Forming bodies for forming continuous glass ribbons and glass forming apparatuses comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11053153-B2
Application number	US-201716090413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2017
Priority date	Apr 7, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a forming body of a glass forming apparatus may include an upper portion with a first forming surface and a second forming surface extending from the upper portion. The first forming surface and the second forming surface may converge at a bottom edge of the forming body. A trough for receiving molten glass may be positioned in the upper portion of the forming body. The trough may include a first weir, a second weir opposite from and spaced apart from the first weir, and a base extending between the first weir and the second weir. At least a portion of a vertical surface of the first weir may curve inward towards a centerline of the trough. Similarly, at least a portion of a vertical surface of the second weir may curve inward towards the centerline of the trough.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A forming body of a glass forming apparatus comprising:
an upper portion;
a first forming surface and a second forming surface extending from the upper portion, the first forming surface and the second forming surface converging at a bottom edge of the forming body; and
a trough for receiving molten glass positioned in the upper portion of the forming body, the trough defined by a first weir, a second weir opposite from and spaced apart from the first weir, and a base extending between the first weir and the second weir, wherein:
at least a portion of a vertical surface of the first weir curves inward toward a centerline of the trough;
at least a portion of a vertical surface of the second weir curves inward toward the centerline of the trough; and
the vertical surfaces of the first and second weirs extend from tops of the first and second weirs, respectively, to the base.

2. The forming body of claim 1 , wherein:
the vertical surface of the first weir is an inner vertical surface of the first weir, the first weir further comprising an outer vertical surface opposite the inner vertical surface of the first weir and at least a portion of the outer vertical surface of the first weir curves inward toward the centerline of the trough; and
the vertical surface of the second weir is an inner vertical surface of the second weir, the second weir further comprising an outer vertical surface opposite the inner vertical surface of the second weir and at least a portion of the outer vertical surface of the second weir curves inward toward the centerline of the trough.

3. The forming body of claim 2 , wherein:
the portion of the inner vertical surface of the first weir and the portion of the outer vertical surface of the first weir that curve inward toward the centerline of the trough are located between a first end of the forming body and a midpoint of a length L of the upper portion of the forming body; and
the portion of the inner vertical surface of the second weir and the portion of the outer vertical surface of the second weir that curve inward toward the centerline of the trough are located between the first end of the forming body and the midpoint of the length L of the upper portion of the forming body.

4. The forming body of claim 1 , wherein:
the vertical surface of the first weir is an inner vertical surface of the first weir and the first weir further comprises an outer vertical surface opposite the inner vertical surface of the first weir, wherein the outer vertical surface of the first weir is substantially planar; and
the vertical surface of the second weir is an inner vertical surface of the second weir and the second weir further comprises an outer vertical surface opposite the inner vertical surface of the second weir, wherein the outer vertical surface of the second weir is substantially planar.

5. The forming body of claim 4 , wherein:
the portion of the inner vertical surface of the first weir that curves inward toward the centerline of the trough is located between a first end of the forming body and a midpoint of a length L of the upper portion of the forming body; and
the portion of the inner vertical surface of the second weir that curves inward toward the centerline of the trough is located between the first end of the forming body and the midpoint of the length L of the upper portion of the forming body.

6. The forming body of claim 1 , wherein:
the vertical surface of the first weir is an outer vertical surface of the first weir and the first weir further comprises an inner vertical surface opposite the outer vertical surface of the first weir, wherein the inner vertical surface of the first weir is substantially planar; and
the vertical surface of the second weir is an outer vertical surface of the second weir and the second weir further comprises an inner vertical surface opposite the outer vertical
surface of the second weir, wherein the inner vertical surface of the second weir is substantially planar.

7. The forming body of claim 6 , wherein:
the portion of the outer vertical surface of the first weir that curves inward toward the centerline of the trough is located between a first end of the forming body and a midpoint of a length L of the upper portion of the forming body; and
the portion of the outer vertical surface of the second weir that curves inward toward the centerline of the trough is located between the first end of the forming body and the midpoint of the length L of the upper portion of the forming body.

8. The forming body of claim 1 , wherein the trough is a first trough and the forming body further comprises a second trough positioned in the base of the first trough.

9. The forming body of claim 8 , wherein the second trough extends from a first end of the forming body toward an opposite end of the forming body to a point that is less than or equal to a midpoint M of a length L of the forming body.

10. The forming body of claim 9 , wherein the second trough extends from the first end of the forming body toward the opposite end of the forming body to a point that is less than or equal to ⅓ of the length L of the forming body.

11. The forming body of claim 1 , further comprising a yoke block coupled to the first weir and the second weir and extending across the trough.

12. The forming body of claim 11 , wherein the yoke block comprises first and second slots and the first weir and the second weir are positioned in the first slot and second slot, respectively.

13. The forming body of claim 11 , further comprising a restraining block positioned on the yoke block, the yoke block positioned within a slot of the restraining block.

14. The forming body of claim 1 , wherein the first weir and the second weir are compressed in a longitudinal direction of the forming body.

15. The forming body of claim 1 , wherein:
a thickness of the first weir varies along a length of the forming body; and
a thickness of the second weir varies along a length of the forming body.

16. The forming body of claim 15 , wherein:
a first thickness of the first weir proximate a first end of the forming body is greater than a second thickness of the first weir at a midpoint of the forming body; and
a first thickness of the second weir proximate the first end of the forming body is greater than a second thickness of the second weir at the midpoint of the forming body.

17. The forming body of claim 16 , wherein:
a transition from the first thickness of the first weir to the second thickness of the first weir comprises a radius; and
a transition from the first thickness of second first weir to the second thickness of the second weir comprises a radius.

18. The forming body of claim 1 , wherein:
a thickness of the first weir varies along a vertical downward direction from the top of the first weir; and
a thickness of the second weir varies along the vertical downward direction from the top of the second weir.

19. The forming body of claim 18 , wherein:
the thickness of the first weir decreases linearly in the downward vertical direction; and
the thickness of the second weir decreases linearly in the downward vertical direction.

20. The forming body of claim 1 , wherein the vertical surfaces of the first and second weirs comprise planar portions extending from an inlet end of the forming body.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Boratav Olus Naili
• Lansberry Timothy L
• Milillo Steven Michael

Classifications

• Y02P40/57

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• C03B17/061 Primary

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• C03B17/064 Primary

  by the overflow downdraw fusion process; Isopipes therefor · CPC title

• C03B2201/40

  doped with transition metals other than rare earth metals, e.g. Zr, Nb, Ta or Zn · CPC title