초록 ▼

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for laminating glass articles without using an autoclave. The sandwich structure to be laminated is preheated than is placed in a controllable vacuum and subjected to electromagnetic radiation with specified frequencies and power. The final heating is

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for laminating glass articles without using an autoclave. The sandwich structure to be laminated is preheated than is placed in a controllable vacuum and subjected to electromagnetic radiation with specified frequencies and power. The final heating is provided by convectional heat source. Pressure that is applied continuously during the radiating, heating and cooling steps is also specified for achieving an appropriate bond. An apparatus appropriate for realizing the invented process is also provided. The apparatus includes a loading table, three furnaces, and a cooling chamber which are adjusted to and adjoined to each to other. These parts provide the necessary conditions for high-quality laminating simple and multi-sandwich structures with high production rate and efficiency. The apparatus is inexpensive and fits into the space of two glass article lengths.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A method for laminating glass articles, comprising: assembling a sandwich structure consisting of at least two glass articles separated by at least one laminating film; preheating at least one selected area of the articles to a temperature of approximately 55° C. to approximately 75° C

We claim: 1. A method for laminating glass articles, comprising: assembling a sandwich structure consisting of at least two glass articles separated by at least one laminating film; preheating at least one selected area of the articles to a temperature of approximately 55° C. to approximately 75° C. by a convectional heat source with uniformity over the articles outside surfaces of better than 5° C.; subjecting said sandwich structure to a vacuum pressure of at least 20 kPa; irradiating first at least one selected area of said sandwich structure by electromagnetic radiation with a frequency to provide heating with uniformity over the surface over the surface of an article facing a radiation source of better than 5° C.; and having a power density sufficient to heat the glass articles to a temperature of approximately 95° C. to approximately 105° C. with a heating rate of approximately 0.5° C./sec to approximately 5° C./sec; maintaining the sandwich under vacuum without irradiating for a time sufficient for equalizing the articles and film temperatures; irradiating second at least one selected area of said sandwich structure by electromagnetic radiation to provide heating with uniformity of the glass article surface facing the radiation source of better than 5° C.; and having a power density sufficient to heat the glass articles to a temperature of approximately 120° C. to approximately 135° C. with a heating rate of approximately 0.5° C./sec to approximately 5° C./sec; subjecting said sandwich structure to an atmospheric pressure and heating, at least one selected area of the articles by a convectional heat source to a predetermined film bonding temperature for selected adhesion; applying pressure in a continuous manner during the irradiations, while maintaining the sandwich under the vacuum and heating, which is selected to be P(in Pa) about 14×{remaining partial pressure of air and moisture seepage from the film at the end of the heating}1/2 (in Pa)×exp {0.3×(150° C. minus selected bonding temperature)} (in °C.)×{a moisture content of the film material} (in percent by weight); and cooling said heated area under the selected pressure whereby an appropriate bond is obtained between said laminating film and said glass articles in at least said selected area. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sandwich is oscillated during preheating, irradiation, maintaining the sandwich under the vacuum, and heating. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein spaced rollers create the pressure. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the oscillating amplitude is equal to the distance between the rollers. 5. The method according to claim 2 wherein the applied pressure is created by a set of floated rollers that are uniformly spread over the sandwich with a distance between them of approximately 25 glass article thicknesses to approximately 50 glass article thicknesses. 6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the oscillating amplitude is equal to the distance between the rollers. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic radiation with said frequency is selected from a high frequency microwave radiation band range. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic radiation with said frequency is selected from the infrared band range. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-heating by a convectional heat source is performed at a separate site. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the irradiating under a maintained vacuum is performed at a separate site in a hermetic chamber. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating by convectional heat source is performed at a separate site. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein cooling is performed at a separate site. the distance between the rollers. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the convectional heat source is hot gaseous matter. 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time of keeping the sandwich under the vacuum without the irradiating is equal to about the ratio of the glass article thickness in the second power to the glass article temperature conductivity. 15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sandwich structure consists of a previously processed and cooled sandwich structure and one additional glass article that is separated from the processed structure by at least one additional laminating film. 16. An apparatus for laminating a sandwich structure consisting of at least two glass articles separated by at least one laminating film comprising: a loading table with a conveyor for positioning the structure on the table and for movement from the table into a first furnace; said first furnace having a conveyor for conveying said structure from the table to inside the furnace and conveying said structure out of the first furnace as well as oscillating the structure, and a source of convectional heating for at least one selected area of the glass article surfaces to a temperature of approximately 55° C. to approximately 75° C. with uniformity of better than 5 C, a second furnace having a hermetic chamber connected to a vacuum system that provides a vacuum of at least 20 kPa and having a conveyor for conveying said structure from the first furnace to inside the hermetic chamber and conveying said structure out of the second furnace, as well as oscillating the structure, a set of electromagnetic radiation emitters that provide heating for at least one selected area of the glass articles to a temperature of approximately 135° C. with a heating rate of approximately 0.5° C./sec to approximately 5° C./sec; a radiation means for providing controllable distribution of electromagnetic radiation with uniformity over the area surface better than 5° C., a pressure means for applying a selected pressure in Pa that is about 14×{remaining partial pressure of air and moisture seepage from the film at the end of the heating}1/2 (in Pa)×exp {0.3×(150° C. minus selected bonding temperature)} (in °C.)×{a moisture content of the film material} (in percent by weight) to the heated structure area continuously during the heating and oscillating; a third furnace having a conveyor for conveying the structure from the second furnace and conveying said structure out of the third furnace as well as oscillating the structure, a source of convectional heating to heat at least one selected area of the glass article surfaces and the film to a predetermined film bonding temperature for selected adhesion, and pressure means for applying the selected pressure to the selected area continuously during the heating and oscillating; and a chamber for cooling said sandwich as processed that is adjacent to the third furnace and having not less than three intakes whereby each intake is presented in turn to the third furnace exit by a vertical conveyor, and each of said intakes having a horizontal conveyor for conveying the processed structure from the third furnace into and out of the intake, and a pressure means for applying the selected pressure applied during heating, and a cooling system for reducing the temperature of said sandwich temperature to a selected safe level. 17. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein the pressure means for applying the selected pressure includes floating rollers. 18. The apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein the rollers are positioned in the direction of the conveyor movement with a distance between them of approximately 25 glass article thicknesses to approximately 50 glass article thicknesses that provides the pressing of said sandwich by at least by two rollers simultaneously at any time and have a distance between them of not more than approximately 25 glass article thicknesses to approximately 50 glass article thicknesses in perpendicular to the conveyor movement. 19. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein said source of convectional heating is a set of nozzles blowing hot gaseous matter. 20. The apparatus defined in claim 19, wherein the cooling system includes a set of fans. 21. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein said electromagnetic radiation emitters include electrodynamic metal mirrors that transmit and shape the microwave radiation. 22. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein said electromagnetic radiation emitters are short wave infrared lamps. 23. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein said electromagnetic radiation emitters are medium wave infrared lamps. 24. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein said electromagnetic wave radiation emitters are long wave infrared lamps. 25. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein the radiation means for providing controllable distribution of the radiation includes a controller for individually activating the emitters. 26. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein the radiation means for providing controllable distribution of electromagnetic radiation includes infrared reflectors with high reflection coatings. 27. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein the pressure means for applying the selected pressure includes rollers. 28. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein the emitters are fixed between rollers and the sandwich structure is oscillated by the chamber conveyor during heating. 29. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein the hermetic chamber has a retractable roof. 30. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein the hermetic chamber has hermetic gates. 31. The apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitters are a combination of infrared lamps.