Refill system with improved utilization rate of ultra-thin glass production process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12415741-B2
Application number	US-202117557650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2021
Priority date	Jan 27, 2021
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

A refill system includes a tempering furnace, a refill furnace which stores the molten potassium nitrate obtained by melting powdered potassium nitrate, a supply unit which supplies the molten potassium nitrate to the tempering furnace, a tempering furnace side load measuring unit which measures a load amount of the molten potassium nitrate in the tempering furnace, a refill furnace side load measuring unit which measures a load amount of the molten potassium nitrate in the refill furnace, and a central control unit which checks the load amount of the molten potassium nitrate in the tempering furnace and the refill furnace in real time, and controls the supply unit to stop supplying the molten potassium nitrate to the tempering furnace when the load amount of the molten potassium nitrate in the tempering furnace is greater than or equal to a predetermined load amount.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refill system of an ultra-thin glass production process, the refill system comprising:
a tempering furnace filled with a molten potassium nitrate to temper a glass;
a refill furnace which receives a powdered potassium nitrate to melt the powdered potassium nitrate to the molten potassium nitrate and stores the molten potassium nitrate obtained by melting the powdered potassium nitrate;
a supply unit which supplies the molten potassium nitrate in the refill furnace to the tempering furnace;
a tempering furnace side load measuring unit which measures a load amount of the molten potassium nitrate in the tempering furnace;
a refill furnace side load measuring unit which measures a load amount of the molten potassium nitrate in the refill furnace; and
a central control unit which checks the load amount of the molten potassium nitrate in the tempering furnace and the load amount of the molten potassium nitrate in the refill furnace in real time using the tempering furnace side load measuring unit and the refill furnace side load measuring unit, controls the supply unit to supply the molten potassium nitrate in the refill furnace to the tempering furnace, and controls the supply unit to stop supplying the molten potassium nitrate to the tempering furnace when the load amount of the molten potassium nitrate in the tempering furnace is greater than or equal to a predetermined load amount,
wherein the central control unit pauses for a predetermined time to stabilize the molten potassium nitrate filled in the tempering furnace before immersing any glass-loaded cassette in the tempering furnace when the supply unit is controlled to stop supplying the molten potassium nitrate to the tempering furnace.

2. The refill system of claim 1 , wherein the central control unit allows the molten potassium nitrate of 87% to 93% with respect to a total potassium nitrate load capacity of the tempering furnace to be refilled in the tempering furnace when refilling the molten potassium nitrate into the tempering furnace where all molten potassium nitrate in the tempering furnace is drained out.

3. The refill system of claim 1 , wherein, when the potassium nitrate of 87% to 93% with respect to a total potassium nitrate load capacity of the tempering furnace is refilled into the tempering furnace, the refill furnace is filled with the powdered potassium nitrate, and a load amount of the powdered potassium nitrate is determined to allow an amount of the molten potassium nitrate obtained when the powdered potassium nitrate is melted to a liquid state to be within a range of 87% to 93% of a total potassium nitrate load capacity of the refill furnace.

4. The refill system of claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the load amount of the molten potassium nitrate in the tempering furnace during a glass tempering process using the tempering furnace is reduced by 5% to 25% from the load amount of the molten potassium nitrate in the tempering furnace when the glass is first immersed, the central control unit refills the molten potassium nitrate in the refill furnace to the tempering furnace to allow the load amount of the molten potassium nitrate in the tempering furnace to be within a range of 87% to 93% with respect to a total potassium nitrate load capacity of the tempering furnace.

5. The refill system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a timer counter which measures the predetermined time, wherein the central control unit allows a glass-loaded cassette to be immersed in the molten potassium nitrate after waiting the predetermined time using the timer counter when the tempering furnace is filled with the molten potassium nitrate corresponding to 87% to 93% of a total potassium nitrate load capacity of the tempering furnace.

6. The refill system of claim 1 , wherein the refill furnace comprises:
an outer case;
a potassium nitrate storage tank installed in the outer case, wherein the potassium nitrate storage tank stores the powdered potassium nitrate or the molten potassium nitrate;
a potassium nitrate melting unit disposed between the outer case and the potassium nitrate storage tank, wherein the potassium nitrate melting unit heats the potassium nitrate storage tank to change phase from the powdered potassium nitrate in the potassium nitrate storage tank to the molten potassium nitrate; and
a refill furnace side temperature measuring unit which measures a temperature of the molten potassium nitrate in the potassium nitrate storage tank in real time.

7. The refill system of claim 6 , wherein the potassium nitrate melting unit comprises:
a side heater installed in the outer case and disposed between an inner sidewall of the outer case and an outer sidewall of the potassium nitrate storage tank to heat a side portion of the potassium nitrate storage tank;
a bottom heater installed in the outer case and disposed between an inner bottom of the outer case and an outer bottom of the potassium nitrate storage tank to heat a lower portion of the potassium nitrate storage tank; and
a refill furnace side heater control unit which controls the side heater and the bottom heater to allow the temperature of the molten potassium nitrate, which is measured by the refill furnace side temperature measuring unit, to be within a set temperature range.

8. The refill system of claim 6 , wherein
a potassium nitrate melting unit entrance is defined through one side surface of the outer case to move the potassium nitrate melting unit into and out of the outer case, and
the refill furnace further comprises a transfer unit which withdraws the potassium nitrate melting unit out of the outer case through the potassium nitrate melting unit entrance by sliding the potassium nitrate melting unit or inserts the potassium nitrate melting unit from outside the outer case into the outer case by sliding the potassium nitrate melting unit.

9. The refill system of claim 1 , wherein the refill furnace is installed at a position higher than a position where the tempering furnace is installed to allow the molten potassium nitrate in the refill furnace to be introduced into the tempering furnace through the supply unit.

10. The refill system of claim 9 , wherein the supply unit comprises:
a molten potassium nitrate supply line which supplies the molten potassium nitrate in the refill furnace to the tempering furnace;
a supply line shut-off valve installed at the molten potassium nitrate supply line, wherein the supply line shut-off valve opens or closes the molten potassium nitrate supply line to stop or to continue a flow of the molten potassium nitrate to the tempering furnace, and controls a flow rate of the molten potassium nitrate supplied to the tempering furnace from the refill furnace based on a valve opening degree thereof;
a first supply unit side heating unit which heats the molten potassium nitrate supply line and the supply line shut-off valve such that the molten potassium nitrate passing through the molten potassium nitrate supply line and the supply line shut-off valve is not hardened; and
an opening degree control unit which opens and closes the supply line shut-off valve or adjusts the valve opening degree of the supply line shut-off valve in response to a control signal from the central control unit.

11. The refill system of claim 10 , wherein the opening degree control unit comprises:
a linear actuator which linearly moves a moving rod in response to the control signal from the central control unit; and
a valve handle rotation unit which rotates a handle mounted on the supply line shut-off valve in conjunction with the moving rod when the moving rod moves linearly.

12. The refill system of claim

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd
• Dowooinsys Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Hanggyun
• Kim Hyo-Seop
• Roh Hyoungsuk
• Lee Jang Doo
• Koo Bon Ki
• Kim Jeong Gi
• Yoon Seok Joo
• Lee Hyungsup
• Cha Kyoung Yong

Classifications

• C03C21/002 Primary

  to perform ion-exchange between alkali ions (C03C21/005 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F27D19/00

  Arrangements of controlling devices · CPC title

• F27D21/0028

  Devices for monitoring the level of the melt · CPC title

• F27D2019/0075

  Regulation of the charge quantity · CPC title

• F27D21/0035

  Devices for monitoring the weight of quantities added to the charge · CPC title