Apparatus for washing curved sheets of glass and corresponding method

摘要

An apparatus and corresponding method for cleaning curved sheets of glass. The apparatus indexes glass sheets in a non-continuous manner through at least a pre-washing zone, a washing zone, a rinsing zone, and/or a drying zone. The glass sheets proceed through any or all of these zones in a substantially upright orientation in certain embodiments. In at least one of the wet zones, a robot arm manipulates a plurality of spray nozzles so as to follow the contour of at least one major surface of the glass. The nozzles may be manipulated back and forth across the surface in order to rinse and/or wash the glass. A similar manipulation of air knives along the contour of the glass sheet may be utilized in the drying zone.