Patent Description:
Nowadays, it is known to deposit the rigid spacer frame <NUM> or the flexible spacer profile <NUM> pre-coated with sealant <NUM> and/or adhesive <NUM>' on a glass pane <NUM> and then to couple the whole with a second glass pane <NUM>' and seal the entire outer periphery up to the margin of the glass panes to form what is known as insulating glass <NUM>.

The operation may also be multiple to obtain insulating glass <NUM> constituted by three glass panes <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'' and two frames <NUM>, <NUM>' or spacer profiles <NUM>, <NUM>', as well as "n" glass panes <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, etc., <NUM>, <NUM>'m, <NUM>"m, etc. and "n-<NUM>" frames or spacer profiles <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", etc., <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'', etc.
(hereinafter, for ease of reading, the adverb etc. will be implied even if it is not written, and sometimes we will write generically glass pane <NUM>, spacer profile <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, meaning the entire families or more simply glass pane, glass panes, spacer frame, spacer frames).

Although the beginnings date back to an idea of Saint Gobain implemented in the <NUM> but soon abandoned, the solution has recently developed of extruding a thermoplastic product, more effective if of the reactive type, i.e. partially transformed into elastomeric by reaction with air humidity, against the face of one or more of the two or more glass panes to constitute a profile <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", etc. and then the spacer frame for the successive composition of the insulating glass.

Prevalently, the section of such profile is rectangular but sections having different shapes, e.g. with slightly convex extrados (orientation referred to the insulating glass chamber), can also be processed.

It is especially for such latter type of profile <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'', and thus corresponding spacer frame, that the invention which is the object of the present application is of essential relevance in its multiple implementations, particularly when the real geometry of the glass panes differs, albeit slightly, from the theoretical geometry, a fact which occurs both accidentally and systematically. Furthermore, the invention also compensates for all the disturbances originated by the handling devices, meaning that it makes the positioning of the spacer profile <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>" constantly referred to the margin of the glass panes although the panes themselves undergo jerking movements by the effect of the irregularities of the conveyors. Moreover, the main inventive concept illustrated below can also be applied to the type of profile <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'' and, therefore, of spacer frame made of elastic and flexible synthetic material, supplied in coils.

Assuming as known the successive use of the insulating glass <NUM>, i.e. in the fixture, in detail the insulating glass <NUM> is constituted by the composition of two or more glass panes <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, <NUM>, <NUM>'m, <NUM>"m, separated by one or more spacer frames <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", generally made of inorganic material, e.g. such as aluminum or stainless steel or mixed inorganic/organic material and the latter being generally made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), functionally hollow and microperforated in the face facing towards the inside of the insulating glass, the spacer frames <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>" containing hygroscopic material <NUM> in their hollow part and being provided with a butyl sealant <NUM> on the side faces (constituting the so-called first sealing) and the chamber (or chambers), delimited by the glass panes <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, <NUM>, <NUM>'m, <NUM>"m and the frame spacer (or frame spacers) <NUM>', <NUM>'', <NUM>'', being able to contain, for example, air or gas <NUM> or gas mixtures <NUM> conferring particular properties, e.g. heat insulating and/or sound insulating properties, to the insulating glass.

Similar compositions are obtained by using a flexible spacer frame <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'' having essentially rectangular section, possibly containing two receptacles on its sides for butyl sealant <NUM>, made of foamed synthetic organic material, e.g. such as silicone or EPDM (EthylenePropylene Diene Monomer) and bearing in its sides or part thereof an adhesive <NUM>' useful for mechanically bonding to the glass panes, or employing an extruded spacer profile <NUM>', <NUM>', <NUM>", also having essentially rectangular cross-section made of thermoplastic material, and it is the latter that is dealt with particularly in the present invention; in such cases, the hygroscopic material <NUM> is distributed in the mass of the spacer profile itself because it is already contained in the compound which generates such profiles.

The union between glass panes <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, <NUM>, <NUM>'m, <NUM>''m and spacer frame or spacer frames <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'' or <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'' or <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'' is obtained by means of two levels of sealing, the first <NUM> (also named "primary" in the industry), having the function of hermetically sealing and initially bonding such components and concerning the side surfaces of the frame and the portions of the adjacent glass panes, mentioned above (thermoplastic butyl sealant for the spacer frame conformations if of types <NUM> and <NUM>, or constituted by the spacer frame itself if of type <NUM> made of thermoplastic material as is the case of the present invention), the second <NUM> (also named "secondary" in the industry), typically constituted by a two-component, elastomeric sealant, such as polysulphide (PS) or polyurethane (PU) or silicone (SI), processed at ambient temperature, but also constituted by a single-component sealant of the type processed at ambient temperature or hot-processed, having the function of making the definitive cohesion between the components and mechanical strength of the joint between them, and concerning the compartment constituted by the extrados of the spacer frame <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and the inner faces of the glass panes up to the edge thereof (see from <FIG>, all of which have component <NUM> in common).

In the case of spacer profile <NUM> made of foamed synthetic material, the first sealing level is replaced by (in this case, not retaining the sealing function) or may be integrated with (in this case, retaining the sealing function) an adhesive <NUM>', e.g. acrylic, previously sprinkled on the side faces of the spacer profile itself and coated with a removable protective film (see <FIG> in which such film is shown already removed).

The glass panes <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, <NUM>, <NUM>'m, <NUM>''m used in the composition of the insulating glass <NUM> may have different conformations according to the use thereof, e.g. the outer glass (i.e. outer with respect to the building) can be normal or reflective or selective (to limit heat input during the summer months) or laminated/armored (for anti-intrusion/vandalism/bulletproof functions) or laminated/tempered (for safety functions) or combined (e.g. reflective and laminated to achieve a combination of properties), the inner glass (i.e. inner with respect to the building) can be normal or low emissivity (to limit heat loss during the winter months) or laminated/tempered (for safety functions) or combined (e.g. low emissivity and laminated to achieve a combination of properties).

All such types of glass panes suffer from errors in the dimensions according to the two directions x, y on the plane, and sometimes also according to the third dimension z in the sense of non-planarity.

It is already apparent from this brief overview that a manufacturing line for obtaining the insulating glass product <NUM> requires many processes in cascade, and in particular comprises the one concerning the formation of the spacer frame, whether of the "extruded thermoplastic" type or the "flexible foamed synthetic" type, to both of which the present application provides an improving contribution.

The processes for the production of the insulating glass <NUM>, each requiring a respective, particular machine to be arranged in series with respect to the other complementary machines, are, by way of non-exhaustive example, and equally not all necessary, the following:.

The processes listed above may be carried out, by the respective machine, automatically, semi-automatically, or, for some operations, manually.

Machines and processes for the extrusion of spacer profiles made of thermoplastic material directly against one or more glass panes <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, <NUM>, <NUM>'m, <NUM>''m are known.

Such a prior art leads us to the following only priorities:
<CIT> with German priority <CIT> and international correspondent <CIT>) owned by Lenhardt Maschinenbau GmbH.

Two more inventions follow: <CIT> with German priority <CIT> and <CIT> with German priority <CIT>, both of which are by the same owner as above, introducing the variant in start and end of extrusion transients.

Afterward, there are <CIT> with German priority <CIT> and international correspondent <CIT> owned by Bystronic Lenhardt GmbH and Peter Schuler, which introduces the simultaneous and parallel extrusion of two different product types so that one strip has vapor/gas barrier properties and contains the desiccant diffused in its mass and the other has mechanical stability properties of the joint. The second sealing, as described in the processing cycle of the insulating glass <NUM>, can be omitted, with the advantage of eliminating a very expensive machine, although complicating the formation of the spacer frame.

The latter title should be taken as a reference because it describes the complete transfer circuit and a dispensing solution of the products from the storage drums to the extrusion nozzle to avoid describing what belongs to the prior art in detail.

The prior art is also apparent from <CIT> with <CIT> owned by Lisec Austria GmbH and finally from <CIT> by the owner of the present application.

Such prior art consolidated in the machines based on the teachings of the main patent titles referred to above suffer from a common drawback that is validly solved by the present invention.

As apparent from the <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> described below, the relative movement between glass pane <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴ and extrusion nozzle <NUM> is achieved through mechatronic mechanisms driven by synchronous motors respectively according to mutually interlaced axes H, V, ϑ, while at least one further axis K, also driven by a synchronous motor, governs the delivery of the molten compound in interaction with the aforesaid axes.

Such axes are all extremely precise because each brushless synchronous motor is provided with a resolution of one ten-thousandth of a revolution and thus the absolute position of the nozzle in space is very precise, at most the combined errors related to tolerances in mechanical machining, clearance in mechanical couplings and wear during the run-in and use are in the order of ± <NUM>.

Another transverse axis Z concerns the adjustment of the position of the nozzle <NUM> to adapt to the thickness of the glass panes but, in the prior art, this is not controlled as a process function.

The geometry of the glass panes is not equally precise, either along the two main directions according to the x, y axes by the effect of the inaccuracy of the cutting process of the glass panes themselves (x and y of the glass panes corresponding respectively to synchronous H and V of the machine), or according to the z axis due to the non-planarity of the glass panes (z corresponding to Z, which is non-synchronous and only with position feedback, of the machine, at least in the described known art).

It follows that the location of the extruded profile <NUM> is extremely accurate in space but not sufficiently rational for the functionality required of the perimeter joint, the prevailing requirement of which is to maintain a constancy of depth p of the secondary sealant, which is only achieved if the distance between the extrados of the spacer profile <NUM> and the outer margin of the glass pane is uniform, i.e. only under conditions of perfect geometry of the glass pane. Such constancy of depth guaranteeing the functions of the secondary sealant of: structural bonding of the glass pane / spacer frame components; hermetic sealing against the penetration of moisture from the outside to the inside of the insulating glass; hermetic sealing against the escape of pressure-regulating gas from the inside to the outside of the insulating glass, which gas tends to migrate to areas lacking secondary sealant being subject to Dalton's law of partial pressures.

It also follows that, due to the non-planarity of the glass panes, the approach of the nozzle <NUM> to the face of the glass pane, carried out in the prior art with absolute positioning or at most with a feedback of the contact position but not of the contact force control, results being excessively forced in some positions or even detached in others.

Therefore, it is the main task of the object of the present application to eliminate the drawbacks referred to in the prior art by devising a device and a procedure allowing the optimum execution of the perimeter joint between the glass panes and the spacer frame, given the important functions of this joint for the purposes, in a word, of the durability of insulating glass <NUM>.

In the scope of the task generically set out above, it is an object of the present invention to obtain the constancy of depth of the secondary sealant <NUM>, meaning the distance between the extrados of the spacer frame and the actual margin of the glass panes, margin which is different from the one transferred as data entry by the information system.

It is another object to achieve such configuration of the perimeter joint configuration, both for rectangular shape insulating glass, for insulating glass of polygonal shape with all straight sides, and for insulating glass of completely curved shape, as well as for insulating glass of polygonal shape with at least one curved side.

An object, which is not less important but a necessary complement of the illustrated task, to control the approaching force of the extrusion nozzle against the face of the glass pane.

All the objects are within the inventive unit constituted by the optimization of the cavity to the edge intended for filling with secondary sealant <NUM>, but such that each one deserves its own independent claim.

The invention provides devices according to claims <NUM> to <NUM> and procedures according to claims <NUM> to <NUM>.

The description of the drawings and the detailed description of a particular, but not exclusive, embodiment of the invention, illustrated by way non-limiting example in the appended drawings, will clarify how the invention which is the subject of the present application can be implemented.

The insulating glass <NUM>, glass pane <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, <NUM>, <NUM>'m, <NUM>''m, spacer frame <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'' and other components thereof are identified by numbering with digit and possible superscripts and subscripts. In particular, to distinguish the various possible conformations of the insulating glass <NUM>, as already mentioned, reference numeral <NUM> indicates the most frequent situation (rectangular), with <NUM>' being the polygonal shape, <NUM>" being the curved shape, and <NUM>‴ being the mixed shape.

The components interfaced with the device in the present invention are identified by a two-digit number.

The main components of the inventive device which is the object of the present application, i.e. the <NUM> and <NUM> series, and known related devices, are identified by three-digit numbers, wherein those containing two zeros refer to sets or groups while the others refer to their respective details.

The machines belonging to the production line of the insulating glass <NUM> are identified by four-digit numbers, in the order described above, reserving numeral <NUM> for the automatic machine for forming the spacer frame obtained by the controlled and innovative extrusion of the spacer profile <NUM> (or by laying the spacer profile <NUM> made of elastic and flexible synthetic material). The other numerals used are: <NUM> for the edge preparation machine, <NUM> for the grinding machine, <NUM> for the washing machine, <NUM> for the coupling machine-press, <NUM> for the gas loader, <NUM> for the sealing machine.

We now provide a detailed description of an embodiment of the invention.

To describe an embodiment of the invention, which comprises all the equivalents, reference will be made to figures from <NUM> to <NUM> and <NUM> for general concepts and for the details adapted to make one or more of the possible implementations of the invention fully comprehensible to the person skilled in the art.

It is given as known, and thus not requiring detailed description (because it belongs to the prior art), the matter partially shown, or not shown because it can be inferred, in <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> related to the machinery provided with synchronous axes H, V, ϑ and of the adjustment axis Z (only the adjustment function but not the control function is known) and synchronous axes K for dispensing and K' for adjusting the profile according to the width w, because both the priorities described above and the knowledge of the person skilled in the art do not require any clarifications for the construction of such parts regarding the spacer profile extrusion machine against the face of the glass pane, the machine substantially being formed by the groups: <NUM> for the motion according to the synchronous horizontal axis H of the glass pane through conveyors acting at its lower edge 2d; <NUM>' for the motion according to the synchronous horizontal axis H of the glass pane through a suction cup carriage which interacts with the front face of the plate itself, the aforesaid conveyors may not be effective, due to the slip of the plate, even if they are synchronous;<NUM> for the motion of the extrusion head according to the synchronous vertical axis V; <NUM> for the extrusion head rotating according to the polar axis ϑ; <NUM> for the motion, according to axis K, of the dispensing mechanism generally consisting of a syringe; obviously in the case of a two-component product (base + catalyst), if the market were to make such a product available although it is not so today, the dispensing assembly will be provided with two syringes, one for the base product, one for the catalyst product. Such mechanism, although known, is presented here again with more details being in direct correlation with the innovative principles summarized in <FIG>.

The dispensing assembly, in one of the possible embodiments, comprises the following essential components: <NUM> plunger or syringe; <NUM> cylinder or chamber; <NUM> seal; <NUM> ball screw; <NUM> ball nut; <NUM> mechanical transmission, e.g. toothed wheel/chain type; <NUM> mechanical reducer; <NUM> synchronous electric motor. It is needless to say that these components are constrained partly to an upper plate and partly to a lower plate connected by tie rods, structural elements as shown in <FIG>, which, in turn, are fixed to a plate for the connection to the vertical carriage <NUM>, moving axis V so that the distance between dispenser and extrusion head is limited to contain the pressure drops, considering the response that must be guaranteed by the axis K in the start and end of extrusion transients and the singular portions, such as those at the corners of the spacer frame. The dispenser further comprises the following accessory components, however indispensable: <NUM> three-way valve, which can be replaced by two two-way valves or by a two-way valve and a check valve; <NUM> pressure transducer; <NUM> pressure gage; <NUM> pressure relief valve or rupture disc; <NUM> manual valve for drawing or purging.

In <FIG>, the interrupted zone on the left is considered as known, in particular in part of <FIG> of <CIT>, constituting the supply of the product to the dispensing assembly <NUM> as coming from the pump, typically of the double-acting type placed on the pressing plate of the product storage drum, for the feeding transfer to the dispensing assembly <NUM>.

In general and referring to the most common glass pane configuration, i.e. that of rectangular shape <NUM>, the progression of the extrusion of the spacer profile along the sides is typically as follows: first vertical side 1a, second upper horizontal side 1b, third vertical side 1c, fourth lower horizontal side 1d. The unavoidable transients of the product flow at the corners in which the nozzle <NUM> must rotate by <NUM>° are managed in the prior art by reducing the relative speed between nozzle <NUM> and the periphery of the glass pane and corresponding reduction of the product flow rate until the cancellation of such relative speed and the cancellation of the flow rate in the extrusion start and end position.

Instead, the prior art neglects, with consequences that are decremental for the quality of the perimeter joint, that the control of the relative path of nozzle <NUM> - glass pane <NUM> carried out according to absolute axes H, V, ϑ, implies that the distance p between the extrados of the spacer profile <NUM> and the outer margin of glass pane <NUM> is not constant, but varies by a few mm, due to the inaccurate flat geometry of the glass pane <NUM>.

The device claimed here, on the other hand, by means of feelers <NUM>, <NUM>' or camera <NUM> located upstream of nozzle <NUM>, controls the real position of said margin and, with feedback on the axis V if movement according to axis H is in progress or vice versa, adapts the position of the nozzle <NUM> as a function of the size to be controlled constituted by parameter p. This happens in a rather simple manner, in terms of process control, if the side on which the extrusion of the profile <NUM> is in progress is rectilinear because the feeler is only actuated in advance relative to the advancement of the nozzle but has the reference of the tangent to the displacement vector (ΔV/ΔH), while it occurs in a more complex manner if such side is curvilinear, in any case, solvable with mathematical algorithms or by using a camera which outputs matrix information.

Alternatively, the position of the real margin of the glass pane may be acquired in a station upstream of the spacer profile extrusion machine <NUM> provided with a scanner. This solution has two important advantages and a minor disadvantage.

The first advantage is that it is also possible to scan the glass pane on which the spacer profile <NUM> is not applied but which is intended to be coupled with the spacer frame <NUM> to constitute the insulating glass chamber <NUM>, so that the axis H, V, ϑ is not fully compensated, but to combine the signal of the sensor <NUM> or the sensors <NUM>, <NUM>' with the information acquired by the scanner to deposit the spacer profile in an interpolated position because the glass panes <NUM> which face the spacer frame <NUM> itself may not have the same shape errors but may be slightly different or worse the shape errors may be developed in the opposite direction.

The second advantage concerns the elimination of the complicated mechanisms for the placement of the sensor <NUM> or the sensors <NUM>, <NUM>' and the management of the signals thereof.

The disadvantage, that is really negligible, consists in that the effect of the irregularities that the conveyors of the assemblies <NUM> and <NUM>', actuating axis H, can induce on the positioning of the margins of the glass panes <NUM>, which would instead actuate the feedback of sensor <NUM>, is no longer filtered out. Such a disadvantage may be considered irrelevant because nowadays the conveyors are built with very reliable mechatronic components.

As a further alternative, the position at which the spacer profile is to be applied can be processed by the controller <NUM> from the signals or deriving from the sensors <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM> or from the information deriving from the scanner according to algorithms which combine the needs of homogeneity of the parameter p with the aesthetic requirements of alignment of the spacer frame with the fixture or alignment between spacer frames belonging to the same multi-chamber insulating glass or in the case of excessively discordant geometries of the glass panes in the same insulating glass.

The linear equation: v * w * h = c * S; where v is the relative speed nozzle (<NUM>) / glass pane, w is the width of the spacer profile, h is the thickness of the spacer profile, c is the speed of the syringe and S is the area of its section, governs the extrusion process of the thermoplastic product, the extrados of which should be positioned at a constant distance p from the margin of the glass panes to uniform the depth p of the secondary sealant <NUM> for performing its important functions.

In detail and with reference to <FIG>, with regard to the logic and power controls used to implement the delivery of the thermoplastic product to the nozzle <NUM>, to obtain the spacer profile they are managed by the PLC <NUM>, and the main INPUTS and OUTPUTS are:.

In detail and with reference to <FIG>, with regard to the chasing of the position of the actual margin of the glass pane, one or more sensor(s)/feelers <NUM>, <NUM>' anticipate, in the direction of the relative movement (according to axes H, V, ϑ) the nozzle <NUM> to identify, by feeling, such position and transfer the information to the PLC <NUM> which processes the logic and power controls used for managing the axes H, V, ϑ, so that such axes in single or interpolation respectively implement the correction for the positioning of the extrados of the spacer profile <NUM> at the distance p from the actual margin of the glass pane. The sensor/feeler function can alternatively be implemented by cameras or other electronic devices placed upstream of the nozzle <NUM>.

The function of the sensors/feelers <NUM>, <NUM>' (at least two to be able to detect with further advance also the position of the next side which has an angular offset with respect to the side concerned by the profile extrusion process) or of the camera <NUM> or another device, may be bypassed if, for the purposes of the final destination of the insulating glass <NUM>, the exact geometry of the spacer profile takes precedence over the constancy of the parameter p relating to the distance from the margin of the glass pane. Indeed, such are the situations in which an absolute alignment is desired of the inner extrados of the spacer frame <NUM> with the inner margin of the fixture or in which an absolute alignment of the extrados of the spacer frames <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>" is desired in the case of insulating glass with multiple chambers, if the geometry of the glass panes <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴ is excessively irregular with respect to the theoretical geometry, however with the consequence, by privileging the aforesaid alignments, of not achieving the functionally more important objective of the constancy of the distance p between extrados of the spacer frame and margins of the glass panes <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴,.

Respectively, the main INPUTS and OUTPUTS are the following:.

These and other parameters can be exchanged via the operator interface.

The operator interfaces from PLC <NUM> for parameters v, w, h, and from PLC <NUM> for parameter p are specified in sections <NUM> and <NUM> of the control console <NUM>, respectively.

For the good quality of the perimeter joint between the glass pane and the spacer frame, in addition to the constancy of parameter p, the correct laying of the spacer profile according to the transverse direction Z is also very important because the geometry of its section and the initial bonding of the spacer profile - glass pane (before pressing) depend on the transverse positioning of the nozzle <NUM> and the thrust thereof, applied through the extruded material, towards the peripheral face of the glass pane.

It is known that the glass panes, as presented globally according to the three directions on pages <NUM> and <NUM>, of which the first two have been examined in the previous paragraphs and the innovative remedies have been exposed, are regretfully not flat mainly for the following types of glass panes: tempered, laminated, screen-printed, combinations of these types.

So, again in view of the good quality of the perimeter joint between the glass panes and the spacer frame <NUM> (but also of the spacer frame <NUM>), the present invention identifies the solution, original for this specific application, of controlling the approach of nozzle <NUM> towards the glass pane, irregular according to the transversal axis Z, both in position (first kind of mechanisms) and in force (second kind of mechanisms). This is achieved through an assembly of mechatronic components, those of the <NUM> series, partly dedicated to position control according to axis Z, partly dedicated to thrust control according to axis Z' coaxial with axis Z.

For tracking of the non-planarity of the glass pane, by means of the first kind of mechanisms, a sensor <NUM> (shown in <FIG> in its scanning function of the face of the glass pane) communicates the real position of the face of the glass pane to PLC <NUM> and the synchronous motor <NUM> is activated in feedback through the mechanics <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, 508a, 508b, 509a, 509b (shown in <FIG>) moves the extrusion head <NUM> towards and from the face of the glass pane on the guides 509a, 509b belonging to the plate <NUM> of the vertical carriage <NUM>.

For controlling the thrust of the nozzle <NUM> against the face of the glass pane, by means of the second kind of mechanisms, taking advantage of the fact that the extrusion head <NUM> slides on the guides 509a, 509b belonging to the plate <NUM> and that by the action of gravity the axis Z is sloping with respect to the plane tangent to the Earth's circumference, such extrusion head weighs as a component of its weight towards the face of the glass pane; such control is implemented by the components: pneumatic cylinder <NUM> (which actuates the fine and soft adjustment of the nozzle position <NUM>, while the sensor <NUM> actuates the coarse and rigid adjustment), joint <NUM>, linear transducer <NUM>.

The slide <NUM> and blank <NUM> are not solid but instead are connected by means of the pneumatic cylinder <NUM> and the respective connecting rod <NUM>.

The operating principle consists in using the pneumatic pressure at the negative stroke chamber of the pneumatic cylinder to reduce the thrust of the extrusion nozzle <NUM> towards the face of the glass pane if such thrust is excessive, or in using the pneumatic pressure at the positive stroke chamber of the pneumatic cylinder to increase the thrust of the extrusion nozzle <NUM> towards the face of the glass pane if such thrust is insufficient. The linear transducer <NUM> has the function of preventing the piston of the pneumatic cylinder <NUM> from reaching the end of the stroke, by making the synchronous motor <NUM> trip for the new coarse but centered positioning according to axis Z. The positioning of the extrusion head <NUM> according to the axis Z as a function of the sensor signal <NUM> does not have sufficient reliability, the accuracy deriving from the resolution of the sensor signal <NUM>, the control of the drives, the accuracy of the mechanical processes, the clearances, the temperature, etc., a resolution not better than ± <NUM> is achieved, which implies that, in case of detachment of the nozzle <NUM> from the face of the glass pane, a non-definition of the section of the spacer profile in extrusion, a non-contact of the product with the face of the glass pane and a leakage of the product towards the face itself with respective fouling, in case of interference between the nozzle <NUM> and the face of the glass pane, damage to the latter. It is needless to say that the pneumatic cylinder <NUM> may be replaced by an equivalent or alternative actuator.

To clarify further, the operation of the second set of mechanisms is as follows.

The body <NUM>, to which the ball nut <NUM> is constrained, is not rigidly attached to the slide <NUM> but interfaced with it through an elastic connection consisting of the pneumatic "compensating" cylinder <NUM> the stem <NUM> of which is screwed and locked onto a part of the slide <NUM>. It is needless to say, therefore, that as a function of the pressures which can be established in the pneumatic cylinder <NUM>, both in the negative stroke chamber and in the positive stroke chamber, the sealing head <NUM> and with it the portion of the extrusion nozzle <NUM> approaching against the face of the glass pane can apply a "soft" or adequate thrust against the face of the glass pane.

The component <NUM> shown in <FIG> consists of a potentiometer which detects the position of the piston inside the pneumatic cylinder <NUM> and provides feedback to the controller (PLC) <NUM> so that, by driving the actuator <NUM>, a position of the pneumatic cylinder <NUM> with respect to the piston contained inside it is restored rather centered, so that there is a working range for the "soft damping" of the nozzle <NUM> towards the face of the glass pane. Otherwise, there is a risk that the piston reaching the limit stop the nozzle <NUM> presses excessively against the face of the glass pane, and reaching the positive limit stop the nozzle <NUM> detaches from the face of the glass pane.

The possibility of placing the aforesaid mechanisms in double feedback is also named and claimed, instead of as described in the preferred embodiment of the invention between body <NUM> of the vertical carriage <NUM> moving according to vertical axis V and slide <NUM> moving according to the transverse axis Z, rather near the end part of the extrusion head <NUM> immediately upstream of the nozzle <NUM> to theoretically obtain freer movements because they involve smaller masses and currents on miniaturized slides and thus reduced friction. Such solution, however, is biased by the disturbance introduced by the product feeding pipe which, although flexible, involves additional also variable loads as a function of the flow rate of the product towards the nozzle <NUM>.

Respectively, the main INPUTS and OUTPUTS for managing such double feedback mechanisms are: [<NUM>].

These and other parameters, in particular, the force F with which it is desired that the nozzle <NUM> acts against the face of the glass pane, are exchanged through the operator interface <NUM>.

Such control of the force F is important because the extrusion behavior of the product also depends on the viscosity of the product and the viscosity also depends on the temperature, and the product flow from the nozzle <NUM> is a fluid-dynamic regime which moves the mouth of the nozzle <NUM> away (<FIG> shows this situation at the contour). The possibility of selecting the value F from the operator interface <NUM> and its effective control operated by the PLC <NUM> are, therefore, functional to achieving a profile having a homogeneous section and thrust suited for the first constraint towards the glass pane, i.e. the constraint which must start the reaction with the micro-roughness of the glass and effectively support the formed frame until the coupling and pressing phase described above in the production cycle of insulating glass <NUM>.

A further expedient, already in the prior art, is to install the dispensing assembly on the carriage <NUM>, to work with lower product pressures in the circuits, the solution shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, so that the path of the product to be fed to the nozzle <NUM> is as short as possible, moreover the same path including, in the case of possible future two-component product, a static mixer which implies a pressure drop caused by the energy required for mixing.

The logic and power controls used for the operation of the machine in the problem of the prior art to be solved as a whole and the solution thereof, are all summarized in <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG> where the main INPUTS and OUTPUTS to the controllers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are indicated, and precisely:.

Other parameters reside in the controllers, such as the section S of the syringe or the transmission ratios of the various kinematic mechanisms, because they are fixed data.

Such description refers to the case, unique in the current prior art, in which the product to be extruded is a single component.

Indeed, the product used to manufacture such spacer frame is generally a single-component product and is hot extruded, being a thermoplastic product, so that the dispenser <NUM> shown in <FIG> and conduction circuits to the extrusion nozzle <NUM> and the extrusion nozzle <NUM> shown in <FIG> are heat-controlled, as are the storage drums of the product with respective pressure plates, pumps and transfer circuits (typically there are two drums because when one finishes the other is already preheated and ready to switch to the dispensing assembly <NUM>).

However, other types of products are not excluded, whether single-component or two-component, which may constitute the spacer profile, should developments in technology make them available in the future and which are still adapted to be used in the device described and claimed here.

The possibility of there being two-component products for executing the spacer frame would be covered by patent application <CIT> by the same owner and by <CIT>, also of the same owner, which is a well-known technique, relating to "relay dispensers" for the perimeter sealing of insulating glass, in which the sealants are prevalently two-component (base + catalyst).

The profile extruded against the glass pane has a generally rectangular cross-section of area A = w * h, the sides w and h of which are respectively defined by the action of the shutter <NUM> (either by adjustment or control) and the shape of the outlet mouth of the nozzle <NUM>.

Generally, h is kept constant (or changes discontinuously by replacing the extrusion nozzle assembly <NUM> and w is varied as a function of the composition of the insulating glass <NUM>, with the possibility of continuous selection by means of the adjustment of the shutter <NUM> of the nozzle <NUM>, normally obtained by means of an actuator the position of which is feedback-controlled (axis K').

A variant of the known part of the invention and, in turn, not inventive, however residing practically in the software alone and therefore using the same devices described above for the rectangular glass panes <NUM> exposed hereto is the logical combination of synchronous drives, respectively: of horizontal translation according to the axes H, H' of the glass pane <NUM> by means of synchronous motors; of vertical translation according to the axis V of the head <NUM> by means of synchronous motor; of rotation according to the axis ϑ of the head <NUM> by means of synchronous motor; of control, in adjustment or control, of the shutter <NUM> of the nozzle <NUM> to allow the extrusion process of the spacer profile <NUM> and the forming of the spacer frame on a glass pane <NUM> having a shape different from rectangular because it is regular or irregular polygonal or on a glass pane 2r having a different shape from rectangular because it is curvilinear or on a glass pane 2lr having a different shape from rectangular because it contains both straight and curvilinear parts.

The troubleshooting of the described drawbacks of the prior art is further refined through precise positioning of the glass panes <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, etc., <NUM>, 2r, 2lr so that the position p also constitutes the initial "set point". To do this, the device in <FIG> allows the glass pane to be stopped in the following sequence (see <FIG>):.

the carriage <NUM>'' moves according to the axis H'', parallel to the axes H and H', actuated by a synchronous motor <NUM>'', and is positioned in a field in which it is desired to stop a reference of the glass pane <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, etc., <NUM>, 2r, 2lr, e.g. the tail 2c, to achieve a precise start of the formation of the spacer frame <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", etc., <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'', etc. at the position p relative to the margin of the glass pane.

Such carriage carries an arm <NUM>", with movement for protruding or retracting relative to the sliding plane <NUM> in the direction, and such arm bears: sensors <NUM>", <NUM>'' for actuating the decelerations of the axes H and H' and plate <NUM>'' equipped with a microswitch <NUM>'' to actuate the precise stopping of the glass pane.

The construction details referred to in the description of a preferred mode of execution of the invention are equivalent.

The materials and dimensions can be any depending on the requirements, in particular, deriving from the dimensions (base and height) and/or the shape of the glass panes <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, <NUM>, <NUM>'m, <NUM>''m that will form insulating glass <NUM> once the spacer profile <NUM> has been extruded to form the spacer frame and a second pane has been coupled and possibly further spacer frames and glass panes have been coupled.

It is needless to say that the industrial application is certainly successful because the lines of machines for the production of insulating glass <NUM> have developed particularly well over the last twenty years.

All the more so, the size of the peripheral spacer profile, in terms of the area of its section, and the extension of the perimeter of insulating glass <NUM>, in terms of length, all of which have increased substantially due to the architectural developments related to insulating glass.

Indeed, today the type of insulating glass has undergone a surprising increase in quantity and size; suffice it to mention structural glazing that extends for heights of more than one story or commercial glazing which reaches lengths of more than <NUM> meters and that the large surface dimensions require the use of glass panes and spacer frame thicknesses which are equally large. This requires that the peripheral joint between spacer frames and glass panes is carried out in a workmanlike manner, in particular by obtaining a rather homogeneous distance p between the extrados of the spacer frames and the margin of the glass panes.

Claim 1:
A device for the extrusion and application of spacer profile of insulating glass (<NUM>), particularly for a machine adapted to compose the spacer frame (<NUM>) directly against one or more of the glass panes constituting the insulating glass (<NUM>) starting from a thermoplastic product, characterized in that at least one feeler (<NUM>) of the device located upstream of the extrusion nozzle (<NUM>) of the device identifies the position of the margin (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) of the glass pane (<NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, etc.) and transmits the position signal to a controller (<NUM>) of the device, which through the axes H, V, ϑ, driven by synchronous motors (<NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>, <NUM>) of the device actuates the keeping of a mutual position of nozzle (<NUM>) - margin of the glass pane (<NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, etc.) at a distance p which can be set through the operator interface (<NUM>) of the device