Methods and apparatuses for producing laminated glass sheets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016368805-A1
Application number	US-201615252745-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 31, 2016
Priority date	Jul 13, 2012
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method for forming a laminated glass sheet includes forming a multi-layer glass melt from a molten core glass and at least one molten cladding glass. The multi-layer glass melt has a width W m , a melt thickness T m and a core to cladding thickness ratio T c :T cl . The multi-layer glass melt is directed onto the surface of a molten metal bath contained in a float tank. The width W m of the multi-layer glass melt is less than the width W f of the float tank prior to the multi-layer glass melt entering the float tank. The multi-layer glass melt flows over the surface of the molten metal bath such that the width W m of the multi-layer glass melt increases, the melt thickness T m decreases, and the core to cladding thickness ratio T c :T cl remains constant as the multi-layer glass melt solidifies into a laminated glass sheet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for forming a laminated glass sheet, the method comprising:
delivering a molten core glass and a molten cladding glass to a slot draw apparatus such that the molten core glass passes through a core slot of the slot draw apparatus and the molten cladding glass passes through at least one cladding slot of the slot draw apparatus to form a multi-layer glass melt with a width W m , a melt thickness T m , and a core to cladding thickness ratio T c :T cl upon exiting the slot draw apparatus; directing the multi-layer glass melt onto a surface of a molten metal bath with a width W f that is greater than the width W m such that, as the multi-layer glass melt flows over the surface of the molten metal bath, the width W m of the multi-layer glass melt increases, the melt thickness T m decreases, and the core to cladding thickness ratio T c :T cl remains constant as the multi-layer glass melt solidifies into the laminated glass sheet.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising directing the multi-layer glass melt onto a receiving surface of a receiving plane prior to directing the multi-layer glass melt onto the surface of the molten metal bath.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the receiving surface of the receiving plane is oriented at a receiving plane angle greater than or equal to 0° and less than 90° with respect to the surface of the molten metal bath.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
contacting an upper surface of the multi-layer glass melt with a plurality of top rollers when the multi-layer glass melt is on the surface of the molten metal bath; and drawing the multi-layer glass melt in a direction of the width W f of the molten metal bath with the plurality of top rollers.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
contacting an upper surface of the multi-layer glass melt with a plurality of top rollers when the multi-layer glass melt is on the surface of the molten metal bath; and drawing the multi-layer glass melt in a direction of the width W f and a length L f of the molten metal bath with the plurality of top rollers.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the core slot has a core height H c , the at least one cladding slot has a cladding height H cl and the core height H c is not equal to the cladding height H cl .

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cladding slot comprises a first cladding slot and a second cladding slot and the core slot is positioned between the first cladding slot and the second cladding slot.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first cladding slot has a first height H cla , the second cladding slot has a second height H clb , and the first height H cla is not equal to the second height H clb .

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the core slot has a core height H c , the first cladding slot has a first height H cla , the second cladding slot has a second height H clb , and the core height H c is greater than each of the first height H cla and the second height H clb .

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the core slot and the at least one cladding slot comprise a plurality of reinforcing webs.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the reinforcing webs are recessed from an outlet of the slot draw apparatus.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the core slot and the at least one cladding slot are oriented in parallel with one another.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the slot draw apparatus is oriented at a slot angle greater than or equal to 0° and less than 90° with respect to the surface of the molten metal bath.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a width W s of the slot draw apparatus is less than the width W f of the molten metal bath.

15 . The method of claim 1 wherein the laminated glass sheet has a width greater than 4 meters.

16 . An apparatus for forming a laminated glass sheet, the apparatus comprising:
a core glass melting vessel; a cladding glass melting vessel; a float tank having a width W f ; and a slot draw apparatus positioned over the float tank to deliver a multi-layer glass melt comprising a molten core glass and a molten cladding glass to the float tank, the slot draw apparatus having a width W s less than the width W f of the float tank and comprising a core glass slot and at least one cladding glass slot, the core glass slot fluidly coupled to the core glass melting vessel to receive the molten core glass, and the at least one cladding glass slot fluidly coupled to the cladding glass melting vessel to receive the molten cladding glass.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a receiving plane positioned between the slot draw apparatus and the float tank to receive the multi-layer glass melt discharged from the slot draw apparatus.

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the slot draw apparatus is oriented at a slot angle greater than or equal to 0° and less than 90° with respect to a surface of a molten metal bath contained in the float tank.

19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:
the at least one cladding slot comprises a first cladding slot having a first height H cla and a second cladding slot having a second height H clb that is not equal to the first height H cla ; and the core slot is positioned between the first cladding slot and the second cladding slot.

20 . The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of top rollers to contact the multi-layer glass melt in the float tank and draw the multi-layer glass melt in a direction of the width W f of the float tank and increase the width W m of the multi-layer glass melt.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Bisson Antoine Gaston Denis
• Fournel Olivier
• Fredholm Allen Mark
• Joubaud Laurent
• Lereboullet Jean-Pierre Henri René
• Tellier Xavier

Classifications

• C03B5/267

  specially adapted for supplying the float tank · CPC title

• C03B7/08

  Feeder spouts, e.g. gob feeders · CPC title

• C03B18/02

  Forming sheets · CPC title

• C03B18/12 Primary

  Making multilayer, coloured or armoured glass (chemical aspects C03C) · CPC title

• C03B18/06

  using mechanical means, e.g. restrictor bars, edge rollers · CPC title