Crenellated Nozzle Bar Layout for Curved Glass Tempering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional nozzle bars in blowing boxes hinder efficient airflow for thermally tempering highly three-dimensionally curved glass panes, leading to reduced pre-stressing efficiency and potential airlock formation, while separately attached nozzles compromise mechanical stability and manufacturing ease.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle bar with crenellated protrusions and intervening crenellation windows that allow airflow perpendicular to the nozzle bar direction, integrated with the strip for enhanced stability and ease of manufacture, and a blowing box design with wedge-shaped channels and offset nozzle bars for uniform airflow distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional flat or curved nozzle bars are used, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but airflow efficiency is reduced and airlock formation occurs on highly curved glass panes
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle bar surface is segmented into multiple crenellated protrusions with individual nozzle openings, creating a stepped structure that prevents airlock formation on curved surfaces while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle openings are arranged in a three-dimensional crenellated pattern rather than a flat plane, allowing airflow to escape in multiple directions perpendicular to the nozzle bar extension, thereby preventing airlock on highly curved surfaces
2Productivity
If separately attached nozzles are used, then airflow drainage channels are improved, but mechanical stability is reduced and manufacturing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzles are merged with the nozzle bar into a single integral component, eliminating separate attachment requirements while maintaining effective drainage channels through the crenellated design, thereby improving both mechanical stability and manufacturing simplicity
3Productivity
If nozzle openings are arranged on crenellated protrusions, then airflow drainage is improved perpendicular to nozzle bar direction, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The crenellated protrusions create segmented airflow paths that facilitate rapid drainage perpendicular to the nozzle bar, while the repetitive modular pattern keeps manufacturing complexity manageable through standardized geometric units
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
Improves tempering efficiency by allowing faster airflow and uniform stress distribution, enabling higher pre-stressing efficiency with reduced energy consumption and supporting thinner glass panes, while maintaining mechanical stability and ease of manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
A glass pane heated to just below its softening temperature is subjected to a stream of air, which causes rapid cooling (quenching) of the glass pane
Implementation Method 2
The crenellation windows thus open additional drainage channels, allowing the heated air to flow out more rapidly, even perpendicular to the direction of the nozzle bars
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
The invention relates to a nozzle strip (1) for a blowing box for thermally prestressing glass panes, which nozzle strip has a row of nozzles (4), which each have a nozzle inlet (5) and a nozzle opening (2) for hitting a surface of a glass pane (I) with an air flow through the nozzle openings (2), wherein the nozzle openings (2) are arranged on merlon-like elevations (3) of a side surface of the nozzle strip (1).