The present invention relates to a cutting method and a cutting device for the superficial scoring of, preferably plate-shaped, components made of glass or ceramics, preferably of glass sheets, and to a method for dividing of, preferably plate-shaped, components made of glass or ceramics, preferably of glass sheets, for example of float glass sheets or laminated glass sheets, in particular laminated safety glass sheets, into individual component cuttings, preferably glass sheet cuttings.

A large-flow precious metal channel is provided, which comprises a molten glass mixed-flow stirring section, at least two molten glass heating, clarifying and cooling sections are connected in parallel at one end of the molten glass mixed-flow stirring section, the other end of which is communicated with a liquid supply tank. The channel is mainly used for the clarification and homogenization of large-flow high-temperature molten glass in the production process of 8.5-generation and higher-generation TFT glass, and provides bubble-free and streak-free high-quality molten glass for subsequent float forming or overflow forming processes.

A furnace, and a method of firing it, wherein part of the fuel supplied to the furnace is produced from waste plastics by a depolymerisation process, waste heat from the furnace being used to promote the depolymerisation process. The furnace is equipped with regenerators for waste heat recovery and is fired alternately in first and second opposed directions, with the direction of firing periodically reversing between the first direction and the second direction. The supply of fuel to the furnace is temporarily interrupted while the direction of firing is reversing, means being provided to accommodate the fuel produced during the temporary interruption. The furnace may be used for producing glass.

Apparatuses for making a laminated glass ribbon may include an upper forming body including an outer forming surface bounded by a pair of upper dams, and a lower forming body disposed downstream of the upper forming body and including an outer forming surface spaced from the outer forming surface of the upper forming body by an interior gap. An edge guide may be disposed along an interior upper dam wall and spaced apart in the interior gap from the lower forming body. Surfaces exterior to the outer forming surfaces of the upper and lower forming bodies may abut and be joined. A formed glass ribbon having a core glass layer and a pair of clad glass layers may include inner and outer portions that have substantially equal thickness ratios based on a glass core layer thickness compared to a combined glass cladding layer thickness in each portion.

A method of manufacturing a tuned optical fiber includes providing a first preform from a set of like preforms each having substantially the same refractive index profile, including amount of axial variation relative to a target refractive index profile. The method includes drawing a reference optical fiber from the first preform and measuring a variation in an optical or physical property as a function of axial position. The method also includes drawing from a second preform from the set of like preforms the tuned optical fiber. The drawing includes using a time-varying tension that reduces the amount of variation of the optical or physical property of interest. The time-varying tension is defined by an amount of axial stress imparted to the tuned fiber needed to alter the refractive index profile and the at least one optical or physical property based on a stress-optic effect.

A multiple tube burner for synthesizing a porous material includes three or more glass tubes are arranged coaxially with one another, the glass tubes having a substantially circular shape on a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction. Out of the three or more glass tubes, a first glass tube and a second glass tube that is arranged on an outer side of the first glass tube are connected with each other on a gas introducing side, and a thickness near a joint portion of the second glass tube connected with the first glass tube is thicker than a thickness of the second glass tube on the gas spouting side.

A method for separating and releasing a closed-form piece from a workpiece made of a brittle material is disclosed. A first pulsed laser-beam creates defects along the outline of the closed-form piece. A second laser-beam selectively heats the closed-form piece for a first time that is sufficient to initiate cracking between the defects. The heating is stopped for a period sufficiently long for the cracks to propagate completely between the defects. The second laser-beam is applied for a second time that causes melting and deformation of the closed-form piece. The deformation opens a gap between the closed-form piece and the rest of the workpiece, thereby allowing release of the closed-form piece.

A lens unit includes a positive lens element provided with a convex surface on an incident surface and/or an exit surface; and a lens frame supporting the lens element and being provided with a projection that projects in an inner radial direction from inside the lens frame. The lens frame supports the lens element with the projection fixedly fitted into an outer peripheral portion of the lens element. The projection is provided, on an inner peripheral portion thereof, with a first surface positioned on an incident side in an optical axis direction, a second surface positioned on an exit side in the optical axis direction, and a third surface positioned between the first surface and the second surface. The first, second and third surfaces are tapered surfaces that are respectively inclined relative to the optical axis direction. A method of manufacturing the lens unit is also provided.

A corner block for a glass furnace tank. The corner block has an outer surface including: upper and lower surfaces delimiting the length of the corner block, right and left surfaces to be in contact with corresponding surfaces of adjacent blocks, a hot face to be in contact with the environment inside the tank, and a cold face, opposite the hot face. A main portion of the corner block extends, over more than 80% of the length of the corner block, between two limiting upper and lower transverse planes. The hot face is edge-free. An edge is a line along which the hot face has a break in slope greater than 25°. The hot face has a profile that is convex in any transverse sectional plane in the main portion.

A method of cutting a combined structure of a glass substrate and a light absorbing plate includes providing a glass substrate on a metal plate, providing a light absorbing material at an edge of the glass substrate, and cutting the glass substrate and the light absorbing plate by irradiating a laser beam to the glass substrate from the edge to which the light absorbing material is provided.