Method and apparatus for bending and tempering or heat-strengthening a bidirectionally curved glass panel
OwnerPauli Reunamaki, Tamglass Ltd Oy +1inventors
InventorsPauli Reunamaki, Tamglass Ltd Oy, Peter Harjunen
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for bending and tempering or heat-strengthening a bidirecdonally curved glass panel. A heated glass panel is curved in a main bending direction parallel to the advancing direction and in a sagging direction transversely to the advancing direction. Curving in the sagging direction is performed by bending conveyor rolls, the bending of which is effected by turning lever elements bearing-mounted for free rotation on the ends of the conveyor rolls. Between the outer ends of the lever elements is a push rod, whose length is quickly variable by means of an actuator.
Claims18
A method for bending and tempering or heat-strengthening a bidirectionally curved glass panel, said method comprising:
- heating a glass panel for bending and tempering or heat-strengthening
- conveying the glass panel on top of horizontal conveyor rolls, said conveyor rolls constituting a bender
- using the conveyor rolls of a bender to provide a bearing support for the substantially flat glass panel prior to bending
- curving the heated glass panel in a main bending direction parallel to the advancing direction and in a sagging direction transversely to the advancing direction
- subjecting the curved glass panel to a tempering or heat-strengthening cooling process,
- wherein the curving in the sagging direction is performed by bending the conveyor rolls during a glass bending process, and that the conveyor rolls are bent by turning lever elements, to which the conveyor rolls ends are bearing-mounted for free rotation and which apply by way of said bearing assemblies a gradually increasing flexural moment to the rotating rolls.
An apparatus for bending and tempering or heat-strengthening a bidirectionally curved glass panel, said apparatus comprising:
- a heating furnace for heating glass panels to a bending temperature
- a bending station for bending glass panels
- horizontal conveyor rolls for conveying glass panels through the bending station
- means for curving a roll conveyor constituted by the conveyor rolls within the bending station in the advancing direction or main bending direction of a glass panel,
- means for bending glass panels presently in the bending station in a sagging direction transversely to the advancing direction, and
- means for cooling a bent glass panel for tempering or heat-strengthening,
- wherein the means for bending glass panels in the sagging direction comprise lever elements, which are bearing-mounted with bearings for free rotation to both ends of the conveyor rolls and which are associated with power units for bending the rolls by the application of a flexural moment provided by turning the lever elements while the conveyor rolls are rotating inside the lever elements' bearings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.