The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a curved window arrangement for a motor vehicle according to the definition of the species of claim 1 and/or 20.
A generic method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,580 which describes a method of forming a curved glass window for an automotive roof by laminating it to a scratch-resistant layer of polyester or polycarbonate by means of an adhesive layer of polyvinyl butyral, then pressing the scratch-resistant layer onto the pane of glass in an autoclave process using a rigid mold made of polycarbonate or metal or a flexible mold made of a glass fiber material and then evacuating the layer sequence and laminating it by means of a heat and pressure treatment. After lamination, the female mold, not adhering to the scratch-resistant layer, is removed.
A similar method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,387, where a pane of glass for a motor vehicle is produced by pressing an adhesive layer and a transparent layer onto a curved pane of glass using a glass mold having the same shape as the pane of glass to form a layer sequence that is laminated onto the pane of glass in an autoclave. After successful lamination, the glass female mold is removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,627 describes another generic method, in this case using an elastic mold made of silicone rubber to press a plastic layer onto a pane of glass. The lamination process is then performed in a vacuum bag in an autoclave, a soft damping material being inserted between the mold and the inside wall of the vacuum bag.
In such lamination methods, the problem usually arises that air becomes trapped at the contact surface between the surface of the mold (which may be flat or curved) and the surface of the plastic film. The reason for this is the three-dimensional curvature of the pane of glass, which favors the inclusion of air bubbles during evacuation before the actual lamination by squeezing off the air path as a result of the contact pressure of the ambient atmosphere. Such air bubbles expand during the lamination process because of the heat applied to the laminate, leaving behind round or rounded indentations, usually elliptical, in the cooled film composite after lamination and after separation of the two surfaces. These indentations act as optical lenses and are therefore perceived by the eye as optical distortion.
US 2002/0155302 A1 describes a lamination method for laminating two panes of glass, with an adhesive layer having parallel grooves being inserted between the two panes of glass to laminate them to one another. The grooves serve to prevent air inclusions between one of the two panes of glass and the adhesive layer. Furthermore, this also mentions that such a method may also be used for a single pane of glass.
US 2004/0016506 A1 describes a lamination method in which an adhesive in structured form, e.g., in the form of parallel strands, is inserted between two panels to be bonded together to prevent air inclusions between the two panels.
DE 38 51 997 T2 describes a lamination method for laminating a plastic film to a pane of glass, using a cover film for the evacuation, said cover film having a roughened surface that is placed on the plastic film in such a way that it does not adhere to the surface of the plastic film and therefore facilitates the venting of air between the pane of glass and the plastic film.
DE 103 23 234 A1 describes a method for laminating a curved pane of glass for an automotive roof with a plastic film, whereby in one embodiment, a nonadhesive layer provided with a surface microstructure, in particular hard silk, being inserted between the plastic film and a mold before reducing the pressure in order to facilitate the escape of air between the mold and the plastic film, the surface microstructure being so fine that it is not replicated in the plastic film. In another embodiment, a strip of nonwoven glass material is inserted between the pane of glass and the plastic film in the edge area of the pane of glass before reducing the pressure to thereby facilitate the escape of air between the pane of glass and the plastic film. The glass nonwoven strip is located here in an area where there is no adhesive layer, which would otherwise ensure the bond between the plastic film and the pane of glass.
DE 35 11 396 A1 discloses a method for prepressing curved laminate sandwiches, two air-impermeable covers being in tight contact with one another and situated at a distance from the outside edge of the laminate sandwich, thereby forming a vacuum chamber for the laminate sandwich.
DE 30 44 717 C2 describes a method for manufacturing a curved window arrangement for a motor vehicle, with a thermoplastic layer being applied to one side of a curved pane of glass, said thermoplastic layer being covered by a sheathing with lateral bulges, whereby the bulge extends around the edge of the pane of glass and provides a seal in lamination on the other side of the pane of glass.
DE-OS 2 424 085 describes a method for manufacturing laminated safety glass in which a rubber elastic membrane is subjected to pressure in lamination, thereby pressing the plastic film that is to be laminated against the pane of glass.
German patent application 10 2004 034 175.3, which was not published previously, describes a lamination method for producing a curved window arrangement for a motor vehicle, using spacers between the cover film and the pane of glass or between the mold and the pane of glass.
The object of the present invention is to create a lamination method for manufacturing a curved window arrangement for a motor vehicle, wherein the highest possible optical quality of the laminated film composite is to be achieved, and in particular optical distortion in the film composite caused by air inclusions during the lamination process is to be prevented.
This object is achieved according to this invention by a method according to claim 1 and/or 20.
It is advantageous in general that by providing a flexible spacer between the cover film and the pane of glass, air inclusions during the lamination process can be reduced and/or prevented, so that no disturbances in the surface structure in the form of dimples or cavities which would be manifested as visible distortion occur in the laminated product.
In the approach according to claim 1, it is especially advantageous that the spacer and/or spacers come to lie not only between the cover film and the pane of glass but also at the same time between the mold and the pane of glass, so that the venting during the lamination process is additionally improved to prevent air inclusions. In particular due to the fact that the spacer is provided between the mold and the pane of glass, this prevents the mold from pressing too greatly on the edge of the cover film, thereby interfering with the venting of the area between the cover film and the mold.
In the approach according to claim 20, it is especially advantageous that by providing an edge area of the cover film which is easily separated because of perforations, this separable edge area acts as a spacer to a certain extent so that the actual edge of the cover film, i.e., the edge remaining after removal of the separable edge area is relieved of the pressure exerted by the mold, so that venting of the central, i.e., remaining area of the cover film is improved and the air inclusions, if any, are shifted into the separable edge area.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are derived from the subclaims.
The invention is illustrated in greater detail below on the basis of the accompanying figures as an example.
The bottom mold 16 may be heatable to achieve a good and defined temperature control of the lamination process. The curvature of the bottom mold 16 may conform to the curvature of the pane of glass 18 or may be less than that of the pane of glass 18.
The pane of glass 18 preferably has a spherical or double cylindrical curvature and it is produced from single pane safety glass. In the laminated state, the arrangement of panes of glass may then be used, for example, as a transparent roof element, e.g., as an adjustable transparent cover of an openable vehicle roof or as a fixed glass element or as the front windshield, rear windshield or side windows of a motor vehicle.
The adhesive layer 20 is preferably designed as a hot-melt adhesive film of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), PVB or EVA.
The cover film 22 may be made of PET or polycarbonate (PC) or PMMA, for example, and may serve to implement a shatterproof feature in the event of breakage of the pane of glass 18 or protection of electric function elements or function layers provided in the pane of glass from mechanical stress (e.g., shearing) and environmental influences. To do so, the cover film 22 is fixedly attached in its boundary area to the automotive body or to a mounting element that is also fixedly attached to the motor body. This may be accomplished by purely mechanical means, e.g., by a screw connection or by clamping, but preferably the cover film 22 is bonded to the vehicle body and/or mounting element in its boundary area or foamed with it in a foam border which serves to bond the pane of glass 18 to the vehicle body. In this way the cover film 22 remains under tension in breakage of the pane of glass 18 while preventing occupants from being through out of the vehicle on the one hand while also preventing objects from entering the vehicle while also retaining the splinters of the pane of glass 18.
Both the pane of glass 18 and the film composite 26 are preferably designed to be transparent and/or translucent.
The female mold 24 may be, for example, thin glass or a metal film, each being used in a form with a layer thickness of less than 1 mm. In the case of thin glass, preferably an alkali-free thin glass is used which can be chemically hardened to combine adequate flexibility of the female mold with adequate hardness. In particular, the thin glass may be so-called display glass which is generally used for electronic displays. The side of the thin glass female mold facing the film composite 26 may be coated with a metal layer which may be electrically grounded to prevent an electrostatic attraction of dust particles before pressing it onto the film composite 26. The coating of the female mold 24, however, may also be a so-called nano-coating which should prevent adhesion of the female mold 24 to the film composite 26 during the lamination operation, thus allowing a lateral displacement of the female mold 24 on the film composite 26 during the lamination process.
The female mold 24 is preferably a second pane of glass whose curvature is adapted to the curvature of the pane of glass 18 to be laminated.
If the female mold 24 is designed as a metal film, it is preferably polished to a high gloss to ensure a corresponding surface quality of the film composite 26 after lamination. Suitable materials include, for example, aluminum, brass or spring steel. Furthermore, the side of the metal film facing the film composite 26 may be coated in a suitable manner, e.g., by a high gloss tin plating.
To perform the lamination operation, the membrane 12 is lowered until the lower chamber 14 is sealed airtight. Then both the upper chamber 12 and the lower chamber 14 are evacuated. In particular, the air between the film composite 26 and the pane of glass 18 as well as the air between the female mold 24 and the film composite 26 is removed completely because the remaining air inclusions have a very annoying effect on the visual appearance of the laminate. The vacuum that is used may be a fine vacuum of approx. 50 mbar, for example. Measures are described below for achieving this evacuation as effectively as possible by means of spacers (not shown in
If an adequate vacuum has been reached in the lower chamber 14, the upper chamber 10 is aerated, i.e., brought to atmospheric pressure while the lower chamber 14 is evacuated further. This yields an excess pressure of approx. 1 bar with regard to the lower chamber, so that the membrane 12 presses at this pressure on the top side of the female mold 24, so the female mold 24 is pressed with its lower side against the film composite 26. At the same time, the actual lamination operation is then begun by heating the film composite 26 to an elevated temperature. This may be accomplished, for example, by means of a heatable bottom mold 16. If the hot-melt adhesive film 20 is polyurethane, for example, a temperature of approx. 95 to 150° C. is expedient, whereby the heating phase may last approx. 15 minutes and the temperature level is maintained for 30 to 45 minutes.
Next the film composite 26 is cooled to room temperature, whereupon the lower chamber 14 can be vented to remove the pane of glass 18, which has been laminated to the film composite 26, from the laminator. The female mold 24 is pulled off in the upward direction.
During the lamination operation, the laminator membrane 12 conforms to the female mold 24, which in turn assumes essentially the curvature of the precurved pane of glass 18 due to its flexibility. The pane of glass 18 is in turn held by the corresponding concave recess in the bottom mold 16, which corresponds in shape.
If a pressure of 1 bar is not sufficient for the lamination operation, the upper chamber 10 of the laminator may still be subjected to compressed air from a compressor at a pressure of up to 5 bar after aerating, so that the female mold 24 is then pressed against the film composite 26 at a pressure between 1 bar and 5 bar.
Essentially the lamination operation may also be performed in a circulating air oven or an autoclave instead of a laminator, in which case no bottom mold is used but instead the pane of glass 18 together with the film composite 26 and the female mold 24 is placed in a vacuum bag which is then sealed vacuum-tight and pumped out. The vacuum bag is then heated in the evacuated state in an autoclave or in a circulating air oven, e.g., to 95° C. to 150° C., and in the case of using an autoclave, it is acted upon with a pressure of 2 to 15 bar, for example, to perform the lamination operation. Use of a vacuum bag has the advantage that it can hold several panes simultaneously in the form of a sandwich (e.g., five panes stacked one above the other).
Instead of a vacuum bag, a so-called vacuum lip ring may also be used; in this case it is a tube having a slot on the inside and being pulled onto the pane of glass with the film composite, where the lips ensure a vacuum tightness so that the vacuum clip [sic; lip] ring can be evacuated like the vacuum bag.
Good evacuation of the space between the female mold 24 and the cover film 22 is crucial for achieving a good visual quality of the film composite 26 because air bubbles between the female mold 24 and the cover film 22 during the lamination operation can lead to permanent dimples in the surface of the cover film 22, which then act as optical lenses and distort the vision through the film composite 26. This is also true of the area between the hot-melt adhesive film 20 and the pane of glass 18, where air may remain visible in the form of bubbles.
In the edge section that is left clear, a spacer 30 is provided, situated between the cover film 22 and the pane 18 and preferably being flush with the outer edge of the separable edge area 38 on the outer edge and with the outer edge of the pane 18. The female mold 24 extends at least up to the outer edge of the separable edge area 38. The spacer 30 is designed so that it does not adhere either to the cover film 22 or the pane 18 and is preferably reusable. Suitable materials includes cardboard, plastic, e.g., Teflon or rubber products. Together with the separable edge area 38, the spacer 30 serves to prevent air bubbles in the central area 42 of the cover film 22, which could lead to disturbances in the surface structure in the form of dimples or cavities, which would be manifested as optical distortion. Such disturbances may also be in the form of a steeply rising part like a wall or a crater profile protruding from the surface of the cover film. The spacer 30 may be designed in a ring shape to surround the adhesive layer 20 on its outer edge and prevent penetration of the adhesive layer 20 into the edge area of the cover film 22. To this end, however, multiple strip-like elements of the spacer 30 may be provided, together forming a ring-shaped structure.
After the end of the lamination process, the spacer 30 is removed and the separable edge area 38 is separated by severing the webs 44 between the perforation slots 40 from the central area 42 of the cover film 22 and removing them. The undercut in the edge area of the central area 42 protruding beyond the adhesive layer 20 serves to improve the anchoring of the cover film 22 in the foam and/or adhesive to be applied later, with the undercut being filled with foam composition and/or adhesive.
The cover film 22 is preferably made of PET while the adhesive layer is preferably formed by PVB. The female mold 24 is preferably a pane of glass shaped according to the shape of the pane of glass 18.
The spacer 30 should be flexible enough to prevent breaking of the pane when pressure acts on it. After the pressure acts on it, the spacer 30 should have a thickness equal to the sum of the thickness of the adhesive layer 20 and the cover film 22.
The base part 50 of the spacer 30 may be made of cardboard or rubber, for example, while the upper part 54 is preferably made of the same material as the cover film 22, preferably PET.
The spacer 30 may be designed in a ring shape to surround the cover film 22 and the adhesive layer 20 on their outer edge. To this end, however, the spacer 30 may also consist of several elements in the form of strips which are placed side-by-side accordingly to form a ring-shaped configuration. Other embodiments are also conceivable, e.g., wherein the upper part 54 is fixedly joined to the bottom part 50 only in partial areas but is placed only loosely in other areas.
Furthermore, the second area of the spacer may be designed so that it is completely covered by the upper part 54 us [sic; and] thus has a greater thickness in the entire circumferential edge area than the first area and/or the base part 50 or the upper part 54 is provided only in partial areas of the circumferential edge area so that the second area 48 of the spacer has a greater thickness than the first area only in certain parts. An example of the latter embodiment is illustrated in
The concept illustrated in
In this case, the same material as the bottom layer 50 of the spacer 30 from
In all cases, the spacer 30 is designed so that it does not adhere to the cover film 22 or to the pane 18 or the female mold 24.
In the present invention, the spacers 30 should essentially be designed so that they ensure that the female mold 24 is not in full surface contact with the film composite 26 before lamination, i.e., without pressure acting via the female mold 24, so that at least at the beginning of evacuation, very good venting of air out of the inner space between the female mold 24 and the film composite 26 is possible at least at the start of evacuation, so that air inclusions can be prevented as much as possible. On the other hand, the spacers 30 should be flexible enough so they do not prevent the desired surface contact of the female mold 24 with the film composite 26 as the lamination process advances, i.e., with essentially complete evacuation and at the elevated temperatures used for the lamination operation. In other words under the conditions prevailing during lamination, the spacers 30 should be compressed so greatly due to the pressure exerted by the female mold 24 that the female mold 24 can then essentially be in surface contact with the film composite 26.
A hot-melt adhesive film 20 is applied to the first pane of glass 18A and then a cover film 22 is placed on top of that. A second suitably shaped pane of glass 18B is placed on the cover film 22 and serves as the female mold. The cover film 22 is designed in its edge area as in the embodiment according to
The pane 18B serves not only as a female mold for the pane 18A but also becomes part of another glass cover because the same structure is placed on the pane 18B as that on the pane 18A, namely an adhesive film 20, a cover film 22 and a spacer 30. A third pane of glass 24 is applied to the cover film 22 on the second pane of glass 18B, but in the examples shown here this third pane of glass serves only as a female mold and does not form an additional cover. Essentially, however, more than two panes of glass, e.g., up to ten may be stacked together, acting both as a female mold and as the pane of a cover.
The stacked panes are placed together in a vacuum bag 60, which is evacuated and placed in an autoclave or a circulating air oven to perform the heat treatment for laminating the cover films 22 onto the panes of glass 18A and 18B.
The manufacturing process can be accelerated as a whole by simultaneously laminating multiple panes of glass.
Instead of the structure illustrated in
10 upper laminator chamber
12 laminator membrane
14 bottom laminator chamber
16 bottom mold
18 pane of glass
18A pane of glass
18B pane of glass
20 hot-melt adhesive film
22 cover film
24 female mold
26 film composite of 20 and 22
30 spacer
38 separable edge area of 22
40 perforation
42 central area of 22
44 webs between 40
46 anchoring holes
48 thicker area of 30
50 thinner area and/or base part of 30
52 clear area in 54
54 upper part of 30
60 vacuum bag
62 securing flaps on 22
64 securing flaps on 22
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2005 024 857.8 | May 2005 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/DE2006/000924 | 5/30/2006 | WO | 00 | 10/31/2007 |