JP6792821B2 - Support structure of glass supply pipe, flat glass manufacturing equipment, flat glass manufacturing method, and preheating method of glass supply pipe - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a structure for supporting a glass supply pipe for transferring molten glass, a plate glass manufacturing apparatus and a plate glass manufacturing method using the glass supply pipe, and a method for preheating the glass supply pipe.

As is well known, flat glass used in various fields has surface defects and waviness, as represented by glass substrates for flat panel displays (FPD) such as liquid crystal displays (LCD) and organic EL displays (OLED). The reality is that strict product quality is required.

In order to meet such demands, the down draw method is widely used as a method for manufacturing flat glass. As this down draw method, an overflow down draw method and a slot down draw method are known.

In the overflow down draw method, molten glass is poured into an overflow groove provided in the upper part of a molded body having a substantially wedge-shaped cross section, and the molten glass overflowing from the overflow groove on both sides is flowed along the side walls on both sides of the molded body. While flowing down, it is fused and integrated at the lower end of the molded body to continuously mold a single piece of flat glass. Further, in the slot down draw method, a slot-shaped opening is formed in the bottom wall of the molded body to which the molten glass is supplied, and the molten glass is allowed to flow down through the opening to continuously form a single plate glass. Is.

In particular, in the overflow down draw method, both the front and back surfaces of the molded flat glass are molded without contacting any part of the molded body during the molding process, so the fire-making surface is extremely flat and has no defects such as scratches. It becomes.

As a plate glass manufacturing apparatus using the overflow down draw method, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a molding tank having a molded body inside, a slow cooling furnace installed below the molding tank, and cooling provided below the slow cooling furnace are provided. Some are provided with a portion and a cutting portion. In this flat glass manufacturing apparatus, molten glass overflows from the top of the molded body and is fused at the lower end to form flat glass (glass ribbon), and the flat glass is passed through a slow cooling furnace to remove its internal strain. After cooling to room temperature in the cooling part, it is configured to cut into a predetermined size in the cutting part.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-197185

In the above-mentioned flat glass manufacturing apparatus, in the glass melting tank arranged on the upstream side of the molding tank, the glass raw material is melted to form molten glass, and the molten glass is supplied to the molding tank on the downstream side. A glass supply path for transferring the molten glass to the molding tank is provided between the melting tank and the molding tank. This glass supply path is formed by connecting a plurality of glass supply tubes made of a metal such as platinum.

Since the molten glass transferred through the glass supply path has a high temperature of, for example, 1600 ° C. or higher, the glass supply pipe is heated (preheated) in advance so that the molten glass can be transferred when operating the plate glass manufacturing apparatus. There is a need to. In this case, if the glass supply pipes are heated in the connected state (the state of the glass supply path), the connected portion may be deformed or damaged due to the expansion of the glass supply pipes. Therefore, it is desirable to heat the glass supply path in a state where each glass supply tube is separated.

In this case, it is necessary to favorably support each glass supply tube so that preheating can be suitably performed and that the glass supply pipes can be easily connected after the preheating is completed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a glass supply pipe support structure capable of performing a preheating step while suitably supporting the glass supply pipe, a flat glass manufacturing apparatus, a flat glass manufacturing method, and the like. And to provide a method of preheating a glass supply tube.

The present invention is for solving the above-mentioned problems, and is a support structure of a glass supply pipe including a glass supply pipe having an energization heating portion for performing energization heating and a support member for supporting the energization heating portion. It is characterized in that an insulating member is provided between the energizing heating unit and the supporting member.

According to such a configuration, the preheating step of the glass supply tube can be suitably executed by heating the glass supply tube by the energization of the energization heating section while supporting the energization heating portion of the glass supply tube by the support member. Further, by arranging the insulating member between the support member and the energization heating portion, it is possible to surely prevent electric leakage from the support member to other equipment and efficiently heat the glass supply pipe. ..

In the support structure having the above configuration, it is desirable that the support member is fixed to a long casing that houses the glass supply pipe. When the preheating process is completed, a glass supply path capable of transferring molten glass is constructed by connecting a plurality of glass supply pipes. By fixing the support member to the casing, the glass supply pipe and the casing can be connected, so that the alignment of the glass supply pipe and the casing can be easily performed when the glass supply path is formed.

It is desirable that the support structure of the glass supply pipe according to the present invention includes a connecting member that connects the energizing heating portion and the supporting member, and the insulating member is provided in the middle of the connecting member. In this way, the preheating step of the glass supply pipe can be suitably performed by connecting the support member and the energizing heating portion with a connecting member having an insulating member.

The support member slidably supports the support column provided on the outer surface of the casing and the connecting member so as to allow displacement of the energization heating portion due to expansion of the glass supply pipe due to heating of the energization heating portion. It is desirable to provide a slide support portion to be provided.

The glass supply tube heated in the preheating step expands as the temperature rises. With the above configuration, the slide support portion can move (slide) the connecting member according to the displacement of the energization heating portion due to the expansion of the glass supply pipe. Therefore, deformation and damage of the energized heating portion and the connecting member due to the expansion of the glass supply pipe can be reliably prevented.

The support structure of the glass supply pipe according to the present invention may include a fixing member for fixing the connecting member to the slide support portion. When the preheating step is completed, the glass supply pipe and the casing can be integrally connected by fixing the connecting member to the slide support portion by this fixing member. Thereby, after the preheating step, the positioning of the glass supply pipe and the casing in the case of forming the glass supply path can be easily performed.

In the support structure of the glass supply pipe having the above configuration, it is desirable that the slide support portion includes a hole through which a part of the connecting member is inserted, and the hole is an elongated hole along the longitudinal direction of the casing. As a result, the slide support portion can suitably slide the connecting member along the elongated hole.

In the support structure of the glass supply pipe having the above configuration, the glass supply pipe includes a main body portion formed in a tubular shape, and the energization heating portion includes flange portions and electrode portions provided at each end of the main body portion. It is desirable that the main body portion is housed in the casing with the end portion protruding from the casing, and the support member is configured to support the electrode portion.

According to this, the glass supply pipe can be reliably held by supporting the main body portion by the casing. Since the end of the main body protrudes from the casing, the casing does not hinder the displacement of the end when the glass supply pipe expands due to energization heating. Further, since the end portion of the main body portion is displaced without being hindered by the casing, the expansion of the main body portion is not hindered in the casing during its expansion. Therefore, damage to the main body due to expansion in the longitudinal direction can be effectively prevented.

Not limited to the above configuration, the support member may be fixed to the ceiling of the building in which the glass supply pipe is arranged. By fixing the support member to the ceiling of the building, the preheating step can be reliably executed while the glass supply pipe is suitably supported.

The present invention is for solving the above-mentioned problems, and is a melting tank that melts a glass raw material to generate molten glass, a molding tank that molds the molten glass into plate glass, and melting from a melting tank to a molding tank. In a flat glass manufacturing apparatus including a glass supply path for transferring glass, the glass supply path is characterized by connecting a plurality of glass supply tubes and further comprising a support structure for any of the above glass supply tubes. To do.

According to the flat glass manufacturing apparatus according to the above configuration, the preheating step of the glass supply tube is performed by heating the glass supply tube by energizing the energization heating section while supporting the energization heating portion of the glass supply tube by the support member. It can be carried out suitably. Further, by arranging the insulating member between the support member and the energization heating portion, it is possible to surely prevent electric leakage from the support member to other equipment and efficiently heat the glass supply pipe. ..

The present invention is for solving the above-mentioned problems, and is a method of manufacturing the flat glass by the above-mentioned flat glass manufacturing apparatus, in which the said glass supply pipe is energized with the plurality of glass supply pipes separated. A preheating step of energizing and heating by a heating unit, a step of connecting the glass supply pipe to form the glass supply path after the preheating step, and a step of transferring the molten glass to the molding tank by the glass supply path and forming the molding. The preheating step includes a step of forming the molten glass as the plate glass by a tank, and the glass supply pipe is supported by the support member, and the glass supply pipe and the support member are insulated by the insulating member. It is characterized in that the glass supply pipe is energized and heated by the energizing heating unit in this state.

According to this method, the preheating step of the glass supply tube can be suitably executed by heating the glass supply tube by energization of the energization heating section while supporting the energization heating portion of the glass supply tube by the support member. Further, by insulating the support member and the energization heating portion with the insulating member, it is possible to surely prevent electric leakage from the support member to other equipment and to efficiently heat the glass supply pipe.

The present invention is for solving the above-mentioned problems, and is a method of preheating the glass supply pipe by the support structure of the above-mentioned glass supply pipe, and preheating the glass supply pipe by energizing and heating by the energizing heating unit. In the preheating step, the glass supply pipe is supported by the support member, and the glass supply pipe and the support member are insulated by the insulating member, and the glass supply pipe is provided by the energizing heating unit. It is characterized by energizing and heating.

According to such a configuration, the preheating step of the glass supply tube can be suitably executed by heating the glass supply tube by the energization of the energization heating section while supporting the energization heating portion of the glass supply tube by the support member. Further, by insulating the support member and the energization heating portion with the insulating member, it is possible to surely prevent electric leakage from the support member to other equipment and to efficiently heat the glass supply pipe.

According to the present invention, it is possible to carry out the preheating step while suitably supporting the glass supply tube.

It is a side view which shows the whole structure of the flat glass manufacturing apparatus. It is a side view which shows the support structure of the glass supply pipe which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows a part of the support structure of a glass supply pipe. It is a partially enlarged side view which shows one step in the preheating method of a glass supply pipe. It is a partially enlarged side view which shows one step in the preheating method of a glass supply pipe. It is a side view which shows the support structure of the glass supply pipe which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a partially enlarged side view which shows one step in the preheating method of a glass supply pipe. It is a partially enlarged side view which shows one step in the preheating method of a glass supply pipe. It is a partially enlarged side view which shows one step in the preheating method of a glass supply pipe. It is a front view which shows the support structure of the glass supply pipe which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the support structure of the glass supply pipe which concerns on this embodiment. It is a front view which shows the support structure of the glass supply pipe which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the support structure of the glass supply pipe which concerns on this embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 5 show a first embodiment of a flat glass manufacturing apparatus and a flat glass manufacturing method according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the flat glass manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment has a melting tank 1, a clarification tank 2, a homogenizing tank (stirring tank) 3, a state adjusting tank 4, and a molding tank in this order from the upstream side. 5 and glass supply paths 6a to 6d connecting the tanks 1 to 5 are provided. In addition, the plate glass manufacturing apparatus may include a slow cooling furnace (not shown) for slowly cooling the plate glass GR formed by the molding tank 5, and a cutting device (not shown) for cutting the plate glass GR after slow cooling.

The melting tank 1 is a container for performing a melting step of melting the charged glass raw material to produce molten glass GM. The melting tank 1 is connected to the clarification tank 2 via a glass supply path 6a. The clarification tank 2 is a container for performing a clarification step of defoaming the molten glass GM supplied from the dissolution tank 1 by the action of a clarifying agent or the like. The clarification tank 2 is connected to the homogenization tank 3 via a glass supply path 6b.

The homogenization tank 3 is a container for performing a homogenization step of stirring the clarified molten glass GM with a stirring blade or the like to homogenize it. The homogenizing tank 3 is connected to the state adjusting tank 4 via a glass supply path 6c. The state adjusting tank 4 is a container for performing a state adjusting step of adjusting the molten glass GM to a state suitable for molding. The state adjusting tank 4 is connected to the molding tank 5 via a glass supply path 6d.

The molding tank 5 is a container for molding the molten glass GM into a desired shape. In the present embodiment, the forming tank 5 forms the molten glass GM into a plate shape by the overflow down draw method. Specifically, the forming tank 5 has a substantially wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape (cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 1), and an overflow groove (not shown) is formed in the upper part of the forming tank 5. Has been done.

In the molding tank 5, after the molten glass GM is supplied to the overflow groove by the glass supply path 6d, the molten glass GM overflows from the overflow groove, and the side wall surfaces (positioned on the front and back sides of the paper surface) on both sides of the molding tank 5 Let it flow down along the side). In the forming tank 5, the molten glass GM that has flowed down is fused at the lower end of the side wall surface to form a flat glass GR.

The molded flat glass GR has a thickness of, for example, 0.01 to 10 mm, and is used for flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays, substrates for organic EL lighting, solar cells, and protective covers. The molding tank 5 may execute another down draw method such as the slot down draw method.

The glass supply paths 6a to 6d include a plurality of glass supply pipes 7, a long casing 8 for accommodating the glass supply pipes 7, and connecting members 9a and 9b for connecting the glass supply pipes 7 and the casing 8. .. In the present embodiment, the casing 8 and the connecting members 9a and 9b form a structure (support structure) for supporting the glass supply pipe 7.

The glass supply pipe 7 is made of platinum or a platinum alloy. As shown in FIG. 2, the glass supply pipe 7 includes a long main body portion 10 for transferring the molten glass GM, and energizing heating portions 11a and 11b provided at the end portions of the main body portion 10. The main body 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape (for example, a cylindrical shape), but is not limited to this shape. The main body 10 is longer than the casing 8. Therefore, each end of the main body 10 projects in the longitudinal direction from the casing 8 and the end.

The energized heating units 11a and 11b include a first energized heating unit 11a that energizes and heats the molten glass GM inside the main body 10, and a second energized heating unit 11b that heats the other end of the main body 10. Each of the energizing heating portions 11a and 11b has a flange portion 12 configured to surround the outer peripheral surface at the end portion of the main body portion 10, and an electrode portion 13 integrally formed on the upper portion of the flange portion 12. Each of the energizing heating units 11a and 11b directly energizes and heats the main body portion 10 by applying a predetermined voltage to the electrode portion 13.

The flange portion 12 is formed in a disk shape, but is not limited to this shape. The electrode portion 13 has a first portion 13a integrally formed with the flange portion 12 and a second portion 13b integrally formed with an end portion of the first portion 13a. The first portion 13a is a rectangular plate portion that projects upward from the upper portion of the flange portion 12. The second portion 13b is a rectangular plate portion connected at a right angle to the first portion 13a. The second portion 13b projects from the upper end portion of the first portion 13a in a substantially horizontal direction or along the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 10. The second portion 13b has a hole 13c that penetrates the second portion in the vertical direction.

The casing 8 is formed of steel or other metal as a cylindrical body, but is not limited to this shape. The casing 8 accommodates a heat insulating material (for example, refractory bricks) 14 arranged so as to surround the main body 10 of the glass supply pipe 7. The casing 8 is supported so as to be repositionable by a frame or the like (not shown) in a building such as a factory where a flat glass manufacturing apparatus is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 2, the casing 8 includes members (hereinafter referred to as “support members”) 15a and 15b for supporting the glass supply pipe 7. Each of the support members 15a and 15b includes a first support member 15a corresponding to the first energization heating unit 11a and a second support member 15b corresponding to the second energization heating unit 11b. Each of the support members 15a and 15b includes a support column 16 projecting upward from the upper outer surface of the casing 8 and a slide support portion 17 to which one end of each of the connecting members 9a and 9b is connected.

The support column 16 is formed of steel or other metal in an elongated shape. One end (lower end) of the support 16 is fixed to the outer surface of the casing 8 by means such as welding. The column 16 projects upward along the radial direction of the casing 8 at the upper part of the casing 8. The support column 16 is formed longer than the first portion 13a of the electrode portion 13. Therefore, the support column 16 supports the slide support portion 17 at a position higher than the position of the electrode portion 13.

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the slide support portion 17. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the slide support portion 17 projects from the upper end portion of the support column 16 in the horizontal direction or along the longitudinal direction (cylindrical direction) of the casing 8. The slide support portion 17 has a hole (hereinafter referred to as a “long hole”) 17a formed long along the projecting direction thereof. The elongated hole 17a penetrates the slide support portion 17 in the vertical direction. A part of each connecting member 9a, 9b can be inserted into the elongated hole 17a.

Each of the connecting members 9a and 9b is a first connecting member 9a that connects the first energizing heating portion 11a and the first supporting member 15a, and a second connecting member that connects the second energizing heating portion 11b and the second supporting member 15b. Includes member 9b. Each of the connecting members 9a and 9b includes a first connecting portion 18 connected to the slide support portion 17, a second connecting portion 19 connected to the energizing heating portions 11a and 11b, and an intermediate portion of the connecting members 9a and 9b. The insulating member 20 provided in the above is provided. The first connecting portion 18 is fixed to the slide support portion 17 by the first fixing member 21, and the second connecting portion 19 is fixed to the energizing heating portions 11a and 11b by the second fixing member 22.

The first connecting portion 18 is composed of a metal screw member. One end (upper end) of the first connecting portion 18 may be fixed to the slide supporting portion 17 of each of the supporting members 15a and 15b. The other end of the first connecting portion 18 is formed integrally with the insulating member 20.

The first fixing member 21 includes a pair of nuts 21a and 21b. The nuts 21a and 21b are screwed into the first connecting portion 18. The nuts 21a and 21b are fastened so as to sandwich the slide support portion 17 in a state where the first connecting portion 18 is inserted into the elongated hole 17a of the slide support portion 17, so that the first connecting portion 18 is slid. It is fixed to the support portion 17.

The second connecting portion 19 is made of a metal screw member like the first connecting portion 18. One end (upper end) of the second connecting portion 19 is formed integrally with the insulating member 20 without coming into contact with the other end of the first connecting portion 18. The other end (lower end) of the second connecting portion 19 is inserted into a hole 13c formed through the second portion 13b of the electrode portion 13 in each of the energizing heating portions 11a and 11b, and the second fixing member 22 is inserted. Is fixed to the second portion 13b.

The second fixing member 22 includes a pair of nuts 22a and 22b. The nuts 22a and 22b are screwed into the second connecting portion 19. The nuts 22a and 22b are fastened so as to sandwich the second portion 13b in a state where a part of the second connecting portion 19 is inserted into the hole 13c of the second portion 13b of the electrode portion 13. , The second connecting portion 19 is fixed to the second portion 13b.

The insulating member 20 is formed of, for example, synthetic rubber or other various materials in a rectangular parallelepiped shape or a columnar shape, but is not limited thereto. The insulating member 20 is integrally molded with the first connecting portion 18 and the second connecting portion 19 in a state where the lower end portion of the first connecting portion 18 and the upper end portion of the second connecting portion 19 are separated from each other without contacting each other. Will be done. In this way, the insulating member 20 is connected to the support members 15a, 15b and the electrode portion 13 by the first connecting portion 18 and the second connecting portion 19, and the supporting members 15a, 15b and the electrode portion 13 are connected to each other. Intervene between.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a flat glass using the flat glass manufacturing apparatus having the above configuration will be described.

In this method, the raw material glass is melted in the melting tank 1 (melting step) to obtain the molten glass GM, and then the molten glass GM is sequentially subjected to a clarification step by the clarification tank 2 and a homogenization step by the homogenization tank 3. , And the state adjustment step by the state adjustment tank 4. After that, the molten glass GM is transferred to the molding tank 5, and the plate glass GR is molded from the molten glass GM by the molding step by the molding tank 5. After that, the internal strain of the plate glass GR is removed by slow cooling (slow cooling step). After that, the flat glass GR is cut to a predetermined size (cutting step) or wound into a roll by a process on the downstream side (winding step).

In executing the series of steps as described above, it is necessary to heat the glass supply paths 6a to 6d and other components (molding tank 5 and the like) in advance (hereinafter referred to as "preheating step"). The preheating step is executed for each glass supply pipe 7 in a state where each glass supply passage 6a to 6d is separated into the glass supply pipe 7 which is a component thereof. Since each glass supply pipe 7 expands by heating each of the energizing heating portions 11a and 11b, it is desirable that the glass supply pipes 7 be supported by the supporting members 15a and 15b so as to allow this expansion. In the present embodiment, the support members 15a and 15b provided on the casing 8 are provided with means for allowing the glass supply pipe 7 to expand.

Hereinafter, the preheating step (preheating method) of the glass supply pipe 7 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Since each connecting member 9a, 9b, each energizing heating unit 11a, 11b, and each supporting member 15a, 15b have the same configuration, the first connecting member 9a, the first energizing heating unit 11a, and the first support are described below. The operation of the member 15a will be described (the same applies to FIGS. 7 to 9 of the second embodiment described later).

Before executing the preheating step, the fixing of the first connecting member 9a by the first fixing member 21 is released. That is, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 4, the nut 21b located on the lower side of the pair of nuts 21a and 21b is loosened and separated downward from the lower surface of the slide support portion 17. At this time, the upper nut 21a is not operated. In this state, the slide support portion 17 slidably supports the upper nut 21a by its upper surface. According to this aspect, the first support member 15a supports the glass supply pipe 7 so as to allow the displacement of the first energization heating portion 11a due to the expansion of the main body portion 10. The second fixing member 22 fixes the second connecting portion 19 of the first connecting member 9a to the second portion 13b of the electrode portion 13 by fastening a pair of nuts 22a and 22b.

In this state, a voltage is applied to the electrode portion 13 to start heating. The main body 10 of the glass supply tube 7 expands in response to heating, as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. Due to this expansion, the first energization heating unit 11a changes its position so as to be separated from the first support member 15a. Since the fastening by the first fixing member 21 is released, the first connecting member 9a moves according to the change in the position of the first energizing heating unit 11a as shown by the alternate long and short dash line. At this time, the upper nut 21a of the first fixing member 21 slides (slides) the upper surface of the slide support portion 17 along the direction of the elongated hole 17a of the slide support portion 17. During heating, the first support member 15a and the electrode portion 13 are insulated by the insulating member 20 of the first connecting member 9a, so that the first support member 15a is not energized.

By this heating, the casing 8 also expands in the longitudinal direction thereof. Since the heat insulating material 14 is interposed between the casing 8 and the glass supply pipe 7, the expansion amount (expansion length) ΔL2 of the casing 8 is smaller than the expansion amount (expansion length) ΔL1 of the main body 10 (FIG. 4).

When the main body 10 is sufficiently heated, the lower nut 21b of the loosened first fixing member 21 is tightened as shown by the alternate long and short dash line and the solid line in FIG. As a result, the lower nut 21a comes into contact with the lower surface of the slide support portion 17. As a result, the slide support portion 17 is sandwiched between the pair of nuts 21a and 21b, and the first connecting member 9a is fixed to the slide support portion 17. After that, the glass supply pipe 7 is connected to another glass supply pipe 7 whose preheating has been completed. By connecting a plurality of glass supply pipes 7, glass supply passages 6a to 6d are configured (glass supply pipe forming step).

After that, the glass supply paths 6a to 6d are connected to other corresponding components (melting tank 1, clarification tank 2, homogenization tank 3, state adjustment tank 4, and molding tank 5) to assemble the flat glass manufacturing apparatus ( Assembling process of flat glass manufacturing equipment). In the plate glass manufacturing method, after the above preheating step, the above-mentioned melting step, clarification step, homogenization step, state adjustment step, and molding step are executed.

According to the present embodiment described above, the glass supply pipe 7 is heated by the energization of the energization heating portions 11a and 11b while the energization heating portions 11a and 11b of the glass supply pipe 7 are supported by the support members 15a and 15b. By doing so, the preheating step (method) of the glass supply pipe 7 can be suitably executed. Further, by providing the insulating member 20 between the support members 15a and 15b and the energization heating portions 11a and 11b, it is ensured that the other equipment is energized (leakage) from the support members 15a and 15b through the casing 8. Can be prevented. This makes it possible to efficiently heat the glass supply pipe 7.

6 to 9 show a second embodiment relating to the support structure of the glass supply pipe. In the present embodiment, the first energization heating portion 11a and the second energization heating portion 11b of the glass supply pipe 7 include a flange portion 12 and an electrode portion 13 provided below the flange portion 12. The electrode portion 13 is a rectangular plate portion that projects downward from the lower portion of the flange portion 12. The electrode portion 13 has holes 13c for fixing the connecting members 9a and 9b. The hole 13c is formed in a circular shape through which the connecting members 9a and 9b can be inserted. The hole 13c penetrates the electrode portion 13 along the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 10.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first support member 15a and the second support member 15b have a support column 16 provided at the lower part of the casing 8. Not limited to this configuration, the support members 15a and 15b may be plate members provided in the lower part of the casing 8. The support column 16 has holes 16a for fixing the connecting members 9a and 9b. The holes 16a are formed in a circular shape through which the connecting members 9a and 9b can be inserted. The hole 16a penetrates the support column 16 in the horizontal direction or along the longitudinal direction of the main body 10.

As shown in FIG. 6, each connecting member 9a, 9b has a first connecting portion 18, a second connecting portion 19, and an insulating member 20, as in the first embodiment. In the first embodiment described above, the connecting members 9a and 9b are provided along the vertical direction, but in the present embodiment, they are provided in the horizontal direction or along the longitudinal direction of the main body 10 in the glass supply pipe 7. Is placed in. The first connecting portion 18 of each connecting member 9a, 9b is fixed to each of the supporting members 15a, 15b by a pair of nuts 21a, 21b related to the first fixing member 21. The second connecting portion 19 of each connecting member 9a, 9b is fixed to the electrode portion 13 by a pair of nuts 22a, 22b related to the second fixing member 22.

Other configurations in this embodiment are the same as in the first embodiment. The components of the present embodiment that are common to the first embodiment are designated by a common reference numeral (hereinafter, the same applies to the third embodiment and the fourth embodiment).

Hereinafter, the method for preheating the glass supply tube 7 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. In the present embodiment, when the glass supply pipe 7 is preheated, each time a predetermined time elapses, the first fixing member 21 releases and re-fixes the first connecting portion 18, and the second fixing member 22 is used. The fixing of the second connecting portion 19 is released and fixed again.

Specifically, in carrying out the preheating step, the first connecting portion 18 is initially kept fixed to the electrode portion 13 of the first energizing heating portion 11a by the first fixing member 21 (see FIG. 7). In this state, the main body 10 is heated by the first energizing heating unit 11a for a predetermined time, and then the first connecting portion 18 is fixed by the first fixing member 21 and the second connecting portion 19 is fixed by the second fixing member 22. Once released. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, one of the pair of nuts 21a and 21b is loosened and separated from the support column 16. At this time, the other nut 21b is not operated and remains in contact with the support column 16.

As a result, the regulation by the first fixing member 21 is released, and the main body 10 expands in the longitudinal direction thereof. At this time, as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 8, the first energization heating unit 11a is displaced so as to be separated from the first support member 15a in response to the expansion of the main body portion 10.

As shown in FIG. 9, the first connecting member 9a moves according to the displacement of the first energizing heating unit 11a. The first connecting portion 18 of the first connecting member 9a slides while being supported by the hole 16a of the support column 16. That is, in the present embodiment, the hole 16a of the support column 16 serves as a slide support portion that slidably supports the first connecting member 9a so as to allow the displacement of the first energization heating portion 11a due to the expansion of the main body portion 10. Function.

Due to the movement of the first connecting member 9a, one nut 21a in the first fixing member 21 moves so as to approach the support column 16, and the other nut 21b moves so as to separate from the support column 16 (in FIG. 9). Shown by solid line). Then, the other nut 21b is tightened as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. As a result, the support column 16 is sandwiched between the pair of nuts 21a and 21b, and the first connecting member 9a is fixed to the support column 16. After this fixing, the heating of the main body 10 is continued, and after a lapse of a predetermined time, the fixing of the first connecting member 9a to the support column 16 is released and fixed again.

As described above, in the present embodiment, while the main body portion 10 is being heated, the fixing and re-fixing of the connecting members 9a and 9b to the supporting members 15a and 15b are periodically repeated. As a result, while supporting the glass supply pipe 7, the displacement of the energized heating units 11a and 11b due to the expansion of the main body 10 can be tolerated, and damage to the energized heating units 11a and 11b can be prevented. Therefore, the preheating step of the glass supply pipe 7 can be suitably executed.

10 and 11 show a third embodiment relating to the support structure of the glass supply pipe. In the present embodiment, the glass supply pipe 7 has a first energization heating portion 11a and a second energization heating portion 11b at each end of the main body portion 10. Since the support structure on the first energization heating section 11a side and the support structure on the second energization heating section 11b side have the same structure, the support structure on the first energization heating section 11a side will be described below.

In the present embodiment, the first energization heating portion 11a of the glass supply pipe 7 is supported by the first support member 15a. Further, one end of the casing 8 in the longitudinal direction is supported by a pair of support members 23. The support member 23 may be configured in a plurality of pairs to support the casing 8. The support members 15a and 23 are fixed to the ceiling C of the building in a factory or the like where the flat glass manufacturing apparatus is arranged.

The first support member 15a of the glass supply pipe 7 is connected to the electrode portion 13 of the first energization heating portion 11a via the first connecting member 9a. The support member 23 of the casing 8 is connected to the casing 8 via a pair of connecting members 24. The connecting member 24 may be configured in a plurality of pairs depending on the number of supporting members 23.

The first connecting member 9a connected to the first supporting member 15a is connected to the first connecting portion 18 connected to the first supporting member 15a and the second connecting portion 13 connected to the electrode portion 13 of the first energizing heating unit 11a. A portion 19 and an insulating member 20 interposed between the first connecting portion 18 and the second connecting portion 19 are provided. The first connecting portion 18 and the second connecting portion 19 are composed of a flexible linear member such as a wire. One end (upper end) of the first connecting portion 18 is connected to the support member 15a. The other end (lower end) of the first connecting portion 18 is integrally formed with the insulating member 20. One end (upper end) of the second connecting portion 19 is integrally formed with the insulating member 20. The other end (lower end) of the second connecting portion 19 is fixed to the electrode portion 13 of the first energizing heating portion 11a. As a result, the electrode portion 13 of the first energization heating portion 11a is supported by the first support member 15a via the first connecting member 9a.

The connecting member 24 connected to the casing 8 is composed of a flexible linear member such as a wire. One end (upper end) of each connecting member 24 is fixed to the support member 23, and the other end (lower end) is fixed to the casing 8.

A pair of protrusions 25 for connecting the casing 8 to the support member 23 are provided on the outer surface of the casing 8. Each protrusion 25 projects laterally (horizontally) from the outer surface of the casing 8. The lower end of the connecting member 24 is connected to each protrusion 25. As a result, the casing 8 is supported by the support member 23 fixed to the ceiling C via the connecting member 24.

When the glass supply pipe 7 is preheated in the present embodiment, the main body 10 of the glass supply pipe 7 expands in the longitudinal direction due to the heating. The first energization heating unit 11a is displaced according to the expansion of the main body portion 10. In this case, the first support member 15a allows the first energization heating unit 11a to be displaced due to the deformation of the first connecting member 9a. Therefore, the expansion of the main body 10 does not deform or damage the first energizing heating unit 11a. As a result, the preheating step of the glass supply pipe 7 can be suitably executed. Further, the casing 8 also expands during the preheating step, but the support member 23 allows the casing 8 to expand due to the deformation of the connecting member 24. As a result, deformation and damage of the first energization heating unit 11a during the preheating step are prevented.

After the preheating step is completed, the flat glass manufacturing apparatus is assembled, and the flat glass GR is manufactured through a melting step, a clarification step, a homogenization step, a state adjusting step, a molding step, and the like.

12 and 13 show a fourth embodiment relating to the support structure of the glass supply pipe. In the third embodiment described above, one first support member 15a supports each energizing heating portion 11a11b of the glass supply pipe 7, and a pair of support members 23 support the casing 8. In the embodiment, each of the energizing heating portions 11a and 11b is supported by a plurality of (for example, three) supporting members 15a to 15c. By using the plurality of support members 15a to 15c in this way, it is possible to disperse the load at the support points of the energization heating portions 11a and 11b, and it is possible to suitably suppress the deformation and breakage of the energization heating portions 11a and 11b. ..

Hereinafter, the support members 15a to 15c that support each energization heating unit 11a will be referred to as a first support member 15a, a second support member 15b, and a third support member 15c, respectively. Also in this embodiment, the support structure on the first energization heating unit 11a side and the support structure on the second energization heating unit 11b side have the same configuration. Therefore, the support structure on the first energization heating unit 11a side will be described below. explain.

The first energization heating unit 11a has an electrode portion 13 connected to the first support member 15a, and a pair of protrusions 26 connected to the second support member 15b and the third support member 15c. Each protrusion 26 projects laterally (horizontally) from the side portion of the flange portion 12.

The first support member 15a is connected to the electrode portion 13 of the first energization heating portion 11a via the first connecting member 9a having the insulating member 20 in the middle portion. The first connecting member 9a has the same configuration as that illustrated in the third embodiment. Similarly, the second support member 15b and the third support member 15c are connected to each protrusion 26 via the second connecting member 9b and the third connecting member 9c having the same configuration as the first connecting member 9a.

In order to preheat the glass supply pipe 7 in the present embodiment, the glass supply passages 6a to 6d are separated into the glass supply pipe 7 and the first energization heating unit 11a is connected to the connecting members 9a to 9a as in the first embodiment. The main body 10 is energized and heated by the first energizing heating unit 11a in a state of being supported by the supporting members 15a to 15c via the 9c.

The main body 10 of the glass supply tube 7 expands in the longitudinal direction by energizing and heating. The first energization heating unit 11a is displaced according to the expansion of the main body portion 10. In this case, since each of the support members 15a to 15c has flexibility due to the deformation of each of the connecting members 9a to 9c, the displacement of each of the current-carrying heating parts 11a and 11b should be regulated. There is no. Therefore, the expansion of the main body 10 does not deform or damage the energizing heating portions 11a and 11b. As a result, the preheating step of the glass supply pipe 7 can be suitably executed.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and is not limited to the above-mentioned action and effect. The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention.

In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the glass supply pipe 7 having different configurations and the support structure thereof have been illustrated, but these may be appropriately combined to form the glass supply passages 6a to 6d.

1 Melting tank 5 Molding tank 6a Glass supply path 6b Glass supply path 6c Glass supply path 6d Glass supply path 7 Glass supply pipe 8 Casing 9a Connecting member 9b Connecting member 11a Energizing heating section 11b Energizing heating section 15a Support member 15b Support member 15c Support Member 16 Strut 17 Slide support 17a Long hole 20 Insulation member 21 Fixing member C Building ceiling GM Molten glass GR Plate glass

Claims (11)

A body portion configured into a cylindrical shape, provided at each end of the body portion, and the glass supply tube having a conductive heating unit which performs conduction heating,
A support member for supporting the electrical heating unit,
A support structure for a glass supply tube, comprising a long casing for accommodating the glass supply tube.
An insulating member is provided between the energizing heating unit and the supporting member.
Said body portion, said end portion is accommodated in the casing so as to protrude from the casing, characterized in Rukoto, support structure of the glass supply tube. The support member is formed by fixed before mute pacing, the support structure of the glass supply tube according to claim 1. A connecting member for connecting the energizing heating unit and the supporting member is provided.
The support structure for a glass supply pipe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the insulating member is provided in the middle of the connecting member. The support member slidably supports the support column provided on the outer surface of the casing and the connecting member so as to allow displacement of the energization heating portion due to expansion of the glass supply pipe due to heating of the energization heating portion. The support structure for a glass supply tube according to claim 3 , further comprising a slide support portion. The support structure for a glass supply pipe according to claim 4, further comprising a fixing member for fixing the connecting member to the slide support portion. The slide support includes a hole through which a part of the connecting member is inserted.
The support structure for a glass supply pipe according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the holes are elongated holes along the longitudinal direction of the casing. The electrical heating unit includes a flange portion and the electrode portion,
The support structure for a glass supply tube according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the support member is configured to support the electrode portion. It is a support structure of a glass supply pipe including a glass supply pipe having an energization heating portion for performing energization heating and a support member for supporting the energization heating portion.
An insulating member is provided between the energizing heating unit and the supporting member.
The support structure of the glass supply pipe is characterized in that the support member is fixed to the ceiling of the building in which the glass supply pipe is arranged. In a plate glass manufacturing apparatus including a melting tank for melting a glass raw material to generate molten glass, a molding tank for molding the molten glass into a plate glass, and a glass supply path for transferring the molten glass from the melting tank to the molding tank. ,
The glass supply path is formed by connecting a plurality of glass supply pipes.
A flat glass manufacturing apparatus further comprising the support structure for the glass supply pipe according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A method of manufacturing the flat glass by the flat glass manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9.
A preheating step of energizing and heating the glass supply pipe by the energizing heating unit with the plurality of glass supply pipes separated.
After the preheating step, the step of connecting the glass supply pipe to form the glass supply path and
A step of transferring the molten glass to the molding tank by the glass supply path and molding the molten glass as the plate glass by the molding tank is provided.
In the preheating step, the glass supply pipe is energized and heated by the energizing heating unit in a state where the glass supply pipe is supported by the supporting member and the glass supply pipe and the supporting member are insulated by the insulating member. A method for manufacturing flat glass, characterized in that. A method of preheating the glass supply tube by the support structure of the glass supply tube according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
A preheating step of energizing and heating the glass supply pipe by the energizing heating unit is provided.
In the preheating step, the glass supply pipe is energized and heated by the energizing heating unit in a state where the glass supply pipe is supported by the supporting member and the glass supply pipe and the supporting member are insulated by the insulating member. A method for preheating a glass supply tube, which is characterized by the fact that.

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