Glass article manufacturing apparatus and glass article manufacturing method

Abstract

The invention relates to a glass article manufacturing apparatus and a glass article manufacturing method. The invention provides a technology capable of manufacturing a desired glass article even if glass fragments generated by breaking of a glass observation window fall into a glass article forming device. Provided is a glass article manufacturing device in which molten glass is obtained by melting a glass raw material, the molten glass is molded into a glass article, and the glass article is slowly cooled, the glass article manufacturing device is provided with a glass observation window through which the inside of the glass article manufacturing device can be observed from the outside of the glass article manufacturing device, and the glass observation window has a glass composition within the same range as the glass composition of the glass article.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an apparatus for manufacturing glass articles and a method for manufacturing glass articles. Background Technology

[0002] A glass article manufacturing apparatus is known in which glass raw material is melted, the molten glass obtained by melting is shaped into a glass article, and then slowly cooled, thereby manufacturing glass articles such as flat glass (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2023 / 149311 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In glass manufacturing apparatuses, glass observation windows are sometimes installed to allow operators to observe the interior of the apparatus from the outside. When performing maintenance on such apparatuses, the observation window is typically broken, and maintenance tools are inserted through the opening. However, when the observation window is broken, glass fragments forming the window enter the glass manufacturing apparatus, sometimes mixing with the raw glass or molten glass. In conventional glass manufacturing apparatuses, the composition of the glass in the observation window was not considered; therefore, when glass fragments from the observation window mix with the glass, the glass composition of the glass changes, sometimes resulting in glass products with the desired properties not being obtained.

[0008] One aspect of this disclosure provides a technique for manufacturing a desired glass article even if glass fragments from a broken glass viewing window fall into the interior of a glass article forming apparatus.

[0009] means for solving problems

[0010] One aspect of the glass article manufacturing apparatus disclosed herein is a glass article manufacturing apparatus in which glass raw materials are melted to obtain molten glass, the molten glass is shaped into a glass article, and slowly cooled, wherein the glass article manufacturing apparatus is provided with a glass observation window that allows observation of the interior of the glass article manufacturing apparatus from the outside of the glass article manufacturing apparatus, and the glass observation window has a glass composition within the same range as the glass composition of the glass article.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] According to one aspect of this disclosure, even if glass fragments from a broken glass viewing window fall into the interior of the glass article forming apparatus, the desired glass article can still be manufactured. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a glass article manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic enlarged view of the glass observation window from the outside.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing glass articles according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Label Explanation

[0017] 10 Melting apparatus

[0018] 20 Clarification apparatus

[0019] 30 Forming device

[0020] 40 Slow cooling device

[0021] 100 Glassware Manufacturing Apparatus

[0022] Wd View Window Detailed Implementation

[0023] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail. Reference will also be made to the accompanying drawings, in which identical or corresponding components are sometimes labeled with the same reference numerals, and descriptions are omitted.

[0024] <Glass Manufacturing Apparatus>

[0025] Figure 1 The image schematically illustrates a glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 is a device for melting glass raw materials, forming the molten glass obtained by melting into a glass article, and slowly cooling it. More specifically, the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 includes at least a melting device 10, a forming device 30, and a slow cooling device 40. Figure 1 As shown, the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 may include a clarifying device 20 for clarifying molten glass between the melting device 10 and the forming device 30. Figure 1 In the diagram, the melting device 10, the clarifying device 20, and the forming device 30 are shown in partial cross-sectional views for ease of understanding of their functions.

[0026] The melting apparatus 10 melts the glass raw material by heating, thereby producing molten glass Gm. The glass raw material to be melted can be prepared by mixing various materials. For the purpose of glass recycling, the glass raw material may also contain chopped glass. The glass raw material can be a powder raw material or a granulated raw material obtained by granulating the powder raw material. Figure 1 In the example shown, the melting apparatus 10 includes a melting tank that holds molten glass Gm and a burner that emits a flame above the melting tank. However, an electric heater, electrode, or the like can also be used as the heat source for the melting apparatus 10, instead of a burner. The molten glass Gm can be continuously conveyed from the melting apparatus 10 to the forming apparatus 30 via the refining apparatus 20. The melting tank of the melting apparatus 10 can be completely covered by a roof. In this way, in the melting apparatus 10, the glass raw material and molten glass Gm inside are surrounded by the melting tank and the roof, and a heating device as a heat source is arranged on the outside, making it difficult to see the inside of the apparatus from the outside.

[0027] The refining apparatus 20 is an apparatus for removing air bubbles contained in the molten glass Gm obtained in the melting apparatus 10 before it is formed by the forming apparatus 30. Methods for removing air bubbles include, for example, reducing the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere of the molten glass, or heating the molten glass to a high temperature. The refining apparatus 20 also includes a refining tank for containing the molten glass Gm, the entire upper part of which can be covered by a roof.

[0028] The forming apparatus 30 shapes the molten glass Gm obtained by the melting apparatus 10 and, if necessary, processed by the clarifying apparatus 20 into a glass article Gr of the desired shape. For example... Figure 1 As shown, a glass item Gr can be a long, plate-shaped glass item, i.e., a glass strip. Figure 1 The forming apparatus 30 shown is a float glass forming apparatus, but the forming method for obtaining glass articles Gr is not limited to float glass, and can also be fusion forming, roll forming, etc.

[0029] exist Figure 1 In the example shown, the forming apparatus 30 is constructed entirely in the form of a forming furnace. The forming furnace may consist of a bath and a cover connected to and covering the bath. Molten metal such as molten tin or molten tin alloy is contained in the bath, and molten glass Gm is continuously supplied onto it. Long, plate-shaped glass articles (glass strips) Gr can be formed using the smooth surface of the molten metal. In the forming apparatus 30, the molten glass Gm and the glass articles Gr are surrounded by the furnace.

[0030] The slow cooling device 40 slowly cools the glass article Gr formed by the forming device 30. Through slow cooling, a glass article Gr with less residual strain is obtained. The slow cooling device 40 may, for example, have a heat treatment furnace and conveyor rollers inside the heat treatment furnace to transport the glass article in a desired direction. Multiple conveyor rollers are arranged, for example, at intervals along a horizontal direction. The glass article Gr is slowly cooled during its transport from the inlet to the outlet of the heat treatment furnace. The slow cooling device 40 may have a chamber surrounding the glass article Gr to be slowly cooled.

[0031] It should be noted that a processing device (not shown) may be provided after the slow cooling device 40. The processing device processes the glass article Gr, which has been slowly cooled by the slow cooling device 40, into a desired shape. The processing device may include, for example, one or more selected from a cutting device, a grinding device, a polishing device, and a coating device. Among them, the cutting device, for example, can cut the glass article Gr, which has been slowly cooled by the slow cooling device 40, to produce a glass plate Gp.

[0032] <Observation Window>

[0033] As described above, each device included in the glass manufacturing apparatus 100 contains a wall-like structural member (also called a wall-like component) that isolates the interior of the device from the exterior, making it difficult to see the interior from the outside. Therefore, the glass manufacturing apparatus 100 is provided with an observation window that allows observation of the interior from the outside. Through the observation window, the operator can visually observe the state of the glass raw materials, molten glass Gm, and glass product Gr inside the apparatus, as well as the state of other internal components. The ability to visually observe the interior of the glass manufacturing apparatus 100 during operation is important for quality control of the glass products to be manufactured. It should be noted that the aforementioned "state of the interior" includes the state of the inner surfaces of the apparatus, the state of the atmosphere inside the apparatus, and the functional state of heating devices, etc., if present in the apparatus.

[0034] The observation window Wd can be positioned anywhere within the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100. For example, as... Figure 1 As shown, the observation window Wd can be provided on one or more of the melting device 10, the clarifying device 20, the forming device 30, and the slow cooling device 40. Alternatively, the observation window Wd can be provided on each of the melting device 10, the clarifying device 20, the forming device 30, and the slow cooling device 40 respectively. Furthermore, multiple observation windows Wd can be provided on each device.

[0035] Furthermore, in the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100, if one or more of the aforementioned melting apparatus 10, refining apparatus 20, forming apparatus 30, and slow cooling apparatus 40 are physically separated, the passage between these apparatuses is also included in the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100. In this case, if a chamber surrounding the entire passage is provided, the observation window Wd can also be installed on the wall member of the chamber constituting such a passage.

[0036] It should be noted that, as Figure 1 As shown, the observation window Wd is preferably located on the side of the production line in the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 in the direction of travel, but it can also be located on the roof side of the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100.

[0037] The observation window Wd can be formed on a wall-like member that separates the interior of the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 from the exterior of the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100. For example, when the observation window Wd is mounted on the melting apparatus 10, it can be located on the side wall of the melting tank of the melting apparatus 10, above the surface of the contents contained in the tank. When the observation window Wd is provided on the forming apparatus 30, it can be provided on the upper part of the side wall of the forming furnace.

[0038] The observation window Wd can be installed at a pre-formed opening in any wall-like member that isolates the interior of the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 from the exterior of the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100. For example, if the observation window Wd is installed on the melting device 10, it can be installed at an opening formed on the side wall of the melting tank of the melting device 10, at a position higher than the location where the glass raw material and molten glass are contained.

[0039] The observation window Wd is made of glass. This allows for clear visual identification of the opposite side of the observation window Wd and also prevents heat-induced deformation of the observation window Wd. The observation window Wd can be formed, for example, from a glass plate with a side length of 50mm or more and 250mm or less, and a thickness of 0.2mm or more and 7mm or less. Furthermore, to suppress heat transfer between the inside and outside of the device via the observation window Wd, i.e., to improve the heat insulation performance of the observation window Wd, an item consisting of multiple glass plates arranged with their main surfaces spaced apart can be used as the observation window Wd. For example, the observation window Wd can be a double-glazed window. An observation window Wd composed of multiple glass plates is preferred because it improves heat insulation performance.

[0040] Furthermore, the glass observation window Wd is tightly installed at the opening of the aforementioned wall-like member, that is, the glass observation window Wd is installed at the opening of the aforementioned wall-like member in a manner that prevents fluid from flowing in or out between the observation window Wd and the opening. Moreover, the observation window is preferably installed as a fixed window. That is, the observation window Wd is installed in a non-removable manner. This ensures a sufficient seal between the observation window and the wall-like member of the device.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the installation state of the observation window Wd. Figure 2 As an example, it is observed from the outside that it is installed on Figure 1 An enlarged view of the glass observation window Wd on the side wall 31 of the forming furnace of the forming apparatus 30. Figure 2 In the example shown, a metal frame 5 is installed at the opening formed in the side wall 31. Furthermore, the glass observation window Wd can be fixed within the frame 5, for example, using a heat-resistant and airtight sealant 3. An openable and closable outer cover 6, pivotally mounted on the frame 5, can be provided on the outside of the glass observation window Wd. The outer cover 6 is closed during internal observation to prevent heat loss from the device to the outside. It should be noted that an openable and closable inner cover 7 can also be provided on the inside of the glass observation window Wd. Figure 2 The installation configuration of the glass observation window Wd shown is an example, and the glass observation window Wd can be installed in a manner known in the art.

[0042] <The Relationship Between Observation Windows and Glass Objects>

[0043] Glass manufacturing apparatuses typically require regular maintenance and inspections. Such maintenance or inspections are performed after the glass manufacturing apparatus has finished operating and before the next operation begins. During this time, the observation window is usually broken, and tools are inserted through the resulting hole to perform the work. Breaking the glass observation window generates glass fragments, but at least some of these fragments fall into the glass manufacturing apparatus. These glass fragments from the observation window sometimes become mixed into the raw glass, molten glass, forming glass articles, or slowly cooling glass articles when the glass manufacturing apparatus is restarted. Although the observation window is also made of glass, its glass composition has historically been unconsidered. Therefore, when glass fragments from the observation window become mixed into the glass articles, the glass composition of the glass articles to be manufactured is altered, and sometimes the desired characteristics cannot be obtained. Furthermore, even outside of maintenance or inspection, the glass observation window Wd sometimes breaks unexpectedly during the operation of the glass manufacturing apparatus 100, resulting in glass fragments becoming mixed into the glass articles.

[0044] In response to this, in the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present disclosure, the glass observation window has a glass composition within the same range as the glass composition of the glass article. Therefore, even if glass fragments from a broken observation window enter the interior of the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 and mix into the glass raw materials, molten glass, or the formed, soft-state glass article, it has little or no impact on the glass composition of the glass article to be manufactured. Thus, even if glass fragments from the observation window enter the glass article manufacturing apparatus, it is possible to manufacture glass articles with the desired properties.

[0045] In this specification, "glass composition" or "the composition of glass" refers to the types of components constituting the glass and the amounts of those components relative to the total amount of the glass. Here, the components constituting the glass in "glass composition" can be one or more components that characterize the glass. The components of the glass composition may include oxides of metals or metalloids. In addition, specific examples of the types of components that make up glass include: SiO2, Al2O3, B2O3, MgO, CaO, SrO, Na2O, K2O, Fe2O3, FeO, ZrO2, Li2O, ZnO, PbO, As2O3, Sb2O3, TiO2, CeO2, SnO2, P2O5, WO3, Bi2O3, Rb2O, Cs2O, CdO, Ga2O3, Y2O3, In2O3, La2O3, Gd2O3, Ce2O3, MnO2, GeO2, TeO2, V2O5, Nb2O5, Ta2O5, As2O5, ThO2, BeO, Lu2O3, Yb2O3, Tb2O3, etc. Furthermore, the components of glass can also contain halide ions (referred to as halogen elements), such as F and Cl.

[0046] Furthermore, the amount of the component in "glass composition," as long as it characterizes the amount of the glass, can include not only the amount of one of the above-mentioned components, but also the total amount of two or more components. It should be noted that, in the case of an oxide component, the amount of the component relative to the total amount of the glass can be expressed as a mole percent (%) based on oxides.

[0047] Therefore, the glass composition may include, for example, the amounts of SiO2, Al2O3, B2O3, MgO, CaO, and SrO, or the amounts of SiO2, Al2O3, B2O3, MgO, CaO, SrO, and the combined amounts of MgO, CaO, and SrO. Alternatively, the glass composition may include the amounts of SiO2, Al2O3, B2O3, MgO, CaO, SrO, and the combined amounts of MgO, CaO, and SrO. Or, the glass composition may include the amounts of SiO2, Al2O3, B2O3, MgO, CaO, SrO, BaO, PbO, As2O3, Sb2O3, and the combined amounts of MgO, CaO, and SrO.

[0048] Furthermore, in this specification, "the range of glass composition" refers to the range of glass composition allowed to give the target glass the desired properties; it is a numerical range of the amounts of the components constituting the glass. When the glass composition contains two or more components, it refers to the numerical range of each component.

[0049] Therefore, for example, when the glass composition of the target glass includes an amount of SiO2, the range of the glass composition of the target glass can be SiO2:a L % or more and a U Below % . The above "a" L "Such a symbol with the subscript L represents the lower limit of the amount (%) of SiO2," a U The symbol with the subscript U represents the upper limit of the amount (%) of SiO2. The glass object may contain SiO2 in any amount within the above range.

[0050] Furthermore, for example, when the glass composition of the target glass includes the amounts of SiO2, Al2O3, B2O3, MgO, CaO, SrO, and the combined amounts of MgO, CaO, and SrO, the range of the glass composition can be:

[0051] SiO2:a L % or more and a U %the following,

[0052] Al2O3:b L % and above and b U %the following,

[0053] B2O3:c L % or more and c U %the following,

[0054] MgO:d L % or more and d U%the following,

[0055] CaO: e L % or more and e U %the following,

[0056] SrO:f L % or more and f U %the following,

[0057] Total of MgO, CaO and SrO: g L % or more and g U %the following.

[0058] In the above, it is denoted as a L b L ...The symbol with the subscript L represents the lower limit of the amount (%) of each component, denoted as a above. U b U The symbol with the subscript U in ... represents the upper limit (%) of each component. It should be noted that the lower limit can be zero. When the lower limit of a specified component is zero, it means that the specified component is not included in the composition of the glass.

[0059] As described above, in the embodiments of this disclosure, the glass observation window has a glass composition within the same range as the glass composition of the glass article. In other words, the range of the glass composition of the glass observation window used in the glass article manufacturing method can be the same as the range of the glass composition of the glass article. That is, when the glass composition of the glass article contains each component within a specified range, the glass composition of the glass observation window can contain the same components within the same specified range. Therefore, for example, the glass composition of the glass article may contain amounts of SiO2, Al2O3, B2O3, MgO, CaO, SrO, and the combined amount of MgO, CaO, and SrO, each within a specified range, and the glass composition of the glass observation window also contains amounts of SiO2, Al2O3, B2O3, MgO, CaO, SrO, and the combined amount of MgO, CaO, and SrO, each within the same specified range as described above.

[0060] When described in more detail, glass articles contain, in molar percentages based on oxides:

[0061] SiO2:a L % or more and a U %the following,

[0062] Al2O3:b L % and above and b U %the following,

[0063] B2O3:cL % or more and c U %the following,

[0064] MgO:d L % or more and d U %the following,

[0065] CaO: e L % or more and e U %the following,

[0066] SrO:f L % or more and f U %the following,

[0067] Total of MgO, CaO and SrO: g L % or more and g U %the following

[0068] In the case of glass composition,

[0069] The above observation window may contain, in mole percent based on oxides:

[0070] SiO2:a L % or more and a U %the following,

[0071] Al2O3:b L % and above and b U %the following,

[0072] B2O3:c L % or more and c U %the following,

[0073] MgO:d L % or more and d U %the following,

[0074] CaO: e L % or more and e U %the following,

[0075] SrO:f L % or more and f U %the following,

[0076] Total of MgO, CaO and SrO: g L % or more and g U %the following

[0077] It is composed of glass.

[0078] There are no particular limitations on the type of glass used in the glass articles manufactured according to this embodiment. For example, it can be glass classified as alkali-free glass, soda-lime silicate glass (sodium glass), or aluminosilicate glass. It should be noted that "alkali-free glass" refers to glass that does not substantially contain alkali metal oxides such as Na2O and K2O.

[0079] It should be noted that, in this specification, "substantially does not contain the target component of the glass composition" means that, based on the mole percentage of oxides, the content of the target component is preferably 1% or less, more preferably 0.5% or less, even more preferably 0.1% or less, and particularly preferably 0.05% or less. Furthermore, it is preferable that the content of the target component is 0%, that is, it contains no target component at all.

[0080] In this embodiment, the type of glass in the glass article and the type of glass in the glass observation window can be the same. For example, both the glass article and the glass observation window can contain alkali-free glass.

[0081] Furthermore, the glass viewing window preferably has a glass composition substantially the same as that of the glass article. This allows for the manufacture of glass articles that more faithfully reflect the desired glass composition.

[0082] The following are specific examples of the range of glass compositions for glass articles.

[0083] (Example 1)

[0084] Based on oxides as a mole percent, the glass composition of the glass article in Example 1 can be:

[0085] SiO2: 65% or more but less than 70%

[0086] Al2O3: 9% or more but less than 16%

[0087] B2O3: 6% or more but less than 12%

[0088] MgO: 0% or more and 6% or less

[0089] CaO: 0% or more and 7% or less

[0090] SrO: 1% or more but less than 9%

[0091] The total content of MgO, CaO and SrO is between 7% and 18%.

[0092] Furthermore, the aforementioned glass articles preferably do not contain substantially BaO. Additionally, the aforementioned glass articles preferably do not contain substantially PbO, As₂O₃, and Sb₂O₃. Furthermore, the phosphorus content of the aforementioned glass articles, on an atomic number basis, can be 20 ppm or less.

[0093] As described above, in the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100, the glass observation window has a glass composition within the same range as the glass composition of the glass article. Therefore, for example, in the case of the glass article 1 manufactured by the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100, that is, in the case of the glass article containing, in molar percentages based on oxides:

[0094] SiO2: 65% or more but less than 70%

[0095] Al2O3: 9% or more but less than 16%

[0096] B2O3: 6% or more but less than 12%

[0097] MgO: 0% or more and 6% or less

[0098] CaO: 0% or more and 7% or less

[0099] SrO: 1% or more but less than 9%

[0100] The total content of MgO, CaO, and SrO is between 7% and 18%.

[0101] In the case of glass composition,

[0102] The glass observation window contains, in molar percentage (based on oxides):

[0103] SiO2: 65% or more but less than 70%

[0104] Al2O3: 9% or more but less than 16%

[0105] B2O3: 6% or more but less than 12%

[0106] MgO: 0% or more and 6% or less

[0107] CaO: 0% or more and 7% or less

[0108] SrO: 1% or more but less than 9%

[0109] The total content of MgO, CaO, and SrO is between 7% and 18%.

[0110] It is composed of glass.

[0111] (Example 2)

[0112] Based on oxide mol%, the glass composition of the glass article in Example 2 can be:

[0113] SiO2: 63% or more and 74% or less

[0114] Al2O3: 12% or more but less than 14%

[0115] B2O3: greater than 1.5% and less than or equal to 5%

[0116] MgO: 5.5% or more and less than 13%

[0117] CaO: 1.5% or more but less than 12%

[0118] SrO: 1.5% or more and 9% or less

[0119] BaO: 0% or more and less than 1%

[0120] The total content of MgO, CaO, SrO and BaO is between 15.5% and 21%.

[0121] Furthermore, the aforementioned glass articles substantially do not contain BaO, F, Cl, Na₂O, K₂O, Fe₂O₃, FeO, and ZrO₂. For example, the aforementioned glass composition of the glass articles can further be:

[0122] Total Na2O and K2O: 0.1%

[0123] Fe2O3: 0.1%

[0124] In addition, the aforementioned glass articles may be substantially free of PbO, As2O3 and Sb2O3.

[0125] The glass items in Examples 1 and 2 above are both alkali-free glass.

[0126] (Example 3)

[0127] The glass article in Example 3 is aluminosilicate glass. The glass composition of this article, expressed in moles (%) based on oxides, ranges as follows:

[0128] SiO2: 50% or more but less than 80%

[0129] Al2O3: 2% or more but less than 25%

[0130] Li2O: 0% or more and less than 10%

[0131] Na2O: 0% or more and 18% or less

[0132] K2O: 0% or more and less than 10%

[0133] MgO: 0% or more and 15% or less

[0134] CaO: 0% or more and 5% or less

[0135] ZrO2: 0% or more and 5% or less.

[0136] <Methods for Manufacturing Glass Articles>

[0137] One embodiment of this disclosure is a glass article manufacturing method using the aforementioned glass article manufacturing apparatus. With this method, even if glass fragments generated from a glass observation window mounted on the glass article manufacturing apparatus fall into the apparatus and mix with the glass raw materials, molten glass, etc., being processed within the apparatus, the glass composition of the glass article will not change or will remain almost unchanged. Therefore, glass articles with the desired properties can be obtained.

[0138] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing glass articles according to one embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment is a method for manufacturing glass articles, which is a method for manufacturing glass articles using a glass article manufacturing apparatus having a glass observation window that allows observation of the interior of the apparatus from the outside. The glass article manufacturing method includes the following steps: determining a desired range of glass composition for the glass article to be manufactured (S10); preparing a glass observation window having a glass composition within the same range as the determined range of glass composition for the glass article (S20); installing the glass observation window onto the glass article manufacturing apparatus (S30), thereby obtaining a glass article manufacturing apparatus with an observation window; in the glass article manufacturing apparatus with an observation window, melting glass raw materials to obtain molten glass; forming the molten glass into a glass article; and slowly cooling it to manufacture the glass article (S40).

[0139] like Figure 3 As shown, firstly, in step S10, the desired range of glass composition for the glass article is determined. The range of glass composition for the glass article, expressed as a mole percent based on oxides, may include, for example:

[0140] SiO2:a L % or more and a U %the following,

[0141] Al2O3:b L % and above and b U %the following,

[0142] B2O3:c L % or more and c U %the following,

[0143] MgO:d L % or more and d U %the following,

[0144] CaO: e L % or more and e U %the following,

[0145] SrO:f L % or more and f U %the following,

[0146] Total of MgO, CaO and SrO: g L % or more and g U %the following.

[0147] After determining the glass composition range as described above in step S10, a glass observation window corresponding to the determined glass composition range is then prepared in step S20. More specifically, a glass observation window is prepared having a glass composition within the same range as the glass composition range of the glass article determined in step S10. For this purpose, for example, the glass raw material is adjusted so that the glass composition of the glass observation window to be manufactured is within the range of the glass composition determined in step S10, thereby manufacturing a glass plate for the glass observation window. The manufacturing of this glass observation window in step S20 can also be performed using the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 before manufacturing the glass article.

[0148] Here, the preparation of the glass observation window in step S20 may include the following steps: preparing multiple glass observation windows with different glass compositions in advance (S21a), and selecting a glass observation window from the multiple glass observation windows that falls within the range of glass compositions of the glass article to be manufactured (S22a). That is, as a preparatory step before manufacturing the glass article, in step S21a, multiple glass observation windows with different envisioned glass compositions are prepared. This preparation of multiple glass observation windows can be, for example, by using a glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 or other apparatus to produce multiple glass observation windows with different glass compositions before manufacturing the glass article, or by processing commercially available glass sheets into glass observation windows and storing them in an unprocessed form. Next, in step S22a, a glass observation window with a glass composition within the range of glass compositions of the glass article determined in step S10 is selected from the multiple glass observation windows prepared in step S21a. Then, as... Figure 3 As shown, in step S30, the selected glass observation window is installed.

[0149] Alternatively, instead of steps S21a and S22a, the preparation of the glass observation window in step S20 can also include the following steps: producing a glass article prototype using the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 (S21b), and then producing a glass observation window from the glass article prototype (S22b). In this case, the glass article is a glass plate. In step S21b, a glass article prototype smaller than the actual glass article to be manufactured is pre-manufactured using the glass article manufacturing apparatus 100 before the manufacture of the glass article begins. Then, in step S22b, the glass observation window is produced from the glass article prototype produced in step S21b by processing such as cutting out a glass observation window to a predetermined size. In the preparation of the glass observation window including steps S21b and S22b, the glass observation window is manufactured using a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing the actual glass article to be manufactured. Therefore, the glass composition of the glass observation window can be made more reliably within the range of the desired glass composition determined in step S10.

[0150] Furthermore, in the glass article manufacturing method of this embodiment, step S40, which involves melting glass raw materials in a glass article manufacturing apparatus with an observation window, forming the molten glass obtained by melting into a glass article, and slowly cooling it to manufacture the glass article, can be considered as a series of steps in glass article manufacturing. This series of steps can be repeated multiple times. Between each series of steps in glass article manufacturing, at least a portion of the fragments generated by the observation window breaking enters the glass article manufacturing apparatus. Therefore, even during maintenance, for example, from the time the glass article manufacturing apparatus stops operating until it is restarted, even if fragments generated by breaking the observation window to insert a device enter the glass article manufacturing apparatus and become mixed with the glass raw materials or molten glass, the glass composition of the glass article can be easily controlled within the desired glass composition range. Thus, it is possible to manufacture glass articles with the desired characteristics.

[0151] Therefore, one embodiment of this disclosure can be a method for manufacturing glass articles, which is a method for manufacturing glass articles using a glass article manufacturing apparatus having a glass observation window that allows observation of the interior of the apparatus from the outside. The method includes: determining a desired range of glass composition for the glass article to be manufactured (S10); preparing a glass observation window having a glass composition within the same range as the determined glass composition range of the glass article (S20); installing the glass observation window onto the glass article manufacturing apparatus (S30); thereby obtaining a glass article manufacturing apparatus with an observation window; in the glass article manufacturing apparatus with an observation window, manufacturing glass articles through a series of steps including melting glass raw materials, forming the molten glass obtained by melting into a glass article, and slowly cooling it (S40); repeating the series of steps multiple times; and between the series of steps and the next series of steps, at least a portion of the fragments generated by the breakage of the observation window enters the glass article manufacturing apparatus.

[0152] The present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. In addition, the above embodiments can be modified, amended, substituted, added, deleted and combined in various ways within the scope of the claims, and these modifications also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A glass article manufacturing apparatus, wherein glass raw material is melted to obtain molten glass, the molten glass is shaped into a glass article, and then slowly cooled, wherein... The glass article manufacturing apparatus is equipped with a glass observation window that allows observation of the interior of the glass article manufacturing apparatus from the outside. The glass viewing window has a glass composition within the same range as that of the glass article.

2. The glass article manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The glass composition of the glass article contains amounts of SiO2, Al2O3, B2O3, MgO, CaO, SrO, and the combined amount of MgO, CaO, and SrO, respectively, within specified ranges. The glass composition of the glass observation window also contains amounts of SiO2, Al2O3, B2O3, MgO, CaO, SrO, and the combined amount of MgO, CaO, and SrO, respectively, within the same range as specified above.

3. The glass article manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, Both the glass article and the glass observation window contain alkali-free glass.

4. The glass article manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The glass article has a glass composition, expressed as a mole percent based on oxides, comprising: SiO2: 65% or more but less than 70% Al2O3: 9% or more but less than 16% B2O3: 6% or more but less than 12% MgO: 0% or more and 6% or less CaO: 0% or more and 7% or less SrO: 1% or more but less than 9% The total content of MgO, CaO and SrO is between 7% and 18%.

5. The glass article manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The glass article has a glass composition, expressed as a mole percent based on oxides, comprising: SiO2: 63% or more and 74% or less Al2O3: 12% or more but less than 14% B2O3: greater than 1.5% and less than or equal to 5% MgO: 5.5% or more and less than 13% CaO: 1.5% or more but less than 12% SrO: 1.5% or more and 9% or less BaO: 0% or more and less than 1% The total content of MgO, CaO, SrO and BaO is between 15.5% and 21%.

6. The glass article manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, Both the glass article and the glass viewing window are substantially free of BaO.

7. The glass article manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, Both the glass article and the glass observation window are substantially free of PbO, As2O3 and Sb2O3.

8. The glass article manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The glass viewing window has a glass composition substantially the same as that of the glass article.

9. The glass article manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The glass observation window is a fixed window that is tightly installed at the opening of the wall-like component of the glass article manufacturing apparatus.

10. A method for manufacturing a glass article, comprising manufacturing a glass article using a glass article manufacturing apparatus having a glass observation window that allows observation of the interior of the apparatus from the outside, wherein... Determine the range of desired glass compositions for the glass articles to be manufactured. Prepare a glass observation window having a glass composition within the same range as the defined glass composition range of the glass article. The glass observation window is installed on the glass article manufacturing apparatus to obtain a glass article manufacturing apparatus with an observation window. In the glass article manufacturing apparatus with an observation window, glass raw materials are melted to obtain molten glass, the molten glass is shaped into glass articles, and then slowly cooled to manufacture glass articles.

11. The method for manufacturing glass articles according to claim 10, wherein, The steps for preparing the glass observation window include the following: Prepare observation windows made of various glass with different glass compositions in advance. Select a glass observation window from the variety of glass observation windows that has a glass composition within the same range as the glass composition of the glass article to be manufactured.

12. The method for manufacturing glass articles according to claim 10, wherein, The steps for preparing the glass observation window include the following: Prototypes of glass articles are produced using the aforementioned glass article manufacturing apparatus. A glass observation window is made from the glass article prototype.

13. A method for manufacturing a glass article, comprising manufacturing a glass article using a glass article manufacturing apparatus having a glass observation window that allows observation of the interior of the apparatus from the outside, wherein... Determine the range of desired glass compositions for the glass articles to be manufactured. Prepare a glass observation window having a glass composition within the same range as the defined glass composition range of the glass article. The glass observation window is installed on the glass article manufacturing apparatus to obtain a glass article manufacturing apparatus with an observation window. In the glass article manufacturing apparatus with the observation window, glass articles are manufactured through a series of steps including melting glass raw materials, forming the molten glass obtained by melting into glass articles, and slowly cooling them. Repeat the above series of procedures multiple times. Between the series of processes and the next series of processes, at least a portion of the fragments generated by the breakage of the observation window enters the glass article manufacturing apparatus.

Images