DEVICE FOR HOLDING A GLASS PREFORM

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for supportingly holding, and moving, a glass preform, such as a gob, wherein the device has a carrier device, at least one rod-shaped support element, which during operation is substantially vertically aligned, wherein, at its upper end, the rod-shaped support element opens into at least one point-shaped upwardly directed support surface; and/or the device has at least one support element which during operation is substantially vertically aligned, has a substantially inverted U-shape, and has a support surface which is upwardly directed and connects the substantially vertically extending vertical portions of the support element.

Claims

1. A device for supportingly holding and moving a glass preform, the device comprising: a carrier device; at least one rod-shaped support element which is oriented substantially vertically aligned during operation, the at least one rod-shaped support element terminating at its upper end in at least one point-shaped upwardly directed support surface; and at least one substantially vertically oriented and substantially inverted U-shaped support element having an upwardly directed support surface connecting the substantially vertically extending vertical portions of the support element.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rod-shaped support element has at its upper end at least two extensions which each open into a point-shaped upwardly directed support surface.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one rod-shaped support element is substantially Y-shaped or is formed with an inverted tripod, wherein each of the extensions opens in a respective point-shaped upwardly directed support surface.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least two rod-shaped support elements or at least one substantially inverted-U-shaped support element, the respective support surfaces of the support elements arranged in a common plane.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support surfaces are each arranged at vertices or sides of a triangle, or, in the case of more than three support elements, of a polygon.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support surfaces of the rod-shaped support elements have a symmetrical, round or ring-shaped, cross-section in top view.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support surfaces are substantially flat or convexly curved, in sections, in particular pointing upwards.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the point-shaped support surfaces each have an area in the range from 1 mm.sup.2 to 100 mm.sup.2.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support surfaces are made of or coated with a high temperature-stable material, steel, gold, copper, ruthenium, osmium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum or tungsten or a refractory alloy or a ceramic, a carbide or nitride, or are inert to glass at temperatures in the range of 700° C. to 1500° C.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support elements or the support surfaces comprise at least one common cavity or at least one common channel or conduit, wherein the respective cavity or the respective channel or conduit is able to be flowed-through with a gaseous fluid.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support elements are detachably attachable to a base body individually or jointly by means of a quick-change fastener.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the device has at least one reflector, which is arranged between the base body and the support surfaces and is aligned such that its reflection surface points in the direction of the support surfaces.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the device has at least one induction or IR heater, which is arranged between the base body and the support surfaces (50) and is aligned such that its heating radiation direction points in the direction of the support surfaces (50).

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support elements are each jointly or individually adjustable in height between the base body and the reflector between an upper lance part arranged above the base body and the reflector, and comprise at least one device for stabilising the support elements in the form of struts between the support elements or one or more perforated plate(s) through which the support elements extend or a perforated block through which the support elements extend.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support elements are part of a vertical press, wherein the support elements extend through openings or guides provided in a lower part of the vertical press and are retractable into the lower part of the vertical press during a blank pressing operation.

Description

[0053] In the following, the invention is described by means of an embodiment example, which is explained in more detail with reference to the figures.

[0054] Herein show:

[0055] FIG. 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of the device according to the invention in perspective side view;

[0056] FIG. 2 a schematic representation of the embodiment according to FIG. 1 in top view;

[0057] FIG. 3 a schematic side sectional view of the embodiment according to FIG. 2 along sectional line A-A;

[0058] FIG. 4 a schematic side sectional view of the embodiment according to FIG. 2 along the sectional line B-B; and

[0059] FIG. 5 a schematic side sectional view of the embodiment according to FIG. 2 along sectional line C-C.

[0060] In the following description, the same reference numbers are used for the same and similarly acting parts.

[0061] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the device 10 according to the invention for supportingly holding a glass preform 20 in a perspective side view from obliquely above. The device 10 comprises a carrier device 30 formed by three support elements 40. The individual support elements 40 each have a support surface 50 on which the glass preform or gob 20 rests evenly. The support elements 40 are attached to an upper lance part 90, which is detachably fastened to a lower lance part 95 by means of a clamping ring 100. For fastening the upper lance part 90 to the lower lance part 95, or for securing the clamping ring 100, nuts 110 are provided in each case, with which the upper lance part 90 can be fastened to the lower lance part 95 in the manner of a quick-release fastener. In this context an O-ring 120 acts as bearing for the upper lance part 90. The lower lance part 95 is associated with a base body 60 and arranged on the base body 60 such that the upper lance part 90 can be placed on the lower lance part 95 and centred by means of the lower lance part 95. Furthermore, the base body 60 has at least a first screw 130 and a second screw 135, which serve as fastening means for the upper lance part 90, or the clamping ring 100, and represent the fastening counterpart to the nuts 110. Furthermore, the device 10 according to the invention comprises a reflector 70 through which the support elements 40 extend and which is arranged such that it is located between the upper lance part 90 and the glass preform 20. The reflector 70 is in turn adjustable in height by means of threaded bolts 80 and can thus be moved closer to or away from the glass preform 20 as desired. In particular, the detailed construction of the device according to the invention can be seen particularly well from FIG. 2 to FIG. 5, which show the device according to the invention in each case in a top view or in three different sectional views. It can also be seen clearly from FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 that the base body 60 has a cooling air flow 140 and a cooling air return 145, with which the device according to the invention and in particular the support elements 40 can be tempered and in particular cooled as desired, whereby a fluid, such as air, can be used for cooling. The fluid can be tempered in advance to a desired temperature.

[0062] At this point, it should be noted that all of the parts described above, taken individually and in any combination, in particular the details shown in the drawings, are claimed as being essential to the invention. Modifications thereof are familiar to the person skilled in the art.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0063] 10 device [0064] 20 preform [0065] 30 carrier device [0066] 40 support element [0067] 50 support surface [0068] 60 base body [0069] 70 reflector [0070] 80 threaded bolt [0071] 90 upper lance part [0072] 95 lower lance part [0073] 100 clamping ring [0074] 110 nut [0075] 120 O-ring [0076] 130 first screw [0077] 135 second screw [0078] 140 cooling air flow [0079] 145 cooling air return