Apparatus and method for processing molten glass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016185643-A1
Application number	US-201414912412-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 19, 2014
Priority date	Aug 22, 2013
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A glass forming apparatus for processing molten glass is disclosed comprising a delivery vessel for delivery molten glass to a forming body through a delivery conduit, the delivery conduit comprising a first portion have a circular cross-sectional shape, a second portion comprising a circular cross-sectional shape and a third portion comprising a non-circular cross-sectional shape. The delivery conduit further comprises a first transition portion coupling the second portion to the third portion, and a second transition portion coupling the third portion to an inlet of a trough in a forming body. Neither an inside bottom surface of the third portion, nor an inside bottom surface of the second transition portion, is lower than a bottom surface of the forming body trough. A method of processing molten glass is also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for processing molten glass comprising:
a forming body comprising a trough positioned in a top of the forming body; a delivery vessel comprising a delivery vessel outlet conduit, the delivery vessel configured to supply molten glass to the forming body trough through a delivery conduit configured to deliver the flow of molten glass to the forming body trough, the delivery conduit comprising:
a first portion having a straight longitudinal axis and a circular cross section, wherein at least a portion of the delivery vessel outlet conduit extends within but does not contact at least a length of the first portion, there being an annular gap separating the at least a portion of the delivery vessel outlet conduit from the first portion of the delivery conduit;
a second portion configured to direct the flow of molten glass from a first direction to a second direction different from the first direction;
a third portion having a straight longitudinal axis and an inside bottom surface, and wherein a cross sectional shape of the third portion is non-circular;
a first transition portion that connects the second portion to the third portion;
a second transition portion that couples the third portion to the forming body trough, the second transition portion having an inside bottom surface; and
wherein the bottom surfaces of the third portion and the second transition portion are no lower than a bottom surface of the trough.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises two forming bodies spaced vertically apart.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the forming body comprises converging forming surfaces configured such that molten glass overflowing the trough flows over the converging forming surfaces.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a head loss through the third portion for a molten glass having a density of 2.305 and a viscosity of 34,585 poise is no greater than 0.8 cm per cm of length of the third portion for a flow rate less than 100 kg/hour.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of heating plates positioned adjacent to the delivery conduit and configured to be separately controlled, each heating plate comprising a refractory insulating material and a heating element arranged in a channel of the refractory insulating material.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the third portion comprises a curved wall.

7 . An apparatus for processing molten glass comprising:
a first forming body; a first delivery vessel configured to supply molten glass to the first forming body through a first precious metal delivery conduit; a second forming body positioned vertically below the first forming body and comprising a trough; a second delivery vessel configured to supply molten glass to the second forming body, the second delivery vessel comprising an outlet conduit extending from a bottom thereof; a second precious metal conduit configured to receive a flow of molten glass from the second delivery vessel outlet conduit and deliver the flow of molten glass to the second forming body trough, comprising:
a first portion having a straight longitudinal axis and a circular cross section, wherein at least a portion of the outlet conduit extends within but does not contact at least a length of the first portion, there being an annular gap separating the at least a portion of the outlet conduit from the first portion of the second precious metal conduit;
a second portion configured to direct the flow of molten glass from a first direction to a second direction;
a third portion having a straight longitudinal axis and an inside bottom surface, and wherein a cross sectional shape of the third portion is non-circular;
a first transition portion that connects the second portion to the third portion;
a second transition portion that couples the third portion to the second forming body trough, the second transition portion having an inside bottom surface; and
wherein the bottom surfaces of the third portion and the second transition portions are no lower than a bottom surface of the trough.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the second forming body comprises converging forming surfaces configured such that molten glass overflowing the trough flows over the converging forming surfaces.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the third portion is sized such that a head loss for a molten glass having a density of 2.305 and a viscosity of 34,585 poise that flows through the third portion is no greater than 0.8 cm per cm of length of the third portion for a flow rate less than 100 kg/hour.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of heating plates positioned adjacent to the delivery conduit and configured to be separately controlled, each heating plate comprising a refractory insulating material and a heating element arranged in a channel of the refractory insulating material.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the third portion comprises a curved wall.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the first forming body comprises parallel forming surfaces and a recessed bottom portion.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein a length of the first precious metal delivery conduit is less than a length of the second precious metal delivery conduit.

14 . A method of processing molten glass comprising:
flowing a first molten glass to a first forming body from a first delivery vessel through a first delivery vessel outlet conduit; flowing a second molten glass from a second delivery vessel to a trough of a second forming body from a second delivery vessel through a second delivery vessel outlet conduit, the first molten glass free-flowing from the first forming body and intersecting the second molten glass, the first molten glass forming a cladding layer on the second molten glass; drawing the first molten glass and the second molten glass from the second forming body as a laminated glass ribbon; wherein flowing the second molten glass from the second delivery vessel to the second forming body comprises flowing the second molten glass through a delivery conduit un-coupled from the second delivery vessel outlet conduit, the second delivery conduit comprising: a first portion having a straight longitudinal axis and a circular cross section, wherein at least a portion of the delivery vessel outlet conduit extends within but does not contact at least a length of the first portion, there being an annular gap separating the at least a portion of the delivery vessel outlet conduit from the first portion of the delivery conduit; a second portion configured to direct the flow of the second molten glass from a first direction to a second direction different from the first direction; a third portion having a straight longitudinal axis and an inside bottom surface, and wherein a cross sectional shape of the third portion is non-circular; a first transition portion that connects the second portion to the third portion; a second transition portion that couples the third portion to the second forming body trough, the second transition portion having an inside bottom surface; and wherein the bottom surfaces of the third portion and the second transition portion are no lower than a bottom surface of the trough.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the second forming body comprises converging forming surfaces configured such that molten glass overflowing the trough flows over the converging formi

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Kersting John Jerry

Classifications

• C03B7/07

  Electric means · CPC title

• C03B7/02 Primary

  Forehearths, i.e. feeder channels · CPC title

• C03B17/064

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

• C03B17/02

  Forming {molten} glass coated with coloured layers; {Forming molten glass of different compositions or layers; Forming molten glass comprising reinforcements or inserts} · CPC title