Patent ID: 8074473
Filing Date: 2011-12-13
Classification: C03B

Abstract:
1. A method for quenching formed glass sheets comprising: moving a quench ring into a bending station to receive a formed glass sheet that is heated to a quenching temperature; moving the formed glass sheet on the quench ring from the bending station into a quench to a quench location where the entire formed glass sheet is between lower and upper quench heads that are operable to supply upward and downward gas flows for quenching the formed glass sheet; initially supplying through the lower and upper quench heads upward and downward initial gas flows for about 0.5 to 1.3 seconds at initial pressures to provide initial cooling power that quenches the entire formed glass sheet on the quench ring while in the quench location; then supplying, through the same lower and upper quench heads through which the initial gas flows are supplied, upward and downward subsequent gas flows for 0.5 to 4 seconds at increased pressures at least 25% higher than the initial pressures to further quench the entire formed glass sheet on the quench ring while still in the quench location without any conveyance therefrom after the initial quenching; and thereafter supplying upward and downward gas flows to the formed glass sheet with decreased cooling power that is less than the initial cooling power to eventually provide a tempered and formed glass sheet upon cooling throughout to ambient temperature.