JP7104882B2 - Glass article manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus for glass articles, and more particularly to a technique for increasing the degree of freedom in the layout of a manufacturing line by improving the conveying route of molten glass leading to a molded article.

As is well known, a production line for glass rolls and sheet glass consists of a melting line through which molten glass flows and a processing line through which a glass ribbon flows. In this case, the melting line includes, for example, in order from the upstream side, a dissolving tank, a clarification tank, a homogenization tank such as a stirring tank, a conditioning tank, and a compact, and each of these tanks and the compact. are connected by a supply pipe for molten glass (see Patent Document 1, for example). Further, in a glass roll production line, the conveying direction of the glass ribbon is changed from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction (see Patent Document 2, for example). Therefore, the processing line extends in a direction orthogonal to the melting line from the terminal end (formed body) of the melting line when the manufacturing line is viewed from above.

JP 2016-88754 A JP 2011-16705 A

In this way, in the glass roll manufacturing line, the melting line and the processing line are arranged in directions perpendicular to each other. In this case, if the glass roll production lines are arranged in parallel, the distance between the melting lines must be increased by the amount of the processing lines, resulting in a waste of installation space. In addition, if the melting line and the processing line can only be perpendicular to each other, the layout of the manufacturing line will be restricted, and it will be difficult to flexibly change the layout.

Layouts shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, for example, are conceivable as countermeasures for solving the above problem. In this layout, the conditioning vessel 101 is located downstream of the homogenization vessel (not shown), and the compact 102 is located downstream of the conditioning vessel 101 (see FIG. 8). The homogenization tank and the conditioning tank 101 are connected by a connecting pipe 103 (see FIG. 9) having a predetermined shape, and the conditioning tank 101 and the compact 102 are bent in a predetermined direction. They are connected by a connecting pipe 104 (see FIG. 8). In this case, the outflow port 101a of the conditioning tank 101 faces downward (see FIG. 8), and the connection pipe 104 connected to the outflow port 101a is arranged in a condition conditioning tank in a plan view of the connection pipe 104. It is bent in a direction orthogonal to the inflow direction d0 of the molten glass Gm into the tank 101 (see FIG. 9). By bending the connection pipe 104 in this way, the feeding direction D0 of the glass ribbon Gr and the flow direction of the molten glass Gm (inflow direction d0 of the molten glass Gm into the conditioning tank 101) are parallel. Therefore, it is possible to arrange the melting line and the processing line in parallel. 8 and 9, reference numeral 101b indicates the inlet of the conditioning tank 101, reference numeral 102a indicates the inlet of the molded body 102, and reference numerals Gr1 and Gr2 indicate both ends in the width direction of the glass ribbon Gr to be molded. .

By the way, when a production line equipped with the melting line described above is operated, each tank (for example, the homogenization tank 105 and the conditioning tank 101 shown in FIG. 10) up to the molded body 102 has a stagnant region R1 of the molten glass Gm. , R2 may occur. Molten glass Gm1', Gm2' in these stagnant regions R1, R2 undergoes a temperature history different from that of molten glass Gm that reaches molded body 102 without passing through stagnant regions R1, R2, and thus tends to be heterogeneous. In the melting line of conventional configuration, as shown in FIG. It passes through the upper part or the lower part of the inlet 102a and becomes width direction both ends Gr1 and Gr2 of the glass ribbon Gr. Since the width direction end portions Gr1 and Gr2 of the glass ribbon Gr are usually removed by cutting or the like in the subsequent processing line, there is no particular problem because the different molten glasses Gm1′ and Gm2′ do not remain in the final product. . On the other hand, in the case of the melting line proposed above (see FIGS. 8 and 9), the connection pipe 104 is directed from below in a direction perpendicular to the inflow direction d0 of the molten glass Gm into the conditioning tank 101. 10 and 12, the molten glasses Gm1' and Gm2' in the stagnation regions R1 and R2 are different from the flow portion (FIG. 11) of the connecting pipe 104 in the conventional melting line. It flows through different parts, passes through the middle portion in the vertical direction of the inlet 102 a of the molded body 102 , and flows into the molded body 8 . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the molten glass Gm1′, Gm2′ in these stagnant regions R1, R2 is mixed into the product portion located between the width direction end portions Gr1, Gr2 of the glass ribbon Gr, and Different molten glasses Gm1' and Gm2' remain on the glass ribbon Gr (that is, the glass roll and glass plate as products), causing product defects.

In view of the above circumstances, the present specification aims to prevent foreign molten glass that may occur in the melting line from remaining in the product portion of the glass ribbon while increasing the degree of freedom regarding the layout of the production line for glass articles. technical issues to be addressed.

The solution of the above problems is achieved by a method for manufacturing a glass article according to the present invention. That is, this manufacturing method includes a production step of producing molten glass in a molten glass production apparatus, a conditioning step of adjusting the state of the produced molten glass in a conditioning tank, and molding the molten glass in which the condition has been adjusted. In a method for manufacturing a glass article comprising a forming step of supplying the glass ribbon to a body to form the glass ribbon, the outflow port of the conditioning tank and the inflow port of the formed body have a first bent portion and a second bent portion. Connected by a connecting pipe, the outflow port of the conditioning tank is connected to the first bent portion, the second bent portion is connected to the inflow port of the formed body, and the molten glass generator is connected to the inside of the conditioning tank. When the flow direction of the molten glass at the time of inflow is taken as the reference flow direction, the first bending portion is arranged in the same direction as the reference flow direction when viewed from above from the same direction as the outlet of the conditioning tank. and the second bent portion is bent from the first direction in a second direction that is either left or right with respect to the reference flow direction in a plan view of the second bent portion Characterized by curved points.

As described above, in the manufacturing method according to the present invention, the bending direction of the first bending portion connected to the outlet of the conditioning tank is set to be the same as the reference flow direction when the first bending portion is viewed from above. . As a result, the molten glass in the stagnation region passes through the upper or lower portion of the inlet of the compact, as in the case of the melting line having the conventional configuration, although the details will be described later. Therefore, the molten glass in the stagnant region reaches both ends in the width direction of the glass ribbon formed by the formed body. In addition, by bending the connection pipe as described above, the direction of the inlet of the molded body can be appropriately set according to the bending direction (second direction) of the second bent portion. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the layout of the production line while preventing, as much as possible, the situation in which foreign molten glass remains in the glass ribbon after processing and causes deterioration in product quality. It becomes possible.

Moreover, in the manufacturing method according to the present invention, both the first direction and the second direction may be horizontal directions.

By making both the first direction and the second direction horizontal in this way, the flow direction of the molten glass at the downstream end of the first bent portion is made horizontal, and the molten glass flows by the second bent portion. Flow direction changes can be made in the horizontal plane. Therefore, for example, when the inlet of the molded body is arranged to face the horizontal direction, the positional relationship when the molten glass in the stagnant region flows into the connection pipe (first bent portion, second bent portion) is determined to reach the molded body. It is possible to reliably prevent such unfavorable molten glass from being mixed into the product portion of the glass ribbon.

Further, in the manufacturing method according to the present invention, the molded body is formed into a glass ribbon by allowing the molten glass overflowing from the overflow groove to flow down along both side surfaces, and the molded body has inlets on both side surfaces. and the angle formed by the first direction and the second direction may be set to 90°. Moreover, in the production method according to the present invention, the glass article may be a glass roll obtained by winding a glass ribbon into a roll.

By connecting the second bent portion having the above-described bent form to the molded body configured as described above, the reference flow direction and the direction of the main surface of the glass ribbon formed by the molded body are aligned. can be made In the manufacturing process of the glass roll, the formed glass ribbon is pulled out downward and then horizontally changed in direction through the catenary and conveyed. Can be arranged in parallel. As a result, the glass roll production line is narrowed in its width direction (referring to the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction in the melting line, and the width direction of the glass ribbon in the processing line; hereinafter the same in the present specification). Therefore, it is suitable for arranging a plurality of glass roll production lines in parallel.

Moreover, the solution of the above problems is also achieved by a glass article manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. That is, this manufacturing apparatus includes a molten glass production device for producing molten glass, a conditioning tank for adjusting the state of the produced molten glass, and a forming body for forming the adjusted molten glass into a glass ribbon. , the outlet of the conditioning tank and the inlet of the molded body are connected by a connecting pipe having a first bent portion and a second bent portion, and the outlet of the conditioning tank and the second The first bending portion is connected, the second bending portion is connected to the inlet of the formed body, and the flow direction of the molten glass when flowing into the conditioning tank from the molten glass production apparatus side is defined as the reference flow direction. Then, the first bent portion is bent from the same direction as the outlet of the conditioning tank in the first direction that is the same direction as the reference flow direction when the first bent portion is viewed from above, and the second bent The section is characterized by bending from the first direction to the second direction, which is either left or right with respect to the reference flow direction when the second bending section is viewed in plan.

Thus, in the manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the bending direction of the first bending portion connected to the outlet of the conditioning tank is set to be the same as the reference flow direction when the first bending portion is viewed from above. By doing so, the molten glass in the stagnant region passes through the upper or lower part of the inlet of the compact. Therefore, the molten glass in the stagnant region reaches both ends in the width direction of the glass ribbon formed by the formed body. In addition, by bending the connection pipe as described above, the direction of the inlet of the molded body can be appropriately set according to the bending direction (second direction) of the second bent portion. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent foreign molten glass from entering the product portion located between both ends in the width direction of the glass ribbon, thereby preventing deterioration of product quality as much as possible. In addition, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the layout of the production line.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to raise the freedom regarding the layout of the production line of a glass article, preventing the situation that the heterogeneous molten glass which may arise in a melting line remains in the product part of a glass ribbon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the figure which looked at the principal part of the manufacturing apparatus of the glass article which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention from the front. It is the figure which planarly viewed the principal part of the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. It is a perspective view of the 4th connecting pipe shown in FIG. 1, and its peripheral part. It is the figure which planarly viewed the 4th connecting pipe shown in FIG. 3, and its peripheral part. It is the figure which looked at the 4th connecting pipe shown in FIG. 3, and its peripheral part from the front. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the flow of molten glass in a stagnant region to the inside of a molded body in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 7 is a side view of the fourth connecting pipe shown in FIG. 6 as seen from the Y direction; FIG. 10 is a side view of the essential part of the apparatus for manufacturing glass articles used for comparison with the present invention, and is a side view of a connection pipe that connects the conditioning tank and the molded body. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the connection pipe shown in FIG. 8 ; FIG. 9 is a front view schematically showing the flow of molten glass in the stagnant region to the inside of the molded body in the glass article manufacturing apparatus provided with the connection pipe shown in FIG. 8 ; FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing the flow of molten glass in a stagnant region to the inside of a molded body in a conventional apparatus for manufacturing a glass article. FIG. 11 is a side view of the flow of molten glass in the stagnant region shown in FIG. 10 as viewed from the Y direction; It is the figure which looked at the principal part of the manufacturing apparatus of the glass article which concerns on other embodiment of this invention from the front.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a glass article manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same glass article manufacturing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in these figures, this manufacturing apparatus 1 is roughly divided into a melting line 2 through which molten glass Gm flows and a processing line 3 for a formed glass ribbon Gr. Among these, the melting line 2 is composed of a melting tank 4 as a molten glass generator arranged in the most upstream region, a clarification tank 5 arranged downstream of the melting tank 4, and a clarification tank 5 arranged downstream of the clarification tank 5. a homogenization tank 6, a conditioning tank 7 disposed downstream of the homogenization tank 6, a compact 8 disposed further downstream of the conditioning tank 7, each tank 4 to 7, and connection pipes 9 to 12 that connect between the molded bodies 8 .

Further, the processing line 3 for the glass ribbon Gr is, for example, though not shown, positioned below the molded body 8, and includes a slow cooling processing section that performs slow cooling processing on the glass ribbon Gr molded from the molded body 8. , a cooling unit that cools the slow-cooled glass ribbon Gr to a predetermined temperature, for example, near room temperature, a direction changing unit that changes the feeding direction of the glass ribbon Gr after cooling from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction, A first cutting portion that cuts off the width direction both ends (also referred to as ears) of the glass ribbon Gr conveyed in the lateral direction from the glass ribbon Gr main body, and the glass ribbon Gr from which the width direction both ends are removed along the width direction A second cutting section for cutting and a winding section for winding the glass ribbon Gr that has passed through the second cutting section into a roll are provided. Of course, the configuration described above is merely an example, and some of the components described above may be changed or omitted, or components other than those described above may be added as necessary. In the following, the melting line 2 will be described with a focus on the manner of connection between the conditioning tank 7 and the compact 8 .

The melting tank 4 is a container for performing a production step of melting the supplied frit to produce molten glass Gm. The dissolution tank 4 is connected to the clarification tank 5 by a first connecting pipe 9 .

The fining tank 5 is a container for performing a fining process in which the molten glass Gm supplied from the melting tank 4 through the first connecting pipe 9 is clarified by the action of a fining agent or the like. The clarification vessel 5 is connected to the homogenization vessel 6 by a second connecting pipe 10 .

The homogenization tank 6 is a vessel for performing a homogenization step of stirring and homogenizing the clarified molten glass Gm. The homogenization tank 6 is connected to the conditioning tank 7 by a third connecting pipe 11 . One homogenization tank 6 may be provided as shown in the drawing, or two or more may be arranged side by side.

The conditioning tank 7 is a container for performing a conditioning process for adjusting the molten glass Gm to a state suitable for molding, and for example, adjusts the flow rate of the molten glass Gm to be supplied to the molded body 8 . In the present embodiment, the conditioning tank 7 is connected to a third connecting pipe 11, an upper part 7a into which the molten glass Gm flows from the third connecting pipe 11, and an outflow of the molten glass Gm whose condition has been adjusted. and an intermediate portion 7c connecting the upper portion 7a and the lower portion 7b. A side surface of the upper portion 7a is provided with an inlet 7d for introducing the molten glass Gm. An outlet 7e for the molten glass Gm is provided at the lower end of the lower portion 7b. Conditioning tank 7 configured as described above is connected to compact 8 by a fourth connecting pipe 12 .

The molding 8 molds the molten glass Gm into a desired shape. In this embodiment, the formed body 8 is formed by forming the molten glass Gm into a belt shape by an overflow down-draw method. Specifically, the molded body 8 has a substantially wedge-shaped cross-section, has an overflow groove 8a in its upper portion, and has both side surfaces 8b, 8b for flowing down the molten glass Gm overflowing from the overflow groove 8a. The formed body 8 having the above configuration can be formed into a belt-like glass ribbon Gr by fusing the molten glass Gm flowing down along the side surfaces 8b, 8b at the lower top portions of the side surfaces 8b, 8b. The molded glass ribbon Gr has a thickness of, for example, 0.01 to 2 mm (preferably 0.3 mm or less), and is used as a substrate for flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays, organic EL lighting, solar cells, and the like. and protective covers. Note that the molded body 8 may be formed by another down-draw method such as a slot down-draw method.

The first connecting pipe 9 to the fourth connecting pipe 12 are composed of, for example, a cylindrical pipe made of platinum or a platinum alloy, and are adjacent to the molten glass Gm from the melting tank 4 on the downstream side. It transfers to the compact 8 one by one.

FIG. 3 is a view (perspective view) of the fourth connecting pipe 12 connecting the conditioning tank 7 and the molded body 8 and its surroundings, as viewed obliquely from above. As shown in FIG. 3 , the fourth connecting pipe 12 has a first bent portion 13 and a second bent portion 14 . Among these, the upstream end of the first bent portion 13 is connected to the conditioning tank 7 , and the downstream end of the second bent portion 14 is connected to the compact 8 . The downstream end of the first bent portion 13 and the upstream end of the second bent portion 14 are directly connected. Here, the first bent portion 13 and the second bent portion 14 are bent on different imaginary planes. For example, when the vertical direction is the Z direction and the conditioning tank 7 is viewed from the Z direction (vertically upward) as shown in FIG. When the Y direction and the direction orthogonal to the flow direction (Y direction) are defined as the X direction, the first bent portion 13 is bent on the YZ plane, and the second bent portion 14 is bent on the XY plane. .

Further, in relation to the flow direction of the molten glass Gm reaching the conditioning tank 7, the first bent portion 13 extends from the same direction as the outflow port 7e of the conditioning tank 7, as shown in FIG. The bent portion 13 is bent in a first direction d1 that is the same as the reference flow direction d0 when viewed from above (vertically above). Here, the reference flow direction d0 refers to the flow direction of the molten glass Gm when flowing into the conditioning tank 7 from the homogenization tank 6 side through the inlet 7d. Therefore, the reference flow direction d0 is the same as the inflow direction of the molten glass Gm into the conditioning tank 7 indicated by symbol d0 in FIGS. In this embodiment, the X direction and the Y direction are horizontal directions, and the Z direction is a vertical direction. Both are oriented in the Y direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when viewed from the horizontal direction, the reference flow direction d0 is oriented slightly upward from the Y direction, and the first direction d1 is oriented in the Y direction. When the outflow port 7e of the conditioning tank 7 faces vertically downward as in this embodiment, the first bent portion 13 is bent 90° from the Z direction (vertical direction) to the Y direction (horizontal direction). there is

Similarly, in relation to the flow direction of the molten glass Gm reaching the conditioning tank 7, the second bent portion 14 is formed from the first direction d1 as shown in FIG. When viewed, it bends in a second direction d2, which is either left or right with respect to the reference flow direction d0. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the reference flow direction d0 is directed in the Y direction when viewed vertically from above, whereas the second direction d2 is the X direction (the positive direction). is facing The angle between the reference flow direction d0 and the second direction d2 is 90°. Therefore, the angle formed by the first direction d1 and the second direction d2 is also 90°. In this case, the second bent portion 14 is bent 90° from the Y direction (horizontal direction) to the X direction (horizontal direction).

Next, an example of a method for manufacturing a glass article using the manufacturing apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described, particularly focusing on the flow mode of the molten glass Gm from the conditioning tank 7 to the molded body 8 .

When manufacturing a glass article using the manufacturing apparatus 1 configured as described above, as shown in FIGS. By melting the raw materials, the molten glass Gm is produced. Then, the molten glass Gm is supplied to the refining tank 5 through the first connecting pipe 9 , and the molten glass Gm clarified in the refining tank 5 is supplied to the homogenizing tank 6 through the second connecting pipe 10 . The molten glass Gm supplied to the homogenization tank 6 is homogenized by stirring or the like, and then supplied to the conditioning tank 7 through the third connection pipe 11 . For example, the molten glass Gm whose flow rate is adjusted in the condition adjusting tank 7 is supplied to the formed body 8 through the fourth connecting pipe 12 . In the formed body 8, the molten glass Gm is formed into a strip-shaped glass ribbon Gr by, for example, an overflow downdraw method. The formed glass ribbon Gr is conveyed on a processing line 3 extending parallel to the melting line 2, and subjected to appropriate processing or treatment such as cutting to obtain, for example, a glass roll. In this way, the production of glass articles is carried out continuously.

By the way, when glass articles are continuously manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus 1 having the above configuration, a stagnation region R1 of the molten glass Gm may occur at the bottom of the homogenization tank 6, as shown in FIG. 6, for example. In this case, the molten glass Gm1′ in the stagnant region R1 flows into the conditioning tank 7 through the lower part of the third connecting pipe 11, and the side of the outlet 7e closer to the homogenizing tank 6 (in the XYZ coordinate system, −Y direction side) to reach the fourth connecting pipe 12 . Alternatively, as also shown in FIG. 6, a stagnation region R2 of the molten glass Gm may occur at the top of the conditioning tank 7 (the region above the inlet 7d in the upper portion 7a). In this case, the molten glass Gm2' in the stagnant region R2 reaches the fourth connecting pipe 12 through the side of the outflow port 7e close to the compact 8 (the side in the +Y direction in the XYZ coordinate system).

Here, in the present invention, the fourth connecting pipe 12 connecting the conditioning tank 7 and the compact 8 is provided with a first bent portion 13 and a second bent portion 14 (Fig. 3), and the bending direction (first direction d1) of the first bending portion 13 connected to the outlet port 7e of the conditioning tank 7 is the reference flow direction d0 when the first bending portion 13 is viewed from above. was set in the same orientation as (see FIG. 4). By setting the bending direction of the first bent portion 13 in this way, the molten glass Gm1' in the stagnant region R1 reaches the lower portion 14a of the second bent portion 14 through the outer region 13a of the first bent portion 13. Alternatively, the molten glass Gm2' in the stagnant region R2 reaches the upper portion 14b of the second bent portion 14 through the inner region 13b of the first bent portion 13 (see FIG. 6 for both). Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the second bent portion 14 is oriented either left or right with respect to the reference flow direction d0 when the second bent portion 14 is viewed from the first direction d1 in plan view (this embodiment ), the molten glass Gm1' in the stagnant region R1 continues to flow through the lower portion 14a of the fourth connecting pipe 12 (second bent portion 14) and reaches the lower portion of the inlet 8c of the formed body 8. . Alternatively, the molten glass Gm2' in the stagnant region R2 continues to pass through the upper portion 14b of the fourth connecting pipe 12 (the second bent portion 14) and reach the upper portion of the inlet 8c of the compact 8 (both see FIG. 7). . The molten glass Gm1' and Gm2' in the stagnant regions R1 and R2 that have flowed into the inside of the molded body 8 become the width direction end portions Gr1 and Gr2 of the glass ribbon Gr.

Thus, according to the present invention, the position of the molten glass Gm1′, Gm2′ in the stagnation regions R1, R2 when flowing into the fourth connecting pipe 12 can be set at the top or bottom of the fourth connecting pipe 12. Since it is possible to supply the molded body 8 while maintaining it as much as possible, these different molten glasses Gm1' and Gm2' remain in the glass ribbon Gr after processing, and the situation in which the quality of the product deteriorates is minimized. It is possible to prevent In addition, the bending direction of the second bent portion 14 may be either left or right with respect to the reference flow direction d0 in a plan view of the second bent portion 14, so the direction after bending, that is, the second By appropriately setting the direction d2 within the above range, it becomes possible to relatively freely set the direction of the molded body 8 and, in turn, the direction of the processing line 3 for the glass ribbon Gr formed from the molded body 8.

Further, in the present embodiment, the inlet 8c of the molded body 8 is provided in a direction orthogonal to both side surfaces 8b, 8b through which the molten glass Gm overflowing from the upper overflow groove 8a flows down, and the second bending portion The angle formed by the first direction before bending 14 and the second direction d2 after bending was set to 90°. By determining the bending angle and posture of the second bending portion 14 in relation to the inlet 8c of the formed body 8 in this way, the reference flow direction d0 and the main surface of the glass ribbon Gr formed by the formed body 8 orientation can be matched. After the formed glass ribbon Gr is pulled out downward, the direction is changed in the horizontal direction through the catenary and conveyed. (see Figure 2). As a result, the glass roll manufacturing line can be narrowed in the width direction, which is suitable, for example, when arranging a plurality of glass roll manufacturing apparatuses 1 (manufacturing lines) in parallel.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the method and apparatus for manufacturing a glass article according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various forms may be adopted within the scope of the present invention. is possible.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the reference flow direction d0 that serves as a reference for defining the bending directions of the first bent portion 13 and the second bent portion 14 (the flow direction when flowing into the conditioning tank 7 through the inlet 7d) Although the flow direction of the molten glass Gm is set slightly diagonally upward from the horizontal direction, the reference flow direction d0 may be, for example, the horizontal direction, or may be other than that. Similarly, the reference flow direction d0 and the first direction d1 may not be parallel in the XYZ coordinate system. It is sufficient if the one direction d1 is the same direction. Also, the second direction d2 is not limited to the horizontal direction. It is sufficient that the second direction d2 forms a predetermined angle (not the same direction) with respect to the reference flow direction d0 when viewed vertically from above. Further, from the above, the bending angle of the first bending portion 13 (the angle formed by the direction of the outflow port 7e of the conditioning tank 7 and the first direction d1) is not limited to 90°. Similarly, the bending angle (the angle formed by the first direction d1 and the second direction d2) at the second bending portion 14 is not limited to 90°, and may be any angle within the range that satisfies the above conditions.

In the above embodiment, the third connection pipe 11 having a constant outer diameter is connected to the conditioning tank 7 (see FIG. 5), but other connection configurations are also possible. is. FIG. 13 is an enlarged front view of a connecting portion between the third connecting pipe 11 and the conditioning tank 7 according to one example (another embodiment of the present invention). As shown in FIG. 13, the third connection pipe 11 is positioned between the body portion 11a and the conditioning tank 7 side, and the cross-sectional area of the third connection pipe 11 increases from the body portion 11a side toward the conditioning tank 7 side. It has a cross-sectional area changing portion 11b in which (an area in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, hereinafter simply referred to as "cross-sectional area") gradually changes. As a result, the body portion 11a of the third connection pipe 11 and the conditioning tank 7 are connected via the cross-sectional area changing portion 11b.

In the present embodiment, when the cross-sectional area of the body portion 11a of the third connecting pipe 11 is S1 and the cross-sectional area of the upper portion 7a of the conditioning tank 7 is S2, the cross-sectional area S1 of the main portion 11a is the cross-sectional area S2 of the upper portion 7a. , more specifically, the cross-sectional area S1 of the body portion 11a is smaller than the cross-sectional area S2 of the upper portion 7a. In this case, the shape of the inner surface 11c of the cross-sectional area changing portion 11b is set so that the cross-sectional area of the cross-sectional area changing portion 11b gradually increases from the main body portion 11a side toward the conditioning tank 7 side. Specifically, the shape of the longitudinal section (the section along the longitudinal direction) of the inner surface 11c of the cross-sectional area changing portion 11b is arcuate. For this reason, the inner surface 11c of the cross-sectional area changing portion 11b has a tubular shape, and the diameter thereof increases from the main body portion 11a side toward the conditioning tank 7 side.

The cross-sectional area S1 of the body portion 11a is preferably set to 0.75 times or more and 1.25 times or less the cross-sectional area S2 of the upper portion 7a. When the cross-sectional area S1 of the main body portion 11a is made smaller than the cross-sectional area S2 of the upper portion 7a as in the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area S1 of the main body portion 11a is 0.75 times or more the cross-sectional area S2 of the upper portion 7a. Moreover, it is preferable to set it to 0.96 times or less. For example, the inner diameter of the body portion 11a can be set to 150 mm or more and 300 mm or less, and the curvature radius of the inner surface 11c of the cross-sectional area changing portion 11b can be set to 10 mm or more and 50 mm or less, preferably 20 mm. It is preferable to set the distance to 40 mm or less.

The lower portion 7b of the conditioning tank 7 and the upstream end 13c of the first bent portion 13 are separated from each other (the lower portion 7b of the conditioning tank 7 and the upstream end 13c of the first bent portion 13 do not contact each other). , the molten glass Gm can be supplied from the conditioning tank 7 side to the first bending portion 13 side. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, with the lower portion 7b inserted into the inner periphery of the upstream end 13c of the first bent portion 13, the molten glass Gm adjusted in the condition adjusting tank 7 is placed in the second The molded body 8 can be supplied through the first bent portion 13 and the second bent portion 14 (fourth connecting pipe 12).

Here, when the cross-sectional area of the lower portion 7b of the conditioning tank 7 is S3 and the cross-sectional area of the upstream end 13c of the first bent portion 13 is S4, the cross-sectional area S3 of the lower portion 7b is the cross-sectional area S4 of the upstream end 13c. It is preferable to set it to 0.75 times or more and 0.96 times or less.

Further, when the third connecting pipe 11 has the above structure, the viscosity of the molten glass Gm passing through the cross-sectional area changing portion 11b between the main body portion 11a and the conditioning tank 7 is preferably set to 800 Pa s or more. and more preferably set to 1000 Pa·s or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of suppressing devitrification, the viscosity of the molten glass Gm passing through the cross-sectional area changing portion 11b is preferably set to 50000 Pa·s or less.

Thus, in this embodiment, the third connection pipe 11 has a cross-sectional area that gradually changes from the main body 11a side toward the conditioning tank 7 side, between the main body part 11a and the conditioning tank 7 side. The change portion 11b is provided. According to this configuration, the molten glass Gm flowing into the conditioning tank 7 from the third connecting pipe 11 is prevented from being separated as much as possible, and the molten glass stagnating at the bottom of the homogenizing tank 6 is prevented. The glass Gm1′ (see FIG. 6) passes through the outer region 13a of the first bent portion 13 and the lower portion 14a of the second bent portion 14, and passes through the width direction one end Gr2 (see FIG. 6) of the glass ribbon Gr of the formed body 8. 7) can be ensured. Further, the molten glass Gm2' stagnating in the upper portion 7a of the conditioning tank 7 is passed through the inner region 13b of the first bent portion 13 and the upper portion 14b of the second bent portion 14, and the glass ribbon Gr of the formed body 8 It is possible to reliably flow into the region that becomes the other widthwise end portion Gr1 (see FIG. 7). As described above, according to the method and apparatus for manufacturing a glass article according to the present embodiment, the heterogeneous molten glass Gm1′ (Gm2′) that causes defective molding remains in the glass ribbon Gr after processing, and the product is It is possible to prevent as much as possible the situation in which the quality of the glass article is deteriorated.

In the above-described embodiment, the molten glass Gm whose state has been adjusted in the conditioning tank 7 is Although the case where the molded body 8 can be supplied through the first bent portion 13 and the second bent portion 14 (fourth connecting pipe 12) is illustrated, of course, the upstream end 13c of the first bent portion 13 is connected to the conditioning tank 7. may be directly connected to the lower portion (outflow port 7e) of the Further, the form of connection between the fourth connecting pipe 12 (the first bent portion 13, the second bent portion 14), the conditioning tank 7, and the molded body 8 is not limited to the above-exemplified form, and for example, the illustration is omitted. However, the outflow port 7e of the conditioning tank 7 and the first bent portion 13 may be connected via a cylindrical connecting pipe extending linearly, or via the cylindrical connecting pipe described above, the molding The inlet 8c of the body 8 and the second bent portion 14 may be connected. Alternatively, the first bent portion 13 and the second bent portion 14 may be connected via the cylindrical connecting pipe described above.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the glass roll is obtained from the glass ribbon Gr in the processing line 3 is illustrated, but the glass plate may be obtained in the processing line 3 from the strip-shaped glass ribbon Gr. In this case, the processing line 3 cuts the glass ribbon Gr along the width direction every predetermined length in addition to the above-described slow cooling processing section and cooling section, thereby sequentially cutting out the glass sheets from the glass ribbon Gr. It has a first cutting section and a second cutting section for removing both width direction end portions of the glass plate by cutting.

1 Glass article manufacturing apparatus 2 Melting line 3 Processing line 4 Dissolving tank 5 Clarifying tank 6 Homogenizing tank 7 Conditioning tank 7a Inlet 7b Outlet 8 Molded body 8a Overflow grooves 8b, 8b Both sides 8c Inlet 9 First Connecting pipe 10 Second connecting pipe 11 Third connecting pipe 12 Fourth connecting pipe 13 First bent portion 13a Outer region 13b Inner region 14 Second bent portion 14a Lower portion 14b Upper portion 104 Connecting pipe (configuration used for comparison)
106 connecting pipe (conventional configuration)
D0 Feeding direction of glass ribbon Gm Molten glass Gm1′, Gm2′ Molten glass Gr in stagnation region Glass ribbons Gr1, Gr2 Width direction ends R1, R2 Stagnation region d0 Reference flow direction (inflow direction into conditioning tank)
d1 first direction d2 second direction

Claims (5)

A production step of producing molten glass in a molten glass production apparatus, a conditioning step of adjusting the state of the produced molten glass in a conditioning tank, and supplying the molten glass whose condition has been adjusted to a molded body. A method for manufacturing a glass article, comprising a forming step of forming a glass ribbon,
The outflow port of the conditioning tank and the inflow port of the compact are connected by a connecting pipe having a first bent portion and a second bent portion,
The outflow port of the conditioning tank and the first bent portion are connected, and the second bent portion and the inflow port of the compact are connected,
When the flow direction of the molten glass when flowing into the conditioning tank from the molten glass production apparatus side is defined as a reference flow direction,
The first bent portion is bent from the same direction as the outflow port of the conditioning tank in a first direction that is the same direction as the reference flow direction when the first bent portion is viewed from above, and A glass characterized in that the second bent portion is bent from the first direction in a second direction that is either left or right with respect to the reference flow direction when the second bent portion is viewed from above. A method of manufacturing an article. 2. The method of manufacturing a glass article according to claim 1, wherein both said first direction and said second direction are horizontal directions. The molded body molds the glass ribbon by causing the molten glass overflowing from the overflow groove to flow down along both side surfaces.
2. The inlet of said molded body is provided in a direction perpendicular to the direction of said both side surfaces, and the angle formed by said first direction and said second direction is set to 90°. 3. The method for producing the glass article according to 2. The method for producing a glass article according to claim 3, wherein the glass article is a glass roll obtained by winding the glass ribbon into a roll. A molten glass production apparatus for producing molten glass, a conditioning tank for adjusting the state of the produced molten glass, and a molded body for forming a glass ribbon by flowing down the molten glass whose condition has been adjusted. In the glass article manufacturing equipment,
The outflow port of the conditioning tank and the inflow port of the compact are connected by a connecting pipe having a first bent portion and a second bent portion,
The outflow port of the conditioning tank and the first bent portion are connected, and the second bent portion and the inflow port of the compact are connected,
When the flow direction of the molten glass when flowing into the conditioning tank from the molten glass production apparatus side is defined as a reference flow direction,
The first bent portion is bent from the same direction as the outflow port of the conditioning tank in a first direction that is the same direction as the reference flow direction when the first bent portion is viewed from above, and A glass characterized in that the second bent portion is bent from the first direction in a second direction that is either left or right with respect to the reference flow direction when the second bent portion is viewed from above. Equipment for manufacturing goods.

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