Glass melting apparatus and glass production line

Abstract

The application relates to a glass melting device and a glass production line. The glass melting device comprises a melting pool, a refining pool and an on-off control member. The melting pool has a feeding opening and a melting cavity in communication. The side wall of the melting pool is provided with a feeding part and a discharging part. The distance between the feeding part and the bottom wall of the melting cavity is greater than the distance between the discharging part and the bottom wall of the melting cavity. The refining pool is in communication with the melting cavity through the feeding part. The on-off control member is arranged in the discharging part and is used for controlling the on-off of the discharging part. Compared with the traditional technology, when the transformation from the production of coarse annealed glass products to the production of fine annealed glass products is carried out, the glass liquid with unqualified refractive index cannot flow into the rear-end production link to contaminate the normal glass liquid, so that the generation of glass stripes is effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of glass melting technology, and in particular to a glass melting apparatus and a glass production line. Background Technology

[0002] Glass melting is one of the core processes in glass product manufacturing, and its quality directly determines the optical performance and application value of the glass products. In actual production, the interchange between the production of rough annealed glass products and fine annealed glass products is the norm in the industry. The key point of this process is the correction of the glass's refractive index.

[0003] In the traditional refractive index correction process, correction material needs to be added to the molten pool to enable the interchange between the production of rough annealed glass products and fine annealed glass products. Since there is a significant difference in refractive index between the correction material and the original molten glass in the molten pool, the consistency of refractive index of the molten glass in the molten pool is disrupted during the correction period. After these molten glass products with uneven refractive index flow into the downstream production process, they will contaminate the normal molten glass in the downstream process, resulting in streaks in the glass. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a glass melting device and glass production line to address the problem that glass melt with uneven refractive index in traditional technology can flow into downstream production stages, thereby contaminating the normal glass melt and causing streaks in the glass.

[0005] The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] One embodiment provides a glass melting apparatus, comprising:

[0007] A molten pool having a connected feeding port and a molten cavity, the sidewall of the molten pool being provided with a conveying section and a discharging section, the distance between the conveying section and the bottom wall of the molten cavity being greater than the distance between the discharging section and the bottom wall of the molten cavity;

[0008] A settling tank, wherein the settling tank is connected to the melting chamber via the conveying section; and

[0009] An on / off control element is provided on the discharge section and is used to control the on / off state of the discharge section.

[0010] In the glass melting apparatus described above, when it is necessary to switch from producing rough annealed glass products to producing fine annealed glass products, the on / off control device is first used to open the discharge section, allowing the molten rough annealed glass in the molten pool to be gradually discharged from the discharge section. During this process, the liquid level of the molten rough annealed glass in the molten chamber will gradually decrease. When the liquid level drops below the conveying section, the molten rough annealed glass will no longer flow to the refining tank, while the remaining molten rough annealed glass in the refining tank will continue to flow downstream and be formed until the molten rough annealed glass in the refining tank is emptied. When the liquid level of the molten rough annealed glass in the molten pool drops to the height of the discharge section, the discharge will automatically stop. At this point, the on / off control unit closes the discharge section, and then a correction material is added into the melting chamber through the feeding port to correct the refractive index of the remaining rough annealed glass melt in the melting chamber. This ensures that the refractive index of the remaining rough annealed glass melt in the melting chamber reaches the range required for the fine annealed glass product. After the rough annealed glass melt in the refining tank and downstream mechanisms has been properly formed, and the liquid level of the glass melt in the melting chamber reaches the height of the conveying section, the fine annealed glass melt in the melting chamber will enter the refining tank through the conveying section. This not only achieves the transition between the production of rough annealed glass products and the production of fine annealed glass products, but also avoids the contamination of the refining tank and downstream mechanisms by glass melt with a refractive index that does not meet the standard during the correction process. Compared with traditional technologies, the above-mentioned glass melting device, when transitioning between the production of rough annealed glass products and fine annealed glass products, prevents glass melt with a refractive index that does not meet the standard from flowing into downstream production stages and contaminating the normal glass melt, thereby effectively reducing the generation of glass streaks.

[0011] In one embodiment, the glass melting apparatus further includes a conveying mechanism, which includes a conveying pipe. One end of the conveying pipe is located at the conveying section and communicates with the melting chamber, and the other end of the conveying pipe is communicated with the refining tank.

[0012] In one embodiment, the feeding mechanism further includes a first heating element disposed on the feeding pipe and used to heat the molten glass in the feeding pipe.

[0013] In one embodiment, at least two first heating elements are provided, and the at least two first heating elements are spaced apart along the length of the feed pipe.

[0014] In one embodiment, the glass melting apparatus further includes a discharge mechanism, which includes a discharge pipe. One end of the discharge pipe is located at the discharge section and communicates with the melting chamber, and the other end of the discharge pipe is used to communicate with a recycling mechanism.

[0015] In one embodiment, the discharge mechanism further includes a second heating element, which is disposed on the discharge pipe and used to heat the molten glass in the discharge pipe.

[0016] In one embodiment, at least two second heating elements are provided, and the at least two second heating elements are spaced apart along the length direction of the discharge pipe.

[0017] In one embodiment, the glass melting apparatus further includes a bubbling element with a bubbling opening, the bubbling element being inserted through the feeding port so that the bubbling opening is located within the melting chamber.

[0018] In one embodiment, the glass melting apparatus further includes a cooling tank and a discharge mechanism, wherein the cooling tank is connected to the clarification tank and the discharge mechanism is connected to the cooling tank.

[0019] Another embodiment provides a glass production line that includes the glass melting apparatus as described above.

[0020] In the aforementioned glass production line, when it is necessary to switch from producing rough annealed glass products to producing fine annealed glass products, the on / off control device is first activated to open the discharge section, allowing the molten rough annealed glass in the molten pool to be gradually discharged from the discharge section. During this process, the liquid level of the molten rough annealed glass in the molten chamber will gradually decrease. When the liquid level drops below the conveying section, the molten rough annealed glass will no longer flow to the refining tank, while the remaining molten rough annealed glass in the refining tank will continue to flow downstream and be formed until the molten rough annealed glass in the refining tank is emptied. When the liquid level of the molten rough annealed glass in the molten pool drops to the height of the discharge section, the discharge will automatically stop. At this point, the on / off control unit closes the discharge section, and then a correction material is added into the melting chamber through the feeding port to correct the refractive index of the remaining rough annealed glass melt in the melting chamber. This ensures that the refractive index of the remaining rough annealed glass melt in the melting chamber reaches the range required for the fine annealed glass product. After the rough annealed glass melt in the refining tank and downstream mechanisms has been properly formed, and the liquid level of the glass melt in the melting chamber reaches the height of the conveying section, the fine annealed glass melt in the melting chamber will enter the refining tank through the conveying section. This not only achieves the transition between rough annealed glass product production and fine annealed glass product production, but also prevents glass melt with an insufficient refractive index from contaminating the glass melt in the refining tank and downstream mechanisms during the correction process. Compared with traditional technologies, the above glass production line, when transitioning between rough annealed glass product production and fine annealed glass product production, prevents glass melt with an insufficient refractive index from flowing into downstream production stages and contaminating the normal glass melt, thereby effectively reducing the generation of glass streaks. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the glass melting apparatus in one embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the molten pool, conveying mechanism, and discharging mechanism in one embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the molten pool in one embodiment of this application.

[0025] Attached image annotations:

[0026] 100, Molten pool; 110, Feed port; 120, Molten cavity; 130, Conveying section; 140, Discharging section; 150, Discharge pipe; 200, Clarifying tank; 310, Conveying pipe; 320, First heating element; 410, Discharge pipe; 420, Second heating element; 500, Bubbling element; 510, Bubbling outlet; 600, Cooling tank; 700, Discharge mechanism; 710, Discharge pool; 720, Discharge pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0028] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0029] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0030] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; 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; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0031] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0032] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0033] Please see Figures 1 to 2 One embodiment of this application provides a glass melting apparatus, including a molten pool 100, a refining pool 200, and an on / off control component. The molten pool 100 has a feeding port 110 and a melting chamber 120 connected to each other. The sidewall of the molten pool 100 is provided with a conveying section 130 and a discharging section 140. The distance between the conveying section 130 and the bottom wall of the melting chamber 120 (i.e., Figure 2L1 in the figure is greater than the distance between the bottom wall of the discharge section 140 and the melting cavity 120 (i.e., Figure 2 L2); the clarification tank 200 is connected to the melting chamber 120 through the conveying section 130; the on / off control element is provided in the discharge section 140, and the on / off control element is used to control the on / off of the discharge section 140.

[0034] When the glass melting apparatus described above needs to switch from producing rough annealed glass products to producing fine annealed glass products, the on / off control device first opens the discharge section 140, allowing the molten rough annealed glass in the molten pool 100 to be gradually discharged from the discharge section 140. During this process, the liquid level of the molten rough annealed glass in the melting chamber 120 will gradually decrease. When the liquid level drops below the conveying section 130, the molten rough annealed glass will no longer flow to the refining tank 200, while the remaining molten rough annealed glass in the refining tank 200 will continue to flow downstream and be formed until the molten rough annealed glass in the refining tank 200 is emptied. When the liquid level of the molten rough annealed glass in the molten pool 100 drops to the height of the discharge section 140, the discharge will automatically stop. At this point, the on / off control unit closes the discharge section 140, and then a correction material is added into the melting chamber 120 through the feeding port 110 to correct the refractive index of the remaining rough annealed glass melt in the melting chamber 120, ensuring that the refractive index of the remaining rough annealed glass melt in the melting chamber 120 reaches the refractive index range required for the fine annealed glass product. After the rough annealed glass melt in the refining tank 200 and downstream mechanisms has been properly formed, and the liquid level of the glass melt in the melting chamber 120 reaches the height of the conveying section 130, the fine annealed glass melt in the melting chamber 120 will enter the refining tank 200 through the conveying section 130. In this way, not only is the production of rough annealed glass products and fine annealed glass products realized, but the contamination of the refining tank 200 and the glass melt in the downstream mechanisms by glass melt with an insufficient refractive index during the correction process is also avoided. Compared with traditional technologies, the glass melting equipment described above prevents molten glass with substandard refractive index from flowing into downstream production stages and contaminating normal molten glass when transitioning between the production of rough annealed glass products and fine annealed glass products, thereby effectively reducing the generation of glass streaks.

[0035] To explain, in actual production, in order to ensure the homogenization effect of the molten glass in the molten pool 100, it is necessary to allow the molten glass to stay in the molten pool 100 for as long as possible. Based on this, the conveying section 130 is set at the top of the molten pool 100 near the feeding port 110 so that the molten glass can stay in the molten pool 100 for a sufficient time before flowing out. Therefore, when the liquid level of the rough annealed glass is level with the height of the conveying section 130, there is no other space in the molten cavity 120 for adding the correcting material. In the traditional technology, workers need to use a ladle to scoop the rough annealed glass from the feeding port 110 to make room in the molten cavity 120 for adding the correcting material. This method is somewhat dangerous. In this embodiment, by providing a discharge section 140 on the side wall of the molten pool 100, part of the rough annealed glass melt can be discharged through the discharge section 140 between the addition of the correcting material, thereby freeing up space for the addition of the correcting material. This eliminates the need for workers to use ladles to scoop out the boiling glass melt, making the process safer.

[0036] Furthermore, the conveying section 130 is located on the side wall of the molten pool 100 rather than the bottom wall. When the liquid level of the rough annealed glass melt drops to the height of the discharge section 140, the rough annealed glass melt will no longer be discharged from the discharge section 140. That is, a portion of the rough annealed glass is left in the molten chamber 120. Then, by adding correction material, the rough annealed glass melt is transformed into fine annealed glass melt. In this way, the waste of glass melt can be avoided to a certain extent.

[0037] The following provides further explanation of the conversion between coarse annealed glass products and fine annealed glass products:

[0038] Because fine-annealed glass products require subsequent precision annealing heat treatment to eliminate internal stress and improve optical uniformity, the target refractive index value controlled during the melting process is much lower than that of rough-annealed glass products. The refractive index difference between fine-annealed and rough-annealed glass products mainly depends on the annealing increment coefficient (β) of different grades and the difference in annealing temperatures. The larger β is, the larger the refractive index difference, meaning a larger refractive index correction value is required during the conversion between fine and rough annealed glass products. During large-volume correction, due to the significant difference in refractive index between the correction material and the original molten glass in the molten pool 100, non-uniform streaks will appear due to the inconsistency in refractive index.

[0039] It should be noted that the correcting material in the above embodiments is a low-refractive-index glass melt, and the refractive index of the correcting material is lower than that of the fine annealed glass melt. Since the refractive index of the coarse annealed glass melt is relatively higher than that of the fine annealed glass melt, by adding the lower-refractive-index correcting material to the high-refractive-index coarse annealed glass melt and mixing it evenly, a fine annealed glass melt with a refractive index between that of the coarse annealed glass melt and the correcting material can be obtained.

[0040] Define nd 粗 The refractive index (constant value) of the crude annealed glass melt, nd 精 Let be the refractive index of the finely annealed glass melt, also known as the target refractive index. Therefore, Δnd (the difference between the refractive index of the rough annealed glass melt and the refractive index of the finely annealed glass melt) = nd 粗 -nd 细 .

[0041] Furthermore, define nd 校 For the refractive index of the corrected material, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 3 V1 is the volume of remaining molten glass when the glass surface reaches the discharge section 140; V2 is the volume of the added correction material (not shown in the figure); V3 is the volume of molten glass when the glass surface reaches the conveying section 130 (i.e., when the molten pool 100 is full); and V4 is the volume of molten glass in the molten cavity 120 within the height difference between the conveying section 130 and the discharge section 140. That is, V1 + V4 = V3, and V2 ≤ V4.

[0042] Among them, nd 粗 and nd 精 All are constant values, and since the structure of the molten pool 100 is fixed, V1, V3, and V4 are also constant values. 校 V2 and V2 offer flexible options.

[0043] When transforming rough annealed glass products into fine annealed glass products, after the correction material is added, the entire correction process can be represented by the following formula:

[0044] (V1+V2)*nd 精 =V1*nd 粗 +V2*nd 校

[0045] The results were:

[0046] V1*(nd 粗 -nd 精 =V2*(nd) 精 -nd 校 )

[0047] V1*△nd=V2*(nd 精 -nd 校 )

[0048] Therefore, the left side of the formula is a constant, and the right side is V2 and nd. 精 and nd 校 You can then choose flexibly:

[0049] When V2 = V4, it is also a constant value, so nd can also be determined. 校 The refractive index value; and when V2 < V4, then first determine V2 as a constant value (this value only needs to be less than V4), then nd can also be determined. 校 .

[0050] As a supplementary explanation, the advantage of setting V2 < V4 is that the correction process can have a certain fault tolerance mechanism. For example, after long-term use, the structure of the molten pool 100 may undergo structural deformation, and its V1 may differ significantly from the theoretical calculation. After adding V2, if the refractive index of the corrected glass melt is found to be significantly different from the theoretical value, there may still be a certain amount of excess volume in the molten cavity 120. In this case, correction material can be added a second time to correct the target refractive index. During this period, the data correction effect can be confirmed by multiple samplings, and supplementary correction can be performed until the process target value is reached. In addition, the homogenization effect of the glass melt can be improved by extending the stirring and holding time of the glass melt, so as to weaken the generation of streaks in the molten pool 100.

[0051] Understandably, this embodiment uses the example of changing a coarse annealed glass product to a fine annealed glass product for illustration. In actual production, there may also be situations where a fine annealed glass product is changed to a coarse annealed glass product. The process and principle of this situation are basically similar to those in the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0052] Furthermore, the downstream mechanisms in the above embodiments include, but are not limited to, the cooling tank 600, the discharge tank 710, and the discharge pipe 720.

[0053] As further explained, the molten glass in the molten pool 100 enters the refining pool 200 through the conveying section 130. The refining pool 200 can heat the molten glass, creating conditions for the refining agent in the molten glass formula to play its role, thereby making the bubble surface in the molten glass larger and easier to float and overflow the molten glass surface. At the same time, it reduces the viscosity and reduces the resistance of the molten glass to the bubbles when they rise, ultimately achieving the purpose of eliminating bubbles in the molten glass.

[0054] In one embodiment, the on / off control element is a control valve, which is located in the discharge section 140 and used to control the on / off state of the discharge section 140.

[0055] In one embodiment, the discharge section 140 is provided with a discharge port, and the conveying section 130 is provided with a conveying port. Both the discharge port and the conveying port are connected to the molten pool 100.

[0056] Please see Figure 2In one embodiment, the feeding port 110 is located on the side of the molten pool 100 away from the bottom wall of the molten cavity 120, that is, the feeding port 110 is opened on the side of the molten cavity 120 away from the bottom wall.

[0057] Please see Figures 1 to 2 In one embodiment, the glass melting apparatus further includes a conveying mechanism, which includes a conveying pipe 310. One end of the conveying pipe 310 is located in the conveying section 130 and communicates with the melting chamber 120, and the other end of the conveying pipe 310 is communicated with the refining tank 200.

[0058] One end of the conveying pipe 310 is connected to the melting chamber 120 through the conveying part 130, and the other end of the conveying pipe 310 is connected to the refining tank 200, so that the glass melt in the melting chamber 120 can enter the conveying pipe 310 through the conveying part 130 and then flow to the refining tank 200. This method has low implementation cost and reliable conveying process.

[0059] Furthermore, in order to enable the molten glass in the conveying pipe 310 to flow into the clarification tank 200, the conveying pipe 310 is set at an angle to the ground, so that the height of the end of the conveying pipe 310 connected to the conveying part 130 is higher than the end of the conveying pipe 310 connected to the clarification tank 200, thereby enabling the molten glass in the conveying pipe 310 to flow into the clarification tank 200 under the action of gravity.

[0060] Please see Figures 1 to 2 In one embodiment, the conveying mechanism further includes a first heating element 320, which is disposed in the conveying pipe 310 and used to heat the molten glass in the conveying pipe 310.

[0061] The first heating element 320 is used to heat the molten glass in the conveying pipe 310 to prevent the molten glass in the conveying pipe 310 from cooling down and solidifying, thus preventing blockage of the conveying pipe 310 and improving the uniformity of the flow of the molten glass in the conveying pipe 310.

[0062] Optionally, the first heating element 320 can be a heating rod, a heating electrode, or a platinum wire, as long as it can transfer heat to the molten glass in the feed tube 310. No specific limitation is made here.

[0063] Please see Figures 1 to 2 In one embodiment, at least two first heating elements 320 are provided, and at least two first heating elements 320 are spaced apart along the length direction of the conveying pipe 310.

[0064] At least two first heating elements 320 are spaced apart along the length of the conveying pipe 310, so that the molten glass can be uniformly heated when it flows in the conveying pipe 310, thereby improving the heating effect of the molten glass.

[0065] In some embodiments, the feed pipe 310 is a platinum flow pipe, and the first heating element 320 is a platinum electrode sheet disposed on the platinum flow pipe.

[0066] Please see Figure 1 In one embodiment, the glass melting apparatus further includes a discharge mechanism, which includes a discharge pipe 410. One end of the discharge pipe 410 is located in the discharge section 140 and communicates with the melting chamber 120. The other end of the discharge pipe 410 is used to communicate with the recycling mechanism.

[0067] One end of the discharge pipe 410 is connected to the melting chamber 120 through the discharge section 140, and the other end of the discharge pipe 410 is connected to the recycling mechanism, so that the molten glass in the melting chamber 120 can enter the discharge pipe 410 through the discharge section 140 and then flow to the recycling mechanism. This method has low implementation cost and reliable discharge process.

[0068] For illustrative purposes, the recycling mechanism is used to collect the molten glass discharged from the discharge pipe 410 for recycling as remelting material.

[0069] Furthermore, in order to make the molten glass in the discharge pipe 410 tend to flow towards the recycling mechanism, the discharge pipe 410 is set at an angle to the ground, so that the height of the end of the discharge pipe 410 connected to the discharge section 140 is higher than the end of the discharge pipe 410 connected to the recycling mechanism, thereby allowing the molten glass in the discharge pipe 410 to flow towards the recycling mechanism under the action of gravity.

[0070] Understandably, the discharge pipe 410 can extend out at any angle around the molten pool 100, and the length of the discharge pipe 410 can also be flexibly designed according to the size of the molten pool 100 and actual needs.

[0071] Please see Figures 1 to 2 In one embodiment, the discharge mechanism further includes a second heating element 420, which is disposed in the discharge pipe 410 and used to heat the molten glass in the discharge pipe 410.

[0072] Please see Figures 1 to 2 In one embodiment, at least two second heating elements 420 are provided, and at least two second heating elements 420 are spaced apart along the length direction of the discharge pipe 410.

[0073] The second heating element 420 is similar to the first heating element 320, and will not be described again here.

[0074] Please see Figures 1 to 2 In one embodiment, the glass melting apparatus further includes a bubbling element 500, which has a bubbling opening 510. The bubbling element 500 is inserted through the feeding port 110 so that the bubbling opening 510 is located in the melting chamber 120.

[0075] The bubbling element 500 is inserted through the feeding port 110 and the bubbling port 510 is located below the glass liquid surface in the melting chamber 120. Gas with a certain pressure is delivered to the glass liquid in the melting chamber 120 through the bubbling port 510, and bubbles are formed in the glass liquid, thereby playing a certain role in stirring the glass liquid, accelerating the intermelting between glass liquid components, and playing a preliminary clarifying role in the glass liquid.

[0076] Please see Figure 2 In one embodiment, the bubbling element 500 is tubular, and one end of the tubular bubbling element 500 is provided with a bubbling port 510, which is used to deliver gas to the molten glass in the melting chamber 120.

[0077] Furthermore, at least two bubble elements 500 are provided, and the at least two bubble elements 500 are spaced apart to further accelerate the interfusion between glass melt components.

[0078] Please see Figure 1 In one embodiment, the glass melting apparatus further includes a cooling tank 600 and a discharge mechanism 700, wherein the cooling tank 600 is connected to the clarification tank 200 and the discharge mechanism 700 is connected to the cooling tank 600.

[0079] After being clarified in the clarification tank 200, the molten glass enters the cooling tank 600. The cooling tank 600 reduces the viscosity of the molten glass, making it suitable for the homogenization process of the subsequent discharge mechanism 700 and eliminating streaks. In addition, it maintains the defoaming effect of the clarification tank 200 on the molten glass, preventing the molten glass from reboiling and generating new bubbles. The discharge mechanism 700 buffers and homogenizes the cooled molten glass, bringing it to a suitable state for discharge, and then discharges it through the discharge mechanism 700.

[0080] Further, please refer to Figure 1 The discharge mechanism 700 includes a discharge pool 710 and a discharge pipe 720. The discharge pool 710 receives molten glass from the cooling pool 600 to eliminate surface fluctuations and flow rate impacts of the molten glass, providing a continuous and stable flow for subsequent glass forming processes and avoiding forming defects caused by inconsistent molten glass flow. The discharge pipe 720 is connected to the discharge pool 710 and is used to transport the molten glass in the discharge pool 710 to subsequent processes.

[0081] Please see Figure 1 In one embodiment, a discharge pipe 150 is also included, which is located at the bottom of the molten pool 100 and communicates with the molten cavity 120, for completely discharging the molten glass in the molten pool 100 before production is stopped.

[0082] Another embodiment provides a glass production line that includes a glass melting apparatus as described above.

[0083] In the aforementioned glass production line, when it is necessary to switch from producing rough annealed glass products to producing fine annealed glass products, the on / off control device is first activated to open the discharge section 140, allowing the molten rough annealed glass in the molten pool 100 to be gradually discharged from the discharge section 140. During this process, the liquid level of the molten rough annealed glass in the molten chamber 120 will gradually decrease. When the liquid level drops below the conveying section 130, the molten rough annealed glass will no longer flow to the refining tank 200, while the remaining molten rough annealed glass in the refining tank 200 will continue to flow downstream and be formed until the molten rough annealed glass in the refining tank 200 is emptied. When the liquid level of the molten rough annealed glass in the molten pool 100 drops to the height of the discharge section 140, the discharge will automatically stop. At this point, the on / off control unit closes the discharge section 140, and then a correction material is added into the melting chamber 120 through the feeding port 110 to correct the refractive index of the remaining rough annealed glass melt in the melting chamber 120, ensuring that the refractive index of the remaining rough annealed glass melt in the melting chamber 120 reaches the refractive index range required for the fine annealed glass product. After the rough annealed glass melt in the refining tank 200 and downstream mechanisms has been properly formed, and the liquid level of the glass melt in the melting chamber 120 reaches the height of the conveying section 130, the fine annealed glass melt in the melting chamber 120 will enter the refining tank 200 through the conveying section 130. In this way, not only is the production of rough annealed glass products and fine annealed glass products realized, but the contamination of the refining tank 200 and the glass melt in the downstream mechanisms by glass melt with an insufficient refractive index during the correction process is also avoided. Compared with traditional technologies, the glass production line described above does not allow substandard glass melt to flow into downstream production stages and contaminate normal glass melt when transitioning between the production of rough annealed glass products and fine annealed glass products, thus effectively reducing the generation of glass streaks.

[0084] In one embodiment, the glass production line further includes a cutting device located downstream of the glass melting unit, which is used to cut the glass products as needed.

[0085] Furthermore, the glass production line also includes an edge grinding device, which is used to remove burrs from the edges of glass products and polish them, thereby improving the aesthetics of the glass.

[0086] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0087] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A glass melting apparatus, characterized in that, include: A molten pool having a connected feeding port and a molten cavity, the sidewall of the molten pool being provided with a conveying section and a discharging section, the distance between the conveying section and the bottom wall of the molten cavity being greater than the distance between the discharging section and the bottom wall of the molten cavity; A settling tank, which is connected to the melting chamber via the conveying section; An on / off control element is provided on the discharge section and is used to control the on / off state of the discharge section.

2. The glass melting apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The glass melting apparatus further includes a conveying mechanism, which includes a conveying pipe. One end of the conveying pipe is located at the conveying section and communicates with the melting chamber, while the other end of the conveying pipe is communicated with the refining tank.

3. The glass melting apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism further includes a first heating element, which is disposed on the feeding pipe and used to heat the molten glass in the feeding pipe.

4. The glass melting apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first heating element is provided in at least two, and the at least two first heating elements are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the conveying pipe.

5. The glass melting apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The glass melting apparatus further includes a discharge mechanism, which includes a discharge pipe. One end of the discharge pipe is located at the discharge section and communicates with the melting chamber, while the other end of the discharge pipe is used to communicate with a recycling mechanism.

6. The glass melting apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The discharge mechanism further includes a second heating element, which is disposed on the discharge pipe and used to heat the molten glass in the discharge pipe.

7. The glass melting apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second heating element is provided in at least two, and the at least two second heating elements are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the discharge pipe.

8. The glass melting apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The glass melting apparatus further includes a bubbling element, which has a bubbling opening and is inserted through the feeding port so that the bubbling opening is located inside the melting chamber.

9. The glass melting apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The glass melting apparatus further includes a cooling tank and a discharge mechanism. The cooling tank is connected to the clarification tank, and the discharge mechanism is connected to the cooling tank.

10. A glass production line, characterized in that, The glass production line includes a glass melting apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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