METHOD FOR FORMING GLASS ARTICLE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR

• Main Author: SHIBAOKA KAZUO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.10.1986
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; GLASS; MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES; METALLURGY; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL

PURPOSE:To produce a glass article preventing the damage of the mold using a simple apparatus in high efficiency, by placing a glass plate on a specific mold, heating the glass while supplying an inert gas to the space formed by the glass plate and the forming surface, and carrying out the vacuum-forming of the plate. CONSTITUTION:The mold 11 used in the present process is made of a material having excellent wettability to amorphous carbon or graphite, etc., and low affinity to glass and has a top-opened forming cavity 12. The movable mold apparatus 6 furnished with the above mold 11 is pulled out of the heating furnace 2 having the heater 4 on the inner wall of the furnace, the preheated glass plate G is place on the mold 11, and the mold apparatus 6 is transferred along the rail 5 into the furnace 2. The valve 18 is closed and the valve 20 is opened to feed N2 gas from the N2 gas bomb 21 into the space S at a rate of >=0.05l/min per 1l of the space S. The glass plate is heated at 700-800 deg.C, the valve 20 is closed, the valve 18 is opened, and the space S is evacuated with the vacuum pump 19 to effect the close contact of the glass plate G to the forming surfaces 13, 14 of the forming cavity 12, i.e. the vacuum-forming of the glass plate G. The valves 18, 20 are closed, the apparatus 6 is pulled out of the furnace 2, and the product is removed from the mold.