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US 11,001,519 B2Granted
Vacuum refining of molten glass
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorsZhongming Wang, Nicholas A Schoenrock, Ya-Cheng Lin, Udaya K Vempati, Earnest Iddings
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Abstract
An apparatus and method of refining molten glass are disclosed. An upstream vessel contains molten glass, a downstream vessel is arranged downstream of the upstream vessel, and vacuum refining vessels are located between the upstream vessel and the downstream vessel and are in separate, alternating fluid communication with the upstream vessel and in separate, alternating fluid communication with the downstream vessel.
Claims21
An apparatus to refine molten glass, comprising:
- an upstream vessel to contain molten glass;
- a downstream vessel arranged downstream of the upstream vessel;
- and
- a plurality of vacuum refining vessels located downstream of the upstream vessel in separate, alternating fluid communication therewith, and located upstream of the downstream vessel in separate, alternating fluid communication therewith, and wherein the plurality of vacuum refining vessels are operated in a mutually exclusive manner to provide a continuous flow of refined molten glass toward the downstream vessel, wherein the plurality of vacuum refining vessels includes a first vessel and a second vessel, and wherein the first vessel is in an atmospheric or super-atmospheric pressure state where the refined molten glass contained therein is being discharged therefrom into the downstream vessel and the second vessel is in a sub-atmospheric pressure state where the molten glass contained therein is undergoing vacuum degassing.
1 more element
An apparatus to refine molten glass, comprising:
- an upstream vessel to contain molten glass;
- a downstream vessel arranged downstream of the upstream vessel;
- and
- a plurality of vacuum refining vessels located downstream of the upstream vessel in separate, alternating fluid communication therewith, and located upstream of the downstream vessel in separate, alternating fluid communication therewith, and wherein the plurality of vacuum refining vessels are not in direct fluid communication with one another, and wherein the plurality of vacuum refining vessels are operated in a mutually exclusive manner to provide a continuous flow of refined molten glass toward the downstream vessel, wherein the plurality of vacuum refining vessels includes a first vessel in an atmospheric pressure state where the refined molten glass contained therein is being discharged therefrom into the downstream vessel, and a second vessel in a sub-atmospheric pressure state where the molten glass contained therein is undergoing vacuum degassing.
1 more element
An apparatus to refine molten glass, comprising:
- an upstream vessel to contain molten glass;
- a downstream vessel arranged downstream of the upstream vessel;
- and
- a plurality of vacuum refining vessels located downstream of the upstream vessel in separate, alternating fluid communication therewith, and located upstream of the downstream vessel in separate, alternating fluid communication therewith, and wherein the plurality of vacuum refining vessels are operated in a mutually exclusive manner to provide a continuous flow of refined molten glass toward the downstream vessel, wherein the plurality of vacuum refining vessels includes a first vessel and a second vessel, and wherein the second vessel is in an atmospheric or super-atmospheric pressure state where the refined molten glass contained therein is being discharged therefrom into the downstream vessel and the first vessel is in a sub-atmospheric pressure state where the molten glass contained therein is undergoing vacuum degassing.
1 more element
A process for refining molten glass including:
- (a) containing molten glass in an upstream vessel;
- (b) distributing the molten glass to a first of at least two vacuum refining vessels downstream of the upstream vessel, and vacuum refining the molten glass in the first vacuum refining vessel;
- and
- (c) discharging refined molten glass from a second of the at least two vacuum refining vessels into a downstream vessel, wherein the first and second vacuum refining vessels are in separate, alternating fluid communication with the upstream vessel, and wherein the first and second vacuum refining vessels are in separate, alternating fluid communication with the downstream vessel, wherein the at least two refining vessels are operated in a mutually exclusive manner to provide a continuous flow of refined molten glass toward the downstream vessel, and wherein the first vacuum refining vessel is in an atmospheric or super-atmospheric pressure state where the refined molten glass contained therein is being discharged therefrom into the downstream vessel and the second vacuum refining vessel is in a sub-atmospheric pressure state where the molten glass contained therein is undergoing vacuum degassing.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.