WO2002024593A1

WO2002024593A1 - Glass sheet articulated quench ring assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2002024593A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/040956
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jeffary A. Grzeszczak
Original assignee: Glasstech, Inc.
Priority date: 2000-09-21
Filing date: 2000-09-21
Publication date: 2002-03-28
Also published as: AU2001212549A1

Abstract

A glass sheet articulated quench ring assembly (32) includes a frame (34) that supports a quench ring (36) including a central ring portion (40) that is fixed with respect to the frame and also including a movable ring portion (44) movable between open and closed positions on pivotal connection (48) about a pivotal axis (A). In the open position, it receives a hot glass sheet from an associated forming mold. In the closed position, it defines a shape having an intersection (46) with the mating shape of the hot mold surface (24s). An actuating mechanism (52) incudes a pair of actuators (54) for moving the quench ring end portions (44). Each actuator (54) includes an operatinb linkage (56) that include adjusters (60 and 62) for providing linkage length adjustment in associate with a crank arm assembly (64).

Description

GLASS SHEET ARTICULATED QUENCH RING ASSEMBLY

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an articulated quench ring assembly for quenching glass sheets.

BACKGROUND ART

One type of glass sheet forming operation involves forming of a heated glass sheet against a heated upper forming mold in a pressing relationship with a lower mold. The upper mold is then moved upwardly with a vacuum supporting the formed glass sheet on it, and the lower mold is moved horizontally to permit a quench ring to move underneath the upper mold whereupon the termination of the vacuum releases the formed glass sheet onto the quench ring for movement to a quench station for cooling.

Upon forming some relatively deep bend shapes of glass sheets by the above process, the quench ring cannot be moved into a full mating relationship with the upper mold to receive the heated glass sheet because the mating shapes of the hot upper mold and the quench ring interfere with each other. This results in the necessity to drop the glass relatively large distances for the release from the upper mold onto the quench ring.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved glass sheet articulated quench ring assembly that overcomes problems involved with prior art quench rings. In carrying out the above object, the glass sheet articulated quench ring assembly of the invention includes a frame that is movable to and from a hot mold having a curved mold surface including a central portion and an extremity on which a hot glass sheet is formed. A quench ring of the assembly is supported by the frame and includes a central ring portion that is fixed with respect to the frame and also includes a movable portion that is movable with respect to the central ring portion between open and closed positions, with the movable portion being in the open position to receive a hot glass sheet from the mold, and with the movable portion being in the closed position for cooling of the hot glass sheet and then defining a shape having an intersection with the mating shape of the hot mold surface. The articulated quench ring assembly includes a pivotal connection that pivotally supports the movable portion of the quench ring for pivotal movement about a pivotal axis between the open and closed positions. The pivotal axis of the pivotal connection is located inwardly along the central portion of the quench ring from the intersection of the mold surface with the movable portion of the quench ring in the closed position.

In the preferred construction of the articulated quench ring assembly, the quench ring has an elongated shape and includes a pair of movable end portions that are movable with respect to the frame and the central ring portion between open and closed positions. The quench ring end portions are in the closed position for cooling of the hot glass sheet and then define a shape having a pair of intersections with the mating shape of the hot mold surface. A pair of pivotal connections respectively pivotally support the pair of movable end portions of d e quench ring for pivotal movement between the open and closed positions about associated pivotal axes . The pivotal axes of the pair of pivotal connections are located between the pair of intersections of the hot mold surface with the mating shape of the quench ring end portions in the closed position.

The pivotal connection of the quench ring assembly includes a pair of hinges that are spaced along the pivotal axis with the quench ring therebetween. In the preferred construction of the articulated quench ring assembly, the quench ring has an elongated shape and includes a pair of movable end portions that are movable with respect to the frame and the central ring portion between open and closed positions. The quench ring end portions are in the closed position for cooling of the hot glass sheet and then define a shape having a pair of intersections with the mating shape of the hot mold surface. A pair of pivotal connections respectively pivotally support the pair of movable end portions of the quench ring for pivotal movement between the open and closed positions about associated pivotal axes . The pivotal axes of the pair of pivotal connections are located between the pair of intersections of the hot mold surface with the mating shape of the quench ring end portions in the closed position. Each pivotal connection includes a pair of hinges that are spaced along the associated pivotal axis with the quench ring therebetween.

The objects, features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRLEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat schematic side elevational view of a glass sheet forming system that includes an articulated quench ring assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the articulated quench ring assembly taken along the direction of line 2-2 in Figure 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view taken along the direction of line 3-3 in Figure 2 to illustrate movement of the articulated quench ring assembly between open and closed positions and the relationship of the quench ring with respect to an associated upper forming mold. BEST MODEFOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to Figure 1 of the drawings, a schematically illustrated glass sheet forming system 10 includes a furnace 12 in which glass sheets G are heated on a heating conveyor 14 of the roll type. This heating is performed upon conveyance along a direction of conveyance illustrated by arrow C which is toward the right as shown. The forming system 10 also includes a transfer station 16 having a topside transfer platen 18 that receives hot glass sheets G from the heating conveyor 14 and transfers the hot glass sheets to a lower forming mold 20. The topside transfer platen 18 is fixedly mounted by suitable unshown framework and is preferably of the type shown by United States Patent 5,002,599 McMaster et al. so as to receive and support a heated glass sheet from above by vacuum and pressurized air without any direct contact. The hot glass sheets may be located below the topside transfer platen 18 by unshown locators that may be of the type disclosed by United States patents 5,669,953 Schnabel, Jr. et al. and 5,902,366 Schnabel, Jr. et al.

A forming station 22 of the system is located as shown in Figure 1 to the right of the transfer station 16 and includes an upper forming mold 24 that is located within the heated interior of the forming station so as to be hot and includes a forming surface 24s having a central portion 24c and end extremities 24e. The upper forming mold 24 is movable vertically, as shown by arrows 25, under the operation of any type of conventional mold operator. The lower forming mold 20 moves a heated glass sheet from the transfer station 16 to the forming station 22 with a heated glass sheet thereon whereupon downward movement of the upper mold 24 provides press forming of the heated glass sheet between the molds as is hereinafter more fully described. A cooling station 26 of system 10 includes lower and upper quench heads 28 and 30 for providing cooling gas. An articulated quench ring assembly generally indicated by 32 is constructed in accordance with the present invention and is movable between the forming station 22 as shown by phantom line representation and the cooling station 26 as shown by solid line representation. More specifically, the articulated quench ring assembly 32 as is hereinafter more fully described is positioned in the forming station 22 in an open condition whereupon the upper mold 24 moves downwardly into a mating relationship with the quench ring assembly and releases the formed glass sheet onto the quench ring assembly. After upward movement of the upper mold 24, the quench ring assembly 32 is then closed and is moved to the cooling station 26 between the lower and upper quench heads so as to provide cooling that cools the formed glass sheet for annealing, heat strengthening or tempering.

With reference to Figure 2, the articulated quench ring assembly 32 of this invention includes a frame 34 that is mounted in a suitable manner in the glass sheet forming system 10 for horizontal movement between the forming station 22 and the cooling station 26 illustrated in Figure 1. The quench ring assembly 32 also includes a quench ring 36 that is mounted as shown in Figure 2 on the frame 34 by mounts 38 that include unshown shims to provide the proper positioning with respect to the frame. Quench ring 36 includes a fixed central portion that is collectively indicated by 40 and is constituted by a pair of fixed central sections 42 that are spaced from each other on opposite sides of the ring center. The quench ring 36 also includes at least one movable portion 44 that is movable with respect to the frame 34 and the fixed central ring portion 40 between an open position illustrated by solid line representation in Figure 3 and a closed position illustrated by phantom line representation. In the open position as previously mentioned, the quench ring 36 receives a hot glass sheet from the upper mold 24, and the movable portion 44 is moved to the closed position for cooling of the hot glass sheet and then defines a shape that has an intersection 46 with the mating shape of the hot mold surface 24s of mold 24. It should be noted that while the elongated directions of the forming molds 20 and 24 and the quench ring 36 have been shown extending along the direction of conveyance C for ease of illustration, most elongated molds and rings will have their elongated directions extending transversely to the direction of conveyance in actual production jobs.

As shown in Figure 2, a pivotal connection 48 of the quench ring assembly pivotally supports the movable portion 44 of the quench ring 36 for pivotal movement about a pivotal axis A between the open and closed positions respectively shown by solid and phantom line representation in Figure 3. This pivotal axis A of the pivotal connection 48 is located inwardly along the central portion 40 of the quench ring from the intersection 46 of the mold surface with the movable portion 42 of the mold ring in the closed position. As a result of this construction, the entirety of the movable portion 44 is not obstructed by the hot mold 24 upon receiving the formed glass sheet so as to permit relatively close proximity in a mating relationship therewith upon initially receiving the formed glass sheet onto the quench ring.

As shown in Figure 2, the quench ring 36 has an elongated shape and actually includes a pair of movable end portions 44 that are movable with respect to the frame 34 between open and closed positions in the same manner described in connection with the one movable portion 44 illustrated in Figure 3. These quench ring end portions are in the closed position for cooling of the hot glass sheet and then define a shape that has a pair of the intersections 46 with the mating shape of the hot mold surface 24s of upper mold 24. A pair of the pivotal connections 48 shown in Figure 2 respectively pivotally support the pair of movable end portions 44 of the quench ring for pivotal movement between the open and closed positions about associated pivotal axes. The pivotal axes A of the pair of pivotal connections are located between the pair of intersections of the hot mold surface with the mating shape of the quench ring end portions in the closed position.

As illustrated in Figure 1, each pivotal connection 48 includes a pair of hinges 50 that are spaced along the pivotal axis A with the quench ring 36 therebetween so that the pivotal axis A can extend exactly through the edge periphery of the formed glass sheet supported by the quench ring.

As shown by combined reference to Figures 2 and 3 , an actuating mechanism collectively indicated by 52 includes a pair of actuators 54 for moving the quench ring end portions 44. Each actuator 54 includes an operating linkage 56 that extends between an associated operator 58 and the associated movable end portion 44 of the quench ring 36 to provide the movement between the open and closed positions as previously described. The linkages 56 include adjusters 60 and 62 for providing linkage length adjustment in associate with a crank arm assembly Also, the quench ring frame 34 includes alignment guides 66 and 68 for receiving alignment guides of the upper mold 24 (Figure 1) upon receiving the formed glass sheet for cooling.

While the best mode for carrying out the invention has been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A glass sheet articulated quench ring assembly comprising: a frame that is movable to and from a hot mold having a curved mold surface including a central portion and an extremity on which a hot glass sheet is formed; a quench ring supported by the frame and including a central ring portion that is fixed with respect to the frame and also including a movable portion that is movable with respect to the central ring portion between open and closed positions, with the movable portion being in the open position to receive a hot glass sheet from the mold, and with the movable portion being in the closed position for cooling of the hot glass sheet and then defining a shape having an intersection with the mating shape of the hot mold surface; and a pivotal connection that pivotally supports the movable portion of the quench ring for pivotal movement about a pivotal axis between the open and closed positions, and the pivotal axis of the pivotal connection being located inwardly along the central portion of the quench ring from the intersection of the mold surface with the movable portion of the quench ring in the closed position.

2. A glass sheet articulated quench ring assembly as in claim 1 wherein the quench ring has an elongated shape and includes a pair of movable end portions that are movable with respect to the frame and the central ring portion between open and closed positions, the quench ring end portions being in the closed position for coolmg of the hot glass sheet and then defining a shape having a pair of intersections with the mating shape of the hot mold surface, a pair of pivotal connections that respectively pivotally support the pair of movable end portions of the quench ring for pivotal movement between the open and closed positions about associated pivotal axes, and the pivotal axes of the pair of pivotal connections being located between the pair of intersections of the hot mold surface with the mating shape of the quench ring end portions in the closed position.

3. A glass sheet articulated quench ring assembly as in claim 1 wherein the pivotal connection includes a pair of hinges that are spaced along the pivotal axis with the quench ring therebetween.

4. A glass sheet articulated quench ring assembly as in claim 1 wherein the quench ring has an elongated shape and includes a pair of movable end portions that are movable with respect to the frame and the central ring portion between open and closed positions, the quench ring end portions being in the closed position for cooling of the hot glass sheet and then defining a shape having a pair of intersections with the mating shape of the hot mold surface, a pair of pivotal connections that respectively pivotally support the pair of movable end portions of the quench ring for pivotal movement between the open and closed positions about associated pivotal axes, the pivotal axes of the pair of pivotal connections being located between the pair of intersections of the hot mold surface with the mating shape of the quench ring end portions in the closed position, and each pivotal connection including a pair of hinges that are spaced along the associated pivotal axis with the quench ring therebetween.