THERMAL CONTROL OF THE BEAD PORTION OF A GLASS RIBBON

• US 20160297703A1
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Published: 10/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Aniolek, Kenneth William, Burdette, Steven Roy, Golyatin, Vladislav Yuryevich, Nikulin, Ilia Andreyevich
• Granted Patent: US 9,790,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 17/064 by the overflow downdraw fusion process; Isopipes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 17/067 combined with thermal conditioning of the sheets

Abstract

An apparatus for making a laminate glass ribbon, the glass ribbon having: a center laminate region, a first edge, a second edge, and first, second, third, and fourth, beads portions as defined herein, the apparatus includes: a bead thermal conditioning region including: a fluid source for selectively applying a fluid to one or more of the first, second, third, and fourth bead portions. Also disclosed is a method for bead thermal conditioning in the disclosed laminate fusion apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making a laminate glass ribbon,

the glass ribbon having:

a center laminate region,

a first edge,

a second edge,

a first bead portion which begins at the first edge and extends towards the center laminate region,

a second bead portion which begins at the second edge and extends towards the center laminate region,

the first bead portion and the second bead portion comprise the core glass on opposite edges of the laminate ribbon,

a third bead portion which begins away from the first edge and extends towards the center laminate region,

a forth bead portion which begins away from the second edge and extends towards the center laminate region,

the third bead and the forth bead portions comprise the clad glass of the laminate glass ribbon,

a first optional bead trough region between the first and third bead portions, and

a second optional bead trough region between the second and fourth bead portions, the first and second optional bead trough regions comprise the core glass;

the apparatus comprises;

a bead thermal conditioning region in the laminate draw region including;

a fluid source oriented to selectively apply a fluid proximate to at least one of the first, second, third, or fourth bead portions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid source is situated in the visco-elastic zone, the elastic zone, or combinations thereof in the laminate draw region.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid source comprises a first nozzle providing a source of cooling and a second nozzle providing a source of heating.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid source comprises a source of a cool fluid directed toward the first and second beads, and the third and fourth beads, and a source of a heated fluid directed toward the first and second optional bead troughs.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid source comprises at least one fluid delivery nozzle oriented orthogonally toward the ribbon'"'"'s long cross-section axis or oriented acutely with respect to the ribbon'"'"'s long cross-section axis and projecting toward the ribbon edge and away from the center laminate region.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid source comprises a plurality of fluid delivery nozzles oriented orthogonally toward the ribbon'"'"'s long cross-section axis or oriented acutely with respect to the ribbon'"'"'s long cross-section axis and projecting toward the ribbon edge and away from the center laminate region.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid source comprises:

a chilled gas, a heated gas, a chilled liquid, a heated liquid, a radiation source, or a combination thereof.

8. A method for bead thermal conditioning in the laminate fusion apparatus of claim 1 comprising:

in the bead thermal conditioning region;

directing a first fluid from the fluid source toward at least one of the first, the second, the third, and the fourth bead portions; and

simultaneously

directing a second fluid from the fluid source toward the first and second optional bead trough portions.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the bead thermal conditioning provides a laminate glass ribbon having a residual stress of from −

1,000 psi to about +1,000 psi in the quality area.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the bead thermal conditioning provides a laminate glass ribbon having a temporary stress below the fracture limit near the beads.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the fluid source directed toward the first and second optional bead trough portions comprises a forced-air convection heater that localizes the temperature change in the respective optional bead trough portions.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein temperature change is maintained within from 25 to about 100°

C.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the fluid is a gas.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the gas is other than air.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising at least one of water vapor, liquid water, non-aqueous liquid, or combinations thereof, in combination with the gas.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the first fluid comprises a cooled first gas directed toward at least one of the relatively thick first, second, third, and fourth bead portions, and the second fluid comprise a heated second gas directed toward at least one of the relatively thin optional bead trough regions.