Patent ID: 7497096
Filing Date: 2009-03-03
Classification: C03B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for conveying a curved glass sheet quenched by a quenching device, the apparatus comprising: a disk roll conveyor connected with a downstream end of the quenching device, the disk roll conveyor having (a) a plurality of disk rolls for conveying the curved glass sheet and (b) a conveyor frame on which the disk rolls are supported; a first adjusting device for adjusting a height and an inclination angle of a conveyance surface of the disk roll conveyor, the first adjusting device having an elevation mechanism, and two brackets arranged to move up and down by the elevation mechanism; and a roll conveyor set positioned downstream of the disk roll conveyor, the roll conveyor set having a plurality of roll conveyor units, each unit having (a) a plurality of rolls for conveying the curved glass sheet and (b) a second adjusting device for adjusting a height and an inclination angle of a conveyance surface of each unit, the second adjusting device having four brackets, each bracket being independently adjustable up and down by an elevation mechanism, wherein the conveyor frame of the disk roll conveyor is supported at its upstream and downstream sides on the two brackets of the first adjusting device, respectively, such that the disk roll conveyor is capable of having a horizontal or downward position, each roll conveyor unit is supported at its four corner portions on the four brackets of the second adjusting device, respectively, and the first and second adjusting devices are operable to provide the curved glass sheet with (a) a first conveyance route in which the disk roll conveyor and each roll conveyor unit are in a horizontal position to provide a smooth horizontal conveyance surface extending from an upstream end of the disk roll conveyor to a downstream end of the roll conveyor set, or (b) a second conveyance route in which the disk roll conveyor is in a downward position and in which at least one roll conveyor unit at a downstream side of the roll conveyor set is in an upward position to provide a continuous concave conveyance surface extending from the upstream end of the disk roll conveyor to the downstream end of the roll conveyor set, wherein the disk roll conveyor comprises: a first row of disk rolls aligned in a transverse plane perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the curved glass sheet; a support member for rotatably supporting a disk roll on the first row of disk rolls; and a cam member in engagement with the support member to adjust a height of the first row of disk rolls such that respective apexes of the first row of disk rolls conform to a convexly curved envelope substantially corresponding to a bottom surface contour of the curved glass sheet, wherein the disk roll conveyor further comprises at least a second row of disk rolls that are aligned in the transverse plane and are away from the first row of disk rolls by a distance in the conveyance direction, wherein at least first and second lines of disk rolls are provided in the conveyance direction by the first and second rows of disk rolls, wherein the support member comprises at least first and second supporting plates that respectively rotatably support each disk roll of the at least first and second lines of disk rolls, and wherein each cam member is in abutment with a bottom surface of each of the at least first and second supporting plates.