Patent ID: 6045358
Filing Date: 2000-04-04
Classification: C03B

Abstract:
A gas-fired forced convection heating apparatus for heating glass sheets, wherein the glass sheets each have a top surface and a bottom surface, the forced convection heating apparatus comprising:a housing having an interior region;a conveyor for conveying a glass sheet through the interior region of the housing;at least one gas burner operably associated with the housing for producing hot products of combustion providing a heat input to the apparatus; an adjustor operably associated with the gas burner for adjusting the level of heat input from the gas burner to the apparatus;a mixing chamber for mixing the hot products of combustion with working fluid recirculated within the housing;a distributor for distributing, and, in turn, impinging, the working fluid including at least a portion of the hot products of combustion from the gas burner to a surface of a glass sheet within the interior region of the housing; anda velocity control for adjusting the impingement velocity of the working fluid on the surface of the glass sheet, thereby controlling the rate of convective heat exchange between the working fluid and the glass sheet substantially independently of controlling the heat input to the apparatus.