METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING GLASS, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING LENS, AND MELTING APPARATUS

• US 20160368811A1
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Eguchi, Shingo
• Granted Patent: US 10,351,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/02 by casting molten glass, e.g. injection moulding
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/1005 Forming solid beads chemical aspects C03C12/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/1055 by extruding, e.g. dripping molten glass in a gaseous atmosphere
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 40/04 using gas
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/06 in pot furnaces C03B5/02 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for manufacturing glass, including the steps of heat-melting a raw material for producing glass by using a melting furnace having a plurality of gas flow paths while the raw material is levitated from the melting furnace by a gas ejected from the gas flow paths, and performing cooling so as to produce glass, wherein the melting furnace includes a recess portion, at least one first gas flow path configured to eject the gas in the vertical direction into the recess portion, a plurality of second gas flow paths configured to eject the gas in the direction toward the center axis of the melting furnace into the recess portion, the raw material is heat-melted while the raw material is levitated by the gas ejected from the first gas flow path and the gas ejected from the second gas flow paths, and the molten raw material is cooled.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing glass, comprising the steps of:

heat-melting a raw material for producing glass by using a melting furnace having a plurality of gas flow paths while the raw material is levitated from the melting furnace by a gas ejected from the gas flow paths; and

performing cooling so as to produce glass,

wherein the melting furnace includes a recess portion,

the melting furnace has at least one first gas flow path configured to eject the gas in the vertical direction into the recess portion,

the melting furnace has a plurality of second gas flow paths configured to eject the gas in the direction toward the center axis of the melting furnace into the recess portion.

the raw material is heat-melted while the raw material is levitated by the gas ejected from the first gas flow path of the melting furnace and the gas ejected from the second gas flow paths of the melting furnace, and

the molten raw material is cooled so as to produce glass.

2. The method for manufacturing glass, according to claim 1,

wherein the raw material is heat-melted while the raw material is levitated from the melting furnace and is in circular motion when viewed from above.

3. The method for manufacturing glass, according to claim 1,

wherein the raw material is heat-melted while the raw material is levitated from the melting furnace and is in rotational and circular motion when viewed from above.

4. The method for manufacturing glass, according to claim 1,

wherein the second gas flow paths are disposed facing the center axis of the melting furnace.

5. The method for manufacturing glass, according to claim 1,

wherein the second gas flow paths facing the center axis of the melting furnace form an angle, equal to or greater than 45°

and equal to or less than 90°

, with the center axis of the melting furnace.

6. The method for manufacturing glass, according to claim 1,

wherein the flow rate of the gas ejected from the first gas flow path and the flow rate of the gas ejected from the second gas flow paths are controlled independently.

8. A method for manufacturing a lens, comprising the steps of:

producing glass by the manufacturing method according to claim 1; and

forming the glass so as to produce a lens.

7. A method for manufacturing glass, comprising the steps of:

heat-melting a raw material for producing glass by using a melting furnace having a plurality of gas flow paths while the raw material is levitated from the melting furnace by a gas ejected from the gas flow paths and is in rotational and circular motion when viewed from above; and

cooling the molten raw material so as to produce glass.

9. A melting apparatus used for a containerless melting method, comprising:

a melting furnace having a plurality of gas flow paths configured to levitate a raw material;

a heating unit configured to heat the raw material; and

a gas supply unit configured to supply the gas to the melting furnace so as to eject the gas from the plurality of gas flow paths,

wherein the melting furnace has a first gas flow path disposed in a vertical direction of the melting furnace and a plurality of second gas flow paths disposed in a direction toward a center axis of the melting furnace.

10. The melting furnace according to claim 9,

wherein the second gas flow paths are disposed facing the center axis of the melting furnace.

11. The melting furnace according to claim 9,

wherein the second gas flow paths disposed in the direction toward the center axis of the melting furnace form an angle, equal to or greater than 45°

and equal to or less than 90°

, with the vertical direction of the melting furnace.

12. The melting furnace according to claim 9,

wherein at least one first gas flow rate adjustment unit configured to adjust a flow rate of the gas introduced into the first gas flow path and at least one second gas flow rate adjustment unit configured to adjust a flow rate of the gas introduced into the second gas flow paths are included.