Ultra thin glass drawing and blowing

A method of forming thin glass comprising:

• obtaining a tubular glass pre-form having a tubular pre-form wall with an open end, a closed end, and a middle section between the open end and the closed end, the middle section of the glass pre-form including at least a first midsection and a second midsection adjacent to the first midsection, the open end of the glass pre-form opening into a cavity extending into the pre-form at least to the first midsection;
• heating the first midsection of the glass pre-form by centripetally applying heat from a localized heat source to the first midsection of the glass pre-form;
• blowing a gas into the open end to expand the cavity at the heated first midsection and to blow the heated first midsection, thereby substantially laterally expanding a diameter of the cavity in the first midsection of the glass pre-form and thinning the pre-form wall in the first midsection;
• blowing a gas against an exterior surface of the glass pre-foiin to limit expansion of the first midsection to a desire width;
• and
• longitudinally drawing the heated first midsection of the glass pre-form, thereby thinning the pre-form wall in the first midsection;
• pulling the top end upward;
• lowering the localized heat source toward the bottom end at a lowering rate that is slower than a pulling rate at which the top end is pulled upward;
• and
• keeping the bottom end substantially vertically stationary.

A method of forming thin glass comprising:

• obtaining a tubular glass pre-form having a tubular pre-form wall with an open end, a closed end, and a middle section between the open end and the closed end, the middle section of the glass pre-form including at least a first midsection and a second midsection adjacent to the first midsection, the open end of the glass pre-form opening into a cavity extending into the pre-form at least to the first midsection;
• heating the first midsection of the glass pre-form by centripetally applying heat from a localized heat source to the first midsection of the glass pre-form;
• blowing a gas into the open end to expand the cavity at the heated first midsection and to blow the heated first midsection, thereby substantially laterally expanding a diameter of the cavity in the first midsection of the glass pre-form and thinning the pre-form wall in the first midsection;
• blowing a gas against an exterior surface of the glass pre-form to limit expansion of the first midsection to a desire width;
• longitudinally drawing the heated first midsection of the glass pre-form, thereby thinning the pre-form wall in the first midsection;
• pulling the bottom end downward;
• keeping the top end substantially vertically stationary;
• and
• one of:
• (i) lowering the localized heat source toward the bottom end at a lowering rate that is faster than a pulling rate at which the bottom end is pulled downward, and (ii) raising the localized heat source toward the top end at a raising rate that is slower than the rate at which the bottom end is pulled downward.

A method of forming thin glass comprising:

• obtaining a tubular glass pre-form having a tubular pre-form wall with an open end, a closed end, and a middle section between the open end and the closed end, the middle section of the glass pre-form including at least a first midsection and a second midsection adjacent to the first midsection, the open end of the glass pre-form opening into a cavity extending into the pre-form at least to the first midsection;
• heating the first midsection of the glass pre-form by centripetally applying heat from a localized heat source to the first midsection of the glass pre-form;
• blowing a gas into the open end to expand the cavity at the heated first midsection and to blow the heated first midsection, thereby substantially laterally expanding a diameter of the cavity in the first midsection of the glass pre-form and thinning the pre-form wall in the first midsection;
• blowing a gas against an exterior surface of the glass pre-form to limit expansion of the first midsection to a desire width;
• longitudinally drawing the heated first midsection of the glass pre-form, thereby thinning the pre-form wall in the first midsection;
• pulling the bottom end downward;
• lowering the top end at a lowering rate that is slower than a rate at which the bottom end is pulled downward;
• and
• maintaining the localized heat source at a substantially stationary vertical orientation.

A method of forming thin glass comprising:

• obtaining a tubular glass pre-form having a tubular pre-form wall with an open end, a closed end, and a middle section between the open end and the closed end, the middle section of the glass pre-form including at least a first midsection and a second midsection adjacent to the first midsection, the open end of the glass pre-form opening into a cavity extending into the pre-form at least to the first midsection;
• heating the first midsection of the glass pre-form by centripetally applying heat from a localized heat source to the first midsection of the glass pre-form;
• blowing a gas into the open end to expand the cavity at the heated first midsection and to blow the heated first midsection, thereby substantially laterally expanding a diameter of the cavity in the first midsection of the glass pre-form and thinning the pre-form wall in the first midsection;
• blowing a gas against an exterior surface of the glass pre-form to limit expansion of the first midsection to a desire width;
• longitudinally drawing the heated first midsection of the glass pre-form, thereby thinning the pre-four wall in the first midsection;
• pulling the top end upward;
• lowering the localized heat source toward the bottom end at a rate that is faster than a pulling rate at which the top end is pulled upward;
• and
• keeping the bottom end substantially vertically stationary.

A method of forming thin glass comprising:

• obtaining a tubular glass pre-form having a tubular pre-form wall with an open end, a closed end, and a middle section between the open end and the closed end, the middle section of the glass pre-form including at least a first midsection and a second midsection adjacent to the first midsection, the open end of the glass pre-form opening into a cavity extending into the pre-form at least to the first midsection;
• applying heat from a localized heat source centripetally to the first midsection of the tubular glass pre-form;
• blowing a gas into the open end to expand the cavity at the heated first midsection and to blow the heated first midsection, thereby substantially laterally expanding a diameter of the cavity in the first midsection of the glass pre-form and thinning the pre-form wall in the first midsection;
• blowing a gas against an exterior surface of the glass pre-form to limit expansion of the first midsection to a desire width;
• longitudinally drawing the heated first midsection of the glass pre-form, thereby thinning the pre-form wall in the first midsection;
• pulling the top end upward;
• floating the bottom end;
• raising the bottom end at a raising rate that is slower than a pulling rate at which the top end is pulled upward;
• and
• maintaining the localized heat source at a substantially stationary vertical orientation.

A system for processing a tubular glass pre-form having a tubular pre-form wall having an open end and a closed end arranged vertically, the open end opening into a cavity of the pre-form at least to a first midsection and a second adjacent midsection, all aligned in a longitudinal direction, the system comprising:

• a localized heat source that centripetally locally heats at least one of the first and second midsections;
• a gas supply that blows a gas into the open end to substantially expand the cavity in the one of the first and second midsections, thereby substantially increasing a width of the one of the first and second midsection of the pre-form and thinning the pre-form wall in the one of the first and second midsections;
• a chuck that forms a gas connection between the open end and a gas source;
• an air bearing that centripetally blows against an exterior surface of the one of the first and second midsection of the as the cavity section is being expanded;
• a pulling mechanism that vertically pulls on at least one of the two ends to draw at least one of the midsections in the longitudinal direction, thereby thinning the one of the first and second midsections;
• an advancing mechanism that advances the pre-form in the longitudinal direction relative to the localized heat source such that:
• (i) at least a portion of the first midsection of the perform is advanced longitudinally away from the localized heat source and the heat therefrom is no longer centripetally applied to such portion, and (ii) the second midsection of the perform is advanced longitudinally toward and into proximity with the localized heat source and the heat from the localized heat source is centripetally applied to the second midsection of the glass pre-form;
• and
• a suspension mechanism that attaches to and suspends the top end.