The present invention relates to the field of breaking out an inner shape in a glass sheet, for example with a view to forming an opening roof in a motor vehicle glazing that forms a roof or else for example a pivoting glazed opening within a motor vehicle side glazing, such as on certain sliding doors.
A first known technique consists in cutting out the inner shape by means of a waterjet (
The inner shape must be cut out from another glass sheet (
One drawback of this process is that the inner shape must be destroyed. In addition, the waterjet cutting process is slow.
Another faster process consists in using cutting with break-out.
There are two successive operations:
But this technique also has the drawback of destroying the inner shape. It is necessary to cut out and finish an inner shape (
One objective of the invention is to facilitate the cutting of an inner shape in a glass sheet.
For this purpose, one subject of the invention is a process for breaking out an inner shape in a glass sheet intended to form a glazing, comprising:
This process makes it possible to retain the inner shape and to use it as an opening of complementary shape for the window made in the glass sheet. This reduces the production cost.
In addition, the process is fast.
This break-out technique also has the advantage of being able to be incorporated into an existing line.
According to particular embodiments, the process additionally has one or more of the following features, taken alone or in any technically possible combination:
Another subject of the invention is a machine for breaking out an inner shape in a glass sheet intended to form a glazing, comprising:
The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, given solely by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the following figures:
It should be noted that, throughout the text, the term “inner shape” is understood to mean a shape, the contour of which is a closed line and which is on the inside with respect to the peripheral contour of the glass sheet.
It should also be noted that the glass sheet to be cut is typically a “blank”. In order to produce a blank, generally glass sheets of rectangular or trapezoidal shape, which are referred to as “blanks”, are firstly cut from jumbo or lehr-end size glass sheets. These are glass sheets having a shape which is a convex polygon containing the final glazing to be produced while leaving around the entire perimeter a “trim” sufficient for carrying out the optional breaking-off of the edges. As a variant, it is a ready-to-shape glass sheet, i.e. the shape of which corresponds substantially to the final shape of the glazing. It is however, generally, a glass sheet of any suitable type, even if it is preferably a flat glass sheet.
It should also be noted that the jumbo and lehr-end size glass sheets are glass sheets obtained on the line for manufacturing a ribbon of float glass.
The scoring of the cutting line is, for example, carried out using a glass-cutting wheel 8 or any other suitable cutting instrument, such as for example a laser. The cutting line 2 is a crack intended to enable the breaking along this line during the break-out step. It is therefore a partial cut, i.e. only over a portion of the thickness of the glass sheet. This is what a “cutting line” is understood to mean throughout the text.
The peripheral shape 10 is itself maintained in its initial state, the deformation thereof by bending being prevented (or only limited) by a suitable holding means, such as a suction means, associated with a bearing means that bears the peripheral shape, as explained in greater detail below.
The differential bending of the inner shape 6 relative to the outer shape 10, simultaneously over the whole of the contour of the inner shape, achieves the break-out and makes it possible to separate the edges of the inner shape from the inner contour of the peripheral shape, which facilitates the extraction of the inner shape.
The extraction of the inner shape 6 is for example carried out in a direction opposite to that of the bending, as illustrated by
In the example from
The glass sheet is then transferred by any suitable means to a break-out station, more particularly to a support table 12 that forms bearing means for the glass sheet.
In the three examples from
As a variant however, in particular as illustrated by the example from
The inner seal 14 makes it possible to create a zone of low pressure (P−−) between the peripheral shape 10 and the support table 12, thus acting as convex bending means (see
Owing to the additional presence of the outer seal 16, a partial vacuum (P−) may be created in the zone opposite the peripheral shape 10, so as to keep the peripheral shape flat, i.e. form a holding means that counters the bending deformation by the deformation means applied to the inner shape 6. A suction device (not represented) is also incorporated into the support table 12 for this purpose.
The outer seal is however optional should the peripheral shape 10 be held mechanically, for example by applying a flat counter-form to the peripheral shape (variant not represented).
It should also be noted that, as a variant that is not represented, no means for keeping flat, in opposition to the convex bending deformation, is provided, in particular should the peripheral shape be of large size and the effect of gravity on the peripheral shape (or the effect of gravity on the inner shape in the second embodiment) be sufficient to obtain the desired differential deformation between the inner shape 6 and the peripheral shape 10.
In
In the second example from
The peripheral shape is still kept flat by suction.
In the third example from
The extraction then takes place by suction of the inner shape onto the convex counter-form 18 that was used for the break-out, thus forming a means for maintaining the bending.
In the second embodiment illustrated by
In this example, the deformation means for the break-out is a suction means, the support table 12 forming, between the two seals 14, 16, a low-pressure zone sufficient to deform the peripheral shape 10. The inner shape 6 is itself subjected to a sufficient low-pressure zone for the holding thereof in opposition to the bending deformation.
The extraction of the inner shape is carried out, for example, by a suction table, whilst the convex bending of the peripheral shape 10 is maintained by suction.
It should be noted that, as a variant, in both embodiments, the bending could be carried out upward, for example if the glass sheet was held in the air by suction. The cutting line 2 would in this case be on the underside of the glass sheet.
The machine illustrated schematically in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1463467 | Dec 2014 | FR | national |
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/540,832 filed Jun. 29, 2017, which is the U.S. National Stage of PCT/FR2015/053686 filed on Dec. 21, 2015, which in turn claims priority to French patent application number 1463467 filed Dec. 31, 2014. The content of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
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Entry |
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International Preliminary Report on Patentability and then Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority as issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/FR2015/053686, dated Jul. 4, 2017. |
International Search Report as issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/FR2015/053686, dated Mar. 23, 2016. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200079677 A1 | Mar 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15540832 | US | |
Child | 16688143 | US |