Glass forming apparatus and method
First Claim
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1. A glass sheet forming apparatus comprising:
- a molten core glass reservoir extending along a length of the apparatus;
a weir on at least a first side of the molten core glass reservoir; and
a root located at a distance below the weir;
wherein the weir comprises an inclined surface that, in the intended direction of molten glass flow, slopes linearly downward in the vertical direction while extending away from the molten core glass reservoir in the horizontal direction;
wherein, along at least one cross section of the weir, a horizontal distance (A) between the closest and farthest points of the inclined surface from the molten core glass reservoir is greater than half a horizontal distance (B) between the molten core glass reservoir and the farthest point of the inclined surface from the molten glass reservoir;
wherein a source of molten clad glass is configured above the glass sheet forming apparatus such that when molten clad glass is flowing down from the source of molten clad glass and molten core glass is flowing over the weir, the molten clad glass drops onto the molten core glass at a highest upstream contact point, said highest upstream contact point being located directly above the inclined surface of the weir; and
and wherein the molten core glass and the molten clad glass flowing over the weir form a molten glass sheet below the root.
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Abstract
A glass forming apparatus and method include a weir on at least a first side of a molten core glass reservoir. The weir includes an inclined surface that, in the intended direction of molten glass flow, slopes downward in the vertical direction while extending away from the molten core glass reservoir in the horizontal direction. A source of molten clad glass is configured above the glass forming apparatus such that when molten clad glass is flowing down and molten core glass is flowing over the weir, the molten clad glass drops onto the molten core glass at a highest upstream contact point that is located directly above the inclined surface of the weir.
25 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A glass sheet forming apparatus comprising:
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a molten core glass reservoir extending along a length of the apparatus; a weir on at least a first side of the molten core glass reservoir; and a root located at a distance below the weir; wherein the weir comprises an inclined surface that, in the intended direction of molten glass flow, slopes linearly downward in the vertical direction while extending away from the molten core glass reservoir in the horizontal direction; wherein, along at least one cross section of the weir, a horizontal distance (A) between the closest and farthest points of the inclined surface from the molten core glass reservoir is greater than half a horizontal distance (B) between the molten core glass reservoir and the farthest point of the inclined surface from the molten glass reservoir; wherein a source of molten clad glass is configured above the glass sheet forming apparatus such that when molten clad glass is flowing down from the source of molten clad glass and molten core glass is flowing over the weir, the molten clad glass drops onto the molten core glass at a highest upstream contact point, said highest upstream contact point being located directly above the inclined surface of the weir; and and wherein the molten core glass and the molten clad glass flowing over the weir form a molten glass sheet below the root. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of forming glass sheets, the method comprising:
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flowing molten core glass from a molten core glass reservoir extending along a length of a glass sheet forming apparatus over a weir on at least a first side of the molten core glass reservoir; flowing molten clad glass down from a source of molten clad glass; wherein the weir comprises an inclined surface that, in the intended direction of molten glass flow, slopes linearly downward in the vertical direction while extending away from the molten core glass reservoir in the horizontal direction; wherein, along at least one cross section of the weir, a horizontal distance (A) between the closest and farthest points of the inclined surface from the molten core glass reservoir is greater than half a horizontal distance (B) between the molten core glass reservoir and the farthest point of the inclined surface from the molten glass reservoir; wherein the source of molten clad glass is configured above the glass forming apparatus such that when molten clad glass is flowing down from the source of molten clad glass and the molten core glass is flowing over the weir, the molten clad glass drops onto the molten core glass at a highest upstream contact point, said highest upstream contact point being located directly above the inclined surface of the weir; and wherein the molten core glass and the molten clad glass flowing over the weir form a molten glass sheet below a root located at a distance below the weir. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification