Sealing and de-stacking

Abstract

When being sealed, insulating glass blanks ( 5 ) are held in a sealing station ( 2 ) gripped at the base by grippers ( 17 ) of a gripper arrangement ( 16 ) and/or by suction heads ( 15 ) and rest at the top against a roller beam ( 7 ) fitted with rollers ( 8 ). As the insulating glass blank ( 5 ) is sealed, only the nozzle ( 11 ) of a sealing assembly ( 10 ) moves along the outer edge of the insulating glass blank ( 5 ), which is stationary during the sealing process. When the lower edge of an insulating glass blank ( 5 ) is sealed, grippers ( 17 ) engaging the lower edge are released and move away downwards. Sealed insulating glass is removed from the sealing station ( 2 ) by a removal robot ( 24 ) onto the side opposite the sealing assembly ( 10 ), moved to a temporary store and placed therein on A-bearing supports ( 29 ) and fan frames ( 30 ) sorted according to production lots.

1 . Method for sealing insulating glass blanks by means of at least one filling nozzle, which is moved along the edge of the insulating glass blank, whereby sealing compound from the filling nozzle is introduced into the edge seam, open toward the outside, of the insulating glass blank, characterized in that during sealing, the insulating glass blank is held only in the areas of its upper edge and its lower edge. 
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein during sealing, the insulating glass blank is held in the area of its upper edge by a beam that is fitted with rollers. 
     
     
         3 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein during sealing, the insulating glass blank is held in the area of its lower edge by suction devices that are loaded with underpressure. 
     
     
         4 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein during sealing, the insulating glass blank is held in the area of its lower edge by gripper assemblies clamping on the insulating glass blank. 
     
     
         5 . Method according to  claim 4 , wherein the grippers of the gripper assemblies engage the glass pane of the insulating glass blank resting on the latter from below. 
     
     
         6 . Method according to  claim 4 , wherein the grippers of the gripper assembly engage glass panes of the insulating glass blank only in the area of the outer edges of the edge of the glass panes. 
     
     
         7 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein during sealing, the insulating glass blank is stationary in the sealing station and only the sealing nozzle is moved. 
     
     
         8 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealed insulating glass blank is removed from the sealing station in the direction away from the sealing nozzle. 
     
     
         9 . Method according to  claim 4 , wherein grippers of the gripper assembly are removed, in particular lowered, from the lower edge of the insulating glass blank, while the sealing nozzle moves through the area in which grippers are arranged. 
     
     
         10 . Method for temporarily storing sealed insulating glass, in particular insulating glass sealed according to a method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein insulating glass is stored in an intermediate storage unit, sorted according to production lots. 
     
     
         11 . Method according to  claim 10 , wherein insulating glass is removed from the intermediate storage unit, sorted according to order lots. 
     
     
         12 . Method according to  claim 10 , wherein insulating glass is temporarily stored with uniformly wide spacers in an area of the intermediate storage unit, in particular at least one A-bearing support, and wherein insulating glass with spacers with widths deviating from usual widths is temporarily stored in a second area of the intermediate storage unit, in particular in at least one compartment rack. 
     
     
         13 . Device for carrying out the method according to  claim 1 , wherein in the sealing station ( 2 ), a sealing assembly ( 10 ) that can move up and down essentially vertically on a guide beam ( 13 ) is provided with at least one sealing nozzle ( 11 ), wherein the guide beam ( 13 ) can move horizontally, and wherein for holding an insulating glass blank ( 5 ) in the sealing station ( 2 ), supporting and holding systems ( 7 ,  15 ,  16 ) engaging only in the area of the lower edge and in the area of the upper edge of an insulating glass blank ( 5 ) are provided. 
     
     
         14 . Device according to  claim 13 , wherein the supporting or holding system engaging the upper edge of the insulating glass blank ( 5 ) and provided in the upper area of the sealing station ( 2 ) is a roller beam ( 7 ) that is fitted with rollers ( 8 ). 
     
     
         15 . Device according to  claim 14 , wherein the rollers ( 8 ) are mounted to rotate freely on the beam ( 9 ) of the roller beam ( 7 ) around essentially vertical shafts. 
     
     
         16 . Device according to  claim 13 , wherein the supporting or holding systems ( 15 ,  16 ) are provided in the lower area of the sealing station ( 2 ) in the area of a supply conveyor ( 3 ). 
     
     
         17 . Device according to  claim 16 , wherein the lower holding system is a series of suction devices ( 15 ) that can be loaded with under pressure. 
     
     
         18 . Device according to  claim 16 , wherein the lower holding system is at least one gripper assembly ( 16 ). 
     
     
         19 . Device according to  claim 13 , wherein the lower holding system ( 15 ,  16 ) can be removed, in particular lowered, from its position assigned to the lower edge. 
     
     
         20 . Device according to  claim 18 , wherein the gripper assembly ( 16 ) has at least two grippers ( 17 ) with two gripper jaws ( 18 ) each, which can be clamped on the lower edge of an insulating glass blank ( 5 ). 
     
     
         21 . Device according to  claim 13 , wherein a removal robot ( 24 ), which is arranged on the side opposite the sealing assembly ( 10 ), is assigned to the sealing station ( 2 ). 
     
     
         22 . Device according to  claim 21 , wherein the removal robot ( 24 ) has a panel of suction devices ( 25 ) that can be loaded with under pressure. 
     
     
         23 . Device according to  claim 21 , wherein the removal robot ( 24 ) can be shifted between a position assigned to the sealing station ( 2 ) and a position assigned to an intermediate storage unit ( 26 ). 
     
     
         24 . Device according to  claim 23 , wherein the removal robot ( 24 ) can be shifted from the position assigned to the sealing station ( 2 ) into the position assigned to the intermediate storage unit ( 26 ) by moving along a guide rail ( 31 ). 
     
     
         25 . Device according to  claim 23 , wherein the removal robot ( 24 ) can pivot around an essentially vertical shaft from the position assigned to the sealing station ( 2 ) into the position assigned to the intermediate storage unit ( 26 ). 
     
     
         26 . Device according to  claim 22 , wherein the panel of the removal robot ( 24 ) fitted with suction devices ( 25 ) is arranged on a slot ( 32 ) via an arm ( 28 ) that can be bent around several shafts, and said slot can move on a horizontal guide rail ( 31 ). 
     
     
         27 . Device according to  claim 25 , wherein the removal robot ( 24 ) is mounted to pivot around an essentially vertical shaft on a tower ( 27 ) via an arm ( 28 ) that can be bent around several shafts. 
     
     
         28 . Intermediate storage unit for use in a method according to  claim 10 , characterized by two groups of storage units ( 20 ,  30 ) for sealed insulating glass. 
     
     
         29 . Intermediate storage unit according to  claim 28 , wherein a part of the intermediate storage unit ( 26 ) has A-bearing supports ( 29 ). 
     
     
         30 . Intermediate storage unit according to  claim 28 , wherein another part of the intermediate storage unit ( 26 ) has compartment racks or compartment frames ( 30 ). 
     
     
         31 . Intermediate storage unit according to  claim 30 , wherein the support elements ( 35 ) of the compartment frame ( 30 ) engaging insulating glass have support elements ( 35 ) with V-shaped cut-outs. 
     
     
         32 . Intermediate storage unit according to  claim 30 , wherein the compartment frames ( 30 ) have elements, which can be shifted crosswise to the plane of the compartments, for holding insulating glass.