Methods and apparatuses for producing laminated glass sheets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9896367-B2
Application number	US-201615252745-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2016
Priority date	Jul 13, 2012
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

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.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• Y02P40/57

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

• C03B18/02

  Forming sheets · CPC title

• C03B5/267

  specially adapted for supplying the float tank · 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