阅读说明：本技术 熔合拉制设备及制造玻璃带的方法 (Fusion draw apparatus and method of making a glass ribbon ) 是由 F·科波拉 R·德里亚 V·Y·戈尔雅汀 S·R·马卡姆 J·A·帕斯摩尔 于 2018-04-16 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于制造玻璃带的设备可包括加热面,所述加热面包括面向边缘引导件的表面的热覆盖区域。热覆盖区域在热覆盖区域内的加热面的合成方向上的投影可与边缘引导件的表面相交。在另一些实施方式中,制造玻璃带的熔合拉制方法可包括：将加热面的热覆盖区域中的热向边缘引导件的表面辐射。热覆盖区域中的至少一部分加热面可面向边缘引导件的表面,使得边缘引导件的表面与从加热面的热覆盖区域辐射出来的热相交。(An apparatus for manufacturing a glass ribbon can include a heating surface including a thermal coverage area facing a surface of an edge director. A projection of the thermal footprint area in a resultant direction of the heating surface within the thermal footprint area may intersect the surface of the edge director. In other embodiments, a fusion draw method of making a glass ribbon may comprise: heat in the heat covered area of the heating face is radiated toward the surface of the edge guide. At least a portion of the heating surface in the thermal footprint may face the surface of the edge director such that the surface of the edge director intersects heat radiated from the thermal footprint of the heating surface.)

1. A fusion draw method of making a glass ribbon, the method comprising:

flowing molten material over a pair of downwardly inclined surface portions of the wedge, the downwardly inclined surface portions converging in a downstream direction to form a root of the wedge;

flowing molten material over a surface of an edge director intersecting at least one of the pair of downwardly inclined surface portions;

drawing molten material from a root of the wedge along a draw plane in a downstream direction to form a glass ribbon; and

radiating heat within a heat covered area of the heating face toward a surface of the edge guide, at least a portion of the heating face within the heat covered area facing the surface of the edge guide such that the surface of the edge guide intersects the heat radiated from the heat covered area of the heating face.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a projection of the thermal footprint area in a resultant direction of the heating surface within the thermal footprint area intersects the surface of the edge director at least partially below the root.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein greater than 50% of the intersecting surfaces of the edge directors are located below the root.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein 100% of the intersecting surfaces of the edge directors are located below the root.

5. The method of any of claims 1-4, wherein the heating surface comprises a flat surface.

6. The method of any of claims 1-4, wherein the heating surface comprises a convex surface.

7. The method of any of claims 1-4, wherein the heating surface comprises a concave surface.

8. The method of any one of claims 1-7, further comprising: in the adjustment direction, the heating surface is moved towards the surface of the edge guide.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the direction of adjustment is perpendicular to the draw plane.

10. The method of any one of claims 1-9, further comprising: an insulating shroud is positioned below the lower perimeter of the thermal coverage area to inhibit heat loss below the lower perimeter of the thermal coverage area.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: the heat shield is moved toward the draw plane.

12. The method of any one of claims 10-11, further comprising: the heat shield is moved in a direction perpendicular to the draw plane.

13. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a wedge comprising a pair of inclined surface portions that converge in a downstream direction to form a root of the wedge;

an edge guide intersecting at least one of the pair of downwardly inclined surface portions; and

a heating surface comprising a thermal coverage area facing the edge guide, wherein a projection of the thermal coverage area in a resultant direction of the heating surface within the thermal coverage area intersects a surface of the edge guide.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a projection of the thermal coverage area in the resultant direction intersects the surface of the edge director at least partially below the root.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein greater than 50% of the intersecting surfaces of the edge directors are located below the root.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein 100% of the intersecting surfaces of the edge directors are located below the root.

17. The apparatus of any of claims 13-16, wherein the heating surface comprises a flat surface.

18. The apparatus of any of claims 13-16, wherein the heating surface comprises a convex surface.

19. The apparatus of any of claims 13-16, wherein the heating surface comprises a concave surface.

20. The apparatus of any of claims 13-19, wherein the heating surface is movable in the adjustment direction toward the surface of the edge director.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the adjustment direction is perpendicular to a draw plane of the wedge.

22. The apparatus of any one of claims 13-21, further comprising a heat insulating shield located below a lower perimeter of the thermal footprint.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the heat shield is movable toward the draw plane.

24. The apparatus of any of claims 22-23, wherein the heat shield is movable in a direction perpendicular to the draw plane.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to fusion draw apparatuses and methods, and more particularly, to fusion draw apparatuses including heating surfaces for heating edge directors and methods of making glass ribbons including heating of the edge directors.

Background

Fusion drawing of molten material from the root of a forming wedge into a glass ribbon is known. It is also known to equip forming wedges with edge directors in order to minimize attenuation of the ribbon width. However, excessive cooling of the molten material in contact with the surface of the edge director may undesirably cause the molten material to devitrify as glass deposits on the edge director surface. If shaping is allowed, these glass deposits can periodically fall off and form defects in the glass ribbon. In addition, these glass deposits may reduce the wettability of the edge director surfaces in contact with the molten material, thereby causing the molten material to prematurely detach from the edge director. Premature disengagement of the molten material from the edge directors can degrade the fusion quality of the outer edges of the glass ribbon and result in undesirable variations in the width of the glass ribbon.

Disclosure of Invention

To address the above and other problems, some embodiments of the present disclosure may align the radiant heat to be directly applied to the surface of the edge director contacting the molten material. This aligned radiant heat can reduce or prevent the molten material from devitrifying to glass crystals on the heated surface of the edge director. In addition, the radiant heat is directed to the surface of the edge director in contact with the molten material, thereby reducing the application of unnecessary heat to other portions of the molten material and/or the edge of the glass ribbon being drawn from the root of the wedge, which may reduce undesirable attenuation of the width of the glass ribbon.

The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some embodiments described in the detailed description. While some embodiments are described below, it should be understood that any of the embodiments may be used alone or in combination with one another.

Drawings

These and other features, embodiments, and advantages will be better understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an apparatus for processing molten material including a fusion downdraw apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fusion downdraw apparatus taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram of FIG. 2 illustrating the resultant direction of the heating surfaces in the thermal coverage area;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the fusion downdraw apparatus taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the fusion downdraw apparatus taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a heating surface;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the heating surface of FIG. 6 with a heating element;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a heating surface; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a heating surface.

Embodiment 1: a fusion draw method of making a glass ribbon may comprise: the molten material is caused to flow over a pair of downwardly inclined surface portions of the wedge. The downwardly sloping surface portions may converge in a downstream direction to form a root of the wedge. The method may further comprise: the molten material is caused to flow over the surface of the edge director. The edge director may intersect at least one of the pair of downwardly inclined surface portions. The method may further comprise: molten material is drawn from the root of the wedge along a draw plane in a downstream direction to form a glass ribbon. The method may further comprise: heat within the heat covered region of the heating surface is radiated toward the surface of the edge guide. At least a portion of the heating surface within the thermal footprint may face the surface of the edge director such that the surface of the edge director may intersect heat radiated from the thermal footprint of the heating surface.