THERMAL JET GLASS CUTTER

摘要

An apparatus for thermal shock severing glass and similar materials in curved and odd shapes as well as linear cuts without ragged or serrated edges includes a thermal shock device (100) movable over and along a contour on the material to be cut (101). The device (100) has a helical passage with an inlet (114) connected to a pressurized source (122) of cold fluid and an outlet (104) communicating with a nozzle (103) through which the pressurized fluid heated to a high temperature by an electric heating element (113) in the passage is discharged onto the surface of the material (101). A cold fluid jet tube (121) connected to the cold fluid source (122) on the device (100) is arranged to direct a jet of cold fluid onto the contour preheated by the hot fluid from the nozzle (103) to cause the material (101) to fracture along the contour. A baffle (102) around the nozzle (103) confines the flow of hot fluid to the direction of travel of the device (100) and prohibits mixing of the hot fluid with the jet of cold fluid from tube (121). A control module (128) allows the volume of fluid and the hot fluid temperature to be adjusted in accordance with the thickness of the material (101).