TIP PLATE FOR A BUSHING AND BUSHING

Abstract

The invention relates to a tip plate for a bushing for receiving a high temperature melt and a corresponding bushing, wherein the tip plate provides an arrangement of tips of high packing density.

Claims

1. Tip plate (TP) for a bushing for receiving a high-temperature melt, comprisingin its operational positionan upper surface (US), which extends in two directions (x,y) of the coordinate system, a lower surface (LS) at a distance (d) to the upper surface (US) and a body (BO) in between, as well as a multiplicity of tips (TI) with flow-through openings (TO) of substantially circular cross-section in the x-y-directions and their largest diameter (dmax) adjacent to the upper surface (US) of the tip plate (TP), which tips (TI) extend from the upper surface (US) through the body (BO) and protrude the lower surface (LS) and through which the high-temperature melt may leave the tip plate (TP) in a third (z) direction of the coordinate system, wherein a) a first multiplicity of tips (TI) being arranged side by side such that a central longitudinal axis (A) of each corresponding flow through opening (TO) intersects a virtual first straight line (L1) and adjacent central longitudinal axes have a distance (dT1) of 1.0 dmax to 1.3 dmax, b) a second multiplicity of tips (TI) being arranged side by side such that a central longitudinal axis (A) of each corresponding flow-through opening (TO) intersects a virtual second straight line (L2) and adjacent central longitudinal axes have a distance (dT2) of 1.0 dmax to 1.3 dmax, c) the virtual first straight line (L1) and the virtual second straight line (L2) extend parallel to each other at a distance dL=0,866 dmax and <1.0 dmax.

2. Tip plate according to claim 1, wherein more than 50% of the central longitudinal axes (A) of adjacent flow-through openings (TO) of all tips (TI) along the first and second virtual straight line (L1, L2) have the same distance (dT1, dT2) to each other.

3. Tip plate according to claim 1 with dT1, dT2 or both being 1.2 dmax.

4. Tip plate according to claim 1, wherein more than 50% of the central longitudinal axes (A) of the flow-through openings (TO) of all tips (TI) along the virtual first and second straight line (L1, L2) are arranged such that the central longitudinal axes (A) of two adjacent through openings (TO) along one virtual straight line (L1, L2) and one flow-through opening (TO) of the adjacent virtual straight line (L2, L1) form an isosceles or an equilateral triangle.

5. Tip plate according to claim 1, wherein the flow-through openings (TO) have an inner shape, which corresponds over at least 70% of their total lengthin the z directionto a frustum with its larger diameter toward the upper surface (US) of the tip plate (TP).

6. Tip plate according to claim 1, wherein the tips (TI), along their protruding part, have a frustoconical outer shape, with their larger cross sectional areas toward the lower surface of the tip plate (TP).

7. Tip plate (TP) according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement of tips (TI) along a virtual first and second straight line (L1, L2) is extended by one or more virtual straight lines along which further tips (TI) are arranged in an analogous manner.

8. Tip plate (TP) according to claim 1, wherein at least 50% of adjacent tips (TI) have a distance at their free protruding ends of between 0.8 mm and 1.1 mm.

9. Tip plate (TP) according to claim 1 with at least 50% of its volume being produced by additive manufacturing.

10. Bushing for receiving a high-temperature melt, comprising a tip plate (TP) according to claim 1.

Description

[0061] Further features of the invention may be derived from the sub-claims and the other application documents. The inventions will now be described with reference to the attached drawing, showing in a very schematic way in

[0062] FIG. 1a: a top view of a first embodiment of a part of an upper side of a tip plate with a few exemplary tips

[0063] FIG. 1b: a perspective view of the tips according to FIG. 1a,

[0064] FIG. 2: a top view of a second embodiment of a part of an upper side of a tip plate with two groups of exemplary tips

[0065] FIGS. 1a and 2 display the x-y plane of the coordinate system. In the Figures the same parts or parts of substantially equivalent function or behavior are characterized by the same numerals.

[0066] FIG. 1a is a top view on a part of an upper surface US of a tip plate TP and shows two virtual straight lines L1, L2, which extend parallel to each other at a distance dL. Along both lines L1, L2 a multiplicity of upper ends of flow-through openings TO of tips TI are visible, placed side by side. For simplification only two tips TI are displayed along each line L1, L2. Each of the tips TI provides a flow-through opening TO of substantially circular cross section of diameter dmax at the upper surface US and the tips TI of one row (along L1) overlap the tips TI of the adjacent row (along L2). In this embodiment dL corresponds to 0,866 dmax, which leads to a design, wherein adjacent tips TI (or their flow-through openings TO respectively) touch each other at one common point P along their respective peripheries. Accordingly the distances dT1 between adjacent tips TI of virtual straight line L1 and dT2 between adjacent tips TI of virtual straight line L2 correspond to dmax and the central longitudinal axes A of three adjacent flow-through openings TO form an equilateral triangle, representing a favorable high packing density.

[0067] The tips TI extend downwardly from the upper surface US, thereby penetrating a body BO of the tip plate TP (of thickness d) and protruding downwardly from a lower surface LS of the tip plate TP as shown in FIG. 1b, from which the wall thickness of the protruding part of tips TI and the frustoconical outer shape of the tips TI may be seen, symbolized in FIG. 1a by inner closed and dotted lines within through flow openings TO of tips TI. This design leads to the favorable effect of spaces between adjacent tips TI, which allow cooling air to pass therethrough. The flow direction (z) of the glass melt or the drawing direction of the glass fibres respectively through said tips TI is characterized by arrow Z (=z-direction of the coordinate system in a use position of tip plate TP).

[0068] The embodiment of FIG. 2 differs from that of FIG. 1 by the arrangement and distances of tips TI to each other.

[0069] In the upper part of FIG. 2 the distance dT1 between central longitudinal axes A of adjacent tips TI of virtual straight line L1 and in the same manner the distance dT2 between tips TI of virtual straight line L2 have been enlarged to ca. 1.2 dmax each, while the distance dL between lines L1, L2 is the same as in FIG. 1. This leads to larger distances between the peripheries of tips TI along the same virtual straight lines L1 or L2 compared to adjacent tips TI of different lines L1, L2 and finally to a design, wherein the connection of three central longitudinal axes A of three adjacent tips TI from the 2 lines L1, L2 defines an isosceles triangle (symbolized by bold lines) with spaces S1.1, S1.2, S 1.3 between adjacent tips TI (orifices). While the corresponding packing density is less than in FIG. 1 this embodiment still defines a high packing density.

[0070] In the lower part of FIG. 2 the distances between adjacent tips TI along lines L1 and L2 have been further enlarged (dT1=1.5 dmax, dT2=1.5 dmax) thus with increasing spaces S between adjacent tips TI.

[0071] Between the upper and lower part of FIG. 2 a cooling fin CF may be seen, which is not part of the tip plate TP and arranged between the described adjacent arrangements of tips TP.

[0072] All tip plates TP and associated parts have been manufactured by additive manufacturing, using a PtRh 90/10 alloy to provide a monolithic tip plate TP.