Apparatuses for holding and conveying glass articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10550035-B2
Application number	US-201715625809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 22, 2016
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

In embodiments, a conveyor apparatus can include a conveyor ribbon having a length, a width, a thickness less than the width, and a plurality of receiving apertures located along the length and extending through the thickness of the conveyor ribbon. The plurality of receiving apertures are dimensioned to receive and hold a plurality of glass articles. A conveyor drive and guidance system directs the conveyor ribbon along a predefined conveyor path. The predefined conveyor path can include an immersion section and a drain section. The immersion section can be oriented to direct the conveyor ribbon into and out of an immersion station and the conveyor ribbon is rotated about a horizontal axis in the drain section after being directed out of the immersion station.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ion exchange system comprising a conveyor apparatus for holding and conveying articles comprising:
a conveyor ribbon having a length, a width, a thickness less than the width, and a plurality of receiving apertures located along the length and extending through the thickness of the conveyor ribbon, the plurality of receiving apertures configured to receive and hold a plurality of articles;
a predefined conveyor path comprising an immersion section and a drain section, the immersion section oriented to direct the conveyor ribbon into and out of an immersion station, the conveyor ribbon being rotated about a horizontal axis in the drain section after being directed out of the immersion section; and
a conveyor ribbon drive and guidance system for directing the conveyor ribbon along the predefined conveyor path, wherein:
the immersion station is an ion-exchange tank containing molten salt and the conveyor apparatus further comprises a drum within the ion-exchange tank, the conveyor ribbon wrapped around and along a length of the drum; and
the drain section is a loop to facilitate rotating the conveyor ribbon about the horizontal axis.

2. The ion exchange system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of receiving apertures comprises a keyhole shape with a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter, the first portions receiving the articles into the conveyor ribbon and the second portions retaining the articles.

3. The ion exchange system of claim 2 , wherein the thickness of the conveyor ribbon is from about 150 micrometers to about 400 micrometers.

4. The ion exchange system of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor ribbon comprises a top ribbon with a plurality of top ribbon apertures and a bottom ribbon with a plurality of bottom ribbon apertures, the top ribbon translatable with respect to the bottom ribbon such that the plurality of top ribbon apertures and the plurality of bottom ribbon apertures align to form the plurality of receiving apertures extending through the thickness of the conveyor ribbon.

5. The ion exchange system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of top ribbon apertures and the plurality of bottom ribbon apertures have a same diameter.

6. The ion exchange system of claim 5 , wherein the conveyor ribbon has an open position and a lock position, the plurality of top ribbon apertures are coaxial with the plurality of bottom ribbon apertures when the conveyor ribbon is in the open position and the plurality of top ribbon apertures are offset from the plurality of bottom ribbon apertures when the conveyor ribbon is in the lock position.

7. The ion exchange system of claim 4 , wherein the top ribbon has a thickness between 50 to 75 micrometers and the bottom ribbon has a thickness between 150 to 400 micrometers.

8. The ion exchange system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of receiving apertures have an outer diameter and a plurality of tabs extending inwardly from the outer diameter towards an aperture center with a distal end of the plurality of tabs defining a generally circular opening with an inner diameter, the plurality of tabs configured to receive and hold the plurality of articles.

9. The ion exchange system of claim 1 , further comprising a flange extending from a top surface of the conveyor ribbon, the flange sliding along an outer surface of the drum when the conveyor ribbon is directed into the ion-exchange tank by winding down the drum.

10. The ion exchange system of claim 9 , further comprising a first drum and a second drum within the ion-exchange tank, the conveyor ribbon wrapped along and down the first drum into the ion-exchange tank and wrapped along and up the second drum out of the ion-exchange tank.

11. The ion exchange system of claim 10 , wherein the flange extending from the top surface of the conveyor ribbon slides along an outer surface of the first drum when the conveyor ribbon is directed into the ion-exchange tank by winding down the first drum and the flange slides along an outer surface of the second drum when the conveyor ribbon is directed out of the ion-exchange tank by winding up the second drum.

12. An ion-exchange system comprising:
a conveyor ribbon having a length, a width, a thickness less than the width, and a plurality of receiving apertures located along the length and extending through the thickness of the conveyor ribbon;
a predefined conveyor path comprising an ion-exchange tank section and a drain section, the ion-exchange tank section including an ion-exchange tank for containing molten salt and a first drum within the ion-exchange tank, the conveyor ribbon extending through at least a portion of the ion-exchange tank in the ion-exchange tank section and wrapping around and along a length of the first drum, the conveyor ribbon being rotated about a horizontal axis in the drain section;
a conveyor drive and guidance system engaged with the conveyor ribbon and directing the conveyor ribbon along the predefined conveyor path, wherein:
the drain section is a loop to facilitate rotating the conveyor ribbon about the horizontal axis.

13. The ion-exchange system of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of receiving apertures have a keyhole shape with a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter, the first portions dimensioned for receiving glass articles into the conveyor ribbon and the second portions dimensioned for retaining glass articles in the conveyor ribbon.

14. The ion-exchange system of claim 12 , wherein the conveyor ribbon comprises a top ribbon with a plurality of top ribbon apertures and a bottom ribbon with a plurality of bottom ribbon apertures, the top ribbon translatable with respect to the bottom ribbon such that the plurality of top ribbon apertures and the plurality of bottom ribbon apertures align to form the plurality of receiving apertures extending through the thickness of the conveyor ribbon.

15. The ion-exchange system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of top ribbon apertures and the plurality of bottom ribbon apertures have a same diameter.

16. The ion-exchange system of claim 15 , wherein:
the conveyor ribbon has an open position with the plurality of top ribbon apertures coaxial with the plurality of bottom ribbon apertures and providing a first opening; and
the conveyor ribbon has a lock position with the plurality of top ribbon apertures offset from the plurality of bottom ribbon apertures and providing a second opening.

17. The ion-exchange system of claim 16 , wherein the first opening is dimensioned for receiving glass articles and the second opening is dimensioned for retaining glass articles.

18. The ion-exchange system of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of receiving apertures has an outer diameter and a plurality of tabs extending inwardly from the outer diameter towards an aperture center, wherein a distal end of the plurality of tabs define a generally circular opening with an inner diameter equal, the outer diameter receiving glass articles into the conveyor ribbon and the tabs retaining glass articles in the conveyor ribbon.

19. The ion-exchange system of claim 12 , further comprising a flange extending from a top surface of the conveyor ribbon, the flange sliding along an outer surface of the first drum when the conveyor ribbon is directed into the ion-exchange tank by winding down the first drum.

20. The ion-exchange system of claim 12 , further comprising a second drum within the ion-exchan

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Dannoux Thierry Luc Alain

Classifications

• B65G49/045 Primary

  the circuit being fixed · CPC title

• B65G49/0418 Primary

  chain or belt conveyors · CPC title

• B65G2201/0247

  Suspended bottles · CPC title

• B65G2812/02188

  Metallic belts · CPC title

• B65G49/05

  for fragile or damageable materials or articles · CPC title