Ultra thin glass drawing and blowing

摘要

Systems, methods, apparatus and products relate to drawing and blowing of ultra thin glass substrates, such as flexible display glass sheets, for example, organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and/or other flexible substrate applications, such as lighting, and/or other technologies, such as electro-wetting (EW), electro-phoretic display applications, etc. A localized heat source centripetally heats a vertical glass pre-form, while a pressurized air source blows the heated glass to expansion. An air bearing may centripetally blow air against the expanding pre-form to limit expansion and prevent contact of the pre-form with the localized heat source. Meanwhile, the pre-form is pulled vertically to draw the heated glass. The pre-form may float in a floatation mechanism to compensate for gravity when the pre-form is pulled upward. The blown and drawn pre-form may be cooled, coated with a polymer layer, and cut into a ribbon by in-line devices as it exits the air bearing. For example, a laser may helicoidally cut a polymer-coated blown and drawn pre-form into a ribbon, which may be rolled for collection.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
obtaining a tubular glass pre-form having a tubular pre-form wall with an open end, a closed end, and a middle section between the open end and the closed end, all aligned in a longitudinal direction, the middle section of the glass pre-form including at least a first midsection and a second midsection adjacent to the first midsection, the open end of the glass pre-form opening into a cavity extending into the pre-form at least through the second midsection to the first midsection; heating the first midsection of the glass pre-form by centripetally applying heat from a localized heat source to the first midsection of the glass pre-form; blowing a gas into the open end to expand the cavity at the heated first midsection and to blow the heated first midsection, thereby substantially laterally expanding a diameter of the cavity in the first midsection of the glass pre-form and thinning the pre-form wall in the first midsection; blowing a gas against an exterior surface of the glass pre-form to limit expansion of the first midsection to a desire width; longitudinally drawing the heated first midsection in the longitudinal direction of the glass pre-form, thereby thinning the pre-form wall in the first midsection; advancing the pre-form in the longitudinal direction relative to the localized heat source such that: (i) at least a portion of the first midsection of the perform is advanced longitudinally away from the localized heat source and the heat therefrom is no longer centripetally applied to such portion, and (ii) the second midsection of the perform is advanced longitudinally toward and into proximity with the localized heat source and the heat from the localized heat source is centripetally applied to the second midsection of the glass pre-form; and repeating the heating, blowing, and drawing steps on the second midsection.