Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
065290190 | Temperature | 31 |
20080236198 | Method and system for Condition Monitoring of the HTBS Furnace Using Sensor Fusion. - The present invention discloses a method for temperature monitoring of Horizontal Tempering and bending system (HTBS) furnace in glass industries. The present invention improves furnace heaters shut down performance, thereby causing longer lifetime for furnace equipments. The present invention further increases transparency for output tempered and bent glass. The present invention discloses multiple sensors for temperature control of the furnace, wherein said sensors provide a precise and accurate measurement of the glass temperature separately. After acquiring sensors data, the fusion process is done using Bayesian approach in order to achieve more accurate values for glass temperature, thereby enhancing the system performance and decreasing the number of unnecessary emergency shut downs (unnecessary ESDs) of the furnace heating elements, which are produced due to false alarms. | 10-02-2008 |
20090235691 | System and Method for Configuring a Glass Hardening System Capable of Transition between Configurations for Annealing and Tempering Glass Objects - The present invention relates to a glass hardening system and method capable of transition between configurations for annealing and tempering glass objects comprising a conveyor system, a glass object positioning system, a tempering chamber, and a plurality of temperature zones oriented to form a tunnel through which glass objects are conveyed by a conveyor system. The temperature zones can be set to implement a temperature profile for either annealing or tempering the glass objects. Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment an annealing lehr can be configured to temper glass objects by making a portion of the conveyor system accessible to the glass object positioning system after preheating, such that the glass object positioning system can temporarily relocate the glass objects from the conveyor into a tempering chamber and then the glass objects are returned to the conveyor system. | 09-24-2009 |
20100281919 | Device and Method for Shaping Optical Components - The present invention is directed to a device and method for shaping optical components with improved uniformity and higher throughput. A curved oven provides a plurality of sequential chambers arranged in a curved path, with walls separating the chambers. The walls of the chambers may have openings shaped to match the profile of shaping molds and pedestals which are transported through the oven. An optional dual temperature control system may provide for the separate temperature regulation of upper and lower regions of the chambers. Optical components, such as for solar energy sytems, are manufactured by conveying material and molds on a transport system through the curved oven and shaping them by controlled heat and vacuum assisted slumping. The chambers may be grouped into regions, with the materials undergoing different processes as they traverse each region. | 11-11-2010 |
20110265516 | COMPOSITIONAL CONTROL OF FAST RELAXATION IN DISPLAY GLASSES - Methods are provided for reducing the dimensional changes of a glass substrate during a display manufacturing process. The reductions are achieved by increasing the fast relaxation exhibited by the glass. Test methods are provided for distinguishing the effects on dimensional changes of fast relaxation versus slow relaxation. Glass substrates which exhibit reduced dimensional changes during critical thermal cycles of display manufacturing processes are also disclosed. | 11-03-2011 |
20110289967 | RADIATION COLLIMATOR FOR INFRARED HEATING AND/OR COOLING OF A MOVING GLASS SHEET - A glass manufacturing system and a method are described herein that use an enhanced temperature control device to help manufacture a uniformly thick glass sheet that is substantially stress free. In one example, the enhanced temperature control device includes an array of temperature controlled elements and a radiation collimator which together cool the glass sheet with a high degree of spatial resolution so as to reduce stress in the glass sheet and control the thickness of the glass sheet. | 12-01-2011 |
20120042693 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HOMOGENIZING A GLASS MELT - The present invention is directed toward a method of reducing contamination of a glass melt in a stirring apparatus by an oxide material. The oxide material, such as platinum oxide, may be volatilized by the high temperature of the glass melt, and then condense on the inside surfaces of a stirring vessel, particularly the stirrer shaft and surrounding surfaces of the stirring vessel cover. A build-up of condensed oxide material may then be dislodged and fall back into the glass melt. Accordingly, an apparatus and method is provided that includes a heating element disposed adjacent an annular gap between the stirring vessel cover and the stirrer shaft. The heating element heats a surface of the stirring vessel cover bounding the annular gap and prevents condensation of volatile oxides that may flow through the annular gap. | 02-23-2012 |
20120174628 | Vertical Glass Distribution Habituating Control System and Method - A system and method for automatically adjusting I.S. machine timing to maintain desired vertical glass distribution to improve process yield and quality while reducing dependence on operator skill. Deficiencies in the vertical glass distribution are rapidly addressed by automatically varying the start of final blow to allow more or less stretching of the parison, and more fundamentally addressed by adjusting the cooling of the parison mold. The cooling time of the parison mold may be adjusted by using final blow timing error correction or by also using parison mold temperature error correction. | 07-12-2012 |
20120291490 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING GLASS PLATE - A method and an apparatus for annealing a glass sheet, which can sufficiently reduce ITT formed in the glass sheet, are provided. | 11-22-2012 |
20120304695 | PRECISION GLASS ROLL FORMING PROCESS AND APPARATUS - A process and apparatus for precision glass roll forming a supply of molten glass at a glass temperature of 1000° C. or higher. A pair of hot forming rolls having a surface temperature of about 500° C. or higher, vertically below the glass feed, that thin the supplied stream of molten glass to produce a formed glass ribbon. A pair of cold sizing rolls maintained at a surface temperature of about 400° C. or lower, vertically below the forming rolls, that thin the formed glass ribbon glass to produce a sized glass ribbon having a desired thickness and a desired thickness uniformity. The sized glass ribbon may have a thickness of 1 mm or less that varies in thickness by no more than +/−0.025 mm. | 12-06-2012 |
20120318020 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING A GLASS RIBBON - Apparatus for producing glass ribbon comprises a plurality of cooling coils positioned along a cooling axis of the apparatus extending transverse to a draw direction. The cooling coils are configured to control a transverse temperature profile of the glass ribbon along a cooling axis. Each cooling coil can be fabricated from at least one tube and configured to circulate fluid to remove heat from the cooling coil. In further examples, methods of producing a glass ribbon include the step of controlling a transverse temperature profile of the glass ribbon along a width of the glass ribbon. The step of controlling the temperature profile includes selectively removing heat from at least one of a plurality of cooling coils positioned along the cooling axis. | 12-20-2012 |
20120318021 | APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING VITREOUS SILICA CRUCIBLE - Provided is an apparatus for manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible, which is capable of stably manufacturing a high quality vitreous silica crucible by stabilizing heat generation through an arc discharge. The apparatus for manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible includes a mold that defines a shape of a vitreous silica crucible, carbon electrodes that generate an arc discharge for fusing a silica powder molded body formed in the mold, and a power supply device that supplies power to the carbon electrodes. The power supply device includes a saturable reactor that is provided on a supply path of the power to the carbon electrodes and has variable reactance, and a control device that controls the power supplied to the carbon electrodes by changing the reactance of the saturable reactor. | 12-20-2012 |
20130047670 | Purification of a Metalloid by Consumable Electrode Vacuum Arc Remelt Process - A metalloid such as silicon in the form of a preheated solid electrode is purified by a CEVAR purification process by producing an ingot with controlled heating and cool down after the preheated electrode is melted in a CEVAR furnace system using a short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible. | 02-28-2013 |
20130098111 | HEAT STRENGTHENING OF A GLASS SUPERSTRATE FOR THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES - Process and apparatus are generally provided for forming a thin film photovoltaic device. In one particular embodiment, the process includes: depositing a photovoltaic absorber layer on a glass substrate; heating the glass substrate to an anneal temperature; and quenching the glass substrate to cool the glass substrate to a quenched temperature in less than 10 seconds. The quenched temperature can be about 85° C. to about 200° C. less than the anneal temperature. The quenching atmosphere can have a quenching pressure of about 1 torr or more and can include an inert gas. | 04-25-2013 |
20130186138 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FORMING GLASS SHEETS - Apparatus ( | 07-25-2013 |
20130239616 | Directional Solidification Furnace Having Movable Heat Exchangers - A directional solidification furnace is disclosed that includes one or more movable cooling plates disposed beneath a crucible. In a first position, the cooling plates are free from contact with a crucible support positioned adjacent the crucible. In a second position, the cooling plates are in contact with the crucible support. A control system is used to control the amount of force exerted by the cooling plates against the crucible. | 09-19-2013 |
20140007620 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR BAKING GLASS SUBSTRATE - The present invention discloses an apparatus for baking a glass substrate, which includes: a baking oven, a support component, a temperature sensing device, a heating device, a cooling device, and a temperature controlling device. The present invention further discloses a method for baking a glass substrate. The present invention is capable of dynamically controlling the temperature of the support component, which contacts the glass substrate. The temperature of the glass substrate keeps identical and the temperature of the support component keep identical, so as to prevent a Mura defect appearing on the glass substrate. | 01-09-2014 |
20140123704 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING GLASS SUBSTRATE WITH LAYERED FILM - An area S (m | 05-08-2014 |
20140157827 | THERMAL IMAGING TO OPTIMIZE FLAME POLISHING - A process for optimizing flame polishing of a glass product includes subjecting a glass product to heating parameters related to the glass product, first sensing a first thermal image of the glass product, polishing the glass product with a flame, second sensing a second thermal image of the glass product after the polishing of the glass product, and adjusting parameters of the flame polishing as necessary based upon the second sensing of the second thermal image of the glass product. | 06-12-2014 |
20140366578 | Substrate Ion Exchange Systems With Single- and Multi-Component Ion Exchange Baths and Methods for Maintaining Such Systems - A substrate ion exchange system, along with methods of maintain such a system, is provided that includes a substrate having an outer region containing a plurality of substrate metal ions, an ion exchange bath that includes a plurality of first metal ions at a first metal ion concentration and a plurality of second metal ions at a second metal ion concentration, and a vessel for containing the ion exchange bath and the substrate. The ion exchange system also includes a temperature sensor coupled to the vessel, and a processor configured to receive a vessel temperature from the sensor and to evaluate the first metal ion concentration based at least in part on a first metal ion consumption rate relationship and the vessel temperature. Further, the first metal ion consumption rate relationship is predetermined. | 12-18-2014 |
20190144323 | GLASS MANUFACTURING METHOD AND APPARATUS | 05-16-2019 |
065290210 | Of molten glass | 11 |
20100275653 | System and Method for Controlling Temperature in a Forehearth - Systems and methods are provided for controlling temperature in a glass forehearth. In one implementation, a system includes at least one burner disposed in said forehearth, a manifold coupled to said burner, a combustion fuel supply coupled to said burner, a combustion air blower for delivering ambient air under pressure to said manifold, and a controller coupled to said burner for controlling operation of said burner. The system may include a temperature sensor operatively coupled downstream of the blower for providing to the controller a temperature signal indicative of temperature of air delivered to the manifold by the blower. The controller may be responsive to the temperature signal for controlling operation of the burner as a function of current temperature of air fed to the manifold. Operation of the burner may also be controlled as a function of an average air temperature over a preceding time duration. | 11-04-2010 |
20110016920 | OPTICAL ELEMENT MANUFACTURING METHOD AND OPTICAL ELEMENT MANUFACTURING APPARATUS - In an optical element manufacturing method for press molding in which primary molten glass droplets are caused to collide with a plate to separate some of the droplets and fine droplets of a secondary molten glass that have passed through an opening are dropped onto a lower die to perform press molding, by setting the diameter of the opening of the plate in the range of 50-100% of the effective diameter of the optical functional surface provided for the lower die, manufacturing conditions for the secondary molten glass droplets can be set easily and properly, and optical elements with satisfactory quality of both appearance and optical performance can be manufactured reliably. | 01-27-2011 |
20110120191 | FUSION PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING SHEET GLASS - Methods are provided for controlling the formation of defects in sheet glass produced by a fusion process which employs a zirconia melting unit. The methods comprise controlling the temperature profile of the glass as it passes through the finer, finer to stir chamber connecting tube, and stir chamber to minimize both the amount of zirconia which diffuses into the glass and the amount of secondary zirconia based defects which comes out of solution in the stir chamber. | 05-26-2011 |
20110126587 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING A GLASS SHEET WITH CONTROLLED HEATING - A method and apparatus for forming a glass sheet using a fusion down-draw process, wherein the heating powers of the heating elements are managed such that in case of a failure of one heating element, the heating power of the adjacent heating element is immediately increased. The method decreases the thermal stress the forming body is exposed to due to the failure of the heating element. | 06-02-2011 |
20110302962 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING CLEAR GLASS OR CLEAR DRAWN GLASS BY UTILIZING A SPECIAL REFINING PROCESS - A method to produce a clear glass or a clear drawn glass includes the steps of melting starting materials to obtain a glass batch melt, refining the obtained glass batch melt, homogenizing the obtained glass batch melt, and producing a glass product in the drawing process. A sulfate refining agent, selected from an alkali-, alkaline earth- or zinc sulfate or mixtures thereof is utilized in a predetermined amount and a predefined refining temperature during refining of the glass batch melt which is 0° C. to 100° C. higher than that in a refining process using a refining system which contains antimony oxide on its own or in combination with one or several other refining agents. | 12-15-2011 |
20120060558 | PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR LASER-SUPPORTED GLASS FORMING - Reducing the adjustment complexity during the forming of glass products, such as the forming of glass tubes to obtain syringe bodies. The glass of a glass pre-product may be heated to be formed, a laser may be used that emits light having a wavelength for which the glass of the glass pre-product is at most partially transparent so that the light is at least partially absorbed in the glass. | 03-15-2012 |
20120216568 | GLASS MELTING METHOD, SYSTEM, AND APPARATUS - A glass melting furnace is operated under a set of control parameters. A glass batch is fed into the glass melting furnace and melted into molten glass. During the melting, a surface layer comprising a portion of the glass batch and foam forms over the molten glass. A plurality of thermograms of the interior of the glass melting furnace is obtained. The thermograms are analyzed to determine whether there is instability in the thermodynamics of the surface layer. The set of control parameters are then adjusted to reduce a determined instability in the thermodynamics of the surface layer. | 08-30-2012 |
20130074549 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING A GLASS RIBBON - Apparatus for producing glass ribbon includes a control device configured at least periodic thermal stress compensation of the glass ribbon by independently adjusting operation of a plurality of temperature adjustment elements based on stress characteristic information at least periodically obtained from a stress sensor apparatus. In further examples, methods of producing glass include at least periodically sensing a stress characteristic of a glass ribbon and at least periodically changing a transverse temperature profile of the glass ribbon based stress characteristic information. In further examples, methods include the step of changing a transverse temperature profile of the glass ribbon only if a measured parameter is within an operating range associated with the parameter. | 03-28-2013 |
20130327092 | SUBMERGED COMBUSTION MELTING PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING GLASS AND SIMILAR MATERIALS, AND SYSTEMS FOR CARRYING OUT SUCH PROCESSES - Processes of controlling submerged combustion melters, and systems for carrying out the methods. One process includes feeding vitrifiable material into a melter vessel, the melter vessel including a fluid-cooled refractory panel in its floor, ceiling, and/or sidewall, and heating the vitrifiable material with a burner directing combustion products into the melting zone under a level of the molten material in the zone. Burners impart turbulence to the molten material in the melting zone. The fluid-cooled refractory panel is cooled, forming a modified panel having a frozen or highly viscous material layer on a surface of the panel facing the molten material, and a sensor senses temperature of the modified panel using a protected thermocouple positioned in the modified panel shielded from direct contact with turbulent molten material. Processes include controlling the melter using the temperature of the modified panel. Other processes and systems are presented. | 12-12-2013 |
20140318182 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THERMAL PROFILE CONTROL IN AN ISOPIPE - A glass fusion draw apparatus for molten glass stream thermal profile control, including:
| 10-30-2014 |
20160002084 | SUBMERGED COMBUSTION MELTING PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING GLASS AND SIMILAR MATERIALS, AND SYSTEMS FOR CARRYING OUT SUCH PROCESSES - Processes of controlling submerged combustion melters, and systems for carrying out the methods. One process includes feeding vitrifiable material into a melter vessel, the melter vessel including a fluid-cooled refractory panel in its floor, ceiling, and/or sidewall, and heating the vitrifiable material with a burner directing combustion products into the melting zone under a level of the molten material in the zone. Burners impart turbulence to the molten material in the melting zone. The fluid-cooled refractory panel is cooled, forming a modified panel having a frozen or highly viscous material layer on a surface of the panel facing the molten material, and a sensor senses temperature of the modified panel using a protected thermocouple positioned in the modified panel shielded from direct contact with turbulent molten material. Processes include controlling the melter using the temperature of the modified panel. Other processes and systems are presented. | 01-07-2016 |