Continuous Heating Elements for Glass Pane Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating and bending devices for panes are inflexible and inefficient, as they are designed with fixed chamber lengths and heating patterns that do not adapt to varying pane sizes, leading to underutilization of furnace capacity and uneven heat distribution.
Innovation Solution
A furnace line with adjustable heating zones and elements arranged continuously along the ceiling, sides, and bottom, allowing for dynamic control based on pane size and position, enabling flexible heating and bending of panes of different sizes without being limited by chamber boundaries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the furnace line is divided into separate chambers with fixed heating zones, then the construction is simpler and modules are easier to handle, but the adaptability to different pane sizes is reduced and heat distribution becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The furnace line is divided into multiple independent heating zones along the continuous path, each zone equipped with its own heating elements that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows different sections to be optimized for different pane sizes and heating requirements while maintaining overall system simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The heating elements are arranged continuously along the furnace path rather than being fixed to chamber boundaries, allowing dynamic adjustment of heating zones based on pane position and size. The system can adaptively activate or deactivate specific heating elements along the continuous path to match the actual pane dimensions
2Adaptability or versatility
If the heating elements are arranged continuously along the ceiling without chamber interruptions, then the heat distribution is enhanced and adaptability to different pane sizes is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the continuous heating path are equipped with heating elements at varying densities and power levels according to the specific thermal requirements of different pane zones. The heating system provides localized quality adjustment, with higher heating density in areas requiring more thermal energy and lower density in areas requiring less
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts heating parameters such as power output, activation timing, and spatial distribution of heating elements based on detected pane size, position, and thermal state. This allows the continuous heating path to adapt its characteristics to match different processing requirements
3Ease of manufacture
If fixed chamber lengths are used in the furnace line, then the construction is more straightforward, but the productivity is reduced due to underutilization of furnace capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous arrangement of heating elements along the furnace path eliminates idle spaces between chambers, ensuring that every section of the furnace contributes to heating panes. This continuous useful action maximizes the utilization of furnace capacity and maintains steady-state operation without interruptions
Solution Approach 2:
The same continuous heating path can accommodate panes of various sizes and types by dynamically adjusting which heating elements are activated and at what power levels. This universal design allows a single furnace configuration to serve multiple production scenarios, maximizing throughput capacity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach increases the density of pane processing, reduces the size and cost of the device, and enhances heat distribution, allowing for higher throughput and more efficient use of the furnace and cooling path.
Implementation Method 1
heating elements arranged continuously along the ceiling, sides, and bottom, allowing for dynamic control based on pane size and position
Implementation Method 2
heating elements arranged continuously along the ceiling, sides, and bottom, allowing for dynamic control based on pane size and position
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a
AI summary
This invention concerns a device (100) for heating objects, especially heating and/or bending glass sheets (7, 11) stacked on top of and mutually covering each other, including an oven, several supports, especially conveyor molds (6, 10) which provide transport and/or bending of the objects (7, 11), the objects (7, 11) being placed on the supports (6, 10) laid out on conveyor carriages (14) on the line-production oven and several heating elements (4) set above the objects (7, 11) in the line-production oven. In the invention, the device (100) is characterized by the fact that the heating elements (4) are all placed above the line of the line-production oven and thus the heating elements (4) can be controlled and regulated so as to provide heating zones which are adapted to the dimensions of the objects (7, 11). The invention also concerns a method employing this device as per the invention.