Planar Sheet Preform Patents (Class 65/273)
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Patent number: 7856851Abstract: A glazing element-bending process including first to fourth stages. The first stage bends the glazing element through gravitational depression on a first support providing it with a first central depression. The second stage continues the bending of the glazing element through gravitational depression on a second support, providing it with a second central depression more pronounced than the first and until such time as the whole periphery of the glazing element enters into contact with the second support, the glazing element being at a sufficiently high temperature to enable its central part to continue to sag following contact of the whole of the periphery. The third stage continues the bending of the glazing element through gravitational depression, providing it with a third central depression more pronounced than the second, the periphery being always in contact with the second support. The fourth stage halts the depression of the glazing element by cooling and gives it the desired final shape.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2004Date of Patent: December 28, 2010Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass FranceInventors: Serge Chiappetta, Guillaume Egele
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Patent number: 7770414Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing flat sheets of a glass-based material and to an apparatus therefor. The process comprises providing a glass preform, heating the glass preform in a furnace, forming a gob and a pre-sheet, removing the gob and drawing the glass pre-sheet into a flat glass sheet. Also provided is an apparatus for drawing a glass preform into a glass sheet, the apparatus comprising a draw furnace, stretching arms for stretching and drawing the pre-sheet into a glass sheet, and opposing edge rollers for applying a downward force on the glass sheet. The draw furnace may include a plurality of individual heating elements, the temperature of each heating element capable of being separately controlled. The apparatus may further include an annealing furnace for annealing the glass sheet.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2007Date of Patent: August 10, 2010Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: Patrick J Cimo, Michael T Murtagh, Mark L Powley
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Patent number: 7748237Abstract: The invention disclose a convection glass heating furnace, which includes upper and lower furnace bodies, at least one gas-collection box are set in the upper and lower furnace bodies respectively, glass inlets and outlets are setup in the gas-collection box, and a jet-flow plate is set at the gas outlets. The gas inlets of gas-collection box are connected with the exhaust port of a blower fan through pipelines. Gas heating devices are setup in the gas-collection boxes. The gas inlets of the blower fan and its upstream gas routes along with the exhaust port of the blower fan and its downstream gas route form a gas circulation loop together. Glass is heated in the heating furnace of the invention by the hot gas sprayed on its surfaces, so the deficiencies of low heating efficiency and long heating time can be effectively avoided when heating the glass with high reflectivity and transmission ratio.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2004Date of Patent: July 6, 2010Assignee: Landglass Technology Co. LtdInventor: Yan Zhao
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Patent number: 7707853Abstract: In the process for partially shaping, a glass/glass ceramic article (5) is held on a planar support plate (1) by suction. The glass/glass ceramic article is heated to soften it, so that it has a viscosity below 106 dPa·s. After the softening one or more shaping dies (4) is or are moved upward through an opening or respective openings (3) in the support plate to form raised regions in the softened glass/glass ceramic article (5). The suction force is produced by a low pressure in a hollow compartment (2) below the support plate (1) and acts on the glass/glass ceramic article (5) by means of a gap (G) formed between each shaping die (4) and the support plate. Additional openings can be provided in the support plate and/or in one or more of the shaping dies to assist in applying the suction force to the glass/glass ceramic article. After solidification of the softened glass/glass-ceramic article the shaping die or dies (4) is or are withdrawn.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2005Date of Patent: May 4, 2010Assignee: Schott AGInventors: Friedrich-Georg Schroeder, Roland Hochhaus, Bernd Weitzel, Bernd Hoppe, Hermann Lemm, Gerhard Hahn, Hans-Walter Abraham
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Publication number: 20100050694Abstract: The invention relates to a device for bending a glass sheet comprising a bending form, the said form being furnished with means of modifying the temperature (cooling or heating) of its bending surface. The invention in particular provides good stability of the bending conditions while reducing the start-up period.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2006Publication date: March 4, 2010Applicant: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCEInventors: Yannick DAJOUX, Robert Lagneaux, Gilles Garnier
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Publication number: 20090314032Abstract: A glass ribbon producing apparatus (1) which feeds molten glass (Y) to a forming member (2) and causes the molten glass (Y) to flow downward from the forming member (2) to form a sheet-like glass ribbon (G) includes reheating portion (5) provided on a transport route for the glass ribbon (G) caused to flow downward from the forming member (2), and is configured so that the glass ribbon (G) is reheated by the reheating portion (5) to cause the sheet thickness of the glass ribbon (G) below the reheating portion (5) to be smaller than that of the glass ribbon (G) thereabove.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2007Publication date: December 24, 2009Applicant: NIPPON ELECTRIC GLASS CO., LTDInventors: Masahiro Tomamoto, Hidetaka Oda
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Publication number: 20090272149Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for scoring and separating a glass sheet along a curved trajectory using a laser and optics. The system includes a laser that generates a laser beam, a focusing lens, and a conical optical component such as a conical lens or a reflective conical milTor. The laser directs the laser beam through the focusing lens and conical lens to create a curved score line that is projected onto a glass sheet to create a curved score line, along which the glass sheet can be separated. Optionally, the laser directs the laser beam through the focusing lens towards a conical mirror, off of which the laser beam is reflected toward the glass sheet to create a curved score line.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2008Publication date: November 5, 2009Inventors: Anatoli Anatolyevich Abramov, Yawei Sun, Qi Wu
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Publication number: 20090229309Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for bending a glass sheet, and has an object of achieving high forming accuracy of a glass sheet along a perpendicular direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the glass sheet, in particular, to obtain high forming accuracy both along the conveying direction and the perpendicular direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2009Publication date: September 17, 2009Applicant: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Ken NOMURA, Nozomi OTSUBO, Hideki MURAMATSU, Toshimitsu SATO
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Publication number: 20080209947Abstract: A glass sheet is heated to a forming temperature in a heating furnace, the heated glass sheet is conveyed along a conveying plane defined by a plurality of rollers of a roller conveyer, and is moved up and down on the rollers according to the position of the glass sheet to curve a part of the conveying plane with respect to the glass sheet conveying direction to bend the glass sheet to have a desired curvature by its own weight. The rollers are curved rollers.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2008Publication date: September 4, 2008Applicant: Asahi Glass Company, LimitedInventors: Youichi NEMUGAKI, Toshimitsu Sato
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Publication number: 20080190143Abstract: A device and method for bending a glazing unit or plural glazing units positioned one on top of the other, with a first train of carriages, bearing transport supports and running between a loading zone in which at least one glazing unit is deposited on a transport support of a carriage and a transfer zone, a furnace section heating the glazing units to their bending temperature in their path towards the transfer zone, and a second train of carriages running between the transfer zone and a final cooling section with an unloading station, which is equipped with transport supports that differ from the transport supports of the first train of carriages.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2006Publication date: August 14, 2008Applicant: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCEInventors: Michael Balduin, Michael Labrot, Hubert Havenith, Karl-Josef Ollfisch, Herbert Radermacher, Gunther Schall
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Patent number: 7401476Abstract: A heated and softened glass sheet is put on a bending surface of a frame unit to be preliminarily bent by gravity before the glass sheet is pressed by an upper mold and the frame unit. There are steps for using a certain means for controlling an amount of preliminary bending to control deformation of the glass sheet caused by the preliminary bending; and pressing the preliminarily bent glass sheet by the upper mold and the frame unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2003Date of Patent: July 22, 2008Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, LimitedInventors: Masao Fukami, Shinya Oota, Tatsuo Yajima, Tomio Kajikawa, Mikinao Sasaki
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Patent number: 7401477Abstract: A glass sheet, which has been heated to have a viscosity of not lower than 105 Pa·s and not higher than 108 Pa·s, is pressed against a mold having a certain bending surface to be bent. There are a step for controlling a bending temperature T and a bending time period t for the glass sheet so as to satisfy the following formulas 1 and 2, and a step for bending the glass sheet: 0.05<?<2.00Formula 1 ? = ? 0 t ? P ? ( ? ) ? ? ( T ) ? ? ? Formula ? ? 2 where P(?) is a surface pressure difference (unit: Pa) between a pressure applied on a primary surface of the glass sheet and a pressure applied on a rear surface of the glass sheet at a time ?, t is a bending time period (unit: s), ?(T) is the viscosity (unit: Pa·s) of the glass sheet at a temperature T, and T is a bending temperature (unit: ° C.) at the time ?.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2003Date of Patent: July 22, 2008Assignee: Asahi Glass Comapny, LimitedInventors: Nobuhiro Inoue, Ken Nomura
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Patent number: 7383700Abstract: A system and a process for heat treatment of glass or other materials where fan air is blown into a heating chamber via propellant air fans and the chamber air is circulated. In order to achieve effective convection, the propellant air fans have cylindrical mixing sections. Additionally, resulting air swirls flow around the heating means which are located in the heating chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2004Date of Patent: June 10, 2008Inventor: Wolfgang Erdmann
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Patent number: 7367205Abstract: A system and method for heating, forming, and tempering a glass sheet includes pre-heating the glass sheet to at least a first predetermined temperature. The system and method includes also applying radio-frequency energy to the glass sheet to heat it to at least a second predetermined temperature and cooling at least one outer surface of the glass sheet to at least a third predetermined temperature to temper the glass sheet.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2004Date of Patent: May 6, 2008Inventor: Premakaran T. Boaz
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Patent number: 7308806Abstract: The invention relates to an air-exhausting lehr for laminated glass sheets, including a tunnel-like lehr, a conveyor, including elements for carrying laminated glass sheets in a substantially upright position through the lehr, and air circulation ducts, having fans and heating elements associated therewith for blasting heated air between the laminated glass sheets presently on the conveyor within the lehr. The lehr has its sides provided with movable walls for adjusting the lehr width to match a given glass size. This results in an enhanced passage of air between glass sheets regardless of variations in glass size.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2005Date of Patent: December 18, 2007Assignee: Tamglass Ltd. OyInventor: Jari Ala-Savikota
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Patent number: 7302813Abstract: In a method for bending, in pairs, panes placed one upon the other, heated to their softening temperature, the pair or panes is deposited on a bending frame and prebent under action of the force of gravity. The prebent pair of panes is transferred onto a suction bending mold with a concave forming face, the underside of the lowermost pane being supported at least on the peripheral edge of the forming face. By applying a depression for a predetermined length of time, the air is sucked out of the intermediate space between the underside of the lowermost pane and the suction bending mold, and the pair of panes is pressed by atmospheric pressure onto the concave forming face of the suction bending mold. After the end of the application of the depression, the finished molded pair of panes is transferred from the suction bending mold onto a transport device and is cooled.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2002Date of Patent: December 4, 2007Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass FranceInventors: Michaël Balduin, Michaël Labrot, Hubert Havenith
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Patent number: 7290405Abstract: Method for transferring heat onto a glass in the furnace meant for heat treatment of glass, into which glass is transferred on a path of rollers, furnace heated by resistors (5) located inside of the furnace, the radiation heat directed onto the glass and convection heat transferred by means of a blower and air onto the glass. In the method the glass being heated and roller space (8) are separated by a wall (9) from air circulation space (3, 7), by means of blowers the air circulation is arranged to heat above and/or below the glass by means of the first chamber (7) and second chamber (3), wherein air is sucked by the blower from the first chamber and blowed into the second chamber, wherein air circulation is conducted from the vicinity of the glass and from roller space (8) through an opening in the wall (9) into vertical channels (7C2) and further into the first chamber and chamber the glass is directed onto the glass through nozzles (6).Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2002Date of Patent: November 6, 2007Assignee: Feracitas OyInventor: Risto Nikander
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Patent number: 7231787Abstract: An apparatus and method for bending and/or tempering glass substrate(s) are provided. The amount of near-IR radiation which reaches the glass to be bent and/or tempered is limited (e.g., via filtering or any other suitable technique). Thus, the IR radiation (used for heating the glass) which reaches the glass to be bent and/or tempered includes mostly mid-IR and/or far-IR radiation, and not much near-IR. In such a manner, coating(s) provided on the glass can be protected and kept at lower temperatures so as to be less likely to be damaged during the bending and/or tempering process. Heating efficiency can be improved.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2002Date of Patent: June 19, 2007Assignees: Guardian Industries Corp., Centre Luxembourgeois de Recherches pour le Verre et la Ceramique S.A. (C.R.V.C.)Inventors: George Neuman, Andre Heyen
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Patent number: 7216510Abstract: A process for forming glass or glass ceramics is disclosed, wherein a glass ceramics form (12) is made from a starting glass by molding, which is transformed by a heat treatment into a keatite glass ceramic comprising predominantly keatite mixed crystals. With such a keatite glass ceramics form (12) formed bodies can be prepared from blank parts by sagging under gravity force at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the blank part (14) (FIG. 1).Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2003Date of Patent: May 15, 2007Assignee: Schott AGInventors: Thorsten Doehring, Ralf Jedamzik, Hauke Esemann, Eva Hoelzel
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Patent number: 7216511Abstract: A glass tempering furnace having a chamber, rollers extending laterally within a chamber to form a transport surface for the plate glass, radiant coils positioned along the bottom of the chamber underneath the rollers, a plurality of spaced nozzle assemblies arranged in lateral side-by-side fashion within the chamber above the rollers, and fans coupled to the nozzle assemblies to draw heated air from the chamber and force the heated air onto the top surface of the plate glass. Heating elements, preferably electrically heated rods, extend between each of the nozzle assemblies and are positioned within the return path of the heated air after it is flowed onto the plate glass surface. The air then rebounds from the glass plate prior to the air again being drawn up into the fan and blown back down onto the glass. Air is then again drawn from the furnace chamber and forced through ducting to a nozzle assembly.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2003Date of Patent: May 15, 2007Assignee: HHH Tempering Systems, Inc.Inventors: John Haws, Jay Rosen
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Patent number: 7155937Abstract: A method for bending a sheet of glass involving heating the sheet of glass to a softening temperature, transporting the sheet of glass in an essentially horizontal path as far as a station for bending the sheet of glass between two forms, shaping the sheet of glass by pressing between the two forms, and cooling the sheet of glass in an appropriate station. Shaped rollers receive the sheet of glass after it has been bent and the rollers are oriented parallel to the direction defined on the sheet of glass by the direction in which it is conveyed into the bending station.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2001Date of Patent: January 2, 2007Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass FranceInventors: Gilles Garnier, Thierry Olivier, Christophe Machura
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Patent number: 7086252Abstract: A glass sheet forming system (20) includes a roll bending station (28) having a lower roll conveyor (30) and an upper roll former (32) between which a heated glass sheet is progressively formed with a curved shape by lower and upper rolls (50) and (52) supported on lower and upper elongated beams (46) and (48) that extend along the direction of conveyance.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2004Date of Patent: August 8, 2006Assignee: Glasstech, Inc.Inventor: Ronald A. McMaster
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Patent number: 7059155Abstract: A method of bending glass, in which glass (5) is heated in a bending furnace (1). After the heating, the glass (5) is transferred onto a mold (7). The glass-bending mold (7) is at at least one point arranged to be bent substantially in its entirety when the mold (7) is transferred from the position it had during the initial heating of the glass (5) into a position where the glass (5) is arranged upon the mold (7).Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2002Date of Patent: June 13, 2006Assignee: Uniglass Engineering OYInventors: Jukka Vehmas, Juha Paavola, Antti-Jussi Numminen
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Patent number: 7017370Abstract: A method for the homogeneous heating of semitransparent and/or transparent glass and/or glass-ceramic articles using infrared radiation so that the glass and/or glass-ceramic articles undergo heat treatment at between 20 and 3000° C., notably at between 20 and 1705° C. Heating is achieved by a component of infrared radiation which acts directly on the glass and/or glass-ceramic articles and by a component of infrared radiation which acts indirectly on said glass and/or glass-ceramic articles. The radiation component indirectly acting on the glass and/or glass-ceramic articles accounts for more than 50% of total radiation output.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2000Date of Patent: March 28, 2006Assignee: Schott AGInventors: Ulrich Fotheringham, Hauke Esemann, Markus Garsche-Andres, Bernd Hoppe, Matthias Brinkmann, Norbert Greulich-Hickmann
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Patent number: 7000430Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing glass-ceramic parts and/or glass parts by deformation of a glass-ceramic blank and/or glass blank. The invention is characterized in that forming is carried out using infrared radiation.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2000Date of Patent: February 21, 2006Assignee: Schott AGInventors: Ulrich Fotheringham, Hauke Esemann, Bernd Hoppe, Hubertus Bader, Gerhard Hahn, Markus Garsche-Andres, Matthias Brinkmann, Norbert Greulich-Hickmann
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Patent number: 7000433Abstract: A device for heating plates of glass (3) which are hardened or deformed, includes two ceramic heating plates (1) between which a plate of glass (3) is arranged. Compensation plates (20) are associated with the heating plates (1) at a distance therefrom, in addition to heaters (6) which are arranged close thereto. The heaters (6) are accommodated in housings (11) which are defined on one side of the heating plates (1). Holes (8) are provided in the heating plates (1). Gas is fed through the holes into the housing between the heating plates (1) and the compensating plates (2). The gas is heated by flowing past the compensating plates (20) and forms gas cushions (7) on both sides of the plate of glass (3) which hold the plate. The plate of glass (3) is heated in a homogenous manner by radiation and convection.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2000Date of Patent: February 21, 2006Assignee: Technopat AGInventor: Peter Lisec
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Patent number: 6951119Abstract: What is proposed here is a method of structuring surfaces of glass-type materials and variants of this method, comprising the following steps of operation: providing a semiconductor substrate, structuring, with the formation of recesses, of at least one surface of the semiconductor substrate, providing a substrate of glass-type material, joining the semiconductor substrate to the glass-type substrate, with a structured surface of the semiconductor substrate being joined to a surface of the glass-type substrate in an at least partly overlapping relationship, and heating the substrates so bonded by annealing in a way so as to induce an inflow of the glass-type material into the recesses of the structured surface of the semiconductor substrate. The variants of the method are particularly well suitable for the manufacture of micro-optical lenses and micro-mechanical components such as micro-relays or micro-valves.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2000Date of Patent: October 4, 2005Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.Inventors: Hans-Joachim Quenzer, Peter Merz, Arne Veit Schulz
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Patent number: 6826929Abstract: A system and method for heating, forming, and tempering a glass sheet includes pre-heating the glass sheet to at least a first predetermined temperature. The system and method includes also applying radio-frequency energy to the glass sheet to heat it to at least a second predetermined temperature and cooling at least one outer surface of the glass sheet to at least a third predetermined temperature to temper the glass sheet.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2002Date of Patent: December 7, 2004Inventor: Premakaran T. Boaz
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Patent number: 6813904Abstract: A process for fabricating a faceplate for a flat-panel display such as a field emission cathode type display is disclosed, the faceplate having integral spacer support structures. Also disclosed is a product made by the aforesaid process.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2003Date of Patent: November 9, 2004Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventor: Jason B. Elledge
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Publication number: 20040211219Abstract: An apparatus for working a glass plate includes: a transporting device for bending a glass plate in a concave shape in a cross-sectional view in a transporting direction and transporting the glass plate from a cutting section to a bend-breaking section; a cutting device for forming cut lines on the glass plate in the cutting section; and a bend-breaking device for bend-breaking the glass plate in the bend-breaking section.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2004Publication date: October 28, 2004Applicant: BANDO KIKO CO., LTD.Inventor: Shigeru Bando
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Patent number: 6786065Abstract: A method of bending glass, in which glass (5) is heated in a bending furnace (1). Before the bending, the glass (5) is transferred from the heating point or zone onto a mould (7) located thereafter. While the glass (5) is being transferred onto the mould (7), the mould (7) moves in such a way that the horizontal velocity of at least the front edge of the mould (7) is substantially as high as the horizontal velocity of the glass (5).Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2002Date of Patent: September 7, 2004Assignee: Uniglass Engineering OyInventors: Jukka Vehmas, Juha Paavola, Antti-Jussi Numminen
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Patent number: 6783358Abstract: A furnace (12) and a method for heating coated glass sheets by radiant heating also provides convective heating by hot air jets that entrain hot air within the furnace so the combined flow of hot air heats an upwardly facing coated glass surface in addition to the radiant heating, and a control (89) increases this convective heating during the conveyance to balance the heating and the resultant temperature of the upwardly facing coated surface and a downwardly facing uncoated surface of each conveyed glass sheet. A hot air distributing system (86) includes an array (90) of hot air distributors (92) constructed to effectively supply the convective heating. The hot air distributors (92) have heat exchangers (96) that heat pressurized air that provides the hot air jets. The furnace (12) conveys the glass sheets either in an oscillating manner or a continuous one direction manner during the heating.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2003Date of Patent: August 31, 2004Assignee: Glasstech, Inc.Inventors: Troy R. Lewandowski, Donivan M. Shetterly
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Publication number: 20040163416Abstract: An apparatus for bend-shaping a glass sheet is disclosed, which comprises a heating furnace, a plurality of in-furnace beds disposed within the heating furnace, at least one out-furnace bed disposed externally of the heating furnace proximately to an outlet of the heating furnace, and an elevating mechanism disposed below that one of the in-furnace beds which is positioned proximately to the outlet and the out-furnace bed. The in- and out-furnace beds have upper surfaces curved transversely and capable of jetting air to floatingly support a glass sheet. For producing a dual curved glass sheet, the elevating mechanism is operated to elevate opposed ends of the one in-furnace bed and the out-furnace bed so that these beds jointly form a hill. For producing a single-curved glass sheet, the elevating mechanism is operated to lower the opposed ends of those beds to their original flat positions.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2004Publication date: August 26, 2004Applicant: NIPPON SHEET GLASS CO., LTD.Inventors: Seiichiro Honjo, Takeshi Yabuno, Yasuyuki Nagai
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Patent number: 6776008Abstract: A method and apparatus for heating glass, in which glass (4) is heated upon rollers (3) in a tempering furnace (1) from above and below of the glass (4). At least the upper surface of the glass (4) is heated with hot air jets directed substantially perpendicularly relative to the surface of the glass (4). The air jets have been provided by sucking air mainly from the inside of the furnace and by pressurizing the air taken from the inside of the tempering furnace (1) to an overpressure of over 0.1 bar relative to the pressure in the tempering furnace (1).Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2000Date of Patent: August 17, 2004Assignee: Uniglass Engineering OyInventors: Jukka Vehmas, Jorma Valkama
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Publication number: 20040107729Abstract: A heated and softened glass sheet is put on a bending surface of a frame unit to be preliminarily bent by gravity before the glass sheet is pressed by an upper mold and the frame unit. There are steps for using a certain means for controlling an amount of preliminary bending to control deformation of the glass sheet caused by the preliminary bending; and pressing the preliminarily bent glass sheet by the upper mold and the frame unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2003Publication date: June 10, 2004Applicant: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY LIMITEDInventors: Masao Fukami, Shinya Oota, Tatsuo Yajima, Tomio Kajikawa, Mikinao Sasaki
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Publication number: 20040093904Abstract: A glass tempering furnace having a chamber, rollers extending laterally within a chamber to form a transport surface for the plate glass, radiant coils positioned along the bottom of the chamber underneath the rollers, a plurality of spaced nozzle assemblies arranged in lateral side-by-side fashion within the chamber above the rollers, and fans coupled to the nozzle assemblies to draw heated air from the chamber and force the heated air onto the top surface of the plate glass. Heating elements, preferably electrically heated rods, extend between each of the nozzle assemblies and are positioned within the return path of the heated air after it is flowed onto the plate glass surface. The air then rebounds from the glass plate prior to the air again being drawn up into the fan and blown back down onto the glass. Air is then again drawn from the furnace chamber and forced through ducting to a nozzle assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2003Publication date: May 20, 2004Inventors: John Haws, Jay Rosen
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Publication number: 20040083763Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a device for heating glass sheets in an oven, which are transported therein by a conveyor with horizontal rollers and wherein their surfaces are heated by heating means arranged above and beneath the sheets, by radiation and by forced convection by injecting hot gas into the oven, the gas injected beneath being in the form of jets whereof the axis of symmetry is oblique relative to the forward moving direction of the sheets on the conveyor and directed towards their lower surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2003Publication date: May 6, 2004Inventor: Emmanuel Lambert
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Patent number: 6729160Abstract: Apparatus (26) and a method for forming heated glass sheets in a heated chamber (22) of a housing (20) includes an upper mold support assembly (28) for supporting an upper mold (38) within the heated chamber for cyclical vertical movement between upper and lower positions. A lower mold shuttle (50) supports a lower mold (36) for cyclical movement between an idle position horizontally spaced from the upper mold and a use position below the lower mold. The apparatus also includes a lower mold support assembly (60) to which the lower mold is cyclically transferred from the lower mold shuttle (50) to provide support thereof while permitting horizontal alignment with the upper mold upon each cycle of downward movement to form a heated glass sheet between the molds. The lower mold shuttle (50) is supported by vertically movable rollers (70) to provide the transfer between the lower mold shuttle and the lower mold support assembly (60).Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 1997Date of Patent: May 4, 2004Assignee: Glasstech, Inc.Inventors: David B. Nitschke, Eustace Harold Mumford, Dean M. Nitschke
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Publication number: 20040079112Abstract: A glass sheet, which has been heated to have a viscosity of not lower than 105 Pa·s and not higher than 108 Pa·s, is pressed against a mold having a certain bending surface to be bent.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2003Publication date: April 29, 2004Applicant: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY LIMITEDInventors: Nobuhiro Inoue, Ken Nomura
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Publication number: 20040050107Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for bending glass panels. The upper tier of successive mould carriers (9) defines a number of heating sections, the last one of which is an actual bending section (4b). The lower tier of successive mould carriers (9) defines a number of cooling sections (5, 6, 7), which are located below the heating sections. The mould carriers are provided with an open-structured or otherwise highly heat transmissive bottom (10). Underneath bending sections (4a), effecting gravitational bending on an upper mould carrier track (1), lie cooling sections (5), each of which is individually provided with controlled cooling air circulation by means of cooling air exhaust fans (23). Following the sections (5) performing the controlled cooling or annealing, the mould carriers (9) are adapted to be conveyed along a lower mould carrier track nonstop under a plurality of preheating sections (3a, 3) by a single passage.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2003Publication date: March 18, 2004Inventor: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri
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Publication number: 20040020244Abstract: The invention involves providing a plane sheet of glass with recesses by bringing an initially plane sheet of glass, heated to a temperature sufficient for transformation and in partial areas in contact on one side with a negative mould, into engagement on one side with at least one mould cavity of the negative mould whose dimensions correspond to the desired sheet deformation by means of a pressure differential acting upon the sheet, generated by applying a low pressure or partial vacuum and/or gaseous pressure media, such that the respective deformed area/recess of the sheet is surrounded by non-deformed partial areas of the sheet.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2001Publication date: February 5, 2004Inventors: Carl Kramer, Thomas Kramer
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Publication number: 20040016263Abstract: A glass forming assembly and method for forming complex shaped glass, with the glass forming assembly having a hood assembly including a hood lift superstructure movable horizontally back and forth over a cold ring and a cooling shuttle and movable vertically relative to the cold ring and the cooling shuttle, and a hood frame supported by the hood lift superstructure by a hood tilt mechanism. The hood tilt mechanism includes an air cylinder assembly actuable to tilt the hood frame relative to the hood lift superstructure, which allows for proper orientation of the glass prior to dropping it on the cooling shuttle, thus allowing for reduced glass chipping and cracking.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2002Publication date: January 29, 2004Inventors: Frank E. Moulding, Larry J. Scott, Robert Croft, Ronald Vandergrift
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Patent number: 6679085Abstract: While avoiding the disadvantages of the screen printing technique employed until now, the invention provides a shaping tool (1) with a structured surface for creating structures on glass (2) which, in an economical way, makes it possible to form high-precision microstructures by local heating of the region of glass to be structured. The shaping tool (1) has a rolling cylinder (3) including a metal hollow cylinder (7) and a shaping sheet (8) secured in a surface contact to it, as well as a continuous shaft (5) for continuously driving the rolling cylinder (3) via drivers (4) coupled to the hollow cylinder (7). Between the shaft (5) and the hollow cylinder (7), an electric heater (6) for targeted local heating of the glass during structuring is disposed in an electrically insulated fashion. The electric heater (6) is advantageously thermally insulated from the shaft (5) with a ceramic cylinder (14).Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2000Date of Patent: January 20, 2004Assignee: Schott GlasInventors: Rudolf Singer, Joachim Disam, Christiane Baum
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Publication number: 20040000168Abstract: An apparatus and method for bending glass substrate(s) are provided. Microwave radiation is used to heat glass substrate(s) for bending. As a result, a coating supported by the substrate(s) is not heated as much during the bending process compared to if only conventional IR radiation was used. Thus, more extreme degrees of glass bending may be achieved, and/or the likelihood of coating damage reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2002Publication date: January 1, 2004Inventor: Robert A. Vandal
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Patent number: 6668589Abstract: A suction mold has a central suction chamber having a flat shaping surface area and a pair of opposite side suction chambers disposed one on each side of the central suction chamber and having respective curved shaping surface areas. First, a vacuum is developed in the central suction chamber to attract a central area of the sheet of glass against the flat shaping surface area thereof, and then a vacuum is developed in the opposite side suction chambers to attract opposite side areas of the sheet of glass respectively against the curved shaping surface areas.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 1997Date of Patent: December 30, 2003Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tetsuya Mizusugi, Kazunori Yuki, Mitsuo Tanaka
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Patent number: 6668590Abstract: A furnace (10) and method for heating conveyed glass sheets within a housing (12) includes forced convection heaters (24) spaced along the direction of conveyance both below and above a roll conveyor (20). Each forced convection heater (24) includes a gas burner assembly (32) generally adjacent one of the housing side walls and has an outlet (34) through which products of combustion are supplied to the housing heating chamber (18) at a location intermediate its side walls. A hot gas distributor (38) of each forced convection heater (24) includes an inlet (40) that is spaced from the outlet (34) of the gas burner assembly (32), and the hot gas distributor (38) has a suction fan (42) for drawing in heated products of combustion together with spent recirculating gas in the heating chamber (18) for mixing to provide heated gas that is distributed to the conveyed glass sheets.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2001Date of Patent: December 30, 2003Assignee: Glasstech, Inc.Inventor: Troy R. Lewandowski
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Publication number: 20030230116Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for bending and tempering glass panels. The apparatus comprises a number of ring moulds (1) for supporting and conveying glass panels; a number of preheating sections (2) for heating glass panels to a bending temperature; at least one prebending section (2a) for sagging a glass panel gravitationally; a bending section (3) provided with a hoistable and descendable press mould (4); and an annealing section (12) for tempering a bent glass panel. The bending section (3) is provided with a hoistable and descendable mould supporting frame (7) for supporting the mould (1) from below during a press-bending operation. The supporting frame (7) is mounted on a mobile cassette wagon (8) which constitutes a replaceable floor for the bending section (3).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2003Publication date: December 18, 2003Inventor: Erkki Yli-Vakkuri
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Patent number: 6631627Abstract: A process for fabricating a face plate for a flat-panel display such as a field emission cathode type display is disclosed, the face plate having integral spacer support structures. Also disclosed is a product made by the aforesaid process.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2000Date of Patent: October 14, 2003Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventor: Jason B. Elledge
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Publication number: 20030177791Abstract: An apparatus and method for bending and/or tempering glass substrate(s) are provided. The amount of near-IR radiation which reaches the glass to be bent and/or tempered is limited (e.g., via filtering or any other suitable technique). Thus, the IR radiation (used for heating the glass) which reaches the glass to be bent and/or tempered includes mostly mid-IR and/or far-IR radiation, and not much near-IR. In such a manner, coating(s) provided on the glass can be protected and kept at lower temperatures so as to be less likely to be damaged during the bending and/or tempering process. Heating efficiency can be improved.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2002Publication date: September 25, 2003Inventors: George Neuman, Andre Heyen
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Publication number: 20030159469Abstract: A glass sheet 18 is heated to a forming temperature in a heating furnace 16, the heated glass sheet is conveyed along a conveying plane defined by a plurality of rollers of a roller conveyer 13, and is moved up and down on the rollers 12A to 12M according to the position of the glass sheet 18 to curve a part of the conveying plane with respect to the glass sheet conveying direction to bend the glass sheet 18 to have a desired curvature by its own weight. The rollers 12A to 12M are curved rollers.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2003Publication date: August 28, 2003Applicant: Asahi Glass Company, LimitedInventors: Youichi Nemugaki, Toshimitsu Sato