Method and apparatus for glass ribbon thermal control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11512015-B2
Application number	US-201716463529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2017
Priority date	Nov 23, 2016
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A method and apparatus for manufacturing a glass article includes flowing a glass ribbon through a housing having first and second side walls. The first and second side walls extend between the glass ribbon and a cooling mechanism and at least one of the side walls has at least one closeable opening, such that a greater amount of heat is transferred from the glass ribbon when the closeable opening is open than when the closeable opening is closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a glass article comprising:
a cooling mechanism;
a housing comprising an interior area defined between a first side wall and a second side wall, wherein the first side wall extends between the interior area and the cooling mechanism, and the cooling mechanism is configured to isolate a first cooling fluid within the cooling mechanism from fluid communication with the interior area; and
a first closeable opening in the first side wall, wherein the first closeable opening and the cooling mechanism are configured to allow a greater amount of heat to be transferred from a glass ribbon traveling within the interior area when the first closeable opening is open than when the first closeable opening is closed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second closeable opening in one of the first and second side walls.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first closable opening and the second closable opening are each configured to be independently opened or closed.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second closable opening, with reference to a flow direction of the glass ribbon, is positioned downstream from the first closable opening.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second closable opening is in the first side wall.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first closable opening and the second closable opening are each elongated and configured to be elongated along a widthwise direction of the glass ribbon.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first closable opening and the second closable opening are each elongated and configured to be elongated along a widthwise direction of the glass ribbon.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cooling mechanism comprises a first conduit configured to isolate the first cooling fluid within the cooling mechanism from fluid communication with the interior area, the first conduit situated along the first side wall.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the cooling mechanism further comprises a second conduit configured to isolate a second cooling fluid within the cooling mechanism from fluid communication with the interior area, the second conduit situated along the first side wall in a position that allows for a direct view through the closable opening when the closable opening is open, and the second conduit is situated downstream of the first conduit with reference to a flow direction of the glass ribbon.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the cooling mechanism further comprises a second conduit configured to isolate a second cooling fluid within the cooling mechanism from fluid communication with the interior area.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second conduit is situated along the first side wall.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second conduit is situated downstream of the first conduit with reference to a flow direction of the glass ribbon.

13. An apparatus for manufacturing a glass article comprising:
a convective cooling mechanism comprising at least one vacuum port configured to promote convection cooling of a glass ribbon with a cooling fluid flow generated at least partially by operation of the at least one vacuum port;
a housing comprising an interior area defined between a first side wall and a second side wall, the first side wall extending between the interior area and the convective cooling mechanism, and an inlet of the at least one vacuum port is spaced away from the first side wall; and
a first closeable opening in the first side wall, wherein the first closeable opening and the convective cooling mechanism are configured to allow a greater amount of heat to be transferred from the glass ribbon traveling within the interior area when the first closeable opening is open than when the first closeable opening is closed.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a second closeable opening in one of the first and second side walls.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first closable opening and the second closable opening are each configured to be independently opened or closed.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second closable opening, with reference to a flow direction of the glass ribbon, is positioned downstream from the first closable opening.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first closable opening and the second closable opening are each elongated and configured to be elongated along a widthwise direction of the glass ribbon.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the second closable opening is in the first side wall.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first closable opening and the second closable opening are each elongated and configured to be elongated along a widthwise direction of the glass ribbon.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Delia Robert
• El-Kahlout Ahdi
• Lee Soongyup

Classifications

• C03B17/067 Primary

  combined with thermal conditioning of the sheets · CPC title

• C03B25/12

  of glass sheets · CPC title

• C03B17/064

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

• Y02P40/57

  Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates · CPC title