Transfer apparatus by air floating for manufacturing of insulated glazing units

An air-floating transfer apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor belt configured to convey a glass pane;
• an air pump configured to supply air;
• multiple rows of air blowing units configured to receive the air from the air pump and discharge the air toward a primary surface of the glass pane;
• and
• multiple rows of exhaust support plates, each (i) comprising exhaust holes and (ii) arranged between two of the multiple rows of air blowing units so that the multiple rows of air blowing units and the multiple rows of exhaust support plates alternate position moving away from the conveyor belt, the multiple rows of exhaust support plates configured to selectively (i) open to accept air discharged from the multiple rows of air blowing units through the exhaust holes or (ii) close to not accept the air;
• wherein, the multiple rows of exhaust supports plates and the multiple rows of air blowing units form a substantially planar glass facing surface, the substantially planar glass facing surface positioned at a predetermined angle from vertical.

A method of conveying glass panes of differing thicknesses comprising:

• a thin glass pane conveyance step comprising:
• conveying, with a transfer apparatus, a thin glass pane comprising a thickness less than a preset thickness by disposing an edge of the thin glass pane on a conveyor belt,
• moving the conveyor belt with the thin glass pane thereupon,
• directing air toward a primary surface of the thin glass pane with sufficient volume so that the primary surface of the thin glass pane does not touch a solid surface and the primary surface of the thin glass pane floats while moving upon the air, and
• exhausting a portion of the volume of the air through exhaust holes facing the primary surface of the thin glass pane:
• after the thin glass pane has cleared the transfer apparatus, a closing step comprising closing the exhaust holes;
• a thick glass pane conveyance step comprising:
• conveying, with a transfer device, a thick glass pane comprising a thickness greater than a preset thickness by disposing an edge of the thick glass pane on a conveyor belt,
• moving the conveyor belt with the thick glass pane thereupon, and
• directing air toward a primary surface of the thick glass pane with sufficient volume so that the primary surface of the thick glass pane does not touch a solid surface and the primary surface of the thick glass pane floats while moving upon the air;
• and
• after the thick glass pane has cleared the transfer apparatus, an opening step comprising opening the exhaust holes.