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AssigneeGlaverbel
InventorsJean-Francois Thomas, Robert Terneu, Albert Van Cauter, Robert Van Laethem
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Apparatus for pyrolytically forming a metal compound coating on an upper face of a hot glass substrate 1 in sheet or ribbon form comprises conveyor means 2 for conveying a the substrate along a path also indicated at 1 in a downstream direction 3, a roof structure 5 defining a coating chamber 6 opening downwardly onto the path 1 and means 7 for discharging coating precursor material into the chamber 6. Upstream of the coating chamber 6 there is an antechamber 25 which communicates with the coating chamber 6 via an entry slot 24 which is defined in part by the path of the substrate 1, and via which gas can be caused to flow into the coating chamber 6 so as to form (when the apparatus is in use) a blanket layer which covers the upper face of the substrate 1 along a first part of the length of the chamber 6. Means 26 is provided for controllably preheating the gas forming the blanket layer. In operation, the gaseous environment in the immediate vicinity of the upper face of the substrate at least in the zone at which coating formation commences, is controlled by feeding preheated gas in a downstream direction into the chamber 6 to enter the chamber in contact with the substrate and form a blanket layer which covers the substrate at least as far as that zone.
A pyrolytic coating process in which a hot glass substrate in sheet or ribbon form travels in a downstream direction beneath a coating chamber which opens downwardly towards the substrate and in which a coating is formed on the upper face of said substrate from coating precursor material, characterised in that the temperature of the gaseous environment in the immediate vicinity of the upper face of the substrate at least in the zone at which such coating formation commences, is controlled by feeding preheated gas in a downstream direction into said chamber to enter the chamber in contact with the substrate and form a blanket layer which covers the substrate at least as far as that zone, the coating chamber is substantially closed at its downstream end to prevent interchange of atmospheric material between the downstream end of the coating chamber and a further downstream region of the substrate path, and, over at least part of the length of the coating chamber, flow of atmospheric material past the side edges of the substrate and between zones vertically above and vertically below the substrate is inhibited.
A process according to claim l for forming a metal oxide coating, wherein coating precursor material and oxidising gas are continuously fed into a mixing zone in which said precursor material and oxidising gas are brought together out of contact with the substrate and in which they are subjected to mixing forces so as to create an atmosphere comprising an intimate mixture of precursor vapour and oxidising gas, and a stream of such mixture is caused to flow continuously from said mixing zone into and along a passageway to which said substrate face is exposed.
A process according to claim l, wherein the gas forming side marginal portions of said blanket layer has been preheated to a greater extent than it is at the centre.
Apparatus for pyrolytically forming a metal compound coating on an upper face of a hot glass substrate in sheet or ribbon form comprising conveyor means for conveying a said substrate along a path in a downstream direction, a roof structure defining a coating chamber opening downwardly onto said path and means for discharging coating precursor material into said chamber, characterised in that upstream of said coating chamber there is an antechamber which communicates with the coating chamber via an entry slot which is defined in part by the path of the substrate, and via which gas can be caused to flow into the coating chamber so as to form (when the apparatus is in use) a blanket layer having a controlled temperature which covers the upper face of the substrate along a first part of the length of said chamber, and in that means is provided for controllably preheating the gas forming said blanket layer, a barrier wall is provided above the substrate path extending across the full width of and substantially closing the downstream end of said coating chamber, and, over at least part of the length of the chamber, means is provided for inhibiting flow of atmospheric material past the sides of the substrate path and between zones vertically above and vertically below that path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.