Method and device for producing thin glass panes

US7735338B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Schott AG · DE

Inventors

• Rudolf Mueller · Lake Forest, US
• Horst Loch · Niedernhausen, DE
• Dirk Sprenger · Stadecken-Elsheim, DE
• Jose Zimmer · Ingelheim am Rhein, DE
• Holger Wegener · Alfeld, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 4, 2007
• Grant date: Jun 15, 2010
• Expiry date: Jan 30, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P40/57
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

The method of making thin glass panes includes conveying a glass melt through a vertical inlet to a drawing tank with a slit nozzle; drawing a glass ribbon downward from the slit nozzle; setting a total throughput by setting length and cross section of the inlet and by heating and cooling the inlet to control glass melt viscosity so that pressure in the inlet decreases; and setting a throughput per unit of length in a lateral direction along the glass ribbon via nozzle system geometry and by heating and cooling of the drawing tank and slit nozzle to control melt viscosity, so that glass does not wet an underside of the slit nozzle near a breaking edge. The setting of the total throughput and the throughput per unit length are largely decoupled to simplify process control. An inventive apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.