection of a jamming situation may be provided during collection of spacers from the stack, such as rows or column, of spacers, e.g. as described above, and a jamming controller may provide one or more anti-jamming operations AJO when predetermined criteria THR1 is complied with.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the manufactured VIG unit may be for use in a building window. In some embodiments, the building window may be a roof window. In other embodiments, the building window may be a vertical window such as a façade window. In some embodiments, the VIG unit when used in a building window may be laminated at one or both sides of the VIG unit by means of an interlayer and a further glass sheet. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the VIG unit may be used for e.g. cooling furniture such as in a door of a refrigerator or freezer and/or for heating furniture such as in a door of an oven. The VIG unit to enable a view through the VIG unit towards the goods stored in the interior of the cooling or heating furniture.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23215767.7 | Dec 2023 | EP | regional |
