Automated method and device for manufacturing a glass-blow N object

• US 20030056539A1
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress+Hauser GmbH+Co (ENDRESS)
• Original Assignee: Endress+Hauser GmbH+Co (ENDRESS)
• Inventors: Babel, Wolfgang, Auras, Stefan, Scholz, Katrin
• Granted Patent: US 6,848,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 65/29.11
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 7/22 Gathering-devices in the form of rods or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 9/41 Electric or electronic systems in general G05B19/00

Abstract

The invention concerns an automated method for producing a blown glass body, in particular a glass wall of an electrochemical sensor, wherein an immersion tube (10), through which air or gas can flow, is immersed into molten glass (8) and subsequently withdrawn to remove an amount of molten glass from the molten glass mass, and wherein the removed glass is blown into the form of the glass body to be produced by means of the air or gas flowing through the immersion tube (10), comprising the following features:

the position of the surface (42) of the molten glass (8) in the adjustment direction of the immersion tube (10) is determined;

an adjustment means (18) for the immersion tube (10) is controlled in correspondence with the determined position of the surface (42) such that the free end of the immersion tube is first immersed into the molten glass mass (8) up to a certain predetermined immersion depth (h) and then removed thereby retaining a predetermined amount of molten glass;

following removal from the molten glass, the immersion tube (10) is loaded with a blow pressure along a blow pressure curve p(t) stored in a computer thereby blowing the glass body into the desired shape.

This provides reproducible and automated production of the glass body.

Claims

1. Automated method for producing a blown glass body, in particular a glass wall or structural component of an electrochemical sensor, wherein an immersion tube (10), through which air or gas can flow, is immersed into a molten glass mass (8) and subsequently withdrawn to remove an amount of molten glass from the molten glass mass, wherein the removed glass is blown, by means of the air or gas flowing through the immersion tube (10), into the shape of the glass body to be produced, the method comprising the following features:

the position of the surface (42) of the molten glass (8) in the adjustment direction of the immersion tube (10) is determined;

in accordance with the determined position of the surface (42), an adjustment means (18) for the immersion tube (10) is controlled such that the free end of the immersion tube is immersed into the molten glass (8) up to a defined predetermined immersion depth (h) and then removed, thereby retaining a predetermined amount of molten glass;

the immersion tube (10) is loaded with a blow pressure following a blow pressure curve (p(t)) stored in a computer (24) thereby blowing the glass body into the desired shape.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the parameters of the immersion depth, the dwell time and/or the speed with which the immersion tube (10) is removed from the molten glass (8) can be predetermined and are stored in a computer (24) controlling the process, wherein the adjustment means (18) is controlled in accordance therewith.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the body geometry (desired state) of the glass body to be produced is stored in the computer via predetermined reference points and the actual body geometry (actual state) is recorded via a camera and compared to the stored, desired data using an image processing means and a computer program.

4. Method according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, during blowing of the glass body, the development of the actual body geometry (actual state) is recorded via a camera (52) and compared to the stored, desired data using an image processing means and a computer program.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that control or classification processes are carried out in dependence on the comparison between the desired and actual states.

6. Method according to any one or more of the above-mentioned claims, characterized in that a glass pipe is used as an immersion tube (10).

7. Method according to any one or more of the above-mentioned claims, characterized in that the immersion tube (10) together with the blown-in glass body are produced as a wall, housing component or structural component of an electrochemical sensor.

8. Automated device for carrying out the method according to one or more of the above-mentioned claims, comprising the following elements:

a molten glass means (4) having an access opening (12),

an immersion tube (10) through which air or gas can flow,

a means (40) for determining the position of the surface of the molten glass,

an adjustment means (18) for lowering, immersing and removing the immersion tube (10) into and out of the molten glass (8),

a pump means (26) for blowing the glass body,

a computer-aided control means (22) for controlling the adjustment means (18) for the immersion tube (10) in dependence on output values of the means (40) for determining the position of the surface (42) of the molten glass (8) and for controlling the pump means (26) corresponding to the stored blow pressure curve.

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the computer-aided control means (22) takes into consideration predetermined control parameters concerning immersion depth, immersion period and adjustment speed, and correspondingly controls the adjustment means (18).

10. Device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized by an image recording device (52) for recording the actual body geometry, and an image processing means.