SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BENDING THIN GLASS

摘要

A system and method for bending one or more thin glass structures. The system includes heating, bending and cooling zones, each having a plurality of modules aligned and connected to each other to define elongated tunnels, wherein adjacent heating modules are separated from each other by a furnace door. A conveyance mechanism carries the one or more thin glass structures through the modules via the elongated tunnels. Each of the modules include one or more heating elements, each heating element being independently controllable by element or set of elements as a function of a temperature profile for the one or more thin glass structures. The temperature profile can be determined as a function of temperature on the one or more thin glass structures.

主权项

1. A lehr for bending one or more thin glass structures comprising:
a heating zone having a plurality of heating modules aligned and connected to each other to define a first elongated tunnel, wherein adjacent heating modules are separated from each other by a furnace door; a bending zone subsequent the heating zone and having a plurality of bending modules aligned and connected to each other to define a second elongated tunnel, wherein adjacent bending modules are separated from each other by a furnace door; a cooling zone subsequent the bending zone and having a plurality of cooling modules aligned and connected to each other to define a third elongated tunnel, wherein adjacent bending modules are separated from each other by a furnace door; and a conveyance mechanism for carrying one or more thin glass structures through the heating, bending and cooling modules via the first, second and third elongated tunnels, wherein each of the heating, bending and cooling modules include one or more heating elements, each heating element being independently controllable by element or set of elements as a function of a temperature profile for the one or more thin glass structures.