Station and system for press forming glass sheets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10377657-B2
Application number	US-201615047811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2016
Priority date	Jun 9, 2010
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A press station (12) and system (10) for forming glass sheets that are initially formed with an upwardly concave curved shape with end portions (86) and an intermediate portion (88) having straight line elements that are subsequently formed with curved shapes to provide curvature along transverse directions. The forming is performed by initially providing curvature to the straight line elements of the glass sheet end portions (86) while the intermediate portion (88) still has the straight line elements. The glass sheet intermediate portion is subsequently formed to provide curvature to its straight line elements so the entire glass sheet has curvature in transverse directions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A glass sheet press station comprising:
a conveyor for conveying along a direction of conveyance a heated and initially formed glass sheet having an upwardly concave shape including upper end portions spaced laterally from each other with respect to the direction of conveyance and a lower intermediate portion that extends transversely with respect to the direction of conveyance between the end portions, with the upper end portions and the lower intermediate portion having straight line elements, and with the glass sheet curved transversely to the straight line elements;
a lower ring over which the glass sheet is conveyed, the lower ring including a support frame and also including a pair of rigid upwardly concave end portions on the support frame spaced laterally from each other relative to the direction of conveyance with rigid upwardly concave curved shapes along the direction of conveyance, the lower ring further including a pair of rigid upwardly concave intermediate portions on the support frame spaced from each other along the direction of conveyance with rigid upwardly concave curved shapes extending transversely to the direction of conveyance between the end portions of the lower ring, the end portions of the lower ring each including a connection that permits vertical movement thereof relative to the support frame, and the intermediate portions of the lower ring each including a connection that prevents movement thereof relative to the support frame so the end portions and the intermediate portions are movable vertically together with each other and independently of each other;
an upper mold located above the lower ring and having a downwardly facing surface with downwardly convex curvature both along and transverse to the direction of conveyance in complementary relationship to the curvature of the end portions and intermediate portions of the lower ring; and
an actuator configured to: initially move the end portions and the intermediate portions of the lower ring upwardly together with each other by upward movement of the support frame to lift the initially formed glass sheet upwardly off of the conveyor; then move the end portions of the lower ring upwardly relative to the support frame and the intermediate portions of the lower ring to move the end portions of the glass sheet upwardly into contact with the downwardly facing surface of the upper mold to provide curvature to the straight line elements of the end portions of the glass sheet while the intermediate portion of the glass sheet has not yet been formed by the upper mold; and thereafter move the support frame upwardly to move the intermediate portions of the lower ring upwardly relative to its end portions to contact the intermediate portion of the glass sheet with the downwardly facing surface of the upper mold to provide curvature to the straight line elements of the intermediate portion of the glass sheet so the entire glass sheet has curvature in transverse directions.

2. A glass sheet press station as in claim 1 wherein the lower ring includes a pair of pivotal connections that respectively pivotally mount the end portions of the lower ring on the support frame for the vertical movement with respect thereto and with respect to the intermediate portions of the lower ring.

3. A glass sheet press station as in claim 2 wherein the pair of pivotal connections each includes pivotal arms having first ends that are pivotally mounted on the support frame and second ends that respectively mount the associated end portion of the lower ring.

4. A glass sheet press station as in claim 1 wherein the actuator includes cylinders for applying upward force to the end portions of the lower ring so as to move the lower ring end portions upwardly relative to the support frame and the intermediate portions to provide the movement of the end portions of the glass sheet upwardly into contact with the downwardly facing surface of the upper mold to provide forming thereof along the direction of conveyance while the intermediate portion of the glass sheet has not yet been formed by the upper mold.

5. A glass sheet press station as in claim 4 wherein the actuator operates the cylinders to reduce the upward force applied to the end portions of the lower ring as the intermediate portions of the lower ring are moved upwardly relative to the end portions of the lower ring to facilitate movement of the glass sheet end portions relative to the downwardly facing surface of the upper mold as the intermediate portions of the lower ring move the intermediate portion of the glass sheet into contact with the downwardly facing surface of the upper mold to provide the forming thereof along the direction of conveyance.

6. A glass sheet press station as in claim 1 wherein the lower ring includes adjustors for adjusting the positions of its rigid upwardly concave end portions and its rigid upwardly concave intermediate portions relative to the support frame and each other.

7. A glass sheet press forming system comprising:
a conveyor for conveying glass sheets along a direction of conveyance;
a furnace including a heating chamber through which the conveyor conveys glass sheets from an entrance end of the furnace toward an exit end thereof for heating in preparation for forming;
the furnace adjacent its exit end including inclined rolls of progressively increasing inclination along the direction of conveyance so as to initially form each glass sheet with an upwardly concave curved shape extending transversely with respect to the direction of conveyance with upper end portions and a lower intermediate portion extending between the end portions, with the upper end portions and the lower intermediate portion having straight line elements, and with the glass sheet curved transversely to the straight line elements;
a press station to which the conveyor conveys the initial formed glass sheet at a location downstream from the exit end of the furnace, the press station including a lower ring over which the glass sheet is conveyed, the lower ring including a support frame and also including a pair of rigid upwardly concave end portions on the support frame spaced laterally from each other relative to the direction of conveyance with rigid upwardly concave curved shapes along the direction of conveyance, the lower ring further including a pair of rigid upwardly concave intermediate portions on the support frame spaced from each other along the direction of conveyance with rigid upwardly concave curved shapes extending transversely to the direction of conveyance between the end portions of the lower ring, the end portions of the lower ring each including a connection that permits vertical movement thereof relative to the support frame, and the intermediate portions of the lower ring each including a connection that prevents movement thereof relative to the support frame so the end portions and the intermediate portions are movable vertically together with each other and independently of each other;
the press station also including an upper mold located above the lower ring and having a downwardly facing surface with convex curvature both along and transverse to the direction of conveyance in complementary relationship to the curvature of the end portions and intermediate portions of the lower ring; and
an actuator configured to: initially move the end portions and the intermediate portions of the lower ring upwardly together with each other by upward movement of the support frame to lift the initially formed glass sheet upwardly off of the conveyor; then move the end portions of the lower ring upwardly relative to the support frame and the intermediate portions of the lower ring to move the end portions of the glass sheet upwardly into contact wit

Assignees

• Glasstech Inc

Inventors

• Nitschke David B
• Nitschke Dean M
• Odneal Mace L
• Jinka Ashoka G

Classifications

• B30B9/00

  Presses specially adapted for particular purposes · CPC title

• C03B23/03 Primary

  by press-bending between shaping moulds · CPC title

• C03B23/0357

  by suction without blowing, e.g. with vacuum or by venturi effect · CPC title

• C03B23/0305

  Press-bending accelerated by applying mechanical forces, e.g. inertia, weights or local forces · CPC title

• C03B35/14

  Transporting hot glass sheets {or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands} · CPC title