Apparatus and method for removing at least one portion of at least one coating system present in a multi-glazed window mounted on a stationary or mobile object
An improved apparatus for removing at least one portion of at least one coating system present in a multi-glazed window including at least two glass panels alternatively separated by at least one interlayer and forming multiple interfaces; the apparatus includes a decoating device including a laser source that generates a laser beam having a specific direction and two motors configured to displace the decoating device along a plane P, defined by a longitudinal axis X and a transversal axis Y, the decoating device further includes an orientation means to control the direction of the laser beam.
1 . An apparatus for removing at least one portion of at least one coating system present in a multi-glazed window comprising at least two glass panels alternatively separated by at least one interlayer and forming multiple interfaces, the apparatus comprising:
a decoating device comprising a laser source that generates a laser beam having a specific direction, and
two motors configured to displace the decoating device along a plane (P), defined by a longitudinal axis X and a transversal axis Y;
wherein the decoating device further comprises an orientation device configured to control and change the specific direction of the laser beam while the decoating device is displaced along the plane (P), and
wherein the orientation device is configured during acceleration and deceleration of the device to change the specific direction of the laser so that the laser imparts a same energy to each location on the window as when the device is displaced at maximum speed.
2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the orientation device comprises at least one rotatable mirror using a galvanometer based motor.
3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one suction device configured to detachably fix the apparatus to the multi-glazed window.
4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one rigid pushing device configured to stabilize the apparatus on the multi-glazed window.
5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical system configured to detect on which interface the coating system is localized, and to estimate a distance between the decoating device and a detected interface; and
a displacement device configured to control a position of the decoating device in a direction normal to a plane P.
6 . The apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the displacement device comprises a third motor and a displacement control unit, configured to control and displace the decoating device in the direction normal to the plane P; and
wherein the displacement device is configured to displace the decoating device a displacement distance equal to a difference between an estimated distance and a focus distance to focus the decoating device on the detected interface of the coating system.
7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one suction device comprising a vacuum pad to detachably fix the apparatus to the multi-glazed window.
8 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one suction device comprising a suction cup to detachably fix the apparatus to the multi-glazed window.
9 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the orientation device is configured to change the specific direction of the laser beam during acceleration and deceleration of the decoating device.
10 . A method for removing at least one portion of at least one coating system present in a multi-glazed window with an apparatus according to claim 1 ; comprising:
mounting the apparatus on an external interface (P1) of the multi-glazed window; and
removing a first portion of the coating system with the decoating device by orienting the laser beam with the orientation means and by displacing the decoating device with the two motors to remove a predetermined shape from the coating system.
11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein during removing a first portion of the coating system, a synchronisation means synchronises a displacement of the decoating means in the plane P, a speed of each of the two motors, and an orientation of the laser beam.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is mounted on a first interface of the multi-glazed window with at least one suction means detachably fixed to the first interface.
13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is mounted on a first interface of the multi-glazed window with at least one rigid pushing means to the first interface to stabilize and ensure parallelism between the multi-glazed window and the decoating device.
14 . An apparatus for removing at least one portion of at least one coating system present in a multi-glazed window comprising at least two glass panels alternatively separated by at least one interlayer and forming multiple interfaces, the apparatus comprising:
a decoating device comprising a laser source that generates a laser beam having a specific direction;
two motors configured to displace the decoating device along a plane (P), defined by a longitudinal axis X and a transversal axis Y; and
at least one rigid pushing device having a Youngs modulus greater than 70 GPa, the rigid pushing device configured to stabilize the apparatus on the multi-glazed window,
wherein the decoating device further comprises an orientation device to control the specific direction of the laser beam,
wherein the orientation device is configured during acceleration and deceleration of the device to change the specific direction of the laser so that the laser imparts a same energy to each location on the window as when the device is displaced at maximum speed.
15 . An apparatus for removing at least one portion of at least one coating system present in a multi-glazed window comprising at least two glass panels alternatively separated by at least one interlayer and forming multiple interfaces, the apparatus comprising:
a decoating device comprising a laser source that generates a laser beam having a specific direction,
two motors configured to displace the decoating device along a plane (P), defined by a longitudinal axis X and a transversal axis Y;
an optical system configured to detect on which interface the coating system is localized, and to estimate a distance between the decoating device and a detected interface; and
a displacement device configured to control a position of the decoating device in a direction normal to a plane P,
wherein the decoating device further comprises an orientation device to control the specific direction of the laser beam,
wherein the orientation device is configured during acceleration and deceleration of the device to change the specific direction of the laser so that the laser imparts a same energy to each location on the window as when the device is displaced at maximum speed.