EP3794197A1

EP3794197A1 - Insulating glazing unit

Info

Publication number: EP3794197A1
Application number: EP19721318.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Thomas HOLTSTIEGE; Alicia DRÖGE; Christian EFFERTZ; Christopher MARJAN
Original assignee: Saint Gobain Glass France SAS; Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA
Current assignee: Saint Gobain Glass France SAS; Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA
Priority date: 2018-05-14
Filing date: 2019-05-08
Publication date: 2021-03-24
Also published as: US20210230934A1; CA3099085A1; WO2019219460A1; CN112088238A; CN112088238B; US20220356753A1; US11434688B2; MX2020012232A; US11655670B2

Abstract

The invention relates to an insulating glazing unit, comprising at least two glass panes and a spacer profile arranged between same and running around close to the edges thereof, for use in a window, a door or a facade glazing, which has a respective electrically conductive frame engaging around the edges of the insulating glazing, wherein at least one RFID transponder is attached to the insulating glazing unit as an identification element, characterised in that the/at least one transponder is arranged in a corner of the insulating glazing unit.

Description

The insulating glazing

The invention relates to an insulating glazing unit having at least two glass panes and a spacer profile encircling them near their edges, for use in a window, door or façade glazing, each having a frame encompassing the edges of the glazing, wherein on the glazing unit at least one RFID transponder is attached as an identification element. It further relates to a window, a door and a facade glazing, which are formed with such a glazing unit.

Modern windows, doors and façade glazings, at least for use in northern and temperate latitudes, are usually made using prefabricated glazing units having the above-mentioned construction but may optionally comprise more than two glass sheets in combination. Such Isolierverglasungseinheiten represent mass produced, shipped and also independently traded products that should be clearly identifiable on their way to a final product and possibly even during its maintenance and servicing.

It is already known to provide such glazing units with such identifying markings, and in practice there are certain requirements of manufacturers and users:

[1] The identifying label should be invisible both from the inside and the outside.

[2] The marking should be "readable" from a distance of between 30 cm and 1 m.

The label should be largely forgery-proof, so can not be easily overwritten or copied.

The effectiveness of conventional identifying markers such as bar codes and QR codes is based on their visibility, which is for insulating glazing units at least one limitation in the above aspect [1] means. The fulfillment of the requirement [2] is thus difficult. The protection against copying [3] can not be guaranteed because barcodes and QR codes can be photographed. Furthermore, an RFID transponder can be protected with a password, so that it can not overwrite without considerable effort or its radio capability can be destroyed.

It has also been proposed to provide insulating glazing units with "electronic" markings, in particular identifiers which can be read by radio, so-called RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) transponders. Such insulating glazing units are disclosed, for example, in WO 00/36261 A1 or WO 2007/137719 A1.

Certain types of window and door frames, but especially facade constructions in which insulating glazing units are installed, consist entirely or at least partially of a metal or a metal alloy (aluminum, steel ...), which permits the passage of radio waves from or to the RFID transponder the insulating glazing unit interrupts or at least strongly attenuates. For this reason, in particular, the fulfillment of the above requirement [2] has proven to be difficult. Known provided with RFID transponders Isolierverglasungseinheiten are therefore not readily used in metallic frame structures. This reduces the potential field of application of the glazing units characterized in this way and thus the acceptance of the corresponding marking solutions by the manufacturers and users.

The invention is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved insulating glazing unit of the type mentioned above, which is particularly problematic in frame structures can be used, which consist at least to a considerable extent of an electrically conductive material, such as a metal or a metal alloy, and also in such installation situations, the fulfillment of the above Requirements, in particular the fulfillment of the requirement [2].

This object is achieved by an insulating glazing unit having the features of claim 1, that is to say in that at least one transponder is located at one corner the insulating glazing unit is arranged. Advantageous developments of the inventive concept are the subject of the dependent claims.

The invention thus relates to an insulating glazing unit having at least two glass sheets and a spacer profile encircling them near their edges for use in a window, door or façade glazing, each having an electrically conductive frame surrounding the edges of the glazing, wherein at least one RFID transponder is mounted as an identification element on the insulating glazing unit, and the or at least one transponder is arranged at a corner of the insulating glazing unit.

The electrically conductive frame is, in particular, a metallic frame or a frame consisting at least partly of a metal or a metal alloy.

An arrangement of a transponder "at a corner" of the insulating glazing unit means in particular that to the nearest corner of the

Insulating glazing unit indicative end of the transponder is not more than 30 cm, preferably not more than 20 cm, more preferably not more than 10 cm, most preferably not more than 5 cm away from this corner of the insulating glazing unit.

The invention arose as a result of extensive experimental investigations undertaken on insulating glazing units of the above-mentioned basic construction, in which in particular the spacer is a hollow profile filled with a desiccant, consisting of metal or at least partially coated with a metal foil, and in which on the disc outer surface of the spacer profile (also circumferential) sealant strip is applied. What the

As far as the application situation is concerned, the inventors have made in particular investigations on insulating glazing units embedded in metallic frames in which spacers lie on the rabbet base of the frame and elastomer sealing strips are arranged between the outer sides of the glass panes and the inner sides of the adjacent upstanding frame folds. The investigations used commercially available RFID transponders, their construction and Operation is well known and therefore need not be further described here. The radio wavelengths used in such transponder systems are usually in the range between 125 kHz and 960 MHz (rarely between 2.45 GHz and 5.8 GHz) and penetrate both wood and conventional plastics, but not metals. The findings of the inventors apply in principle to both passive and active RFID transponders.

With regard to electrically conductive frames, in particular metal frames, which encompass an insulating glazing unit, and which due to elementary physical laws and according to the knowledge of the skilled person based thereon, disturb, if not completely prevent, the HF radiation from RFID transponders or their antennas mounted close to the edge , the proposed solution is surprising. It provides the unforeseen advantage that an RFID transponder placed in accordance with the invention is installed at a relatively large distance of 0.3-1 m, preferably 0.5-1 m, from a window, door or façade glazing into which the insulating glazing unit is installed , is still easy to read and reliable.

In one embodiment of the invention, the transponder is arranged at a predetermined corner which is fixed in the frame due to a predetermined mounting position of the insulating glazing unit. The installation location of the transponder can be characterized in particular by a visible to the naked eye hint mark. This design makes it possible to quickly identify a built-in insulating glazing unit without having to search all corners to see if the identification transponder is placed there or elsewhere.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, two RFID transponders are arranged on the insulating glazing, wherein the transponders are arranged such that in each case one transponder is arranged at two diagonally opposite corners.

In a further embodiment it is provided that a transponder is arranged at each corner of the insulating glazing unit. This design is slightly more complex to manufacture than the aforementioned, allowing for a quick identification of each appropriately equipped glazing unit regardless of whether specifications have been made for a prescribed installation position and these are actually adhered to.

According to the invention, the or each transponder is arranged outside of the glass gap filled with gas.

In further embodiments of the invention, the or each transponder is applied to the boundary edge of one of the glass panes. This version has the advantage that the transponder is glued to glass and a) therefore does not have to be so thick to ensure the distance to the metal surface of a spacer, b) it is also not built into the insulating glazing unit (IGU) and its quality ( eg in terms of stiffness) and c) the transponder is not embedded in the sealant and thus the working frequency does not shift. This is important to achieve optimal reading ranges. Alternatively, but with similar beneficial effect, in another embodiment, the or each transponder is applied to the outer surface of the spacer profile.

In a further embodiment, the RFID transponder is electromagnetically coupled to a conductive spacer profile or a conductive portion thereof such that the radiation and reception properties of the entire system (transponder-IGU spacer profile frame) are improved. In this embodiment, for example, the conductive spacer profile or the conductive portion of such acts as an antenna of the transponder.

In a further alternative embodiment, the or each transponder is applied to an outer surface of one of the glass sheets at its edge. In an aesthetically particularly desirable manner, the transponder is dimensioned and placed on the edge so that it is completely covered in the assembled state of the window, the door or the facade glazing by an upstanding folding wall of the encompassing electrically conductive, in particular metallic, frame. In a further embodiment of the invention, a hint mark visible to the naked eye is applied to at least one glass pane at the location of the transponder.

The invention also relates to a window or a door with an electrically conductive frame and an insulating glazing unit according to the invention used in the electrically conductive frame.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a facade glazing with a construction having an electrically conductive frame and an insulating glazing unit according to the invention inserted into the electrically conductive frame.

Incidentally, advantages and expediencies of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures. From these show:

1 shows a detailed view (cross-sectional representation) of an edge region of a window in which an insulating glazing unit according to an embodiment of the invention is installed,

2A is a detailed view (cross-sectional view) of an edge region of a window, in which an insulating glazing unit is installed according to another embodiment of the invention,

2B shows a detailed view (cross-sectional representation) of an edge region of a window in which an insulating glazing unit according to a further embodiment of the invention is installed,

3 shows a detailed view (cross-sectional illustration) of an edge region of a window in which an insulating glazing unit according to a further embodiment of the invention is installed,

Fig. 4 is a schematic representation (plan view) of a portion of a

Façade glazing in which an insulating glazing unit according to the invention is installed, 5 shows a schematic representation (top view) of a window with an insulating glazing unit according to the invention,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the area Z of Fig. 5, and

7 shows a diagram for comparing the power required for the activation of a transponder arranged at a corner as a function of the frequency with the power required for the activation of a transponder arranged centrally at the edge as a function of the frequency.

In the figures and the following description, the insulating glazing units as well as the window and the individual components are each denoted by the same reference numerals, irrespective of whether the concrete embodiments differ.

1 shows an edge region of an insulating glazing unit 1, inserted into a metal frame 3 which surrounds the end face of the insulating glazing unit and has a substantially U-shaped cross-section as parts of an insulating window 2.

The insulating glazing unit 1 in this embodiment comprises two glass sheets 4a and 4b which are held at a predetermined interval by a spacer profile 5 set between the glass sheets near the end face of the insulating glazing unit. The spacer profile 5 is usually hollow and filled with a desiccant (not shown) which, via small inside openings (also not shown), binds any moisture which has penetrated into the glass space. The glass space between the glass sheets 4a and 4b is evacuated or filled with a rare gas such as argon. In the edge region of the insulating glazing unit 1, between the glass sheets 4a and 4b and outside of the spacer profile 5, an elastomer seal (sealing profile) 6 is introduced. This is shown simplified one piece. In practice, it usually comprises two components, one of which seals between spacer and glass and the other additionally stabilizes the insulating glazing unit. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the respective intermediate space between the two upright folding walls 3a, 3b of the frame 3 and the adjacent glass pane 4a or 4b is also sealed with an elastomer profile 7a or 7b. In Falzgrund 3c of the frame 3 are at predetermined locations of the longitudinal extent of the frame spacers 8, which extend substantially over the entire width of the Falzgrundes 3c and thus fully support the end face of the insulating glazing unit 1. Such spacers are usually made of a solid but not brittle to a certain extent also selectively compliant plastic.

The insulating glazing unit 1 according to FIG. 1 is provided by way of example with a total of four RFID transponders 9a to 9d. Of these, the transponders 9a and 9d are applied to the edge of the glass pane 4a and 4b respectively on the outer surface thereof, while the transponders 9b and 9c are applied to the boundary edge of the glass panes 4a and 4b, ie sit on the end face of the insulating glazing unit. This exemplary arrangement serves to illustrate the mounting possibilities of the transponder in an insulating glazing unit according to a first embodiment of the invention; in practice, only one or two of the possible attachment positions shown here will normally be occupied. When mounted on the disc surface, the or each transponder may also be slightly spaced from the edge.

Fig. 2A shows a modified construction in which the glass sheet 4b has an inside coating (such as thermal barrier coating) 10 which can cover the glass completely or partially.

In this embodiment, two transponders 9a, 9b are shown, which are respectively applied to the inside surfaces of the glass panes 4a and 4b, in the boundary region between the spacer profile 5 and the insulating glazing sealing sealing profile 6. Since the spacer profile 5 in this embodiment in Cross-section trapezoidal, that is somewhat tapered towards the front edge of the insulating glazing unit, there is a small gap to the adjacent glass surface, in which transponders can be partially inserted. Again, in practice, usually only one of the two mounting positions will be occupied by a transponder. In this construction An electromagnetic coupling is created between the transponder and the spacer, which now acts like an antenna and increases the signal strength between the reader and the transponder. The amplifying effect depends on the distance of the transponder to the spacer.

FIG. 2B shows a further modified construction, in which the glass pane 4b has an inside coating 10, which can completely or partially cover the glass.

In this embodiment, only one transponder 9a is shown. The transponder 9a is disposed on the inside surface of the glass sheet 4a between the sealing glass 6 sealing the insulating glass unit and the glass sheet 4a. In this case, the transponder 9a has no physical contact with the spacer profile 5, but on the contrary should be as far away from this as possible.

3 shows a modification of the window structure illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B and described above, whose essential difference is the provision of a single RFID transponder 9 and its positioning centrally between the glass sheets 4a and 4b on the outer surface of the spacer profile 5; embedded in the adjacent surface of the sealing profile 6, is.

4 shows schematically, using the example of a facade glazing 10, the attachment of transponders 9 in the corner regions of an insulating glazing unit 1. It has been found in studies by the inventors that such an arrangement positively influences the reception / transmission characteristic and the achievable readout distance of the transponder increased. As shown in the figure, transponders having an elongated housing near the corner may be mounted on both the long and short sides of the insulating glazing unit, basically in any of the ways shown in Figs. 1 to 3 and described above.

5 shows a schematic illustration (top view) of a window comprising an insulating glazing unit 1 according to the invention arranged in an electrically conductive frame, in which two transponders 9 are arranged diagonally to one another at each corner. For better illustration, the upright Folding walls 3a, 3b of the frame are shown in section so that the transponders 9 can be seen in FIG. The circumferential side edge of the glass sheets 4a, 4b is shown in dashed lines in FIG.

FIG. 6 shows an enlarged view of the region Z from FIG. 5. In FIG.

6, the distance between the nearest to the corner 12 of the glazing unit 1 indicative end of the transponder 9 and the corner 12 of the glazing unit 1 is provided with the reference numeral d. The distance d is preferably 5-30 cm, for example 10 cm.

FIG. 7 shows a diagram for comparing the power required for the activation of a transponder arranged at a corner as a function of the frequency with the power required for the activation of a transponder arranged centrally at the edge as a function of the frequency.

For the comparative experiment, an insulating glazing unit with a width of 50 cm and a height of 180 cm was provided, in which two RFID transponders were embedded. One of the transponders was on one of the long sides at a corner, i. embedded about 20 cm from the corner, the other transponder was centered on this longitudinal side, i. embedded about 80 cm away from the corner, the transponders were each embedded analogous to FIG.

The measured curve for the transponder located at the corner is shown in FIG.

7 with A, the measured curve for the centrally arranged transponder is marked B in FIG. The frequency allowed in the European Union for UHF (Ultra High Frequency) RFID applications from 865 MHz to 868 MHz is indicated in FIG. 7 by the dashed line.

It can be seen from FIG. 7 that, at the relevant frequency of 865 MHz, the centrally located transponder requires a power of 2.7 decibels milliwatt (dBm) «1.8 mW, whereas the transponder arranged at a corner requires power of - 6 dBm «0.25 mW required. Thus, the centrally located requires approximately nine times more power than the transponder located at the corner. This has a great influence on the readout distance of the transponder. The higher the required power, the lower the possible readout distance. The lower the power required, the greater the possible readout distance. In a further comparative example, an insulating glazing unit arranged in a metal frame with a width of 40 cm and a height of 350 cm was provided, in which two RFID transponders were embedded and determines the readout distance of the transponders. One of the transponders was embedded on one of the long sides at one corner, the other transponder was centrally embedded on this longitudinal side, away from the corner, whereby the transponders were embedded analogously to FIG.

The read-out distance of the transponder located at the corner was 30 cm, whereas the read-out distance of the centered transponder was only 5 cm. The corner thus acts as an amplifier for the signal.

The practice of the invention is not limited to the above-described examples and highlighted embodiments, but is also possible in a variety of modifications which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 insulating glazing unit

2 Windows

3 frames

3a, 3b upstanding fold walls

3c fold base

4a, 4b glass panes

5 spacer profile

6 Sealing profile of the insulating glazing unit

7a, 7b elastomer profile on the frame

8 spacer

9, 9a-9d RFID transponder

10 coating

11 facade glazing

12 corner

Z area Z

d distance

Claims

claims

An insulating glazing unit (1) comprising at least two glass sheets (4a, 4b) and a spacer profile (5) encircling them near their edges, for use in a window (2), door or façade glazing (10) each having an electrically conductive frame (3) embracing the edges of the insulating glazing,

wherein at least one RFID transponder (9, 9a-9d) is mounted as an identification element on the insulating glazing unit (1),

characterized in that

the or at least one transponder is arranged at a corner of the insulating glazing unit (1).

2. insulating glazing unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the transponder (9, 9a-9d) is arranged at a predetermined corner, which is determined due to a predetermined mounting position of the insulating glazing unit (1) in the electrically conductive frame (3).

3. insulating glazing unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein at two diagonally opposite corners in each case a transponder (9, 9a-9d) is arranged.

4. insulating glazing unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein at each corner of the insulating glazing unit (1) a transponder (9, 9a-9d) is arranged.

5. insulating glazing unit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at the or at least one transponder (9, 9a-9d) to the nearest corner of the insulating glazing unit (1) indicative end of the transponder not more than 30 cm, preferably not more than 20 cm, more preferably not more than 10 cm, most preferably not more than 5 cm from the nearest corner of the insulating glazing unit (1) is removed.

6. insulating glazing unit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the or a transponder (9, 9a-9d) on the boundary edge of the glass sheets (4a, 4b) is applied.

7. insulating glazing unit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the or a transponder (9, 9a-9d) is applied to the outer surface of the spacer profile (5).

8. insulating glazing unit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the or a transponder (9, 9a-9d) is applied to an outer surface of one of the glass sheets (4a, 4b) at the edge thereof.

9. insulating glazing unit (1) according to claim 8, wherein the transponder (9, 9a-9d) is sized and placed on the edge, that in the mounted state of the window (2), the door or the facade glazing (10) completely an upstanding fold wall (3a, 3b) of the encompassing, electrically conductive frame (3) is covered.

10. Insulating glazing unit (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a transponder (9a, 9b) is electromagnetically coupled to a conductive spacer profile (5) or a conductive portion thereof, such that the radiation and reception properties of the entire system ( Transponder IGU spacer profile frame).

11. insulating glazing unit (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at the location of the transponder (9, 9a-9d) visible to the naked eye hint mark on at least one glass sheet (4a, 4b) is applied.

12. Window (2) with an electrically conductive frame (3) and in the electrically conductive frame (3) used Isolierverglasungseinheit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11.

13. Door with an electrically conductive frame (3) and a used in the electrically conductive frame insulating glazing unit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11.

Facade glazing (10) having a construction comprising an electrically conductive frame and an insulating glazing unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11 inserted into the electrically conductive frame.