METHOD FOR LASER PROCESSING GLASS AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING SAID METHOD

Technical Field

This invention is related to a method for drilling holes and surface removal in glass household goods and a system that uses said method.

Prior Art

This invention is related to drilling holes and surface removal in glass household goods and a cooking pot lid will be described as an example.

In the known state of the art, the pan lids are manufactured from flat glass and the glass that are cut in circular shapes are manually drilled by a drill from both sides. Following this, manual, bevelling and tempering applications are performed.

In the bevelling process, the pan lid is given the desired form. In the last step of the procedure, a steel frame is mounted around the glass in order to form the seating surface between the glass cooking pot lid and the pot.

The flat lid glasses, that are cut from flat glasses are roughly drilled double-sided. Since the product is not aligned during drilling by the drill, the center of the top and bottom holes do not coincide and roughness forms on the internal surface of the holes. This situation weakens the connection between the lid handle and lid.

Moreover, it takes a long time to give the desired form to the glass lid. First, it is required to complete the production of the flat glass and then to cut the glass in desired form. The glasses that have been cut are manually drilled by an operator using a drill. Following this the bevelling process is applied to the glass lid to give its form and it is inserted into the

l tempering line. To create a form on the glass lid, a steel frame is mounted around the edge of the lid.

In the other known method of the art, the cooking pot lid is directly manufactured in the press machine. A drop of melted glass is placed into the mold and the lid form is given in the press.

In the press production, the pot lid hole is created in the mold. The final shape is given by processing the hole by burning. However, the internal surface of the holes cannot be obtained as a smooth surface. During forming by the press, the seating surface between the glass lid and the pot is created. In this method, a metal frame is not required for the pan- seating surface.

The lid handle installation hole is created during the pressing application; however, it is required to remove the burrs of the internal surface of the hole by burning. Moreover, in order to prevent formation of cracks in pressed products, it is required to increase the weight of the glass drops and to thicken the lids.

Brief Description and Objects of the I nvention

In the drilling method proposed in this invention, the glass pot lids where the drilling method is implemented were manufactured by a glass lid centrifugation method. Production of the glass lid by a centrifugation method is more advantageous than the production by pressing method as the glass lid can be produced to be lighter.

The holes of the glass lid are drilled by a laser. The glass lids produced in the desired form in the spinning machine are drilled by being brought under the laser through an automatic conveyor system after being placed on the feeding conveyors. Then, they are automatically fed to the tempering unit. Thus, since the process is automated, process times have been shortened. As a result of drilling the holes by a laser, the internal surface quality of the holes has been improved and the drilling process is completed without requiring any additional procedures. It enables to have no burrs on the internal surface and to achieve a better connection between the lid and the handle.

In the development of the quality control system of the invention, it is aimed;

• To shorten glass lid production process times and to reduce production costs,

• To improve the connection between the glass lid and the handle,

• To eliminate the use of the steel frame, and

· To reduce the thickness of the glass lid and to reduce the weight of the lid.

Brief Description of the Figures

The figures and the descriptions related to the said figures that are used to better describe the method of drilling household goods made of glass, developed by this invention and the system that uses said method is given below.

Figure 1 : Schematic View of the Laser Drilling System

Figure 2 : Top Perspective View of the Guiding Mold

Figure 3 : Side View of the Guiding Mold

Descriptions of the I terns/ Components/ Parts that Form the I nvention:

In order to better describe the method of drilling glass household goods developed by this invention and the system that uses said method, the parts and components in the figures are individually given a reference number and each number is described below.

1 . Glassware

2. Laser Source

3. Vacuum Arm

4. Conveyor Band 5. Laser Cabin

6. Guiding Mold

7. Guiding Rod

8. Guiding Rod Movement Channel 9. Grooves Formed by Surface Removal

Detailed Description of the I nvention

A method of drilling glassware (1) characterized by comprising the steps of;

• Stacking the glassware (1) one on top of the other,

· Lifting of the glassware (1) by the vacuum arm (3),

• Bringing the lifted glassware (1) to the conveyor band (4) where the guiding mold (6) is placed,

• Placing the glassware (1) on the guiding mold (6) by the help of the guiding rod (7) by being centered,

· Transporting the glassware (1) into the laser cabin (5) by the help of the conveyor system,

• By the help of the motor, stopping the conveyor band (4) at the desired position and placing the part of the glassware (1) to be drilled under the laser source (2),

• Drilling the glassware (1) by the help of the laser source (2),

· After the drilling is completed, moving the conveyor band (4) and bringing another glassware (1) to be drilled under the laser source (2),

• Removal of the glassware (1) of which the drilling procedure is completed out of the laser cabin (5) by the help of the conveyor band (4),

• Transferring the glassware (1) removed from the laser cabin (5) to another conveyor band (4) by the help of the vacuum arm (3),

• Sending the glassware (1) to the tempering unit.

In an embodiment of the invention, the vacuum arms (3) are controlled by Cartesian robots.

Guiding molds (6) have been provided on the conveyor band (4) that enables the centering of the glassware (1). Guiding rods (7) have been provided on the guiding molds (6) that enable guidance. The guiding rods (7) are located in a tapered manner, being wider at the top and narrow at the bottom. In other words, the angle alpha (a) between the guiding mold's top surface and the guiding rods is between zero and ninety degrees (0°<a<90°). Thus, when the vacuum arms (3) unload the glassware (1) they have been carrying, on to the guiding molds (6) on the conveyor band (4), they are precisely centered. On the guiding molds (6), a guiding rod movement channel (8) has been provided. The centering is assured by moving the guiding rods (7) in the guiding rod movement channel (8) depending on the diameter of the glassware (1).

The inner part of the laser cabin (5) in which the laser source (2) is located is isolated from the outer part both for preventing dusting and for preventing the eye-damaging laser rays from being seen from outside.

Since the holes to be drilled in the glassware (1) are to be drilled at the center of the product, it is very important for the conveyor system to stop the glassware (1) at the desired point. Therefore, a conveyor system with a servomotor controller is used.

At least three guiding rods (7) have been provided.

Even though the laser source (2) drills the hole on the glassware (1) as a circle, the hole may be in any geometric shape (square, rectangle, ellipsoid, polygonal etc.).

As the method of the invention can be used to drill holes, it can also be used to carve surfaces in order to create grooves (9) suitable for adding functional or visual elements to the glassware.

The glassware used in the said method may be unhardened glass as well as hardened or tempered glass.

The glass to be used in the said method may be a glass with soda-lime or borosilicate composition.