US2017291842A1PendingUtilityA1
Laminated glazing
Est. expiryAug 27, 2034(~8.1 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
C03B 23/03B32B 17/10036B32B 17/10761C03B 2225/02B32B 17/1055B32B 17/10889Y02P40/50
56
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Claims
Abstract
Methods of making a laminated glazing having reduced optical distortion when installed in a vehicle are described. The laminated glazing has first and second sheets of glazing material each separately shaped between a pair of shaping members that are then laminated together. The position for bending the first sheet of glazing material may be deliberately offset from the position for bending the second sheet of glazing material. During the lamination step, the first sheet of glazing material may be displaced relative to the second sheet of glazing material by a lateral and/or longitudinal positional displacement. The first and/or second sheet of glazing material may have been cut such that after lamination at least a portion of the peripheral edges thereof are aligned. Apparatus for shaping a sheet of glazing material for carrying out the aforementioned methods is also described, as is a resulting laminated glazing.
Claims
exact text as granted — not AI-modified1 . A method of making a laminated glazing comprising the steps:
(i) transporting a first sheet of glazing material in a first direction between a pair of shaping members; (ii) positioning the first sheet of glazing material with positioning means such that the first sheet of glazing material is at a first position for bending between the pair of shaping members; (iii) shaping the first sheet of glazing material between the pair of shaping members; (iv) transporting the first sheet of glazing material away from between the pair of shaping members; (v) transporting a second sheet of glazing material between the pair of shaping members; (vi) positioning the second sheet of glazing material with positioning means such that the second sheet of glazing material is at a second position for bending between the pair of shaping members, (vii) shaping the second sheet of glazing material between the pair of shaping members, (viii) transporting the second sheet of glazing material away from between the pair of shaping members; and (ix) using suitable lamination conditions to laminate the first sheet of glazing material to the second sheet of glazing material via at least one adhesive sheet, wherein the first position for bending is deliberately offset from the second position for bending.
2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first position for bending and the second position for bending are selected such that the first and second sheets of glazing material, when shaped in steps (iii) and (vii) respectively are able to be suitably paired to make the laminated glazing in step (ix).
3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning means has a longitudinal tolerance in a direction parallel to the first direction such that a reference point on a reference sheet of glazing material is positionable at a target location in a direction parallel to the first direction to within the longitudinal tolerance.
4 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the magnitude of the longitudinal tolerance is less than 2.0 mm, preferably less than 1.0 mm.
5 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the positioning means has a lateral tolerance in a direction perpendicular to the first direction such that a reference point on a reference sheet of glazing material is positionable at a target location in a direction parallel to the first direction to within the lateral tolerance.
6 . A method according to claim 5 , wherein the magnitude of the lateral tolerance is less than 2.0 mm, preferably less than 1.0 mm.
7 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first position is offset from the second position by a lateral displacement being greater than the magnitude of the lateral tolerance and/or a longitudinal displacement being greater than the magnitude of the longitudinal tolerance.
8 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein when the first sheet of glazing material is at the first position the positioning means are in a first configuration and when the second sheet of glazing material is at the second position the positioning means are in a second configuration.
9 . A method according to claim 8 , wherein when the positioning means are in the first configuration, a reference point on a reference sheet of glazing material positioned by the positioning means between the pair of shaping members is at a first location, and when the positioning means are in the second configuration, the reference point on the reference sheet of glazing material positioned by the positioning means between the pair of shaping members is at a second location, further wherein the first location of the reference point on the reference sheet of glazing material is displaced relative to the second location of the reference point on the reference sheet of glazing material by a lateral displacement being greater than the magnitude of the lateral tolerance and/or a longitudinal displacement being greater than the magnitude of the longitudinal tolerance.
10 . A method according to claim 9 , wherein the lateral positional displacement is the same as the lateral displacement.
11 . A method according to claim 9 , wherein the longitudinal positional displacement is the same as the longitudinal displacement.
12 . A method according to claim 9 , wherein the lateral displacement and/or longitudinal displacement is less than
m
×
d
×
tan
(
sin
-
1
(
1
n
×
sin
θ
h
,
v
)
)
,
where d is the Intended thickness of the laminated glazing in millimetres, n is the refractive index of the first and/or second sheet of glazing material at 540 nm and θ is the Intended installation angle of the laminated glazing and m is less than or equal to 5, preferably m is less than or equal to 4, more preferably m is less than or equal to 3, even more preferably m is less than or equal to 2.
13 . A method according to claim 9 , wherein the lateral displacement and/or longitudinal displacement is less than
d
×
tan
(
sin
-
1
(
1
n
×
sin
θ
)
)
glazing in millimetres, n is the refractive Index of the first and/or second sheet of glazing material at 540 nm and θ is the intended installation angle of the laminated glazing.
14 . A method according to claim 9 , wherein the lateral displacement and/or longitudinal positional displacement is between
3
/
2
×
d
×
tan
(
sin
-
1
(
1
n
×
sin
θ
)
)
and
1
/
2
×
d
×
tan
(
sin
-
1
(
1
n
×
sin
θ
)
)
where d is the intended thickness of the laminated glazing in millimetres, n is the refractive Index of the first and/or second sheet of glazing material at 540 nm and θ is the intended installation angle of the laminated glazing.
15 . A method according to claim 12 , wherein d is between 2 mm and 10 mm.
16 . A method according to claim 12 , wherein n is between 1.5 and 1.8, preferably 1.52.
17 . A method according to claim 12 , wherein θ is between 20° and 80°, preferably between 50° and 70°.
18 . A method of manufacturing a laminated glazing comprising:
(i) transporting a first sheet of glazing material in a first direction between a pair of shaping members; (ii) positioning the first sheet of glazing material with positioning means such that the first sheet of glazing material is at a first position for bending between the pair of shaping members; (iii) shaping the first sheet of glazing material between the pair of shaping members; (iv) transporting the first sheet of glazing material away from between the first pair of shaping members; (v) transporting a second sheet of glazing material between the pair of shaping members; (vi) positioning the second sheet of glazing material with positioning means such that the second sheet of glazing material is at a second position for bending between the pair of shaping members; (vii) shaping the second sheet of glazing material between the pair of shaping members; (viii) transporting the second sheet of glazing material away from between the first pair of shaping members; and (vii) laminating the first sheet of glazing material to the second sheet of glazing material via at least one adhesive sheet, and when the first sheet of glazing material is positioned relative to the second sheet of glazing material during the laminating, the first sheet of glazing material is displaced relative to the second sheet of glazing material by a lateral positional displacement and/or a longitudinal position displacement.
19 . A method according to claim 18 , wherein the positioning means has a longitudinal tolerance in a direction parallel to the first direction such that a reference point on a reference sheet of glazing material is positionable at a target location in a direction parallel to the first direction to within the longitudinal tolerance.
20 . A method according to claim 19 , wherein the positioning means has a lateral tolerance in a direction perpendicular to the first direction such that the reference point on the reference sheet of glazing material is positionable at the target location in a direction parallel to the first direction to within the lateral tolerance.
21 . A method according to claim 19 , wherein the first position is the same as the second position to within the lateral tolerance and/or the longitudinal tolerance.
22 . A method of manufacturing a laminated glazing comprising:
(i) transporting a first sheet of glazing material between a pair of shaping members; (ii) positioning the first sheet of glazing material with positioning means such that the first sheet of glazing material is at a first position for bending between the pair of shaping members; (iii) shaping the first sheet of glazing material between the pair of shaping members; (iv) transporting the first sheet of glazing material away from between the pair of shaping members; (v) transporting a second sheet of glazing material between the pair of shaping members; (vi) positioning the second sheet of glazing material with positioning means such that the second sheet of glazing material is in a second position between the pair of shaping members; (vii) shaping the second sheet of glazing material between the pair of shaping members; (viii) transporting the second sheet of glazing material away from between the pair of shaping members; and (ix) laminating the first sheet of glazing material to the second sheet of glazing material via at least one adhesive sheet, and when the first sheet of glazing material is positioned relative to the second sheet of glazing material during the laminating, the first sheet of glazing material is displaced relative to the second sheet of glazing material and wherein the first sheet of glazing material and/or the second sheet of glazing material have been cut such that after lamination at least a portion of the peripheral edges of the first and/or second sheets of glazing material are aligned.
23 . A method according to claim 22 , wherein the first and/or second sheet of glazing material has been cut prior to being shaped, such that if the first and second sheets of glazing material were shaped in a conventional manner they would not form a congruent pair.
24 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second sheet of glazing material is a glass sheet, in particular a soda-lime-silica glass sheet.
25 . Apparatus for shaping a sheet of glazing material, in particular a glass sheet, the apparatus comprising:
(i) a pair of shaping members, (II) means for transporting the sheet of glazing material between the pair of shaping members and (iii) positioning means for positioning the sheet of glazing material at a position for bending between the pair of shaping members, wherein the positioning means has a lateral tolerance and a longitudinal tolerance; and (iv) control means for controlling the configuration of the positioning means, wherein the control means is able to place the positioning means in a first configuration, such that with the positioning means in the first configuration, a reference sheet of glazing material is positionable between the pair of shaping members and a reference point on the reference sheet of glazing material is at a first lateral position and/or a first longitudinal position, and wherein the control means is able to place the positioning means in a second configuration, such that with the positioning means in the second configuration, the reference sheet of glazing material is positionable between the pair of shaping members and the reference point on the reference sheet of glazing material is at a second lateral position and/or a second longitudinal position, the first lateral position being displaced relative to the second lateral position by more than the lateral tolerance and/or the first longitudinal position being displaced relative to the second longitudinal position by more than the longitudinal tolerance.
26 . A laminated glazing comprising at least two sheets of glazing material (a first sheet of glazing material and a second sheet of glazing material), joined by an interlayer structure comprising at least one (a first) sheet of adhesive interlayer material, the first sheet of glazing material, the second sheet of glazing material and the first sheet of adhesive interlayer material each having a first major surface and a second opposing major surface, the laminated glazing being configured such that the second major surface of the first sheet of glazing material faces the first major surface of the first sheet of adhesive interlayer material, and the first major surface of the second sheet of glazing material faces the second major surface of the first sheet of interlayer material, there being an Imprint on at least a portion of the first major surface of the first sheet of glazing material and substantially the same imprint on at least a portion of the first major surface of the second sheet of glazing material, wherein when viewed at zero angle of incidence to the radius of curvature of the first sheet of glazing material, the imprint on the first major surface of the first sheet of glazing material is offset from the imprint on the first major surface of the second sheet of glazing material.
27 . A laminated glazing according to claim 26 , wherein the amount of offset between the imprints is greater than 0.5 mm, or greater than 1 mm, or greater than 1.5 mm, or greater than 2 mm, or greater than 2.5 mm, or greater than 3 mm, or greater than 3.5 mm, or greater than 4 mm, or greater than 4.5 mm, or greater than 5 mm.Cited by (0)
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