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EP-4741355-A2 - DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A HOLLOW GLASS BODY

EP4741355A2EP 4741355 A2EP4741355 A2EP 4741355A2EP-4741355-A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for producing a hollow glass body, comprising a glass material holding device with a passage channel for a pressurized gas, a rotation drive for rotating the glass material holding device, and a movement device by means of which the spatial position and/or the spatial orientation of the glass material holding device can be changed.

Inventors

  • Schmidtmann, Thomas
  • CARL, Jens
  • Licul, Frank

Assignees

  • Duran Produktions GmbH & Co. KG

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20230110

Claims (15)

  1. Device for producing a hollow glass body (25) comprising a glass material holding device (1) with a passage channel (2) for a pressurized gas, and a rotation drive (3) for rotating the glass material holding device (1) as well as a movement device (5) by means of which the spatial position and/or the spatial orientation of the glass material holding device (1) can be changed.
  2. Device according to claim 1, characterized by a preforming unit (14) with at least one preforming element with which the glass material (4) held by the glass material holding device (1), in particular rotating, can be brought into contact.
  3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that a. the preforming unit (14) includes a platform (15) which has a contact surface for the, in particular rotating, glass material (4) and/or which carries at least one preforming element, and/or that b. the preforming unit (14) has a plate (16) arranged on the platform (15) in which a recess (17), in particular arcuate and/or semicircular in cross-section, is formed in an end face, and/or that c. the preforming unit (14) has a support base (18) arranged, in particular vertically, on the platform (15), and/or that d. the preforming unit (14) has at least one heating device (21), in particular a heating nozzle or a burner, and/or at least one cooling device (22), in particular a cooling nozzle, and/or that e. a further movement device (5) is provided by means of which the spatial position and/or the spatial orientation of the preforming unit (14) or at least a part of the preforming unit (14) can be adjusted, and/or that f. an inclination of the preforming unit (14), in particular the platform (15) of the preforming unit (14), relative to the vertical in the range of 0 degrees to 55 degrees, especially adjustable in the range of 0 degrees to 45 degrees, or in the range of 0 degrees to 40 degrees, especially continuously, and/or that g. the motion device (5) and the further motion device (19) are at least partially synchronously controlled, and/or that h. the motion device (5) and the further motion device (19) are controlled in such a way that the relative position and/or the relative orientation of the rotation axis of the glass material holding device (1) to the preforming unit (14) and/or to the platform (15) remains constant, even during a change in the spatial orientation or position of the preforming unit (14) and/or the platform (15).
  4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a. a control device (6) is present, and/or that b. a control device is present which controls or regulates a gas flow passing through the passage channel (2) and/or the rotary drive (3) and/or the motion device (5) and/or the further motion device (19), in particular automatically, and/or that c. an input device (10) is provided by means of which, in particular during the operation of the device, control commands can be entered by an operator, and/or that d. an input device (10) is provided by means of which, in particular during the operation of the device, control commands can be entered by an operator, wherein the control device (6) takes into account the control commands instead of stored or automatically generated control specifications or that the control device (6) takes into account the control commands in addition to stored or automatically generated control specifications.
  5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by a, in particular hinged, blow mold (20) into which the glass material (4) held by the glass material holding device (1), in particular hanging vertically downwards, can be inserted by means of the movement device (5) and during a blowing process in which gas flows through the passage channel (2) and is rotatable about an axis of rotation, in particular a vertical one.
  6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a. the device has at least one sensor device, and/or that b. the device comprises at least one sensor device configured to detect at least one property of the glass material (4), in particular a glass material temperature or a temperature distribution or a glass thickness or a wall thickness or a viscosity, or configured to detect a spatial orientation and/or a spatial position and/or an external shape of the glass material (4), and/or that c. the device includes at least one sensor device comprising an optical sensor or a pyrometer or an infrared sensor or a camera, or that the sensor device is part of an image processing system, and/or that d. the device comprises at least one sensor device configured to continuously or at, preferably regular, time intervals detect the relative position and/or the relative orientation of the liquid glass material (4) relative to the glass material holding device (1) and/or the external shape of the liquid glass material (4) and/or the heat distribution within the liquid glass material (4) and to transmit this information to the control device (6) in the form of sensor signals, and/or that e. the device has at least one sensor device configured to control the rotational speed and/or orientation and/or position of the glass material holding device (1) holding the liquid glass material (4) taking into account the sensor signals, such that the liquid glass material (4), in particular under the influence of the force of gravity, assumes a predefined or predefinable basic shape, and/or that f. the device includes at least one sensor device configured to detect the rotational speed and/or orientation and/or position of the liquid glass material (4) holding to control or regulate the glass material holding device (1) and the alignment and/or position of the preforming unit (14) and/or the heating device (21) and/or the cooling device (22) such that the liquid glass material (4) assumes a predefined or predefinable preform.
  7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a. the motion device (5) includes an industrial robot or is designed as an industrial robot, and/or that b. the moving device (5) is arranged, at least for the most part, in a protective sheath (13), in particular made of Kevlar and/or stainless steel.
  8. Method for producing hollow glass bodies (25), in particular glass bottles made of borosilicate glass, using a device according to one of claims 1 to 7.
  9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that a batch of liquid glass material (4) is received with the glass material holding device (1) and its outer shape is transformed into a predefined or predefinable basic shape, in particular a pear shape, by adjusting and/or changing the rotational speed and/or orientation and/or position of the glass material holding device (1) holding the liquid glass material (4), preferably automatically, in particular under the influence of the force of gravity.
  10. Method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the relative position and/or the relative orientation of the liquid glass material (4) relative to the glass material holding device (1) and/or the external shape of the liquid glass material (4) and/or the heat distribution within the liquid glass material (4) is continuously or at, preferably regular, time intervals detected by means of the sensor device.
  11. Method according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that a. the glass material (4), in particular after it has been transferred into the basic shape, is transferred to the preforming unit (14) by means of the moving device (5), and/or that b. the glass material (4) is rotated in the preforming unit (14) while in direct contact with at least one preforming element of the preforming unit (14).
  12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that a. the inclination of the preforming unit (14) or at least a part of the preforming unit (14), in particular from initially zero degrees relative to the vertical, to an angle other than zero degrees relative to the vertical, in particular an angle in the range of 25 degrees to 55 degrees, in particular in the range of 35 degrees to 45 degrees, in particular of 40 degrees, is set, and/or that b. the inclination of the glass material holding device (1) is changed synchronously with the inclination of the preforming unit (14) or at least a part of the preforming unit (14), and/or that c. the motion device (5) and the further motion device (19) are controlled, in particular automatically, in such a way that the relative position and/or the relative orientation of the rotation axis of the glass material holding device (1) to the preforming unit (14), in particular to the platform, remains constant even during a change in the spatial orientation or position of the platform.
  13. Method according to one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the glass material (4) is locally tempered by means of the heating device (21) or by means of the at least one cooling device (22), in particular automatically.
  14. Method according to one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that the movement device (5) and/or the further movement device (19) and/or the rotational speed and/or the at least one heating device (21) and/or the at least one cooling device (22) are controlled or regulated in such a way that the glass material (4) assumes a predefined or predefinable preform.
  15. Method according to any one of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that a. The glass material (4), in particular hanging vertically downwards, is transferred into the blow mold (20), and/or that b. the glass material (4) is rotated in the blow mold (20) by means of the rotary drive (3) while at the same time a gas is forced through the passage channel (2) into the glass material (4), and/or that c. the resulting hollow glass body (25) is removed from the blow mold (20) and rotated in front of a sensor to detect the wall thickness of the hollow glass body (25) by means of the rotary drive (3), and/or that d. the glass material (4) is brought into contact with a glass cutter (26) by means of the movement device (5) and simultaneously rotated by means of the rotary drive (3) in order to separate the resulting hollow glass body (25) from the glass material holding device (1).

Description

The invention relates to a device for manufacturing a hollow glass body. The invention also relates to methods for manufacturing hollow glass bodies, in particular glass bottles made of borosilicate glass, using such a device. Hollow glass bodies are mostly manufactured using glassmaking machines through various processes such as pressing, blowing, suction, or combinations thereof. However, the size of hollow glass bodies that can be produced with such machines is limited for several reasons. In particular, it is not possible to produce large hollow glass bodies with a relatively slender neck compared to the body diameter using these machines. Out of FR 608 276 A A machine for the production of blown glass articles is known. The machine has a chuck for holding a piece of glass to be processed, mounted on a crossbeam rotatably about a horizontal axis. The held piece of glass can be rotated by means of a motor. Air can also be blown into the held piece of glass through a line. The crossbeam, together with the chuck and the held piece of glass, can be set into vibration. Out of DE 31 22 400 C1 A device for blowing hollow glass bodies into a mold is known. The device has a clamping jaw on a gripper head for holding the mouthpiece of a glassblower's pipe. The gripper head is designed so that the pipe can be rotated, for which purpose a motor is provided on the gripper head. There is also a compressed air source by means of which air can be pumped through the pipe. The pipe, together with the blown glass billet, can be tilted into a horizontal position for a cooling process by motorized action. It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a device with which even large hollow glass bodies, in particular those having a neck that is slender relative to the body diameter, can be manufactured automatically or at least semi-automatically. The problem is solved by a device comprising a glass material holding device with a passage channel for a pressurized gas, a rotary drive for rotating the glass material holding device, and a movement device by means of which the spatial position and/or the spatial orientation of the glass material holding device can be changed. The invention has the distinct advantage that even large hollow glass bodies, for example, glass bottles with a capacity multiple of 10 liters, can be produced with high reproducibility and low reject rates. For example, glass bottles with a capacity of 40 liters and more can be produced easily and with very high accuracy, reproducibility, and low reject rates using the device according to the invention. It has been shown that it is even possible to use glass types that place very high demands on compliance with certain parameters, such as specific temperature ranges. Particularly advantageously, for example, glass bottles made of borosilicate glass with a capacity in the range of 40 to 50 liters can be produced according to the invention, even though the temperature range within which this glass can be processed is very narrow. In a particularly advantageous manner according to the invention, large hollow glass bodies, especially glass bottles with a capacity of 40 liters and more, can be manufactured automatically or at least semi-automatically, which have a neck that is slim in the abdominal area relative to the body diameter. In accordance with the invention, it has been recognized that for an automated manufacturing process it is particularly advantageous to be able to rotate, align in various directions, position variably, and pressurize a batch of liquid glass material held by a glass material holding device, preferably automatically, and to subject it to a blowing process with a pressurized gas, in particular compressed air, whereby several of these processes can also be carried out simultaneously if required, without having to remove the batch from the glass material holding device. The glass material holding device can advantageously be designed to support a batch of glass material, particularly a batch of liquid glass material, at its free end. The glass material holding device can, in particular, be partially tubular to form a passage for a pressurized gas. In a special embodiment, the glass material holding device is sufficiently robust to support a batch of liquid glass material weighing well over 10 kilograms, thus enabling the production of particularly large-volume hollow glass bodies with sufficiently strong walls. At the beginning of the manufacturing process, a batch of liquid glass material held by the glass material holding device is aligned relative to the glass material holding device, preferably symmetrically, and optionally also formed into a basic shape. This can be done by manually entering control commands using an input device for the rotary drive and/or the motion device. According to a unique and independent inventive concept, the alignment of the molten glass relative to the glass material holding device and/