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US 2020/0370361 A1Published application
Glass seal tracking spacer applicator
AssigneePDS IG Holding LLC
InventorKent Douglas Zehner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various embodiments provide a method for applying a spacer to a planar substrate, comprising supplying the spacer to be adhered to the planar substrate; defining a first notch, a second notch, and a third notch in the spacer; applying an adhesive to the spacer; translating the spacer in a longitudinal direction; aligning a first end of the spacer with a first corner of the planar substrate; feeding the spacer and the planar substrate between a front carriage and a rear carriage along a longitudinal axis of an unadhered portion of the spacer while pressing the spacer against the planar substrate to adhere a portion of the spacer being pressed by the front carriage to the planar substrate, and rotating, with a six-axis robot, the planar sheet and adhered portion of spacer.
Claims20
A method for applying a spacer to a planar substrate, comprising:
- a. supplying the spacer to be adhered to the planar substrate, wherein the spacer comprises a first spacer corner, a second spacer corner, and a third spacer corner;
- b. applying an adhesive to the spacer;
- c. translating the spacer in a longitudinal direction;
- d. aligning a first end of the spacer with a first corner of the planar substrate;
- e. feeding the spacer and the planar substrate between a front carriage and a rear carriage along a longitudinal axis of an unadhered portion of the spacer while pressing the spacer against the planar substrate to adhere a portion of the spacer being pressed by the front carriage to the planar substrate, wherein a portion of the spacer between a first end and a first spacer corner and a portion of the planar substrate between the first corner and a second corner is fed between the front carriage and the rear carriage resulting in a first adhered portion of the spacer;
- f. rotating, with a six-axis robot, the planar substrate and the first adhered portion of the spacer to bend the spacer at the first spacer corner, wherein the first spacer corner is aligned with the second corner of the planar substrate;
- g. feeding the spacer and the planar substrate between the front carriage and the rear carriage along the longitudinal axis of the unadhered portion of the spacer while pressing the spacer against the planar substrate to adhere a portion of the spacer being pressed by the front carriage to the planar substrate, wherein a portion of the spacer between the first spacer corner and the second spacer corner and a portion of the planar substrate between the second corner and a third corner is fed between the front carriage and the rear carriage resulting in a second adhered portion of the spacer;
- h. rotating, with a six-axis robot, the planar substrate, the first adhered portion of the spacer, and the second adhered portion of the spacer to bend the spacer at the second spacer corner, wherein the second spacer corner is aligned with the third corner of the planar substrate;
- i. feeding the spacer and the planar substrate between the front carriage and the rear carriage along the longitudinal axis of the unadhered portion of the spacer while pressing the spacer against the planar substrate to adhere a portion of the spacer being pressed by the front carriage to the planar substrate, wherein a portion of the spacer between the second spacer corner and the third spacer corner and a portion of the planar substrate between the third corner and a fourth corner is fed between the front carriage and the rear carriage resulting in a third adhered portion of the spacer;
- j. rotating, with a six-axis robot, the planar substrate, the first adhered portion of the spacer, the second adhered portion of the spacer, and the third adhered portion of the spacer to bend the spacer at the third spacer corner, wherein the third spacer corner is aligned with the fourth corner of the planar substrate;
- and
- k. feeding the spacer and the planar substrate between the front carriage and the rear carriage along the longitudinal axis of the unadhered portion of the spacer while pressing the spacer against the planar substrate to adhere a portion of the spacer being pressed by the front carriage to the planar substrate, wherein a portion of the spacer between the third spacer corner and a second end of the spacer and a portion of the planar substrate between the fourth corner and the first corner is fed between the front carriage and the rear carriage resulting in a fourth adhered portion of the spacer.
9 more elements
A system for applying a spacer to a planar substrate, comprising:
- a. a spacer preparation element configured to supply and prepare a spacer;
- b. an adhesive applicator, wherein the adhesive applicator is configured to apply an adhesive to the spacer;
- c. a transport mechanism configured to move the spacer in a longitudinal direction;
- d. a spacer application element, comprising a front carriage and a rear carriage, wherein the front carriage and rear carriage define a gap, wherein the gap is configured to allow a portion of the spacer and a portion of the planar substrate to be fed between the front carriage and rear carriage, wherein the front carriage is configured to press the spacer against the planar substrate that is fed through the gap to apply the spacer to the planar substrate;
- and
- e. a six-axis robot configured to retain the planar substrate, to rotate the planar substrate and to move the planar substrate in the longitudinal direction, wherein the six-axis robot translates the planar substrate in the longitudinal direction at the same speed at which the transport mechanism moves the spacer.
3 more elements
A method for applying a spacer to a planar substrate, comprising:
- a. unwinding a length of spacer material from a spool of spacer material;
- b. straightening the length of spacer material that has been unwound from the spool;
- c. defining a first notch, a second notch, and a third notch in the length of spacer material;
- d. separating the length of spacer material from the remainder of the spacer material on the spool to form the spacer that has a first end and a second end;
- e. applying an adhesive to a first side and a second side of the spacer;
- f. translating the spacer in a longitudinal direction;
- g. aligning a first end of the spacer with a first corner of the planar substrate;
- h. feeding the spacer and the planar substrate between a front carriage and a rear carriage along a longitudinal axis of an unadhered portion of the spacer while pressing the spacer against the planar substrate to adhere a portion of the spacer being pressed by the front carriage to the planar substrate, wherein a portion of the spacer between a first end and the first notch and a portion of the planar substrate between the first corner and a second corner is fed between the front carriage and the rear carriage resulting in a first adhered portion of the spacer;
- i. rotating, with a six-axis robot, the planar substrate and the first adhered portion of the spacer 90° to bend the spacer at the first notch, wherein the first notch is aligned with the second corner of the planar substrate;
- j. feeding the spacer and the planar substrate between the front carriage and the rear carriage along the longitudinal axis of the unadhered portion of the spacer while pressing the spacer against the planar substrate to adhere a portion of the spacer being pressed by the front carriage to the planar substrate, wherein a portion of the spacer between the first notch and the second notch and a portion of the planar substrate between the second corner and a third corner is fed between the front carriage and the rear carriage resulting in a second adhered portion of the spacer;
- k. rotating, with a six-axis robot, the planar substrate, the first adhered portion of the spacer, and the second adhered portion of the spacer 90° to bend the spacer at the second notch, wherein the second notch is aligned with the third corner of the planar substrate;
- l. feeding the spacer and the planar substrate between the front carriage and the rear carriage along the longitudinal axis of the unadhered portion of the spacer while pressing the spacer against the planar substrate to adhere a portion of the spacer being pressed by the front carriage to the planar substrate, wherein a portion of the spacer between the second notch and the third notch and a portion of the planar substrate between the third corner and a fourth corner is fed between the front carriage and the rear carriage resulting in a third adhered portion of the spacer;
- m. rotating, with a six-axis robot, the planar substrate, the first adhered portion of the spacer, the second adhered portion of the spacer, and the third adhered portion of the spacer 90° to bend the spacer at the third notch, wherein the third notch is aligned with the fourth corner of the planar substrate;
- and
- n. feeding the spacer and the planar substrate between the front carriage and the rear carriage along the longitudinal axis of the unadhered portion of the spacer while pressing the spacer against the planar substrate to adhere a portion of the spacer being pressed by the front carriage to the planar substrate, wherein a portion of the spacer between the third notch and a second end of the spacer and a portion of the planar substrate between the fourth corner and the first corner is fed between the front carriage and the rear carriage resulting in a fourth adhered portion of the spacer.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.