Hopper mechanism and glass product manufacturing device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a hopper mechanism and a glass product manufacturing apparatus, belonging to the technical field of glass manufacturing. The hopper mechanism includes a housing and a material discharge hopper, the material discharge hopper is installed within the housing, and a relief port is provided at the bottom of the housing. The material discharge hopper is equipped with a material discharge nozzle, the material discharge nozzle including an insulating segment and an exposed segment connected to each other, the insulating segment installed within the relief port, and the exposed segment installed to protrude from the relief port, the exposed segment being 20 millimeters to 50 millimeters high. Compared to the prior art, the hopper mechanism of the present disclosure includes an insulating segment installed within the relief port and an exposed segment protruding from the relief port, thereby effectively preventing adhesion to rolls during rolling and overlapping defects after rolling is completed, thereby ensuring the forming quality of the glass.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure is in the field of glass manufacturing, and specifically relates to hopper mechanisms and glassware manufacturing equipment.

[0002] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This disclosure claims priority to a Chinese application bearing application number 2023108052982 and entitled "Hopper mechanism and glass product manufacturing apparatus," filed with the China Patent Office on June 30, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0003] In the glass product manufacturing process, the typical rolling method uses a combination of conventional lip tiles, side tiles, and vertical roll pairs. However, this method is prone to problems such as side cooling, crystal precipitation, uneven glass sheet thickness, and difficulty in rolling thin sheets. To solve these problems, we have developed a horizontal roll pair structure that is suitable for a material supply method in which molten glass falls vertically. During the rolling process, molten glass from a hopper falls into the gap between the rolls and forms a molten material puddle. The pressure and cooling action of the roll pair turns the molten glass into a glass ribbon. In this forming method, the molten glass does not have enough time or space for cooling and crystal precipitation to occur, effectively avoiding the problems of glass cooling and crystal precipitation that occur at the edges of the side tiles and lip tiles.

[0004] However, the inventors have found through experiments that the following problem occurs: during the rolling process of molten glass, adhesion to the rolls often occurs, and after the rolling is completed, the obtained glass product often has quality defects such as overlap marks. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a hopper mechanism and a glass product manufacturing apparatus that can effectively prevent adhesion to rolls during the rolling process and overlapping marks on glass products after rolling is completed, thereby ensuring the quality of the glass formed.

[0006] The present disclosure is realized by the following technical solutions.

[0007] The hopper mechanism includes a housing and a material discharge hopper, the material discharge hopper is installed within the housing, and an escape port is provided at the bottom of the housing. The material discharge hopper is provided with a material discharge nozzle, and the material discharge nozzle includes an insulating segment and an exposed segment that are connected to each other, the insulating segment is installed within the escape port, and the exposed segment is installed so as to protrude from the escape port, and the height of the exposed segment is 20 millimeters to 50 millimeters.

[0008] Optionally, the material discharge nozzle is configured flat, and the sum of the heights of the heat-retaining segment and the exposed segment is two to four times the opening width of the material discharge nozzle, and / or the opening length of the material discharge nozzle is two to four times the opening width of the material discharge nozzle.

[0009] Optionally, the opening width of the material discharge nozzle is between 12 millimeters and 20 millimeters, the total height range of the heat-retaining segment and the exposed segment is between 24 millimeters and 80 millimeters, and / or the opening length of the material discharge nozzle is between 24 millimeters and 80 millimeters.

[0010] Optionally, the corners of the opening of the material discharge nozzle were rounded.

[0011] Optionally, the number of material discharge nozzles is plural, and the plural material discharge nozzles are arranged in parallel and spaced apart in the material discharge hopper.

[0012] Optionally, the spacing between two adjacent material discharge nozzles is 45% to 55% of the opening length of the material discharge nozzles.

[0013] Optionally, the spacing between two adjacent material discharge nozzles is between 12 millimeters and 40 millimeters.

[0014] Optionally, a reinforcing rib is provided between two adjacent material discharge nozzles.

[0015] Optionally, the hopper mechanism further includes an insulating brick, the insulating brick is installed in the housing, the insulating brick has an escape groove, the escape groove is in communication with the escape port, the insulating segment is installed in the escape groove, and the insulating brick is configured to insulate the insulating segment.

[0016] Optionally, the hopper mechanism further includes a thermal insulation layer, the thermal insulation layer being disposed between the housing and the material discharge hopper.

[0017] The glass product manufacturing apparatus includes the above-mentioned hopper mechanism, which includes a housing and a material discharge hopper, which is installed within the housing and has an escape port at the bottom thereof, and which is equipped with a material discharge nozzle, which includes an insulation segment and an exposed segment that are connected to each other, the insulation segment installed within the escape port, and the exposed segment installed so as to protrude from the escape port, and the exposed segment has a height of 20 to 50 millimeters.

[0018] The hopper mechanism and glass product manufacturing apparatus according to the present disclosure have the following beneficial effects.

[0019] In the hopper mechanism and glass product manufacturing apparatus of the present disclosure, the distance between the outlet of the exposed segment of the material discharge nozzle and the roll nip is relatively small, which effectively reduces the fall height of the molten glass, shortens the contact time between the molten glass and the air, prevents temperature differences between the inside and outside of the molten glass caused by the molten glass falling to the roll nip and piling up, ensures that the temperature of the molten glass pool is relatively uniform before rolling, and prevents overlap marks from occurring after the molten glass is rolled. Furthermore, by rationally designing the height of the exposed segment of the material discharge nozzle, it is possible to effectively prevent molten glass from clogging, maintain an appropriate puddle height, suppress adhesion to the rolls, reduce the difficulty of rolling, and ensure the forming quality of the glass product.

[0020] In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings necessary for describing the embodiments will be briefly described below. The drawings described are only for illustrating some embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope. Those skilled in the art can obtain other related drawings based on these drawings without using inventive ability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a glass product manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a hopper mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a material discharge hopper in a hopper mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating a state of a hopper mechanism during a material discharge process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram illustrating a mathematical model of a puddle of molten glass formed in a nip between a pair of mill rolls during material discharge from a hopper mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a material discharge hopper in a hopper mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7]10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating a state of a hopper mechanism during a material discharge process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram illustrating a mathematical model of a puddle of molten glass formed in a nip between a pair of mill rolls during material discharge from a hopper mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram of a glass product according to the prior art in which an overlap mark quality defect exists; [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of a glass product according to the present disclosure without overlap mark quality defects. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings used in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and it goes without saying that the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present disclosure and do not represent all of the embodiments. The components in the embodiments of the present disclosure shown in the drawings can be arranged and designed in various arrangement ways.

[0023] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure shown in the drawings merely illustrates selected embodiments of the present disclosure and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure to be protected. All other embodiments that can be obtained by a person skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure without using inventive ability also fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0024] Like reference numerals refer to like objects in the drawings, so that a definition in one drawing does not require further definition or interpretation in other drawings.

[0025] In describing this disclosure, directions or positional relationships expressed by terms such as "inside," "outside," "up," "down," "horizontal," etc. are based on the drawings or are typical arrangement directions or positional relationships of the products disclosed, and are merely for the purpose of simply and concisely describing this disclosure, and do not express or imply that the relevant devices or elements necessarily have a specific orientation, or are configured or operated in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as limiting this disclosure. Furthermore, terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are merely used for distinction and description, and do not express or imply relative importance.

[0026] In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the terms "installed," "coupled," "mounted," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. They may also refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. They may also refer to a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate, or internal communication between two elements. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application depending on the specific circumstances.

[0027] The term "and / or" as used herein represents a relationship between related objects and represents a three-way relationship, such as A and / or B, where only A is present, both A and B are present, or only B is present.

[0028] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Unless inconsistent, the features in the following examples can be combined with each other.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a glass product manufacturing apparatus 10 for manufacturing glass products. The glass product manufacturing apparatus 10 can effectively prevent adhesion to rolls during the rolling process and overlapping defects after rolling is completed, thereby ensuring the forming quality of glass products. Glass products include glass and glass ceramics.

[0030] The glass product manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a liquid supply passage (not shown), a hopper mechanism 100, and a pair of mill rolls 200. The liquid supply passage is configured to deliver molten glass 300 to the hopper mechanism 100. The hopper mechanism 100 is configured to deliver the molten glass 300 in a cascade manner to the pair of mill rolls 200, causing a puddle of material to form within the nip 210 between the pair of mill rolls 200. The pair of mill rolls 200 is configured to press and cool the molten glass 300 so that it can be formed into a glass product.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2 , the hopper mechanism 100 includes a housing 110 and a material discharge hopper 120. The material discharge hopper 120 is made of platinum, optionally a platinum-rhodium alloy. In one embodiment, the material is optionally 90% platinum and 10% rhodium (by mass), and the entire structure has a funnel shape. The material discharge hopper 120 is installed within the housing 110 and connected to a liquid supply passage. The liquid supply passage is configured to send molten glass 300 to the material discharge hopper 120. The material discharge hopper 120 is provided with a material discharge nozzle 121, which is installed above the pair of mill rolls 200, and the opening position of the material discharge nozzle 121 corresponds to the position of the roll nip 210. The material discharge nozzle 121 is configured to discharge the molten glass 300 into the roll nip 210 so that the molten glass 300 forms a material puddle within the roll nip 210. A relief port 111 is provided at the bottom of the housing 110 and is configured to allow the material discharge nozzle 121 to escape without affecting the discharge of the molten glass 300 .

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3 , the material discharge hopper 120 specifically includes a hopper body 125 and a material discharge nozzle 121. The material discharge nozzle 121 is located at the end of the hopper body 125 closest to the pair of mill rolls 200. The vertical length of the material discharge nozzle 121 is 24 to 80 millimeters. That is, the portion of the material discharge hopper 120 extending 24 to 80 millimeters from the bottom is the material discharge nozzle 121, and the remaining portion is the hopper body 125. In one embodiment, to ensure airtightness between the hopper body 125 and the material discharge nozzle 121, the hopper body 125 and the material discharge nozzle 121 are welded or optionally integrally molded. The housing 110 is a steel structure, and the shape of the housing 110 is cylindrical or cubic, and optionally funnel-shaped, similar to the shape of the material discharge hopper 120. The cross-sectional area of ​​the housing 110 gradually decreases from top to bottom. An accommodation space for mounting a material discharge hopper 120 is provided inside the housing 110, and the hopper body 125 is installed within the accommodation space of the housing 110 so as to be surrounded by the housing 110, and the material discharge nozzle 121 is installed so as to protrude from the escape port 111.

[0033] The number of material discharge nozzles 121 is one, and the material discharge nozzle 121 includes a heat-insulating segment 122 and an exposed segment 123 that are connected to each other. The heat-insulating segment 122 communicates with the hopper body 125, and the exposed segment 123 is located on a side of the heat-insulating segment 122 that is spaced apart from the hopper body 125. This allows the molten glass 300 in the hopper body 125 to flow by gravity through the heat-insulating segment 122 and the exposed segment 123 into the roll nip 210. Specifically, the heat-insulating segment 122 is installed within the relief port 111, i.e., the heat-insulating segment 122 is located within the range covered by the housing 110. The exposed segment 123 is installed to protrude from the relief port 111, i.e., the exposed segment 123 is located outside the range covered by the housing 110.

[0034] The inventors have found through research that the forming method using a horizontal pair of rolls often causes quality defects such as overlap marks in the glass product obtained after rolling. This is because the molten glass 300 comes into contact with the air for a relatively long time as it flows from the material discharge port to the roll nip 210, resulting in a temperature difference between the surface and internal temperatures of the molten glass 300, causing the temperature of the molten glass 300 to be uneven. Molten glass with large temperature differences mixes and forms clumps in the roll nip 210, which leads to temperature unevenness and viscosity unevenness. The higher the viscosity of the molten glass 300, the greater the force required during roll rolling, resulting in overlap marks and quality defects in the glass product after roll rolling. In contrast, the present disclosure solves the problem of overlap marks by specially designing the material discharge nozzle 121. In the device of the present disclosure, both the hopper body 125 and the material discharge nozzle 121 can be electrically heated when discharging material. When the hopper body 125 and the material discharge nozzle 121 are electrically heated, the housing 110 collects the heat and prevents direct heat exchange with the air, thereby maintaining a certain degree of heat retention. The material discharge nozzle 121 includes two sequentially communicating sections (a heat-retaining segment 122 and an exposed segment 123). Meanwhile, the heat-retaining segment 122 installed within the housing 110 can be used in conjunction with the housing 110 to maintain the temperature of the molten glass 300 within the heat-retaining segment 122, thereby ensuring the stability of the temperature when the molten glass 300 flows into the exposed segment 123 and preventing temperature differences caused by excessive heat dissipation. On the other hand, since the exposed segment 123 is inserted into the roll gap 210 and is not covered by the housing 110, the volume of the exposed segment 123 is relatively small, and the exposed segment 123 can be inserted deeper into the roll gap 210 so as not to affect the normal operation of the rolling roll pair 200.In contrast to the prior art technical solution in which a "round"-shaped heat-insulating material is installed at the material discharge outlet of the hopper, increasing the volume of the material discharge outlet and preventing the material discharge outlet from being inserted deeper into the roll nip, in the present disclosure, the distance between the outlet of exposed segment 123 and roll nip 210 is relatively short, and the drop height of molten glass 300 flowing from exposed segment 123 to roll nip 210 is relatively small, thereby effectively reducing the drop height of molten glass 300, shortening the contact time between molten glass 300 and the air, preventing temperature differences between the inside and outside of molten glass 300, ensuring that the temperature of the molten glass pool is relatively uniform before rolling, preventing the occurrence of overlapping marks (shown at point A in FIG. 9 ) after the molten glass is rolled, and ensuring the forming quality of the glass. Furthermore, adhesion of molten glass 300 to the rolls during the rolling process is caused by the irrational dimensions of material discharge nozzle 121, which causes a relatively large amount of molten glass 300 to accumulate in roll gap 210 during the rolling process, resulting in a high material puddle, which increases the risk of adhesion to the rolls. In contrast, in the present disclosure, material discharge nozzle 121 is divided into heat-retaining segment 122 and exposed segment 123, and the height of exposed segment 123 is rationally designed, thereby maintaining an appropriate height for the molten glass puddle, suppressing adhesion to the rolls, and effectively preventing clogging of molten glass 300.

[0035] In one embodiment, because no thermal insulation measures are provided on the exterior of exposed segment 123, heat loss is unavoidable as molten glass 300 flows through exposed segment 123, causing a drop in the temperature of molten glass 300. Therefore, the height range of exposed segment 123 is set to 20 mm to 50 mm, including all ranges therebetween and further subranges therebetween, such as 25 to 50 mm, 30 to 50 mm, 35 to 50 mm, 40 to 50 mm, 45 to 50 mm, 20 to 45 mm, 20 to 40 mm, 20 to 35 mm, 20 to 30 mm, and 20 to 25 mm. By setting the height of exposed segment 123 appropriately, it is possible to keep the temperature drop of molten glass 300 as a whole within an acceptable range (so as not to affect the normal rolling of the glass), and to minimize the height of the drop of molten glass 300 as it flows from exposed segment 123 to roll nip 210, thereby minimizing the contact time between molten glass 300 and air and preventing a relatively large temperature difference between the inside and outside of molten glass 300.

[0036] 2 , in one embodiment, the hopper mechanism 100 further includes heat-insulating bricks 130 and a heat-insulating layer 140 to keep the hopper body 125 warm. The heat-insulating layer 140 is installed between the housing 110 and the material discharge hopper 120 and serves the role of heat insulation and insulation, reducing heat dissipation of the molten glass 300 in the material discharge hopper 120 and preventing workers from getting burned or electrocuted. Optionally, the heat-insulating bricks 130 are installed in the housing 110 and located at the bottom of the housing 110, with their height set to match the height of the heat-insulating segments 122 and surround the heat-insulating segments 122. Specifically, the heat-insulating bricks 130 are provided with relief grooves 131, the heat-insulating segments 122 are installed in the relief grooves 131, the relief grooves 131 are connected to the relief ports 111, and the material discharge nozzles 121 are installed by passing through the relief grooves 131 and the relief ports 111, respectively. The heat-insulating segments 122 are installed in the relief grooves 131, and the heat-insulating bricks 130 are configured to insulate the heat-insulating segments 122 and improve the heat-insulating effect of the heat-insulating segments 122 on the molten glass 300. The exposed segments 123 are installed outside the relief grooves 131, and no heat-insulating bricks 130 are installed outside the exposed segments 123, which reduces the volume of the exposed segments 123 and allows the exposed segments 123 to be inserted deeper into the roll gap 210 without affecting the normal operation of the roll pairs 200.

[0037] Optionally, as the inventors have further found, in the prior art, if the shape of material discharge nozzle 121 is not reasonable, a relatively large amount of molten glass 300 accumulates in roll nip 210 during the rolling process, resulting in a relatively high material puddle, which may result in molten glass 300 adhering to the rolls during the rolling process. In contrast, the present disclosure rationally designs the shape (length, width, height, and their proportions) of material discharge nozzle 121, thereby effectively preventing clogging of molten glass 300, maintaining an appropriate height of the material puddle, reducing the risk of adhesion to the rolls, and making the rolling process easier.

[0038] In one embodiment, the material discharge nozzle 121 has a shape in which the heat-retaining segment 122 is approximately trapezoidal, the exposed segment 123 is approximately cubic, and the opening of the material discharge nozzle 121 (i.e., the opening of the exposed segment 123) is rectangular, the rectangle having a relatively long side and a relatively short side, the length of the long side being the length of the opening of the material discharge nozzle 121, and the length of the short side being the width of the opening of the material discharge nozzle 121. The molten glass 300 flows downward in the vertical direction through the material discharge nozzle 121, and the length of the material discharge nozzle 121 in the vertical direction is the height of the material discharge nozzle 121, that is, the sum of the heights of the heat-retaining segment 122 and the exposed segment 123.

[0039] Optionally, the range of the total height of the insulation segment 122 and the exposed segment 123 is 2 to 4 times the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121, including all ranges therebetween and further subranges therebetween, for example, 2 to 2.5 times, 2.5 to 3 times, 2 to 3.5 times, 3 to 3.5 times, 3 to 4 times, 3.5 to 4 times, etc. Specifically, the total height range of the heat-retaining segment 122 and the exposed segment 123 is 24 mm to 80 mm, that is, the total height range of the material discharge nozzle 121 is 24 mm to 80 mm, and all ranges therebetween and further sub-ranges thereof, for example, 30 to 80 mm, 40 to 80 mm, 50 to 80 mm, 60 to 80 mm, 70 to 80 mm, 24 to 70 mm, 30 to 70 mm, 40 to 70 mm, 50 to 70 mm, 60 to 70 mm, 30 to 50 mm, 30 to 70 mm, 40 to 65 mm, etc.

[0040] In one embodiment, the total height of the material discharge nozzle 121 ranges from 24 to 80 millimeters, and is approximately two to four times the opening width. This range of total height of the material discharge nozzle 121 ensures that the molten glass 300 does not clog and is inserted as deeply as possible into the roll nip 210. If the total height of the material discharge nozzle 121 is less than twice the opening width, the total height of the material discharge nozzle 121 is too small and cannot be inserted as deeply into the roll nip 210. If the total height of the material discharge nozzle 121 is more than four times the opening width, the total height of the material discharge nozzle 121 is too large, and clogging is likely to occur when the molten glass 300 flows through the exposed segment 123 of the material discharge nozzle 121. (Because the exposed segment 123 is not provided with thermal insulation, if its height is too large, the temperature of the molten glass 300 will drop too much, causing the glass to cool and solidify, which may lead to clogging.)

[0041] In one embodiment, the opening length of the material discharge nozzle 121 ranges from 2 to 4 times the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121, including all ranges therebetween and further sub-ranges therebetween, such as 2 to 2.5 times, 2.5 to 3 times, 2 to 3.5 times, 3 to 3.5 times, 3 to 4 times, 3.5 to 4 times, etc. Specifically, the total height of the material discharge nozzle 121 ranges from 24 mm to 80 mm, and the opening length of the material discharge nozzle 121 ranges from 24 mm to 80 mm, including all ranges therebetween and further sub-ranges therebetween, such as 30 to 80 mm, 40 to 80 mm, 50 to 80 mm, 60 to 80 mm, 70 to 80 mm, 24 to 70 mm, 30 to 70 mm, 40 to 70 mm, 50 to 70 mm, 60 to 70 mm, 30 to 50 mm, 30 to 70 mm, 40 to 65 mm, etc.

[0042] In one embodiment, the opening length of material discharge nozzle 121 ranges from 24 mm to 80 mm, and the opening length of material discharge nozzle 121 is approximately two to four times the opening width. An opening length within this range ensures that the flow rate of molten glass 300 supplied along the length of the opening is relatively uniform. If the opening length is less than twice the opening width, the supplied molten glass 300 will be excessively concentrated, causing the height of the material puddle that falls into roll nip 210 to be relatively high, increasing the risk of it adhering to the rolls. If the opening length is more than four times the opening width, the flow rate of molten glass 300 will be fast (high temperature) in the center along the length of the opening and slow (relatively low temperature, causing the glass to cool and solidify) on both sides, which will affect the forming quality of the glass.

[0043] In one embodiment, the range of the total height of the heat-retaining segment 122 and the exposed segment 123 is two to four times the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121, and the range of the opening length of the material discharge nozzle 121 is two to four times the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121. Specifically, the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121 ranges from 12 mm to 20 mm, including all ranges therebetween and further sub-ranges therebetween, such as 12 to 16 mm, 12 to 17 mm, 12 to 18 mm, 12 to 19 mm, 13 to 16 mm, 13 to 17 mm, 13 to 18 mm, 13 to 19 mm, 14 to 15 mm, 14 to 16 mm, 14 to 17 mm, 14 to 18 mm, 14 to 19 mm, 15 to 16 mm, 15 to 17 mm, 15 to 18 mm, 15 to 19 mm, 16 to 17 mm, 16 to 18 mm, 16 to 19 mm, 17 to 18 mm, 17 to 19 mm, and 18 to 19 mm.

[0044] In one embodiment, the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121 ranges from 12 mm to 20 mm. A reasonable opening width ensures smooth flow of the molten glass 300 and prevents clogging of the molten glass 300. The opening width should not be too small; if the opening width is less than 12 mm, the molten glass 300 is likely to clog the opening and not flow smoothly. The opening width should not be too large; if the opening width is more than 20 mm, the flow rate of the molten glass 300 will be too high, making it impossible to retain the molten glass 300 within the material discharge hopper 120 and achieving uniform material supply.

[0045] In one embodiment, the corners of the opening of material discharge nozzle 121 are rounded and chamfered, which reduces frictional resistance when molten glass 300 flows through material discharge nozzle 121 and improves the smoothness and stability of the flow of molten glass 300.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 4 (in which the front mill roll pair 200 is shown in perspective), during the process of hopper mechanism 100 delivering molten glass 300 to roll nip 210, the provision of exposed segment 123 allows material discharge nozzle 121 to be inserted deeper into roll nip 210 without affecting the normal operation of mill roll pair 200. In this case, the drop height of the waterfall of molten glass 300 flowing from exposed segment 123 to roll nip 210 is relatively small, ranging from 10 to 20 mm. This reduces the temperature difference between the inside and outside of molten glass 300, making the temperature of molten glass 300 supplied uniform and ensuring the quality of the glass formed. Optionally, the opening of material discharge nozzle 121 may be set short and wide (material discharge nozzle 121 has a relatively small opening length and a relatively large opening width), so that the temperature and flow speed of molten glass 300 at the edge and middle parts of the opening are similar, the flow rate is relatively uniform along the length of the opening, the outflowing waterfall-like molten glass 300 is thick and narrow with a relatively small surface area, heat dissipation during the falling process is relatively small, and the temperature of molten glass 300 does not decrease too quickly. Furthermore, along the length of the opening of material discharge nozzle 121, hopper mechanism 100 is mounted on a rail and can move left and right in cooperation with a motor, with a movement stroke in one direction being no more than 20 millimeters. In this way, if there is a left-right deviation in the material supply by hopper mechanism 100, the hopper mechanism 100 can be adjusted by moving it.

[0047] Compared with the prior art, the hopper mechanism 100 of the present disclosure includes a heat-insulating segment 122 installed within the escape port 111 and an exposed segment 123 protruding from the escape port 111. The length, width, height, and proportions of the material discharge nozzle 121 are reasonably designed, thereby effectively preventing clogging of the molten glass 300, maintaining an appropriate height of the material puddle, reducing the risk of adhesion to the rolls and making rolling less difficult, effectively reducing the drop height of the molten glass 300, shortening the contact time between the molten glass 300 and the air, ensuring that the temperature of the molten glass puddle is more uniform before rolling, preventing overlapping defects from occurring after the molten glass 300 is rolled, and ensuring the quality of the glass formed. The glass product manufacturing apparatus 10 produces products of good quality and with a high yield rate.

[0048] Optionally, referring to Figures 6 to 8 (in Figure 7, the front pair of rolling rolls 200 is shown in perspective), an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a hopper mechanism 100, which differs from the above-described embodiment in that it has multiple material discharge nozzles 121.

[0049] The multiple material discharge nozzles 121 are arranged in parallel and spaced apart in the material discharge hopper 120. The multiple material discharge nozzles 121 are arranged at intervals along the length of the openings of the material discharge nozzles 121, and the multiple material discharge nozzles 121 cooperate to simultaneously discharge the molten glass 300. By supplying material using the multiple material discharge nozzles 121, the height of the material puddle in the roll nip 210 is reduced, the risk of adhesion to the rolls is significantly reduced, and the lateral temperature difference in the glass ribbon formed by roll rolling is reduced, thereby reducing the lateral thickness difference. In this embodiment, the number of material discharge nozzles 121 is two, but this is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the number of material discharge nozzles 121 may be three or four, and is not specifically limited thereto.

[0050] In one embodiment, the material discharge hopper 120 is made of platinum material, and reinforcing ribs 124 are provided between the material discharge nozzles 121, which can increase the strength of the material discharge nozzles 121, resist the creep of platinum at high temperatures, and prevent the material discharge nozzles 121 from deforming at high temperatures. The material discharge nozzles 121 may also be made of platinum-rhodium alloy material, which can improve the ability of the material discharge nozzles 121 to resist deformation at high temperatures.

[0051] In one embodiment, the spacing between two adjacent material discharge nozzles 121 is between 45% and 55% of the opening length of the material discharge nozzles 121, including all ranges therebetween and further subranges therebetween, such as 45% to 52%, 45% to 50%, 45% to 48%, 48% to 55%, 50% to 55%, and 52% to 55%, and is optionally 50%. This ensures that the molten glass 300 dropping into the roll nip 210 forms a continuous puddle. In this embodiment, the spacing between two adjacent material discharge nozzles 121 is between 12 mm and 40 mm. The spacing between two adjacent material discharge nozzles 121 should not be too small. If the spacing between two adjacent material discharge nozzles 121 is too small, the height of the puddle corresponding to the gap will be too high, increasing the risk of adhesion to the rolls. The distance between two adjacent material discharge nozzles 121 must not be too large. If the distance between two adjacent material discharge nozzles 121 is too large, the molten glass 300 dropping into the roll gap 210 will not be able to form a continuous puddle, which will affect the forming quality of the glass.

[0052] 5 and 8, material discharge from one material discharge nozzle 121 and material discharge from two material discharge nozzles 121 will be compared.

[0053] In the case of discharging material by one material discharge nozzle 121, the contact time tA between the rolling roll pair 200 and the molten glass 300 is tA = hA / V. In the formula, hA is the maximum height of the material accumulation, and V is the rotational speed of the rolling roll pair 200. In the case of discharging material by two material discharge nozzles 121, the contact time tA1 between the rolling roll pair 200 and the molten glass 300 is tA1 = hA1 / V. In the formula, hA1 is the maximum height of the material accumulation, and V is the rotational speed of the rolling roll pair 200. In the case of one material discharge nozzle 121, the height of the formed material accumulation is larger than that in the case of discharging material by two material discharge nozzles 121, that is, hA is larger than hA1. That is, in the case of discharging material by one material discharge nozzle 121, the contact time between the molten glass 300 and the rolling roll pair 200 is longer. The longer the contact time, the higher the temperature of the roll surface, and the higher the risk of adhesion to the roll. Therefore, in the case of supplying material by a plurality of material discharge nozzles 121, the height of the material accumulation in the roll gap 210 can be reduced, and the risk of adhesion to the roll can be significantly reduced.

[0054] Optionally, the longer the contact time between the molten glass 300 and the rolling roll pair 200, the lower the temperature of the glass ribbon formed by roll rolling. The contact time between point A and the molten glass 300 is longer than the contact time between point A1 and the molten glass 300. That is, the temperature of the glass ribbon formed by roll rolling is TA < TA1. Similarly, since the heights of the material accumulations at point B and point B1 are close to each other, at each of point B and point B1, the contact time between the molten glass 300 and the rolling roll pair 200 is close, and the temperatures of the glass ribbons formed by roll rolling are approximately equal, that is, TB = TB1. In this way, the temperature differences ΔT = TB - TA and ΔT1 = TB1 - TA1 in the lateral direction of the glass ribbon can be calculated. Since TA < TA1 and TB = TB1, ΔT1 < ΔT. The smaller the height of the material accumulation, the smaller the temperature difference in the lateral direction of the glass ribbon.

[0055] Therefore, as described above, when material is supplied using multiple material discharge nozzles 121, the height of the material puddle in the roll gap 210 can be reduced, the contact time between the molten glass 300 and the pair of rolling rolls 200 can be shortened, the risk of adhesion to the rolls can be significantly reduced, and the temperature difference in the lateral direction of the glass ribbon can also be reduced.

[0056] Furthermore, to demonstrate the beneficial effects of the present disclosure, the inventors conducted several sets of comparative experiments, the results of which are shown in the table below.

[0057] [Table 1-1]

[0058] [Table 1-2]

[0059] [Table 1-3]

[0060] [Table 1-4]

[0061] [Table 1-5]

[0062] [Table 1-6]

[0063] [Table 1-7]

[0064] As can be seen from the above table, when the number of material discharge nozzles 121 is two, the opening width of the material discharge nozzles 121 ranges from 12 mm to 20 mm, the opening length of the material discharge nozzles 121 ranges from 24 mm to 80 mm, the height of the exposed segments 123 ranges from 20 mm to 50 mm, the height of the opening passage (the sum of the heights of the heat-retaining segments 122 and the exposed segments 123) ranges from two to four times the opening width of the material discharge nozzles 121, and the opening length of the material discharge nozzles 121 ranges from two to four times the opening width of the material discharge nozzles 121. The gap between two adjacent material discharge nozzles 121 is 2 to 4 times as wide, and the gap range between two adjacent material discharge nozzles 121 is 45% to 55% of the opening length of the material discharge nozzles 121. In this case, clogging of molten glass 300 can be effectively prevented, the height of the material puddle can be maintained appropriately, the risk of adhesion to the rolls is relatively low, the difficulty of rolling is low, the drop height of molten glass 300 is effectively reduced, the contact time between molten glass 300 and air is shortened, the temperature difference between the inside and outside of molten glass 300 is reduced, the glass forming quality is guaranteed, and there is no quality defect such as scale-like overlap marks (see Figures 9 and 10).

[0065] Specifically, as can be seen from a comparison of Experimental Examples 1 and 10, when the height of the opening passage is within a range of two to four times the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121, the risk of adhesion to the roll is relatively low; when the height of the opening passage is less than twice the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121, adhesion to the roll is likely to occur. As can be seen from a comparison of Experimental Examples 1 and 11, when the height of the opening passage is within a range of two to four times the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121, clogging due to condensation of molten glass 300 is unlikely to occur; when the height of the opening passage is more than four times the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121, clogging due to condensation of molten glass 300 is likely to occur, affecting normal production. As can be seen from a comparison of Experimental Examples 1 and 7, when the opening length of the material discharge nozzle 121 is within a range of two to four times the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121, the risk of adhesion to the roll is relatively low; when the opening length of the material discharge nozzle 121 is less than twice the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121, adhesion to the roll is likely to occur.

[0066] A comparison of Experimental Examples 1, 4, and 7 shows that when the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121 is within the range of 12 to 20 mm, clogging due to condensation of the molten glass 300 is unlikely to occur; when the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121 is less than 12 mm, clogging due to condensation of the molten glass 300 is likely to occur; and when the opening width of the material discharge nozzle 121 is greater than 20 mm, material accumulation occurs and the material is likely to adhere to the rolls. A comparison of Experimental Examples 1, 10, and 14 shows that when the opening passage height is within the range of 24 to 80 mm, the insertion depth of the material discharge nozzle 121 is suitable for material supply; when the opening passage height is less than 24 mm, the material discharge nozzle 121 cannot be inserted deeply into the roll gap 210; and when the opening passage height is greater than 80 mm, the temperature difference inside and outside the waterfall-like molten glass is relatively large, resulting in noticeable scale-like overlap defects in the glass formed by roll rolling, which affect product quality.

[0067] When there are two or three material discharge nozzles 121, as can be seen from a comparison of experimental examples 1, 5, and 6, if the opening spacing is within the range of 45% to 55% of the opening length or within the range of 12 to 40 millimeters, the risk of adhesion to the roll is relatively low; however, if the opening spacing is less than 45% of the opening length of the material discharge nozzles 121 or less than 12 millimeters, adhesion to the roll is likely to occur, affecting normal production. If the opening spacing is more than 55% of the opening length of the material discharge nozzles 121 or the opening spacing is more than 40 millimeters, two or three glass bands may form in the product, affecting product quality.

[0068] The hopper mechanism 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can realize stable and uniform multi-stage material supply, and the supplied molten glass 300 collects within the roll gap 210, and the height of the material puddle is small, which can contribute to reducing the risk of adhesion to the rolls and can also suppress the difference in thickness in the lateral direction of the glass ribbon formed by roll rolling.

[0069] The above are merely selectable examples of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the present disclosure may have various modifications and variations. As long as they do not depart from the spirit and principle of the present disclosure, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0070] (Industrial Applicability) The hopper mechanism according to the present disclosure includes a heat-retaining segment installed within the relief port and an exposed segment protruding from the relief port, thereby effectively preventing adhesion to the rolls during the rolling process and overlapping marks after the rolling is completed, thereby ensuring the forming quality of the glass. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 10. Glass product manufacturing equipment 100 Hopper mechanism 110 Housing 111 Escape hatch 120 Material discharge hopper 121 Material discharge nozzle 122 Heat retention segment 123 Exposure Segments 124 Reinforcing rib 125 Hopper body 130 Heat-insulating bricks 131 Relief groove 140 Heat retention layer 200 rolling roll pairs 210 Roll gap 300 molten glass

Claims

1. a housing and a material discharge hopper; the material discharge hopper is located within the housing; A relief port is provided at the bottom of the housing, a material discharge nozzle is provided in the material discharge hopper; the material discharge nozzle includes a heat-retaining segment and an exposed segment connected to each other; The heat-retaining segment is installed in the relief port, The exposed segment is positioned to protrude from the relief hole, The height of the exposed segment is between 20 millimeters and 50 millimeters. A hopper mechanism characterized by:

2. The material discharge nozzle is configured in a flat shape, The total height of the heat-retaining segment and the exposed segment is two to four times the opening width of the material discharge nozzle, and / or the opening length of the material discharge nozzle is two to four times the opening width of the material discharge nozzle.

2. The hopper mechanism of claim 1.

3. The opening width of the material discharge nozzle is 12 to 20 millimeters; The total height of the heat-retaining segment and the exposed segment is 24 to 80 millimeters, and / or the opening length of the material discharge nozzle is 24 to 80 millimeters.

3. The hopper mechanism of claim 2.

4. The corners of the opening of the material discharge nozzle are rounded and chamfered.

4. The hopper mechanism according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The number of the material discharge nozzles is plural, The plurality of material discharge nozzles are arranged in parallel and spaced apart in the material discharge hopper. The hopper mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The interval between two adjacent material discharge nozzles is 45% to 55% of the opening length of the material discharge nozzle.

6. The hopper mechanism of claim 5.

7. The distance between two adjacent material discharge nozzles is 12 to 40 millimeters.

7. The hopper mechanism of claim 6.

8. A reinforcing rib is provided between two adjacent material discharge nozzles.

7. The hopper mechanism according to claim 5 or 6.

9. the hopper mechanism further includes a thermal insulation brick; The thermal insulation brick is installed in the housing; The heat-insulating brick is provided with a relief groove, The relief groove and the relief port are in communication with each other, The heat-retaining segment is installed in the relief groove, The thermal insulation brick is configured to insulate the thermal insulation segment. The hopper mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. the hopper mechanism further includes a thermal insulation layer; The thermal insulation layer is disposed between the housing and the material discharge hopper. The hopper mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The hopper mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is included. Glassware manufacturing equipment.

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