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US 10,633,273 B2Granted
Process and apparatus for refining molten glass
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorTerence J. Clark
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and an apparatus for refining molten glass. The apparatus includes a porous body having an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between the inlet and the outlet. The plurality of pores are defined by walls having wall surfaces that are configured to interact with the molten glass as the molten glass flows between the inlet and the outlet to help refine the molten glass.
Claims12
An apparatus for refining molten glass including:
- a conduit having an inlet in which molten glass is received, an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet, and a longitudinal axis;
- and
- first, second, and third porous bodies serially arranged within the conduit along the longitudinal axis thereof, each of the porous bodies being a monolithic structure and including a plurality of passageways through which molten glass can flow between the inlet and the outlet of the conduit, the plurality of passageways being defined by walls having wall surfaces configured to interact with molten glass flowing between the inlet and the outlet of the conduit to help refine the molten glass.
An apparatus for refining molten glass including:
- a housing including a top, a bottom, a sidewall, and an outlet at the bottom of the housing;
- and
- first, second, and third porous bodies serially arranged one above another within the housing between the top and the bottom of the housing;
- wherein each of the first, second, and third porous bodies includes a top, a bottom, and a side extending between the top and the bottom thereof,
- wherein the first, second, and third porous bodies are serially arranged within the housing such that molten glass is respectively received at the tops of the porous bodies and flows by gravity from the tops of the porous bodies, through the porous bodies, and to the bottoms of the porous bodies, and
- wherein each of the first, second, and third porous bodies includes a plurality of passageways extending from the top to the bottom of their respective porous bodies and being defined by walls having wall surfaces configured to interact with molten glass respectively flowing through the first, second, and third porous bodies to help refine the molten glass.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.