Apparatus for manufacturing glass articles, and method for manufacturing glass articles

Abstract

The present invention provides a glass article manufacturing apparatus and a glass article manufacturing method that enable easy securing of space around the melting furnace. [Solution] The glass article manufacturing apparatus 11 comprises a melting furnace 12 that produces molten glass G2 by heating and melting glass raw material G1, and a raw material supply machine 13 that supplies the glass raw material G1 to the melting furnace 12. The raw material supply machine 13 comprises a container 14 that can contain the glass raw material G1, and a screw feeder 15 that feeds the glass raw material G1 in the container 14 onto the molten glass G2. The screw feeder 15 includes a first screw feeder 16 and a second screw feeder 17 that are arranged adjacent to each other along the horizontal direction. The container 14 includes a common container 18 that is common to the first screw feeder 16 and the second screw feeder 17.

Claims

1. A melting furnace that produces molten glass by heating and melting glass raw materials, A glass article manufacturing apparatus comprising a raw material supply machine for supplying the glass raw material to the melting furnace, The raw material supply machine comprises a container capable of holding the glass raw material, The system includes a screw feeder for feeding the glass raw material in the container onto the molten glass, The screw feeder includes a first screw feeder and a second screw feeder arranged adjacent to each other along the horizontal direction. The apparatus for manufacturing glass articles includes a common container shared by the first screw feeder and the second screw feeder.

2. The distance between the first screw feeder and the second screw feeder is defined as the first distance D1. At a position opposite the second screw feeder, the distance between the side wall of the melting furnace adjacent to the first screw feeder, and the member of the third screw feeder adjacent to the first screw feeder that is closer to the first screw feeder, is defined as the second distance D2. If the distance between the side wall of the melting furnace adjacent to the second screw feeder, and the third screw feeder adjacent to the second screw feeder, at a position opposite the first screw feeder, is defined as the third distance D3, then the following equations (1) and (2): D2>D1...(1) D3>D1...(2) A glass article manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, which satisfies the relationship represented by the following:

3. When the first screw feeder and the second screw feeder are viewed from inside the melting furnace, the first screw feeder is positioned to the left of the second screw feeder. The first screw feeder is equipped with a first screw that feeds out the glass raw material by rotating clockwise, The apparatus for manufacturing glass articles according to claim 1, wherein the second screw feeder comprises a second screw that feeds the glass raw material by rotating counterclockwise.

4. When the first screw feeder and the second screw feeder are viewed from inside the melting furnace, the first screw feeder is positioned to the left of the second screw feeder. Each of the first screw feeder and the second screw feeder is a supply pipe, The supply pipe comprises a screw positioned inside the supply pipe, The open end faces of the supply pipes of the first screw feeder and the supply pipes of the second screw feeder are each composed of inclined surfaces. The most protruding tip of the supply pipe of the first screw feeder on the inclined surface is located within a range of 5° to 85° counterclockwise, with the vertical downward direction being defined as 0° when viewed from inside the melting furnace. The apparatus for manufacturing glass articles according to claim 1, wherein the most protruding tip of the supply pipe of the second screw feeder on the inclined surface is located within a range of 5° to 85° clockwise, with the vertically downward direction as viewed from inside the melting furnace being defined as 0°.

5. The tip position of the blade portion in the axial direction of the screw in the first screw feeder, and the tip position of the blade portion in the axial direction of the screw in the second screw feeder are, The apparatus for manufacturing glass articles according to claim 4, wherein the position of the tip of the open end face of the supply pipe is set to 0 mm, and the apparatus is positioned within a range from the tip to a position 200 mm toward the base end of the supply pipe.

6. A method for manufacturing glass articles, A method for manufacturing a glass article, comprising a melting step of obtaining molten glass by melting the glass raw material using the melting furnace and the raw material supply machine of a glass article manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The method for manufacturing a glass article according to claim 6, wherein in the melting step, the molten glass in the melting furnace is heated by resistance heating.

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