IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0472110
(2009-05-26)
|
등록번호 |
US-8235076
(2012-08-07)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Coignet, Philippe A.
- Tromeur, Pascal J.
- Wang, Justin J.
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출원인 / 주소 |
- American Air Liquide, Inc.
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대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
11 |
초록
▼
An enclosure is filled with a filling gas according to the disclosed method. An enclosure is provided having an interior, a width, a height, a thickness, and fluid filling and exit holes fluidly communicating with the interior. Filling of the enclosure is commenced by directing a flow of the filling
An enclosure is filled with a filling gas according to the disclosed method. An enclosure is provided having an interior, a width, a height, a thickness, and fluid filling and exit holes fluidly communicating with the interior. Filling of the enclosure is commenced by directing a flow of the filling gas at a filling flow rate into the fluid filling hole. An oxygen concentration of gas exiting the fluid exit hole is sensed. The filling of the enclosure is stopped when the sensed oxygen concentration reaches a threshold concentration, wherein the threshold oxygen concentration and/or the filling flow rate are selected by a Decision Support Tool based upon the width, height, and/or the thickness.
대표청구항
▼
1. A method of filling an enclosure with a filling gas, comprising the steps of: providing an enclosure having an interior, a width, a height, a thickness, and fluid filling and exit holes fluidly communicating with the interior;commencing filling of the enclosure by directing a flow of the filling
1. A method of filling an enclosure with a filling gas, comprising the steps of: providing an enclosure having an interior, a width, a height, a thickness, and fluid filling and exit holes fluidly communicating with the interior;commencing filling of the enclosure by directing a flow of the filling gas at a filling flow rate into the fluid filling hole;sensing an oxygen concentration of gas exiting the fluid exit hole; and stopping said filling of the enclosure when the sensed oxygen concentration reaches a threshold concentration, wherein the threshold oxygen concentration and/or the filling flow rate are selected by a Decision Support Tool based upon the width, height, and/or the thickness, the method further comprising the steps of:causing the height and/or width to be inputted to a controller;selecting the filling flow rate with the controller, wherein the Decision Support Tool is an algorithm written to the controller. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold oxygen concentration is predetermined and the filling flow rate is selected by the Decision Support Tool based upon the width, height, and/or the thickness. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the filling flow rate is predetermined and the threshold oxygen concentration is selected by the Decision Support Tool based upon the width, height, and/or the thickness. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein both the filling flow rate and the threshold oxygen concentration are selected by the Decision Support Tool based upon the width, height, and/or the thickness. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of: predetermining a minimum concentration of the filling gas to be obtained inside the enclosure;predetermining a maximum percent loss of the filling gas to occur during said filling, wherein the filling flow rate and threshold oxygen concentration selected by the Decision Support tool are further based upon the predetermined minimum concentration and predetermined maximum percent loss. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of predetermining a minimum concentration of the filling gas to be obtained inside the enclosure, wherein the filling flow rate or threshold oxygen concentration selected by the Decision Support Tool is further based upon the predetermined minimum filling gas concentration. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of predetermining a maximum percent loss of the filling gas to occur during said filling, wherein the filling flow rate or threshold oxygen concentration selected by the Decision Support Tool is further based upon the predetermined maximum percent loss. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of predetermining a maximum filling duration defined by a time interval between said commencement and stopping of the filling, wherein the filling flow rate or threshold oxygen concentration selected by the Decision Support Tool is further based upon the predetermined maximum filling duration. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the Decision Support Tool selects the flow rate of the filling gas based the width, height, and/or the thickness and a composition of the filling gas. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is an insulated glass unit comprising at least two square, triangular, semicircular or rectangular glass panes aligned with and parallel to one another and a sealing structure extending around a periphery of the panes and over an interpane space defined by the panes, the fluid filling and exit holes being formed in the sealing structure adjacent opposite corners of the sealing structure. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein during said filling of the enclosure a bottom edge of the enclosure forms an angle a with respect to horizontal, said angle a being in a range of from 1° to 179°, the fluid exit hole being higher vertically than the fluid filling hole. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein a is in a range of from 5° to 175°. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the oxygen concentration is sensed by an optically-based oxygen sensor. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein a response time of the sensor is less than 1 second. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the sensor is disposed inside, or adjacent to, the fluid exit hole. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the filling gas is selected from the group consisting of Argon, Argon-enriched air, Neon, Neon-enriched air, Krypton, Krypton-enriched air, Xenon, Xenon-enriched air, and mixtures thereof. 17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a vacuum to the fluid exit hole, wherein: the threshold oxygen concentration is selected by the Decision Support Tool based upon the width, height, and/or the thickness;the filling flow rate is predetermined based upon a filling flow rate selected by an operator that compensates for the increase in the flow of filling gas through the enclosure that is produced by said vacuum application. 18. A system for filling an enclosure with a filling gas, comprising: a filling lance adapted to be inserted into a fluid filling hole formed in one end of the enclosure;an oxygen sensor disposed adjacent a fluid exit hole formed in an opposite end of the enclosure; anda controller being written with an algorithm, said controller being adapted to: receive an oxygen concentration sensed by said oxygen sensor,have a height, width and/or a thickness of the enclosure be inputted,select a flow rate of the filling gas during filling of the enclosure and/or a threshold oxygen concentration, said selection being based upon the height, width and/or a thickness of the enclosure to be filled that is inputted to the controller, the selection being performed by the algorithm, andstop filling of the enclosure by said filling lance once the oxygen concentration sensed by said oxygen sensor reaches the threshold oxygen concentration that is either selected by the algorithm or predetermined and inputted to the controller by an operator. 19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a source of filling gas fluidly communicating with said filling lance, said filling gas being selected from the group consisting of Argon, Argon-enriched air, Neon, Neon-enriched air, Krypton, Krypton-enriched air, Xenon, Xenon-enriched air, and mixtures thereof. 20. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is further adapted to have a filling parameter inputted by an operator thereinto, said filling parameter being selected from the group consisting of a minimum concentration of the filling gas to be obtained in the enclosure, a maximum percent loss of the filling gas to occurs during filling, a maximum filling duration defined by a time interval between commencement and stopping of filling the enclosure with the filling gas, and a composition of the filling gas, wherein the flow rate is further based upon said filling parameter. 21. The method of claim 18, further comprising a vacuum tube and a vacuum pump in vacuum communication with said tube, said sensor being at least partially disposed within said vacuum tube, said tube being adapted to be placed in vacuum communication with the fluid exit hole.
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