Air output unit in connection with a tempering station for glass panels, and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract: The invention relates to an air output unit in connection with a tempering station in a tempering plant for glass panels, and to a method for manufacturing the unit. An equipment bay (3) has its walls (32), roof (33), and floor (31) designed and dimensioned as a shipping container, wherein air output equipment (4) is set up and secured prior to shipping to a working site. Since the fan room enclosing an air output unit functions at the same time as a shipping container for the air output unit, the repeated loading and unloading of air output equipment is avoided. The workload required for shipping and assembling is substantially reduced.

Description: The invention relates to an air output unit for a tempering station in a tempering plant or facility for glass panels, comprising air output equipment which typically includes two fans and possibly a compressor with its compressed-air tank, as well as walls, a roof, and a floor enclosing the air output unit and constituting an equipment chamber or fan room for the air output unit, the air output equipment being isolated from its ambience when accommodated therein. The invention relates also to a method for manufacturing an air output unit in connection with a tempering station in a tempering plant for glass panels, said method comprising the accommodation, installation, and mounting of air output equipment, including typically two fans and possibly a compressor with its compressed-air tank, in an equipment chamber of fan room for the air output unit, which is enclosed by walls, a roof, and a floor for the air output unit. Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing depicts a typical prior art air output unit, including fans 4 installed in a fan room 3 which is built alongside a tempering plant. The tempering plant comprises a heating furnace 1 for glass panels, and a tempering station 2 for blasting tempering air to the opposite surfaces of a glass panel for high-speed chilling. The fan rooms in connection with prior art tempering plants are immobile buildings or structures which are set up by whoever has ordered the plant. The shipping of air output equipment, such as fans and compressor equipment, is handled as container transport, the equipment being loaded in shipping containers and, after the transport, unloaded from the shipping containers and placed and set up in a fan room. A separate fan room is necessary e.g. for the reasons of sound insulation. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved air output unit, wherein the air output equipment and the fan room are integrated in a novel fashion for a substantial reduction of workload involved in shipping and installation and, on the other hand, for easier layout revisions at the working site. This object is achieved by the air output unit of the invention according to claim 1. The object is also achieved by the method of claim 9 for manufacturing an air output unit. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which fig. 1 depicts a typical prior art, fig. 2 shows an air output unit of the invention in a side view, the side wall being removed; fig. 3 shows the same air output unit in a plan view, the roof being removed; fig. 4 shows the same air output unit in an end view, the end wall being removed; fig. 5 shows an optional accessory unit for producing compressed air in addition to blast air; and fig. 6 shows the accessory unit of fig. 5 in an end view. In the case of fig. 1, an immobile fan room 3 has been built in a conventional fashion alongside a tempering plant. In the illustrated case, the tempering plant comprises a heating furnace 1 and a tempering station 2. Naturally, the furnace 1 and/or the tempering station 2 may also consist of several successive stations. Since cooling air must be delivered to both sides of a glass panel, there are typically two fans 4 in service, which by way of distributing boxes 12 are in communication with nozzle boxes of the tempering station 2. The fan room 3 has its wall provided with an air intake 7. Figs. 2-4 show a fan room 3 of the invention, which is constructed and dimensioned as a standard-size shipping container. The container like this has a width less than 2.5 m and a length of 6 m (20 feet) or 12 m (40 feet). The container has side walls 32, a roof 33, and a floor 31, whose structural designs and material selections can be made by using solutions known from shipping or transport containers. One end wall 34 can be provided with a service door 36, and the other end wall 35 may be entirely constituted by double doors 37, the opened position of which allows the air output equipment to be placed inside the container. In the presently described case, there are two fans 4 set side by side, such that air intakes 6 are directed away from each other. The container ends 34, 35 are provided with an air intake louvre 7 fitted with a gate valve. At the working site, the doors 36, 37 are kept open or are removed. During shipping, the doors are necessary for closing the container. Behind the louvre 7 inside the container may be a sound absorption element 10 and a filter 11 for aspirating blast air therethrough. The fan 4 and a drive motor 5 therefor are set on a mounting tray 9, which is secured with bolts or screws to the container floor 31. The fan units can be pre-assembled on the tray 9 therefor, which is then pushed inside a container and secured in place. The air output equipment is assembled and set already in the factory in proper positions and stand-by state. Blast air outlets 8 are located at a predetermined distance from each other in order to connect the same by means of suitable connecting pipes with an air distributing box 12 of the tempering plant. The outlets 8 are adapted to be closed for shipping. Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate an optional accessory, which is assembled in a separate container 3'. In some applications, the air output equipment includes also a compressor 38 with its compressed-air tank 39. The compressed-air tank 39 is connected by means of a compressed-air pipe 40 through a wall 32' of the container 3' with the distributing box 12 visible in fig. 1. This is just one possible design, since e.g. the compressor 38 can be accommodated in the same container 3 as the fans 4, and the tank 39 may be separately placed outside the container. Setting up the air output equipment beforehand at the factory within a container, which is mobile, affords the following benefits: shipping is easier as a completed unit, since loading and unloading are not necessary. When set up alongside a tempering plant, the equipment is ready to work. if the layout of a tempering plant changes, e.g. a tempering machine is relocated, it is easy to follow up with the air output unit without having to disassemble and build indoor facilities and a fan room a narrow and long fan room is compact and easy to locate either outdoors or indoors, even on top of a tempering machine the layout and design of an entire facility becomes easier and the installation time is cut down. The invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiment. For example, the air intake louvres 7 can be included in the walls 32, in addition to or instead of the end louvres. Two fans 4 can be replaced with just a single fan.

Claims: An air output unit for a tempering station (2) in a tempering plant for glass panels, comprising air output equipment which includes at least one fan (4) and possibly a compressor (38) with its compressed-air tank (39), as well as walls (32), a roof (33), and a floor (31) enclosing the air output unit and constituting an equipment chamber or fan room (3) for the air output unit, the air output equipment (4, 38) being isolated from its ambience when accommodated therein, characterized in that the fan room (3) has its walls (32), roof (33), and floor (31) designed and dimensioned as a shipping container, in which the air output equipment (4) is set up and secured prior to shipping to a working site. An air output unit as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the container making up the fan room (3) has a width less than 2.5 m and a length of about 6.0 m or more. An air output unit as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the container making up the fan room (3) has one of its wall (32) provided with an openable and closeable aperture (8), which is in flow communication with the pressure port of the fan (4) and constitutes an outlet for blast air. An air output unit as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the container making up the fan room (3) is provided with two fans (4) and two outlets (8) for blast air. An air output unit as set forth in any of claims 1-4, characterized in that the at least one fan (4) and the drive motor (5) therefor are fastened to a mounting tray (9), which is secured to the container floor (31) with bolts or screws. An air output unit as set forth in any of claims 1-5, characterized in that the compressor (38) and the compressed-air tank (39) are placed in another container (3') than the fan or fans (4). An air output unit as set forth in any of claims 1-6, characterized in that the compressor (38) is placed in the same container (3) as the fan or fans (4), and the compressed-air tank (39) is outside the container. An air output unit as set forth in any of claims 1-7, characterized in that the container (3) has its ends or walls provided with air intake louvres (7) and that behind those, within the container, are provided a sound absorption element (10) and a filter (11). A method for manufacturing an air output unit for a tempering station (2) in a tempering plant for glass panels, said method comprising the accommodation, installation, and mounting of air output equipment, including typically two fans (4) and possibly a compressor (38) with its compressed-air tank (39), in an equipment chamber or fan room (3) for the air output unit, which is enclosed by walls (32), a roof (33), and a floor (31) for the air output unit, characterized in that said walls (32), roof (33), and floor (31) defining the equipment chamber are dimensioned and designed as a shipping container, in which the air output equipment (4) is set up and secured prior to shipping to a working site. A method as set forth in claim 9, characterized in that the air output equipment (4) is set up in a standby state at the factory prior to shipping to a working site.

Inventors: LEHTO MARKKU, LEHTO, MARKKU
Applicants: TAMGLASS LTD OY
Application year: 2000
Main classification: C03B27
IPC codes: C03B27