Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
  • C03B29/00—Reheating glass products for softening or fusing their surfaces; Fire-polishing; Fusing of margins
  • C03B29/04—Reheating glass products for softening or fusing their surfaces; Fire-polishing; Fusing of margins in a continuous way
  • C03B29/14—Reheating glass products for softening or fusing their surfaces; Fire-polishing; Fusing of margins in a continuous way with vertical displacement of the products
  • C03B29/16—Glass sheets
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
  • C03B27/00—Tempering or quenching glass products
  • C03B27/012—Tempering or quenching glass products by heat treatment, e.g. for crystallisation; Heat treatment of glass products before tempering by cooling
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
  • C03B35/00—Transporting of glass products during their manufacture, e.g. hot glass lenses, prisms
  • C03B35/14—Transporting hot glass sheets or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
  • C03B35/00—Transporting of glass products during their manufacture, e.g. hot glass lenses, prisms
  • C03B35/14—Transporting hot glass sheets or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands
  • C03B35/20—Transporting hot glass sheets or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands by gripping tongs or supporting frames
  • C03B35/202—Transporting hot glass sheets or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands by gripping tongs or supporting frames by supporting frames
  • C03B35/205—Transporting hot glass sheets or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands by gripping tongs or supporting frames by supporting frames the glass sheets being in a vertical position
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
  • C03B5/00—Melting in furnaces; Furnaces so far as specially adapted for glass manufacture
  • C03B5/16—Special features of the melting process; Auxiliary means specially adapted for glass-melting furnaces
  • C03B5/18—Stirring devices; Homogenisation
  • C03B5/183—Stirring devices; Homogenisation using thermal means, e.g. for creating convection currents
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P40/00—Technologies relating to the processing of minerals
  • Y02P40/50—Glass production, e.g. reusing waste heat during processing or shaping
  • Y02P40/57—Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates

Definitions

• This disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for convective heat treatment of thin glass sheets such as display-grade glass sheets.
• the methods and apparatus are used to heat treat glass sheets prior to ion exchange strengthening.
• glass sheets In display applications, glass sheets often need to be heat treated to improve or modify their properties. For example, manufacturers of glass sheets often heat treat glass sheets prior to shipping them to customers so that the sheets do not shrink or shrink very little when used in the customers' processes. Such heat treatments are known as "pre- shrinking,” “pre-compacting,” or simply “compacting.” These heat treatments differ from annealing in that they are performed at lower temperatures, e.g., temperatures below the strain point of the glass making up the sheets.
• the glass substrates used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays are exposed to relatively high temperatures during the display manufacturing process. If not pre-shrunk, the substrates can undergo shape changes which are large enough to adversely impact the quality of the finished display. By pre-shrinking the glass sheets which form the substrates, the occurrence of this problem can be significantly reduced.
• the present disclosure addresses this low throughput problem.
• the disclosure provides methods and apparatus by which heat treatment of glass sheets can be performed in shorter times while still achieving low levels of warp and surface properties suitable for display and other demanding applications.
• the methods and apparatus disclosed herein achieve more uniform thermal histories for the glass sheets which is beneficial for sheets that will be subjected to chemical strengthening subsequent to the heat treatment.
• a method for heat treating glass sheets (17) that includes in order:
• a box-shaped, open frame (1 1) which defines a processing volume (19) and has a top (25), a bottom (27), and first (21), second (21), third (23), and fourth (23) vertical sides, the first and second vertical sides (21) being on opposite sides of the frame (11);
• a side support system (13) for the glass sheets (17) which includes a first set of vertical members (33,47) mounted to the frame's first vertical side (21) and a second set of vertical members (33,47) mounted to the frame's second vertical side (21), the first set of vertical members (33,47) forming a first set of glass-receiving spaces (61) which extend along the frame's first vertical side (21) and the second set of vertical members (33,47) forming a second set of glass-receiving spaces (61) which extend along the frame's second vertical side (21), the first and second sets of glass-receiving spaces (61) being aligned in pairs for receiving opposing edge regions of individual glass sheets (17); and
• the glass sheets (17) have a width Wl at the handling temperature and a width W2 at the treatment temperature, W2 being larger than Wl ;
• each glass-receiving space (61) has an inward end (63) and an outward end (65), the inward end (61) being closer to the opposing vertical side (21) of the frame (11) and the outward end (65) being farther from the opposing vertical side (21) of the frame
• the outward ends (65) of the first set of glass-receiving spaces (61) are separated from the outward ends (65) of the second set of glass-receiving spaces (61) by a distance 01 at the handling temperature and by a distance 02 at the treatment temperature, 02 being larger than 01 ;
• the inward ends (63) of the first set of glass-receiving spaces (61) are separated from the inward ends (63) of the second set of glass receiving spaces (61) by a distance II at the handling temperature and by a distance 12 at the treatment temperature, 12 being larger than II;
• step (v) the glass sheets (17) are heated in step (b) at a rate such that the glass sheets (17) reach Treatment before the frame (11) reaches Treatment;
• step (vi) the glass sheets (17) are cooled in step (c) at a rate such that the glass sheets (17) reach T andiing before the frame reaches T andiin g ;
• the processing volume has an open top and an open bottom of areas A top and
• the bottom support system blocks gas passage through some but not all of Abottom, the part of Abottom that remains open for gas passage being at least 75 percent of Abottom;
• step (b) the heating gas is passed over the major surfaces of the glass sheets by using Atop and the open part of Abottom to pass the heating gas through the processing volume;
• the first and second sets of vertical members clamp the vertical sides of the glass sheets along substantially their entire lengths during the heat treatment so as to reduce vibration of the sheets as a result of the passage of the heating gas over the sheets' major surfaces.
• each vertical member has a horizontal cross-section which includes two arms which extend into the processing volume and are horizontally splayed away from one another; and (ii) the vertical sides of the glass sheets are clamped between the arms of adjacent vertical members.
• the arms of the vertical members comprise lips which make contact with the sheets' major surfaces.
• the vertical members are spaced horizontally from one another so that when not clamping a glass sheet, the arms of adjacent members make contact.
• the top portion of each arm of each vertical member is curved to guide glass sheets between adjacent vertical members.
• step (a) prior to step (a), the plurality of glass sheets are inserted into the frame using a robot which successively slides individual sheets into successive aligned pairs of glass-receiving spaces with the bottom of the sheet resting on the bottom support system.
• a second aspect of the present disclosure is related to a method for heat treating glass sheets comprising:
• a box-shaped, open frame having a top, a bottom, and first, second, third, and fourth vertical sides, the frame defining a processing volume inside of the frame that has an open top and an open bottom of areas A top and Abottom, respectively,
• a side support system for the glass sheets which comprises a first side support subsystem mounted to the frame's first vertical side and a second side support subsystem mounted to the frame's second vertical side;
• the heat treatment comprises passing a heating gas over the major surfaces of the glass sheets by using A top and the open part of Abottom to pass the heating gas through the processing volume;
• the first and second side support subsystems clamp the vertical sides of the glass sheets along substantially their entire lengths during the heat treatment so as to reduce vibration of the sheets as a result of the passage of the heating gas over the sheets' major surfaces.
• the method further comprises an additional step after step (b) of passing a cooling gas over the major surfaces of the glass sheets by using A top and the open part of Abottom to pass the cooling gas through the processing volume.
• the method further comprises:
• the first side support subsystem comprises a first set of vertical members mounted to the frame's first vertical side;
• the second side support subsystem comprises a second set of vertical members mounted to the frame's second vertical side;
• each vertical member has a horizontal cross-section which includes two arms which extend into the processing volume and are horizontally splayed away from one another;
• the arms of the vertical members comprise lips which make contact with the sheets' major surfaces.
• the vertical members are spaced horizontally from one another so that when not clamping a glass sheet, the arms of adjacent members make contact.
• the top portion of each arm of each vertical member is curved to guide glass sheets between adjacent vertical members.
• step (a) prior to step (a), the plurality of glass sheets are inserted into the frame using a robot which slides individual sheets into the first and second side support subsystems until the bottom of the sheet contacts the bottom support system.
• an apparatus for holding a plurality of glass sheets (17) in a vertical orientation during a heat treatment including:
• a box-shaped frame (11) having a top (25), a bottom (27), and first, second, third, and fourth vertical sides (21,23), the first and second vertical sides (21) being on opposite sides of the frame (11);
• a support system (13) having a first set of vertical members (33) mounted to the frame's first vertical side (21) and a second set of vertical members (33) mounted to the frame's second vertical side (21), the first set of vertical members (33) forming a first set of glass-receiving spaces (61) on the frame's first vertical side (21) and the second set of vertical members (33) forming a second set of glass-receiving spaces (61) on the frame's second vertical side (21), the first and second sets of glass-receiving spaces (61) being aligned in pairs for receiving opposing edge regions of individual glass sheets (17) during use of the apparatus; and
• each vertical member (33) has a horizontal cross-section which includes two arms (37) which are horizontally splayed away from one another;
• each vertical member (33) of the first set of vertical members is mounted to the frame's first vertical side (21) with its arms extending towards the frame's second vertical side (21);
• each vertical member (33) of the second set of vertical members is mounted to the frame's second vertical side (21) with its arms extending towards the frame's first vertical side (21); and (iv) the first and second sets of glass-receiving spaces (61) are each formed by the arms (37) of adjacent vertical members (33).
• the arms of the vertical members comprise lips which make contact with the sheets' major surfaces during use of the apparatus.
• the arms of the vertical members make line contact with the sheets' major surfaces during use of the apparatus.
• the vertical members are spaced horizontally from one another so that when not clamping a glass sheet, the arms of adjacent members make contact.
• each arm of each vertical member is curved to guide glass sheets between adjacent vertical members.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of glass handling apparatus constructed in accordance with the present disclosure.
• FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.
• FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an individual glass sheet and its associated side support system.
• FIG. 6 is a top view of the individual glass sheet and side support system of FIG. 5.
• FIG. 7 is a side view of the individual glass sheet and side support system of FIG. 5.
• FIG. 8 is a schematic side view from the inside of the apparatus of FIG. 1 illustrating guiding of a glass sheet into a side support system.
• FIG. 9 is a plan view of a piece of sheet metal from which the vertical members of, for example, FIGS. 5-7 can be formed.
• FIG. 10 is a side view of the piece of sheet metal of FIG. 9 after a first bending operation.
• FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a finished vertical member after further bending of the piece of sheet metal of FIG. 10.
• FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the application of a bending moment to glass sheets by a side support system having arms of different lengths.
• FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of lips to avoid the application of a bending moment to glass sheets by a side support system having arms of different lengths.
• FIG. 14 is a plan view of a piece of sheet metal from which the vertical members of the type shown in FIG. 13 can be formed by bending.
• FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing an individual glass sheet and its associated side support system in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating the locations of the edge region of a glass sheet during a heating/cooling cycle for a side support system which uses arms without lips.
• FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating the locations of the edge region of a glass sheet during a heating/cooling cycle for a side support system which uses arms with lips.
• FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relative lengths of a glass sheet and the inward and outward ends of a glass-receiving space during a heating/cooling cycle.
• the present disclosure provides apparatus and methods for high throughput heat treatment of thin glass sheets, e.g., glass sheets having a thickness of 0.7 millimeters or less.
• Warp is especially problematic for large and thin sheets (e.g., sheets having a thickness of 0.7 millimeters or less and opposing major surfaces whose individual areas are 0.25 m 2 or more) because the glass becomes fairly soft at the process temperature.
• the warp if out of specification, not only is a quality issue for display-grade glass, but also creates a problem for downstream acid- etching processes.
• glass sheets used as substrates in display applications or as faceplates for mobile electronic devices need to have "quality areas" that meet rigorous standards with regard to surface blemishes (e.g., scratches) and contamination.
• the glass sheets need to be held in a vertical, straight-up orientation, with supports on the sheet's vertical edges.
• the supporting apparatus needs to be dimensionally stable, so that it does not apply any twisting or bending forces to the glass sheets.
• the supporting apparatus needs to employ convective heating (and, optionally, convective cooling) so that the glass temperature can be rapidly raised to the processing temperature (and, optionally, rapidly lowered to a handling temperature, e.g., 40°C or below).
• a handling temperature e.g. 40°C or below
• FIG. 1-7 show an embodiment of a fixture 9 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure which achieves low warp, low surface damage, low surface contamination, and high throughput.
• the fixture is designed to hold a plurality of glass sheets (e.g., at least 50 sheets) during a heat treatment, such as a heat treatment prior to chemical strengthening of the glass sheets.
• the fixture has an open box construction, as opposed to a closed box construction of the type used in U.S. Patent No. 7,363,777 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2007/0267312 referred to above.
• the open box construction of fixture 9 enables convective heating and cooling, which is faster and more uniform than radiation heating/cooling.
• Tests on chemically- strengthened glass have shown that the beneficial compressive stress (CS) achieved by chemical strengthening is sensitive to the "thermal history" of the glass. Consequently, if part of the glass is heated at a higher temperature or at the same temperature but for a longer or shorter time, the CS in that part will be different from that in the rest of the sheet. At least to some extent, cooling differences can also affect the CS of chemically-treated sheets. Therefore, it is desirable to heat (and, optionally, cool) the entire load of glass sheets simultaneously and uniformly in order to avoid "thermal history" differentials. Compared to radiation heating (cooling), convective heating (cooling) using an open-box design is significantly better at meeting this requirement for substantially uniform thermal histories over the quality area of glass sheets.
• fixture 9 includes a box- shaped, open frame 11 having a top 25 (see FIG. 1), bottom 27 (see FIG. 4), first and second vertical sides 21 (see FIG. 2), and third and fourth vertical sides 23 (see FIG. 3).
• frame 1 1 can also include angle members 67 for stabilizing the frame's structure and for mounting the fixture's side support system to the frame (see below). The angle members can, for example, be welded to the frame.
• Fixture 9 includes bottom support system 15 (see FIGS. 1 and 4) which engages and supports the bottom edges of the glass sheets.
• the bottom support system employs a plurality of vertical holding fins that are installed into slots cut into the bottom frame element. In use, glass sheets are inserted into frame 11 through its top and lowered down onto the holding fins, with the bottom edge of each glass sheet resting on the support fins.
• the bottom support system can employ other mechanisms for engaging the bottom edges of the glass sheets, e.g., a plurality of cables extending between the vertical sides of the frame can be used for this purpose. Whatever mechanism is used, it is important that the bottom support system does not substantially block gas flow through processing volume 19. In particular, the bottom support system should leave open for gas flow at least 75 percent of Abottom (e.g., in one embodiment, 80 percent of Abottom is left open).
• fixture 9 includes side support system 13, which clamps the opposing vertical sides of the sheets along substantially their entire lengths. In particular, the side support system engages the vertical sides of the sheet with zero clearance. In addition to reducing sheet vibration, side support system 13 also minimizes warp by holding the edges of the glass sheets in place during the heat treatment.
• the sheet can, at least to some extent, warp (distort) during the heat treatment.
• warp disort
• side support system 13 includes a first support subsystem 29 mounted to the first vertical side of frame 11 and a second support subsystem 31 mounted to the second vertical side of the frame.
• Each subsystem includes a plurality of vertical members (vertical fins) which form glass-receiving spaces for receiving edge regions of the glass sheets.
• the glass-receiving spaces can have various pitches, e.g., in one embodiment for use with glass sheets having a thickness of 0.7 millimeters, the pitch can be, for example, 10 millimeters.
• each vertical member includes a leg 35 and two arms 37 which are angled outward (splayed outward) from the leg, i.e., each vertical member has a horizontal cross-section in the form of a "Y".
• the vertical members can be mounted to frame 11 by inserting legs 35 into grooves formed in angle members 67.
• the legs can be welded (e.g., spot welded) to one or more of the angle members, e.g., to the middle angle member in the figures.
• adjacent vertical members function as "bookends" for a glass sheet, with the arms of the adjacent members making line contact with opposing major surfaces of the glass sheet inboard from the edge of sheet (in one embodiment, the line contact can be, for example, 10 millimeters inboard from the edge of the sheet).
• the glass-receiving space for the glass sheet is thus defined by the arms of adjacent vertical members and the inboard surfaces of angle members 67 (see, for example, FIG. 16).
• the vertical members of this figure include a flat 71 in place of leg 35.
• the flat can be welded to one or more box members 69 which can be used in place of angle members 67 when vertical members having flats, instead of legs, are used.
• Lips 73 can, of course, also be used with the Y-shaped vertical members of FIG. 12.
• the vertical members can include curved sections 39 for guiding glass sheets 17 into the glass-receiving spaces created by the vertical members.
• such curves can be formed in, for example, a sheet metal blank from which the vertical member is formed.
• a Y-shaped vertical member can be readily formed from the blank, i.e., by first folding the blank along fold line 43 and then folding the blank along fold lines 43 and 45 to form leg 35 and arms 37, each of which has a curved portion 39.
• vertical members 47 of FIG. 15 can likewise be readily formed from, for example, a sheet metal blank.
• the vertical members include lead-in lips 49 for guiding the glass sheet into the body of the vertical member which forms the member's glass-receiving space.
• the lead-in lips can be formed by cutting the blank and folding the lips outward from the plane of the body of the member.
• the Y-shaped vertical members of FIGS. 1-12 make line contact with the opposing major surfaces of the glass sheets.
• the addition of lips to the arms of the vertical members results in strip contact, while vertical members of the type shown in FIG. 15 result in area contact.
• the extent of contact between the vertical members and the glass sheets affects the thermal history of the glass sheets. Specifically, regions of the glass sheets close to the points of contact will experience a different thermal history from regions distant from the points of contact. For many applications, the differences will not be large enough to affect a subsequent chemical strengthening procedure. However, in some cases, the differences may be important, in which case, a vertical member with lips may be more suitable than a vertical member of the type shown in FIG. 15. In still other cases, a vertical member which makes only line contact may be needed.
• one of the advantages of the technology disclosed herein is the ability to rapidly heat and rapidly cool glass sheets, thus improving throughput.
• Such rapid heating and cooling can, however, result in glass breakage during heating and loss of control of the glass sheets during cooling.
• These problems arise because of the thinness of the glass sheets.
• the glass sheets can reach the treatment temperature substantially before the frame reaches that temperature during heating and conversely, the sheets can reach the handling temperature substantially before the frame reaches that temperature during cooling.
• FIGS. 16-18 where reference numbers 51, 53, 55, 57, and 59 illustrate, respectively: (1) the initial condition of the frame and glass sheets, (2) the greater expansion of the glass sheets relative to the frame during rapid heat-up; (3) the frame catching up to the glass sheets during heat-up; (4) the greater contraction of the glass sheets relative to the frame during rapid cool-down; and (5) the frame catching up to the glass sheets during cool-down.
• reference numbers 51, 53, 55, 57, and 59 illustrate, respectively: (1) the initial condition of the frame and glass sheets, (2) the greater expansion of the glass sheets relative to the frame during rapid heat-up; (3) the frame catching up to the glass sheets during heat-up; (4) the greater contraction of the glass sheets relative to the frame during rapid cool-down; and (5) the frame catching up to the glass sheets during cool-down.
• the glass-receiving spaces 61 formed by the vertical members, the inward ends 63 of the glass-receiving spaces, and the outward ends 65 of the glass-receiving spaces.
• C g i ass is the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the glass
• C frame is the CTE of the material used to construct the frame, e.g., steel
• ⁇ is the difference between the treatment and handling temperatures.
• Wl, W2, 01, and 12 should satisfy the relationships: 01 > W2, W2 > 12, and 12 > Wl .
• 01 and II are selected to satisfy the relationships (01-W1)/W1 > 0.02, and (W1-I1)/W1 > 0.04. In practice when these relationships are satisfied at room temperature (20°C), the 01 > W2, W2 > 12, and 12 > Wl relationships will be satisfied for most treatment and handling temperature combinations.
• Various materials can be used to construct fixture 9.
• frame 11, angle members 67 (when used), and box members 69 (when used) can be made of spring tempered austenite stainless steels, such as 304 or 301, or superalloys, such as INCONEL 718 or 625.
• the same types of materials can be used for the side and bottom support systems.
• the vertical members of the side support system can be made of sheet metal so that they are flexible and will function as springs for holding the glass sheets in place during the heat treatment.
• the spring function also allows a given fixture to be used with glass sheets of various thicknesses. Other materials capable of withstanding the temperatures and stresses associated with the heat treatment can, of course, be employed in constructing fixture 9 if desired.
• glass is loaded sheet-by-sheet into fixture 9 using, for example, a commercial robot.
• the loaded fixture is conveyed into a lehr equipped with a convection heating mechanism and subject to rapid heating followed by a holding period at a treatment temperature (T treatment).
• T treatment treatment temperature
• the rate of heating, the treatment temperature, and the duration of the holding period will, of course, depend on the specific glass being heat treated.
• the heating rate can be in the range of, for example, 600- 1200°C/hour
• the treatment temperature can be in the range of, for example, 500-750°C
• the holding period can be in the range of 0.5-4 firs.
• the fixture can be conveyed into a cooling chamber equipped with a convection cooling mechanism.
• the rate of cooling and the temperature to which the glass sheets are cooled prior further processing will depend on the specific glass being treated. As general guidelines, the cooling rate can be in the range of 600-1200°C/hour, and the handling temperature can be in the range of 20-50°C.
• the glass is unloaded sheet-by- sheet from the fixture, e.g., using a robot, and transported to the next process step, e.g., to a chemical strengthening process.
• the present disclosure provides practical apparatus for heat treating large and thin display-grade glass sheets at a temperature near the strain point of the glass.
• the heat treatment is performed without touching the majority of the glass surfaces (i.e., without touching the quality areas), thus avoiding scratches and contamination.
• the glass sheets are held in a vertical and straight-up position in order to minimize warp, and the vertical holding mechanism provides a damping effect in order to control damage due to glass vibration during convection heating/cooling cycles.
• the vertical holding mechanism can gently "nip" the glass (with zero clearance between the mechanism and the glass), so that the glass will have a better chance to be held in up-straight position and less chance to sag during the heating cycle.
• the apparatus can hold many glass sheets in order to increase productivity and can ensure that all the sheets (and the entire quality areas of each individual sheet) are heated to the same temperature for the same duration, and cooled in the same manner to avoid variations in the final attributes of the glass sheets as a result of different thermal histories for different parts of the sheets.
• the apparatus has an open-box design which is both simpler and lighter than prior apparatus used to hold glass sheets during heat treatments.
• the apparatus is thus simple yet functional, steady yet light, for cost effectiveness and operational efficiency.
• the apparatus is also dimensionally stable because its simple and light frame is less likely to suffer thermal distortion during heating and cooling cycles than more complex structures.
• the apparatus is robot friendly and allows glass sheets to be automatically loaded/unloaded for increased productivity and reduced cost.
• the guiding feature at the top of the vertical members (the vertical holding fins) provides for easy insertion of the glass sheets.
• the box frame also facilitates positioning and indexing of the apparatus in robot loading/unloading operations.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Re-Forming, After-Treatment, Cutting And Transporting Of Glass Products (AREA)

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• 2012
  • 2012-04-13 TW TW101113251A patent/TWI525052B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2012-04-17 CN CN201280018927.7A patent/CN103492330B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2012-04-17 JP JP2014506473A patent/JP2014511824A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 2012-04-17 US US14/111,008 patent/US20140026622A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-04-17 KR KR1020137027133A patent/KR20140025387A/ko not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-04-17 WO PCT/US2012/033867 patent/WO2012145280A2/en not_active Ceased

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