Conveying apparatus and methods for conveying ribbon
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsAntoine Gaston Denis Bisson, Keith Raymond Gaylo, Jacob Immerman, Rohit Rai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveying apparatus can comprise one or more support members defining an interior passage and a first plurality of apertures. A first cross-sectional area of the interior passage at a first end portion of a support area can be greater than a second cross-sectional area of the interior passage at a second end portion of the support area. A tube can extend within the interior passage and comprises a second plurality of apertures. Methods are also provided for conveying a ribbon with one or more support members.
Claims12
A conveying apparatus comprising:
- one or more support members comprising an interior surface defining an interior passage and a first plurality of apertures in fluid communication with the interior passage and extending through a support surface of the support member, openings of the first plurality of apertures at the support surface define a support area of the support surface, the support area comprises a length, a direction of the length extends along a flow path of the interior passage, and the support area further comprises a width extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the length, the length is greater than the width;
- and
- a tube extending within the interior passage of the one or more support members, the tube comprising a second plurality of apertures spaced along a flow direction of a flow path of the tube, wherein a spacing between adjacent apertures of the second plurality of apertures sequentially increase along the flow direction of the flow path of the tube.
A conveying apparatus comprising:
- one or more support members comprising an interior surface defining an interior passage and a plurality of apertures in fluid communication with the interior passage and extending through a support surface of the support member, openings of the plurality of apertures at the support surface define a support area of the support surface, the support area comprises a length, a direction of the length extends along a flow path of the interior passage, and the support area further comprises a width extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the length, the width of the support area is from about 10 millimeters to about 100 millimeters, the length is greater than the width, the support area comprises a convex surface positioned radially about an axis extending along the direction of the length of the support area, and a contour of the convex surface along a plane perpendicular to the axis extends along a radius in the plane perpendicular to the axis within a range of about 25 millimeters to about 500 millimeters.
A method of conveying a ribbon of material comprising a viscosity within a range of about 1×106 poise to about 1×1010 poise with one or more support members, wherein each support member of the one or more support members comprises a support surface and an interior surface defining an interior passage and a first plurality of apertures in fluid communication with the interior passage and extending through the support surface, openings of the first plurality of apertures at the support surface define a support area of the support surface, the support area comprises a length, a direction of the length extends along a flow path of the interior passage, and the support area further comprises a width extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the length, the length is greater than the width, the method comprising:
- moving the ribbon of material comprising the viscosity within the range of about 1×106 poise to about 1×1010 poise along a travel path in a path direction that is not coincident with the direction of gravity and extends across the direction of the length of each support area of the one or more support members;
- and
- passing gas through the first plurality of apertures from the interior passage of the one or more support members to provide a gas cushion between the moving ribbon of material and each support area of the one or more support members, and further comprising directing a gas stream along the flow path of the interior passage of the one or more support members, wherein a first cross-sectional area of the interior passage along a first plane perpendicular to the direction of the length at an upstream location of the flow path is greater than a second cross-sectional area of the interior passage along a second plane perpendicular to the direction of the length at a downstream location of the flow path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.