TW202417385A - Apparatus and method for manufacturing a glass article - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and method for manufacturing a glass article include a glass melting furnace in fluid communication with a connecting conduit, a first annular sealing element circumferentially surrounding the connecting conduit at an interface of the glass melting furnace and the connecting conduit, and an annular heating element circumferentially surrounding the connecting conduit and separated from the first annular sealing element by a predetermined distance along an axial length of the connecting conduit.

Description

Apparatus and method for manufacturing glass products

Cross-references to related applications

This patent application claims the benefit of priority under patent law to U.S. provisional application Serial No. 63/419122, filed on October 25, 2022, the contents of which are relied upon and incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for making glass products, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for making glass products having improved molten glass delivery characteristics.

In the production of glass products such as glass sheets for display applications including televisions and handheld devices such as phones and tablet computers, molten material is often transported through one or more conduits, such as conduits composed of a precious metal such as platinum. Such conduits may be directly heated, for example, by an electric flange comprising a metal material that circumferentially surrounds the conduit. During this heating, corrosion of the conduit can lead to various undesirable consequences, such as glass leaks, power flange failures, process downtime, and contamination of the molten glass.

Embodiments disclosed herein include an apparatus for manufacturing glass products. The apparatus includes a glass melting furnace in fluid communication with a connecting conduit. The apparatus also includes a first annular sealing element circumferentially surrounding the connecting conduit at an interface between the glass melting furnace and the connecting conduit. In addition, the apparatus includes an annular heating element circumferentially surrounding the connecting conduit and separated from the first annular sealing element by a predetermined distance along the axial length of the connecting conduit.

Embodiments disclosed herein also include methods of making glass articles. The method includes flowing molten glass from a glass melting furnace to a connecting conduit, wherein a first annular sealing element circumferentially surrounds the connecting conduit at an interface of the glass melting furnace and the connecting conduit. The method also includes heating the connecting conduit with an annular heating element, the annular heating element circumferentially surrounds the connecting conduit and is separated from the first annular sealing element by a predetermined distance along the axial length of the connecting conduit.

Additional features and advantages of the embodiments disclosed herein will be set forth in the following detailed description, and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description, or discernible by practicing the disclosed embodiments as described herein, including the following detailed description, the scope of the claims, and the accompanying drawings.

It will be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are presented to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and characteristics of the claimed embodiments. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of the present invention and together with the description serve to explain its principles and operation.

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to represent the same or similar parts. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be considered limited to the embodiments described herein.

Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value, and/or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, such as by use of the antecedent "about," it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant relative to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.

Directional terms as used herein—eg, up, down, right, left, front, back, top, bottom—are made with reference only to the drawings as illustrated and are in no way intended to imply an absolute orientation.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, any method described herein is in no way intended to require that its steps be performed in a particular order, nor is it intended to require any particular orientation of any apparatus. Thus, in the event that a method claim does not actually state an order to be followed by its steps, or any apparatus claim does not actually state an order or orientation of individual components, or is not otherwise expressly stated in the claims or description that the steps are to be limited to a particular order, or a particular order or orientation of components of an apparatus is not stated, no order or orientation is intended to be inferred in any respect. This applies to any possible non-expressive basis for interpretation, including: logical matters regarding the arrangement of steps, operational flow, sequence of components, or orientation of components; plain meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation, and the number and type of implementations described in the specification.

As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a" component includes aspects having two or more such components unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Shown in FIG. 1 is an exemplary glass manufacturing apparatus 10. In some examples, the glass manufacturing apparatus 10 may include a glass melting furnace 12, which may include a melting vessel 14. In addition to the melting vessel 14, the glass melting furnace 12 may optionally include one or more additional components such as heating elements (e.g., burners or electrodes) that heat the raw materials and convert the raw materials into molten glass. In a further example, the glass melting furnace 12 may include a thermal management device (e.g., an insulation component) that reduces heat loss from the vicinity of the melting vessel. In a further example, the glass melting furnace 12 may include electronic devices and/or electromechanical devices that promote the melting of the raw materials into a glass melt. Furthermore, the glass melting furnace 12 may include a support structure (eg, a support base, support members, etc.) or other components.

The glass melting vessel 14 is typically composed of a refractory material, such as a refractory ceramic material, for example, a refractory ceramic material containing alumina or zirconia. In some examples, the glass melting vessel 14 can be constructed of refractory ceramic bricks. Specific embodiments of the glass melting vessel 14 will be described in more detail below.

In some examples, a glass melting furnace can be incorporated as a component of a glass manufacturing apparatus to produce glass substrates, such as continuous lengths of glass ribbon. In some examples, a glass melting furnace of the present invention can be incorporated as a component of a glass manufacturing apparatus, including a slot draw apparatus, a float bath apparatus, a down draw apparatus (such as a fusion process), an up draw apparatus, a roll apparatus, a tube drawing apparatus, or any other glass manufacturing apparatus that would benefit from the aspects disclosed herein. For example, FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a glass melting furnace 12 as a component of a fusion down draw glass manufacturing apparatus 10 for fusion drawing a glass ribbon for subsequent processing into individual glass sheets.

The glassmaking apparatus 10 (e.g., fusion down-draw apparatus 10) may optionally include an upstream glassmaking apparatus 16 positioned upstream relative to the glass melting vessel 14. In some examples, a portion of the upstream glassmaking apparatus 16 or the entire upstream glassmaking apparatus may be incorporated as part of the glass melting furnace 12.

As shown in the illustrated example, the upstream glass manufacturing equipment 16 may include a storage bin 18, a raw material delivery device 20, and a motor 22 connected to the raw material delivery device. The storage bin 18 may be configured to store a certain amount of raw material 24, which can be fed into the melting vessel 14 of the glass melting furnace 12, as indicated by arrow 26. The raw material 24 typically includes one or more glass-forming metal oxides and one or more modifiers. In some examples, the raw material delivery device 20 may be powered by the motor 22 so that the raw material delivery device 20 delivers a predetermined amount of raw material 24 from the storage bin 18 to the melting vessel 14. In a further example, the motor 22 may power the raw material delivery device 20 to introduce the raw material 24 at a controlled rate based on the position of the molten glass sensed downstream of the melting vessel 14. The raw material 24 within the melting vessel 14 may then be heated to form a molten glass 28 .

The glassmaking apparatus 10 may further optionally include a downstream glassmaking apparatus 30 positioned downstream relative to the glass melting furnace 12. In some examples, a portion of the downstream glassmaking apparatus 30 may be incorporated as part of the glass melting furnace 12. In some cases, the first connecting conduit 32 discussed below, or other portions of the downstream glassmaking apparatus 30, may be incorporated as part of the glass melting furnace 12. Elements of the downstream glassmaking apparatus, including the first connecting conduit 32, may be formed of a precious metal. Suitable precious metals include a platinum group metal selected from the group of metals consisting of platinum, iridium, rhodium, zirconium, ruthenium, and palladium, or alloys thereof. For example, downstream components of glass manufacturing equipment may be formed from a platinum-rhodium alloy including about 70% to about 90% by weight platinum and about 10% to about 30% by weight rhodium. However, other suitable metals may include molybdenum, palladium, rhodium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, and alloys thereof.

The downstream glassmaking equipment 30 may include a first conditioning (i.e., processing) tank, such as a clarification tank 34, located downstream of the melting vessel 14 and coupled to the melting vessel 14 via the first connecting conduit 32 referred to above. In some examples, the molten glass 28 may be gravity fed from the melting vessel 14 to the clarification tank 34 via the first connecting conduit 32. For example, gravity may cause the molten glass 28 to be transferred from the melting vessel 14 to the clarification tank 34 through the internal path of the first connecting conduit 32. However, it should be understood that other conditioning tanks may be located downstream of the melting vessel 14, such as between the melting vessel 14 and the clarification tank 34. In some embodiments, the conditioning tank may be used between the melting vessel and the clarification tank, where the molten glass from the primary melting vessel is further heated to continue the melting process, or cooled to a temperature lower than the temperature of the molten glass in the melting vessel before entering the clarification tank.

Bubbles can be removed from the molten glass 28 in the clarifier 34 by various techniques. For example, the raw material 24 may include a polyvalent compound (i.e., a clarifier) such as tin oxide, which, when heated, undergoes a chemical reduction reaction and releases oxygen. Other suitable clarifiers include, without limitation, arsenic, antimony, iron, and barium. The clarifier 34 is heated to a temperature greater than the temperature of the melting vessel, thereby heating the molten glass and the clarifier. Oxygen bubbles generated by chemical reduction induced by the temperature of the clarifier (multiple) rise through the molten glass in the clarifier, where gases in the molten glass generated in the melting furnace can diffuse or combine into the oxygen bubbles generated by the clarifier. The enlarged bubbles can then rise to the free surface of the molten glass in the clarifier and thereafter be discharged out of the clarifier. The oxygen bubbles can further induce mechanical mixing of the molten glass in the fining tank.

The downstream glassmaking equipment 30 may further include another conditioning tank such as a mixing tank 36 for mixing the molten glass. The mixing tank 36 may be located downstream of the clarification tank 34. The mixing tank 36 may be used to provide a homogenous glass melt composition, thereby reducing chemical or thermal inhomogeneities that may otherwise exist in the clarified molten glass exiting the clarification tank. As shown, the clarification tank 34 may be coupled to the mixing tank 36 by a second connecting conduit 38. In some examples, the molten glass 28 may be gravity fed from the clarification tank 34 to the mixing tank 36 by the second connecting conduit 38. For example, gravity may cause the molten glass 28 to be transferred from the clarification tank 34 to the mixing tank 36 through the internal path of the second connecting conduit 38. It should be noted that although the mixing tank 36 is shown as being downstream of the clarification tank 34, the mixing tank 36 may be positioned upstream of the clarification tank 34. In some embodiments, the downstream glassmaking facility 30 may include multiple mixing tanks, such as a mixing tank upstream of the clarification tank 34 and a mixing tank downstream of the clarification tank 34. The multiple mixing tanks may have the same design, or they may have different designs.

The downstream glassmaking apparatus 30 may further include another regulating tank such as a delivery tank 40 that may be located downstream of the mixing tank 36. The delivery tank 40 may regulate the molten glass 28 to be fed into the downstream forming device. For example, the delivery tank 40 may act as an accumulator and/or a flow controller to regulate and/or provide a consistent flow of molten glass 28 to the forming body 42 via an outlet conduit 44. As shown, the mixing tank 36 may be coupled to the delivery tank 40 via a third connecting conduit 46. In some examples, the molten glass 28 may be gravity fed from the mixing tank 36 to the delivery tank 40 via the third connecting conduit 46. For example, gravity may drive the molten glass 28 from the mixing tank 36 to the delivery tank 40 via the internal path of the third connecting conduit 46.

The downstream glassmaking apparatus 30 may further include a forming apparatus 48 including the forming body 42 and an inlet conduit 50 referred to above. The outlet conduit 44 may be positioned to convey the molten glass 28 from the delivery trough 40 to the inlet conduit 50 of the forming apparatus 48. For example, in an example, the outlet conduit 44 may be nested within the inlet conduit 50 and spaced apart from the inner surface of the inlet conduit 50, thereby providing a free surface of molten glass positioned between the outer surface of the outlet conduit 44 and the inner surface of the inlet conduit 50. The forming body 42 in the fusion down-draw glassmaking apparatus may include a groove 52 positioned in the upper surface of the forming body and a converging forming surface 54 converging in the drawing direction along a bottom edge 56 of the forming body. Molten glass delivered to the forming body by the delivery trough 40, the outlet conduit 44, and the inlet conduit 50 overflows the side walls of the trough and descends along the converging forming surface 54 as separate flows of molten glass. The separate flows of molten glass join below and along the bottom edge 56 to produce a single glass ribbon 58 that is drawn from the bottom edge 56 in a drawing or flow direction 60 to control the size of the glass ribbon as the glass cools and the viscosity of the glass decreases by applying tension to the glass ribbon, such as by gravity, edge rolls 72, and drawing rolls 82. Thus, the glass ribbon 58 undergoes a viscoelastic transition and acquires mechanical properties that give the glass ribbon 58 stable dimensional characteristics. In some embodiments, the glass ribbon 58 can be separated into individual glass sheets 62 by the glass separation device 100 in the flexible region of the glass ribbon. The robot 64 can then use a gripper 65 to transfer the individual glass sheets 62 to a conveyor system so that the individual glass sheets can be further processed.

FIG2 shows a schematic perspective side view of a portion of the glassmaking apparatus 10 including a conduit 32, which is identical to the first connecting conduit 32 shown in FIG1 . The connecting conduit 32 extends within the downstream glassmaking apparatus 30 and is in fluid communication with the glass melting vessel 14 of the glass melting furnace 12. Specifically, the connecting conduit 32 is in fluid communication with a melting furnace conduit 114, which extends within the melting vessel 14 of the glass melting furnace 12. An annular heating element 132 circumferentially surrounds the connecting conduit 32 at the interface of the glass melting furnace 12 and the connecting conduit 32, the annular heating element being coupled to an annular sealing element 116, which circumferentially surrounds the melting furnace conduit 114 at the interface of the glass melting furnace 12 and the connecting conduit 32. The coupling of the annular heating element 132 and the annular sealing element 116 acts to reduce or prevent leakage of the molten glass 28 between the glass melting furnace 12 and the downstream glass manufacturing equipment 30. In addition, the annular heating element 132 heats the molten glass 28 in the connecting conduit 32.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective side view of a portion of a glassmaking apparatus 10 including a conduit 32 according to an embodiment disclosed herein. The connecting conduit 32 is identical to the first connecting conduit 32 shown in FIG. The connecting conduit 32 extends within the downstream glassmaking apparatus 30 and is in fluid communication with the glass melting vessel 14 of the glass melting furnace 12. Specifically, the connecting conduit 32 is in fluid communication with a melting furnace conduit 120 extending within the melting vessel 14 of the glass melting furnace 12. A first annular sealing element 134 circumferentially surrounds the connecting conduit 32 at the interface of the glass melting furnace 12 and the connecting conduit 32. The first annular sealing element 134 is coupled to the second annular sealing element 118, which circumferentially surrounds the melting furnace conduit 120 at the interface of the glass melting furnace 12 and the connecting conduit 32. In addition, the annular heating element 132 circumferentially surrounds the connecting conduit 32 and is separated from the first annular sealing element 134 by a predetermined distance along the axial length of the connecting conduit 32 (double arrow "D" in Figure 3). The coupling of the first annular heating element 134 and the second annular sealing element 118 acts to reduce or prevent leakage of molten glass 28 between the glass melting furnace 12 and the downstream glass manufacturing equipment 30. In addition, the annular heating element 132 heats the molten glass 28 in the connecting conduit 32.

As shown in Fig. 3, the melting furnace conduit 120 includes a flared region 122 including an outer circumference that increases along its axial length in a direction toward the interface between the glass melting furnace 12 and the connecting conduit 32. As also shown in Fig. 3, the outer circumference of the melting furnace conduit 120 is the same as the outer circumference of the connecting conduit 32 at the interface between the glass melting furnace 12 and the connecting conduit 32.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the expansion region 122 has a cross-section that increases in a direction toward the interface of the glass melting furnace 12 and the connecting conduit 32, such that its uppermost longitudinally extending surface is inclined at an angle _θ1 relative to a reference plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity (indicated by arrow "G" in FIG. 3), and the connecting conduit 32 also has an uppermost longitudinally extending surface inclined at an angle _θ2 relative to a reference plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity. In certain exemplary embodiments, each of _θ1 and _θ2 ranges from about 10 degrees to about 40 degrees, such as from about 20 degrees to about 30 degrees. In certain exemplary embodiments, _θ1 is within about 10 degrees of _θ2 , such as within about 5 degrees of _θ2 , and further such as within about 2 degrees of _θ2 , including substantially the same as _θ2 and including within about 10 degrees to about 0 degrees of _θ2 , and further including within about 5 degrees to about 1 degree of _θ2 .

In certain exemplary embodiments, the predetermined distance "D" ranges from about 1 cm to about 10 cm, such as from about 2 cm to about 6 cm, including from about 3 cm to about 5 cm.

FIG4 shows a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of an annular heating element 132 circumferentially surrounding a portion of a conduit 32. Specifically, FIG4 shows the annular heating element 132 of FIG2 circumferentially surrounding a portion of a connecting conduit 32 (the connecting conduit being the same as the first connecting conduit 32 shown in FIG1). The annular heating element 132 is coupled to a power input 136 that directs power from a power source (not shown) to the annular heating element 132 in a direction parallel to the direction of gravity (as shown by arrow "G" in FIG4).

FIG5 shows a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of an annular heating element 132 circumferentially surrounding a portion of a conduit 32 according to an embodiment disclosed herein. Specifically, FIG5 shows the annular heating element 132 of FIG3 circumferentially surrounding a portion of a connecting conduit 32 (the connecting conduit being the same as the first connecting conduit 32 shown in FIG1 ). The annular heating element 132 is coupled to two power inputs, specifically a first power input 136A and a second power input 136B, which are spaced apart at a predetermined distance relative to the outer circumference of the annular heating element 132. Specifically, the first power input 136A and the second power input 136B are coupled to the annular heating element 132 at relative positions relative to the outer circumference of the annular heating element 132 (i.e., at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions), wherein each of the first power input 136A and the second power input 136B directs power to the annular heating element 132 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity (as shown by arrow "G" in FIG. 5). And although FIG. 5 shows the coupling of the annular heating element 132 to two power inputs, embodiments disclosed herein include those in which the annular heating element is coupled to additional power inputs (not shown). Additionally, although the connecting conduit 32 is shown in FIG. 5 as having a circular cross-section, embodiments disclosed herein include those in which the connecting conduit 32 has other cross-sections including, but not limited to, an elliptical or polygonal cross-section.

The power inputs 136A and 136B may be connected to a power source (not shown), such as an electrical power source, as known to those skilled in the art. This in turn may cause resistive heating of the annular heating element 132, which in turn may heat the conduit 32 and the molten glass 28 flowing through the conduit 32 to a desired temperature.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the annular heating element 132 comprises a metal or a metal alloy comprising at least one of nickel, copper, palladium, or platinum.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of a conduit 32 filled with molten glass 28 of varying temperature. Specifically, Fig. 6 shows a cross-section of the conduit 32 of Fig. 2 close to the annular heating element 132 of Fig. 4, wherein relatively hot molten glass 28 is shown in relatively dark shading and relatively cold molten glass 28 is shown in relatively light shading. As can be seen in Fig. 6, the temperature of the molten glass 28 decreases in a direction parallel to the direction of gravity (as shown by the arrow "G" in Fig. 6), wherein the highest area in the conduit is the hottest and the lowest area in the conduit is the coldest.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of a conduit 32 filled with molten glass 28 of varying temperature according to an embodiment disclosed herein. Specifically, Fig. 7 shows a cross-section of the conduit 32 of Fig. 3 close to the annular heating element 132 of Fig. 5, wherein relatively hot molten glass 28 is shown in relatively dark shading and relatively cold molten glass 28 is shown in relatively light shading. As can be seen in Fig. 7, the molten glass 28 temperature decreases in a direction perpendicular to gravity (as shown by arrow "G" in Fig. 7), wherein the leftmost and rightmost regions in the conduit are the hottest.

As can be seen by comparing Figures 6 and 7, the temperature of the molten glass 28 in the hottest region of the conduit 32 of Figure 6 is higher than the temperature of the molten glass 28 in the hottest region of the conduit 32 of Figure 7. Conversely, the temperature of the molten glass 28 in the coldest region of the conduit 32 of Figure 6 is lower than the temperature of the molten glass 28 in the coldest region of the conduit 32 of Figure 7, so that the temperature difference (i.e., the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature) of the molten glass 28 in Figure 6 is greater than the temperature difference of the molten glass 28 in Figure 7.

Maintaining a more uniform cross-sectional molten glass 28 temperature distribution within the conduit 32, as shown in FIG7, results in heating the molten glass 28 to a desired average molten glass 28 temperature range while preventing the hottest region of the molten glass 28 from being above a desired temperature. For example, the hottest region of the molten glass 28 within the conduit 32 is typically proximate to the annular heating element 132, and if this region becomes too hot, this situation may, for example, result in several undesirable consequences, including but not limited to oxidative corrosion of the conduit 32 and/or the annular heating element 132, which in turn may result in deformation of the heating element 132 and/or leakage of the molten glass 28 from the conduit 32. This situation may also result in contamination of the molten glass 28 by the introduction of oxidation reaction products of the conduit 32 and/or the heating element 132 into the molten glass 28.

Embodiments disclosed herein can mitigate or prevent this situation by, for example, spacing the heating element 132 and the first annular sealing element 134 a predetermined distance along the axial length of the conduit 32, coupling the annular heating element 132 to at least two power inputs spaced a predetermined distance apart relative to the outer circumference of the annular heating element, and/or including a flared region 122 in the melting furnace conduit 120 that increases along its axial length in a direction toward the interface of the glass melting furnace 12 and the connecting conduit 32. In this regard, the combination of these features can provide a synergistic effect in heating the molten glass 28 to a desired average molten glass 28 temperature range while preventing the hottest region of the molten glass 28 from being above a desired temperature. Additionally, the spacing between the first annular sealing element 134 and the annular heating element 132 reduces or prevents simultaneous failure of the sealing and heating functionalities.

Although the above embodiments have been described with reference to a fusion down-draw process, it will be understood that such embodiments are also applicable to other glass forming processes, such as a float process, a trough draw process, an up-draw process, a tube draw process, and a press roll process.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made to the implementation of the content of this case without departing from the spirit and scope of the content of this case. Therefore, the content of this case is intended to cover such modifications and changes as long as they fall within the scope of the attached application patent and its equivalents.

10: Glass manufacturing equipment 12: Glass melting furnace 14: Melting vessel 16: Upstream glass manufacturing equipment 18: Storage bin 20: Raw material conveying device 22: Motor 24: Raw material 26: Arrow 28: Molten glass 30: Downstream glass manufacturing equipment 32: First connecting conduit 34: Clarifying tank 36: Mixing tank 38: Second connecting conduit 40: Conveying trough 42: Forming body 44: Outlet conduit 46: Third connecting conduit 48: Forming equipment 50: Inlet conduit 52: Groove 54: Converging forming surface 56: Bottom edge 58: Glass ribbon 60: Drawing or flow direction 62: Individual glass sheets 64: Robot 65: gripping tool 72: edge roller 82: drawing roller 100: glass separation device 114: melting furnace conduit 116: annular sealing element 118: second annular sealing element 120: melting furnace conduit 122: expansion area 132: annular heating element 134: first annular sealing element 136: power input 136A: first power input 136B: second power input

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary fusion down-draw glass manufacturing apparatus and process;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective side view of a portion of a glass manufacturing apparatus including a conduit;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective side view of a portion of a glass manufacturing apparatus including a conduit according to embodiments disclosed herein;

FIG4 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of an annular heating element circumferentially surrounding a portion of a conduit;

FIG5 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of an annular heating element circumferentially surrounding a portion of a conduit according to embodiments disclosed herein;

FIG6 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of a conduit filled with molten glass of varying temperature; and

7 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of a conduit filled with molten glass of varying temperature according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

Domestic storage information (please note in the order of storage institution, date, and number) None Foreign storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) None

10: Glass manufacturing equipment

12: Glass melting furnace

14: Melting container

30: Downstream glass manufacturing equipment

32: First connecting conduit

118: Second annular sealing element

120: Melting furnace guide tube

122: Expansion area

132: Ring heating element

134: First annular sealing element

Claims (22)

An apparatus for manufacturing a glass product, the apparatus comprising: a glass melting furnace in fluid communication with a connecting conduit; a first annular sealing element circumferentially surrounding the connecting conduit at an interface between the glass melting furnace and the connecting conduit; and an annular heating element circumferentially surrounding the connecting conduit and separated from the first annular sealing element by a predetermined distance along an axial length of the connecting conduit. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a melting furnace conduit extending within the melting furnace and being fluidly connected to the connecting conduit. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein a second annular sealing element circumferentially surrounds the glass melting furnace conduit at the interface between the glass melting furnace and the connecting conduit. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the melting furnace conduit includes a flared region, the flared region including an outer circumference that increases along its axial length in a direction toward the interface between the glass melting furnace and the connecting conduit. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the outer circumference of the melting furnace conduit is the same as an outer circumference of the connecting conduit at the interface between the glass melting furnace and the connecting conduit. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the annular heating element is coupled to at least two power inputs spaced a predetermined distance apart relative to an outer circumference of the annular heating element. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein a first power input and a second power input of the at least two power inputs are coupled to the annular heating element at relative positions relative to an outer circumference of the annular heating element. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the first power input and the second power input of the at least two power inputs each direct power to the annular heating element in a direction perpendicular to a direction of gravity. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance ranges from about 1 cm to about 10 cm. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the annular heating element comprises a metal or a metal alloy comprising at least one of nickel, copper, palladium or platinum. A method for manufacturing a glass product, the method comprising the following steps: Flowing molten glass from a glass melting furnace to a connecting conduit, wherein a first annular sealing element circumferentially surrounds the connecting conduit at an interface between the glass melting furnace and the connecting conduit; and Heating the connecting conduit with an annular heating element, the annular heating element circumferentially surrounds the connecting conduit and is separated from the first annular sealing element by a predetermined distance along an axial length of the connecting conduit. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises a melting furnace conduit extending within the melting furnace and being fluidly connected to the connecting conduit. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a second annular sealing element circumferentially surrounds the melting furnace conduit at the interface between the glass melting furnace and the connecting conduit. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the melting furnace conduit includes a flared area, the flared area including an outer circumference that increases along its axial length in a direction toward the interface between the glass melting furnace and the connecting conduit. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the outer circumference of the melting furnace conduit is the same as an outer circumference of the connecting conduit at the interface between the glass melting furnace and the connecting conduit. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the annular heating element is coupled to at least two power inputs separated by a predetermined distance relative to an outer circumference of the annular heating element. A method as in claim 16, wherein a first power input and a second power input of the at least two power inputs are coupled to the annular heating element at relative positions relative to an outer circumference of the annular heating element. A method as in claim 17, wherein the first power input and the second power input of the at least two power inputs each direct power to the annular heating element in a direction perpendicular to a direction of gravity. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the predetermined distance ranges from about 1 cm to about 10 cm. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the annular heating element comprises a metal or a metal alloy, wherein the metal or the metal alloy comprises at least one of nickel, copper, palladium or platinum. A glass product manufactured by the method of claim 11. An electronic device comprising the glass product of claim 21.

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