UN METODO DE MONTAR LAMINAS DE VIDRIO CURVADAS DE FORMAS DESEADAS Y LAMINAS DE MATERIAL FLEXIBLE DE CAPAS INTERMEDIAS.

摘要

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the automatic assembly of a flexible interlayer sheet with one or more bent glass sheets using residual heat from bending the glass sheets to make the flexible interlayer sheet sufficiently tacky to avoid relative sliding between the sheets comprising the subassembly or sandwich that is assembled. One aspect of this invention relates to an arrangement of vacuum cups in a bent glass sheet sandwich assembly apparatus and a method of using said arrangement that provides temporary bias to the central portion of a bent glass sheet to insure that a flexible sheet of interlayer material applied to the bent glass sheet initially engages its central portion and the area of engagement extends gradually to the edge of the sheets to avoid entrapment of air or other vapors in the interface of the resulting subassembly. When another bent glass sheet is applied to the opposite surface of the flexible sheet of interlayer material, the subassembly is temporarily biased once more to insure initial engagement in the central portion gradually extending to the edge of the sheets to avoid entrapment of air or other vapors in the interface of the subassembly with the second bent glass sheet. A second aspect of this invention relates to a mold for supporting a flexible sheet of interlayer material for assembly against a bent glass sheet or between a pair of bent glass sheets of matching configuration has a first apertured wall shaped to conform to the shape of the bent glass, and a second apertured wall of conforming shape adapted for coupling to a vacuum source to form and hold the flexible sheet of interlayer material against the mold in unwrinkled condition. The mold is pivoted to a carriage from a mold loading orientation of convex elevational configuration to a mold unloading orientation of concave elevational configuration. Carriage movement between a mold loading station and an assembly station is correlated to the elevational configuration of the mold in a method of using the mold in assembling said flexible sheet of interlayer material against one or more bent glass sheets. A third aspect of this invention relates to a method and apparatus for aligning a pair of bent glass sheets of matching configuration for assembly with a position occupied by a flexible sheet of interlayer material to form a sandwich to be laminated.