TW202023973A - Glass forming apparatuses having controlled radiation heat transfer elements - Google Patents

Abstract

A glass forming apparatus includes a forming body comprising a draw plane that extends in a draw direction. A thermal control door is positioned below the forming body in the draw direction and spaced apart from the draw plane. An actively cooled thermal sink is positioned below the thermal control door in the draw direction. The actively cooled thermal sink is shielded from view of the root by the thermal control door.

Description

Glass forming equipment with controlled radiation heat transfer element

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/749,282 filed on October 23, 2018, and hereby relies on and incorporates the content of this U.S. Provisional Application for reference, as if this provisional application was The full description is below in general.

This specification generally relates to glass forming equipment used in glass manufacturing operations, and in particular, to glass forming equipment including a shielding member for controlling radiant heat transfer.

Glass substrates, such as protective glass, glass bottom plates, etc., are often used in consumer and commercial electronic devices such as LCD and LED displays, computer displays, and automated teller machines (ATM). Various manufacturing techniques can be used to form molten glass into a glass ribbon, and then the glass ribbon is divided into discrete glass substrates to be incorporated into such a device. These manufacturing techniques include, but are not limited to, for example, down-draw processing (such as groove stretching processing) and fusion forming processing, pull-up processing, and float processing.

Regardless of the treatment used, premature devitrification of molten glass may cause defects in the glass ribbon. Alternatively or additionally, deviations in the width and/or thickness of the glass ribbon can also be considered defects. Since the portion of the glass ribbon having such defects is discarded as waste glass, such defects may reduce manufacturing yield and/or increase manufacturing costs.

Therefore, there is a need for a glass forming apparatus and a method for forming a glass ribbon that reduce defects in the glass ribbon.

According to the first aspect A1, the glass forming apparatus may include a shaped body including a stretching plane extending from the shaped body in a stretching direction. The thermal control door can be spaced apart from the stretching plane. At least a part of the thermal control door may be positioned below the shaped body in the stretching direction. The active cooling radiator can be positioned under the thermal control door in the stretching direction. The view from the formed body to the active cooling radiator can be blocked by the thermal control door.

The second aspect A2 includes the glass forming apparatus of the first aspect A1, and further includes an edge roller, which is located below the active cooling radiator in the stretching direction.

The third aspect A3 includes the glass forming equipment of any one of the first or second aspects A1-A2, wherein as the distance to the formed body in the stretching direction increases, the active cooling type heat sink is between the stretching plane The interval increases.

The fourth aspect A4 includes the glass forming equipment of any one of the first to third aspects A1-A3, wherein the active cooling type radiator includes a plate cooler.

The fifth aspect A5 includes the glass forming equipment of any one of the first to fourth aspects A1-A4, wherein the active cooling type radiator includes a plurality of fluid conduits.

The sixth aspect A6 includes the glass forming apparatus of any one of the first to fifth aspects A1-A5, wherein the active cooling type heat sink extends parallel to the stretching plane by a width which is larger than the glass ribbon stretched from the formed body The width.

The seventh aspect A7 includes the glass forming apparatus of any one of the first to fifth aspects A1-A5, wherein the active cooling type heat sink extends parallel to the stretching plane by a width which is smaller than the glass ribbon stretched from the formed body The width.

The eighth aspect A8 includes the glass forming apparatus of any one of the first to fifth aspects A1-A5, wherein the active cooling type heat sink includes a plurality of heat dissipation parts arranged parallel to the stretching plane, and of the plurality of heat dissipation parts Each heat dissipating portion includes a width which is smaller than the width of the glass ribbon stretched from the formed body.

The ninth aspect A9 includes the glass forming equipment of any one of the first to eighth aspects A1-A8, the glass forming equipment further includes a heat transfer shield, the heat transfer shield is positioned along the opposite side of the active cooling type heat sink and is transversely Extend on the stretched plane.

The tenth aspect A10 includes the glass forming apparatus of any one of the first to ninth aspects A1-A9, and the glass forming apparatus further includes: an edge guide located at the end of the root of the formed body The converging surface provides a profile change; and an edge director shielding member that is positioned to block the view of the active cooling heat sink from at least a portion of the edge director.

The eleventh aspect A11 includes the glass forming equipment of any one of the first to tenth aspects A1-A10, wherein the thermal control door includes a front edge portion and a cooling surface, and the cooling surface extends away at an oblique angle away from the stretching plane The front edge part shields the view of the cooling surface from the molded body.

The twelfth aspect A12 includes the glass forming apparatus of the eleventh aspect A11, wherein the thermal control door includes an intake pipe, and the intake pipe is positioned to cause cooling gas to impinge on the cooling surface of the thermal control door.

The thirteenth aspect A13 includes the glass forming apparatus of the twelfth aspect A12, wherein the thermal control door further includes an outflow hole passing through the heat insulating layer; and the intake pipe is located in the outflow hole.

The fourteenth aspect A14 includes the glass forming apparatus of the eleventh aspect A11, wherein the heat control door includes a heat insulating layer, and the heat insulating layer thermally isolates the cooling surface from the surface of the heat control door facing the formed body.

The fifteenth aspect A15 includes the glass forming equipment of any one of the first to fourteenth aspects A1-A14. The glass forming equipment may further include a position lock which selectively fixes the active cooling radiator relative to the stretch The location of the plane.

The sixteenth aspect A16 includes the glass forming equipment of any one of the first to fifteenth aspects A1-A15. The glass forming equipment may also include a position lock that selectively fixes the thermal control door relative to the stretching plane. position.

According to the seventeenth aspect A17, the glass forming apparatus may include a shaped body including a stretching plane extending from the shaped body in a stretching direction. The thermal control door may be spaced apart from the stretching plane, wherein at least a part of the thermal control door is located below the shaped body in the stretching direction. The thermal control door may include a front edge portion and a cooling surface, and the cooling surface extends away from the front edge portion at an inclination angle away from the stretching plane, so that the view of the cooling surface from the formed body is blocked by the front edge portion.

The eighteenth aspect A18 includes the glass forming apparatus of the seventeenth aspect A17, wherein the thermal control door includes an intake pipe, and the intake pipe is positioned to cause cooling gas to impinge on the cooling surface of the thermal control door.

The nineteenth aspect A19 includes the glass forming apparatus of any one of the seventeenth to eighteenth aspects A17-A18, wherein the thermal control door includes a heat insulating layer, and the heat insulating layer thermally isolates the cooling surface from the front edge portion.

The twentieth aspect A20 includes the glass forming equipment of any of the seventeenth to nineteenth aspects A17-A19. The glass forming equipment may also include a position lock, which selectively fixes the thermal control door relative to the stretching plane s position.

According to the twenty-first aspect A21, the glass forming apparatus may include a shaped body including a stretching plane extending from the shaped body in a stretching direction. The sliding door can be spaced apart from the stretching plane. The active cooling radiator can be positioned under the sliding door in the stretching direction. The view from the formed body to the active cooling radiator can be blocked by a sliding door.

The twenty-second aspect A22 includes the glass forming apparatus of the twenty-first aspect A21, and further includes a thermal control door located below the active cooling radiator in the stretching direction.

The twenty-third aspect A23 includes the glass forming apparatus of the twenty-second aspect A22, wherein the thermal control door includes an intake pipe, and the intake pipe is positioned to cause cooling gas to impinge on the cooling surface of the thermal control door.

The twenty-fourth aspect A24 includes any one of the twenty-first to twenty-third aspects A21-A23 of the glass forming equipment. The glass forming equipment may further include a position lock which selectively fixes the active cooling type radiator The position relative to the stretch plane.

The twenty-fifth aspect A25 includes any of the twenty-first to twenty-fourth aspects A21-A24 glass forming equipment. The glass forming equipment may also include a position lock that selectively fixes the sliding door relative to the sliding door. The location of the extension plane.

The twenty-sixth aspect A26 includes the glass forming apparatus of any one of the twenty-first or twenty-fifth aspects A21-A25, wherein as the distance to the formed body in the stretching direction increases, the active cooling type heat sink The distance from the stretch plane increases.

The twenty-seventh aspect A27 includes the glass forming apparatus of any one of the twenty-first to twenty-sixth aspects A21-A26, wherein the active cooling type radiator includes a plate cooler.

The twenty-eighth aspect A28 includes the glass forming apparatus of any one of the twenty-first to twenty-seventh aspects A21-A27, wherein the active cooling type radiator includes a plurality of fluid conduits.

The twenty-ninth aspect A29 includes the glass forming apparatus of any one of the twenty-first to twenty-eighth aspects A21-A28, wherein the active cooling type radiator extends in parallel to the stretching plane to a width which is greater than the width from the forming The width of the stretched glass ribbon.

The thirtieth aspect A30 includes the glass forming apparatus of any one of the twenty-first to the twenty-ninth aspects A21-A29, wherein the active cooling type heat sink extends in parallel to the stretching plane to a width which is smaller than the width from the formed body The width of the stretched glass ribbon.

The thirty-first aspect A31 includes the glass forming equipment of any one of the twenty-first to the thirtieth aspects A21-A30, wherein the active cooling type heat sink includes a plurality of heat sinks arranged in a direction parallel to the stretching plane Section, each of the plurality of radiating sections includes a width which is smaller than the width of the glass ribbon stretched from the molded body.

The thirty-second aspect A32 includes the glass forming equipment of any one of the twenty-first to thirty-first aspects A21-A31, and the glass forming equipment further includes a heat transfer shield, the heat transfer shield along the active cooling type heat sink The opposite side is positioned and extends transverse to the stretching plane.

The thirty-third aspect A33 includes a glass forming apparatus of any one of the twenty-first to thirty-second aspects A21-A32, and the glass forming apparatus further includes: an edge guide located at the end of the root of the formed body , And provide a contour change from the converging surface of the shaped body; and an edge guide shielding member, the edge guide shielding member is positioned to block the view of the active cooling radiator from at least a part of the edge guide.

According to the thirty-fourth aspect A34, a method of forming a glass ribbon includes the following steps: flowing molten glass from the formed body; maintaining the molten glass at the liquidus line of the molten glass while the molten glass is kept in contact with the formed body Temperature or higher than the liquidus temperature; between the thermal control door and a pair of active cooling type radiators placed in the stretching direction from the thermal control door, the molten glass is stretched from the formed body in the stretching direction to form Glass ribbon; and at a position spaced apart from the formed body in the stretching direction, the temperature of the glass ribbon is reduced below the liquidus temperature, wherein the view of the formed body to the active cooling radiator is thermally controlled Obscured.

The thirty-fifth aspect A35 includes the method of the thirty-fourth aspect A34, and the method further includes the step of contacting the glass ribbon with an edge roller at a position below the pair of active cooling radiators in the stretching direction.

The thirty-sixth aspect A36 includes the method of the thirty-fourth aspect A34 or the thirty-fifth aspect A35, and the method further includes the following steps: guiding a cooling fluid through the pair of active cooling radiators.

The thirty-seventh aspect A37 includes any one of the thirty-fourth to the thirty-sixth aspect A34-A36, and the method further includes the following steps: guiding the cooling gas through a plurality of intake pipes of the thermal control door, a plurality of The intake pipe is positioned to cause the cooling gas to impinge on the cooling surface of the thermal control door.

According to the thirty-eighth aspect A38, a method of forming a glass ribbon, comprising the steps of: flowing molten glass from the formed body; maintaining the molten glass at the liquidus line of the molten glass while the molten glass is kept in contact with the formed body Temperature or higher than the liquidus temperature; between the sliding door and the active cooling type radiator placed in the stretching direction from the sliding door, the molten glass is stretched from the formed body in the stretching direction to form a glass ribbon; and At a position spaced apart from the formed body in the stretching direction, the temperature of the glass ribbon is reduced below the liquidus temperature, wherein the view of the formed body to the active cooling radiator is blocked by a sliding door.

The thirty-ninth aspect A39 includes the method of the thirty-eighth aspect A38, and the method further includes the step of contacting the glass ribbon with an edge roller at a position below the pair of active cooling radiators in the stretching direction.

The fortieth aspect A40 includes the method of the thirty-eighth aspect A38 or the thirty-ninth aspect A39, and the method further includes the following step: guiding the fluid through the active cooling radiator.

According to the forty-first aspect A41, a method of forming a glass ribbon includes the following steps: flowing molten glass from the formed body; maintaining the molten glass at the liquidus line of the molten glass while maintaining contact with the formed body Temperature or higher than the liquidus temperature; between a pair of thermal control doors, stretch the molten glass from the formed body in the stretching direction to form a glass ribbon; and at a position spaced apart from the formed body in the stretching direction , The temperature of the glass ribbon is reduced below the liquidus temperature, and the view of the cooling surface of the heat control door of the formed body is partially shielded by the front edge of the heat control door.

The forty-second aspect A42 includes the method of the forty-first aspect A41, and the method further includes the following steps: guiding the cooling gas through a plurality of intake pipes of the thermal control door, and the plurality of intake pipes are positioned to make the cooling gas impinge To this point on the cooling surface of the heat control door.

The forty-third aspect A43 includes the method of the forty-first aspect A41 or the forty-second aspect A42. The method further includes the following steps: in the stretching direction at a position below the pair of heat control doors, The roller contacts the glass ribbon.

It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary, and are intended to provide an overview or framework to understand the nature and characteristics of the requested technical subject. Additional drawings are included to further understand this description, and these drawings are incorporated into this specification and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more specific embodiments, and together with the embodiments are used to explain the principles and operations of various specific embodiments.

Reference is now made in detail to various specific embodiments, which are illustrated in the attached drawings. In the drawings, the same reference symbols are used as much as possible to refer to the same or similar parts. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but focus on illustrating the principles of specific embodiments.

Numerical values including the end points of the range may be expressed herein as approximate values with the prefixes "approximately", "approximately", etc. In this case, other specific embodiments include specific numerical values. Regardless of whether the numerical value is expressed as an approximate value, the present disclosure includes two specific embodiments: one is expressed as an approximate value, and the other is not expressed as an approximate value. It will also be understood that the endpoints of each range are important relative to and independent of the other endpoint.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any method set forth herein should not be interpreted as requiring its steps to be executed in a specific order, nor does it require any device specific orientation. Therefore, if the method claim does not actually record the order in which the steps are to be followed, or any equipment claim does not actually record the order or orientation of individual components, or the claim or the specification does not clearly state that the steps are limited to a specific order , Or does not record the specific order or orientation of the equipment components, it is not intended to infer the order or orientation in any respect. This applies to any possible non-clear interpretation basis, including: logical issues related to setting steps, operating procedures, component order, and component orientation; trivial meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation; and specific embodiments described in the specification Quantity or type.

The directional terms used herein, such as up, down, right, left, front, back, top, and bottom, are only for reference to the drawings drawn, and are not intended to imply absolute orientation.

The phrase "active cooling radiator" used in this article refers to a device that is located in a high-temperature environment and absorbs and removes heat energy from the environment. In a specific embodiment, the active cooling radiator includes a heat transfer medium, and the heat transfer medium can be controlled to adjust the rate at which the active cooling radiator absorbs heat energy.

The "liquid line temperature" mentioned in this article refers to the temperature of the glass below which the glass begins to devitrify.

The "viscoelastic state" mentioned herein refers to the physical state of glass, in which the viscosity of the glass is about 1×10 ⁸ poise to about 1×10 ¹⁴ poise.

The "viscous state" referred to herein refers to the physical state of glass, wherein the viscosity of the glass is less than the viscosity of the glass in the viscoelastic state, for example, less than about 1×10 ⁸ poise.

The "elastic state" referred to herein refers to the physical state of glass, wherein the viscosity of the glass is greater than the viscosity of the glass in the viscoelastic state, for example, greater than about 1×10 ¹⁴ poise.

The singular forms "一(a)", "一(an)" and "the" used in this article include plural references unless the background content clearly indicates otherwise. Therefore, for example, a reference to a "one" component includes an aspect having two or more such components, unless the background content clearly indicates otherwise.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a glass forming apparatus 100 is schematically shown. As will be described in further detail herein, the molten glass flows into the forming body 90 on the drawing plane 96 and is drawn from the forming body 90 as a glass ribbon 86. As the glass ribbon 86 is pulled out from the formed body 90, the glass ribbon 86 is cooled and the viscosity of the glass ribbon 86 increases. The increase in glass viscosity allows the glass ribbon to withstand the tensile force applied to the glass ribbon to control the thickness of the glass ribbon. The surfaces and components of the glass forming apparatus 100 adjacent to the forming body 90 and the stretching plane 96 can be used to adjust the temperature of the molten glass flowing into the forming body 90 and moving away from the forming body 90 as the glass ribbon 86. Generally speaking, the glass formed in the drawing process is subjected to a pulling force, which is applied by the weight of the pulling roll and the glass ribbon downstream of the forming body 90.

Some glass compositions can exhibit low viscosity at liquidus temperature. Therefore, in order to prevent the devitrification of the molten glass (especially on the surface of the formed body through which the molten glass flows), the temperature of the molten glass on the formed body must be kept above the liquidus temperature. However, in some cases, the viscosity of the molten glass when it leaves the formed body may be low enough to prevent the glass sheet from withstanding the pulling force applied by the pulling roller. Due to the low viscosity, the glass with this low viscosity may also have unwanted changes in the width and/or thickness of the glass ribbon. In order to process this glass composition, the temperature of the glass ribbon must be rapidly reduced within a short distance below the formed body to increase the viscosity of the glass. However, this rapid cooling must be controlled so as not to simultaneously cool the molten glass flowing over the surface of the formed body, which may cause premature devitrification of the glass, thereby destroying the formation process, and may cause other undesirable defects in the resulting glass ribbon.

As will be discussed in more detail below, the present disclosure relates to a glass forming apparatus for forming a glass ribbon. The glass forming apparatus includes a radiant heat transfer element that is used to control the flow of molten glass through the forming body and form the glass ribbon. Temperature, the glass ribbon moves away from the shaped body. The heat transfer element helps to keep the molten glass in contact with the formed body at a temperature higher than the liquidus temperature to prevent the molten glass from devitrifying while the molten glass remains in contact with the formed body. When the glass moves away from the shaped body to increase the viscosity of the glass, the heat transfer element also helps to cool the glass quickly within a short distance below the shaped body.

Such temperature control can also help manufacture glass ribbons with high productivity. The increase in productivity corresponds to an increase in the mass flow rate of molten glass and an increase in the heat load that must be dissipated. Compared to lower productivity, the increased heat load exhibited by molten glass requires an increase in the rate of heat transfer to molten glass to maintain the same temperature.

A specific embodiment of the glass forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a shaped body including a stretching plane extending below the shaped body in a stretching direction. The glass forming apparatus also includes a thermal control door spaced from the stretching plane. At least a part of the thermal control door is positioned below the shaped body in the stretching direction. The glass forming apparatus also includes an active cooling type radiator located below the thermal control door in the stretching direction. Due to the thermal control door, the view from the root to the active cooling radiator is blocked. This arrangement prevents the devitrification of the glass in contact with the formed body, and at the same time provides rapid cooling of the glass below the formed body, thereby alleviating defects such as the width and/or thickness of the glass ribbon.

In particular, the glass ribbon radiates heat from the thermal control door to the active cooling radiator and/or other cooling surfaces positioned along the stretching direction through radiant heat transfer. The thermal control door is positioned in the stretching direction relative to the root of the formed body, so that the view from the active cooling radiator element to the formed body and the glass on the formed body is shielded, and the active cooling radiator is positioned in the stretch from the thermal control door Direction. The view between the root of the formed body and the active cooling type radiator is shielded to reduce the heat dissipation from the molten glass existing on the formed body. Therefore, the molten glass can be maintained at a desired high temperature at a position above the thermal control door.

By dissipating enough heat from the glass to the surrounding environment, the glass can be cooled to a desired temperature in a short time after the glass is pulled out of the formed body. The rapid cooling of the glass promotes the stability of the glass manufacturing operation because the glass ribbon is maintained at a viscosity sufficient to maintain the tensile force applied to the glass ribbon.

Although the fusion drawing process (in which the glass ribbon is drawn downward from the formed body) is largely described in the specific embodiments according to the present disclosure, it should be understood that the components of the glass forming apparatus described herein can be incorporated into various types. Such glass forming processes, such as gap formation, pull-up, or float process, are independent of the stretching direction of the glass ribbon.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a glass forming apparatus 100 for manufacturing glass products such as glass ribbon 86 is schematically shown. The glass forming apparatus 100 generally includes a melting vessel 15 configured to receive a batch of material 16 from a storage tank 18. The batch material 16 can be introduced into the melting vessel 15 by the batch delivery device 20 powered by the motor 22. An optional controller 24 can be provided to actuate the motor 22, and a molten glass level probe 28 can be used to measure the glass melting level in the standpipe 30 and transmit the measured information to the controller 24.

The glass forming apparatus 101 may also include a clarification vessel 38 (such as a clarification tube), and the clarification vessel 38 is coupled to the melting vessel 15 by the first connecting pipe 36. The mixing container 42 is coupled to the clarification container 38 by the second connecting pipe 40. The delivery container 46 is coupled to the mixing container 42 by the delivery conduit 44. As further illustrated, the downcomer 48 is positioned to deliver the molten glass from the delivery container 46 to the shaped body inlet 50 of the shaped body 90. The shaped body 90 may be positioned within the housing 112. The housing 112 may extend in a stretching direction 88 (ie, a downward vertical direction corresponding to the -Z direction of the coordinate axis shown in the figure). The formed body 90 has a groove 62 and a pair of weirs 64 (shown in FIG. 1) defining the groove 62. A pair of opposed vertical surfaces extend in a downward vertical direction from a pair of weirs 64 to a pair of break lines 91 (shown in FIG. 1). A pair of opposed converging surfaces 92 (shown in FIG. 1) extends in a downward vertical direction from the pair of break lines 91 and converges at the root 94 of the formed body 90. In the specific embodiment shown and described herein, the shaped body 90 is a fusion shaped container. However, although FIG. 1 depicts a fused-to-form container as the formed body 90, it should be understood that other formed bodies are compatible with the methods and equipment described herein, including but not limited to slit stretch formed bodies and the like.

In operation, the molten glass from the transport container 46 flows through the downcomer 48, the formed body inlet 50, and enters the tank 62. The molten glass in the trough 62 flows through the pair of weirs 64 in the form of separate streams. Before converging from the root 94, the molten glass flows downward (-Z direction) along a pair of opposed vertical surfaces extending from a pair of weirs 64, and flows toward a pair of opposed converging surfaces 92 extending from a pair of break lines 91 Down flow. The streams of molten glass 80 merge (ie, merge) below the root 94 to form a glass ribbon 86. The glass ribbon 86 is stretched from the formed body 90 along the stretching plane 96 along the stretching direction 88. In the specific embodiment described herein, the stretching plane 96 extends below the formed body 90 and is generally parallel to the vertical plane (ie, the X-Z plane parallel to the coordinate axis shown in the figure).

As the molten glass 80 cools, the viscosity of the molten glass 80 increases. As the molten glass cools, the molten glass changes from a viscous state to a viscoelastic state and into an elastic state. The viscosity of the molten glass after it leaves the formed body determines whether the molten glass can withstand the pulling force exerted on the glass by the pulling roller (not shown) located below the formed body in the stretching direction 88. As the glass ribbon continues to cool and its viscosity increases, the pulling force applied by the pulling roll helps control the thickness of the glass ribbon. When the glass is pulled out from the formed body 90, a glass composition having a relatively low viscosity may cause a reduction in tensile force and poor control of handling (eg, thickness). For example, the relatively low viscosity of the molten glass under the formed body 90 may cause undesirable changes in the width and/or thickness of the glass ribbon. The specific embodiment according to the present disclosure includes an element for cooling the glass ribbon 86, by reducing the temperature of the glass ribbon 86 at a position below the forming body 90, while reducing or reducing the temperature of the molten glass 80 in contact with the forming body 90 cool down.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a specific embodiment of a part of the glass forming apparatus 100 is schematically shown. The glass forming apparatus 100 includes a housing 112 positioned around at least a portion of the forming body 90. When the molten glass 80 is in contact with the formed body 90, the housing 112 helps maintain the temperature of the molten glass 80. For example, the glass forming apparatus 100 may further include a plurality of heating elements 114, and the plurality of heating elements 114 control the temperature of the formed body 90 and the molten glass in contact with the formed body 90. In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the heating element 114 is located outside the housing 112 such that the heating element 114 heats at least a part of the housing 112, and then the housing 112 radiates heat to the formed body 90 and the molten glass 80.

In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the glass forming apparatus 100 includes a sliding door 120 that extends through the side wall of the housing 112. The sliding door 120 is opposite to and spaced apart from the stretching plane 96 in the +/- Y direction of the coordinate axis shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, the sliding doors 120 are also spaced apart from each other in the +/- Y direction, and the stretching plane 96 is provided between the sliding doors 120. In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 2, each sliding door 120 is spaced apart from the stretching plane 96 by a distance D1. The sliding door generally extends in a direction corresponding to the width of the formed body 90 (ie, the +/- X direction of the coordinate axis depicted in the figure). The sliding door 120 is located at a position along the stretching direction 88 from the formed body 90 such that at least a part of the sliding door 120 is located below the formed body 90 in the stretching direction 88. A space is maintained between the sliding door 120 and the stretching plane 96 to prevent contact between the sliding door 120 and the glass ribbon 86 stretched from the formed body 90 on the stretching plane 96. The glass forming apparatus 100 may further include a sliding door position lock 121, and the sliding door position lock 121 selectively fixes the position of the sliding door 120 relative to the stretching plane 96. In a specific embodiment, the sliding door position lock 121 also facilitates repositioning the sliding door 120 relative to the stretching plane 96. Therefore, the sliding door 120 can be translated relative to the stretching plane 96 in a direction perpendicular to the stretching plane (ie, the +/- Y direction of the coordinate axis shown in the figure).

In some embodiments, the sliding door 120 may not be cooled, so that the sliding door 120 reaches an equilibrium temperature based on the heat input from the molten glass 80 and/or the glass ribbon 86. The sliding door 120 may be made of a material that maintains its mechanical properties, thermal insulation performance, and/or corrosion resistance at high temperatures, such as thermal insulation materials encapsulated by high-temperature alloy sheets (for example, Haynes 188, Haynes 214, Hastelloy, Inconel 625, Inconel 718, etc.) or thermal insulation materials encapsulated by ceramic materials (such as silicon carbide). For example, in a specific embodiment, the sliding door 120 includes a housing 122, the housing 122 defines a cavity, and the cavity is filled with an insulating material 123, as shown in FIG. 2. The housing 122 may be formed of, for example, the high temperature alloy or ceramic material described herein. The thermal insulation material may for example be formed of a refractory thermal insulation material, such as Duraboard®, ALTRA® KVS or an alumina-based refractory board.

In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the sliding door 120 is used as a heat shield, which reduces the cooling of the molten glass located upstream of the sliding door 120 (that is, in the +Z direction of the coordinate axis shown in the drawing) , Such as molten glass 80 flowing through the molded body 90 and/or on the molded body 90.

Still referring to FIG. 2, the glass forming apparatus 100 further includes an active cooling type heat sink 140. The active cooling radiator 140 is positioned on the opposite side of the stretching plane 96 and below the sliding door 120 along the stretching direction 88. The active cooling type radiator 140 is spaced apart from the stretching plane 96 by a distance D2 in the +/- Y direction of the coordinate axis shown in the drawing. In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the distance D2 is greater than the distance D1 between the sliding door 120 and the stretching plane 96. This relative positioning between the active cooling type radiator 140 and the sliding door 120 is beneficial for shielding the formed body 90 (and the molten glass 80 flowing through and/or on the formed body 90) from the active cooling type The heat sink 140 will be described in more detail below.

In various embodiments, each active cooling heat sink 140 includes an active cooling element. For example, the active cooling radiator 140 may include a fluid conduit 142 oriented parallel to the width of the stretching plane 96 (ie, along the +/- X direction of the coordinate axis depicted in the figure). The cooling fluid is guided through the fluid conduit 142. The cooling fluid maintains the temperature of the fluid conduit 142, and the heat from the glass forming apparatus 100 can escape into the fluid.

In some specific embodiments, the selection of the cooling fluid and the flow rate of the cooling fluid through the fluid conduit 142 may be based on the thermal characteristics of the fluid and the heat to be dissipated from the molten glass in the glass forming apparatus 100. For illustration and not limitation, examples of acceptable fluids include air, water, nitrogen, water vapor, or commercially available refrigerants. In some specific embodiments, the flow rate of the cooling fluid and the cooling fluid passing through the fluid conduit 142 can be selected so that the fluid does not undergo a phase change when passing through the fluid conduit 142. In some embodiments, the fluid may circulate through the fluid conduit 142 and through a cooling system (not shown) to maintain the temperature of the cooling fluid in the closed loop system. In other specific embodiments, the cooling fluid may be discharged after flowing through the fluid conduit 142.

Referring now to FIG. 3, in some specific embodiments, the fluid conduit 142 of the active cooling radiator 140 may be made of a material having an outer surface 144 exhibiting high emissivity, so that the glass ribbon 86 emitted by the fluid conduit 142 can be seen A considerable part of the thermal energy of the fluid tube is absorbed by the outer surface 144 of the fluid conduit 142. The fluid conduit 142 exhibiting a high emissivity reduces the portion of thermal energy reflected by the outer surface 144 of the fluid conduit 142, thereby improving the efficiency of the fluid conduit 142 to absorb heat. In some specific embodiments, the outer surface 144 of the fluid conduit 142 may have a high emissivity area 146 and a low emissivity area 148. In such a specific embodiment, the high emissivity area 146 may be located closest to the glass ribbon 86, such as when the high emissivity area 146 faces the surface of the glass ribbon 86, as shown in FIG. 3. In this particular embodiment, the low emissivity area 148 faces away from the glass ribbon 86 and faces the surface of the glass forming apparatus (for example, towards the sliding door 120 and/or the housing 112 (not shown)). In some specific embodiments, the fluid conduit 142 may be made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel, which has a polished surface in the low emissivity 148 area and a weathered or oxidized surface in the high emissivity 146 area. In some embodiments, the high emissivity region 146 includes a coating that provides high emissivity. In some embodiments, the high emissivity region 146 has an emissivity greater than or equal to 0.85.

Referring again to FIG. 2, in some specific embodiments, the glass forming apparatus 100 may further include a thermal control door 160 located below the active cooling radiator 140 in the stretching direction 88. The thermal control doors 160 extend through the housing 112 and are positioned on opposite sides of the stretching plane 96 to each other, and are spaced apart from the stretching plane 96 in the +/- Y direction of the coordinate axis shown in the figure. Each thermal control door 160 includes a plurality of intake pipes 166 extending through a portion of the thermal control door 160. The intake pipe 166 is positioned to guide the cooling gas to the cooling surface 164 of the thermal control door 160. The cooling gas flowing through the intake pipe 166 cools the cooling surface 164 through convective heat transfer. In particular, the cooling gas hits the inner surface of the cooling surface 164 of each thermal control door 160 (that is, the surface of the cooling surface 164 that faces away from the stretching plane 96), and the heat is removed from the cooling surface 164 of each thermal control door 160 The hot outer surface (ie, the surface of the cooling surface facing the stretching plane 96) escapes into the cooling gas. The cooling gas may exit the thermal control door 160 through the outflow hole 168 surrounding each intake pipe 166.

In some specific embodiments, the glass forming apparatus 100 may include an insulating member 190 located between the sliding door 120 and the active cooling type radiator 140. The heat insulation member 190 may serve as a radiation shield and a conduction shield to limit the transfer of heat from the sliding door 120 to the active cooling type radiator 140. In a specific embodiment, the heat insulation member 190 may also be positioned between the active cooling radiator 140 and the thermal control door 160 to thermally isolate the active cooling radiator 140 from the thermal control door 160. The thermal insulation member 190 may be formed of, for example, without limitation, a refractory thermal insulation material, such as Duraboard®, ALTRA® KVS, or alumina-based refractory board.

Still referring to FIG. 2, since the active cooling radiator 140 is relatively cooler than the glass ribbon 86, the heat energy from the glass ribbon 86 stretched on the stretching plane 96 is absorbed by the active cooling radiator 140 through radiant heat transfer. Due to the temperature difference between the glass ribbon 86 and the active cooling radiator 140, a large amount of heat from the glass ribbon 86 may be dissipated to the active cooling radiator 140. A large amount of heat is dissipated from the glass ribbon 86 at a position directly below the root 94 of the molded body 90, which is beneficial for glass manufacturing operations. In the glass manufacturing operation, the temperature of the glass ribbon 86 decreases rapidly to start stretching from the root 94 The position in the direction 88 is the target. In addition, due to the positioning of the active cooling type radiator 140 relative to the sliding door 120 and the molded body 90, the heat dissipation from the surface of the molded body 90 itself or the molten glass 80 in contact with the molded body 90 can be minimized, thereby reducing molten glass and molding. Possibility of forming devitrification defects in the molten glass when the body 90 contacts.

More specifically, the sliding door 120 is positioned to minimize or eliminate the view of the formed body 90 from the active cooling radiator 140. As shown, the dashed line 98 represents the field of view between the root 94 of the formed body 90 and the active cooling heat sink 140 in the stretching direction 88. As shown in the figure, the dotted line 98 contacts the proximal edge of the sliding door 120 at a position closer to the stretching plane 96 than the active cooling radiator 140. Therefore, the view from the root 94 to the active cooling type radiator 140 is blocked by the sliding door 120. That is, the sliding door 120 isolates the root portion 94 of the formed body 90 (and the portion of the formed body 90 upstream of the root portion 94) from the active cooling radiator 140. Because the view from the root 94 to the active cooling radiator 140 is blocked by the sliding door 120, the active cooling radiator 140 does not receive or dissipate a large amount of heat radiated from the root 94 of the formed body 90. In other words, the sliding door 120 is positioned to minimize the heat dissipated by radiant heat transfer from the formed body 90 or the molten glass 80 in contact with the formed body 90 to the active cooling radiator 140.

By minimizing the field of view of the active cooling type radiator 140 from the formed body 90 with the sliding door 120, the temperature of the molten glass 80 in contact with the formed body 90 can be maintained at a temperature higher than the liquidus temperature of the molten glass The high desired temperature prevents devitrification when the molten glass 80 contacts the molded body 90. However, at a position below the formed body 90 and the sliding door 120 in the stretching direction 88, the glass ribbon 86 stretched along the stretching plane 96 is located in the field of view of the active cooling radiator 140. Therefore, the active cooling type heat sink 140 can quickly cool the glass ribbon 86, thereby increasing the viscosity of the glass and reducing the change in the width and/or thickness of the glass under the formed body 90.

The heat control door 160 can remove additional heat from the glass ribbon 86. In particular, the thermal control door 160 may be maintained at a temperature lower than the temperature of the glass ribbon 86 to allow additional heat to escape from the glass ribbon 86 after the glass ribbon 86 is drawn over the thermal control door 160 on the stretching plane 96. In various embodiments, the thermal control door 160 can be used to control the temperature across the entire width of the glass ribbon 86, thereby helping to control the viscosity and thickness of the glass ribbon 86.

In the specific embodiment described herein, the glass forming apparatus 100 further includes a plurality of edge rollers 180 positioned relative to the stretching plane 96 to each other. In various embodiments, the edge roller 180 is located below the active cooling heat sink 140 in the stretching direction 88. For example, in some specific embodiments, the edge roller 180 is located between the active cooling radiator 140 and the thermal control door 160. In other specific embodiments, the edge roller is located below the thermal control door 160 in the stretching direction 88. The edge roller 180 is brought into contact with the edge of the glass ribbon 86 to help maintain the width of the glass ribbon 86 as it is stretched in the stretching direction 88. The edge roller 180 can also reduce the temperature of the glass ribbon 86 at the contact position. Because the glass ribbon is in a viscoelastic state near the active cooling radiator 140, the edge roller 180 closest to the root 94 of the formed body is located below the active cooling radiator 140 in the stretching direction 88. In such a specific embodiment, no edge rollers are placed opposite to the stretching direction 88 from the active cooling heat sink 140. In other words, no edge roller is placed between the formed body 90 and the active cooling type heat sink 140.

Referring now to FIG. 4, another specific embodiment of the glass forming apparatus 200 is schematically shown. In this specific embodiment, the glass forming apparatus 100 includes a housing 112 positioned around at least a portion of the formed body 90. When the molten glass 80 is in contact with the formed body 90, the housing 112 helps maintain the temperature of the molten glass 80. For example, the glass forming apparatus 200 may further include a plurality of heating elements 114 that heat the housing 112 to maintain the heat in the formed body 90 and the molten glass 80. When the molten glass 80 is in contact with the formed body 90, the heating element 114 and the housing 112 can help manage the temperature of the molten glass 80. In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the heating element 114 is located outside the housing 112 so that the heating element 114 heats at least a part of the housing 112, and then the housing 112 radiates heat to the formed body 90 and the molten glass 80.

In this specific embodiment, the glass forming apparatus 200 further includes a thermal control door 260 extending through the side wall of the housing 112. The thermal control door 260 is opposite to and spaced apart from the stretching plane 96 in the +/- Y direction of the coordinate axis shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, the thermal control doors 260 are also spaced apart from each other in the +/- Y direction, and the stretching plane 96 is provided between the thermal control doors 260. The thermal control door 260 extends substantially in a direction corresponding to the width of the formed body 90 (ie, the +/- X direction of the coordinate axis depicted in the figure). The thermal control door 260 is located at a position along the stretching direction 88 from the formed body 90 such that at least a part of the thermal control door 260 is located below the formed body 90 in the stretching direction 88. A space is maintained between the thermal control door 260 and the glass ribbon 86 to prevent contact between the thermal control door 260 and the glass ribbon 86 when the glass ribbon 86 is stretched from the formed body 90.

The glass forming apparatus 200 may further include a thermal control door position lock 261, and the thermal control door position lock 261 selectively fixes the position of the thermal control door 160 relative to the stretching plane 96. In a specific embodiment, the thermal control door position lock 261 also facilitates the repositioning of the thermal control door 260 relative to the stretching plane 96. Therefore, the thermal control door 260 can be translated relative to the stretching plane 96 in a direction perpendicular to the stretching plane (ie, the +/- Y direction of the coordinate axis shown in the figure).

The thermal control door 260 includes a front edge portion 262, a rear edge portion 265 located below the front edge portion 262 in the stretching direction 88, and a cooling surface 264 extending between the front edge portion 262 and the rear edge portion 265. In a specific embodiment, the cooling surface 264 may be flat, as shown in FIG. 4. The leading edge portion 262, the trailing edge portion 265, and the cooling surface 264 may be composed of (for example, but not limited to) silicon carbide (SiC). Each cooling surface 264 is oriented to be inclined away from the stretching plane 96 so that the cooling surface 264 is blocked by the leading edge portion 262 and the root 94 of the formed body 90 is not visible.

More specifically, the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 is spaced apart from the stretching plane 96 by a distance D0. The rear edge portion 265 of the thermal control door 260 is spaced apart from the stretching plane 96 by a distance D1, which is greater than the distance D0, so that the cooling surface 264 of the thermal control door 260 is oriented at an angle with respect to the stretching plane. Therefore, the interval between the cooling surface 264 of the thermal control door 260 and the stretching plane 96 increases in the stretching direction 88.

In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the cooling surface 264, the leading edge portion 262 and the trailing edge portion 265 of the thermal control door 260 are oriented as described herein to minimize the view of the cooling surface 264 from the formed body 90. As shown in FIG. 4, the dashed line 98 represents the field of view seen from the root 94 of the molded body 90 in the stretching direction 88. As shown in the figure, the dashed line 98 touches the proximal edge of the trailing edge portion 262 at a position where the cooling surface 264 is closer to the stretching plane 96. In addition, the cooling surface 264 faces away from the root 94 of the formed body 90 (ie, the cooling surface 264 is oriented to face downward). Therefore, the view from the root 94 to the cooling surface 264 is blocked by the rear edge portion 262. Because the cooling surface 264 is shielded from the view from the root 94 by the downward orientation of the trailing edge portion 262 and the cooling surface 264, the cooling surface 264 does not receive the heat radiated from the root 94 of the formed body 90 (and therefore does not dissipate Calories). In other words, the front edge portion 262, the rear edge portion 265, and the cooling surface 264 of the thermal control door 260 are shaped and positioned to cool the thermal control door 260 from the formed body 90 or the molten glass 80 in contact with the formed body 90 The heat guided by the radiant heat transfer of the face 264 is minimized.

Specifically, the thermal control door 260 may be positioned such that the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 shields the view from the root 94 of the formed body 90 to the cooling surface 264 of the thermal control door 260. In such a specific embodiment, the thermal control door 260 may be positioned such that the heat guided from the formed body 90 or the molten glass 80 in contact with the formed body 90 to the cooling surface 264 of the thermal control door 260 is minimized. By shielding the view from the cooling surface 264 to the root 94 of the molded body 90, the temperature of the molten glass 80 in contact with the molded body 90 can be maintained at a certain temperature. Devitrification of the glass can be avoided at this temperature, thereby reducing the loss of glass from the molded body. Defects in the drawn glass ribbon 86. However, at a position below the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 in the stretching direction 88, the glass ribbon 86 enters the field of view of the cooling surface 264 of the thermal control door 260, so that the glass ribbon 86 located in such a position The heat is dissipated to the cooling surface 264 of the thermal control door 260, thereby rapidly cooling the glass ribbon 86 and increasing the viscosity of the glass ribbon 86 and reducing the change in the width and/or thickness of the glass below the formed body 90.

In some specific embodiments, the thermal control door 260 is located at a position relative to the forming body 90 in the stretching direction 88 such that the leading edge portion 262 is approximately located near the root 94 of the forming body 90. In some specific embodiments, the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 is located below the shaped body 90 in the stretching direction 88 from the root 94 of the shaped body 90. In some specific embodiments, the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 is located above the root 94 of the formed body 90 in a direction opposite to the stretching direction 88 (ie, the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 is located on the formed body 90 Upstream of the root 94). Generally speaking, the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 is positioned close to the root 94 of the formed body 90 and the glass ribbon 86 itself, so as to shield the formed body 90 from the cooling surface 264 of the thermal control door 260. However, an interval is maintained between the thermal control door 260 and the glass ribbon 86 to prevent contact between the thermal control door 260 and the glass ribbon 86 when the glass ribbon 86 is stretched from the formed body 90.

Still referring to FIG. 4, the thermal control door 260 may further include a thermal insulation layer 263 that intersects the inner surface 267 and the leading edge portion 262 of the cooling surface 264. The heat insulating layer 263 extends from the inner surface 267 and the leading edge portion 262 of the cooling surface 264 in a direction opposite to the stretching plane 96 (ie, along the +/- Y direction of the coordinate axis shown in the figure). In a specific embodiment, the thermal insulation layer 263 may be (for example but not limited to) a refractory insulator, such as Duraboard®, ALTRA® KVS, or alumina-based refractory board. The heat insulating layer prevents heat from radiating from the molded body 90 to the inside of the heat control door 260.

In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the thermal control door 260 is adjustable in a direction transverse to the stretching direction 88 (ie, the +/- Y direction of the coordinate axis depicted in the figure) to facilitate adjustment The distance between the front edge portion 262 of the door 260 and the glass ribbon 86 is thermally controlled. However, as described herein, the thermal control door 260 is spaced apart from the glass ribbon 86 to minimize the risk of contact between the glass ribbon 86 and the thermal control door 260 during the glass formation process.

Although FIG. 4 schematically depicts a specific embodiment of the thermal control door 260, other specific embodiments of the thermal control door are contemplated and possible. Referring now to FIG. 5, another specific embodiment of the thermal control door 260 is schematically shown by way of example. In this particular embodiment, the thermal control door 260 includes a leading edge portion 262, a trailing edge portion 265, and a cooling surface 264, formed of silicon carbide and oriented as described herein for FIG. 4. In this specific embodiment, the front edge portion 262, the rear edge portion 265, and the cooling surface 264 are coupled to the housing 290. The housing 290 may be formed of, for example, but not limited to, high-temperature alloy sheets such as Haynes 188, Haynes 214, Hastelloy, Inconel 625, Inconel 718, and the like. The shell is lined with an insulating layer 263. The thermal insulation layer 263 may be (for example, but not limited to) a refractory insulator, such as Duraboard®, ALTRA® KVS, or alumina-based refractory board. In a specific embodiment, the thermal insulation layer 263 extends along the length of the housing 290 and abuts the inner surface 267 of the cooling surface 264, thereby preventing heat from escaping from the formed body 90 to the interior of the thermal control door 260, including through the housing 290 and the thermal control door The junction between the leading edge portion 262 and the trailing edge portion 265 of 260.

4-7 collectively, the thermal control valves 260 each include a plurality of intake pipes 266 that extend through a portion of the thermal control valve 260. The intake pipe 266 is generally arranged in the width direction of the stretching plane 96 (ie, in the +/- X direction of the coordinate axis shown in the figure). The intake pipe 266 is positioned to guide the cooling gas to the cooling surface 264 of the thermal control door 260. The cooling gas impinges on the inner surface 267 of the cooling surface 264, thereby cooling the cooling surface of the thermal control door 260 through convective heat transfer. The cooling gas may exit the thermal control door 260 through the outflow hole 268 surrounding each intake pipe 266.

The thermal insulation layer 263 (FIGS. 4 and 5) of the thermal control door 260 minimizes the temperature drop of the cooling gas on the molten glass flowing on the formed body 90. For example, the thermal insulation layer 263 thermally isolates the surface 269 of the thermal control door 260 facing the molded body 90 from the cooling gas impinging on the cooling surface 264 of the thermal control door 260. The thermal insulation layer 263 allows, for example, temperature changes in various regions of the thermal control door 260, for example, thereby allowing the cooling surface 264 to be maintained at a lower temperature than the surface 269 of the thermal control door 260 facing the formed body 90.

In some specific embodiments, the transition between the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 and the cooling surface 264 occurs at the tangent point between the curved front edge portion 262 and the flat cooling surface 264.

Referring now to FIG. 7, in some specific embodiments, the transition between the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 and the cooling surface 264 occurs at a position such that the cooling surface 264 cools the back of the cooling gas from the intake pipe 166 It is vaild. The cooling effect of the cooling surface 264 depends on the temperature of the glass ribbon, the ambient temperature in the glass forming equipment, the temperature of the cooling gas, the flow rate of the cooling gas, and the heat conduction through the cooling surface 264. The degree to which the backside cooling of the cooling surface 264 is effective for cooling the glass ribbon 86 stretched on the stretching plane 96 may be relatively local and limited to a position close to where the cooling gas hits the backside of the cooling surface 264. For example, FIG. 7 depicts the effective cooling zone 270 corresponding to the temperature difference along the cooling surface 264. The effective cooling boundary 272 indicates the degree to which the effective cooling zone 270 generates a temperature difference along the cooling surface 264. The effective cooling boundary 272 defines the transition between the cooling surface 264 of the thermal control door 260 and the leading edge portion 262.

Referring again to FIG. 4, when the glass ribbon 86 is pulled out of the forming body 90 on the stretching plane 96, the thermal control door 260 allows heat to escape from the glass ribbon 86 into the thermal control door 260, thereby reducing the glass ribbon 86 in the heat The temperature of the location near the door 260 is controlled. Lowering the temperature of the glass ribbon 86 at these locations helps control the thickness of the glass ribbon 86 by selectively increasing the viscosity of the glass ribbon 86 according to the width of the glass ribbon 86. In addition, the angular orientation of the cooling surface 264 of the thermal control door 260 shields the formed body 90 from being cooled by the cooling surface 264, and the space between the stretching plane 96 and the thermal control door 260 reduces the glass ribbon 86 and heat The contact between the doors 260 is controlled, thereby reducing the risk of uncontrolled separation of the glass ribbon due to mechanical contact.

In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the glass forming apparatus 200 further includes an active cooling type heat sink 240. The active cooling radiator 240 is positioned on the opposite side of the stretching plane, below the thermal control door 260 along the stretching direction 88. The active cooling type heat sink 240 is spaced apart from the stretching plane 96 by a distance D2 in the +/- Y direction of the coordinate axis shown in the drawing. In the specific embodiment described herein, the distance D2 is greater than the distance D0 between the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 and the stretching plane 96. The distance D2 is also greater than the distance D1 between the rear edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 and the stretching plane 96.

In various embodiments, the active cooling heat sink 240 includes active cooling elements. For example, the active cooling radiator 240 may include a fluid conduit 242 oriented to extend approximately parallel to the width of the glass ribbon 86 (ie, along the +/- X direction of the coordinate axis depicted in the figure). In a specific embodiment, the fluid conduit 242 may have regions of high emissivity and low emissivity, as described herein with respect to FIG. 3. The cooling fluid is guided through the fluid conduit 242. The cooling fluid maintains the temperature of the fluid conduit 242, and the heat from the glass forming apparatus 200 can escape into the fluid.

As described herein, the selection of the cooling fluid and the flow rate of the cooling fluid through the fluid conduit 242 may be based on the thermal characteristics of the fluid and the amount of heat to be dissipated from the molten glass in the glass forming apparatus 200. For illustration and not limitation, examples of acceptable fluids include air, water, nitrogen, water vapor, or commercially available refrigerants. In some specific embodiments, the flow rate of the cooling fluid and the cooling fluid passing through the fluid conduit 242 can be selected so that the fluid does not undergo a phase change when passing through the fluid conduit 242. In some embodiments, the fluid may circulate through the fluid conduit 242 and through a cooling system (not shown) to maintain the temperature of the cooling fluid in a closed loop system. In other specific embodiments, the cooling fluid may be discharged after flowing through the fluid conduit 242.

In the specific embodiment described herein, the thermal control door 260 is positioned and oriented to minimize the field of view of the shaped body 90 from the active cooling radiator 240. As shown in FIG. 4, the dashed line 98 represents the field of view seen from the root 94 of the molded body 90 in the stretching direction 88. As shown, the dashed line 98 contacts the proximal edge (the leading edge portion 262) of the thermal control door 260 at a position closer to the stretching plane 96 than the active cooling radiator 240. Therefore, the view from the root 94 to the active cooling radiator 240 is blocked by the thermal control door 260. Since the active cooling radiator 240 is shielded by the thermal control door 260 so that the active cooling radiator 240 cannot be seen from the root 94, the active cooling radiator 240 does not receive the heat radiated from the root 94 of the formed body 90 (and Therefore, heat is not dissipated). In other words, the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 is positioned so that the heat transfer from the formed body 90 or the molten glass 80 in contact with the formed body 90 to the active cooling type radiator 240 is minimized.

In some specific embodiments, each active cooling radiator 240 includes a plurality of fluid conduits 242, as shown in FIG. 4. In these specific embodiments, a plurality of actively cooled heat sinks 240 are arranged in the stretching direction 88 with each other. In such a specific embodiment, the plurality of fluid conduits 242 may be oriented to be inclined away from the glass ribbon 86. In other words, the plurality of fluid conduits 242 are spaced so that the distance from the stretching plane 96 in the stretching direction 88 gradually increases.

In the specific embodiment of the glass forming apparatus 200 drawn in FIG. 4, by shielding the view from the active cooling type radiator 240 to the root 94 of the formed body 90, the temperature of the molten glass 80 in contact with the formed body 90 can be maintained at a level Temperature at which no glass devitrification occurs, thereby reducing defects in the glass ribbon 86 drawn from the molded body. However, at a position below the stretching direction 88 of the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260, the view from the glass ribbon 86 to the active cooling type radiator 240 is not blocked. Therefore, the portion of the glass ribbon 86 located below the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 in the stretching direction dissipates heat into the active cooling radiator 240, thereby allowing the glass ribbon 86 to be rapidly cooled, thereby increasing the viscosity and The variation in the width and/or thickness of the glass under the formed body 90 is reduced.

Still referring to FIG. 4, the glass forming apparatus 200 further includes a plurality of edge rollers 280 positioned relative to the stretching plane 96 to each other. In various embodiments, the edge roller 280 is located below the active cooling heat sink 240 in the stretching direction 88. The edge roller 280 is brought into contact with the edge of the glass ribbon 86 to help maintain the width of the glass ribbon 86 as it is stretched in the stretching direction 88. The edge roller 280 can also reduce the temperature of the glass ribbon 86 at the contact position. Because the glass ribbon is in a viscoelastic state near the active cooling radiator 240, the edge roller 280 closest to the root 94 of the formed body is located below the active cooling radiator 240 in the stretching direction 88. In such a specific embodiment, no edge rollers are placed opposite to the stretching direction 88 from the active cooling heat sink 240. In other words, no edge roller is placed between the formed body 90 and the active cooling type heat sink 240.

In some specific embodiments, the glass forming apparatus 200 may include an insulating member 291 located between the thermal control door 260 and the active cooling type radiator 240. The heat insulation member 291 may serve as a radiation shield and a conduction shield to limit the transfer of heat from the thermal control door 260 to the active cooling type radiator 240. In a specific embodiment, the thermal insulation member 291 may also be positioned between the active cooling radiator 240 and the edge roller 280 to thermally isolate the active cooling radiator 240 from the edge roller 280. The heat insulation member 291 may be formed of, for example, without limitation, a refractory heat insulation material, such as Duraboard®, ALTRA® KVS, or alumina-based refractory board.

Referring now to FIG. 8, another specific embodiment of the glass forming apparatus 300 is schematically shown. This specific embodiment of the glass forming apparatus 300 is similar to the specific embodiment discussed above with respect to FIG. 4. In other words, the glass forming apparatus 300 includes the formed body 90 and the thermal control door 260 as described herein with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. This particular embodiment of the glass forming apparatus 300 also includes an actively cooled heat sink 240, as described herein with respect to FIG. 4. However, in this specific embodiment, the active cooling radiators 240 each include a plate cooler 350, and the cooling fluid may be guided through the plate cooler 350. The cooling fluid may be as described herein for FIGS. 2 to 4. The cooling fluid controls the temperature of the corresponding plate cooler 350, and the heat from the glass ribbon 86 stretched on the stretching plane 96 can be dissipated into the cooling fluid.

As noted above for FIG. 4, the active cooling radiator 240 is located on the opposite side of the stretching plane 96 below the thermal control door 260 in the stretching direction 88. The active cooling type heat sink 240 is spaced apart from the stretching plane 96 by a distance D2 in the +/- Y direction of the coordinate axis shown in the drawing. In the specific embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the distance D2 is greater than the distance D0 between the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 and the stretching plane 96. The distance D2 is also greater than the distance D1 between the rear edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 and the stretching plane 96.

As previously described, the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 shields the view from the root 94 of the molded body 90 to the plate cooler 350 of the active cooling radiator 240. As shown in FIG. 8, the dashed line 98 represents the field of view from the root 94 of the molded body 90 in the stretching direction 88. As shown in the figure, the dashed line 98 contacts the proximal edge (the leading edge portion 262) of the thermal control door 260 at a position closer to the stretching plane 96 than the plate cooler 350. Therefore, the view from the root 94 to the plate cooler 350 is blocked by the thermal control door 260. Since the plate cooler 350 is shielded by the thermal control door 260 so that the plate cooler 350 cannot be seen from the root 94, the plate cooler 350 does not receive heat radiated from the root 94 of the formed body 90 (and therefore does not dissipate heat). In other words, the heat control door 260 is positioned such that the heat transferred from the formed body 90 or the molten glass 80 in contact with the formed body 90 to the plate cooler 350 is minimized.

The plate cooler 350 of the active cooling radiator 240 can be oriented to be inclined away from the glass ribbon 86 (for example, away from the stretching plane 96), so that the distance between the plate cooler 350 of the active cooling radiator 240 and the stretching plane 96 It increases as the distance from the formed body 90 in the stretching direction 88 increases, as shown in FIG. 8. Therefore, the face 351 of the plate cooler 350 of the active cooling radiator 240 has a downward orientation so that the face 351 faces away from the formed body 90.

By shielding the view from the active cooling type radiator 240 to the root 94 of the molded body 90, the temperature of the molten glass 80 in contact with the molded body 90 can be maintained at a temperature, and the glass devitrification can be avoided at this temperature, thereby reducing Defects in the glass ribbon 86 drawn from the formed body 90. However, at a position below the stretching direction 88 of the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260, the view from the glass ribbon 86 to the plate cooler 350 of the active cooling type radiator 240 is not blocked. Therefore, the portion of the glass ribbon 86 located below the front edge portion 262 of the thermal control door 260 in the stretching direction dissipates heat to the plate cooler 350 of the active cooling radiator 240, thereby allowing the glass ribbon 86 to be rapidly cooled, As a result, the viscosity of the glass ribbon 86 is increased and the variation in the width and/or thickness of the glass ribbon is reduced.

Referring now to FIG. 9, the glass forming apparatuses 200, 300 of FIGS. 4 and 8 are schematically depicted along a vertical plane parallel to the stretching plane 96 (ie, a plane parallel to the XZ plane of the coordinate axis shown in the figure) Cross-section. Specifically, FIG. 9 schematically shows the orientation of the thermal control door 260 and the active cooling radiator 240 relative to the root 94 of the formed body 90.

As shown in FIG. 9, the shaped body 90 may further include an edge guide 398 at the end of the converging surface 92 of the shaped body 90. The edge guide 398 has a profile that changes from the converging surface 92 of the formed body 90, and helps guide the molten glass when the molten glass flows to the root portion 94 on the converging surface 92. The edge guide 398 generally extends from the root 94 of the shaped body 90 at the opposite end of the converging surface 392 in the +/- X direction of the coordinate axis shown in FIG. 9. In a specific embodiment, the glass forming apparatus 200, 300 may further include a heater (not shown) to heat the edge guide 398, so as to prevent the molten glass flowing through the edge guide 398 from devitrifying.

Considering that the thermal control door 260 and the active cooling radiator 240 are close to the edge guide 398, the presence of the edge guide 398 and/or the molten glass flowing through the edge guide may be cooled by the thermal control door 260 and/or the active cooling radiator The risk of devitrification of the molten glass and defects in the glass ribbon stretched on the stretching plane 96 are caused. Therefore, in some specific embodiments, the glass forming apparatus 200, 300 may further include a heat shield to thermally isolate the edge guide 398 from the thermal control door 260 and/or the active cooling radiator 240 to reduce this risk .

For example, in some embodiments, the glass forming apparatus 200, 300 further includes an edge guide shielding member 410, the edge guide shielding member 410 is positioned to at least partially block the active cooling type radiator 240 and/or the thermal control door 260 The view on the edge director 398. In a specific embodiment, the edge guide shielding member 410 is located between the edge guide 398 and both the thermal control door 260 and the active cooling radiator 240. The edge director shielding member 410 serves as a radiation shield to reduce heat transferred from the molten glass 80 flowing through the edge director 398 to the active cooling type radiator 240 and the thermal control door 260. The edge guide shielding member 410 may be made of a material suitable for operation at high temperatures, such as temperatures exceeding 700°C, such as exceeding 800°C, such as exceeding 900°C. For example, in some specific embodiments, the edge guide shielding member 410 may be formed of, for example, but not limited to, a refractory insulation material, such as Duraboard®, ALTRA® KVS, or alumina-based refractory board.

In a specific embodiment, the glass forming apparatus 200, 300 further includes a heat transfer shield 420 placed along the opposite side of the active cooling type heat sink 240. The heat transfer shield 420 is oriented transverse to the stretching plane 96 and extends along the active cooling heat sink 240 along the stretching direction 88. The heat transfer shield 420 may isolate the edge guides and/or other components of the glass forming apparatus 200 and 300 from the active cooling heat sink 240 to reduce the heat transferred to the active cooling heat sink 240.

Although reference is made herein to the glass forming apparatus 200, 300 having a thermal control door 260 and an active cooling type radiator 240, it should be understood that various elements such as the edge guide shield member 410 and the heat transfer shield 420 may be incorporated into There are specific examples of glass forming equipment with various other structural elements.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 10 to 11, specific embodiments of the glass forming apparatus 200 according to the present disclosure may include various configurations of active cooling type heat sinks, such as the active cooling type heat sinks 340, 440, etc. depicted in FIGS. 10 to 12 540, to provide cooling at various positions along the width 87 of the glass ribbon 86 drawn from the formed body 90.

Referring now to FIG. 10, by way of example, a bottom schematic view of the glass forming apparatus 200 with an active cooling type heat sink 340 is shown (ie, looking upward along the +Z direction of the coordinate axis shown in the figure). In this specific embodiment, the active cooling type radiators 340 each include a fluid conduit 342, and the fluid conduit 342 extends parallel to the width 87 of the glass ribbon for a length that is greater than the width 87 of the glass ribbon 86. This fluid conduit 342 structure can radiate heat along the entire width of the glass ribbon 86.

Referring now to FIG. 11, there is shown a bottom schematic view of a glass forming apparatus 200 having an active cooling type heat sink 440 of another specific embodiment (ie, looking upward along the +Z direction of the coordinate axis shown in the figure). In this specific embodiment, the active cooling type radiators 440 each include a fluid conduit 442, and the fluid conduit 442 extends parallel to the width 87 of the glass ribbon for a length that is smaller than the width 87 of the glass ribbon 86. In such specific embodiments, the active cooling heat sink 440 can provide cooling of the glass ribbon 86 between the edges 89 of the glass ribbon 86. Such a specific embodiment can also reduce cooling at a position close to the edge guide of the formed body (as shown in FIG. 9). The glass forming apparatus 300 may further include a radiator position lock 441 so that the position of the active cooling type radiator 440 can be adjusted and selectively fixed relative to the stretching plane 96.

Referring now to FIG. 12, there is shown a bottom schematic view of the glass forming apparatus 200 with an active cooling type heat sink 540 (ie, looking upward along the +Z direction of the coordinate axis shown in the figure). In this particular embodiment, the active cooling radiator 540 includes a plurality of fluid conduits 542, 544, 546 arranged across the width 87 of the glass ribbon 86. Each fluid conduit 542, 544, 546 extends parallel to the glass ribbon 86 and has a length which is less than the width 87 of the glass ribbon 86. The flow rate of the cooling fluid through the fluid conduits 542, 544, 546 can be controlled so that the heat energy that escapes from the glass ribbon 86 and enters the active cooling radiator 540 is uniform or uneven across the width 87 of the glass ribbon 86. Alternatively or in addition, the relative position between the glass ribbon 86 and the fluid conduits 542, 544, 546 may be uneven, so that the thermal energy escaping from the glass ribbon 86 into the active cooling radiator 540 is distributed throughout the glass ribbon 86. The width 87 is uneven.

It should now be understood that the glass forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an active cooling type heat sink located below the root of the formed body. The active cooling radiator is maintained at a temperature lower than the temperature of the glass ribbon, so that heat can be dissipated from the glass ribbon to the active cooling radiator. The view from the root of the molded body to the active cooling radiator is shielded to prevent the molten glass in contact with the molded body from cooling, to prevent the molten glass from devitrifying when the molten glass contacts the molded body, thereby reducing the glass drawn from the glass molded body Formation of defects in the belt.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is intended to cover such modifications and variations, as long as such modifications and variations are within the scope of additional patent applications and their equivalent scope.

15: melting vessel 16: batch materials 18: storage box 20: Batch delivery device 22: Motor 24: Controller 28: Molten glass level probe 30: Standpipe 36: The first connecting pipe 38: Clarification container 40: second connecting pipe 42: mixing container 44: Delivery catheter 46: conveying container 48: Down catheter 50: Formed body entrance 62: Slot 64: Weir 80: molten glass 86: glass ribbon 87: width 88: Stretching direction 90: formed body 91: Break Line 92: Converging Surface 94: Root 96: Stretch plane 98: dotted line 100: Glass forming equipment 112: Shell 114: heating element 120: Sliding door 121: Sliding door position lock 122: Shell 123: Thermal insulation material 140: Active cooling radiator 142: Fluid Conduit 144: outer surface 146: High emissivity area 148: low emissivity area 160: Thermal control door 164: Cool Noodle 166: intake pipe 168: Outflow hole 180: edge roller 190: Thermal insulation 240: Active cooling radiator 242: Fluid Conduit 260: Thermal Control Door 261: Thermal control door position lock 262: front edge 263: Insulation layer 264: cooling surface 265: rear edge 266: intake pipe 267: inner surface 268: Outflow Hole 269: Surface 270: effective cooling zone 272: effective cooling boundary 280: Edge roller 290: Shell 291: Thermal insulation 300: Glass forming equipment 340: Active cooling radiator 342: Fluid Conduit 350: plate cooler 351: Noodle 398: Edge Director 410: Edge guide shielding member 420: heat transfer shield 440: Active cooling radiator 441: Radiator position lock 442: Fluid Conduit 540: Active cooling radiator 542: Fluid Conduit 544: Fluid Conduit 546: Fluid Conduit

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a glass forming apparatus according to one or more specific embodiments shown and described herein;

Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a glass forming apparatus according to one or more specific embodiments shown and described herein;

Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a glass forming apparatus according to one or more specific embodiments shown and described herein;

Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a glass forming apparatus according to one or more specific embodiments shown and described herein;

Figure 5 is a side sectional view of a thermal control door according to one or more specific embodiments shown and described herein;

Figure 6 is a side perspective cross-sectional view of a thermal control door according to one or more specific embodiments shown and described herein;

Figure 7 is a side perspective cross-sectional view of a thermal control door according to one or more specific embodiments shown and described herein;

Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view of a glass forming apparatus according to one or more specific embodiments shown and described herein;

Figure 9 is a side view of a glass forming apparatus according to one or more specific embodiments shown and described herein;

Figure 10 is a bottom schematic view of the glass forming apparatus according to one or more specific embodiments shown and described herein (ie, looking upward along the +Z direction of the coordinate axis in the figure);

Figure 11 is a bottom schematic view of the glass forming apparatus according to one or more specific embodiments shown and described herein (ie, looking upward along the +Z direction of the coordinate axis in the figure);

Fig. 12 is a bottom schematic view of the glass forming apparatus according to one or more specific embodiments shown and described herein (ie, looking upward along the +Z direction of the coordinate axis in the figure).

Domestic hosting information (please note in the order of hosting organization, date and number) no

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80: molten glass

88: Stretching direction

90: formed body

92: Converging Surface

94: Root

96: Stretch plane

98: dotted line

100: Glass forming equipment

112: Shell

114: heating element

120: Sliding door

121: Sliding door position lock

122: Shell

123: Thermal insulation material

140: Active cooling radiator

142: Fluid Conduit

144: outer surface

146: High emissivity area

148: low emissivity area

160: Thermal control door

164: Cool Noodle

166: intake pipe

168: Outflow hole

180: edge roller

190: Thermal insulation

Claims (12)

A glass forming equipment comprising: A shaped body, the shaped body comprising a stretching plane extending from the shaped body in a stretching direction; A thermal control door that is spaced apart from the stretching plane, and at least a part of the thermal control door is located below the formed body in the stretching direction; and An active cooling type radiator is located below the thermal control door in the stretching direction, and a view of the active cooling type radiator from the formed body is blocked by the thermal control door. The glass forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein as the distance to the formed body in the stretching direction increases, an interval between the active cooling type heat sink and the stretching plane increases. The glass forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the active cooling type heat sink extends parallel to the stretching plane by a width that is greater than a width of a glass ribbon stretched from the formed body. The glass forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the active cooling type radiator extends parallel to the stretching plane by a width that is smaller than a width of a glass ribbon stretched from the formed body. The glass forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the active cooling type heat sink includes a plurality of heat dissipation portions arranged parallel to the stretching plane, and each of the plurality of heat dissipation portions includes a width, the width It is smaller than a width of a glass ribbon stretched from the formed body. The glass forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising heat transfer shields, the heat transfer shields being positioned along opposite sides of the active cooling type heat sink and extending transversely to the stretching plane. The glass forming equipment according to claim 1, which further comprises: Edge guides, which are located at the end of a portion of the shaped body and provide a contour change from the converging surface of the shaped body; and Edge guide shielding members, the edge guide shielding members are positioned to block a view of the active cooling type heat sink from at least a part of the edge guides. The glass forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal control door includes a front edge portion and a cooling surface, and the cooling surface extends away from the front edge portion at an oblique angle away from the stretching plane, so that from the forming A view of the body to the cooling surface is blocked. A method of forming a glass ribbon includes the following steps: Make molten glass flow out of a shaped body; Maintaining the molten glass at a liquidus temperature or higher than the liquidus temperature of the molten glass while the molten glass is kept in contact with the formed body; Between the thermal control door and a pair of active cooling radiators placed in a stretching direction from the thermal control doors, the molten glass is stretched from the formed body in the stretching direction to form a glass ribbon ;as well as At a position spaced apart from the formed body in the stretching direction, a temperature of the glass ribbon is reduced below the liquidus temperature, and a field of view of the formed body to the pair of active cooling radiators is reduced The heat control door is shielded. According to the method described in claim 9, the method further includes the step of contacting the glass ribbon with an edge roller at a position below the pair of active cooling radiators in the stretching direction. According to the method described in claim 9, the method further includes the following steps: detecting a cooling fluid passing through the pair of active cooling radiators. According to the method of claim 9, the method further comprises the following steps: guiding the cooling gas through a plurality of intake pipes of the thermal control doors, the plurality of intake pipes being positioned so that the cooling gas impinges on the heat One cooling surface of the control door.

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