Glass ribbon producing apparatus and process for producing the same

Abstract

The invention provides a glass ribbon producing apparatus (1) adapted to feed molten glass (Y) to molding member (2) and to cause the molten glass (Y) to flow downward from the molding member (2) so as to form sheetlike glass ribbon (G), comprising reheating means (5) disposed on a transport route for the glass ribbon (G) flowing downward from the molding member (2) so that the glass ribbon (G) is reheated by the reheating means (5) to thereby cause the sheet thickness of the glass ribbon (G) positioned inferior to the reheating means (5) to be smaller than that of the glass ribbon (G) positioned superior to the same.

Description

technical field [0001] This invention relates to the manufacturing apparatus of a glass ribbon, and its manufacturing method. Specifically, It is related with the improvement of the manufacturing technique of the glass ribbon by the so-called down-draw method which flows down molten glass from a molding body, and shapes a glass ribbon. Background technique [0002] As is well known, when producing sheet glass, there is a so-called down-draw method in which molten glass is flowed down from a molded body to form a glass ribbon as a raw sheet of sheet glass, and the representative methods include the overflow down-draw method (melting method), Orifice pull-down method. The former overflow down-draw method is to make the molten glass continuously supplied to the molded body having a wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape flow down from the top of the molded body along both sides, and fuse into a sheet-like form at the lower end of the molded body. A method in which a plate-shaped g...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Therefore, once the glass ribbon is cooled (hardened) to a certain extent, the thickness of the glass ribbon cannot be reduced thereafter. Therefore, even if the flow rate of the glass ribbon is increased, the thickness of the glass ribbon can be reduced. also limited

In particular, it is extremely difficult to form a glass ribbon with a plate thickness of 0.5 mm or less by this method

[0007] In addition, when the flow-down speed of the glass ribbon is increased too much, the flow-down speed of the unhardened glass ribbon whose shape is unstable is unduly increased, and therefore, the forming process of the glass ribbon is likely to be unstable, and the As a result, the thickness of the hardened glass ribbon tends to be uneven.

In addition, in order to increase the flow rate of the glass ribbon, it is necessary to clamp the glass ribbon and pull it downward strongly by a stretching mechanism such as rollers. Therefore, there is a risk of fatal problems such as surface scratches or cracks on the glass ribbon.

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