A transfer device, a quartz glass production apparatus, and a production method

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides a transfer device, a quartz glass production equipment and a preparation method. The transfer device comprises a material placing assembly for supporting silica loose bodies; the material placing assembly is stacked along a second direction on the transfer device; the material placing assembly comprises a frame and a supporting tube arranged on the frame, the supporting tubes are spaced apart along a third direction, the third direction is perpendicular to the second direction, one silica loose body is placed between two adjacent supporting tubes arranged in groups, and the supporting tube is rotationally connected to the frame. In the embodiment of the present application, since the transfer device can comprise a plurality of material placing assemblies capable of carrying silica loose bodies, the number of silica loose bodies that can be loaded by the transfer device is relatively large. Therefore, batch sintering of silica loose bodies can be performed, and the work efficiency is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of processing equipment, specifically relating to a transfer device, quartz glass production equipment, and preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] The manufacturing process of quartz glass includes an indirect method. In the indirect method, silicon-containing raw materials are used to synthesize a silica porous body through low-temperature chemical vapor deposition. The silica porous body is then gradually sintered under atmospheric or positive pressure to obtain quartz glass.

[0003] However, in existing methods, the silica porous body is usually placed into the sintering furnace in a one-to-one matching manner, which cannot be processed in batches, resulting in extremely low production efficiency of quartz glass. In addition, after sintering the quartz glass, it needs to be cooled to room temperature naturally in the sintering furnace. The cooling process of the sintered quartz glass affects the sintering progress and greatly reduces the sintering output efficiency of quartz glass. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application aims to provide a transfer device, quartz glass production equipment, and preparation method to solve the problem of low sintering efficiency of existing quartz glass.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application is implemented as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, this application discloses a transfer device, including a material placement assembly for supporting a silica loose body; the material placement assembly is stacked on the transfer device along a second direction;

[0007] The material placement assembly includes a frame and support tubes disposed on the frame. The support tubes are spaced apart along a third direction, which is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0008] One of the silica porous bodies is placed between two adjacent grouped support tubes, which are rotatably connected to the frame.

[0009] In this embodiment, since the transfer device may include multiple material placement components capable of carrying silica loose bodies, the transfer device can load a large number of silica loose bodies. This allows for batch sintering of the silica loose bodies, significantly improving work efficiency.

[0010] Optionally, the support tube is provided with at least one ventilation hole.

[0011] Secondly, this application also discloses a quartz glass production apparatus, the production apparatus comprising:

[0012] A sintering furnace, wherein a heating component is provided inside the sintering furnace;

[0013] A support device is provided outside the sintering furnace, and a cooling structure is provided on the support device;

[0014] A transfer device, comprising a feeding assembly for supporting a porous silica body, the transfer device being movably connected between the sintering furnace and the support device to achieve switching between a first state and a second state;

[0015] In the first state, the transfer device is located inside the sintering furnace and connected to the heating component to sinter the silica porous body through the heating component. In the second state, the transfer device is located in the support device and connected to the cooling structure to cool the sintered silica porous body through the cooling structure.

[0016] In this embodiment, the transfer device can include multiple material placement components capable of carrying silica bulk, thus allowing for a large quantity of silica bulk to be loaded. The transfer device can be used to move the silica bulk between the sintering furnace and the support device. In specific applications, when the transfer device transports the silica bulk to the sintering furnace, the silica bulk can be heated to sinter it into quartz glass. After sintering, the transfer device can transport the silica bulk to the support device for cooling, significantly improving the sintering efficiency of the quartz glass. Because the material placement component has a rotatable support tube, the rotation of the support tube causes the silica bulk to rotate accordingly. During the heating process, the silica bulk is heated more uniformly. The cooling process of the porous silica allows for more uniform cooling. This improves both the sintering efficiency and the sintering quality of the quartz glass.

[0017] Optionally, the transfer device is any of the transfer devices described above.

[0018] Optionally, the number of the material placement components is multiple, and the multiple material placement components are stacked on the transfer device along the second direction; and / or;

[0019] The material placement assembly includes a frame and support tubes disposed on the frame, the support tubes being spaced apart along a third direction perpendicular to the second direction, a silica loose body being placed between two adjacent groups of the support tubes, and the support tubes being rotatably connected to the frame; and / or;

[0020] The support tube is provided with at least one ventilation hole.

[0021] Optionally, the transfer device further includes a linkage structure and a transmission structure, wherein the transmission structure is connected to the linkage structure;

[0022] The sintering furnace is equipped with a first power unit, and the support device is equipped with a second power unit.

[0023] Optionally, the cooling structure includes: an air pump device, an air pump connector, a support frame, multiple ventilation connectors, a sealed rotary joint, and a main air duct; wherein,

[0024] The plurality of ventilation pipes are spaced apart along the second direction and rotatably connected to the bracket;

[0025] The sealing rotary joint is connected between the ventilation pipe and the main air duct to seal the ventilation pipe and the main air duct;

[0026] The main air duct is connected to the air pump equipment through the air pump connector;

[0027] In the second state, the ventilation pipe is connected to the support pipe to introduce the heat dissipation gas into the support pipe.

[0028] Thirdly, this application also discloses a method for preparing quartz glass, comprising:

[0029] Place the silica loose material on the transfer device;

[0030] The transfer device is transported to the sintering furnace for heating of the silica porous body;

[0031] After heating is complete, the transfer device is moved out of the sintering furnace and transported to the support device for cooling.

[0032] In this embodiment, the transfer device allows the silica porous body to be sintered to be transferred between the sintering furnace and the support device, enabling a sintering followed by cooling process to optimize the quartz glass processing steps. This effectively shortens the quartz glass processing cycle while ensuring the silica porous body can be sintered and cooled, thus improving the quartz glass sintering output efficiency.

[0033] Optionally, the step of transporting the transfer device to the sintering furnace for heating the silica porous body includes: transporting the transfer device to the sintering furnace;

[0034] Connect the transmission mechanism on the transfer device to the first power unit inside the sintering furnace;

[0035] The heating components inside the sintering furnace are activated to heat the silica porous body, and the support tube on the transfer device is driven to rotate by the first power unit, thereby causing the silica porous body to rotate.

[0036] Optionally, after heating is complete, the step of transferring the transport and transfer device out of the sintering furnace and transporting it to the support device for cooling includes:

[0037] After heating is complete, the transport and transfer device is transferred out of the sintering furnace, and the transfer device is connected to the cooling structure in the support device.

[0038] Connect the transmission mechanism on the transfer device to the second power unit inside the support device;

[0039] The cooling structure is activated to cool the loose silica body, and the support tube on the transfer device is driven to rotate by the second power unit, thereby causing the loose silica body to rotate.

[0040] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0041] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a quartz glass production equipment according to this application;

[0043] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the transfer device in the production equipment shown;

[0044] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A detailed structural diagram of a portion of the structure shown;

[0045] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A detailed structural diagram of location A shown;

[0046] Figure 5 yes Figure 3A detailed structural diagram of the location of mechanism B shown;

[0047] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperative structure of the transfer device and the support device described in the embodiments of this application;

[0048] Figure 7 This is one of the partial structural diagrams of the cooperation between the transfer device and the support device described in the embodiments of this application;

[0049] Figure 8 This is a second partial structural diagram of the cooperation between the transfer device and the support device described in the embodiments of this application;

[0050] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of a method for preparing quartz glass according to an embodiment of this application.

[0051] Reference numerals: 1 - Sintering furnace, 2 - Heating assembly, 3 - Transfer device, 31 - Moving wheel, 4 - Material feeding assembly, 41 - Frame, 42 - Support pipe, 43 - Ventilation hole, 44 - Air inlet pipe, 5 - Silica loose material, 6 - Linkage mechanism, 61 - First flywheel, 62 - Second flywheel, 63 - First chain, 64 - Third flywheel, 65 - Second chain, 7 - Transmission structure, 71 - Transmission rod, 72 - Transmission sleeve, 8 - First power unit, 81 - First Drive component, 82 - First transmission rod, 9 - Support device, 10 - Second power unit, 101 - Support base, 102 - Second drive component, 103 - Second transmission rod, 11 - Cooling structure, 111 - Bracket, 112 - Ventilation pipe, 113 - Sealing rotary joint, 114 - Main air duct, 12 - Air pump pipe, 13 - First wheel track, 14 - Inlet / outlet, 15 - Lever, 16 - Second alignment mark, 161 - First alignment mark, 17 - Second wheel track Detailed Implementation

[0052] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail. Examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0053] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification and claims of this application may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0054] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0055] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0056] Reference Figure 1 The diagram shows a structural schematic of a quartz glass production equipment according to this application. Figure 2 , showed Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the transfer device in the production equipment shown is for reference. Figure 3 , showed Figure 2 The detailed structural diagram of the structure shown is for reference only. Figure 4 , showed Figure 2 For a detailed structural diagram of location A shown, please refer to... Figure 5 , showed Figure 3 A detailed structural diagram of the mechanism at position B is shown.

[0057] like Figure 1 As shown, the transfer device 3 may specifically include a material placement assembly 4 for supporting the silica loose body 5; the material placement assembly 4 is stacked on the transfer device 3 along the second direction z. Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown, the material placement assembly 4 may include a frame 41 and support tubes 42 disposed on the frame 41. The support tubes 42 are spaced apart along a third direction x, which is perpendicular to the second direction z. A silica loose body 5 is placed between two adjacent groups of support tubes 42. The support tubes 42 are rotatably connected to the frame 41.

[0058] In this embodiment, since the transfer device 3 may include multiple material placement components 4 capable of carrying silica loose bodies 5, the transfer device 3 can load a large number of silica loose bodies 5. This allows for batch sintering of the silica loose bodies 5, significantly improving work efficiency.

[0059] In practical applications, the transfer device 3 can be used to move the silica bulk material 5 between the sintering furnace 1 and the support device 9. Specifically, when the transfer device 3 transports the silica bulk material 5 into the sintering furnace 1, the sintering furnace 1 can heat the silica bulk material 5 to sinter it into quartz glass. After sintering, the transfer device 3 can transport it to the support device 9, where the sintered silica bulk material 5 can be cooled, greatly improving the sintering efficiency of quartz glass. Because the feeding assembly 4 is equipped with a rotatable support tube 42, the rotation of the support tube 42 can drive the silica bulk material 5 to rotate accordingly. During the heating process, the silica bulk material 5 can be heated more evenly; during the cooling process, the silica bulk material 5 can be cooled more evenly. In this way, while improving the sintering efficiency of the quartz glass, the sintering quality of the quartz glass can also be greatly improved.

[0060] Reference Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the cooperative structure of the transfer device and the support device according to an embodiment of this application. (Refer to...) Figure 7 This diagram illustrates one of the partial structural diagrams of the cooperation between the transfer device and the support device according to an embodiment of this application. (Refer to...) Figure 8 The diagram shows a second partial structural schematic of the cooperation between the transfer device and the support device described in the embodiments of this application.

[0061] like Figure 6 The support device 9 shown is provided with a cooling structure 11. The cooling structure 11 can be connected to the support tube 42 on the transfer device 3 to cool down the silica porous body 5 on the support tube 42, so that the sintered silica porous body 5 can be cooled down quickly.

[0062] like Figure 3As shown, the support pipe 42 is provided with at least one ventilation hole 43. When the support pipe 42 is connected to the cooling structure 11, the heat dissipation gas introduced from the cooling structure 11 can be discharged to the silica loose body 5 through the ventilation hole 43 to cool the silica loose body 5.

[0063] In specific applications, at least one ventilation hole 43 can be distributed at intervals along the axial and circumferential directions of the support tube 42, so that during the rotation of the support tube 42, the heat dissipation gas discharged from the ventilation hole 43 can be blown evenly onto the silica loose body 5, thereby improving the cooling rate of the silica loose body 5.

[0064] Specifically, the support tube 42 can be a hollow tube, with one end of the support tube 42 being open for introducing heat dissipation gas, and the other end of the support tube 42 being sealed so that the heat dissipation gas inside the support tube 42 can be fully discharged to the silica porous body 5 through the heat dissipation hole 43, thereby improving the cooling rate of the silica porous body 5.

[0065] like Figure 3 As shown, the frame 41 has inlet / outlet ports 14 between the grouped support tubes 42. These ports 14 can be used for feeding and discharging the silica loose material 5, allowing it to enter between the two grouped support tubes 42 or be discharged from the inlet / outlet ports 14, thus improving the feeding and discharging efficiency of the silica loose material 5. One end of each support tube 42 is also equipped with an air inlet angle tube 44, which passes through the frame 41. The air inlet angle tube 44 can be connected to the cooling structure 11 to introduce heat dissipation gas from the cooling structure 11. The outer diameter of the air inlet angle tube 44 is smaller than the outer diameter of the support tube 42 to reduce the space occupied by the air inlet angle tube 44 on the side of the frame 41. In this way, sufficient space can be provided in the inlet and outlet ports 44 on the frame 41 for feeding and unloading of silica loose material 5, further improving the convenience of feeding and unloading silica loose material 5.

[0066] like Figure 2As shown, the transfer device 3 may further include a linkage structure 6, which specifically includes a first linkage mechanism and a second linkage mechanism connected to each other. The first linkage mechanism is disposed on the material placement assembly 4 and is connected to multiple support tubes 42 on the material placement assembly 4. The first linkage mechanism can be used to drive multiple support tubes 42 on the same material placement assembly 4 to rotate synchronously. The second linkage mechanism is connected to the first linkage mechanism on multiple material placement assemblies 4 and can be used in conjunction with the first linkage mechanism to drive multiple support tubes 42 on multiple material placement assemblies 4 to rotate synchronously. In this way, through the combined use of the first linkage mechanism and the second linkage mechanism, multiple support tubes 42 on multiple material placement assemblies 4 can be driven to rotate synchronously, so as to achieve uniform sintering and uniform cooling of the silica porous body 5.

[0067] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the first linkage mechanism may include a first flywheel 61 disposed on each support tube 42, a second flywheel 62 rotatably connected to the frame 41, and a first chain 63 meshing with the plurality of first flywheels 61 and second flywheels 62; the second linkage mechanism may include a third flywheel 64 connected to each material feeding assembly 4, and a second chain 65 meshing with the third flywheel 64 respectively, wherein the third flywheel 64 is fixedly connected to the second flywheel 62.

[0068] In practical applications, since the third flywheel 64 is fixedly connected to the second flywheel 62, the first linkage mechanism and the second linkage mechanism can be linked and coordinated. Thus, when the third flywheel 64 and / or the second flywheel 62 rotate, all the support tubes 42 on the support device 2 can rotate in the same direction. Correspondingly, the silica porous body 5 on each pair of support tubes 42 can rotate to cooperate with the heating assembly 2 to complete uniform sintering, or to cooperate with the cooling mechanism 11 to achieve uniform cooling.

[0069] In summary, the transfer device described in the embodiments of this application may include at least the following advantages:

[0070] In this embodiment, since the transfer device may include multiple material placement components capable of carrying silica loose bodies, the transfer device can load a large number of silica loose bodies. This allows for batch sintering of the silica loose bodies, significantly improving work efficiency.

[0071] This application embodiment also provides a method such as Figure 1The quartz glass production equipment shown may specifically include: a sintering furnace 1, with a heating component 2 installed inside; a support device 9, located outside the sintering furnace 1, with a cooling structure 11 installed on the support device 9; and the aforementioned transfer device 3, which may include a feeding component 4 for supporting the silica porous body 5. The transfer device 3 is movably connected between the sintering furnace 1 and the support device 9 to achieve switching between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the transfer device 3 is located inside the sintering furnace 1 and connected to the heating component 2 to sinter the silica porous body 5 through the heating component 2. In the second state, the transfer device 3 is located on the support device 9 and connected to the cooling structure 11 to cool the sintered silica porous body 5 through the cooling structure 11.

[0072] In this embodiment, the transfer device 3 allows the silica porous body 5 to be transferred between the sintering furnace 1 and the support device 3, enabling a sintering followed by cooling process to process the silica porous body 5, thus optimizing the quartz glass processing steps. In this way, while satisfying the sintering and cooling requirements of the silica porous body 5, the quartz glass processing cycle is effectively shortened, thereby improving the quartz glass sintering output efficiency.

[0073] like Figure 1 As shown, the bottom of the transfer device 3 can also be equipped with moving wheels 31; the bottom of the sintering furnace 1 is provided with a first wheel track 13. Figure 6 As shown, the support device 9 is provided with a second wheel track 17, and the moving wheel 31 can move along the first wheel track 13 and the second wheel track 17 to switch between the first state and the second state. In specific applications, the first wheel track 13 can be used to limit the movement of the transfer device 3 in the sintering furnace 1 to improve the positional accuracy of the transfer device 3 in the sintering furnace 1, so as to facilitate the docking of the transfer device 3 with the heating component 2 and the first power unit 8 on the sintering furnace 1. The second wheel track 17 can be used to limit the movement of the transfer device 3 on the support device 9 to improve the positional accuracy of the transfer device 3 on the support device 9, so as to facilitate the docking of the transfer device 3 with the cooling structure 11 and the second power unit 10 on the support device 9.

[0074] In some optional embodiments of this application, the support device 9 and the sintering furnace 1 can be spaced apart along the first direction y, and there is space between the support device 9 and the sintering furnace 1 for loading and unloading the silica loose material 5; the first wheel track 13 and the second wheel track 17 are arranged opposite to each other along the first direction y. In this way, by the cooperation and limiting of the first wheel track 13 and the second wheel track 17, the linear movement of the transfer device 3 along the first direction y between the sintering furnace 1 and the support device 9 can be restricted, so as to further improve the movement accuracy of the transfer device 3.

[0075] In this embodiment, the number of material placement components 4 can be multiple, and multiple material placement components 4 are stacked on the transfer device 3 along the second direction z. The material placement component 4 may include a frame 41 and multiple hollow support tubes 42 disposed on the frame 41. The multiple support tubes 42 are distributed at intervals along the third direction x, which is perpendicular to the second direction z. A silica loose body 5 is placed between two adjacent groups of support tubes 42. The support tubes 42 are rotatably connected to the frame 41, and multiple ventilation holes 43 are provided on the support tubes 42. In the first state, the support tubes 42 rotate relative to the frame 41 to drive the silica loose body 5 to rotate, so as to achieve uniform heating of the silica loose body 5. In the second state, the support tubes 42 are connected to the cooling structure 11 to introduce heat dissipation gas from the cooling structure 11 and discharge the heat dissipation gas to the silica loose body 5 through the ventilation holes 43 to cool the silica loose body 5.

[0076] In practical applications, the feeding assembly 4 is equipped with a rotatable support tube 42. The rotation of the support tube 42 causes the silica porous body 5 to rotate accordingly. During the heating process of the silica porous body 5, the heating of the silica porous body 5 becomes more uniform. During the cooling process of the silica porous body 5, the cooling of the silica porous body 5 becomes more uniform. Thus, while improving the sintering efficiency of the quartz glass, it also greatly improves the sintering quality of the quartz glass.

[0077] like Figure 3 As shown, the transfer device may further include a linkage structure 6 and a transmission structure 7, with the transmission structure 7 connected to the linkage structure 6. A first power unit 8 is provided inside the sintering furnace 1, and a second power unit 10 is provided on the support device 9. In the first state, the transmission structure 7 is connected to the first power unit 8, which drives the transmission structure 7 to rotate, thereby rotating the linkage structure 6 and the support tube 42 to achieve uniform heating of the silica porous body 5. In the second state, the transmission structure 7 is connected to the second power unit 10, which drives the transmission structure 7 to rotate, thereby rotating the linkage structure 6 and the support tube 42 to achieve uniform cooling of the silica porous body 5.

[0078] like Figure 3As shown, the transmission structure 7 may include: a transmission rod 71, with transmission sleeves 72 connected to both ends of the transmission rod 71; the transmission rod 71 passes through the second flywheel 62 and the third flywheel 64 respectively, and is fixedly connected to the second flywheel 62 and the third flywheel 64; wherein, in the first state, the transmission sleeve 72 at one end of the transmission rod 71 is connected to the first power unit 8, so as to drive the second flywheel 62, the third flywheel 64 and the support tube 42 to rotate synchronously under the drive of the first power unit 8, so as to achieve uniform heating of the silica porous body 5. In the second state, the transmission sleeve 72 at the other end of the transmission rod 71 is connected to the second power unit 10, so as to drive the second flywheel 62, the third flywheel 64 and the support tube 42 to rotate synchronously under the drive of the second power unit 10.

[0079] like Figure 2 As shown, the first power unit 8 may include: a first driving member 81 and a first transmission rod 82 connected to the first driving member 81. Figure 8 As shown, the second power unit 10 may include a support base 101, a second driving member 102, and a second transmission rod 103. The second driving member 10 is fixedly installed on the support base 101, and the second transmission rod 103 is connected to the second driving member 102. The transmission sleeve 72 has a insertion hole on the side away from the transmission rod 71. In the first state, the first transmission rod 82 is inserted into the insertion hole of the transmission sleeve 72 at one end of the transmission rod 71 to transmit the power generated by the first driving member 81 to the transmission rod 71, and drives the second flywheel 62, the third flywheel 64, and the support tube 42 to rotate through the transmission rod 71. In the second state, the second transmission rod 103 is inserted into the insertion hole of the transmission sleeve 72 at the other end of the transmission rod 71 to transmit the power generated by the second driving member 102 to the transmission rod 71, and drives the second flywheel 62, the third flywheel 64, and the support tube 42 to rotate through the transmission rod 71.

[0080] For example, the first driving component 81 and the second driving component 102 can be components such as motors or electric motors. The specific content of the first driving component 81 and the second driving component 102 is not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0081] Optionally, the insertion hole is a polygonal prism-shaped hole, and the shapes of the first transmission rod 82 and the second transmission rod 103 are adapted to the insertion hole. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the transmission rod 71 is provided with a lever 15 and a first alignment mark 161, and the frame 41 is provided with a second alignment mark 16. The lever 15 can be used to drive the transmission rod 71 to rotate so that the first alignment mark 161 and the second alignment mark 16 are aligned, so that the first transmission rod 82 or the second transmission rod 103 can be inserted into the insertion hole.

[0082] In practical applications, when the rotation angle of the support tube 42 causes the transmission sleeve 72 to be at a different transmission angle than the first power unit 8 and the second power unit 10, the transmission rod 71 can be rotated by moving the lever 15. The movement of the transmission rod 71 adjusts the angle of its end transmission sleeve 72. Guided by the markings of the first alignment mark 16 and the second alignment mark 161, the transmission sleeve 72 can be adjusted to the position corresponding to the transmission of the first power unit 8 and the second power unit 10. Since the output shafts of the drive components in the first power unit 8 and the second power unit 10 can be preset to a constant position after each start and stop, only the angle of the transmission sleeve 72 needs to be adjusted for docking transmission. This facilitates the rapid rotation and processing of the material placement assembly 4 between the sintering furnace 1 and the cooling structure 11.

[0083] In some optional embodiments of this application, the number of cooling structures 11 corresponds to the number of material placement components 4. In the second state, one cooling structure 11 can be used to introduce the heat dissipation gas into the support tube 42 on one material placement component 4 to further improve the cooling effect on the silica porous body on the support tube 42.

[0084] In practical applications, when the transfer device 3 transports the material to the support device 9, the cooling structure 11 can be connected to the support tube 42 on the material placement component 4 so that a cooling structure 11 can introduce heat dissipation gas into the support tube 42 on the material placement component 4, thereby improving the efficiency of heat dissipation gas introduction and thus enhancing the cooling effect of the cooling structure 11 on the silica porous body on the support tube 42.

[0085] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this application only show the case where the transfer device 3 is provided with 4 material placement components 4 and the support device 9 is provided with 3 cooling structures 11. In actual applications, the number of material placement components 4 on the transfer device 3 and the number of cooling structures 11 on the support device 9 can be set according to the actual situation. For example, the number of material placement components 4 and cooling structures 11 can also be 2, 4 or 6, etc. The embodiments of this application do not make specific limitations.

[0086] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the cooling structure 11 may include: an air pump device, an air pump connector 12, a bracket 111, multiple ventilation connectors 112, a sealing rotary joint 113, and a main air duct 114; wherein, the multiple ventilation connectors 112 are spaced apart along the second direction x and rotatably connected to the bracket 111; the sealing rotary joint 113 is connected between the ventilation connectors 112 and the main air duct 114 to seal the ventilation connectors 112 and the main air duct 114; the main air duct 114 is connected to the air pump device through the air pump connectors 12; in the second state, the ventilation connectors 112 are connected to the support pipe 42 to introduce the heat dissipation gas into the support pipe 42.

[0087] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, three cooling structures 11 can be stacked sequentially on the support device 9. Each cooling structure 11 is equipped with an air pump connector 12. The cooling structure 11 is used to seal and connect to the support pipe 42 in the material placement assembly 4, and the air pump connected to the air pump connector 12 blows air to cool the silica porous body 5 on each pair of support pipes 42. The support pipe 42 in the rotating state drives the connected ventilation connector 112 to rotate. In order to enable the main air duct 114 to effectively supply air to the support pipe 42, the sealed rotary joint 113 can stabilize the rotation ventilation of the main air duct 114 and the ventilation connector 112.

[0088] In summary, the production equipment described in the embodiments of this application may include at least the following advantages:

[0089] In this embodiment, the transfer device can include multiple material placement components capable of carrying silica bulk, thus allowing for a large quantity of silica bulk to be loaded. The transfer device can be used to move the silica bulk between the sintering furnace and the support device. In specific applications, when the transfer device transports the silica bulk to the sintering furnace, the silica bulk can be heated to sinter it into quartz glass. After sintering, the transfer device can transport the silica bulk to the support device for cooling, significantly improving the sintering efficiency of the quartz glass. Because the material placement component has a rotatable support tube, the rotation of the support tube causes the silica bulk to rotate accordingly. During the heating process, the silica bulk is heated more uniformly. The cooling process of the porous silica allows for more uniform cooling. This improves both the sintering efficiency and the sintering quality of the quartz glass.

[0090] This application also provides a method for preparing quartz glass, which can be specifically completed using the quartz glass production equipment described in any of the above embodiments.

[0091] Reference Figure 9 This diagram illustrates a flowchart of the steps involved in preparing quartz glass according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 As shown, the preparation method may specifically include the following steps:

[0092] Step 901: Place the silica loose body on the transfer device.

[0093] First, the silica loose material 5 can be placed on the transfer device 3. Specifically, the transfer device 3 can be equipped with multiple material placement components 4. The frame 41 of the material placement component 4 is equipped with a group of support tubes 42. The group of support tubes 42 is provided with inlet and outlet ports 14. The silica loose material 5 can enter the space between the two grouped support tubes 42 through the inlet and outlet ports 14.

[0094] Step 902: Transport the transfer device to the sintering furnace for heating the silica porous body.

[0095] In this embodiment of the application, when the silica porous body 5 is placed on the transfer device 3, the transfer device 3 containing the silica porous body 5 can be transported to the sintering furnace so that the silica porous body 5 can be sintered by the heating components in the sintering furnace 1 to obtain quartz glass.

[0096] Optionally, the step of transporting the transfer device to the sintering furnace for heating the silica porous body may specifically include the following sub-steps:

[0097] Sub-step S11: Transport the transfer device to the sintering furnace.

[0098] In specific applications, the bottom of the transfer device 3 can also be provided with moving wheels 31; the bottom of the sintering furnace 1 is provided with a first wheel track 13. The moving wheels 31 of the transfer device 3 can move along the first wheel track 13 to enter the sintering furnace 1.

[0099] In specific applications, the first wheel track 13 can be used to limit the movement of the transfer device 3 in the sintering furnace 1, so as to improve the positional accuracy of the transfer device 3 in the sintering furnace 1, so as to facilitate the transfer device 3 to dock with the heating component 2 and the first power unit 8 on the sintering furnace 1.

[0100] Sub-step S12: Connect the transmission mechanism on the transfer device to the first power unit inside the sintering furnace.

[0101] In this embodiment, after the transfer device 3 transports the material into the sintering furnace 1, the transmission structure 7 on the transfer device 3 can be connected to the first power unit 8. Specifically, the transmission sleeve 72 at one end of the transmission rod 71 of the transmission mechanism 7 can be connected to the first power unit 8.

[0102] Sub-step S13: Start the heating component in the sintering furnace to heat the silica porous body, and drive the support tube on the transfer device to rotate through the first power unit, so as to drive the silica porous body to rotate.

[0103] In this embodiment, after the transmission sleeve 72 on the transfer device 3 is connected to the first power unit 8, the first power unit 8 can be started to drive the second flywheel 62, the third flywheel 64 and the support tube 42 to rotate synchronously, so as to achieve uniform heating of the silica porous body 5 and sinter the silica porous body 5 into quartz glass.

[0104] Step 903: After heating is complete, the transfer device is transferred out of the sintering furnace and transported to the support device for cooling.

[0105] In this embodiment of the application, after heating, the sintering furnace 1 can be opened, the transfer device 3 can be transferred out of the sintering furnace 1, and transported to the support device 3 for cooling treatment, so as to improve the cooling efficiency of quartz glass, so as to facilitate the unloading of quartz glass and meet the efficiency of batch quartz glass production.

[0106] Optionally, after heating is complete, the step of transferring the transport and transfer device out of the sintering furnace and transporting it to the support device for cooling may specifically include the following sub-steps:

[0107] Sub-step S21: After heating is complete, transfer the transport and transfer device out of the sintering furnace and connect the transfer device to the cooling structure in the support device.

[0108] In specific applications, the support device 9 is provided with a second wheel track 17. The moving wheels 31 of the transfer device 3 can move along the first wheel track 13 and the second wheel track 17 to move out of the sintering furnace 1 and onto the support device 9. The second wheel track 17 can be used to limit the movement of the transfer device 3 on the support device 9 to improve the positional accuracy of the transfer device 3 on the support device 9, so as to facilitate the docking of the transfer device 3 with the cooling structure 11 and the second power unit 8 on the support device 9.

[0109] Sub-step S22: Connect the transmission mechanism on the transfer device to the second power unit in the support device.

[0110] In this embodiment, after the transfer device 3 is transported to the support device 9, the transmission structure 7 on the transfer device 3 can be connected to the second power unit 10. Specifically, the transmission sleeve 72 at the other end of the transmission rod 71 of the transmission mechanism 7 can be connected to the second power unit 10.

[0111] Sub-step S23: Activate the cooling structure to cool the silica porous body, and drive the support tube on the transfer device to rotate through the second power unit, so as to drive the silica porous body to rotate.

[0112] Specifically, the transmission rod 71 can be rotated by the second driving component 102. The transmission sleeve 72, through the cooperation of the first and second transmission mechanisms, can drive the rotation of each pair of support tubes 42. Each pair of support tubes 42 rotating in the same direction can cause the silica porous body 5 to roll. At this time, the external air pump equipment sprays air, which sequentially passes through the main air duct 114, the sealed rotary joint 113, the ventilation pipe 112, and the air inlet angle pipe 44 into the hollow support tube 42. When the hollow support tube 42 rotates, the ventilation pipe 112 rotates synchronously. Under the rotational ventilation effect of the sealed rotary joint 113, air can be ejected through the ventilation holes 43 on the support tube 42. At this time, the silica porous body 5 on the air-ejected support tube 42, i.e., the formed quartz glass, can be cooled by rolling airflow from all directions. This improves the cooling efficiency of the quartz glass, facilitating the unloading of quartz glass and meeting the efficiency requirements of mass production.

[0113] In this embodiment, the transfer device allows the silica porous body to be sintered to be transferred between the sintering furnace and the support device, enabling a sintering followed by cooling process to optimize the quartz glass processing steps. This effectively shortens the quartz glass processing cycle while ensuring the silica porous body can be sintered and cooled, thus improving the quartz glass sintering output efficiency.

[0114] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0115] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A transfer device for movably connecting a sintering furnace (1) and a support device (9) to achieve switching between a first state and a second state, wherein a heating assembly (2) is provided inside the sintering furnace (1), the support device (9) is provided outside the sintering furnace (1), and a cooling structure (11) is provided on the support device, wherein, In the first state, the transfer device (3) is located inside the sintering furnace (1) and connected to the heating component (2) to sinter the silica porous body (5) through the heating component (2). In the second state, the transfer device (3) is located inside the support device (9) and connected to the cooling structure (11) to cool the sintered silica porous body (5) through the cooling structure (11). The device is characterized by including a plurality of material placement components (4) for supporting the silica porous body (5); the plurality of material placement components (4) are stacked on the transfer device (3) along a second direction. The material placement assembly (4) includes a frame (41) and a support tube (42) disposed on the frame (41). The support tubes (42) are spaced apart along a third direction, which is perpendicular to the second direction. A silica loose body (5) is placed between two adjacent groups of the support tubes (42). The support tubes (42) are rotatably connected to the frame (41). At least one ventilation hole (43) is provided on the support tube (42).

2. A quartz glass production equipment, characterized in that, The production equipment includes: Sintering furnace (1), wherein a heating component (2) is provided inside the sintering furnace (1); Support device (9), the support device (9) is located outside the sintering furnace (1), and a cooling structure (11) is provided on the support device. The transfer device (3) according to claim 1, the transfer device (3) includes a plurality of material placement components (4) for supporting the silica loose body (5), the transfer device is movably connected between the sintering furnace (1) and the support device (9) to realize the switching between the first state and the second state; In the first state, the transfer device (3) is located inside the sintering furnace (1) and connected to the heating component (2) to sinter the silica porous body (5) through the heating component (2). In the second state, the transfer device (3) is located inside the support device (9) and connected to the cooling structure (11) to cool the sintered silica porous body (5) through the cooling structure (11).

3. The production equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The transfer device further includes a linkage structure (6) and a transmission structure (7), wherein the transmission structure (7) is connected to the linkage structure (6); The sintering furnace is equipped with a first power unit (8), and the support device (9) is equipped with a second power unit (10).

4. The production equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cooling structure includes: an air pump device, an air pump connector (12), a bracket (111), multiple ventilation connectors (112), a sealed rotary joint (113), and a main air duct (114); wherein, The plurality of ventilation pipes (112) are spaced apart along the second direction and rotatably connected to the bracket (111). The sealing rotary joint (113) is connected between the ventilation pipe (112) and the main air duct (114) to seal the ventilation pipe (112) and the main air duct (114). The main air duct (114) is connected to the air pump equipment through the air pump connector (12); In the second state, the ventilation pipe (112) is connected to the support pipe (42) to introduce heat dissipation gas into the support pipe (42).

5. A method for preparing quartz glass, used in the production equipment described in claim 2, characterized in that, include: Place the silica loose material on the transfer device; The transfer device is transported to the sintering furnace for heating of the silica porous body; After heating is complete, the transfer device is moved out of the sintering furnace and transported to the support device for cooling.

6. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of transporting the transfer device to the sintering furnace for heating the silica porous body includes: transporting the transfer device to the sintering furnace; Connect the transmission mechanism on the transfer device to the first power unit inside the sintering furnace; The heating components inside the sintering furnace are activated to heat the silica porous body, and the support tube on the transfer device is driven to rotate by the first power unit, thereby causing the silica porous body to rotate.

7. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, After heating is complete, the step of transferring the transfer device out of the sintering furnace and transporting it to the support device for cooling includes: After heating is complete, the transfer device is moved out of the sintering furnace and connected to the cooling structure in the support device. Connect the transmission mechanism on the transfer device to the second power unit inside the support device; The cooling structure is activated to cool the loose silica body, and the support tube on the transfer device is driven to rotate by the second power unit, thereby causing the loose silica body to rotate.

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