Apparatus for thermal decoupling of a forming body in a glass making process

摘要

An apparatus for forming a glass sheet with reduced thermal coupling between upper and lower regions of the apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus allows for temperature changes near the lower regions of the enclosure without a large temperature impact on the upper regions of the enclosure, thereby providing for greater flexibility in setting a temperature profile for a forming body located within the enclosure.

主权项

1. An apparatus for forming a glass sheet comprising:
an enclosure comprising an upper inner wall portion, a lower inner wall portion and an outer wall spaced apart from the upper and lower inner wall portions to form a plenum therebetween; a forming body comprising a trough and converging forming surfaces positioned within the enclosure; a plurality of heating elements positioned within the plenum; a thermal barrier extending across the plenum and positioned between a lower-most heating element and a vertically adjacent heating element, the thermal barrier comprising an insulating layer and a structural member; and a thermal insulating block positioned between and separating the upper inner wall portion from the lower inner wall portion, wherein one side of the structural member is embedded within the thermal insulating block such that the structural member is thermally isolated from both the upper inner wall portion and the lower inner wall portion.