EP3947301A1 - Conveying of glass sheets by means of curved rollers - Google Patents

Conveying of glass sheets by means of curved rollers

Info

Publication number
EP3947301A1
EP3947301A1 EP20713289.5A EP20713289A EP3947301A1 EP 3947301 A1 EP3947301 A1 EP 3947301A1 EP 20713289 A EP20713289 A EP 20713289A EP 3947301 A1 EP3947301 A1 EP 3947301A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
rollers
roller
conveying
actuators
glass
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP20713289.5A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Quentin DU MOULINET D'HARDEMARE
Robert Lagneaux
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Saint Gobain Glass France SAS
Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA
Original Assignee
Saint Gobain Glass France SAS
Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Saint Gobain Glass France SAS, Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA filed Critical Saint Gobain Glass France SAS
Publication of EP3947301A1 publication Critical patent/EP3947301A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
    • C03B35/00—Transporting of glass products during their manufacture, e.g. hot glass lenses, prisms
    • C03B35/14—Transporting hot glass sheets or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands
    • C03B35/16—Transporting hot glass sheets or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands by roller conveyors
    • C03B35/161—Transporting hot glass sheets or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands by roller conveyors specially adapted for bent sheets or ribbons
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
    • C03B23/00—Re-forming shaped glass
    • C03B23/02—Re-forming glass sheets
    • C03B23/023—Re-forming glass sheets by bending
    • C03B23/025—Re-forming glass sheets by bending by gravity
    • C03B23/0252—Re-forming glass sheets by bending by gravity by gravity only, e.g. sagging
    • C03B23/0254—Re-forming glass sheets by bending by gravity by gravity only, e.g. sagging in a continuous way, e.g. gravity roll bending
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
    • C03B23/00—Re-forming shaped glass
    • C03B23/02—Re-forming glass sheets
    • C03B23/023—Re-forming glass sheets by bending
    • C03B23/03—Re-forming glass sheets by bending by press-bending between shaping moulds
    • C03B23/033—Re-forming glass sheets by bending by press-bending between shaping moulds in a continuous way, e.g. roll forming, or press-roll bending
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
    • C03B27/00—Tempering or quenching glass products
    • C03B27/04—Tempering or quenching glass products using gas
    • C03B27/0404—Nozzles, blow heads, blowing units or their arrangements, specially adapted for flat or bent glass sheets
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
    • C03B27/00—Tempering or quenching glass products
    • C03B27/04—Tempering or quenching glass products using gas
    • C03B27/044—Tempering or quenching glass products using gas for flat or bent glass sheets being in a horizontal position
    • C03B27/0442—Tempering or quenching glass products using gas for flat or bent glass sheets being in a horizontal position for bent glass sheets

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device comprising a roller for conveying and optionally bending sheets of glass, said roller being bent by forced deformation in its elastic range.
  • the roller according to the invention is more particularly intended to form part of a set of rollers forming a conveying sheet for conveying glass sheets passing one behind the other.
  • the roll (known as the first roll) can also be used for bending glass sheets brought to their softening temperature.
  • the roll is advantageously associated with another roll (called second roll) of the same type (that is to say bent by forced deformation in its elastic range) to form a pair of rollers between which the sheets of glass circulate and are curved.
  • WO2005047198 teaches the bending of glass sheets in scrolling on a shaping bed constituted by rollers allowing their advancement and arranged in a path with a profile in an arc of a circle, the sheets being curved in their direction of advance.
  • WO2014053776 teaches a roller for driving glass sheets comprising a metal rod preformed according to a profile curved in its length and a flexible sheath capable of rotating around the rod.
  • the shaped metal rod does not rotate and it is the flexible sheath rotating around said rod that rotates and drives the glass sheets.
  • the roller according to the invention belongs to the category of rollers bent by elastic deformation by virtue of the action of forces exerted in regions of its ends on either side of the conveying zone of the roller. Sheets of glass can be conveyed and where appropriate bent by contact with this roller in the conveying zone. Generally, the bending of the roll gives it a concave curvature when viewed from above or a convex curvature when viewed from below. Once curved under the action of the forces exerted on it, the roller can be rotated without its shape changing.
  • a roller of the prior art belonging to this type of roller is for example taught by EP413619. As part of this invention, we can use all the mechanisms taught by EP413619 for bending the roll.
  • the shape given to this type of roller is always symmetrical with respect to its middle and the need has never been sought or felt to modify this symmetrical shape naturally given to the roller by the forces acting in the regions of its ends.
  • This natural shape is noticeably close to the arc of a circle.
  • actuators are usually used acting in regions of both ends of the roll, these actuators being synchronized to act in the same way and symmetrically with respect to the middle of the roll. In this way, the roll takes a symmetrical shape with respect to its middle.
  • the synchronization of the actuators ensures that the displacement and the force imposed by one of them on one side of the roller is exactly followed by an identical displacement and force imposed by the other on the other side of the roller. roller.
  • Bending glass sheets by bending between rollers is a particularly rapid and economical process and often used for making simple, symmetrical and shallow bends, such as the side windows of automobile windows.
  • the bending of panes with more complex shapes is generally carried out by different methods such as bending by pressing, which is also much more expensive to put in place.
  • the invention provides a solution to the aforementioned problems by demonstrating the possibility of producing a roll bent by forced deformation in its elastic range, said roll having an asymmetric shape with respect to the plane orthogonal to the roll located equidistant from the actuators forcing the bending of the roll.
  • the direction of travel of the glass sheets is included in this plane.
  • An actuator is a device that acts on a region of the roll outside the conveying area of the roll to force the roll to take a certain height (i.e. elevation) and direction.
  • An actuator can comprise at least one cylinder system comprising a movable part and a fixed part connected to the frame of the device. The movement of the movable part of the cylinder causes it to vertically move the end of the roller.
  • the invention relates to a device for conveying glass sheets passing one behind the other comprising at least one roller (said first roller) comprising a zone for conveying the glass sheets, said device comprising actuators located on either side of the side. other of the conveying zone capable of bending the roll in its elastic deformation range while leaving it capable of being driven in rotation around the fixed centers of its sections, the actuators being able to give the roller on either side of the conveying zone, a dimension and a direction giving it an asymmetric shape with respect to the plane being orthogonal to it and located equidistant from the actuators.
  • the conveying area is the area of the roller between the actuators.
  • the displacements imposed by the actuators give the roller dimensions and directions such that the roller has an asymmetrical shape with respect to the plane orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators.
  • An elastically symmetrically bent roller according to the prior art has substantially the shape of an arc of a circle and the plane orthogonal to the roller situated equidistant from the actuators is vertical.
  • An asymmetrically elastically bent roller according to the present invention is rather in the shape of a comma, and
  • the plane orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators may be vertical or not be vertical;
  • the actuators located on either side of the conveying zone may not be at the same height or may be at the same height but then the directions given to the roller by the actuators are necessarily asymmetrical with respect to the plane orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators;
  • the actuators located on either side of the conveying zone can give the roller directions symmetrical with respect to the plane orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators, but then they are not at the same height.
  • the actuator bends the roller reversibly since the deformation is carried out in the elastic domain.
  • the roller is generally a cylinder with a circular section. It is usually solid and made of stainless steel. Before bending, the roller is generally straight. Under the effect of its bending deformation, the axis of the roll (line passing through all the centers of its sections) becomes curved.
  • the actuators on either side of the conveying zone are preferably desynchronized, that is to say capable of being actuated independently of one of the other.
  • the roller actuator on one side of the conveyor area is then out of sync with the roller actuator on the other side of the conveyor area.
  • an actuator located entirely on one side of the conveying zone and in the region of one end of the roller can in particular comprise:
  • the support arm comprising a pivot link whose axis is fixed and its direction substantially orthogonal to the roller;
  • a jack capable of pushing or pulling the support arm and rotating the latter around its pivot connection.
  • the bent roll according to the invention is generally part of a sheet of rolls capable of coming into contact with the sheets of glass passing one behind the other.
  • the roller can therefore be part of a set of substantially parallel rollers side by side and of the same nature as it.
  • the sheet of rolls is composed of a set of substantially parallel rollers.
  • the device according to the invention can comprise a plurality of said roller, substantially parallel to each other, forming a sheet of rollers in contact with which the glass sheets can be conveyed one behind the other.
  • the web may be a lower web on which the sheets rest and are conveyed.
  • the web can also be an upper web under which the sheets are conveyed.
  • the device also comprises a lower web and the sheets advance and are generally curved between the lower web and the upper web. The rolls of the same sheet are able to come into contact with one and the same side of the glass sheets.
  • At least one actuator on at least one side of the conveying zone can simultaneously exert the bending of one or more rollers, in particular from one to four rollers. Where appropriate, at least one actuator on at least one side of the conveying zone can simultaneously exert the bending of at least two rollers of the sheet of rolls.
  • the roller can be used for thermal bending of glass sheets.
  • thermal bending designates the hot bending of the glass at its softening temperature allowing its deformation, which is permanent after its return to ambient temperature. It is therefore not a case of cold bending being exerted in the elastic domain of the glass. This thermal bending is carried out at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the glass and generally at a temperature above 550 ° C.
  • the device can comprise a first roller according to the invention and such a second roller (of the same constitution as the first), these two rollers called pair of rollers, generally having different dimensions (one above the other), and being parallel to each other and with a constant spacing over their entire length. This spacing corresponds to the thickness of a glass sheet, the glass sheets being intended to pass through these two rollers.
  • the glass By passing between the rollers of a pair of bending rollers, the glass is bent in a transverse direction, that is to say orthogonal to the direction of travel of the glass. In this direction, the glass takes the shape given by the forced bending imposed on the roller.
  • the bending device according to the invention can also give the glass sheets a longitudinal bending.
  • rollers according to the invention juxtaposed a conveying sheet in the form of an arc of a circle seen from the side, ascending or descending, and place, from the start of the arc of a circle, at least one roll of the same type (called second roll) above said web, parallel to a roll of the web of rollers and respecting it at a constant spacing over the entire length of the rollers, said spacing corresponding to the thickness of the sheets of glass.
  • the device then comprises a second roll of the same type as the first roll, these two rollers called pair of rollers, generally having different dimensions and being parallel to each other and with a constant spacing over their entire length, the glass sheets being intended for pass between these two rollers.
  • the glass sheets then also take the shape of an arc of a circle in the longitudinal direction.
  • the device according to the invention can comprise air blowing nozzles capable of blowing cooling air between rollers of the same ply, in particular to exert thermal reinforcement of the glass such as tempering or semi-tempering.
  • the nozzles can blow air between the rollers as soon as the shaping of the glass begins in a first portion of the arcuate path.
  • the bending device can comprise a plurality of pairs of rollers forming a sheet of lower rollers and a sheet of upper rollers in order to bend the glass sheets passing between these two sheets of rollers, said bending having at least at least one transverse direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the glass sheets.
  • the curved shape of the rollers is at the origin of the transverse bending of the sheets.
  • the layers of rolls may have an ascending or descending curved profile in the conveying direction of the glass sheets in order to exert on them also a longitudinal bending.
  • it is the ascending or descending shape which is at the origin of the longitudinal bending of the sheets.
  • the actuators located on the same side of the rollers of the same sheet are advantageously synchronized together.
  • roller actuators of a sheet of rollers located on the same side of the conveying zone are advantageously synchronized with each other so that the dimension and the direction of these rollers on the relevant side of the conveying zone can be controlled.
  • a crank driven by an operator can actuate a chain which itself drives all the actuators located on the same side of the same sheet.
  • cranks can therefore be used to adjust the asymmetry of a bending device comprising for example 3 to 20 pairs of bending rollers according to the invention: a crank to actuate all the actuators of a first side of the rollers of the upper ply, a crank for operating all the actuators on a second side of the rollers of the upper ply, a crank for operating all the actuators on a first side of the rollers of the lower ply, a crank for actuate all actuators on a second side of the lower web rollers.
  • actuators of rollers of the upper layer located on the same side of the conveying zone can be synchronized with one another so that the dimension and the direction of these rollers on the relevant side of the conveying zone can be controlled from centrally, and actuators of rollers of the lower layer located on the same side of the conveying zone can be synchronized with each other so that the dimension and direction of these rollers on the relevant side of the conveying zone can be controlled centrally.
  • two control systems may be available, each being able in particular to comprise a crank, for adjusting the asymmetry of a bending device comprising for example 3 to 20 pairs of bending rollers according to the invention: a control system to actuate all the actuators on a first side of the rollers of the two lower and upper plies and a control system for actuating all the actuators on a second side of the rollers of the two lower and upper plies.
  • a control system may include a crank that can be manually operated by an operator.
  • the roller of the device according to the invention is able to be driven in rotation by a motorized device acting on it between one of its ends and the actuator acting in the region of this same end.
  • a motorized device acting on it between one of its ends and the actuator acting in the region of this same end.
  • the drive of the roller from one side is sufficient and the other side is usually free to rotate.
  • the invention is particularly useful for conveying and, where appropriate, bending glass sheets the temperature of which is greater than 400 ° C, or even greater than 500 ° C, in particular between 400 and 700 ° C, and more particularly. between 500 and 680 ° C.
  • the roller is intended to convey and / or bending sheets of glass at a temperature above 400 ° C., preferably, the roller is surrounded by a sock made of a material comprising refractory fibers (made of metal and / or ceramic) which soften the contact with the glass.
  • the glass sheets are brought to their softening temperature by heating in an oven.
  • the roller according to the invention can be used to convey and possibly bend the sheets of glass in the oven.
  • the bending of the sheets using the device according to the invention can be carried out after they have taken them out of the oven, while they still have the temperature allowing their bending.
  • the invention also relates to a method for conveying glass sheets comprising the conveying of glass sheets passing one behind the other in contact with and in the conveying zone of the roller of the device according to the invention.
  • Several sheets of glass in particular two or four or eight sheets of glass, can be conveyed and, if necessary, curved by scrolling side by side.
  • “side-by-side” implies that the sheets in question simultaneously come into contact with the same roll.
  • two sheets moving side by side it may be two sheets each having to equip a different side of the same motor vehicle.
  • these two sheets of glass may be intended to take on bending a shape having mirror symmetry for each other (the mirror being vertical and passing through the middle of the vehicle for an observer placed facing the front of the vehicle. ).
  • the roller according to the invention is therefore conformed asymmetrically with respect to the plane orthogonal to the roller situated equidistant from the actuators, but to finally achieve a forming of the two glass sheets which are symmetrical with respect to one another.
  • the aim of asymmetry is to compensate for a lack of symmetry in the heating installation. In the case of four sheets running side by side, it may be four sheets to be fitted pair by pair on both sides of the same motor vehicle.
  • These two pairs of glass sheets can be intended to take on bending shapes having a pair-to-pair mirror symmetry (the mirror being vertical and passing through the middle of the vehicle for an observer placed facing the front of the vehicle): two sheets of a first side of the motor vehicle (for example a "windshield quarter" and a "front quarter” correspond exactly the same glazed elements on the other side of the vehicle but in mirror symmetry with respect to those intended for the first side.
  • These eight sheets have mirror symmetry two by two, forming two groups of four sheets, all the sheets of the same group passing on the same side of the plane orthogonal to the roller and located equidistant from the actuators.
  • the sheets of glass take on the bending shapes giving them mirror symmetries, so that each sheet passing over the roll on one side of the plane orthogonal to the roll and located equidistant from the actuators, corresponding to a sheet being symmetrical to it and passing over the roller on the other side of said plane.
  • the glass sheets take on bending shapes giving them mirror symmetries, with a first sheet passing on one side of the plane orthogonal to the roller and located equidistant from the actuators, corresponding to it a second sheet passing on the other side of said plane, the shape of the second sheet being symmetrical to that of the first sheet.
  • the ratio of the developed lengths of the roller on either side of the plane orthogonal to the roller and located equidistant from the actuators is generally in the range of 0.8 to 1.2.
  • FIG. 1 represents a roller 1 of the prior art.
  • Actuators 6 and 7 bend the roller in its elastic range of deformation.
  • the roller has substantially the shape of an arc of a circle of radius R.
  • the actuators 6 and 7 are at the same height.
  • the movements imposed by the actuators give the roller on either side of the conveying zone 14, at the points located immediately outside the actuators and between the actuators (that is to say at points 10 and 11), a dimension h identical on the right as on the left in the figure and directions 12 and 13 symmetrical with respect to the plane P. These two directions intersect in the plane P.
  • FIG. 2 shows a roller 20 according to the invention in view in the longitudinal direction of conveying the glass sheets.
  • Actuators 26 and 27 impose displacements represented by the arrows on the roller in regions close to its ends 28, 29, on either side of the conveying zone 214, to bend it in its elastic deformation domain.
  • the scroll does not really have the shape of an arc, but rather that of a comma.
  • the actuators 26 and 27 are at different heights (h2> h1).
  • the displacements imposed by the actuators give the roller at the points located immediately outside the actuators and between the actuators (that is to say at points 210 and 211), dimensions h1 and h2 different and directions 212 and 213 not symmetrical by with respect to the plane P. These two directions intersect outside the plane P.
  • This roller has an asymmetric shape with respect to the plane P orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators. It turns out that the plane P is vertical here, but that could not have been the case.
  • Figure 3 shows a view in the longitudinal direction of conveying a device according to the invention comprising a pair of two rollers 31, 32 arranged one above the other, parallel to each other over their entire length and at a constant distance. each other over their entire length.
  • These two rollers have been bent asymmetrically to give them an asymmetric shape with respect to the plane P orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators, like the roller of figure 2.
  • the two rollers have substantially the same shape between them but they do not 'do not have the same shape on either side of the plane P.
  • the radii of curvature R'2 are smaller than those R2 on the other side of the plane P.
  • the actuators 33 and 35 act on the lower roller and the actuators 37 and 38 act on the upper roller. All these actuators are independent (that is to say desynchronized) and an operator adjusts them so that the spacing of the two rollers is quite constant and equal to the thickness e of the glass sheets 39 over the entire conveying zone.
  • the sheet 39 undergoes a transverse bending, corresponding to the shape of the rolls, passing between them. It would not have been excluded to synchronize the actuators 33 and 37 between them on the one hand, and the actuators 35 and 38 between them on the other hand.
  • Figure 4 shows the same device as that of Figure 3, except that it is used to simultaneously bend two glass sheets 41 and 42 side by side and simultaneously coming into contact with the rollers. It may be the pair of panes, right and left, intended to equip both sides of the same motor vehicle (the difference in shape between the two sheets has been emphasized for a better understanding of the invention).
  • the goal is to produce two sheets with the same shapes, these shapes being however mirrored with respect to each other, the mirror being vertical and passing through the middle of the vehicle for an observer placed facing the front of the vehicle. and looking at him.
  • the asymmetry created by bending the rolls is responsible for correcting a heating asymmetry prior to bending to ultimately create sheets that are symmetrical to each other.
  • Figure 5 is inspired by Figure 1 of EP413619 and shows schematically and in perspective an actuator 50 for bending a pair of bending rollers by one of their end, it being understood that the other side of this pair of rollers is equipped with an equivalent actuator but desynchronized with respect to this actuator 50.
  • This actuator 50 comprises two synchronized sub-actuators: a lower sub-actuator 50a making it possible to bend the lower roller 51 a and an upper sub-actuator 50b making it possible to bend the upper roller 51 b.
  • the axes of the rollers (that is to say the curved line passing through the centers of all their sections) 52a and 52b are here in the same vertical plane.
  • rollers 51a and 51b When the rollers 51a and 51b are bent, their axes 52a and 52b take the form of two parallel curves with constant spacing over their entire length.
  • the lower roller 51a has a free end 53a and is driven in rotation by its opposite end, not shown here. It is further guided in its end part by tangential supports formed by a set of two lower rolling cylinders 54a and 55a and a set of upper rolling cylinders 56a and 57a.
  • These four rolling cylinders act as a roller bearing. They are mounted on forks 58a and 59a according to an assembly allowing their free rotation. These forks are fixed on a support arm 60a which can pivot about the axis 63a.
  • the upper roller 51b is mounted vertically to the lower roller 51a and is likewise guided by the rolling cylinders 54b, 55b, 56b, 57b.
  • the rolling cylinders guiding the roller 51b are positioned exactly vertically to the rolling cylinders guiding the lower roller 51a.
  • These rolling cylinders are mounted on forks 58b and 59b fixed on a second support 60b pivoting about the axis 63b.
  • the support arm 60a also carries a stop 62a which faces the stop 62b carried by the upper arm 60b.
  • the stop 62b further comprises a passage 64b for the elements for driving the roller 51b in rotation.
  • the device shown schematically in Figure 5 corresponds to a perfectly symmetrical device placed on the other side (not visible in the figure) of the rollers 51 a and 51 b. If a displacement is applied to the free end 61a of the arm 60a in the direction of the arrow F, the angular displacement of the arm which pivots about the axis 63a is caused. By the stops 62a and 62b, this force is directly transmitted to the arm 60b. A perfectly identical deflection of the rollers 51a and 51b is thus obtained. The deflection taken by the rollers depends directly on the vertical position of the arms 60a and 60b, a position which can easily be modified by a mechanical jack or a cam.
  • the system of stops 62a and 62b therefore makes it possible to couple the subactuators 50a of the lower roller and 50b of the upper roller.
  • the two rollers therefore bend simultaneously by applying a single movement on the actuator 50a.
  • the actuator 50 is generally associated with another actuator of the same type 50 '(not shown here) and located at the other end of the rollers 51 a and 51 b, on the other side of the zone of conveying.
  • the asymmetry in bending of the rollers arises from the fact that each actuator 50 and 50 ’imposes a different direction on each end of the pair of rollers 51a and 51b.
  • pairs of forming rollers mounted as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 5 are advantageously used to constitute a conveyor whose path is profiled curved, preferably with a concavity facing upwards.
  • a forming and tempering machine comprising such a conveyor is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 6.
  • FIG. 6 is a schematic side view (transverse view) of a bending and hardening machine to which the invention is more particularly addressed.
  • a sheet of glass scrolls and is heated in an oven, then passes between two ascending sheets of rollers forming a shaping assembly, then, at the outlet, in a secondary cooling zone.
  • the glass sheet 81 flat at the start, first passes through a heating zone 82 of a tunnel oven (the arrow in the oven indicates the conveying direction which is also the longitudinal direction), in which it is conveyed on a horizontal conveyor 83 driven by a web of rectilinear motor rollers 64 aligned in a plane.
  • the glass On leaving the heating oven, the glass is at its deformation temperature allowing its thermal bending.
  • the glass sheet 81 then enters a shaping zone comprising a sheet of upper rollers 67 and a sheet of lower rollers 69, mounted in an ascending curved profile in an arc of a circle in side view.
  • the glass sheets scroll are pinched and shaped between pairs 73 of rolls of these two layers of rolls. It can be seen that the rolls of a pair of rolls generally have different dimensions, one being generally higher than the other, except perhaps for the last pair of rolls for which the rolls are substantially at the same height.
  • the web of rolls 67 and the web of rolls 69 thus form an ascending conformation assembly with an upward curved profile.
  • the glass sheets 81 are bent from the first pairs 73 of rollers, in the transverse direction as shown in FIG.

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for conveying glass sheets travelling one behind the other, comprising at least one roller having an area for conveying glass sheets, said device comprising actuators located on each side of the conveying area, which can curve the roller in its elastic deformation region while allowing it to be rotated about the fixed centres of the cross-sections thereof, the actuators being capable of conferring on the roller, on each side of the conveying area, a dimension and direction giving the roller an asymmetrical shape relative to the plane orthogonal to the roller and equidistant from the actuators.

Description

CONVOYAGE DE FEUILLES DE VERRE PAR DES ROULEAUX CINTRÉS CONVEYING SHEETS OF GLASS BY BENDED ROLLERS
L’invention concerne un dispositif comprenant un rouleau de convoyage et le cas échéant de bombage de feuilles de verre, ledit rouleau étant cintré par déformation forcée dans son domaine élastique. The invention relates to a device comprising a roller for conveying and optionally bending sheets of glass, said roller being bent by forced deformation in its elastic range.
Le rouleau selon l’invention est plus particulièrement destiné à faire partie d’un ensemble de rouleaux formant une nappe de convoyage pour le convoyage de feuilles de verre défilant les unes derrière les autres. Le rouleau (dit premier rouleau) peut également servir au bombage de feuilles de verre portées à leur température de ramollissement. Pour ce type de bombage, le rouleau est avantageusement associé à un autre rouleau (dit deuxième rouleau) du même type (c’est-à-dire cintré par déformation forcée dans son domaine élastique) pour former une paire de rouleaux entre lesquelles les feuilles de verre circulent et sont bombées. The roller according to the invention is more particularly intended to form part of a set of rollers forming a conveying sheet for conveying glass sheets passing one behind the other. The roll (known as the first roll) can also be used for bending glass sheets brought to their softening temperature. For this type of bending, the roll is advantageously associated with another roll (called second roll) of the same type (that is to say bent by forced deformation in its elastic range) to form a pair of rollers between which the sheets of glass circulate and are curved.
Le W02005047198 enseigne le bombage de feuilles de verre au défilé sur un lit de conformation constitué par des rouleaux permettant leur avancement et disposés selon un trajet à profil en arc de cercle, les feuilles étant bombées dans leur direction d'avancement. WO2005047198 teaches the bending of glass sheets in scrolling on a shaping bed constituted by rollers allowing their advancement and arranged in a path with a profile in an arc of a circle, the sheets being curved in their direction of advance.
Le WO2014053776 enseigne un rouleau pour l'entrainement de feuilles de verre comprenant une tige métallique préformée selon un profil courbe dans sa longueur et une gaine flexible pouvant tourner autour de la tige. La tige métallique conformée ne tourne pas et c’est la gaine flexible tournant autour de ladite tige qui tourne et entraîne les feuilles de verre. WO2014053776 teaches a roller for driving glass sheets comprising a metal rod preformed according to a profile curved in its length and a flexible sheath capable of rotating around the rod. The shaped metal rod does not rotate and it is the flexible sheath rotating around said rod that rotates and drives the glass sheets.
Le rouleau selon l’invention appartient à la catégorie des rouleaux cintrés par déformation élastique grâce à l’action de forces exercées dans des régions de ses extrémités de part et d’autre de la zone de convoyage du rouleau. Des feuilles de verre peuvent être convoyées et le cas échéant bombées par contact avec ce rouleau dans la zone de convoyage. Généralement, le cintrage du rouleau lui donne une courbure concave vu de dessus ou convexe vu de dessous. Une fois incurvé sous l’action des forces exercées sur lui, le rouleau peut être mis en rotation sans que sa forme ne se modifie. Un rouleau de l’art antérieur appartenant à ce genre de rouleau est par exemple enseigné par EP413619. Dans le cadre de la présente invention, on peut reprendre l’ensemble des mécanismes enseignés par EP413619 pour cintrer le rouleau. The roller according to the invention belongs to the category of rollers bent by elastic deformation by virtue of the action of forces exerted in regions of its ends on either side of the conveying zone of the roller. Sheets of glass can be conveyed and where appropriate bent by contact with this roller in the conveying zone. Generally, the bending of the roll gives it a concave curvature when viewed from above or a convex curvature when viewed from below. Once curved under the action of the forces exerted on it, the roller can be rotated without its shape changing. A roller of the prior art belonging to this type of roller is for example taught by EP413619. As part of this invention, we can use all the mechanisms taught by EP413619 for bending the roll.
Selon l’art antérieur, la forme donnée à ce type de rouleau est toujours symétrique par rapport à son milieu et l’on n’a jamais cherché ni ressenti le besoin de modifier cette forme symétrique naturellement donnée au rouleau par les forces agissant dans les régions de ses extrémités. Cette forme naturelle est sensiblement proche de l’arc de cercle. Pour réaliser un tel rouleau, on utilise habituellement des actionneurs agissant dans des régions des deux extrémités du rouleau, ces actionneurs étant synchronisés afin d’agir de la même façon et symétriquement par rapport au milieu du rouleau. De la sorte, le rouleau prend une forme symétrique par rapport à son milieu. La synchronisation des actionneurs assure que le déplacement et l’effort imposé par l’un d’eux d’un côté du rouleau est exactement suivi d’un déplacement et d’un effort identiques imposé par l’autre de l’autre côté du rouleau. According to the prior art, the shape given to this type of roller is always symmetrical with respect to its middle and the need has never been sought or felt to modify this symmetrical shape naturally given to the roller by the forces acting in the regions of its ends. This natural shape is noticeably close to the arc of a circle. To make such a roll, actuators are usually used acting in regions of both ends of the roll, these actuators being synchronized to act in the same way and symmetrically with respect to the middle of the roll. In this way, the roll takes a symmetrical shape with respect to its middle. The synchronization of the actuators ensures that the displacement and the force imposed by one of them on one side of the roller is exactly followed by an identical displacement and force imposed by the other on the other side of the roller. roller.
Le bombage de feuilles de verre par cintrage entre des rouleaux est un procédé particulièrement rapide et économique et souvent utilisé pour la réalisation de courbures simples, symétriques et peu profondes, comme les vitres latérales des vitrages automobile. Le bombage de vitres aux formes plus complexes est généralement réalisé par des procédés différents comme le bombage par pressage par ailleurs beaucoup plus onéreux à mettre en place. Bending glass sheets by bending between rollers is a particularly rapid and economical process and often used for making simple, symmetrical and shallow bends, such as the side windows of automobile windows. The bending of panes with more complex shapes is generally carried out by different methods such as bending by pressing, which is also much more expensive to put in place.
La tolérance sur les formes des vitres devient de plus en plus sévère. On s’est aperçu que lorsque l’on cherche à bomber de façon symétrique des feuilles de verre défilant sur des rouleaux ayant une forme symétrique par rapport à leur milieu, le verre finalement obtenu pouvait maintenant sortir des tolérances acceptables pour cause de manque de symétrie du bombage par rapport au plan de symétrie vertical passant par le milieu des rouleaux. On attribue ce défaut à une hétérogénéité de la température du verre découlant d’un manque de symétrie du chauffage du verre dans le four de chauffe utilisé avant le bombage. Ce défaut existe également lorsque l’on cherche à bomber deux feuilles de verres défilant côte à côte sur la nappe de rouleaux, lesdites deux feuilles étant par exemple destinées à équiper les deux côtés latéraux d’un véhicule automobile : on a observé une différence des formes de bombage des deux feuilles malgré leur bombage simultané par des outils sensés leur donner des formes symétriques par rapport au milieu du rouleau. La cause de ce problème est également attribuée à un défaut d’homogénéité du chauffage des deux feuilles circulant côte à côte dans le four. Enfin, les formes des vitres automobiles évoluant vers toujours plus de complexité, on cherche maintenant aussi à produire des vitres non symétriques par rapport à leur direction de convoyage lors de leur bombage, et par un procédé rapide et peu coûteux. The tolerance on the shapes of the panes is becoming more and more severe. It has been noticed that when one seeks to bend in a symmetrical way sheets of glass moving on rollers having a symmetrical shape with respect to their middle, the glass finally obtained could now go outside acceptable tolerances due to lack of symmetry. bending with respect to the vertical plane of symmetry passing through the middle of the rollers. This defect is attributed to a heterogeneity in the temperature of the glass resulting from a lack of symmetry in the heating of the glass in the heating furnace used before the bending. This defect also exists when it is sought to bend two sheets of glass moving side by side on the sheet of rollers, said two sheets being for example intended to equip the two lateral sides of a motor vehicle: a difference in bending shapes of the two sheets despite their bending simultaneous by tools that are supposed to give them symmetrical shapes in relation to the middle of the roll. The cause of this problem is also attributed to a lack of homogeneity in the heating of the two sheets circulating side by side in the oven. Finally, the shapes of automobile windows evolving towards ever more complexity, it is now also sought to produce windows that are not symmetrical with respect to their conveying direction during their bending, and by a rapid and inexpensive process.
L’invention apporte une solution aux problèmes susmentionnés en démontrant la possibilité de réaliser un rouleau cintré par déformation forcée dans son domaine élastique, ledit rouleau ayant une forme asymétrique par rapport au plan orthogonal au rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs forçant le cintrage du rouleau. La direction de défilement des feuilles de verre est comprise dans ce plan. Un actionneur est un appareil agissant sur une région du rouleau extérieurement à la zone de convoyage du rouleau pour forcer le rouleau à prendre une certaine hauteur (c’est-à-dire cote) et une certaine direction. Un actionneur peut comprendre au moins un système de vérin comportant une partie mobile et une partie fixe reliée au châssis du dispositif. Le déplacement de la partie mobile du vérin l’amène à déplacer verticalement l’extrémité du rouleau. The invention provides a solution to the aforementioned problems by demonstrating the possibility of producing a roll bent by forced deformation in its elastic range, said roll having an asymmetric shape with respect to the plane orthogonal to the roll located equidistant from the actuators forcing the bending of the roll. The direction of travel of the glass sheets is included in this plane. An actuator is a device that acts on a region of the roll outside the conveying area of the roll to force the roll to take a certain height (i.e. elevation) and direction. An actuator can comprise at least one cylinder system comprising a movable part and a fixed part connected to the frame of the device. The movement of the movable part of the cylinder causes it to vertically move the end of the roller.
Ainsi, l’invention concerne un dispositif de convoyage de feuilles de verre défilant les unes derrière les autres comprenant au moins un rouleau (dit premier rouleau) comprenant une zone de convoyage des feuilles de verre, ledit dispositif comprenant des actionneurs situés de part et d’autre de la zone de convoyage aptes à cintrer le rouleau dans son domaine de déformation élastique tout en le laissant apte à être entraîné en rotation autour des centres fixes de ses sections, les actionneurs étant aptes à donner au rouleau de part et d’autre de la zone de convoyage, une cote et une direction lui donnant une forme asymétrique par rapport au plan lui étant orthogonal et situé à équidistance des actionneurs. Thus, the invention relates to a device for conveying glass sheets passing one behind the other comprising at least one roller (said first roller) comprising a zone for conveying the glass sheets, said device comprising actuators located on either side of the side. other of the conveying zone capable of bending the roll in its elastic deformation range while leaving it capable of being driven in rotation around the fixed centers of its sections, the actuators being able to give the roller on either side of the conveying zone, a dimension and a direction giving it an asymmetric shape with respect to the plane being orthogonal to it and located equidistant from the actuators.
La zone de convoyage est la zone du rouleau entre les actionneurs. Les déplacements imposés par les actionneurs donnent au rouleau des cotes et directions telles que le rouleau a une forme asymétrique par rapport au plan orthogonal au rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs. Un rouleau cintré élastiquement de façon symétrique selon l’art antérieur a sensiblement la forme d’un arc de cercle et le plan orthogonal au rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs est vertical. Un rouleau cintré élastiquement de façon asymétrique selon la présente invention a plutôt la forme d’une virgule, et The conveying area is the area of the roller between the actuators. The displacements imposed by the actuators give the roller dimensions and directions such that the roller has an asymmetrical shape with respect to the plane orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators. An elastically symmetrically bent roller according to the prior art has substantially the shape of an arc of a circle and the plane orthogonal to the roller situated equidistant from the actuators is vertical. An asymmetrically elastically bent roller according to the present invention is rather in the shape of a comma, and
- le plan orthogonal au rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs peut être vertical ou ne pas être vertical ; - the plane orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators may be vertical or not be vertical;
- les actionneurs situés de part et d’autre de la zone de convoyage peuvent ne pas être à la même hauteur ou peuvent être à la même hauteur mais alors les directions données au rouleau par les actionneurs sont forcément asymétriques par rapport au plan orthogonal au rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs ; - the actuators located on either side of the conveying zone may not be at the same height or may be at the same height but then the directions given to the roller by the actuators are necessarily asymmetrical with respect to the plane orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators;
- les actionneurs situés de part et d’autre de la zone de convoyage peuvent donner au rouleau des directions symétriques par rapport au plan orthogonal au rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs, mais alors ils ne sont pas à la même hauteur. - the actuators located on either side of the conveying zone can give the roller directions symmetrical with respect to the plane orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators, but then they are not at the same height.
L’actionneur cintre le rouleau de façon réversible puisque la déformation est réalisée dans le domaine élastique. Le rouleau est généralement un cylindre à section circulaire. Il est généralement plein et en acier inoxydable. Avant cintrage, le rouleau est généralement rectiligne. Sous l’effet de sa déformation de cintrage, l’axe du rouleau (ligne passant par tous les centres de ses sections) devient incurvé. The actuator bends the roller reversibly since the deformation is carried out in the elastic domain. The roller is generally a cylinder with a circular section. It is usually solid and made of stainless steel. Before bending, the roller is generally straight. Under the effect of its bending deformation, the axis of the roll (line passing through all the centers of its sections) becomes curved.
Pour pouvoir donner à un rouleau selon l’invention une forme asymétrique, les actionneurs de part et d’autre de la zone de convoyage sont de préférence désynchronisés, c’est-à-dire aptes à être actionnés indépendamment l’un de l’autre. L’actionneur du rouleau situé d’un côté de la zone de convoyage est alors désynchronisé de l’actionneur du rouleau situé de l’autre côté de la zone de convoyage. Comme décrit dans EP413619, un actionneur situé entièrement d’un côté de la zone de convoyage et dans la région d’une extrémité du rouleau, peut notamment comprendre : In order to be able to give a roller according to the invention an asymmetrical shape, the actuators on either side of the conveying zone are preferably desynchronized, that is to say capable of being actuated independently of one of the other. The roller actuator on one side of the conveyor area is then out of sync with the roller actuator on the other side of the conveyor area. As described in EP413619, an actuator located entirely on one side of the conveying zone and in the region of one end of the roller, can in particular comprise:
- deux paires de cylindres de roulement libres en rotation et faisant office de roulements, situés en quinconce de sorte à pouvoir exercer un moment de cintrage au rouleau ; une première paire de cylindres de roulement se trouve sous le rouleau et une deuxième paire de cylindres de roulement se trouve au-dessus du rouleau ; ces deux paires de rouleaux peuvent être éloignées l’une de l’autre en projection sur l’axe du rouleau d’une distance comprise entre 0, 1 m et 0,5 m; la première paire est en contact avec la partie inférieure du rouleau et l’autre paire est en contact avec la partie supérieure du rouleau ; cet agencement des cylindres de roulement permet d’exercer un moment fléchissant dans la région de l’extrémité du rouleau dans une direction perpendiculaire à son axe; ce moment peut être appliqué tout en laissant la possibilité au rouleau de tourner librement autour de son axe, en appui sur les deux paires de cylindres de roulement,- two pairs of free rotating rolling cylinders acting as bearings, staggered so as to be able to exert a bending moment with the roller; a first pair of rolling cylinders is located under the roller and a second pair of rolling cylinders is located above the roller; these two pairs of rollers can be separated from each other in projection on the axis of the roller by a distance between 0.1 m and 0.5 m; the first pair is in contact with the lower part of the roller and the other pair is in contact with the upper part of the roller; this arrangement of the rolling rolls allows a bending moment to be exerted in the region of the end of the roll in a direction perpendicular to its axis; this moment can be applied while leaving the possibility for the roller to rotate freely around its axis, resting on the two pairs of rolling cylinders,
- un bras support sur lequel les cylindres de roulement précédents sont fixés ; le bras support comprenant une liaison pivot dont l’axe est fixe et sa direction sensiblement orthogonale au rouleau ; - a support arm on which the preceding rolling cylinders are fixed; the support arm comprising a pivot link whose axis is fixed and its direction substantially orthogonal to the roller;
- un vérin apte à pousser ou tirer le bras support et faire tourner celui-ci autour de sa liaison pivot. - a jack capable of pushing or pulling the support arm and rotating the latter around its pivot connection.
Le rouleau cintré selon l’invention fait généralement partie d’une nappe de rouleaux apte à entrer en contact avec les feuilles de verre défilant les unes derrière les autres. Le rouleau peut donc faire partie d’un ensemble de rouleaux sensiblement parallèles côte à côte et de même nature que lui. Ainsi la nappe de rouleaux est composé d’un ensemble de rouleaux sensiblement parallèles. Ainsi, le dispositif selon l’invention peut comprendre une pluralité dudit rouleau, sensiblement parallèles entre eux, formant une nappe de rouleaux au contact de laquelle les feuilles de verre peuvent être convoyées les unes derrière les autres. La nappe peut être une nappe inférieure sur laquelle les feuilles reposent et sont convoyées. La nappe peut également être une nappe supérieure sous laquelle les feuilles sont convoyées. Dans ce dernier cas, le dispositif comprend également une nappe inférieure et les feuilles défilent et sont généralement bombées entre la nappe inférieure et la nappe supérieure. Les rouleaux d’une même nappe sont aptes à entrer en contact avec une seule et même face des feuilles de verre. The bent roll according to the invention is generally part of a sheet of rolls capable of coming into contact with the sheets of glass passing one behind the other. The roller can therefore be part of a set of substantially parallel rollers side by side and of the same nature as it. Thus the sheet of rolls is composed of a set of substantially parallel rollers. Thus, the device according to the invention can comprise a plurality of said roller, substantially parallel to each other, forming a sheet of rollers in contact with which the glass sheets can be conveyed one behind the other. The web may be a lower web on which the sheets rest and are conveyed. The web can also be an upper web under which the sheets are conveyed. In the latter case, the device also comprises a lower web and the sheets advance and are generally curved between the lower web and the upper web. The rolls of the same sheet are able to come into contact with one and the same side of the glass sheets.
Au moins un actionneur d’au moins un côté de la zone de convoyage peut exercer simultanément le cintrage d’un ou plusieurs rouleaux, notamment de un à quatre rouleaux. Le cas échéant, au moins un actionneur d’au moins un côté de la zone de convoyage peut exercer simultanément le cintrage d’au moins deux rouleaux de la nappe de rouleaux. Le rouleau peut servir au bombage thermique de feuilles de verre. L’expression bombage thermique désigne le bombage à chaud du verre à sa température de ramollissement permettant sa déformation, laquelle est permanente après son retour à la température ambiante. Il ne s’agit donc pas d’un bombage à froid s’exerçant dans le domaine élastique du verre. Ce bombage thermique est réalisé à une température supérieure à la température de transition vitreuse du verre et généralement à une température supérieure à 550°C. Notamment, si les feuilles sont à leur température de ramollissement, les feuilles de verre peuvent se bomber par affaissement sous l’effet de leur propre poids lors du défilement sur une nappe de rouleaux. On peut également constituer une paire de rouleaux parallèles entre lesquels le verre est convoyé et bombé lors de son passage entre les rouleaux. Pour ce faire, le dispositif peut comprendre un premier rouleau selon l’invention et un tel deuxième rouleau (de même constitution que le premier), ces deux rouleaux dits paire de rouleaux, ayant généralement des cotes différentes (l’un au-dessus de l’autre), et étant parallèles entre eux et avec un écartement constant sur toute leur longueur. Cet écartement correspond à l’épaisseur d’une feuille de verre, les feuilles de verre étant destinées à passer en ces deux rouleaux. At least one actuator on at least one side of the conveying zone can simultaneously exert the bending of one or more rollers, in particular from one to four rollers. Where appropriate, at least one actuator on at least one side of the conveying zone can simultaneously exert the bending of at least two rollers of the sheet of rolls. The roller can be used for thermal bending of glass sheets. The expression thermal bending designates the hot bending of the glass at its softening temperature allowing its deformation, which is permanent after its return to ambient temperature. It is therefore not a case of cold bending being exerted in the elastic domain of the glass. This thermal bending is carried out at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the glass and generally at a temperature above 550 ° C. In particular, if the sheets are at their softening temperature, the glass sheets can bulge out by sagging under the effect of their own weight when running on a sheet of rollers. It is also possible to constitute a pair of parallel rollers between which the glass is conveyed and curved as it passes between the rollers. To do this, the device can comprise a first roller according to the invention and such a second roller (of the same constitution as the first), these two rollers called pair of rollers, generally having different dimensions (one above the other), and being parallel to each other and with a constant spacing over their entire length. This spacing corresponds to the thickness of a glass sheet, the glass sheets being intended to pass through these two rollers.
En passant entre les rouleaux d’une paire de rouleaux de bombage, le verre est bombé dans une direction transversale, c’est-à-dire orthogonale au sens de défilement du verre. Selon cette direction, le verre prend la forme donnée par le cintrage forcé imposé au rouleau. Le dispositif de bombage selon l’invention peut également conférer aux feuilles de verre un bombage longitudinal. Pour ce faire, on peut constituer avec des rouleaux selon l’invention juxtaposés une nappe de convoyage en forme d’arc de cercle vu de côté, ascendante ou descendante, et placer, dès le début de l’arc de cercle, au moins un rouleau de même nature (dit deuxième rouleau) au-dessus de ladite nappe, parallèlement à un rouleau de la nappe de rouleaux et en respectant avec elle un écartement constant sur toute la longueur des rouleaux, ledit écartement correspondant à l’épaisseur des feuilles de verre. Le dispositif comprend alors un deuxième rouleau de même nature que le premier rouleau, ces deux rouleaux dits paire de rouleaux, ayant généralement des cotes différentes et étant parallèles entre eux et avec un écartement constant sur toute leur longueur, les feuilles de verre étant destinées à passer entre ces deux rouleaux. Pendant leur parcours en arc de cercle, en plus de leur bombage transversal (lequel, selon l’invention n’est pas un arc de cercle), les feuilles de verre prennent alors aussi la forme en arc de cercle en direction longitudinale. Le dispositif selon l’invention peut comprendre des buses de soufflage d’air aptes à souffler de l’air de refroidissement entre des rouleaux de la même nappe, notamment pour exercer un renforcement thermique du verre comme une trempe ou semi-trempe. Les buses peuvent souffler de l’air entre les rouleaux dès le début de la conformation du verre dans une première portion du trajet en arc de cercle. By passing between the rollers of a pair of bending rollers, the glass is bent in a transverse direction, that is to say orthogonal to the direction of travel of the glass. In this direction, the glass takes the shape given by the forced bending imposed on the roller. The bending device according to the invention can also give the glass sheets a longitudinal bending. To do this, one can constitute with rollers according to the invention juxtaposed a conveying sheet in the form of an arc of a circle seen from the side, ascending or descending, and place, from the start of the arc of a circle, at least one roll of the same type (called second roll) above said web, parallel to a roll of the web of rollers and respecting it at a constant spacing over the entire length of the rollers, said spacing corresponding to the thickness of the sheets of glass. The device then comprises a second roll of the same type as the first roll, these two rollers called pair of rollers, generally having different dimensions and being parallel to each other and with a constant spacing over their entire length, the glass sheets being intended for pass between these two rollers. During their course in an arc of a circle, in addition to their transverse bending (which, according to the invention is not an arc of a circle), the glass sheets then also take the shape of an arc of a circle in the longitudinal direction. The device according to the invention can comprise air blowing nozzles capable of blowing cooling air between rollers of the same ply, in particular to exert thermal reinforcement of the glass such as tempering or semi-tempering. The nozzles can blow air between the rollers as soon as the shaping of the glass begins in a first portion of the arcuate path.
Le principe d’un dispositif utilisant deux nappes de rouleaux en arc de cercle vu de côté pour réaliser un bombage dans la direction longitudinale de convoyage du verre est notamment décrit dans la figure 2 du WO2014053776 ou les figures 1 et 2 du W02005047198. The principle of a device using two sheets of rollers in an arc of a circle seen from the side to bend in the longitudinal direction of conveying the glass is described in particular in Figure 2 of WO2014053776 or Figures 1 and 2 of WO2005047198.
Ainsi, le dispositif de bombage selon l’invention peut comprendre une pluralité de paires de rouleaux formant une nappe de rouleaux inférieurs et une nappe de rouleaux supérieurs pour exercer un bombage aux feuilles de verre passant entre ces deux nappes de rouleaux, ledit bombage ayant au moins une direction transversale perpendiculaire à la direction de convoyage des feuilles de verre. La forme cintrée des rouleaux est à l’origine du bombage transversal des feuilles. Les nappes de rouleaux peuvent avoir un profil courbe ascendant ou descendant dans la direction de convoyage des feuilles de verre pour exercer sur elles également un bombage longitudinal. Ici, c’est la forme ascendante ou descendante qui est à l’origine du bombage longitudinal des feuilles. Dans ce type de configuration, on synchronise avantageusement ensemble les actionneurs situés du même côté des rouleaux d’une même nappe. Ainsi, des actionneurs de rouleaux d’une nappe de rouleaux situés d’un même côté de la zone de convoyage sont avantageusement synchronisés entre eux de sorte que la cote et la direction de ces rouleaux du côté concerné de la zone de convoyage peut être commandée de façon centralisée. Par exemple, une manivelle mue par un opérateur, peut actionner une chaîne qui entraîne elle-même tous les actionneurs situés du même côté d’une même nappe. On peut donc disposer de quatre manivelles pour régler l’asymétrie d’un dispositif de bombage comprenant par exemple 3 à 20 paires de rouleaux de bombage selon l’invention: une manivelle pour actionner tous les actionneurs d’un premier côté des rouleaux de la nappe supérieure, une manivelle pour actionner tous les actionneurs d’un second côté des rouleaux de la nappe supérieure, une manivelle pour actionner tous les actionneurs d’un premier côté des rouleaux de la nappe inférieure, une manivelle pour actionner tous les actionneurs d’un second côté des rouleaux de la nappe inférieure. Ainsi, des actionneurs de rouleaux de la nappe supérieure situés d’un même côté de la zone de convoyage, peuvent être synchronisés entre eux de sorte que la cote et la direction de ces rouleaux du côté concerné de la zone de convoyage peut être commandée de façon centralisée, et des actionneurs de rouleaux de la nappe inférieure situés d’un même côté de la zone de convoyage peuvent être synchronisés entre eux de sorte que la cote et la direction de ces rouleaux du côté concerné de la zone de convoyage peut être commandée de façon centralisée. Thus, the bending device according to the invention can comprise a plurality of pairs of rollers forming a sheet of lower rollers and a sheet of upper rollers in order to bend the glass sheets passing between these two sheets of rollers, said bending having at least at least one transverse direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the glass sheets. The curved shape of the rollers is at the origin of the transverse bending of the sheets. The layers of rolls may have an ascending or descending curved profile in the conveying direction of the glass sheets in order to exert on them also a longitudinal bending. Here, it is the ascending or descending shape which is at the origin of the longitudinal bending of the sheets. In this type of configuration, the actuators located on the same side of the rollers of the same sheet are advantageously synchronized together. Thus, roller actuators of a sheet of rollers located on the same side of the conveying zone are advantageously synchronized with each other so that the dimension and the direction of these rollers on the relevant side of the conveying zone can be controlled. centrally. For example, a crank driven by an operator can actuate a chain which itself drives all the actuators located on the same side of the same sheet. Four cranks can therefore be used to adjust the asymmetry of a bending device comprising for example 3 to 20 pairs of bending rollers according to the invention: a crank to actuate all the actuators of a first side of the rollers of the upper ply, a crank for operating all the actuators on a second side of the rollers of the upper ply, a crank for operating all the actuators on a first side of the rollers of the lower ply, a crank for actuate all actuators on a second side of the lower web rollers. Thus, actuators of rollers of the upper layer located on the same side of the conveying zone, can be synchronized with one another so that the dimension and the direction of these rollers on the relevant side of the conveying zone can be controlled from centrally, and actuators of rollers of the lower layer located on the same side of the conveying zone can be synchronized with each other so that the dimension and direction of these rollers on the relevant side of the conveying zone can be controlled centrally.
Dans une autre variante et dans le but de simplifier les réglages de la machine, il est aussi possible de synchroniser les actionneurs des deux nappes de rouleaux situés d’un même côté de la zone de convoyage. On pourra dans ce cas disposer de deux systèmes de commande, pouvant chacun comprendre notamment une manivelle, pour régler l’asymétrie d’un dispositif de bombage comprenant par exemple 3 à 20 paires de rouleaux de bombage selon l’invention: un système de commande pour actionner tous les actionneurs d’un premier côté des rouleaux des deux nappes inférieure et supérieure et un système de commande pour actionner tous les actionneurs d’un second côté des rouleaux des deux nappes inférieure et supérieure. Un système de commande peut comprendre une manivelle actionnable manuellement par un opérateur. In another variant and in order to simplify the settings of the machine, it is also possible to synchronize the actuators of the two layers of rollers located on the same side of the conveying zone. In this case, two control systems may be available, each being able in particular to comprise a crank, for adjusting the asymmetry of a bending device comprising for example 3 to 20 pairs of bending rollers according to the invention: a control system to actuate all the actuators on a first side of the rollers of the two lower and upper plies and a control system for actuating all the actuators on a second side of the rollers of the two lower and upper plies. A control system may include a crank that can be manually operated by an operator.
Le rouleau du dispositif selon l’invention est apte à être entraîné en rotation par un dispositif motorisé agissant sur lui entre l’une de ses extrémités et l’actionneur agissant dans la région de cette même extrémité. Généralement l’entraînement du rouleau par l’un de ses côtés est suffisant et son autre côté est généralement en rotation libre. The roller of the device according to the invention is able to be driven in rotation by a motorized device acting on it between one of its ends and the actuator acting in the region of this same end. Usually the drive of the roller from one side is sufficient and the other side is usually free to rotate.
L’invention trouve notamment une utilité pour le convoyage et le cas échéant le bombage de feuilles de verre dont la température est supérieure à 400°C, voire même supérieure à 500°C, notamment comprise entre 400 et 700°C, et plus particulièrement entre 500 et 680°C. Si le rouleau est destiné à convoyer et/ou bomber des feuilles de verre à une température supérieure à 400°C, de préférence, le rouleau est entouré d’une chaussette en matériau comprenant des fibres réfractaires (en métal et/ou en céramique) adoucissant le contact avec le verre. The invention is particularly useful for conveying and, where appropriate, bending glass sheets the temperature of which is greater than 400 ° C, or even greater than 500 ° C, in particular between 400 and 700 ° C, and more particularly. between 500 and 680 ° C. If the roller is intended to convey and / or bending sheets of glass at a temperature above 400 ° C., preferably, the roller is surrounded by a sock made of a material comprising refractory fibers (made of metal and / or ceramic) which soften the contact with the glass.
Dans le cadre du bombage de feuilles de verres, les feuilles de verre sont amenées à leur température de ramollissement par chauffage dans un four. Le rouleau selon l’invention peut servir à convoyer et éventuellement bomber les feuilles de verre dans le four. Le bombage des feuilles grâce au dispositif selon l’invention peut être réalisé après leur sortie du four, alors qu’elles ont encore la température permettant leur bombage. In the context of bending glass sheets, the glass sheets are brought to their softening temperature by heating in an oven. The roller according to the invention can be used to convey and possibly bend the sheets of glass in the oven. The bending of the sheets using the device according to the invention can be carried out after they have taken them out of the oven, while they still have the temperature allowing their bending.
L’invention concerne également un procédé de convoyage de feuilles de verre comprenant le convoyage de feuilles de verre défilant les unes derrière les autres au contact et dans la zone de convoyage du rouleau du dispositif selon l’invention. Plusieurs feuilles de verre, notamment deux ou quatre ou huit feuilles de verre peuvent être convoyées et le cas échéant bombées en défilant côte à côte. Notons que « côte-à-côte » implique que les feuilles en question viennent simultanément au contact d’un même rouleau. Dans le cas de deux feuilles défilant côte à côte, il peut s’agir de deux feuilles devant équiper chacune un côté différent du même véhicule automobile. Notamment, ces deux feuilles de verre peuvent être destinées à prendre au bombage une forme ayant une symétrie miroir l’une pour l’autre (le miroir étant vertical et passant par le milieu du véhicule pour un observateur placé face à l’avant du véhicule). Dans ce cas, on conforme donc le rouleau selon l’invention de façon asymétrique par rapport au plan orthogonal au rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs, mais pour finalement réaliser un formage des deux feuilles de verre symétriques l’une par rapport à l’autre. L’asymétrie a pour but de compenser un défaut de symétrie de l’installation de chauffage. Dans le cas de quatre feuilles défilant côte à côte, il peut s’agir de quatre feuilles devant équiper paire à paire les deux côtés du même véhicule automobile. Ces deux paires de feuilles de verre peuvent être destinées à prendre au bombage des formes ayant une symétrie miroir paire à paire (le miroir étant vertical et passant par le milieu du véhicule pour un observateur placé face à l’avant du véhicule) : à deux feuilles d’un premier côté du véhicule automobile (par exemple une « windshield quarter » et une « front quarter » correspond exactement les mêmes éléments vitrés de l’autre côté du véhicule mais en symétrie miroir par rapports à ceux destinés au premier côté. Sur le même principe, on peut également bomber huit feuilles défilant côte à côte, dans le but d’équiper un même véhicule, quatre feuilles équipant un côté du véhicule, les quatre autres feuilles équipant l’autre côté du véhicule. Ces huit feuilles ont une symétrie miroir deux à deux, formant deux groupes de quatre feuilles, toutes les feuilles d’un même groupe passant du même côté du plan orthogonal au rouleau et situé à équidistance des actionneurs. Ainsi, que deux ou quatre ou huit feuilles soient bombées côte à côte, les feuilles de verre prennent au bombage des formes leur donnant des symétries miroir, de sorte qu’à chaque feuille passant sur le rouleau d’un côté du plan orthogonal au rouleau et situé à équidistance des actionneurs, correspondant une feuille lui étant symétrique et passant sur le rouleau de l’autre côté dudit plan. Les feuilles de verre prennent au bombage des formes leur donnant des symétries miroir, à une première feuille passant d’un côté du plan orthogonal au rouleau et situé à équidistance des actionneurs, lui correspondant une deuxième feuille passant de l’autre côté dudit plan, la forme de la deuxième feuille étant symétrique de celle de la première feuille. The invention also relates to a method for conveying glass sheets comprising the conveying of glass sheets passing one behind the other in contact with and in the conveying zone of the roller of the device according to the invention. Several sheets of glass, in particular two or four or eight sheets of glass, can be conveyed and, if necessary, curved by scrolling side by side. Note that “side-by-side” implies that the sheets in question simultaneously come into contact with the same roll. In the case of two sheets moving side by side, it may be two sheets each having to equip a different side of the same motor vehicle. In particular, these two sheets of glass may be intended to take on bending a shape having mirror symmetry for each other (the mirror being vertical and passing through the middle of the vehicle for an observer placed facing the front of the vehicle. ). In this case, the roller according to the invention is therefore conformed asymmetrically with respect to the plane orthogonal to the roller situated equidistant from the actuators, but to finally achieve a forming of the two glass sheets which are symmetrical with respect to one another. . The aim of asymmetry is to compensate for a lack of symmetry in the heating installation. In the case of four sheets running side by side, it may be four sheets to be fitted pair by pair on both sides of the same motor vehicle. These two pairs of glass sheets can be intended to take on bending shapes having a pair-to-pair mirror symmetry (the mirror being vertical and passing through the middle of the vehicle for an observer placed facing the front of the vehicle): two sheets of a first side of the motor vehicle (for example a "windshield quarter" and a "front quarter" correspond exactly the same glazed elements on the other side of the vehicle but in mirror symmetry with respect to those intended for the first side. On the same principle, it is also possible to dish eight sheets moving side by side, with the aim of equipping the same vehicle, four sheets equipping one side of the vehicle, the other four sheets equipping the other side of the vehicle. These eight sheets have mirror symmetry two by two, forming two groups of four sheets, all the sheets of the same group passing on the same side of the plane orthogonal to the roller and located equidistant from the actuators. Thus, whether two or four or eight sheets are curved side by side, the sheets of glass take on the bending shapes giving them mirror symmetries, so that each sheet passing over the roll on one side of the plane orthogonal to the roll and located equidistant from the actuators, corresponding to a sheet being symmetrical to it and passing over the roller on the other side of said plane. The glass sheets take on bending shapes giving them mirror symmetries, with a first sheet passing on one side of the plane orthogonal to the roller and located equidistant from the actuators, corresponding to it a second sheet passing on the other side of said plane, the shape of the second sheet being symmetrical to that of the first sheet.
Le rapport des longueurs développée de rouleau de part et d’autre du plan orthogonal au rouleau et situé à équidistance des actionneurs est généralement compris dans le domaine allant de 0,8 à 1 ,2. The ratio of the developed lengths of the roller on either side of the plane orthogonal to the roller and located equidistant from the actuators is generally in the range of 0.8 to 1.2.
La figure 1 représente un rouleau 1 de l’art antérieur. Des actionneurs 6 et 7 cintrent le rouleau dans son domaine élastique de déformation. Les actionneurs sont synchronisés afin d’exercer des déplacements symétriques par rapport au plan P orthogonal au rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs (d1 =d2). Le rouleau a sensiblement la forme d’un arc de cercle de rayon R. Les actionneurs 6 et 7 sont à la même hauteur. Les déplacements imposés par les actionneurs donnent au rouleau de part et d’autre de la zone de convoyage 14, aux points situés immédiatement hors des actionneurs et entre les actionneurs (c’est-à-dire aux points 10 et 11 ), une cote h identique à droite comme à gauche sur la figure et des directions 12 et 13 symétriques par rapport au plan P. Ces deux directions se croisent dans le plan P. Ce rouleau a bien une forme symétrique par rapport au plan P orthogonal au rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs. La figure 2 représente un rouleau 20 selon l’invention en vision dans la direction longitudinale de convoyage des feuilles de verre. Des actionneurs 26 et 27 imposent des déplacements représentés par les flèches sur le rouleau dans des régions proches de ses extrémités 28, 29, de part et d’autre de la zone de convoyage 214, pour le cintrer dans son domaine élastique de déformation. Les actionneurs imposent des déplacements asymétriques par rapport au plan P orthogonal au rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs (d1 =d2). Le rouleau n’a pas vraiment la forme d’un arc de cercle mais plutôt celui d’une virgule. Les actionneurs 26 et 27 sont à des hauteurs différentes (h2>h1 ). Les déplacements imposés par les actionneurs donnent au rouleau aux points situés immédiatement hors des actionneurs et entre les actionneurs (c’est-à-dire aux points 210 et 211 ), des cotes h1 et h2 différentes et des directions 212 et 213 non symétriques par rapport au plan P. Ces deux directions se croisent hors du plan P. Ce rouleau a une forme asymétrique par rapport au plan P orthogonal au rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs. Il se trouve que le plan P est ici vertical mais cela aurait pu ne pas être le cas. FIG. 1 represents a roller 1 of the prior art. Actuators 6 and 7 bend the roller in its elastic range of deformation. The actuators are synchronized in order to exert symmetrical displacements with respect to the plane P orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators (d1 = d2). The roller has substantially the shape of an arc of a circle of radius R. The actuators 6 and 7 are at the same height. The movements imposed by the actuators give the roller on either side of the conveying zone 14, at the points located immediately outside the actuators and between the actuators (that is to say at points 10 and 11), a dimension h identical on the right as on the left in the figure and directions 12 and 13 symmetrical with respect to the plane P. These two directions intersect in the plane P. This roll has a symmetrical shape with respect to the plane P orthogonal to the roll located at equidistant from the actuators. FIG. 2 shows a roller 20 according to the invention in view in the longitudinal direction of conveying the glass sheets. Actuators 26 and 27 impose displacements represented by the arrows on the roller in regions close to its ends 28, 29, on either side of the conveying zone 214, to bend it in its elastic deformation domain. The actuators impose asymmetric displacements with respect to the plane P orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators (d1 = d2). The scroll does not really have the shape of an arc, but rather that of a comma. The actuators 26 and 27 are at different heights (h2> h1). The displacements imposed by the actuators give the roller at the points located immediately outside the actuators and between the actuators (that is to say at points 210 and 211), dimensions h1 and h2 different and directions 212 and 213 not symmetrical by with respect to the plane P. These two directions intersect outside the plane P. This roller has an asymmetric shape with respect to the plane P orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators. It turns out that the plane P is vertical here, but that could not have been the case.
La figure 3 représente en vue dans la direction longitudinale de convoyage un dispositif selon l’invention comprenant une paire de deux rouleaux 31 , 32 disposés l’un au-dessus de l’autre, parallèles entre eux sur toute leur longueur et à distance constante l’un de l’autre sur toute leur longueur. Ces deux rouleaux ont été cintrés de façon asymétrique pour leur donner une forme asymétrique par rapport au plan P orthogonal au rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs, comme le rouleau de la figure 2. Les deux rouleaux ont sensiblement la même forme entre eux mais ils n’ont pas la même forme de part et d’autre du plan P. D’un côté de ce plan (à droite sur la figure), les rayons de courbure R’2 sont plus petit que ceux R2 de l’autre côté du plan P. Dans cette configuration, les actionneurs 33 et 35 agissent sur le rouleau inférieur et les actionneurs 37 et 38 agissent sur le rouleau supérieur. Tous ces actionneurs sont indépendants (c’est-à-dire désynchronisés) et un opérateur les règle afin que l’écartement des deux rouleaux soit bien constant et égal à l’épaisseur e des feuilles de verre 39 sur toute la zone de convoyage. La feuille 39 subit un bombage transversal, correspondant à la forme des rouleaux, en passant entre ceux-ci. Il n’aurait pas été exclu de synchroniser les actionneurs 33 et 37 entre eux d’une part, et les actionneurs 35 et 38 entre eux d’autre part. Il est cependant préférable de disposer de quatre actionneurs désynchronisés, chacun dédié à agir sur une extrémité d’un seul rouleau, car ainsi un réglage plus fin de l’écartement entre les rouleaux est rendu possible. Figure 3 shows a view in the longitudinal direction of conveying a device according to the invention comprising a pair of two rollers 31, 32 arranged one above the other, parallel to each other over their entire length and at a constant distance. each other over their entire length. These two rollers have been bent asymmetrically to give them an asymmetric shape with respect to the plane P orthogonal to the roller located equidistant from the actuators, like the roller of figure 2. The two rollers have substantially the same shape between them but they do not 'do not have the same shape on either side of the plane P. On one side of this plane (on the right in the figure), the radii of curvature R'2 are smaller than those R2 on the other side of the plane P. In this configuration, the actuators 33 and 35 act on the lower roller and the actuators 37 and 38 act on the upper roller. All these actuators are independent (that is to say desynchronized) and an operator adjusts them so that the spacing of the two rollers is quite constant and equal to the thickness e of the glass sheets 39 over the entire conveying zone. The sheet 39 undergoes a transverse bending, corresponding to the shape of the rolls, passing between them. It would not have been excluded to synchronize the actuators 33 and 37 between them on the one hand, and the actuators 35 and 38 between them on the other hand. However, it is preferable to have four desynchronized actuators, each dedicated to acting on one end of a single roller, since finer adjustment of the spacing between the rollers is thus made possible.
La figure 4 représente le même dispositif que celui de la figure 3, sauf qu’il est utilisé pour bomber simultanément deux feuilles de verre 41 et 42 côte à côte et venant simultanément au contact des rouleaux. Il peut s’agir de la paire de vitres, droite et gauche, destinées à équiper les deux côtés d’un même véhicule automobile (la différence de forme entre les deux feuilles a été accentuée pour une meilleure compréhension de l’invention). Le but est bien de produire deux feuilles aux mêmes formes, ces formes étant toutefois en miroir l’une par rapport à l’autre, le miroir étant vertical et passant par le milieu du véhicule pour un observateur placé face à l’avant du véhicule et le regardant. L’asymétrie créé au cintrage des rouleaux est chargée de corriger une asymétrie de chauffage préalablement au bombage pour finalement créer des feuilles symétriques l’une par rapport à l’autre. Figure 4 shows the same device as that of Figure 3, except that it is used to simultaneously bend two glass sheets 41 and 42 side by side and simultaneously coming into contact with the rollers. It may be the pair of panes, right and left, intended to equip both sides of the same motor vehicle (the difference in shape between the two sheets has been emphasized for a better understanding of the invention). The goal is to produce two sheets with the same shapes, these shapes being however mirrored with respect to each other, the mirror being vertical and passing through the middle of the vehicle for an observer placed facing the front of the vehicle. and looking at him. The asymmetry created by bending the rolls is responsible for correcting a heating asymmetry prior to bending to ultimately create sheets that are symmetrical to each other.
La figure 5 est inspirée de la figure 1 du EP413619 et représente de manière schématique et en perspective un actionneur 50 permettant de cintrer une paire de rouleaux de bombage par une de leur extrémité, étant entendu que l’autre côté de cette paire de rouleaux est équipé d’un actionneur équivalent mais désynchronisé par rapport à cet actionneur 50. Cet actionneur 50 comprend deux sous-actionneurs synchronisés : un sous-actionneur inférieur 50a permettant de cintrer le rouleau inférieur 51 a et un sous-actionneur supérieur 50b permettant de cintrer le rouleau supérieur 51 b. Les axes des rouleaux (c’est-à-dire la ligne incurvée passant par les centres de toutes leurs sections) 52a et 52b sont ici dans un même plan vertical. Lorsque les rouleaux 51 a et 51 b sont cintrés, leurs axes 52a et 52b prennent la forme de deux courbes parallèles à écartement constant sur toute leur longueur. Le rouleau inférieur 51a comporte une extrémité libre 53a et est entraîné en rotation par son extrémité opposée ici non représentée. Il est de plus guidé dans sa partie terminale par des appuis tangentiels formés par un jeu de deux cylindres de roulement inférieurs 54a et 55a et un jeu de cylindres de roulement supérieurs 56a et 57a. Ces quatre cylindres de roulement font office de roulement à rouleaux. Ils sont montés sur des fourches 58a et 59a selon un montage autorisant leur libre rotation. Ces fourches sont fixées sur un bras support 60a qui peut pivoter autour de l’axe 63a. Le rouleau supérieur 51 b est monté à la verticale du rouleau inférieur 51 a et est de même guidé par les cylindres de roulement 54b, 55b, 56b, 57b. Les cylindres de roulement guidant le rouleau 51 b sont positionnés exactement à la verticale des cylindres de roulement guidant le rouleau inférieur 51 a. Ces cylindres de roulement sont montés sur des fourches 58b et 59b fixées sur un second support 60b pivotant autour de l’axe 63b. Le bras support 60a est également porteur d’une butée 62a qui fait face à la butée 62b portée par le bras supérieur 60b. La butée 62b comporte de plus un passage 64b pour les éléments d’entrainement en rotation du rouleau 51 b. Figure 5 is inspired by Figure 1 of EP413619 and shows schematically and in perspective an actuator 50 for bending a pair of bending rollers by one of their end, it being understood that the other side of this pair of rollers is equipped with an equivalent actuator but desynchronized with respect to this actuator 50. This actuator 50 comprises two synchronized sub-actuators: a lower sub-actuator 50a making it possible to bend the lower roller 51 a and an upper sub-actuator 50b making it possible to bend the upper roller 51 b. The axes of the rollers (that is to say the curved line passing through the centers of all their sections) 52a and 52b are here in the same vertical plane. When the rollers 51a and 51b are bent, their axes 52a and 52b take the form of two parallel curves with constant spacing over their entire length. The lower roller 51a has a free end 53a and is driven in rotation by its opposite end, not shown here. It is further guided in its end part by tangential supports formed by a set of two lower rolling cylinders 54a and 55a and a set of upper rolling cylinders 56a and 57a. These four rolling cylinders act as a roller bearing. They are mounted on forks 58a and 59a according to an assembly allowing their free rotation. These forks are fixed on a support arm 60a which can pivot about the axis 63a. The upper roller 51b is mounted vertically to the lower roller 51a and is likewise guided by the rolling cylinders 54b, 55b, 56b, 57b. The rolling cylinders guiding the roller 51b are positioned exactly vertically to the rolling cylinders guiding the lower roller 51a. These rolling cylinders are mounted on forks 58b and 59b fixed on a second support 60b pivoting about the axis 63b. The support arm 60a also carries a stop 62a which faces the stop 62b carried by the upper arm 60b. The stop 62b further comprises a passage 64b for the elements for driving the roller 51b in rotation.
Au dispositif schématisé sur la figure 5 correspond un dispositif parfaitement symétrique placé de l’autre côté (non visible sur la figure) des rouleaux 51 a et 51 b. Si l’on applique un déplacement sur l’extrémité libre 61 a du bras 60a suivant la direction de la flèche F, on provoque le déplacement angulaire du bras qui pivote autour de l’axe 63a. Par les butées 62a et 62b, cet effort est directement transmis au bras 60b. On obtient ainsi un fléchissement parfaitement identique des rouleaux 51 a et 51 b. La flèche prise par les rouleaux dépend directement de la position verticale des bras 60a et 60b, position qui peut être aisément modifiée par un vérin mécanique ou une came. The device shown schematically in Figure 5 corresponds to a perfectly symmetrical device placed on the other side (not visible in the figure) of the rollers 51 a and 51 b. If a displacement is applied to the free end 61a of the arm 60a in the direction of the arrow F, the angular displacement of the arm which pivots about the axis 63a is caused. By the stops 62a and 62b, this force is directly transmitted to the arm 60b. A perfectly identical deflection of the rollers 51a and 51b is thus obtained. The deflection taken by the rollers depends directly on the vertical position of the arms 60a and 60b, a position which can easily be modified by a mechanical jack or a cam.
Le système de butées 62a et 62b permet donc de coupler les sous- actionneurs 50a du rouleau inférieur et 50b du rouleau supérieur. Les deux rouleaux se cintrent donc simultanément par l’application d’un seul déplacement sur l’actionneur 50a. The system of stops 62a and 62b therefore makes it possible to couple the subactuators 50a of the lower roller and 50b of the upper roller. The two rollers therefore bend simultaneously by applying a single movement on the actuator 50a.
Comme mentionné précédemment, l’actionneur 50 est en général associé à un autre actionneur du même type 50’ (non représenté ici) et situé à l’autre extrémité des rouleaux 51 a et 51 b, de l’autre côté de la zone de convoyage. Dans ce cas, l’asymétrie de flexion des rouleaux provient du fait que chaque actionneur 50 et 50’ impose une direction différente à chaque extrémité de la paire de rouleaux 51 a et 51 b. As mentioned previously, the actuator 50 is generally associated with another actuator of the same type 50 '(not shown here) and located at the other end of the rollers 51 a and 51 b, on the other side of the zone of conveying. In this case, the asymmetry in bending of the rollers arises from the fact that each actuator 50 and 50 ’imposes a different direction on each end of the pair of rollers 51a and 51b.
Les paires de rouleaux de formage montés comme schématisé à la figure 5 sont avantageusement utilisés pour constituer un convoyeur dont le trajet est à profil courbe, à concavité de préférence tournée vers le haut. Une machine de formage et de trempe comportant un tel convoyeur est schématisé sur la figure 6. The pairs of forming rollers mounted as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 5 are advantageously used to constitute a conveyor whose path is profiled curved, preferably with a concavity facing upwards. A forming and tempering machine comprising such a conveyor is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 6.
La Figure 6 est une représentation schématique vue de côté (vue transversale) d’une machine de bombage et de trempe à laquelle s’adresse plus particulièrement l’invention. Une feuille de verre défile et est chauffée dans un four, puis passe entre deux nappes ascendantes de rouleaux formant un ensemble de conformation, puis, en sortie, dans une zone de refroidissement secondaire. La feuille de verre 81 , plane au départ, traverse en premier lieu une zone de chauffage 82 d’un four tunnel (la flèche dans le four indique la direction de convoyage qui est aussi la direction longitudinale), dans laquelle elle est véhiculée sur un convoyeur horizontal 83 mue par une nappe de rouleaux moteurs rectilignes 64 alignés dans un plan. A la sortie du four de mise en température, le verre est à sa température de déformation permettant son bombage thermique. La feuille de verre 81 pénètre alors dans une zone de mise en forme comprenant une nappe de rouleaux supérieurs 67 et une nappe de rouleaux inférieurs 69, montés selon un profil courbe ascendant en arc de cercle en vue de côté. Les feuilles de verre défilent, sont pincées et mises en forme entre des paires 73 de rouleaux de ces deux nappes de rouleaux. On voit que les rouleaux d’une paire de rouleau ont généralement des cotes différentes l’un étant généralement plus haut que l’autre, sauf peut-être pour la dernière paire de rouleau pour laquelle les rouleaux sont sensiblement à la même hauteur. La nappe de rouleaux 67 et la nappe de rouleaux 69 forment ainsi un ensemble de conformation ascendant en profil courbe vers le haut. Les feuilles de verre 81 sont bombées dès les premières paires 73 de rouleaux, en direction transversale comme montré sur la figure 3, et en direction longitudinale correspondant à la forme en arc de cercle ascendante des nappes de rouleau. Cette mise en forme est suivie d’un refroidissement entre les deux nappes de rouleaux, notamment une trempe. Pour ce faire des buses soufflent de l’air frais entre les rouleaux sur les deux faces des feuilles. Ces buses sont reliées à des caissons 70 leur fournissant l’air nécessaire. Le verre est ainsi figé juste après son bombage. L’air est soufflé dès les premières paires de rouleaux de bombage 73. En quittant l’ensemble de conformation et de trempe, les feuilles de verre basculent sur un convoyeur 71 . Les feuilles de verre 81 sont ensuite évacuées par un convoyeur plan 72 qui traversent une zone de refroidissement secondaire 93. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view (transverse view) of a bending and hardening machine to which the invention is more particularly addressed. A sheet of glass scrolls and is heated in an oven, then passes between two ascending sheets of rollers forming a shaping assembly, then, at the outlet, in a secondary cooling zone. The glass sheet 81, flat at the start, first passes through a heating zone 82 of a tunnel oven (the arrow in the oven indicates the conveying direction which is also the longitudinal direction), in which it is conveyed on a horizontal conveyor 83 driven by a web of rectilinear motor rollers 64 aligned in a plane. On leaving the heating oven, the glass is at its deformation temperature allowing its thermal bending. The glass sheet 81 then enters a shaping zone comprising a sheet of upper rollers 67 and a sheet of lower rollers 69, mounted in an ascending curved profile in an arc of a circle in side view. The glass sheets scroll, are pinched and shaped between pairs 73 of rolls of these two layers of rolls. It can be seen that the rolls of a pair of rolls generally have different dimensions, one being generally higher than the other, except perhaps for the last pair of rolls for which the rolls are substantially at the same height. The web of rolls 67 and the web of rolls 69 thus form an ascending conformation assembly with an upward curved profile. The glass sheets 81 are bent from the first pairs 73 of rollers, in the transverse direction as shown in FIG. 3, and in the longitudinal direction corresponding to the ascending circular arc shape of the roll layers. This shaping is followed by cooling between the two layers of rollers, in particular quenching. To do this, nozzles blow fresh air between the rollers on both sides of the sheets. These nozzles are connected to boxes 70 supplying them with the necessary air. The glass is thus frozen just after its bending. The air is blown from the first pairs of bending rollers 73. On leaving the shaping and tempering assembly, the glass sheets tilt onto a conveyor 71. The glass sheets 81 are then evacuated by a flat conveyor 72 which pass through a secondary cooling zone 93.

Claims

REVENDICATIONS
1. Dispositif de convoyage de feuilles de verre défilant les unes derrière les autres comprenant au moins un rouleau, dit premier rouleau, comprenant une zone de convoyage des feuilles de verre, ledit dispositif comprenant des actionneurs situés de part et d’autre de la zone de convoyage aptes à cintrer ledit premier rouleau dans son domaine de déformation élastique tout en le laissant apte à être entraîné en rotation autour des centres fixes de ses sections, les actionneurs étant aptes à donner audit premier rouleau de part et d’autre de la zone de convoyage, une cote et une direction lui donnant une forme asymétrique par rapport au plan lui étant orthogonal et situé à équidistance des actionneurs. 1. Device for conveying glass sheets passing one behind the other comprising at least one roller, said first roller, comprising a zone for conveying the sheets of glass, said device comprising actuators located on either side of the zone. conveying devices capable of bending said first roller in its elastic deformation range while leaving it capable of being driven in rotation around the fixed centers of its sections, the actuators being capable of giving said first roller on either side of the zone conveyor, a dimension and a direction giving it an asymmetric shape with respect to the plane being orthogonal to it and located equidistant from the actuators.
2. Dispositif selon la revendication précédente, caractérisé en ce que l’actionneur dudit premier rouleau situé d’un côté de la zone de convoyage est désynchronisé de l’actionneur dudit premier rouleau situé de l’autre côté de la zone de convoyage. 2. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the actuator of said first roller located on one side of the conveying zone is out of sync with the actuator of said first roller located on the other side of the conveying zone.
3. Dispositif selon l’une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce qu’il comprend une pluralité de rouleaux de même nature que ledit premier rouleau, parallèles entre eux, formant une nappe de rouleaux au contact de laquelle les feuilles de verre peuvent être convoyées les unes derrière les autres. 3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of rollers of the same nature as said first roll, mutually parallel, forming a sheet of rollers in contact with which the glass sheets can be conveyed. one behind the other.
4. Dispositif selon la revendication précédente, caractérisé en ce qu’au moins un actionneur d’au moins un côté de la zone de convoyage est apte à cintrer simultanément au moins deux rouleaux de la nappe de rouleaux. 4. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that at least one actuator of at least one side of the conveying zone is capable of simultaneously bending at least two rollers of the sheet of rollers.
5. Dispositif selon l’une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que ledit dispositif comprend un deuxième rouleau de même nature que le premier rouleau, ces deux rouleaux dits paire de rouleaux, étant parallèles entre eux et avec un écartement constant sur toute leur longueur, les feuilles de verre étant destinées à passer entre ces deux rouleaux. 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said device comprises a second roller of the same nature as the first roller, these two rollers called pair of rollers, being mutually parallel and with a constant spacing over their entire length. , the glass sheets being intended to pass between these two rollers.
6. Dispositif selon la revendication précédente, caractérisé en ce qu’il comprend une pluralité de paires de rouleaux formant une nappe de rouleaux inférieurs et une nappe de rouleaux supérieurs pour exercer un bombage aux feuilles de verre passant entre ces deux nappes de rouleaux, ledit bombage ayant au moins une direction transversale perpendiculaire à la direction de convoyage des feuilles de verre. 6. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of pairs of rollers forming a sheet of lower rollers and a sheet of upper rollers to exert a bending to the glass sheets passing between these two layers of rollers, said bending having at least one transverse direction perpendicular to the direction of conveying of the glass sheets.
7. Dispositif selon la revendication précédente, caractérisé en ce que les nappes de rouleaux ont un profil courbe ascendant ou descendant dans la direction de convoyage des feuilles de verre pour exercer aussi un bombage longitudinal aux feuilles de verre. 7. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the layers of rollers have a curved profile ascending or descending in the direction of conveying the glass sheets to also exert a longitudinal bending to the glass sheets.
8. Dispositif selon l’une des revendications des revendications 3, 4, 6 ou 7, caractérisé en ce qu’il comprend des buses de soufflage d’air aptes à souffler de l’air entre des rouleaux de la même nappe, notamment pour exercer un renforcement thermique du verre. 8. Device according to one of claims of claims 3, 4, 6 or 7, characterized in that it comprises air blowing nozzles capable of blowing air between rollers of the same web, in particular for exert thermal reinforcement of the glass.
9. Dispositif selon l’une des revendications 3, 4 ou 6 à 8 caractérisé en ce que des actionneurs de rouleaux d’une nappe de rouleaux situés d’un même côté de la zone de convoyage sont synchronisés entre eux de sorte que la cote et la direction de ces rouleaux du côté concerné de la zone de convoyage peut être commandée de façon centralisée. 9. Device according to one of claims 3, 4 or 6 to 8 characterized in that the roller actuators of a sheet of rollers located on the same side of the conveying zone are synchronized with each other so that the dimension and the direction of these rollers on the relevant side of the conveying area can be centrally controlled.
10. Dispositif selon la revendication 6, caractérisé en ce que des actionneurs de rouleaux de la nappe supérieure situés d’un même côté de la zone de convoyage, sont synchronisés entre eux de sorte que la cote et la direction de ces rouleaux du côté concerné de la zone de convoyage peut être commandée de façon centralisée, et des actionneurs de rouleaux de la nappe inférieure situés d’un même côté de la zone de convoyage sont synchronisés entre eux de sorte que la cote et la direction de ces rouleaux du côté concerné de la zone de convoyage peut être commandée de façon centralisée. 10. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the roller actuators of the upper ply located on the same side of the conveying zone, are synchronized with one another so that the dimension and the direction of these rollers on the side concerned. of the conveying zone can be controlled centrally, and roller actuators of the lower layer located on the same side of the conveying zone are synchronized with each other so that the dimension and direction of these rollers on the side concerned of the conveying area can be controlled centrally.
11. Procédé de convoyage de feuilles de verre comprenant le convoyage de feuilles de verre défilant les unes derrière les autres au contact et dans la zone de convoyage du premier rouleau du dispositif de l’une des revendications précédentes, ledit premier rouleau ayant une forme asymétrique par rapport au plan orthogonal audit premier rouleau situé à équidistance des actionneurs. 11. A method of conveying glass sheets comprising the conveying of glass sheets passing one behind the other in contact and in the conveying zone of the first roller of the device of one of the preceding claims, said first roller having an asymmetric shape. with respect to the plane orthogonal to said first roller located equidistant from the actuators.
12. Procédé selon la revendication précédente de procédé, caractérisé en ce que plusieurs feuilles de verre sont convoyées côte à côte. 12. Method according to the preceding method claim, characterized in that several sheets of glass are conveyed side by side.
13. Procédé selon l’une des revendications précédentes de procédé, caractérisé en ce que ledit dispositif comprend un deuxième rouleau de même nature que le premier rouleau, ces deux rouleaux dits paire de rouleaux, étant parallèles entre eux et avec un écartement constant sur toute leur longueur, les feuilles de verre passant entre ces deux rouleaux, ledit dispositif comprenant une pluralité de paires de rouleaux formant une nappe de rouleaux inférieurs et une nappe de rouleaux supérieurs, les feuilles de verre subissant un bombage en passant entre ces deux nappes de rouleaux, ledit bombage ayant au moins une direction transversale perpendiculaire à la direction de convoyage des feuilles de verre. 13. Method according to one of the preceding method claims, characterized in that said device comprises a second roller of the same type as the first roller, these two rollers called pair of rollers, being parallel to each other and with a constant spacing over the entire their length, the glass sheets passing between these two rollers, said device comprising a plurality of pairs of rollers forming a sheet of lower rollers and a sheet of upper rollers, the glass sheets being bent while passing between these two sheets of rollers , said bending having at least one transverse direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the glass sheets.
14. Procédé selon la revendication précédente, caractérisé en ce que les nappes de rouleaux ont un profil courbe ascendant ou descendant dans la direction de convoyage des feuilles de verre, celles-ci étant aussi bombées en direction longitudinal en passant entre ces deux nappes de rouleaux. 14. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the rolls of rolls have a curved profile ascending or descending in the direction of conveying the glass sheets, the latter also being curved in the longitudinal direction passing between these two layers of rollers. .
15. Procédé selon l’une des deux revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que deux ou quatre ou huit feuilles de verre sont bombées simultanément côte à côte. 15. Method according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that two or four or eight sheets of glass are curved simultaneously side by side.
16. Procédé selon la revendication précédente, caractérisé en ce que les feuilles de verre prennent au bombage des formes leur donnant des symétries miroir, à une première feuille passant d’un côté du plan orthogonal au rouleau et situé à équidistance des actionneurs, lui correspondant une deuxième feuille passant de l’autre côté dudit plan, la forme de la deuxième feuille étant symétrique de celle de la première feuille. 16. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the glass sheets take on bending shapes giving them mirror symmetries, to a first sheet passing on one side of the plane orthogonal to the roller and located equidistant from the actuators, corresponding to it. a second sheet passing on the other side of said plane, the shape of the second sheet being symmetrical to that of the first sheet.
17. Procédé selon l’une des trois revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce qu’après bombage, de l’air est soufflé sur le verre entre des rouleaux d’une même nappe pour renforcer le verre thermiquement, notamment le tremper thermiquement. 17. Method according to one of the three preceding claims, characterized in that after bending, air is blown onto the glass between rollers of the same sheet to thermally reinforce the glass, in particular to thermally toughen it.
EP20713289.5A 2019-03-29 2020-03-25 Conveying of glass sheets by means of curved rollers Withdrawn EP3947301A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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FR1903317A FR3094364A1 (en) 2019-03-29 2019-03-29 CONVEYING SHEETS OF GLASS BY BENT ROLLERS
PCT/EP2020/058429 WO2020200977A1 (en) 2019-03-29 2020-03-25 Conveying of glass sheets by means of curved rollers

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WO2018213267A1 (en) * 2017-05-15 2018-11-22 Corning Incorporated Contoured glass articles and methods of making the same
US11065960B2 (en) 2017-09-13 2021-07-20 Corning Incorporated Curved vehicle displays
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DE3310357C2 (en) * 1983-03-22 1994-02-17 Glasstech Inc Device for arching and conveying a flat structure
FR2650820B1 (en) 1989-08-14 1991-10-31 Saint Gobain Vitrage Int IMPROVEMENT IN GLASS SHEET BOMBING TECHNIQUES
CN2637495Y (en) * 2003-07-15 2004-09-01 赵雁 Glass bending device having glass uniform transfer mechanism
FR2862056B1 (en) 2003-11-12 2006-01-13 Saint Gobain PROCESS AND MACHINE FOR OBTAINING GLAZED GLASS SHEETS
US7228717B2 (en) * 2004-06-10 2007-06-12 Glasstech, Inc. Apparatus for glass sheet forming with cross curvature
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CN102617023B (en) * 2012-03-31 2014-12-31 洛阳兰迪玻璃机器股份有限公司 Machining device for columnar curved toughened glass
FR2996224B1 (en) 2012-10-03 2019-08-30 Saint-Gobain Glass France BOMBING SHEETS OF GLASS AT THE ROLL ON A BED OF ROLLS

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WO2020200977A1 (en) 2020-10-08

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