Glass Bending with Pre-Bending Ring and Suction Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for bending glass panes are limited in achieving complex geometries in few steps and are energy-intensive, as they often require separate or subsequent bending processes that cannot be easily combined.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that involves a mobile bending ring holder with a pre-bending ring and a suction device to heat and pre-bend glass panes, followed by a final bending ring for further shaping, using a combination of gravity and suction to achieve complex geometries with minimal energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If separate or subsequent bending processes are used to achieve complex geometries, then the target disc geometry can be realized, but the number of process steps increases and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple bending operations (pre-bending and final bending) into a single continuous process within one furnace. The mobile bending ring holder carries the glass pane through different bending zones, merging what would traditionally be separate process steps into one integrated operation, thereby reducing the total number of process steps while achieving complex geometries
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile bending ring holder is designed to be movable and adaptable, allowing the glass pane to be repositioned and re-bent within the same furnace. This dynamic capability enables multiple bending operations without requiring the pane to be removed and transferred to separate equipment, thus reducing process steps while maintaining geometric complexity
2Shape
If separate or subsequent bending processes are used to achieve complex geometries, then the target disc geometry can be realized, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple bending operations into a single continuous process within one furnace, the patent eliminates the need to reheat the glass pane between separate bending steps. The glass remains heated throughout the entire bending sequence, significantly reducing energy consumption compared to traditional separate processes where the glass would be cooled and reheated between operations
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous bending process maintains the glass pane in a heated state throughout all bending operations. The mobile bending ring holder allows the glass to be continuously shaped without interruption or cooling, ensuring the useful thermal energy is fully utilized throughout the entire process rather than being lost between separate operations
3Device complexity
If gravity bending alone is used, then the bending process is simple, but complex geometries cannot be realized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges gravity bending with suction bending in a single integrated process. The mobile bending ring holder first applies gravity bending to create initial curvature, then uses suction through the counterskeleton to achieve the final complex geometry. This combination maintains relative simplicity while enabling geometric complexity that neither method could achieve alone
4Shape
If the pane is heated to high temperature for bending, then the glass becomes pliable for shaping, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous bending process maintains the glass pane in a heated state throughout all bending operations. The mobile bending ring holder allows the glass to be continuously shaped without interruption or cooling, ensuring the useful thermal energy is fully utilized throughout the entire process rather than being lost between separate operations
Solution Approach 2:
By combining multiple bending operations into one continuous heated process, the patent ensures the glass pane is heated only once to the required temperature and then shaped multiple times while maintaining that temperature. This eliminates the repeated heating cycles that would be required in separate processes, significantly reducing total energy consumption
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
Enables the bending of complex glass geometries in fewer steps with reduced energy use by pre-bending glass panes in a pre-bending ring and then using suction to bend them further in a final ring, allowing for precise control over the bending process.
Implementation Method 1
The panes are heated in the pre-bending ring via a heating device to at least the softening temperature of the glass
Implementation Method 2
Air is continuously sucked into the space between the disc and the air baffle. The air sucked in creates a negative pressure to fix the pane to the contact surface
Implementation Method 3
The glass pane is bent along the geometry specified by the jump ring with the help of gravity acting on the heated glass pane
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Method for bending a sheet, wherein a) at least one sheet (1, 2) is inserted into a pre-bending ring (7a) with a movable bending ring holder (3), the sheet (1, 2) is heated at least to approximately softening temperature, and the sheet (1, 2) is pre-bent in the pre-bending ring (7a) to 5% to 50% of the final edge bending, b) the pre-bent sheet (1, 2) is lifted out of the pre-bending ring (7a) by means of a suction device (5) and is bent further, beyond the bending obtained in the pre-bending ring (7a), wherein, during the bending, on a curved contact surface (12) of a counter structure (8) of the suction device (5), there is a minimum distance (15) of 3 mm to 50 mm between the sheet (1) and an air baffle (11) of a covering (9) of the suction device (5) that surrounds the counter structure (8), c) the sheet (1) is laid down by means of the suction device (5) in a final-bending ring (7b) on the movable bending ring holder (3) and the sheet (1, 2) is bent to the final bending, and d) the sheet (1, 2) is cooled down in the final-bending ring (7b) and the sheet (1) is bent by means of the suction device (5) to 100% to 130% of the overall final edge bending.