Air-suspended ultra-thin glass thermal tempering equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of air suspension ultrathin glass thermal tempering equipment, the quick cooling device of the present application includes frame body, and several left and right arrangement air grid components are provided on frame body, air grid component includes several upper air grid block and lower air grid block symmetrically arranged, the lower surface of upper air grid block is provided with several left and right arrangement upper air grid strip, the upper surface of lower air grid block is provided with corresponding lower air grid strip of upper air grid strip, upper air grid strip and lower air grid strip one-to-one correspondence, upper air grid strip and lower air grid strip are all vertically arranged, upper air grid strip and lower air grid strip are all provided with several air outlet that are evenly distributed along air grid strip length direction, upper air grid strip and lower air grid strip are all connected with air supply component and the cold air provided by air supply component is discharged from air outlet to realize cooling.The cooling effect of the present application is optimized, and the quick cooling device makes glass surface layer rapidly harden in extremely short time, form deeper residual compressive stress layer, to significantly improve the mechanical strength and impact resistance of glass.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of glass deep processing equipment, specifically, it relates to an air-suspended ultra-thin glass thermal tempering equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the electronics and information industry, the display industry, and the photovoltaic industry, the demand for ultra-thin glass is increasing in fields such as touch panels, displays, and solar cell substrates due to its advantages such as small thickness, high light transmittance, and light weight. However, ultra-thin glass has low strength and high brittleness, making it extremely prone to breakage during use and processing. Therefore, it must be tempered to improve its mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance.

[0003] While chemical tempering can introduce compressive stress into the glass surface at room temperature, it suffers from drawbacks such as long production cycles, low efficiency, non-recyclable molten salts, and high purity requirements. Furthermore, chemically tempered glass fragments resemble ordinary glass, resulting in poor safety; its performance stability is insufficient, with mechanical strength and impact resistance declining rapidly over time; moreover, the surface compressive stress layer formed by chemical tempering is thin, making it extremely sensitive to surface micro-defects—even minor scratches can significantly reduce glass strength. Therefore, current ultra-thin glass tempering primarily relies on physical tempering processes, which involve heating the glass to near its softening point and then rapidly cooling it to create permanent compressive stress on the surface, thereby improving overall strength.

[0004] Chinese invention patent CN104211288B discloses a glass tempering processing system and its glass air cushion heating device, which has the advantages of uniform heating and improved glass flatness. However, the existing physical tempering technology still has the following problems in the application of ultra-thin glass: 1. Regarding the support method, most tempering furnaces currently still use cylindrical or tubular quartz ceramic roller conveyors to transport glass. The contact between the glass and the roller conveyor leads to uneven heating, making it highly susceptible to bending, deformation, and even breakage during the heating process. 2. Regarding heating methods, traditional heating methods rely on indirect control of furnace temperature and time, which cannot achieve accurate measurement and uniform control of the actual temperature of the glass surface, resulting in local overheating or underheating of the glass, thus affecting the tempering quality and flatness of the glass. 3. Regarding cooling methods, existing tempering equipment mostly uses high-pressure air cooling, which can cool quickly, but the cooling rate is limited and cannot meet the requirements of ultra-thin glass for higher residual stress and better fragmentation. 4. In terms of yield, due to limitations in support methods and heating and cooling processes, ultra-thin glass is prone to warping, uneven surface stress distribution, and unsatisfactory fragmentation during tempering, resulting in a low yield and limiting its application in high-end fields. To address the aforementioned issues, there is a need for an air-suspension ultrathin glass heat tempering device that is simple in structure, easy to operate, provides uniform heating, has reasonable support, and a high yield. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an air-suspension ultrathin glass heat tempering device that is simple in structure, easy to operate, heats evenly, has reasonable support, and has a high yield.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A heat-tempering device for air-suspended ultrathin glass includes, from left to right, a loading device, a preheating device, a glass air cushion heating device, a rapid cooling device, and a unloading device. The glass air cushion heating device includes a housing, an upper heating unit, an air-floating heating platform, a fan, a first lift, and a second lift. The housing has a receiving cavity, within which the upper heating unit, air-floating heating platform, and fan are disposed. The upper surface of the air-floating heating platform has multiple air outlets and multiple air return holes. The upper heating unit is positioned above the upper surface of the air-floating heating platform. The fan has an exhaust port and an inlet. Gas discharged from the fan's exhaust port is blown out through the air outlet of the air-floating heating platform. The first lift and the second lift... The unit is located at opposite ends of the bottom of the outer casing. The rapid cooling device includes a frame with several horizontally arranged air grating assemblies. Each air grating assembly includes several upper and lower air grating blocks arranged symmetrically. The lower surface of the upper air grating block has several horizontally arranged upper air grating strips, and the upper surface of the lower air grating block has lower air grating strips corresponding to the upper air grating strips. The upper and lower air grating strips correspond one-to-one. Both the upper and lower air grating strips are arranged vertically front to back. Both the upper and lower air grating strips have several air outlets evenly distributed along their length. Both the upper and lower air grating strips are connected to an air supply assembly, and the cold air supplied by the air supply assembly is discharged from the air outlets to achieve cooling.

[0007] The air supply assembly includes an upper cooling fan and a lower cooling fan. The air outlet of the upper cooling fan is connected to the air inlet of the upper air grating block, which is located on the upper surface of the upper air grating block. The air outlet of the lower cooling fan is connected to the air inlet of the lower air grating block, which is located on the lower surface of the lower air grating block.

[0008] The air supply assembly includes a side fan. The air outlet of the side fan is connected to the air inlet of the upper air outlet hose and the air inlet of the lower air outlet hose via a T-joint. The air outlet of the upper air outlet hose is connected to the air inlet of the upper air grille. The air inlet of the upper air grille is located at the front or rear end of the upper air grille. The air outlet of the lower air outlet hose is connected to the air inlet of the lower air grille. The air inlet of the lower air grille is located at the front or rear end of the lower air grille.

[0009] The glass air cushion heating device has several temperature sensors installed inside its outer casing. These temperature sensors are connected to a controllable power regulator and a computer control system.

[0010] The upper and lower film devices have the same structure, both including a frame and several long rollers arranged left and right on the frame. The long rollers are annular toothed quartz ceramic rollers. The outer circumference of the long rollers is provided with annular teeth that are narrower at the top and wider at the bottom. The tooth surface slope is 10° to 15°, the tooth surface width is 10 to 20 mm, the tooth spacing is 100 to 200 mm, and the ratio of tooth height to roller root diameter is 1:2 to 1:1.

[0011] The upper and lower film devices have the same structure, both including a frame and a first air bed and a second air bed set on the frame. The first air bed and the second air bed are arranged opposite each other, and a number of air holes on the first air bed and a number of air holes on the second air bed correspond one-to-one. The air holes on the first air bed and the second air bed are both inclined from left to right. The air holes on the first air bed blow air to the upper right, and the air holes on the second air bed blow air to the lower right.

[0012] It also includes a remote monitoring system, which is electrically connected to a controllable power regulator and a computer control system. The air outlet and return air outlet of the air flotation heating platform are arranged in an array, and the total area of ​​the return air outlet is more than five times the total area of ​​the air outlet.

[0013] This application optimizes the cooling effect. The rapid cooling device enables the glass surface to harden quickly in a very short time, releasing stress and forming a deeper residual compressive stress layer, thereby significantly improving the mechanical strength and impact resistance of the glass.

[0014] This application improves the conveying stability. It can be conveyed by either ring-toothed quartz ceramic rollers or by a first air bed and a second air bed. Conveying by air bed reduces the contact area between the glass and the rollers, and the suspension and pushing effect of the upper and lower air beds ensures the flatness and stability of the glass during the conveying process, reducing the risk of warping and deformation.

[0015] This application integrates temperature, pressure, flow, and stress sensors into a remote monitoring system, enabling real-time acquisition of process data and comparison with pre-stored process curves to achieve precise process control for glass of different thicknesses and specifications. It also supports remote parameter adjustment, enhancing the intelligence and stability of equipment operation. Furthermore, this application enables the stable tempering of ultra-thin glass with a thickness of less than 3mm, increasing its bending strength by 4–8 times, impact resistance by 5–10 times, and significantly improving product flatness and safety, meeting the application needs of high-end fields such as electronic displays, photovoltaic power generation, and precision instruments. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the rapid cooling device of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of section A. Detailed Implementation

[0021] like Figure 1-5 As shown, an air-suspended ultra-thin glass thermal tempering device includes, from left to right, an upper sheet device 1, a preheating device 2, a glass air cushion heating device 3, a rapid cooling device 4, and an lower sheet device 5. The glass air cushion heating device 3 includes a housing, an upper heating unit, an air-floating heating platform, a fan, a first lift, and a second lift. The housing has a receiving cavity, within which the upper heating unit, air-floating heating platform, and fan are disposed. The upper surface of the air-floating heating platform has multiple air outlets and multiple air return holes. The upper heating unit is positioned above the upper surface of the air-floating heating platform. The fan has an exhaust port and an inlet. Gas discharged from the exhaust port of the fan is blown out through the air outlet of the air-floating heating platform. The first lift and the second lift are located within the housing. At opposite ends of the bottom, the rapid cooling device 4 includes a frame, on which several air grating assemblies are arranged horizontally. Each air grating assembly includes several upper air grating blocks 6 and lower air grating blocks 7 arranged symmetrically vertically. Several upper air grating strips 8 are arranged horizontally on the lower surface of the upper air grating block 6, and lower air grating strips 9 corresponding to the upper air grating strips 8 are arranged on the upper surface of the lower air grating block 7. The upper air grating strips 8 and lower air grating strips 9 correspond one-to-one. Both the upper air grating strips 8 and lower air grating strips 9 are arranged vertically front to back. Several air outlets 10 are evenly distributed along the length of the air grating strips on both the upper air grating strips 8 and lower air grating strips 9. Both the upper air grating strips 8 and lower air grating strips 9 are connected to an air supply assembly, and the cold air supplied by the air supply assembly is discharged from the air outlets 10 to achieve cooling.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, the air supply assembly includes an upper cooling fan 11 and a lower cooling fan 12. The air outlet of the upper cooling fan 11 is connected to the air inlet 13 of the upper air grating 6, and the air inlet 13 of the upper air grating 6 is located on the upper surface of the upper air grating 6. The air outlet of the lower cooling fan 12 is connected to the air inlet 13 of the lower air grating 7, and the air inlet 13 of the lower air grating 7 is located on the lower surface of the lower air grating 7. Figure 2As shown, unlike the structure described above, the air supply assembly includes a side fan 14. The air outlet of the side fan 14 is connected to the air inlet of the upper air outlet hose and the air inlet of the lower air outlet hose via a three-way connector. The air outlet of the upper air outlet hose is connected to the air inlet mounting port 13 of the upper air grille 6. The air inlet mounting port 13 of the upper air grille 6 is located at the front or rear end of the upper air grille 6. The air outlet of the lower air outlet hose is connected to the air inlet mounting port of the lower air grille 7. The air inlet mounting port of the lower air grille 7 is located at the front or rear end of the lower air grille 7. Furthermore, as... Figure 3 As shown, these two different air supply components can also be used simultaneously. After the glass plate passes through the glass air cushion heating device 3, it is first cooled by the rapid cooling device 4 of the upper cooling fan 11 and the lower cooling fan 12, and then cooled by the rapid cooling device 4 of the side fan 14, or it is first cooled by the rapid cooling device 4 of the side fan 14, and then cooled by the rapid cooling device 4 of the upper cooling fan 11 and the lower cooling fan 12.

[0023] The glass air cushion heating device 3 has several temperature sensors installed inside its housing. These temperature sensors are connected to a controllable power regulator and a computer control system. The switch of the glass air cushion heating device 3 is electrically connected to the controllable power regulator and the computer control system, which can control the opening and closing of the glass air cushion heating device 3 based on the temperature signals from the temperature sensors.

[0024] The upper film device 1 and the lower film device 5 have the same structure, both including a frame 15 and several long rollers 16 arranged horizontally on the frame 15. The long rollers 16 are annular toothed quartz ceramic rollers, with annular teeth that are narrower at the top and wider at the bottom on the outer periphery of the long rollers 16. The tooth surface slope is 10° to 15°, the tooth surface width is 10 to 20 mm, the tooth spacing is 100 to 200 mm, and the ratio of tooth height to roller root diameter is 1:2 to 1:1. Unlike the above structure, the upper film device 1 and the lower film device 5 have the same structure, both including a frame 15 and a first air bed and a second air bed arranged on the frame 15. The first air bed and the second air bed are arranged vertically opposite each other, with several air holes on the first air bed and several air holes on the second air bed corresponding one-to-one. The air holes on both the first and second air beds are inclined from left to right, with the air holes on the first air bed blowing air to the upper right and the air holes on the second air bed blowing air to the lower right. By using an air bed to transport the glass plates, the glass plates are suspended and transported, making the glass plates suspended and transported not only during the heating process, but also during the loading and unloading stages.

[0025] It also includes a remote monitoring system, which is electrically connected to a controllable power regulator and a computer control system. The switches of the loading device 1, the unloading device 5 and the rapid cooling device 4 are all electrically connected to the controllable power regulator and the computer control system. The controllable power regulator and the computer control system can control the opening and closing of the loading device 1, the unloading device 5 and the rapid cooling device 4 according to the monitoring video of the remote monitoring system.

[0026] In practical use, the glass plate is first conveyed from the loading device 1 to the preheating device 2, where it is transported without contact under the support of airflow, and gradually heated to avoid thermal shock. The glass plate then enters the glass air cushion heating device 3 (the preheating device 2 and the glass air cushion heating device 3 have the same structure as those in the invention patent with document number CN104211288B, and will not be described again here). Supported by a stable airflow formed by evenly distributed air outlets and return holes, it continues to float forward. An infrared heater symmetrically heats its upper and lower surfaces, and a temperature sensor enables precise temperature control, ensuring uniform heating of the glass. When the glass is heated to near its softening point, it is conveyed to the rapid cooling device 4, which cools the heated glass, releasing internal stress and achieving an ideal residual stress distribution. After cooling, the glass plate is safely unloaded by the unloading device 5. Throughout the heating, conveying, and cooling process, a remote monitoring system monitors and adjusts key process parameters such as temperature, airflow, conveying speed, and cooling rate in real time to ensure process stability and high-strength tempering of the glass.

[0027] This application optimizes the cooling effect. The rapid cooling device 4 can quickly harden the glass surface in a very short time, release stress, and form a deeper residual compressive stress layer, thereby significantly improving the mechanical strength and impact resistance of the glass.

[0028] This application improves the conveying stability. It can be conveyed by either ring-toothed quartz ceramic rollers or by a first air bed and a second air bed. Conveying by air bed reduces the contact area between the glass and the rollers, and the suspension and pushing effect of the upper and lower air beds ensures the flatness and stability of the glass during the conveying process, reducing the risk of warping and deformation.

[0029] This application integrates temperature, pressure, flow, and stress sensors into a remote monitoring system, enabling real-time acquisition of process data and comparison with pre-stored process curves to achieve precise process control for glass of different thicknesses and specifications. It also supports remote parameter adjustment, enhancing the intelligence and stability of equipment operation. Furthermore, this application enables the stable tempering of ultra-thin glass with a thickness of less than 3mm, increasing its bending strength by 4–8 times, impact resistance by 5–10 times, and significantly improving product flatness and safety, meeting the application needs of high-end fields such as electronic displays, photovoltaic power generation, and precision instruments.

[0030] It should be noted that the temperature sensor, cooling fan, side fan 14, controllable power regulator, and computer control system in this application are all commercially available products. This application seeks to protect the positional and connection relationships between the various components of the tempering equipment. The automatic control involved in this application can achieve its complete function by relying on conventional computer programs and does not involve new computer programs (improvements to conventional computer programs).

[0031] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate and not limit the technical solutions of this utility model. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the utility model. Any modifications or partial substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A heat-tempering device for air-suspended ultrathin glass, comprising, from left to right, an upper sheet assembly, a preheating device, a glass air cushion heating device, a rapid cooling device, and an lower sheet assembly. The glass air cushion heating device includes a housing, an upper heating unit, an air-floating heating platform, a fan, a first lift, and a second lift. The housing has a receiving cavity, and the upper heating unit, the air-floating heating platform, and the fan are disposed within the receiving cavity. The upper surface of the air-floating heating platform has multiple air outlets and multiple air return holes. The upper heating unit is disposed above the upper surface of the air-floating heating platform. The fan has an exhaust port and an inlet. Gas discharged from the exhaust port of the fan is blown out through the air outlet of the air-floating heating platform. The first lift and the second lift are disposed at opposite ends of the bottom of the housing. The rapid cooling device includes a frame on which several air grating assemblies are arranged horizontally. Each air grating assembly includes several upper and lower air grating blocks arranged symmetrically vertically. Several upper air grating strips are arranged horizontally on the lower surface of the upper air grating blocks, and lower air grating strips corresponding to the upper air grating strips are arranged on the upper surface of the lower air grating blocks. The upper and lower air grating strips correspond one-to-one. Both the upper and lower air grating strips are arranged vertically front to back. Several air outlets are evenly distributed along the length of the air grating strips on both the upper and lower air grating strips. Both the upper and lower air grating strips are connected to an air supply assembly, and the cold air supplied by the air supply assembly is discharged from the air outlets to achieve cooling.

2. The air-suspension ultrathin glass thermal tempering equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air supply assembly includes an upper cooling fan and a lower cooling fan. The air outlet of the upper cooling fan is connected to the air inlet of the upper air grating block, which is located on the upper surface of the upper air grating block. The air outlet of the lower cooling fan is connected to the air inlet of the lower air grating block, which is located on the lower surface of the lower air grating block.

3. The air-suspension ultrathin glass thermal tempering equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air supply assembly includes a side fan. The air outlet of the side fan is connected to the air inlet of the upper air outlet hose and the air inlet of the lower air outlet hose via a T-joint. The air outlet of the upper air outlet hose is connected to the air inlet of the upper air grille. The air inlet of the upper air grille is located at the front or rear end of the upper air grille. The air outlet of the lower air outlet hose is connected to the air inlet of the lower air grille. The air inlet of the lower air grille is located at the front or rear end of the lower air grille.

4. The air-suspended ultrathin glass thermal tempering equipment according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The glass air cushion heating device has several temperature sensors installed inside its outer casing. These temperature sensors are connected to a controllable power regulator and a computer control system.

5. The air-suspension ultrathin glass thermal tempering equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper and lower film devices have the same structure, both including a frame and several long rollers arranged left and right on the frame. The long rollers are annular toothed quartz ceramic rollers. The outer circumference of the long rollers is provided with annular teeth that are narrower at the top and wider at the bottom. The tooth surface slope is 10° to 15°, the tooth surface width is 10 to 20 mm, the tooth spacing is 100 to 200 mm, and the ratio of tooth height to roller root diameter is 1:2 to 1:

1.

6. The air-suspension ultrathin glass thermal tempering equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper and lower film devices have the same structure, both including a frame and a first air bed and a second air bed set on the frame. The first air bed and the second air bed are arranged opposite each other, and a number of air holes on the first air bed and a number of air holes on the second air bed correspond one-to-one. The air holes on the first air bed and the second air bed are both inclined from left to right. The air holes on the first air bed blow air to the upper right, and the air holes on the second air bed blow air to the lower right.

7. The air-suspended ultrathin glass thermal tempering equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a remote monitoring system, which is electrically connected to a controllable power regulator and a computer control system.

8. The air-suspension ultrathin glass thermal tempering equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air outlet and return air outlet of the air flotation heating platform are arranged in an array, and the total area of ​​the return air outlet is more than five times the total area of ​​the air outlet.

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