Annealing apparatus and method for float glass

Abstract

An annealing apparatus for a float glass continuously anneals a glass ribbon molded in a float bath. The annealing apparatus includes a lehr housing having an inlet and an outlet for the glass ribbon, a plurality of lehr rolls rotatably installed to the lehr housing in a width direction of the lehr housing, and labyrinth seals installed between the lehr rolls and sidewalls of the lehr housing, respectively, to prevent sulfurous acid gas supplied into the lehr housing from discharging out.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A method of annealing a glass ribbon molded in a float bath, comprising the steps of:
 providing a lehr housing which comprises an inlet and an outlet for the glass ribbon;   rotatably installing a plurality of lehr rollers, each of which has a rotary shaft, to both side walls of the lehr housing in a width direction such that two ends of the rotary shaft are outwardly protruded in a predetermined length through the side walls;   installing labyrinth seals around the two ends of the each rotary shaft outside of the side walls, thereby sealing gaps between the lehr housing and the lehr rollers;   continuously introducing the glass ribbon into the inlet of the lehr housing; and   supplying sulfurous acid gas into the lehr housing, thereby reducing a friction between a bottom of the glass ribbon and the lehr rollers and a defect occurring at a surface of the glass ribbon while preventing the sulfurous acid gas from being discharging out of the lehr housing by using the labyrinth seals.   
     
     
         8 . The method of annealing a glass ribbon according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 installing collecting nozzles to the labyrinth seals; and   collecting the sulfurous acid gas leaked through gaps between the lehr rollers and the labyrinth seals through the collecting nozzles.   
     
     
         9 . The method of annealing a glass ribbon according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 storing the collected sulfurous acid gas in a separate storage.   
     
     
         10 . The method of annealing a glass ribbon according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 discharging the glass ribbon annealed inside the lehr housing through the outlet of the lehr housing.   
     
     
         11 . The method of annealing a glass ribbon according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the labyrinth seals comprises an uneven structure to which the two ends of the corresponding rotary shaft is contacted. 
     
     
         12 . The method of annealing a glass ribbon according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 installing a first O-ring between the side walls of the lehr housing and a vertical surface of the labyrinth seals faced with the side walls.   
     
     
         13 . The method of annealing a glass ribbon according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 installing a second O-ring between each of the labyrinth seals and the two ends of the corresponding rotary shaft.