Fluid-cooled needle for molten material flow control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12054418-B2
Application number	US-202017039734-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2020
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

A molten material furnace system having a liquid cooled flow control mechanism and method are disclosed. In particular, the flow control mechanism can include a needle including: a longitudinal axis; an outer conduit including an outer base end, an outer body, and an outer free end; an inner conduit including an inner base end, an inner body radially spaced from the outer body, an inner free end, and a central inlet passage extending between the inlet and the inner free end. Also disclosed is a needle control assembly to position the flow control needle relative to a stilling tank outlet orifice to control flow of molten material through the outlet orifice.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A molten material flow control needle, comprising:
a longitudinal axis;
an outer conduit including
an outer base end having an outlet,
an outer body extending axially away from the outer base end, and
an outer free end axially spaced apart from the outer base end;

an inner conduit and including
an inner base end having an inner conduit inlet,
an inner body extending axially away from the inner base end and being radially spaced from the outer body of the outer conduit and having an inner body wall thickness greater than an outer body wall thickness of the outer conduit,
an inner free end, and
a central inlet passage extending between the inlet and the inner free end;

an outer passage between the inner and outer bodies of the inner and outer conduits and concentric with the central inlet passage; and
an end cap fitting coupled to the base ends of the inner and outer conduits and having a central fluid passage directly in fluid communication with the central inlet passage of the inner conduit and having a needle inlet.

2. The molten material flow control needle of claim 1 , wherein the control needle comprises metal including stainless steel.

3. The molten material flow control needle of claim 1 , wherein the outer free end includes a rounded apex and a conical wall extending between the rounded apex and the outer body.

4. The molten material flow control needle of claim 1 , wherein the inner free end includes an inner apex axially spaced from a rounded apex of the outer free end, and a conical outer surface extending between the inner apex and an outer surface of the inner body.

5. The molten material flow control needle of claim 1 ,
wherein the inner body wall thickness of the inner conduit is over twice as thick as the outer body wall thickness of the outer conduit.

6. The molten material flow control needle of claim 1 , wherein the inner free end of the inner conduit extends into the outer free end of the outer conduit.

7. A molten material flow control needle, comprising:
a longitudinal axis;
an outer conduit including
an outer base end having an outlet or inlet,
an outer body extending axially away from the outer base end and having an outer body wall thickness, and
an outer free end axially spaced apart from the outer base end; and

an inner conduit including
an inner base end having an inner conduit inlet or outlet,
an inner body extending axially away from the inner base end and being radially spaced from the outer body of the outer conduit and having an inner body wall thickness greater than an outer body wall thickness of the outer conduit,
an inner free end, and
a central inlet passage extending between the inlet and the inner free end.

8. The molten material flow control needle of claim 7 , wherein the inner body wall thickness is over twice as thick as the outer body wall thickness.

9. The molten material flow control needle of claim 7 , wherein the inner body includes a plurality of standoffs circumferentially spaced around an outside surface of the inner body.

10. The molten material flow control needle of claim 7 , wherein the outer free end of the outer conduit is a tapered outer free end and the inner free end of the inner conduit extends into the tapered outer free end.

11. The molten material flow control needle of claim 7 , wherein the outer free end includes a rounded apex and a conical wall extending between the rounded apex and the outer body, and the inner free end includes a conical outer surface and an inner apex inwardly spaced from the rounded apex of the outer free end.

12. A molten material flow control needle, comprising:
a longitudinal axis;
an outer conduit including
an outer base end having an outlet,
an outer body extending axially away from the outer base end, and
a tapered outer free end extending away from the outer body; and

an inner conduit including
an inner base end having an inner conduit inlet,
an inner body extending axially away from the inner base end and being radially spaced from the outer body of the outer conduit,
an inner free end extending into the tapered outer free end of the outer conduit, and
a central inlet passage extending between the inlet and the inner free end, wherein the inner body has an inner body wall thickness greater than an outer body wall thickness of the outer conduit.

13. The molten material flow control needle of claim 12 , wherein the inner body wall thickness is over twice as thick as the outer body wall thickness.

14. A molten material flow control needle, comprising:
a longitudinal axis;
an outer conduit including
an outer base end having an outlet,
an outer body extending axially away from the outer base end, and
an outer free end axially spaced apart from the outer base end;

an inner conduit and including
an inner base end having an inner conduit inlet,
an inner body extending axially away from the inner base end and being radially spaced from the outer body of the outer conduit,
an inner free end, and
a central inlet passage extending between the inlet and the inner free end;

an outer passage between the inner and outer bodies of the inner and outer conduits and concentric with the central inlet passage; and
an end cap fitting coupled to the base ends of the inner and outer conduits and having a central fluid passage directly in fluid communication with the central inlet passage of the inner conduit and having a needle inlet, wherein the inner conduit includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced standoffs at a location distal to the inner base end and at a location proximate to the inner free end.

15. A molten material flow control needle, comprising:
a longitudinal axis;
an outer conduit including
an outer base end having an outlet,
an outer body extending axially away from the outer base end, and
a tapered outer free end extending away from the outer body; and

an inner conduit including
an inner base end having an inner conduit inlet,
an inner body extending axially away from the inner base end and being radially spaced from the outer body of the outer conduit,
an inner free end extending into the tapered outer free end of the outer conduit, and
a central inlet passage extending between the inlet and the inner free end; and
wherein the inner conduit includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced standoffs at a location distal to the inner base end and at a location proximate to the inner free end.

16. The molten material flow control needle of claim 15 , wherein the inner free end is a tapered inner free end.

17. The molten material flow control needle of claim 15 , wherein the tapered outer free end includes a rounded apex and a conical wall extending between the rounded apex and the outer body, and the inner free end includes a conical outer surface and an inner apex inwardly spaced from the rounded apex of the outer free end.

18. An apparatus, comprising:
a feeding spout having an outlet orifice; and
a molten material flow control needle, including
a longitudinal axis;
an outer conduit including
an outer base end having an outlet,
an outer body extending axially away from the outer base end, and
an outer free end axially spaced apart from the outer base end;

an inner conduit and including
an inner base end having an inner conduit inlet,
an inner body extending axially away from the inner base end and being radially spaced from the outer body of the outer conduit,

an inner free end, and
a central inlet passage extending be

Assignees

• Owens Brockway Glass Container

Inventors

• Rashley Shane T
• Fleetwood Russel K

Classifications

• C03B7/086 Primary

  Plunger mechanisms · CPC title

• C03B7/094

  Means for heating, cooling or insulation · CPC title

• C03B5/23

  Cooling the molten glass (C03B5/18, C03B5/225 take precedence) · CPC title

• C03B5/183 Primary

  using thermal means, e.g. for creating convection currents · CPC title