CN108137369B

CN108137369B - Method and apparatus for processing glass

Info

Publication number: CN108137369B
Application number: CN201680061071.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: J·W·布朗; 罗伟炜; E·帕尼戴斯; 张静茹; 周乃越
Original assignee: Corning Inc
Current assignee: Corning Inc
Priority date: 2015-08-21
Filing date: 2016-08-19
Publication date: 2021-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 2036-08-19
Also published as: CN108137369A; JP2018523629A; JP6837476B2; KR102523087B1; WO2017034975A1; KR20180033603A; TWI700131B; TW201722568A

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for processing a glass ribbon may include a glass former to draw a glass ribbon in a draw direction from a quantity of molten material along a draw plane of the glass former. In some embodiments, the apparatus can include a baffle having an inner surface facing the draw plane and elongated gas ports oriented to dispense an outer gas curtain that passes over the outer surface of the baffle before passing over the downstream edge of the baffle. In some embodiments, an apparatus can include a gas distributor including a gas outlet oriented to distribute a gas flow in a draw direction along a draw plane and a glass separator oriented to separate a glass sheet from a glass ribbon along a separation path transverse to the draw direction along a width of the glass ribbon.

Description

Method and apparatus for processing glass

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority of U.S. provisional application serial No. 62/346175, 2016, 62/279194, 2016, 01, 15, and 62/208317, 2015, 08, 21, filed 2016, on which this application is based, is claimed in 35u.s.c. § 119, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

It is known to process glass to achieve one or more glass sheets having desired characteristics. It is also known to encapsulate the glass sheet or sheets for shipment to a consumer for further processing.

Disclosure of Invention

The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some example embodiments described in the detailed description.

The present disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatus for processing glass and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus that include processing a glass ribbon to achieve a glass sheet having desired characteristics.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a glass ribbon may comprise: a glass former for drawing a glass ribbon from a quantity of molten material in a draw direction along a draw plane of the glass former; a baffle having an inner surface facing the draw plane; and elongated gas ports oriented to distribute the outer curtain of gas across the outer surface of the baffle and then across the downstream edge of the baffle.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a glass ribbon may comprise: a glass separator downstream of the glass former and oriented to separate a glass sheet from the glass ribbon along a separation path transverse to the draw direction along a width of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a glass ribbon may comprise: a vacuum port located downstream of the glass separator and oriented to receive debris entrained in the outer curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a glass ribbon may comprise: a vacuum source arranged to draw debris entrained in the outer curtain of gas into the vacuum port.

In some embodiments, the elongated gas ports may be oriented to distribute the inner curtain of gas across the inner surface of the baffle.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a glass ribbon may comprise: a vacuum located downstream of the glass former and oriented to receive debris entrained in the inner curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a glass ribbon may comprise: a vacuum source arranged to draw debris entrained in the inner air curtain into the vacuum.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a glass ribbon may comprise: a washer comprising a first liquid dispenser comprising a first liquid nozzle oriented to dispense liquid toward a major surface of a glass sheet separated from the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, the washer may comprise an air knife positioned downstream of the first liquid distributor. The gas knife can include a gas nozzle oriented to dispense gas toward a major surface of the glass sheet to remove liquid from the major surface of the glass sheet.

In some embodiments, the orientation of the air knife may be at an angle relative to the direction of movement of the glass sheet through the washer.

In some embodiments, the washer may comprise a housing comprising a partition dividing the housing interior into a first region comprising the first liquid distributor and a second region located downstream of the first region, wherein the second region may comprise the gas knife.

In some embodiments, the second area may include a second liquid dispenser comprising a second liquid nozzle oriented to rinse the major surface of the glass sheet at a location upstream from the gas knife.

In some embodiments, the scrubber may include a deflector (deflector) located downstream of the second liquid distributor and upstream of the gas knife. The deflector may be oriented to direct an amount of liquid from the second liquid dispenser away from the gas knife.

In some embodiments, the deflector may be oriented at an angle relative to the direction of movement of the glass sheet through the washer.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a glass ribbon may comprise: a coating chamber comprising a dispensing port oriented to dispense coating to a major surface of a glass sheet separated from the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, the dispensing port can include a plasma deposition port oriented to dispense plasma to coat a major surface of the glass sheet.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a glass ribbon may comprise: a glass former for drawing a glass ribbon from a quantity of molten material in a draw direction along a draw plane of the glass former; a gas distributor comprising a gas outlet oriented to distribute a gas flow in a draw direction along a draw plane, wherein the gas outlet of the gas distributor can be located downstream of the glass former; and a glass separator downstream from the gas outlet of the gas distributor and oriented to separate a glass sheet from the glass ribbon along a separation path transverse to the draw direction along the width of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, the gas outlets may be oriented to distribute the gas flow along the draw plane along the entire width of the draw plane.

In some embodiments, the gas outlets may be oriented to distribute the gas flow along the draw plane so as to surround the perimeter of the draw plane.

In some embodiments, the gas distributor may be a perimeter around the draw plane.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a glass ribbon may comprise: a first baffle plate having a first inner surface facing the draw plane; a second baffle plate having a second inner surface facing the draw plane and the first inner surface of the first baffle plate; a first elongated gas port oriented to dispense a first outer gas curtain to pass over the first outer surface of the first baffle before passing over the first downstream edge of the first baffle; and a second elongated gas port oriented to dispense a second outer curtain of gas to pass over a second outer surface of the second baffle plate before passing through a second downstream edge of the second baffle plate. The gas outlet of the gas distributor may be located laterally between the first and second partitions.

In some embodiments, the first elongated gas port can be oriented to dispense the first inner curtain of gas across the first interior surface of the first baffle and the second elongated gas port can be oriented to dispense the second inner curtain of gas across the second interior surface of the second baffle.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: drawing a glass ribbon from a quantity of molten material in a draw direction along a draw plane; passing a first outer upstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas along a first outer upstream path, which may be spaced apart from the first major surface of the glass ribbon; passing a first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas along a first outer downstream path in a direction toward the first major surface of the glass ribbon; and causing a first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas to impinge upon the first major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, the first outer upstream path may be parallel to the draw plane.

In some embodiments, the first outer curtain of gas may extend along the entire width of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: the glass sheet is separated from the glass ribbon downstream of the location where the first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, separating may include separating a glass sheet from the glass ribbon along a separation path that is transverse to the draw direction along the width of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: debris is entrained in the first outer curtain of air.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: debris entrained in the first outer curtain of gas is drawn into the vacuum port under pressure applied to the vacuum port.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: the glass sheet is separated from the glass ribbon upstream of the location where the first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: the inner curtain of gas is caused to pass along a first inner upstream path between the outer upstream portion of the inner curtain of gas and the first major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: the method further includes passing a first inner downstream portion of the first inner curtain of gas along a first inner downstream path in a direction toward the first major surface of the glass ribbon and impinging a first inner downstream portion of the first inner curtain of gas onto the first major surface of the glass ribbon upstream of where the first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, the first inner curtain of gas can extend along the entire width of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: debris is entrained in the first inner curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: debris entrained in the first inner curtain of gas is drawn into the vacuum upstream of the location where the first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: the glass sheet is separated from the glass ribbon at an elevation along the draw plane between where the first inner downstream portion of the first inner curtain of gas impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon and where the first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: the glass sheet is separated from the glass ribbon and then cleaned to remove debris from the major surface of the glass sheet.

In some embodiments, the cleaning may include: a first stage of dispensing a liquid to a major surface of the glass sheet to at least one of remove debris and entrain debris in the liquid; and a second stage of dispensing a gas to the major surface of the glass sheet, thereby removing liquid from the major surface of the glass sheet.

In some embodiments, the glass sheet may be oriented longitudinally and moved along a path of movement during the cleaning process.

In some embodiments, the gas distribution may be angled relative to the direction of movement of the glass sheet during the second stage, thereby directing the liquid downward in the direction of gravity.

In some embodiments, the cleaning may include: during the second stage, rinsing the major surface of the glass sheet with a rinsing liquid prior to dispensing gas to the major surface of the glass sheet; and removing the rinsing liquid from the major surface of the glass sheet with a deflector oriented at an angle relative to a direction of movement of the glass sheet to direct the rinsing liquid downwardly in a direction of gravity.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon can include coating a major surface of a glass sheet with a protective layer after cleaning the glass sheet.

In some embodiments, the protective layer may include a polymer.

In some embodiments, the protective layer can be applied to the major surface of the glass sheet by plasma deposition.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: passing a first outer upstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas over a first outer surface of a first baffle positioned such that a first inner surface faces the first major surface of the glass ribbon; and then passing the first outer upstream portion of the first outer curtain over the first downstream edge of the first baffle.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon can include passing a first cooling gas flow through a first space defined between a first major surface of the glass ribbon and a first inner surface of a first separator plate, wherein the first cooling gas flow can move in a first upstream direction opposite a first downstream direction of a first outer curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, the first baffle may be parallel to the draw plane.

In some embodiments, the first separator may extend along the entire width of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon can include passing a first inner upstream portion of a first inner curtain of gas over a first inner surface of a first baffle.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon can include passing a first cooling gas stream through a first space defined between a first major surface of the glass ribbon and a first inner upstream portion of a first inner curtain of gas, wherein the first cooling gas stream can move in a first upstream direction opposite a first downstream direction of the first inner curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: passing a second outer upstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas along a second outer upstream path, which may be spaced apart from the second major surface of the glass ribbon; passing a second outer downstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas along a second outer downstream path in a direction toward the second major surface of the glass ribbon; and impinging a second outer downstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas onto the second major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, drawing the glass ribbon may comprise: the glass ribbon is drawn between a first outer upstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas and a second outer upstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas, and then the glass ribbon is drawn between a first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas and a second outer downstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, the first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas and the second outer downstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas can be symmetrically disposed relative to the draw plane and impinge on the glass ribbon at a common elevation relative to the draw plane.

In some embodiments, the first outer upstream path and the second outer upstream path can be parallel to the draw plane.

In some embodiments, the first and second outer curtains can extend along the entire width of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: the glass sheet is separated from the glass ribbon downstream of the location where the first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon and the second outer downstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas impinges on the second major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: debris is entrained in the first outer curtain of air and the second outer curtain of air.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: debris entrained in the first and second outer air curtains is drawn into the vacuum port under pressure applied to the vacuum port.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: the glass sheet is separated from the glass ribbon upstream of the location where the first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon and the second outer downstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas impinges on the second major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may include purging debris from a region laterally defined between a first outer upstream portion of a first outer curtain of gas and a second outer upstream portion of a second outer curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, the region may be upstream of: where the first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon and where the second outer downstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas impinges on the second major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, purging may include distributing a gas flow in a draw direction along a draw plane.

In some embodiments, purging may include distributing a gas flow around a perimeter of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: such that a second inner upstream portion of the second inner curtain of gas passes along a second inner upstream path between a second outer upstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas and the second major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: the method further includes passing a second inner downstream portion of the second inner curtain of gas along a second inner downstream path in a direction toward the second major surface of the glass ribbon and impinging a second inner downstream portion of the second inner curtain of gas onto the second major surface of the glass ribbon upstream of where the second outer downstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas impinges on the second major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, drawing the glass ribbon may comprise: the glass ribbon is drawn between the first inner upstream portion of the first inner curtain of gas and the second inner upstream portion of the second inner curtain of gas, and the glass ribbon is then drawn between the first inner downstream portion of the first inner curtain of gas and the second inner downstream portion of the second inner curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, the first inner curtain of gas and the second inner curtain of gas can extend along the entire width of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: the glass sheet is separated from the glass ribbon at an elevation along the draw plane between where the first inner downstream portion of the first inner curtain of gas impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon and where the first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon and between where the second inner downstream portion of the second inner curtain of gas impinges on the second major surface of the glass ribbon and where the second outer downstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas impinges on the second major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: debris is entrained in the first inner curtain of gas and the second inner curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: drawing the debris entrained in the first and second inner air curtains into a vacuum, the vacuum being upstream of: where the first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon and where the second outer downstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas impinges on the second major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may include purging debris from a region laterally defined between a first inner upstream portion of a first inner curtain of gas and a second inner upstream portion of a second inner curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, the region may be upstream of: where the first inner downstream portion of the first inner curtain impinges on the first major surface of the glass ribbon and where the second inner downstream portion of the second inner curtain impinges on the second major surface of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: passing a first outer upstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas over a first outer surface of a first baffle (the first baffle positioned such that the first inner surface faces the first major surface of the glass ribbon), then passing the first outer upstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas over a first downstream edge of the first baffle; and passing a second outer upstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas over a second outer surface of a second baffle positioned such that the second inner surface faces the second major surface of the glass ribbon, and then passing the second outer upstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas over a second downstream edge of the second baffle.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: passing the first cooling gas stream through a first space defined between the first major surface of the glass ribbon and the first inner surface of the first separator plate, wherein the first cooling gas stream is movable in a first upstream direction opposite to a first downstream direction of the first outer curtain of gas; and passing a second cooling gas stream through a second space defined between the second major surface of the glass ribbon and the second inner surface of the second baffle, wherein the second cooling gas stream is movable in a second upstream direction opposite to the second downstream direction of the second outer curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, drawing the glass ribbon may include drawing the glass ribbon between a first inner surface of the first separator plate and a second inner surface of the second separator plate.

In some embodiments, the downstream edge of the first baffle and the downstream edge of the second baffle may be symmetrically disposed relative to the draw plane at a common upstream elevation relative to the draw plane, and the first outer downstream portion of the first outer curtain of gas and the second outer downstream portion of the second outer curtain of gas may be symmetrically disposed relative to the draw plane to impinge on the glass ribbon at a common downstream elevation relative to the draw plane.

In some embodiments, the first separator plate and the second separator plate may be parallel to the draw plane.

In some embodiments, the first and second spacers may extend along the entire width of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: purging debris from a region laterally defined between the first and second partitions.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: such that the first inner upstream portion of the first inner curtain of gas passes over the first inner surface of the first baffle and the second inner upstream portion of the second inner curtain of gas passes over the second inner surface of the second baffle.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon can include passing a first cooling gas stream through a first space defined between a first major surface of the glass ribbon and a first inner upstream portion of a first inner curtain of gas, wherein the first cooling gas stream can move in a first upstream direction opposite a first downstream direction of the first inner curtain of gas. The method can comprise the following steps: the second cooling gas stream is caused to pass through a second space defined between the second major surface of the glass ribbon and a second inner upstream portion of the second inner curtain of gas, wherein the second cooling gas stream is movable in a second upstream direction opposite to a second downstream direction of the second inner curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, drawing the glass ribbon can include drawing the glass ribbon between a first inner curtain of gas and a second inner curtain of gas.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon may comprise: a glass ribbon is drawn from a quantity of molten material in a draw direction along a draw plane, and debris is purged from a region associated with the glass ribbon by distributing a gas flow in the draw direction along the draw plane.

In some embodiments, the purging may include distributing the gas flow along the entire width of the glass ribbon.

In some embodiments, the cleaning may include: during the second stage, rinsing the glass sheet with a rinsing liquid prior to dispensing gas to the major surface of the glass sheet; and removing the rinsing liquid from the major surface of the glass sheet with a deflector oriented at an angle relative to a direction of movement of the glass sheet to direct the rinsing liquid downwardly in a direction of gravity.

In some embodiments, at least one of the glass ribbon and the glass sheet separated from the glass ribbon may be in a machine direction orientation.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the embodiments as they are described and claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principles and operations thereof.

Drawings

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become further understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a glass processing apparatus including a fusion downdraw apparatus for drawing a glass ribbon;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the fusion downdraw apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the exemplary glass separator taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1, wherein the laser beam exposes a first end position of the path on the glass ribbon;

FIG. 4 shows an intermediate position of the path of exposure of the laser beam on the glass ribbon;

FIG. 5 shows a second end position of the path of exposure of the laser beam on the glass ribbon;

FIG. 6 shows the path of the glass ribbon within the depth of focus of the laser beam;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the glass ribbon of FIG. 6 showing the variation in watt density along the path of the glass ribbon;

FIG. 8 shows a defect being created in the glass ribbon on the path;

FIG. 9 illustrates another exemplary method in which a path is exposed to a plurality of laser beams, each of which generates thermal stress along a corresponding path segment;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the fusion downdraw apparatus taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 1, showing a glass separator at a downstream position;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the fusion downdraw apparatus taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 1, showing a glass separator in an upstream position;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the fusion downdraw apparatus taken along line 12-12 of FIGS. 10 and 11;

FIG. 13 is an exemplary embodiment of the fusion downdraw apparatus shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the fusion downdraw apparatus taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a perspective schematic view of a cleaning station of the glass processing apparatus;

FIG. 16 is a perspective schematic view of a coating application station of the glass processing apparatus;

FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view of another coating application station of the glass processing apparatus;

FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the coating application station along line 15-15 of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a perspective schematic view of a re-sizing station of the glass processing apparatus;

FIG. 20 is a perspective schematic view of a finishing station of the glass processing apparatus;

FIG. 21 is a partial cross-sectional schematic view of the edge finishing apparatus taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the edge finishing apparatus taken along line 18-18 of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of a de-coating station of the glass processing apparatus;

FIG. 24 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of an inspection station of the glass processing apparatus; and

fig. 25 is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps for processing a glass ribbon according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The apparatus and methods will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are shown. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

Glass sheets are generally manufactured by: the molten glass is flowed into a forming body, where the glass ribbon may be formed by various ribbon forming processes including float, slot draw, down draw, fusion down draw, up draw, or any other forming process. The glass ribbon from any of these processes can then be subsequently separated to provide one or more glass sheets suitable for further processing into desired applications, including but not limited to display applications. For example, the one or more glass sheets can be used in various display applications, including: a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), an electrophoretic display (EPD), an organic light emitting diode display (OLED), or a Plasma Display Panel (PDP), etc. The glass sheet can be transported from one location to another. The glass sheets may be transported with conventional support frames designed to secure the stack of glass sheets. In addition, an interlayer material may be placed between each adjacent glass sheet to help prevent contact between them and thus protect the pristine surfaces of the glass sheets.

It is to be understood that the specific embodiments disclosed herein are intended to be illustrative, and thus not restrictive. Thus, the present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for processing at least one of a glass ribbon and a glass sheet. In some embodiments, the glass ribbon to be processed may be formed by a glass manufacturing apparatus and may be provided in the following manner: as it is formed from the glass manufacturing apparatus, it may be supplied from a previously formed ribbon of glass that can be unwound from a spool, or may be supplied as a free-standing ribbon of glass. In some embodiments, the glass sheet to be processed may be formed by a glass manufacturing apparatus and may be provided by: a glass sheet separated from a glass ribbon, a glass sheet separated from another glass sheet, a glass sheet unwound from a glass sheet roll, a glass sheet obtained from a glass sheet stack, or a free-standing glass sheet.

A method and apparatus for processing at least one of a glass ribbon and a glass sheet by way of exemplary embodiments will now be described, comprising: embodiments of processing a glass ribbon formed from a glass manufacturing apparatus, and embodiments of processing a glass sheet separated from a glass ribbon. Other embodiments of processing at least one of the glass ribbon and the glass sheet are also described, it being understood that for at least some embodiments, similar or identical techniques may also be applied to the process of any one or more of the exemplary glass ribbon and glass sheet described above.

The present disclosure provides for processing at least one of the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104 to achieve desired properties. In some embodiments, the glass sheet 104 may be separated from the glass ribbon 103. Further, the present disclosure provides example glass processing apparatuses, including the glass processing apparatus 100 and glass processing method 2100 (see fig. 25) schematically illustrated in fig. 1-25, that may be used to process the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the glass processing apparatus 100 can include a plurality of exemplary processing stations, which can be used alone or in combination with one another. As shown, the processing stations can be arranged in series with one another to process at least one of the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104 to provide desired properties. In addition, it may be desirable to further process the glass ribbon 103 or glass sheet 104 (e.g., the consumer further processes the glass sheet 104 for display applications). In some embodiments, the methods and apparatus provided herein can help prevent debris from contacting and contaminating the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104, thereby protecting the pristine nature of the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 that may be desirable for various display applications.

For purposes of explanation, two types of scrap will be described below in connection with the glass processing apparatus 100, it being understood that other types of scrap may be present and are considered to fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Referring to fig. 10, the separation debris 1001 can include debris associated with the glass separator 149 and that is generated before, during, or after the separation process of the glass separator 149 under any type of operating conditions of the glass processing apparatus 100. In some embodiments, separating debris 1001 may include: glass fragments and cullet pieces generated when the glass ribbon 103 is scored, and glass fragments and cullet pieces that may fall off the glass ribbon 103 when the glass ribbon 103 is separated by the glass separator 149. The separation debris 1001 may also include particles and other contaminants scattered from the glass separator 149 and associated components, such as mechanical dust, lubricants, particulates, fibers, and any other type of debris. In some embodiments, the separation debris 1001 can also include glass fragments and cullet pieces that fall off the glass ribbon 103 when the glass ribbon 103 is unexpectedly broken, cracked, or shattered, for example, as a result of a processing failure. The environmental debris 1002 may include debris from the environment surrounding the glass ribbon 103, such as glass, glass particles, glass shards, cullet pieces, particulates, fibers, dust, human contaminants, and any other type of debris. In some embodiments, the environmental debris 1002 can include dust and other particles released from the floor or other nearby structures in the environment in which the glass processing apparatus 100 is located. Such environmental debris 1002 can become airborne when subjected to an air flow (e.g., wind, breeze, air flow from the glass processing apparatus 100), or when agitated by personnel (e.g., technicians, operators), machinery, or other reasons. Similarly, environmental debris 1002 can originate from a storage container in the environment that can be used to contain glass particles, including a vacuum port 1011 oriented to receive the separated debris 1001. The environmental debris 1002 can also include particulates, such as fibers from clothing, dust, and other contaminants introduced into the environment by personnel (e.g., technicians, operators, or other sources). The apparatus and methods provided herein can isolate the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104 from exposure and contact with at least one of the separation debris 1001 and the environmental debris 1002.

Further, rapid processing of at least one of the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104 with the glass processing apparatus 100 can result in high yields of at least one of the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104. In addition, rapid tooling of at least one of the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104 can help prevent debris (e.g., separation debris 1001, environmental debris 1002) from adhering to an pristine surface of at least one of the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104. In fact, the longer the debris is in contact with

major surfaces

214a, 214b, the more strongly the debris that falls onto the major surfaces (e.g., first major surface 213a, second major surface 213b) of glass ribbon 103 and the major surfaces (e.g., first major surface 214a, second major surface 214b) of glass sheet 104 will bond with

major surfaces

214a, 214 b. Thus, increasing the speed at which at least one of the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104 is moved from station to station can achieve rapid removal of debris left on the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104, thereby avoiding a strong bond that might otherwise complicate removal of the debris at a later time. For example, if a work station generates debris (e.g., a glass separation work station separates a glass sheet 104 from a glass ribbon 103, generating separation debris 1001), the glass sheet 104 can be quickly moved from the work station within about 1-20 seconds (e.g., within about 1-15 seconds) to, for example, a cleaning work station, where the debris can be removed from the glass sheet 104.

Although an exemplary sequence of processing stations is shown, in some embodiments, the processing stations may be arranged in a different sequence. In some embodiments, the glass processing apparatus 100 can include more processing stations than are illustratively shown. In some embodiments, the glass processing apparatus 100 can include fewer processing stations than the exemplary illustrated processing stations. Further, in some embodiments, a single processing station may be provided that may be used alone or in combination with any one or more of the other processing stations to process at least one of the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104.

In some embodiments, the glass processing apparatus 100 provides a glass ribbon 103 via a glass manufacturing apparatus 101 (e.g., a slot draw apparatus, a float bath apparatus, a down-draw apparatus, an up-draw apparatus, a press roll apparatus, or other glass ribbon manufacturing apparatus). FIG. 1 schematically shows a glass manufacturing apparatus 101 that includes a fusion downdraw apparatus 101 for fusion drawing a glass ribbon 103 for subsequent processing into a glass sheet 104.

The fusion down-draw apparatus 101 can include a melting vessel 105 oriented to receive batch material 107 from a storage hopper 109. The batch material 107 may be introduced by a batch delivery device 111 driven by a motor 113. The optional controller 115 may be configured to activate the motor 113 to introduce a desired amount of batch material 107 into the melting vessel 105, as indicated by arrow 117. A glass melt probe 119 can be used to measure the level of molten material 121 within standpipe 123 and transmit the measured information to controller 115 by way of communication line 125.

The fusion downdraw apparatus 101 can also include a fining vessel 127 positioned downstream from the melting vessel 105 and connected to the melting vessel 105 by a first connecting conduit 129. In some embodiments, the molten material 121 may be gravity fed from the melting vessel 105 to the fining vessel 127 by way of the first connecting conduit 129. For example, gravity may act to drive the molten material 121 through the internal path of the first connecting conduit 129 from the melting vessel 105 to the fining vessel 127. Within fining vessel 127, bubbles may be removed from molten material 121 by various techniques.

The fusion downdraw apparatus 101 may also include a mixing chamber 131, which may be located downstream of the fining vessel 127. The mixing chamber 131 may be used to provide a uniform composition of the molten material 121, thereby reducing or eliminating non-uniform cord that may otherwise be present in the molten material 121 exiting the fining vessel 127. As shown, the fining vessel 127 can be connected to the mixing chamber 131 by way of a second connecting conduit 135. In some embodiments, the molten material 121 may be gravity fed from the fining vessel 127 to the mixing chamber 131 by way of the second connecting conduit 135. For example, gravity may act to drive the molten material 121 through the internal path of the second connecting conduit 135 from the fining vessel 127 to the mixing chamber 131.

The fusion downdraw apparatus 101 can also include a transfer vessel 133, which can be located downstream of the mixing chamber 131. The delivery vessel 133 can condition the molten material 121 to be fed into the glass former 140. For example, the delivery vessel 133 may act as a reservoir and/or flow controller to regulate and provide a steady flow of molten material 121 to the glass former 140. As shown, the mixing chamber 131 may be connected to the transfer container 133 by means of a third connecting conduit 137. In some embodiments, the molten material 121 may be gravity fed from the mixing chamber 131 to the transfer vessel 133 by way of a third connecting conduit 137. For example, gravity may act to drive the molten material 121 through the internal path of the third connecting conduit 137 from the mixing chamber 131 to the transfer vessel 133.

As further shown, a transfer tube 139 may be positioned to transfer the molten material 121 to a glass former 140 of the fusion downdraw apparatus 101. As discussed in more detail below, the glass former 140 may draw the molten material 121 into a glass ribbon 103 exiting a root 145 of the forming vessel 143. In the illustrated embodiment, the forming vessel 143 may include an inlet 141 oriented to receive the molten material 121 from the transfer tube 139 of the transfer vessel 133.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of fusion downdraw apparatus 101 of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2. As shown, the forming vessel 143 can include a trough 170 oriented to receive the molten material 121 from the inlet 141. The forming vessel 143 may also include a forming wedge 171 that includes a pair of downwardly inclined converging

surface portions

173, 175 extending between opposite ends of the forming wedge 173. This pair of downwardly inclined converging

surface portions

173, 175 meet along the draw direction 177 to form a root 145. The draw plane 181 extends through the root 145, wherein the glass ribbon 103 can be drawn along the draw plane 181 in a draw direction 177. As shown, the draw plane 181 can bisect the root 145, but the draw plane 181 can extend in other orientations relative to the root 145.

Referring to fig. 2, in some embodiments, molten material 121 may flow from inlet 141 into recess 170 of forming vessel 143. The molten material 121 may then overflow the trough 170 while flowing over the

respective weirs

172a, 172b and down the

outer surfaces

174a, 174b of the

respective weirs

172a, 172 b. The streams of molten material 121 then flow along the downwardly inclined converging

surface portions

173, 175 of the forming wedge 171 to draw away from the root 145 of the forming vessel 143 where the streams converge and fuse into the glass ribbon 103. The glass ribbon 103 can then be fusion drawn from the root 145 in the draw plane 181 along the draw direction 177 away from the root 145, and the glass sheet 104 can then be subsequently separated from the glass ribbon 103.

As shown in fig. 2, the glass processing apparatus 100 can include a glass former 140 for drawing a glass ribbon 103 in a draw direction 177 from the quantity of molten material 121 along a draw plane 181 of the glass former 140. The glass ribbon 103 can be drawn from the root 145 having a first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and a second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. As shown, the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 can face in opposite directions and define a thickness "T" of the glass ribbon 103 that can be less than or equal to about 1 millimeter (mm), less than or equal to about 0.5 mm, less than or equal to about 500 micrometers (um), for example, less than or equal to about 300 micrometers, such as less than or equal to about 200 micrometers, or such as less than or equal to about 100 micrometers, although in some embodiments other thicknesses can also be used. In some embodiments, the thickness "T" of the glass ribbon 103 can be: from about 100 microns to about 0.5 millimeters, from about 300 microns to about 0.4 millimeters, or from about 0.3 millimeters to about 500 microns, and all subranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the thickness "T" of the glass ribbon 103 can be: from about 50 microns to about 500 microns, such as from about 50 microns to about 300 microns, such as from about 50 microns to about 200 microns, such as from about 50 microns to about 100 microns, and all ranges and subranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the thickness "T" of the glass ribbon 103 can be greater than 1 millimeter, e.g., from about 1 millimeter to about 3 millimeters, and all subranges therebetween. Regardless of the source or production method, in some embodiments, the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104 separated from the glass ribbon 103 can include the following thickness ranges: about 50 microns to 1000 microns, including all ranges and subranges described above, but in some embodiments other thicknesses can also be provided.

In some embodiments, the width "W" of the glass ribbon 103 can be greater than or equal to about 20mm, such as greater than or equal to about 50mm, such as greater than or equal to about 100mm, such as greater than or equal to about 500mm, such as greater than or equal to about 1000mm, such as greater than or equal to about 2000mm, such as greater than or equal to about 3000mm, such as greater than or equal to about 4000mm, although other widths less than or greater than the above can also be provided in some embodiments.

In some embodiments, the width "W" of the glass ribbon 103 can be: from about 20mm to about 4000mm, such as from about 50mm to about 4000mm, such as from about 100mm to about 4000mm, such as from about 500mm to about 4000mm, such as from about 1000mm to about 4000mm, such as from about 2000mm to about 4000mm, such as from about 3000mm to about 4000mm, such as from about 20mm to about 3000mm, such as from about 50mm to about 3000mm, such as from about 100mm to about 3000mm, such as from about 500mm to about 3000mm, such as from about 1000mm to about 3000mm, such as from about 2000mm to about 2500mm, and all ranges and subranges therebetween.

The glass ribbon 103 can include various compositions including, but not limited to: soda lime glass, borosilicate glass, aluminoborosilicate glass, alkali-containing glass, or alkali-free glass. In some embodiments, the glass ribbon 103 can include the following coefficients of thermal expansion: less than 15 ppm/deg.C, less than 10 ppm/deg.C, or less than 5 ppm/deg.C, e.g., about 5-15 ppm/deg.C, e.g., about 5-10 ppm/deg.C, and all ranges and subranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the glass ribbon 103 may include the following speeds as it passes through: greater than or equal to 50 millimeters per second (mm/s),. greater than or equal to 100mm/s, or greater than or equal to 500mm/s, for example, from about 50mm/s to about 500mm/s, for example, from about 100mm/s to about 500mm/s, and all ranges and subranges therebetween.

The glass ribbon 103 can be continuously drawn away from the root 145 in the draw direction 177 along the draw plane 181 until the glass ribbon 103 exits the lower opening 183 of the glass former 140. In some embodiments, the glass ribbon 103 may undergo an annealing process prior to exiting the lower opening 183 of the glass former 140. Once exiting lower opening 183, glass ribbon 103 can then be finally separated into one or more glass sheets 104 by glass separator 149. As shown, the glass separator 149 may be positioned downstream (e.g., along the draw direction 177, as shown in fig. 2) of the glass former 140 and oriented to separate the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103. In embodiments of the present disclosure, various glass separators 149 may be provided. For example, a traveling anvil machine may be provided that can score and then break the glass ribbon 103 along the score line. In some embodiments, for example as shown in fig. 13, glass separator 149 can include a first glass separator 149a facing first major surface 213a of glass ribbon 103 and a second glass separator 149b facing second major surface 213b of glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the first glass separator 149a and the second glass separator 149b can operate together to separate the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103 (e.g., along a transverse separation path 151, the transverse separation path 151 being transverse to the draw direction 177 along the width "W" of the glass ribbon 103).

In some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can include a robot 150 (e.g., a robotic arm) oriented to bend the glass sheet 104 relative to the glass ribbon 103, separating the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103 along a transverse separation path 151 corresponding to the score line. In some embodiments, a laser-assisted separation device may be provided, as described below and in co-pending U.S. application No. 14/547,688 filed 11/19 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Such laser assisted separation devices may include, but are not limited to: a laser scoring technique that heats the glass ribbon 103 and then cools the glass ribbon 103 to create vent holes in the glass ribbon 103 to separate the glass ribbon 103. Such laser-assisted separation devices may also include laser cutting techniques that heat the glass ribbon 103 to create a stressed region in the glass ribbon 103 and then apply a defect to the stressed region of the glass ribbon 103 to initiate a crack to separate the glass ribbon 103. FIG. 1 shows a general schematic of an exemplary glass separator 149, wherein FIGS. 3-6, 8, and 9 schematically show exemplary features of the glass separator 149. As shown, the example glass separator 149 can separate the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103 along a transverse separation path 151, the transverse separation path 151 extending along the width "W" of the glass ribbon 103, transverse to the draw direction 177 of the glass former 140, between a first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 and a second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103.

In some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can separate the outer portion 159 of the glass sheet 104 from the central portion 161 of the glass sheet 104 along a longitudinal separation path 163, the longitudinal separation path 163 extending along a length "L" between a first lateral edge 165 of the glass sheet 104 and a second lateral edge 167 of the glass sheet 104. As shown, the technique can be performed in a machine direction orientation, but in some embodiments, a horizontal orientation can also be provided. In some embodiments, the longitudinal orientation can help to carry away glass particles by gravity, thereby reducing or preventing contamination that would otherwise be caused to the pristine first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the pristine second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can include a vacuum 148, for example, a debris vacuum system (shown schematically as vacuum 148 in fig. 10, 11, and as vacuum 148 in fig. 13 (which can include first and

second vacuums

148a, 148b in some embodiments)), which can operate in a localized area around the glass separator 149 from which the separation debris 1001 is removed. In some embodiments, the vacuum 148 can be attached to the glass separator 149 and can pass through the glass separator 149 as the glass separator 149 can move the separated glass ribbon 103 relative to the glass ribbon 103. As shown in fig. 13, in some embodiments, first vacuum 148a can be positioned facing first major surface 213a of glass ribbon 103 and first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104, and second vacuum 148b can be positioned facing second major surface 213b of glass ribbon 103 and second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104. At least one of the first and

second vacuums

148a, 148b may operate in a localized area around the glass separator 149 from which the separated debris 1001 is removed. In some embodiments, at least one of the first vacuum 148a and the second vacuum 148b can be attached to the glass separator 149 and can pass through the glass separator 149 as the glass separator 149 can move to separate the glass ribbon 103 relative to the glass ribbon 103.

FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of the glass separator 149 schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 in relation to separating the glass ribbon 103 along the transverse separation path 151. It is to be understood that in some embodiments, the same or similar techniques may be employed to separate glass ribbon 103 and any other glass ribbon along any path and glass sheet 104 and any other glass sheet along any path. Glass separator 149 may include a laser beam generator 201 configured to generate a laser beam 203. In some embodiments, the laser beam generator 201 and the laser beam 203 may comprise CO₂Laser, the CO₂The laser may heat the transverse separation path 151 with a longer pulse laser, which may be approximately a continuous stream of energy. Thus, the laser beam 203 can be designed to heat the lateral separation path 151 on the glass ribbon 103 without damaging the glass ribbon 103. For the purposes of this application, the transverse separation path 151 on the glass ribbon 103 is heatedAnd the absence of damage to the glass ribbon 103 is intended to mean that the lateral separation path 151 is heated without damaging the glass ribbon 103 in a manner that does not result in separation of the glass ribbon 103 without the application of the defect 703. Some embodiments of heating the lateral separation path 151 without damaging the glass ribbon 103 may include: heating without melting the glass ribbon 103, heating without ablating the glass ribbon 103, heating without creating an integral crack in the glass ribbon 103, and heating without scoring the glass ribbon 103. The laser beam 203 can avoid damaging the glass ribbon 103, thereby enabling a desired level of thermal stress to be generated along the transverse separation path 151 of the glass ribbon 103 without separating the glass ribbon 103 prior to application of the defect 703, as described below.

As further shown in fig. 3, the glass separator 149 may also include a series of

mirrors

205a, 205b, 205c, 205d and one or more optical lenses 207 configured to provide a desired beam distribution and to produce a laser beam spot 209 on the first outer edge portion 211a of the glass ribbon 103, the second outer edge portion 211b of the glass ribbon 103, or a major surface (e.g., the first major surface 213a, the second major surface 213b) of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the glass separator 149 may include a polygonal reflecting device 215. Polygonal reflector 215 may include an octagonal reflector as shown (which includes eight mirrors 219a-h), although other polygonal configurations with different numbers of mirrors may be provided in some embodiments.

In some embodiments, the method can include exposing to the laser beam 203 along the lateral separation path 151 of the glass ribbon 103 by rotating the polygon mirror 215 in a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3-6 and 8, polygon mirror 215 may be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction 217 such that each of eight mirrors 219a-h is in turn in the projection path of laser beam 203. The rotation shown in the figure illustrates the principle of scanning of the laser beam 203. The actual configuration and/or rotation of the multi-edge reflecting device 215 can depend on a wide range of factors, such as whether it is desired that the laser beam 203 sweep an extreme position from the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 to the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103, or whether the laser beam scans past (sweep off) the glass ribbon 103, as shown in FIGS. 6-8.

As described below, the laser beam 203 may heat the lateral separation path 151 on the glass ribbon 103. The transverse separation path 151 is shown schematically as a dashed line throughout the figures, but it is understood that the actual path will coincide with the glass ribbon 103, including coinciding with the first outer edge portion 211a of the glass ribbon 103, coinciding with the second outer edge portion 211b of the glass ribbon 103, and coinciding with one or both of the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103. As shown in fig. 3, in but one embodiment, the transverse separation path 151 can extend along the first outer edge portion 211a of the glass ribbon 103, along the second outer edge portion 211b of the glass ribbon 103, and the glass ribbon 103 can extend toward the first major surface 213a of the glass separator 149 from the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 to the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the lateral separation path 151 can extend along the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 or along the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and be located at a midpoint of the thickness between the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. Indeed, as shown, the extension of the lateral separation path 151 can coincide with the outer surfaces of the first outer edge portion 211a of the glass ribbon 103 and the second outer edge portion 211b of the glass ribbon 103, and the extension can also coincide with the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103. Further, as shown, the first outer edge portion 211a of the glass ribbon 103 can include a first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 and the second outer edge portion 211b of the glass ribbon 103 can include a second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103, wherein the lateral separation path 151 can extend along a substantial portion of the width "W" of the glass ribbon 103 or along the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103. Similarly, referring to fig. 1, glass sheet 104 can include a first lateral edge 165 of glass sheet 104 and a second lateral edge 167 of glass sheet 104, wherein longitudinal separation path 163 can extend along a substantial portion of the entire length "L" of glass sheet 104, or along the entire length "L" of glass sheet 104.

Non-limiting exemplary methods of heating the laterally separated paths 151 with the exemplary polygonal reflective device 215 will be described below. For example, as shown in fig. 3, when the first mirror 219a passes through the path of the laser beam 203, the first edge region 221a of the first mirror 219a first passes through the path of the laser beam 203, reflecting the laser beam spot 209 and exposing the first end location 221 of the transverse separation path 215 to the laser beam 203 along the glass ribbon 103. In fact, as shown, a first end location 221 of the transverse split path 151 will be exposed to the laser beam spot 209, thereby heating the transverse split path 151 at that location. As the polygon mirror 215 rotates in the counterclockwise direction 217, the angle of the first mirror 219a relative to the projected laser beam 203 changes such that the laser beam spot 209 moves along a scan direction 225, the scan direction 225 extending from the first outer edge portion 211a of the glass ribbon 103 toward the second outer edge portion 211b of the glass ribbon 103.

FIG. 4 shows that rotation of the polygon mirror 215 causes the intermediate portion 221b of the first mirror 219a to subsequently traverse the path of the laser beam 203, thereby reflecting the laser beam 203 and exposing an intermediate location 301 of the transverse separation path 215 to the laser beam spot 209, thereby heating the transverse separation path 151 at that location.

As further shown in FIG. 5, the polygon reflecting device 215 may even be further rotated in a counter-clockwise direction 217 such that the second edge portion 221c of the first mirror 219a subsequently traverses the path of the laser beam 203, thereby reflecting the laser beam 203 and exposing the second end location 401 of the transverse separation path 215 to the laser beam spot 209, thereby heating the transverse separation path 151 at that location. Further incremental rotation in the counter-clockwise direction 217 as shown in FIG. 5 will cause the first edge region 403 of the second mirror 219b to traverse the path of the laser beam 203, wherein the laser beam spot 209 will disappear from the second end position 401 of the transverse split path 151 and reappear at the first end position 221 of the transverse split path 151, as shown in FIG. 3. Of course, since the actual laser beam 203 produces a laser beam spot 209 having a finite diameter rather than a single point, there may be brief moments in time when the laser beam spot 209 would be reflected from adjacent portions of adjacent mirrors simultaneously. At this point in time, the laser beam spot 209 will be partially coincident in the outer extreme portion of the scan path. For example, referring to FIG. 5, during a short period of time, the beam spot 209 may reflect from both the second edge portion 221c of the first mirror 219a and the first edge region 403 of the second mirror 219 b. At this point in time, spot 209 will appear partially in the position shown in FIG. 5 (e.g., second end position 401 of transverse split path 151) and partially in the position shown in FIG. 3 (e.g., first end position 221 of transverse split path 151).

Thus, the heating may include repeated passes of the laser beam spot 209 along the transverse separation path 151, thereby creating thermal stress along the transverse separation path 151. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the repeated passes of the laser beam spot 209 may optionally include repeated passes of the laser beam spot 209 in the scan direction 225. In fact, since each of the mirrors 219a-h traverses the path of the laser beam 203 as the polygon mirror 215 rotates in the counterclockwise direction 217 as shown, the laser beam spot 209 will move in the scan direction 225 from a first end position 221 of the transverse separation path 151 to a second end position 401 of the transverse separation path 151. The laser beam spot 209 can be moved along the scan direction 225 at various rates depending on the rotational speed of the polygon mirror 215. In some embodiments, the movement of the laser beam spot 209 may be about 0.5-6km/s, such as about 1-5km/s, such as about 2-4km/s, such as about 3 km/s.

Although not shown, in some embodiments, the lateral separation path 215 may be heated in a variety of ways. For example, multiple laser beam generators 201 may be provided and/or the laser beam 203 generated by the laser beam generator 201 may be split into two or more laser beams to simultaneously reflect the laser beams from different mirrors of the polygonal reflecting device 215 and/or different portions of the same mirror. Thereby, a plurality of laser beam spots may be provided which are moved simultaneously along the scanning direction 225 or in opposite directions, depending on the optical configuration. In some embodiments, the laser beam 203 generated by the laser beam generator 201 may extend into an elongated laser beam spot 209 configured to heat the entire transverse separation path 151 simultaneously. In such embodiments, the laser beam spot 209 may remain stationary, although the entire lateral separation path 151 is heated simultaneously.

In some embodiments, a plurality of glass separators 149 can be provided, each of which creates a section across the transverse separation path 151. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of glass separators 149 can be provided, which can optionally be similar or identical to the glass separators 149 described above. It is to be understood that while 5 glass separators 149 are shown in fig. 9, such a display should not limit the scope of the claims appended hereto unless otherwise specified. Thus, in some embodiments, any number of glass separation devices can be employed (e.g., from 1, 2, 3, 4, to over 5 glass separation devices). Each glass separator 149 may generate a

laser beam

802, 804, 806, 808, 810 that may induce thermal stress on corresponding

sections

801, 803, 805, 807, 809 along the entire lateral separation path 151. In some embodiments, the

segments

801, 803, 805, 807, 809 of the entire transverse separation path 151 can be placed end-to-end. However, as shown, each section of the transverse separation path 151 may overlap at least one adjacent section of the transverse separation path 151 in an

overlap region

811, 813, 815, 817 to provide sufficient heating between the

sections

801, 803, 805, 807, 809. In some embodiments, the

overlap regions

811, 813, 815, 817 may include the following overlap lengths: about 5-40% of the length of at least one of the

sections

801, 803, 805, 807, 809, for example about 10-30% (e.g., about 10-25%) of the length of at least one of the

sections

801, 803, 805, 807, 809. In some embodiments, each

corresponding section

801, 803, 805, 807, 809 of the entire transverse separation path 151 may have a length of about 800mm, with each

overlap region

811, 813, 815, 817 having an overlap length of about 100 mm. Providing

sections

801, 803, 805, 807, 809 and

optional overlap regions

811, 813, 815, 817 of the entire lateral separation path 151 can help achieve a sufficient level of thermal stress along the entire lateral separation path 151 extending along the glass ribbon 103.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure demonstrate that the laser beam spot 209 moves along a substantial portion of the glass ribbon 103 (e.g., the entire dimension), and in some embodiments, the laser beam spot 209 is also shown to move beyond the glass ribbon 103. Thus, the lateral separation path 151 can similarly extend along a substantial portion of the glass ribbon 103, e.g., along the entire dimension of the glass ribbon 103. For example, as shown in fig. 1, the laser beam spot 209 can pass from the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 to the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103 along the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103 such that the transverse separation path 151 extends along the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103. Similarly, as further shown in fig. 1, the laser beam spot 209 can pass from the first lateral edge 165 of the glass sheet 104 to the second lateral edge 167 of the glass sheet 104 along the entire length "L" of the glass sheet 104 such that the longitudinal separation path 163 extends along the entire length "L" of the glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, at least one of the transverse separation path 151 and the longitudinal separation path 163 can be about 50-5000mm, such as about 50-1000mm, although in some embodiments the laser beam spot 209 can also be configured to move a longer or shorter path.

The laser beam spot 209 may comprise a circular spot, but in some embodiments, an elliptical or other shaped spot may also be provided. When determined as 1/e of the intensity distribution of the laser beam spot 209²The minimum diameter of the laser beam spot 209 at the focused beam waist may be about 1 millimeter (mm) to about 2mm, although other dimensions may be provided in some embodiments. Similarly, the maximum length of the oval or other spot shape may be about 1-3mm, although other dimensions may be provided in some embodiments. For example, when a stationary laser beam is employed, the shape of the laser beam spot 209 may be significantly elongated and have a length of tens of centimeters (cm), e.g., a length in excess of 1 meter (m). One or more laser beams 203 may be used to expose and heat at least one of the transverse separation path 151 and the longitudinal separation path 163.

Fig. 3-6, 8, and 9 demonstrate embodiments in which the laser beam 203 is scanned between a first outer position 405 and a second outer position 407. In any embodiment of the present disclosure, the laser beam 203 may move beyond the glass ribbon 103 during heating of the transverse separation path 151. For example, as shown in fig. 6, 8, and 9, the scan of the laser beam 203 can optionally extend between a first outermost location 501 and a second outermost location 503, the first and second

outermost locations

501 and 503 being outside of the first longitudinal edge 153 and the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103. Allowing the laser beam 203 to move beyond the glass ribbon 103 during heating ensures that a sufficient level of thermal stress is achieved for all portions of the glass ribbon 103 along the transverse separation path 151.

As further shown in fig. 6, upon exposing the lateral separation path 151 along the glass ribbon 103 to the laser beam 203, the glass ribbon 103 can be positioned such that the entire lateral separation path 151 is within the depth of focus "DOF" of the laser beam 203. The depth of focus "DOF" can be calculated by:

where "F" is the focal length of lens 207, "D" is the beam diameter before the lens, and "λ" is the wavelength.

Placing the entire lateral separation path 151 within the depth of focus "DOF" of the laser beam 203 can help increase the efficiency of energy transfer from the laser beam 203 to the lateral separation path 151. Since the depth of focus "DOF" of the laser beam 203 exceeds the magnitude of the glass warp, thickness variation, and movement of the glass ribbon 103 during separation, the depth of focus "DOF" ensures separation of non-flat glass having varying thickness that may also move or change orientation relative to the laser beam 203 to some extent. In some embodiments, the depth of focus "DOF" may be about 20-400mm, for example, about 20-200mm, although other depths of focus may be provided in some embodiments.

Further, in some embodiments, the entire glass ribbon 103 may be placed within the depth of focus "DOF" in addition to the lateral separation path 151 of the glass ribbon 103. The depth of focus "DOF" of the laser beam 203 may be large enough to exceed the change in glass thickness, glass warp, or other possible positional changes of the glass ribbon 103, and thus, the entire lateral separation path 151 on the glass ribbon 103 may be exposed to the laser beam 203 during the disclosed method. In some embodiments, the depth of focus "DOF" of the laser beam 203 can exceed the magnitude of glass thickness variation, the magnitude of warping (e.g., deformation), the magnitude of glass movement relative to the beam source or other variations in processing conditions. Further, in some embodiments, the dimension of the laser beam spot 209 on the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 can vary as the laser beam spot 209 repeatedly passes along the transverse separation path 151 (particularly near the ends of the transverse separation path 151). For example, when focusing the laser beam 203 along the first scan path 507 or along the second scan path 509, the dimensions of the laser beam spot 209 on the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 can vary along the lateral separation path 151, but other paths can be provided while still maintaining the glass ribbon 103 within the depth of focus "DOF".

As shown in FIG. 7, if moved along the second scan path 509 (shown in FIG. 6), the laser beam spot 209 will assume a varying power density along the transverse split path 151 due to the varying diameter along the transverse split path 151 and the shape of the laser beam spot 209, as shown by the truncated elliptical-shaped power density region 601. In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the elliptical-shaped power density regions 601 on the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 are truncated as a result of the purposeful movement of the laser beam 203 beyond the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, an unpunctured ellipse-like power density region may be provided. For example, in some embodiments, the endpoints of the elliptical-shaped power density region may be located at the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 and the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103. When the first outer edge portion 211a of the glass ribbon 103 and the second outer edge portion 211b of the glass ribbon 103 include thickened edge portions, it may be even more advantageous to separate the glass ribbon 103 using two laser beams that produce a maximum power density at or near the thickened edge portions (e.g., edge beads), with portions of the laser beam spots overlapping in a central region of the glass ribbon 103. Since the maximum power density is located at or near the thickened edge region, a higher thermal stress can be targeted at the thickened edge portion, resulting in an increase in thermal stress. At the same time, the partial overlap in the central region of the glass ribbon 103 due to the relatively lower power density provided by the trailing end of the laser beam path may provide enhanced thermal stress due to the double exposure of the overlapping laser beams. Such overlap may also be provided at

overlap regions

811, 813, 815, 817 as shown in fig. 9, where the double exposure may offset the lower power density at the outer ends of the

sections

801, 803, 805, 807, 809 of the lateral separation path 151 to help achieve a sufficient level of thermal stress along the entire lateral separation path 151 that extends along the glass ribbon 103.

The localized heating of the lateral separation path 151 can create a temperature differential between different portions of the glass ribbon 103, which creates thermal stress along the lateral separation path 151. As described above, the heating process of the lateral separation path 151 may be performed until a predetermined stress level is achieved. In some embodiments, an exemplary stress level may be a temperature along the transverse separation path 151 that corresponds to about 70-100% of the glass strain temperature point, e.g., about 80-100%, e.g., about 90-100%, e.g., about 95-100% of the glass strain temperature point. This level of heating avoids the creation of residual stresses in the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the predetermined stress level may be a temperature along the lateral separation path 151 that corresponds from a strain temperature point of the glass up to an annealing point. While lower temperatures are also possible, it may be desirable to achieve higher temperatures to maximize thermal stress along the lateral separation path 151. Providing higher thermal stress may help reduce the separation time after applying the defect 703, as discussed in more detail below. In some embodiments, the separation time may be about 0.1 to 3 seconds after the defect 703 is created, although other separation times are possible in some embodiments.

The time required to heat the lateral separation path 151 to a desired thermal stress level may depend on a wide range of factors, such as laser power, glass type, glass size, glass thickness, or other factors. In some embodiments, for CO of about 300W to about 1.5kW₂With laser power and glass thickness of about 0.1-3mm, the lateral separation path 151 can be sufficiently heated in about 0.1-5 seconds.

As described above, an exemplary, non-limiting method of separating the glass ribbon 103 may include: the transverse separation path 151 on the glass ribbon 103 is exposed to at least one laser beam 203, thereby creating thermal stress along the transverse separation path 151 without damaging the glass ribbon 103. The method may further comprise: the defect 703 is created on the transverse separation path 151 when the transverse separation path 151 on the glass ribbon 103 is under thermal stress due to exposure of the transverse separation path 151 to the at least one laser beam 203, after which the glass ribbon 103 can be rapidly separated along the transverse separation path 151 in response to the defect 703.

In some embodiments, the defect 703 may be created after a predetermined level of thermal stress is achieved along the lateral separation path 151 when the lateral separation path 151 is exposed to the at least one laser beam 203. In fact, because the entire lateral separation path 151 is at the predetermined thermal stress level, the initiation of the defect 703 may directly cause the rapid separation of the glass ribbon 103 along the lateral separation path 151 in response to the defect 703. The rapid detachment may begin when the defect 703 is created or immediately after the defect 703 is created. Thus, separation of the glass ribbon 103 may occur as a direct result of the defect 703 that propagates the full body crack 1505 along the entire transverse separation path 151, thereby separating the glass ribbon 103. As used herein, the term full body crack 1505 refers to a crack that extends through the entire thickness (e.g., thickness "T") of the glass ribbon 103. The time to separate the glass ribbon 103 according to embodiments of the present disclosure can significantly reduce the time required to separate the glass ribbon 103 compared to conventional techniques for separating glass ribbons. Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure may be advantageous over conventional techniques for applications where rapid separation of the glass ribbon 103 is desired. For example, in applications where draw speed is increased, rapid separation may be advantageous to achieve separation within a given travel length of the glass ribbon 103. Further, the methods of the present disclosure may separate the glass ribbon 103 even under elevated temperature conditions. For example, while separation may be performed while the glass ribbon 103 is at room temperature, separation may also be performed while the glass ribbon 103 is at an elevated temperature (typically below the strain point of the glass, e.g., up to 400 ℃, although other maximum temperatures may also be provided in some embodiments). Thus, the methods of the present disclosure may provide separation before the glass ribbon 103 cools during the forming process or during other processing processes.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 8 and any of the embodiments described herein, creating the defect 703 may be performed while exposing the lateral separation path 151 to the at least one laser beam 203 to create thermal stress along the lateral separation path 151. The creation of the defect 703 upon exposure of the transverse separation path 151 to the laser beam 203 may help create a sufficient level of thermal stress along the transverse separation path 151 to provide rapid separation of the glass ribbon 103 in direct response to the creation of the defect 703. In some embodiments, the exposure of the lateral separation path 151 to the laser beam 203 may be completed after the defect 703 is created, and the exposure of the lateral separation path 151 to the laser beam 203 may even continue until the separation of the glass ribbon 103 along the lateral separation path 151 is completed. Another advantage of generating the defect 703 while exposing the lateral separation path 151 to the laser beam 203 is that the likelihood of uncontrolled cracking is reduced, which may begin during the exposure (e.g., heating) of the glass ribbon 103 to the laser beam 203 or where the defect 703 is generated before the glass ribbon 103 is exposed to the laser beam 203. This may enable reliable separation of strengthened glass, laminated glass structures and any other glass having high internal stresses. Another advantage of generating the defect 703 while exposing the glass ribbon 103 to the laser beam 203 is that the total time required to separate the glass ribbon 103 is reduced.

In some embodiments, the completion of the exposure of the lateral split path 151 may be as follows: immediately before the defect 703 is generated, at the time the defect 703 is being generated, immediately after the defect 703 is generated, or within a short time after the defect 703 is generated. In such embodiments, the defect 703 may still be created when there is sufficient residual thermal stress along the transverse separation path 151 to provide rapid separation of the glass ribbon 103 along the transverse separation path 151. However, in some embodiments, the separation speed may be increased by: the glass ribbon 103 is continuously exposed to the at least one laser beam 203 while the defect 703 is being created and even after the defect 703 is created (e.g., throughout the separation of the glass ribbon 103). In fact, continuously exposing the glass ribbon 103 to the laser beam 203 while the defect 703 is being created may increase the separation speed of the glass ribbon 103 by maintaining a predetermined thermal stress (e.g., a maximum thermal stress along the transverse separation path 151). However, overexposure of the lateral separation path 151 to the laser beam 203 should be avoided so that the generation of residual stresses along the separation edge due to excessive heating is minimized or avoided.

The generation of the defects 703 can be performed in a wide variety of ways. For example, as schematically shown in fig. 1, in some embodiments, the defect 703 may be created by mechanically engaging the glass ribbon 103 with, for example, a scribe 701 (e.g., a scribing wheel, diamond tip, etc.) or other mechanical device. In fact, as shown in fig. 8, the tip of the scribe 701 may generate a defect 703 such as a surface flaw (e.g., a surface crack). In some embodiments, the defect 703 may comprise a point defect or a scribe line. Although not shown, a support device such as an air bearing or mechanical contact support element may be provided to help counteract the force applied by the scribe 701 to help create the defect 703.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, a laser 169 may be used to create the defect 703. In some embodiments, the laser 169 may comprise a pulsed laser configured to produce defects 703 (e.g., surface flaws), but may also provide subsurface flaws. In some embodiments, the defects 703 created by the laser 169 may include cracks, point defects, score lines, or other defects, wherein such defects 703 may optionally be created by an ablation process.

In some embodiments, providing the defect 703 as a scribe line may be advantageous to help guide a proper full body crack 1505 in the direction of the transverse separation path 151. For example, the length of the score line can be along the transverse separation path 151 and the width can be perpendicular to the transverse separation path 151. Exemplary score lines can have a wide range of lengths and widths, for example, a length of about 0.5 to 5mm and a width of about 0.1 to 0.3 mm. If provided as surface defects, the depth of the defects 703 may be about 5-500 microns, depending on the glass type. For example, for chemically strengthened glass, the defect 703 can be provided with a deeper depth to extend through the chemically strengthened layer of the glass ribbon 103.

The defect 703 may be provided at any location along the lateral separation path 151, including on the lateral separation path 151. In some embodiments, the defect 703 can be located proximate one of the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 or the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, it may be advantageous to have the defect 703 near the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103, where the scanning of the laser beam spot 209 as described herein begins. For example, as shown in fig. 8, the defect 703 can be applied between the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 and the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103, or in some embodiments, the defect 703 can be provided at the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 and/or the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103. Applying the defect 703 between the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 and the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103 can help ensure that the crack begins propagating at the location of the defect 703, rather than at an edge flaw that may be present at the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 and/or the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103. In addition, applying the defect 703 between the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 and the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103 can also result in faster separation of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the defect 703 may be created on an edge bead common to the first and second

outer edge portions

211a, 211b of the glass ribbon 103. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, a defect 703 may optionally be provided on the inside of the edge bead. In some embodiments, the defect 703 can be created at a distance from at least one edge of the glass ribbon 103, wherein the distance is about 1mm to about 25 mm. For example, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, in some embodiments, the defect 703 can be created at a distance "D" from the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 or the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103, where "D" can be about 1-25mm, such as about 1-10mm, although in other embodiments, different distances can be provided.

In some embodiments, the defect 703 may be generated at an intermediate position 301 of the transverse separation path 151 or closer to the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 or the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 8, the generated defect 703 may be closer to the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 than the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103. Providing the defect 703 closer to the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 (e.g., a distance "D" from the first longitudinal edge 153) can be particularly advantageous when the laser beam spot 209 is moved in the scan direction 225 from the first longitudinal edge 153 toward the second longitudinal edge 155 (as described above). In this embodiment, the first longitudinal edge 153 may be upstream along the transverse separation path 151 along the scan direction 225 of the laser beam spot 209. Because the full-body crack 1505 tends to propagate in the scan direction 225 of the laser beam spot 209, the location of the defect 703 closer to the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 may help cause the full-body crack 1505 to propagate rapidly downstream along the transverse separation path 151 in the scan direction 225 along the glass ribbon 103. Further, the defect 703 may be a distance "D" from the first longitudinal edge 153, but this is still close enough to the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 to also allow the full body crack 1505 to propagate upstream to intersect the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 to separate the glass ribbon 103 along the transverse separation path 151.

Further, referring to FIG. 9, the

laser beams

802, 804, 806, 808, 810 may be timed to allow the laser beam spot 209 produced by each laser beam to move in a sequential pattern along the

corresponding scan direction

225a, 225b, 225c, 225d, 225e so that laser beam spots from adjacent laser beams may coexist along the

overlap regions

811, 813, 815, 817. Thus, the laser beam spot 209 may be moved substantially continuously along the

scan direction

225a, 225b, 225c, 225d, 225e along the entire dimension of the glass ribbon 103 to help rapidly drive the full-body crack 1505 along each

corresponding section

801, 803, 805, 807, 809 of the entire transverse separation path 151 to separate the glass ribbon 103 along the transverse separation path 151.

Any of the methods described herein may be applied to separating glass (e.g., glass ribbon 103, glass sheet 104), including but not limited to the exemplary types of glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 disclosed herein. Thus, the embodiments described with respect to the glass ribbon 103 are also applicable to the glass sheet 104. For example, as shown with respect to fig. 1, the lateral separation path 151 can extend along the width "W" of the glass ribbon 103 between the first longitudinal edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 and the second longitudinal edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103. In such embodiments, the creation of the defect 703 may separate the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103, as shown in fig. 1. In some embodiments, also shown in fig. 1, the longitudinal separation path 163 can extend along the length "L" of the glass sheet 104 between the first lateral edge 165 of the glass sheet 104 and the second longitudinal edge 167 of the glass sheet 103. In such embodiments, the creation of the defect 703 can separate the outer portion 159 of the glass sheet 104 from the central portion 161 of the glass sheet 104.

In some embodiments, any of the methods disclosed herein can facilitate separation of a wide range of glasses, including glass sheet 103 and glass sheet 104, which can be flat (as shown) or can have a non-flat (e.g., warped) configuration (e.g., bowed into a C-shape, S-shape, or other configuration). In addition, any of the methods disclosed herein can facilitate separating glass, including glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 having a substantially uniform thickness or a non-uniform varying thickness. For example, as shown, a glass ribbon 103 having thicker edge beads and a thinner central portion 161 may be separated.

In some embodiments, the glass (including the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104) may be separated while the glass is relatively stationary or while the glass is moving. For example, the glass ribbon 103 may separate while moving, such as when drawing the glass ribbon 103 from the glass former 140, or if the glass ribbon 103 is slightly shaken and/or twisted relative to the glass former 140. Further, any of the methods of the present disclosure may be used to separate glass (including glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104) at elevated temperatures that do not approximately exceed the strain point of the glass.

Further, the methods of the present disclosure may be used to separate non-strengthened glass or strengthened glass, including non-strengthened glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 or strengthened glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104. For example, methods may be used to separate strengthened glass (e.g., chemically strengthened glass) that includes at least one outer layer in compression and another layer in tension. In some embodiments, the methods of the present disclosure can be used to separate strengthened glass that has been strengthened on both sides, where both major surfaces of the glass are in compression and the central portion of the glass is in tension.

In some embodiments, the methods of the present disclosure can be used to separate glass comprising laminated glass layers. In some embodiments, the laminated structure may include a compressive surface layer and a central layer in tension. In some embodiments, the laminate structure may include two compressed surface layers with a center layer in tension sandwiched between the two compressed layers. In other embodiments, the methods of the present disclosure may be used to separate laminated glass layers in which at least two of the multiple layers comprise different compositions and/or different coefficients of thermal expansion. In some embodiments, the glass may be chemically or thermally strengthened glass, wherein the glass includes a surface compressive stress layer created by ion exchange or thermal treatment.

As shown in fig. 1, in some embodiments, the method of separating the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103 can be performed without bending the glass ribbon 103 or the glass sheet 104 (including the outer portion 159 of the glass sheet 104). In fact, as shown in fig. 1, the glass separator 149 can separate the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103 while the glass sheet 104 and the glass ribbon 103 remain in a longitudinal orientation. In this embodiment, debris generated during the separation process (e.g., separation debris 1001 as shown in fig. 10, 11, and 13) may be drawn longitudinally downward by gravity, thereby avoiding horizontal or angled surfaces on which the debris may otherwise fall if the glass ribbon 103 or glass sheet 104 were to include a curved (e.g., non-longitudinal) orientation. Similarly, due to the longitudinal orientation of the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 (see fig. 10, 11, and 13), environmental debris 1002 may be less likely to come into contact with the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 because such environmental debris 1002 is also drawn longitudinally downward due to gravity. While it is recognized that subsequent processes may be employed to remove the debris from the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104, in some embodiments it may be desirable to avoid contamination of the surfaces of the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 altogether, or at least to reduce the time that the debris may come into contact with the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 or the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104, thereby reducing the chance of a stronger bond being established between the debris and the glass ribbon 103 or glass sheet 104.

In addition to or in lieu of employing the vacuum 148 (e.g., first vacuum 148a, second vacuum 148b) to remove the separation debris 1001 from the glass ribbon 103, in some embodiments, to further facilitate removal of the separation debris 1001, the separation debris 1001 can be entrained in a curtain of gas and rapidly carried away from the glass ribbon 103 and/or glass sheet 104, thereby even further reducing the likelihood that the separation debris 1001 will come into contact with and attach itself to the pristine

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 or the pristine

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 2, the first elongated gas port 185a and the second elongated gas port 185b may be positioned proximate to the glass former 140, for example, proximate to the lower opening 183 of the glass ribbon 103 exiting the glass former 140. The first and second

elongated gas ports

185a and 185b may be oriented as follows: the first and second

outer curtains

187a, 187b, respectively, are distributed along, for example, the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103 or even over the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the first and second

elongated gas ports

185a, 185b may be oriented as follows: the first and second

outer curtains

187a, 187b, respectively, are distributed along less than the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103. Further, in some embodiments, the first and second

outer curtains

187a, 187b may completely surround the glass ribbon 103 and, in some embodiments, may isolate the glass ribbon 103 from contamination by environmental debris 1002. The first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer curtain of gas 187b can be used to separate the glass ribbon 103 regardless of the temperature of the glass ribbon 103, including higher temperatures that typically do not apply conventional surface coatings and protective agents to the glass ribbon 103. For example, some conventional surface coatings and protective agents may be suitable at temperatures less than or equal to 200 ℃, less than or equal to 150 ℃, or less than or equal to 100 ℃ of the glass ribbon 103; and the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer curtain of gas 187b can be used when the glass ribbon 103 includes the following temperatures: above 100 ℃, above 150 ℃, above 200 ℃, above 300 ℃, above 400 ℃, above 500 ℃, or any other temperature to isolate the glass ribbon 103. The first elongated gas port 185a and the second elongated gas port 185b may comprise a single elongated nozzle, port, jet, etc. from which gas may be distributed, or may comprise a plurality of nozzles, ports, jets, etc. from which gas may be distributed to form a continuous, uniform curtain of gas that may inhibit or even prevent penetration of environmental debris 1002. In some embodiments, the first elongated gas port 185a and the second elongated gas port 185b can each include any one or more of an elongated continuous slit and a plurality of elongated slits oriented to distribute the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer curtain of gas 187b, respectively.

In some embodiments (e.g., as shown in fig. 13, which illustrates an alternative embodiment of fig. 11), the first and second

elongated gas ports

185a, 185b can also be oriented to dispense the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d, respectively. In some embodiments, the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d can extend along the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103 or even exceed the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the first and second

elongated gas ports

185a, 185b may also be oriented as follows: the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner curtain of gas 187d, respectively, can extend along less than the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103. Further, in some embodiments, the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d can completely surround the glass ribbon 103 and can isolate the glass ribbon 103 from contamination by at least one of the environmental debris 1002 and the separation debris 1001. In some embodiments, the first and second inner air curtains 187c, 187d can include the same, similar, or different features as the first and second

outer air curtains

187a, 187 b. For example, in some embodiments, the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d can be used to insulate the glass ribbon 103 regardless of the temperature of the glass ribbon 103, including higher temperatures (e.g., greater than 100 ℃, greater than 150 ℃, greater than 200 ℃, greater than 300 ℃, greater than 400 ℃, greater than 500 ℃, or any other temperature of the glass ribbon 103) at which conventional surface coatings and protective agents typically cannot be applied to the glass ribbon 103. The first and second

elongated gas ports

185a, 185b may comprise a single elongated nozzle, port, jet, etc., through which gas may be distributed, or may comprise a plurality of nozzles, ports, jets, etc., through which gas may be distributed to form one or more continuous, uniform gas curtains that may inhibit or even prevent penetration of environmental debris 1002. In some embodiments, the first and second

elongated gas ports

185a and 185b can each include any one or more of an elongated continuous slit and a plurality of elongated slits oriented to distribute the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the first inner curtain of gas 187c, and the second outer curtain of gas 187b and the second inner curtain of gas 187d, respectively.

As further shown in fig. 1, 10, 11, and 13, the glass processing apparatus 100 can include a vacuum port 1011 (e.g., an elongated vacuum port) disposed (e.g., along the draw direction 177, as shown in fig. 2) downstream of the glass separator 149 and oriented to receive debris entrained in the first and second

outer curtains

187a and 187 b. In some embodiments, the vacuum port 1011 can be oriented to receive debris entrained in the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner curtain of gas 187 d. The vacuum source 1013 can draw debris (e.g., separation debris 1001, environmental debris 1002) entrained in any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d into the vacuum port 1011. The vacuum source 1013 may include: a blower, vacuum chamber, pump, fan, or other suitable mechanism that generates a pressure (e.g., negative pressure, suction) at the vacuum port 1011.

As shown, the first outer air curtain 187a may include: a first outer upstream portion 188a (which is spaced apart from the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103) and a first outer downstream portion 189a (which converges inward toward the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103). Similarly, the second outer air curtain 187b can include: a second outer upstream portion 188b (which is spaced from the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103) and a second outer downstream portion 189b (which converges inward toward the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103). As shown, the first outer upstream portion 188a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer upstream portion 188b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b can be parallel to the draw plane 181. As further shown, the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b can be symmetrically disposed relative to the draw plane 181 and impinge upon the glass ribbon 103 at a common elevation relative to the draw plane 181. The symmetrical arrangement of the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer curtain of gas 187b relative to the draw plane 181 can provide equal and opposite forces from the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer curtain of gas 187b onto the glass ribbon 103. Advantageously, the application of equal and opposite forces on the opposing major surfaces (e.g., first major surface 213a, second major surface 213b) of the glass ribbon 103 can minimize stresses induced in the glass ribbon 103 due to external forces and can also maintain the glass ribbon 103 in a longitudinal orientation along the draw plane 181, in some embodiments, reduce the likelihood of debris (e.g., separation debris 1001, environmental debris 1002) coming into contact with the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 as such debris can move downward away from the glass ribbon 103 due, at least in part, to gravity. As shown, the glass ribbon 103 can be drawn between the first outer upstream portion 188a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer upstream portion 188b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and then the glass ribbon 103 can be drawn between the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187 b.

As shown in fig. 13, in some embodiments, the first inner curtain of gas 187c can include a first inner upstream portion 188c spaced from the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 between the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the first outer upstream portion 188a of the first outer curtain of gas 187 a. The first inner curtain of gas 187c can also include a first inner downstream portion 189c that converges inwardly toward the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 at a location upstream from where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the glass ribbon 103. Similarly, the second inner curtain of gas 187d can include a second inner upstream portion 188d spaced from the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 between the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and the second outer upstream portion 188b of the second outer curtain of gas 187 b. The second inner curtain of gas 187d can also include a second inner downstream portion 189d that converges inwardly toward the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 at a location upstream from where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the glass ribbon 103.

In some embodiments, the first inner upstream portion 188c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner upstream portion 188d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d can be parallel to the draw plane 181. As further shown, the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d can be symmetrically disposed relative to the draw plane 181 and impinge upon the glass ribbon 103 at a common elevation relative to the draw plane 181. In some embodiments, the symmetrical arrangement of the first inner curtain of gases 187c and the second inner curtain of gases 187d relative to the draw plane 181 can provide equal and opposite forces from the first inner curtain of gases 187c and the second inner curtain of gases 187d onto the glass ribbon 103. Advantageously, the application of equal and opposite forces on the opposing major surfaces (e.g., first major surface 213a, second major surface 213b) of the glass ribbon 103 can minimize stresses induced in the glass ribbon 103 due to external forces and can also maintain the glass ribbon 103 in a longitudinal orientation along the draw plane 181, in some embodiments, reduce the likelihood of debris (e.g., separation debris 1001, environmental debris 1002) coming into contact with the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 as such debris can move downward away from the glass ribbon 103 due, at least in part, to gravity. As shown, the glass ribbon 103 can be drawn between the first inner upstream portion 188c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner upstream portion 188d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d, and then the glass ribbon 103 can be drawn between the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187 d.

In some embodiments, the gas forming any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d can include: air, an inert gas (e.g., nitrogen or other suitable gas), clean dry or humidified air, or the like. As shown in fig. 10, 11, and 13, the gas can be filtered by a filter 1006 placed between the pressurized gas source 1004 (e.g., a compressed gas canister, an air compressor, etc.) and the first and second

elongated gas ports

185a, 185b to provide clean gas exiting the first and second

elongated gas ports

185a, 185 b. Further, in some embodiments, the moisture content of the gas can be greatly reduced, which can reduce the likelihood of debris adhering to the first and second

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 or to the first and second

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 as compared to gases having higher moisture content. In some embodiments, the temperature of the gas may be controlled, for example, the gas may be heated or cooled to assist in controlling the stress, compression, or other properties that may be required for the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the gas may be controlled with or without temperature control, again to assist in controlling the stress, compression, or other properties that may be required for the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104.

In some embodiments, any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d can be about 1mm from the adjacent major surface (e.g., the first major surface 213a, the second major surface 213b) of the glass ribbon 103. The distance can be defined as the lateral distance between adjacent major surfaces (e.g., first major surface 213a, second major surface 213b) of the glass ribbon 103 and corresponding first and second

elongated gas ports

185a, 185b from which first and second

elongated gas ports

185a, 185b the first and second outer curtains of

gas

187a, 187c and 187b, 187d, respectively, are dispensed. Of course, this distance may vary, and the disclosure should not limit the scope of the appended claims unless otherwise indicated. For example, any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d can be spaced from the adjacent major surface (e.g., the first major surface 213a, the second major surface 213b) of the glass ribbon 103 by a distance in the range of about 1mm to about 50mm, in the range of about 5mm to about 40mm, in the range of about 10mm to about 30mm, and can also vary in the draw direction 177 along the glass ribbon 103 itself. In some embodiments, at least one of the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the first inner curtain of gas 187c can be spaced from the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 or the first major surface 214a of the glass sheet 104 a greater or lesser distance than at least one of the second outer curtain of gas 187b and the second inner curtain of gas 187d is spaced from the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 or the second major surface 214b of the glass sheet 104.

In some embodiments, under normal operation, the glass former 140 may draw a cooling gas flow 1003 through the lower opening 183 of the glass former 140. For example, the glass ribbon 103 may tend to heat the gas in the interior of the glass former 140, and due to the pressure differential based at least on natural convection, the heated gas may rise within the glass former 140, thereby creating a cooling gas flow 1003 that is drawn through the lower opening 183 of the glass former 140. In some embodiments, the cooling gas flow 1003 can include gas provided in a first outer curtain 187a from a first elongated gas port 185a and gas provided in a second outer curtain 187b from a second elongated gas port 185 b. Similarly, in some embodiments, the cooling gas flow 1003 can include gas provided in a first inner curtain 187c from the first elongated gas port 185a and gas provided in a second inner curtain 187d from the second elongated gas port 185 b. Thus, the cooling flow 1003 may include clean gas filtered via a filter 1006 placed between the pressurized gas source 1004 and the first and second

elongated gas ports

185a, 185 b.

In some embodiments, the gas entering the lower opening 183 of the glass former 140 via the cooling flow 1003 may be controlled and cleaned of any contaminants and particles that might otherwise interfere with the glass former 140. For example, in some embodiments, the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d can be caused to flow to resist (slow) the flow of the cooling flow 1003, thereby preventing any debris (e.g., separation debris 1001, environmental debris 1002) entrained in the cooling flow 1003 from entering the lower opening 183 of the glass former 140. By resisting the flow of the cooling flow 1003, debris entrained in the cooling flow 1003 may also be drawn into at least one of the vacuum 148 and the vacuum port 1011 more quickly than, for example, debris entrained in the cooling flow 1003 moving at a higher speed. In addition, by providing the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d, the gas entering the lower opening 183 of the glass former 140 via the cooling flow 1003 can be controlled and cleaned of any contaminants and particles that might otherwise interfere with the glass former 140. In some embodiments, the first and second inner air curtains 187c, 187d can also prevent debris from being recirculated between the first and second

outer air curtains

187a, 187 b. In some embodiments, recycled debris (e.g., as may occur when the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d are not provided) can contaminate the glass ribbon 103 and can enter the lower opening 183 of the glass former 140. Accordingly, in some embodiments, features of the present disclosure may be used to produce a glass ribbon 103 that will include higher quality attributes and characteristics, including pristine first and second

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103. In addition, by reducing and preventing contamination of the glass ribbon 103 with debris, subsequent cleaning steps, such as removing debris from the glass ribbon 103, can be more advantageously reduced from being performed (and in some embodiments, avoided altogether).

In some embodiments, baffles (e.g., first baffle 1005a, second baffle 1005b) may be provided to avoid first outer curtain 187a and second outer curtain 187b from interfering with the cooling flow 1003 drawn into the lower opening 183 of the glass former 140. In some embodiments, any of the spacers of the present disclosure may extend downstream in a direction away from the glass former 140. In some embodiments, any of the spacers of the present disclosure may be placed at least partially outside the glass former 140, e.g., completely outside the glass former 140. In other examples, at least a portion of any of the spacers of the present disclosure may extend partially within the glass former 140. As shown, the cooling flow 1003 can pass between the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the first inner surface 1007a of the first separator 1005a, and also between the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and the second inner surface 1008b of the second separator 1005 b. The cooling flow 1003 may move in an upstream direction opposite to the downstream direction of the first outer curtain of air 187a and the second outer curtain of air 187 b. Further, as shown in fig. 1, the first and

second separators

1005a, 1005b can extend along the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103, and as shown, can extend along more than the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the first and

second separators

1005a, 1005b can extend along less than the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103.

Similarly, in some embodiments, first and

second baffles

1005a, 1005b may be provided to avoid interference between the first outer air curtain 187a and the first inner air curtain 187c, and interference between the second outer air curtain 187b and the second inner air curtain 187 d. In some embodiments, the cooling flow 1003 can be drawn into the lower opening 183 of the glass former 140 by passing between the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the first inner upstream portion 188c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c and also passing between the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and the second inner upstream portion 188d of the second inner curtain of gas 187 d. The cooling flow 1003 may move in an upstream direction opposite to the downstream direction of the first inner curtain of air 187c and the second inner curtain of air 187 d.

In addition, the first and

second baffles

1005a, 1005b may extend the first outer upstream portion 188a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer upstream portion 188b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b to control the elevation at which the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and to control the elevation at which the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. Similarly, in some embodiments, the first and

second baffles

1005a, 1005b may extend the first and second inner

upstream portions

188c, 188d of the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d to control the elevation at which the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and to control the elevation at which the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103.

In some embodiments, the first and/or

second baffles

1005a, 1005b may be adjustable such that the respective heights "H" of the first and

second baffles

1005a, 1005b may be selectively adjusted, respectively, which in turn may control the elevation at which the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the elevation at which the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. Similarly, in some embodiments, the height "H" of the first and/or

second baffles

1005a, 1005b, respectively, can be selectively adjusted to control the elevation at which the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and to control the elevation at which the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103.

As further shown in fig. 10, 11, and 13, the first elongated gas port 185a can be oriented to dispense a first outer gas curtain 187a to pass over an outer surface (e.g., first outer surface 1007b) of the first baffle 1005a before moving over a first downstream edge 1009a of the first baffle 1005 a. Similarly, the second elongated gas port 185b can be oriented to dispense a second outer curtain of gas 187b to pass over an outer surface (e.g., second outer surface 1008b) of the second baffle 1005b before moving over the second downstream edge 1009b of the second baffle 1005 b. As shown, after passing the first downstream edge 1009a, the first and second

outer curtains

187a, 187b converge to impinge upon the respective first and second

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and then closely move along the first and second

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 to help entrain debris within the separation zone. The debris entrained in the first and second

outer air curtains

187a, 187b can then be drawn into the vacuum ports 1011 by gravity and by the vacuum source 1013, and can then be discarded. In some embodiments, debris entrained in the first and second

outer curtains

187a, 187b can be drawn into the vacuum 148 (e.g., first and

second vacuums

148a, 148b) by, for example, first and

second vacuum sources

147a, 147b (shown in fig. 13), and can then be discarded. In some embodiments, the first vacuum source 147a and the second vacuum source 147b may include: a blower, vacuum chamber, pump, fan, or other suitable mechanism that generates a pressure (e.g., negative pressure, suction) at first vacuum source 147a and second vacuum source 147 b.

As shown in fig. 13, in some embodiments, the first elongated gas port 185a can be oriented to dispense a first inner gas curtain 187c across an inner surface (e.g., first inner surface 1007a) of the first baffle 1005 a. In some embodiments, the first inner curtain 187c may pass over the first inner surface 1007a of the first baffle 1005a before moving over the first downstream edge 1009a of the first baffle 1005 a. Similarly, the second elongated gas port 185b can be oriented to dispense a second inner curtain 187d across an inner surface (e.g., second inner surface 1008a) of the second bulkhead 1005 b. In some embodiments, the second inner curtain 187d can pass over the second inner surface 1008a of the second partition 1005b before moving over the second downstream edge 1009b of the second partition 1005 b. As shown, after passing over the first downstream edge 1009a, the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d converge to impinge upon the respective first and second

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 to help entrain debris within the separation region. Debris entrained in the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d can then be drawn into the vacuum ports 1011 by gravity and by the vacuum source 1013, and can then be discarded. In some embodiments, debris entrained in the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d can be drawn into the vacuum 148 (e.g., first and

second vacuums

148a, 148b) by the first and

second vacuum sources

147a, 147b, and can then be discarded. In some embodiments, as shown, debris entrained in the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d can be drawn into a vacuum 148 (e.g., first and

second vacuums

148a, 148b) that is at least one of: the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 or on the first major surface 214a of the glass sheet 104 upstream, and the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 or on the second major surface 214b of the glass sheet 104 upstream.

In some embodiments, the inner surfaces (e.g., first inner surface 1007a, second inner surface 1008b) of the first and

second bulkheads

1005a, 1005b, respectively, can be a distance "b" from the respective

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 sufficient to enable the cooling flow 1003 to be established into the lower opening 183 of the glass former 140. In some embodiments, the spacing "b" may be about 2 centimeters (cm) to about 200 cm, about 10-150cm, about 25-125cm, about 60-65cm, about 63.5cm, and all subranges therebetween. Such spacing "b" of the first and

second spacers

1005a, 1005b from the glass ribbon 103 can be selected so as not to interfere with the stability of the glass ribbon 103 and to provide sufficient clearance for any movement of the glass separator 149 along the glass ribbon 103. Similarly, in some embodiments, the inner surfaces of the first and

second baffles

1005a, 1005b may be spaced a distance "b" from the respective

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 sufficient to enable establishment of the cooling flow 1003 into the lower opening 183 of the glass former 140, and to provide the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d with space to move between the respective first baffle 1005a and the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the second baffle 1005b and the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103, so as not to interfere with the stability of the glass ribbon 103 and to provide sufficient clearance for any movement of the glass separator 149 along the glass ribbon 103.

In some embodiments, the first and

second partitions

1005a and 1005b may be positioned such that the heights "H" of the first and

second partitions

1005a and 1005b, respectively, may be fixed at any height within the following ranges: from about 0 meters (m) to about 2.5 meters, from about 0 meters to about 0.9 meters, from about 2 centimeters (cm) to about 250 cm, from about 2 cm values of about 200 cm, from about 10 cm to about 150cm, from about 25cm to about 125cm, and all subranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the first and

second partitions

1005a and 1005b may be selectively adjustable, such that the heights "H" of the first and

second partitions

1005a and 1005b may be selectively adjusted within the following ranges, respectively: about 0 meters (m) to 2.5 meters, about 0 meters to about 0.9 meters, about 2 centimeters (cm) to about 250 cm, about 2 cm values of about 200 cm, about 10-150cm, about 25-125cm, and all subranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the adjustable height of first and

second baffles

1005a, 1005b may correspond to the following positions of glass separator 149: the elevation of the glass sheet 104 separated from the glass ribbon 103 relative to the draw plane 181 as the glass separator 149 moves along the draw direction 177. For example, in some embodiments, the first and

second partitions

1005a, 1005b can extend from a retracted position defining a minimum height of the

partitions

1005a, 1005b to an extended position defining a maximum height of the

partitions

1005a, 1005b as the glass separator 149 is moved along the draw direction 177 from an upstream position to a downstream position. Similarly, in some embodiments, the first and

second partitions

1005a, 1005b can be retracted from an extended position defining a maximum height of the

partitions

1005a, 1005b to a retracted position defining a minimum height of the

partitions

1005a, 1005b as the glass separator 149 is moved along the draw direction 177 from a downstream position to an upstream position.

In some embodiments, the height "H" of the first partition 1005a may be measured from the bottom of the glass former 140 to the first downstream edge 1009a of the first partition 1005a, and the height "H" of the second partition 1005b may be measured from the bottom of the glass former 140 to the second downstream edge 1009b of the second partition 1005 b. In some embodiments, the height "H" of the first baffle 1005a can be defined as the longitudinal distance measured from the first elongated gas port 185a (e.g., the outlet of the first elongated gas port 185a from which the first outer curtain 187a and the first inner curtain 187c can be dispensed) to the first downstream edge 1009a of the first baffle 1005a, and the height "H" of the second baffle 1005b can be defined as the longitudinal distance measured from the second elongated gas port 185b (e.g., the outlet of the second elongated gas port 185b from which the second outer curtain 187b and the second inner curtain 187d can be dispensed) to the second downstream edge 1009b of the second baffle 1005 b.

As shown in fig. 10, 11 and 13, a first spacer 1005a and a second spacer 1005b may be provided in pairs, with an inner surface of each spacer facing toward the respective facing

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and an outer surface of each spacer facing away from the glass ribbon 103. For example, as shown in fig. 12, the first inner surface 1007a of the first separator 1005a may be positioned to face the drawing plane 181. Similarly, the second inner surface 1008a of the second bulkhead 1005b may be positioned to face the draw plane 181 and the first inner surface 1007a of the first bulkhead 1005 a. The first elongated gas ports 185a may be oriented to distribute the first outer curtain 187a across the first outer surface 1007b of the first baffle 1005a before passing across the first downstream edge 1009a of the first baffle 1005 a. The second elongated gas ports 185b can be oriented to dispense a second outer curtain of gas 187b to pass over the second outer surface 1008b of the second baffle 1005b before passing over the second downstream edge 1009b of the second baffle 1005 b.

In some embodiments, for example, as shown in fig. 14, a first baffle 1005a may be positioned to separate (e.g., separate, isolate) a first elongated gas port 185a such that the first elongated gas port 185a may be oriented: the first outer curtain 187a is distributed to pass over the first outer surface 1007b of the first baffle 1005a, then over the first downstream edge 1009a of the first baffle 1005a, and the first inner curtain 187c is distributed to pass over the first inner surface 1007a of the first baffle 1005 a. Similarly, the second baffle 1005b may be positioned to separate (e.g., separate, isolate) the second elongated gas port 185b such that the second elongated gas port 185b may be oriented: the second outer curtain of gas 187b is distributed to pass over the second outer surface 1008b of the second partition 1005b, then over the second downstream edge 1009b of the second partition 1005b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d is distributed to pass over the second inner surface 1008a of the second partition 1005 b.

In some embodiments, the first and second

elongated gas ports

185a, 185b may comprise a single elongated nozzle, port, injector, or the like, which may be separated by and from the respective first and

second partitions

1005a, 1005b, and from which gas may be dispensed, passing on both sides of the respective first and

second partitions

1005a, 1005b, respectively, to form a continuous, uniform curtain of gas that may inhibit or even prevent penetration of the environmental debris 1002. In some embodiments, the first and second

elongated gas ports

185a, 185b may include a plurality of nozzles, ports, injectors, or the like, which may be disposed on both sides of the first and

second partitions

1005a, 1005b and from which gas may be distributed to form a continuous uniform curtain of gas that may inhibit or even prevent penetration of environmental debris 1002. In some embodiments, the first and second

elongated gas ports

The first and

second baffles

1005a, 1005b can be parallel to the draw plane 181 and, in some embodiments, can extend along the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103. Similarly, any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d can extend along the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103. The glass ribbon 103 can be drawn between the first inner surface 1007a of the first separator 1005a and the second inner surface 1008a of the second separator 1005 b. In some embodiments, the first downstream edge 1009a of the first baffle 1005a and the second downstream edge 1009b of the second baffle 1005b can be symmetrically disposed relative to the draw plane 181 at a common upstream elevation relative to the draw plane 181 such that the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b can be symmetrically disposed relative to the draw plane 181 and impinge on the glass ribbon 103 at a common downstream elevation relative to the draw plane 181.

As shown, in some embodiments, the first and

second baffles

1005a, 1005b can be parallel to the draw plane 181 of the glass former 140 and parallel to the glass ribbon 103 (e.g., oriented at an angle of 0 degrees with respect to the machine direction, which is defined as the direction parallel to the draw plane 181), although other orientations are possible in some embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the first and

second baffles

1005a, 1005b may be oriented in a fixed or selectively adjustable orientation at the following angles relative to the machine direction: about 0-45 inward toward the draw plane 181, about 0-30 inward toward the draw plane 181, about 0-15 inward toward the draw plane 181, about 0-5 inward toward the draw plane 181, and all angles and sub-angles therebetween. If the baffles are angled too far inward toward the draw plane 181 (e.g., angled more than 45 inward toward the draw plane 181 relative to the longitudinal direction), the curtains (e.g., any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d) may converge too quickly and impinge on the glass ribbon 103 at a location above the desired elevation. Conversely, in some embodiments, if the angle of the baffles is too far outward from the draw plane 181 (e.g., more than 5 ° outward from the draw plane 181 relative to the angle of the machine direction), the gas curtains (e.g., any one or more of the first outer gas curtain 187a, the first inner gas curtain 187c, the second outer gas curtain 187b, and the second inner gas curtain 187d) may be difficult to converge or may fail to converge at all and thus may fail to impinge on the glass ribbon 103, thereby preventing the creation of a suitable gas curtain to isolate the glass ribbon 103 from at least one of the environmental debris 1002 and the separation debris 1001.

In some embodiments, each of the first and

second separators

1005a and 1005b may be made of a rigid material that maintains a shape when subjected to a force or a flexible material that is displaced and changes when subjected to a force. For example, in some embodiments, the rigid material from which first and

second baffles

1005a, 1005b may be fabricated may provide a structure that maintains a predetermined shape during operation. Conversely, in some embodiments, the flexible material from which first and

second separators

1005a, 1005b can be fabricated can provide a structure that adjusts to define the shape or shapes during operation.

In some embodiments, each of the first and

second baffles

1005a, 1005b may be provided as a segmented baffle having at least two portions, each of which may be oriented at a different angle relative to the longitudinal direction. For example, in some embodiments, the segmented partition may include an upper portion of the segmented partition oriented at zero degrees with respect to the machine direction and a lower portion of the segmented partition located downstream of the upper portion of the segmented partition, oriented in a fixed or selectively adjustable orientation, at an angle with respect to the machine direction as follows: about 0-45 inward toward the draw plane 181, about 0-30 inward toward the draw plane 181, about 0-15 inward toward the draw plane 181, about 0-5 inward toward the draw plane 181, and all angles and sub-angles therebetween. As described above, if the lower portion of the segmented baffles is angled too far inward toward the draw plane 181 (e.g., angled more than 45 ° inward toward the draw plane 181 relative to the machine direction), the curtains (e.g., any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d) may converge too quickly and impinge on the glass ribbon 103 at a location above the desired elevation. Conversely, in some embodiments, if the lower portion of the segmented baffles is angled too far outward away from the draw plane 181 (e.g., angled more than 5 ° outward away from the draw plane 181 relative to the machine direction), the gas curtains (e.g., any one or more of the first outer gas curtain 187a, the first inner gas curtain 187c, the second outer gas curtain 187b, and the second inner gas curtain 187d) may be difficult to converge or may fail to converge at all and thus may fail to impinge on the glass ribbon 103, thereby preventing the generation of a suitable gas curtain to isolate the glass ribbon 103 from at least one of the environmental debris 1002 and the separation debris 1001.

In some embodiments, the speed of the first and second

outer curtains

187a, 187b can be controlled (e.g., increased or decreased) to adjust (e.g., lengthen or shorten) the first outer upstream portion 188a of the first outer curtain 187a and the second outer upstream portion 188b of the second outer curtain 187b to control the elevation at which the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and to control the elevation at which the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. Similarly, in some embodiments, the velocities of the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d can be controlled (e.g., increased or decreased) to adjust (e.g., lengthen or shorten) the first and second inner

upstream portions

188c, 188d of the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d to control the elevation at which the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the elevation at which the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the temperature of the gas forming any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d can be controlled, adjusted, and maintained.

In some embodiments, the flow rate (e.g., volume of gas per unit time) of any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d can be controlled to provide the same, similar, or different flow rate of any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d, and to maintain a constant flow rate and a regulated flow rate of any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187 d. For example, in some embodiments, the first inner curtain of gas 187c can comprise a flow rate that is 0% (e.g., no flow) to about 40% (e.g., about 0-20%) of the flow rate of gas provided from the first elongated gas port 185 a. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the first outer curtain of gas 187a can include a corresponding flow rate that is 100% to about 60% (e.g., about 100% to about 80%) of the flow rate of gas provided from the first elongated gas port 185 a. Similarly, in some embodiments, the second inner curtain of gas 187d can comprise a flow rate that is 0% (e.g., no flow) to about 40% (e.g., about 0-20%) of the flow rate of gas provided from the second elongated gas port 185 b. Thus, in some embodiments, the second outer curtain of gas 187b can include a corresponding flow rate that is 100% to about 60% (e.g., about 100% to about 80%) of the flow rate of gas provided from the second elongated gas port 185 b. It is to be appreciated that in some embodiments, the flow rate of any one or more of the first outer air curtain 187a, the first inner air curtain 187c, the second outer air curtain 187b, and the second inner air curtain 187d can include other flow rates not expressly disclosed herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

In some embodiments, only the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer curtain of gas 187b can be provided during operation to create a controlled environment that can isolate the glass ribbon 103 from the environmental debris 1002. In some embodiments, the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d can be provided during operation to create a controlled environment that can isolate the glass ribbon 103 from at least one of the environmental debris 1002 and the separation debris 1001. In some embodiments, any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d can be selectively provided (e.g., at least one of continuously, intermittently, periodically, etc.) during operation to selectively create a controlled environment that can isolate the glass ribbon 103 from at least one of the environmental debris 1002 and the separation debris 1001.

As shown in fig. 10, 11, and 13, the first and second

outer curtains

187a, 187b can move along the transverse separation path 151 along the respective first and second major surfaces 213, 213b of the glass ribbon 103. Thus, the separated debris 1001 can be entrained in the first and second outer curtains of

gas

187a, 187b and quickly pass over the glass sheet 104, adhering to or otherwise coming into contact with the first and second

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 for a relatively short period of time. In addition, the first outer curtain of air 187a and the second outer curtain of air 187b can create a gas barrier (e.g., an effective clean room) that is impervious to environmental debris 1002. Further, the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer curtain of gas 187b can similarly entrain environmental debris 1002 and separation debris 1001, both types of debris then quickly pass over the glass sheet 104, adhere or otherwise come into contact with the first major surface 214a and the second major surface 214b of the glass sheet 104 for a relatively short period of time, and then deposit in the vacuum port 1011. In addition, the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer curtain of gas 187b can isolate the glass ribbon 103 from ambient air and maintain a higher temperature of the glass ribbon 103 along the transverse separation path 151, which can be advantageous during some separation processes that can be better facilitated when higher temperature glass ribbons 103 are provided.

As shown in fig. 13, in some embodiments, the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d can move along the transverse separation path 151 along the respective first and second

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103. Thus, the separated debris 1001 can be entrained in the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner curtain of gas 187d and quickly pass over the glass sheet 104 with less time in adhering or any other manner contacting the first major surface 214a and the second major surface 214b of the glass sheet 104. In addition, the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner curtain of gas 187d can create a gas barrier (e.g., an effective clean room) that is impervious to environmental debris 1002. Further, the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner curtain of gas 187d can similarly entrain environmental debris 1002 and separation debris 1001, both types of debris then quickly pass over the glass sheet 104, adhere or otherwise come into contact with the first major surface 214a and the second major surface 214b of the glass sheet 104 for a relatively short period of time, and then deposit in the vacuum port 1011. In addition, the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d can isolate the glass ribbon 103 from ambient air and maintain a higher temperature of the glass ribbon 103 along the lateral separation path 151, which can be advantageous during some separation processes that can be better facilitated when higher temperature glass ribbons 103 are provided.

Further, in some embodiments, the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d may similarly entrain environmental debris 1002 and separation debris 1001, and both types of debris then quickly pass over the glass ribbon 103, adhere or otherwise come into contact with the first and second

major surfaces

213a, 214b of the glass ribbon 103 for a relatively short period of time, and are then deposited in the respective first and

second vacuums

148a, 148 b. For example, a first inner upstream portion 188c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c and a second inner upstream portion 188d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d can move along respective first and second inner upstream paths to pass over the glass separators 149 on both major sides of the glass ribbon 103. The corresponding first and

second vacuums

148a, 148b may then draw the respective first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d into the first and

second vacuums

148a, 148 b. In some embodiments, the first and

second vacuums

148a, 148b may also draw a gas component (which may be, for example, moving in an upstream direction based at least in part on natural convection) from the first and second

outer curtains

187a, 187b into the first and

second vacuums

148a, 148b, which entrains at least one of the separation debris 1001 and environmental debris 1002 in the process and prevents contamination of the glass ribbon 103.

As shown in fig. 10, in some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can be positioned downstream (e.g., along the draw direction 177 as shown in fig. 2) of where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can be positioned downstream of where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. Further, in some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can be positioned downstream of where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and downstream of where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. By placing the glass separator 149 in at least one of the following positions: the downstream where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the downstream where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103, and by causing separation of the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103 to be at least one of: downstream of where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and downstream of where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103, the separated debris 1001 can be immediately entrained in at least one of the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer curtain of gas 187 b. The separated debris 1001 entrained in at least one of the first and second

outer air curtains

187a, 187b is then drawn into the vacuum port 1011 under the pressure (underpressure) applied to the vacuum port 1011. By entraining the separation debris 1001 in at least one of the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer curtain of gas 187b and then drawing the separation debris 1001 into the vacuum port 1011, the separation debris 1001 can be removed from the area around the glass ribbon 103 and can be prevented from contacting and adhering to the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104.

As shown in fig. 11, in some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can be positioned upstream (e.g., along the draw direction 177 as shown in fig. 2) of where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can be positioned upstream of where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. Further, in some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can be positioned upstream of where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and upstream of where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. By placing the glass separator 149 in at least one of the following positions: the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 upstream and the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 upstream, and by causing separation of the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103 to be at least one of: upstream of where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and upstream of where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103, the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104 can be isolated within a region 1212, the region 1212 being defined laterally between the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer curtain of gas 187b from environmental debris 1002 that might otherwise contact and adhere to the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104. As shown, in some embodiments, the region 1212 may be located in at least one of the following locations: the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 upstream, and the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 upstream. In some embodiments, the separated debris 1001 created in the region 1212 may be removed from the region 1212 by running the vacuum 148. Further, the separated debris 1001 may move downward by gravity and may be entrained in at least one of the first and second

outer air curtains

187a, 187 b. The separated debris 1001 entrained in at least one of the first and second

outer air curtains

187a, 187b is then drawn into the vacuum port 1011 under the pressure (underpressure) applied to the vacuum port 1011.

As shown in fig. 13, in some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can be positioned downstream (e.g., along the draw direction 177 as shown in fig. 2) of where the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can be positioned downstream of where the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can be positioned downstream of where the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and downstream of where the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. By placing the glass separator 149 in at least one of the following positions: downstream of where the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and downstream of where the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103, and by causing separation of the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103 to be at least one of: downstream of where the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and downstream of where the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103, the separated debris 1001 can be immediately entrained in at least one of the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner curtain of gas 187 d. The separated debris 1001 entrained in at least one of the first and second inner air curtains 187c, 187d is then drawn into at least one of the vacuum ports 1011 under the pressure (undersize) applied to the vacuum ports 1011 and the first and

second vacuums

148a, 148 b. By entraining the separation debris 1001 in at least one of the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner curtain of gas 187d and then drawing the separation debris 1001 into the vacuum port 1011 and at least one of the first vacuum 148a and the second vacuum 148, the separation debris 1001 can be removed from the area around the glass ribbon 103 and can be prevented from contacting and adhering to the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and the

major surfaces

213a, 214b of the glass sheet 104.

As shown in fig. 13, in some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can be positioned upstream (e.g., along the draw direction 177 shown in fig. 2) where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and downstream (e.g., along the draw direction 177 shown in fig. 2) where the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can be positioned upstream where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and downstream where the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the glass separator 149 may be placed in the following positions: the outer first downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the outer second downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103, as well as being positioned downstream where the inner first downstream portion 189c of the inner first curtain of gas 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and downstream where the inner second downstream portion 189d of the inner second curtain of gas 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103.

In some embodiments, the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 may be isolated in a region 1212, the region 1212 being defined laterally between the first and second outer curtains of

air

187a, 187b from environmental debris 1002, which environmental debris 1002 may otherwise contact and adhere to the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104. For example, in some embodiments, glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 may be isolated in region 1212 by: the glass separator 149 is positioned upstream of where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and upstream of where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. Further, the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 may be isolated in the region 1212 by: the glass separator 149 is positioned downstream of where the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and downstream of where the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. Thus, by having the location of the separation of the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103 be: the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 can be isolated in the region 1212 from contact with at least one of the environmental debris 1002 and the separation debris 1001 upstream of where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and upstream of where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103, and downstream of where the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and downstream of where the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103.

Similarly, the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 can be isolated in a region 1212, the region 1212 being defined laterally between the first and second inner curtains 187c, 187d from at least one of environmental debris 1002 and separation debris 1001 that might otherwise contact and adhere to the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104. As shown, in some embodiments, the region 1212 may be located in at least one of the following locations: the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 upstream, and the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 upstream. In some embodiments, the region 1212 may be located in at least one of the following locations: the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 upstream, and the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 upstream.

Thus, in some embodiments, the glass separator 149 can be placed between the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the first inner curtain of gas 187c facing the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103, and the glass separator 149 can be placed between the second outer curtain of gas 187b and the second inner curtain of gas 187d facing the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. Thus, the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d can enclose the glass separator 149 and insulate the glass ribbon 103 from contact and adhesion of at least one of the separation debris 1001 and the environmental debris 1002 with the

major surfaces

213a, 213b of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the separated debris 1001 created in the region 1212 can be removed from the region 1212, for example, by running the vacuum 148 (e.g., first vacuum 148a, second vacuum 148 b). Further, the separated debris 1001 may move downward by gravity and may be entrained in at least one of the first outer curtain of air 187a, the first inner curtain of air 187c, the second outer curtain of air 187b, and the second inner curtain of air 187 d. Then, the separated debris 1001 entrained in at least one of the first outer air curtain 187a, the first inner air curtain 187c, the second outer air curtain 187b, and the second inner air curtain 187d is drawn into the vacuum port 1011 under pressure (undersize) applied to the vacuum port 1011.

As further shown, the glass processing apparatus 100 can include an optional gas distributor 1200 that can include a gas outlet 1202 oriented to distribute a gas flow 1205 in a draw direction along the draw plane 181. The gas outlet 1202 may be positioned downstream (e.g., along the draw direction 177 as shown in fig. 2) of the glass former 140 and upstream (e.g., along the draw direction 177) of the glass separator 149. In some embodiments, the gas outlets 1202 can be oriented to distribute the gas flow 1205 along the draw plane 181 along the entire width of the draw plane 181 (e.g., along the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103). In some embodiments, the gas outlets 1202 can be oriented to distribute the gas flow 1205 along the draw plane 181 to surround the draw plane 181 (e.g., to surround the glass ribbon 103). As shown in fig. 12 and 14, the gas distributor 1200 can surround the draw plane (e.g., the glass ribbon 103), and the gas outlets 1202 of the gas distributor 1200 can be laterally disposed between the first and

second baffles

1005a, 1005 b. As with the gas provided to the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer curtain of gas 187b, the gas provided to the gas distributor 1200 may be filtered and cleaned of any contaminants.

The gas distributor 1200 sweeps away debris (including the separation debris 1001 and any environmental debris 1002) that might otherwise infiltrate any one or more of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d from the region 1212. As shown, the gas distributor 1200 can distribute a gas flow 1205 in the draw direction 177 along the draw plane 181. In some embodiments, the gas flow 1205 can extend along the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103, and in some embodiments, the gas flow 1205 can surround the draw plane 181 and can surround the glass ribbon 103. It is to be understood that the gas outlets 1202 of the gas distributor 1200 can include any one or more nozzles, ports, and injectors, which can be individually or in combination oriented to distribute the gas flow 1205 in the draw direction 177 along the draw plane 181. In some embodiments, the gas outlets 1202 can include any one or more of an elongated continuous slit and a plurality of elongated slits to distribute the gas flow 1205 in the draw direction 177 along the draw plane 181. In some embodiments, the gas distributor may flush region 1212 so that it does not contain any particles without recirculating the air in region 1212. Further, the gas distributor 1200 can be selectively operated to purge debris from the region 1212, for example, at the start of the glass manufacturing process, periodically throughout the glass manufacturing process, and at a stop of the glass manufacturing process.

As indicated by arrow 1301 of fig. 15, the glass processing apparatus 100 may also include a washer 1303 that can more quickly accept the glass sheet 104 after separating the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103 and/or after separating the outer portion 159 from the central portion 161 of the glass sheet 104 (described above with reference to fig. 1). In some embodiments, the glass sheet 104 can be moved rapidly between a separation station (e.g., glass separator 149) and a cleaning station (e.g., cleaner 1303). As described above, moving glass sheet 104 relatively quickly from glass separator 149 to be received by washer 1303 can help prevent debris (e.g., glass chips, particles, etc.) from adhering to pristine major surfaces (e.g., first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104 and second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104). In fact, debris that falls onto

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 during the separation step is quickly removed before the debris has time to form a significant bond with

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, the faster movement of the glass sheet 104 (represented in fig. 1 and 15 as the direction of movement 1321) may involve a time lapse of about 1-20 seconds, such as about 1-15 seconds, from the time the glass sheet 104 leaves the separation station until the glass sheet 104 begins to be received by the washer 1303.

Washer 1303 can include a housing 1305 having a first liquid dispenser 1307 (e.g., a plurality of first liquid dispensers 1307) including a first liquid nozzle 1309 (e.g., a plurality of first liquid nozzles 1309) oriented to dispense liquid to

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104. Although not shown, exemplary cleaner 1303 can dispense liquid to both first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104 and second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104. Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, the illustrated one-sided assignment should not limit the scope of the appended claims, as such display is made for visual clarity. As shown, first liquid nozzle 1309 can optionally be rotated about a rotational axis, as indicated by rotational arrow 1311. In some embodiments (not shown), first liquid nozzle 1309 can be fixed and non-rotating. Suitable nozzles may include any one or more of the following: conical nozzles, flat nozzles, solid stream nozzles, hollow cone nozzles, fine nozzles, elliptical nozzles, square nozzles, and the like. In some embodiments, the nozzle may include a flow rate of about 0.25 to 2500 gallons per minute (gpm) and an operating pressure of about 0 to 4000 psi. In some embodiments, other nozzle types and designs may be provided, including nozzles not expressly disclosed herein.

In some embodiments, housing 1305 may be substantially enclosed, but the sidewalls of fig. 15 are removed to reveal features in the interior of housing 1305. In some embodiments, housing 1305 may include divider 1313 that divides the interior of housing 1305 into first region 1315a and second region 1315 b. The second region 1315b may be located downstream (e.g., along the direction of movement 1321) of the first region 1315 a. In the embodiment shown, first zone 1315a may include first liquid distributor 1307. A drain 1316 may be provided to remove liquid from the cleaning process in the first zone 1315a that has entrained any debris. A vent 1318 may also be provided to prevent pressure buildup and to allow vapors and/or gases to exit first region 1315a of housing 1305. As shown, exemplary embodiments may process glass sheet 104 in a machine direction orientation. Suitable mechanisms for such longitudinal orientation and movement thereof are described in co-pending U.S. application No. 62/066,656, filed on 21/10/2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The washer 1303 can also include an air knife 1317 positioned downstream (e.g., along the direction of movement 1321) of the first liquid dispenser 1307, e.g., as shown, within a second region 1315b of the housing 1305. The gas knife 1317 can include a gas nozzle 1319 (e.g., an elongated nozzle) oriented to extend along the entire length "L" of the glass sheet 104 and oriented to dispense gas toward the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 to remove liquid from the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104. The gas knife 1317 may be oriented at a first angle "a 1" relative to the direction of movement 1321 of the glass sheet 104 through the washer 1303. In some embodiments, the first angle "a 1" may be about 90 ° (e.g., longitudinal), about 45 °, about 45-90 °, such as about 60-85 °, such as about 70-80 °, and all ranges and subranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the first angle "A1" may be about 135, about 90-135, about 95-120, such as about 100-110, and all ranges and subranges therebetween. The gas knife 1317 can be designed to dispense gas to the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 to remove liquid from the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104. Suitable gases include, but are not limited to: air, nitrogen, and low humidity gases, and the like.

As further shown, the second region 1315b can optionally include a second liquid dispenser 1323 that includes a second liquid nozzle 1327, the second liquid nozzle 1327 oriented to rinse the

major surface

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 at a location upstream (e.g., along the direction of travel 1321) of the gas knife 1317. In some embodiments, the second liquid distributor 1323 can include a lower pressure of the liquid stream than the pressure of the liquid stream generated by the first liquid distributor 1307 in the first region 1315 a. In fact, the lower pressure stream of second liquid distributor 1323 may flush

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 to remove any degreasers, chemicals, debris, or other contaminants remaining on glass sheet 104. As shown, in some embodiments, a deflector 1325 may be positioned (e.g., along the direction of movement 1321) downstream of the second liquid dispenser 1323 and upstream of the gas knife 1317. The deflector 1325 can be oriented to direct an amount of liquid from the second liquid dispenser 1323 away from the gas knife 1317. As shown, the deflector 1325 (e.g., a wiper blade) can be oriented at a second angle "a 2" relative to a direction 1321 of movement of the glass sheet 104 through the washer 1303. As shown, the first angle "a 1" and the second angle "a 2" may be substantially equal to each other; however, unless otherwise indicated, such indication should not limit the scope of the appended claims, as different angles (oblique, acute, etc.) may be provided (relative to the direction of movement) in some embodiments. Further, as shown, the second liquid dispenser 1323 may similarly optionally include a second liquid nozzle 1327 (e.g., an elongated liquid nozzle) oriented at a similar or same angle as the deflector 1325 and air knife 1317 relative to the direction of travel 1321 of the glass sheet 104 through the washer 1303. The deflector 1325 may direct the liquid downward from the second liquid dispenser 1323 and away from the gas knife 1317, thereby reducing the amount of liquid that the gas knife 1317 needs to remove from the glass sheet 104.

Although the features shown in fig. 15 are for a single one of

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104, it will be understood that similar or identical features may be provided on both sides of glass sheet 104 to thoroughly clean both first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104 and second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104. Thus, the left side perspective view of washer 1303 may be a mirror image of the right side perspective view of washer 1303 shown in FIG. 15, and discussed above and shown in FIG. 15 for purposes of visual clarity.

The clean and dried glass sheet 104 leaving the washer 1303 may then be coated by a coating chamber 1403, as shown by arrow 1401 in fig. 15, to protect the clean

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104, as shown in fig. 16. Alternatively, as shown by arrow 1402 in fig. 15, the clean and dried glass sheet 104 exiting the washer 1303 can then be coated with a sheet surface protection apparatus (which includes an exemplary embodiment of a coating chamber 1403), as shown in fig. 17 and 18, to protect the clean

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, coating chamber 1403 may be provided alone or in combination with any one or more features of mist chamber (fog chamber)1453, plasma deposition chamber, or other suitable coating chamber to provide a coating on at least one of first major surface 214a and second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104.

Fig. 16 is a perspective schematic view of a coating application station of the glass processing apparatus 100. Referring to fig. 16, while coating of only a single side of glass sheet 104 is shown, it is to be understood that both sides of glass sheet 104 can be coated to protect both first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104 and second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104. Thus, the left side perspective view of the coating chamber 1403 may be a mirror image of the right side perspective view of the coating chamber 1403 shown in fig. 16. The coating chamber 1403 may be provided with a vent or exhaust to evacuate part or all of the coating chamber 1403. As shown, exemplary embodiments may process glass sheet 104 in a machine direction orientation. Suitable mechanisms for such longitudinal orientation and movement thereof are described in co-pending U.S. application No. 62/066,656, filed on 21/10/2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

As shown in fig. 16, in some embodiments, coating chamber 1403 can include a dispensing port 1405 (e.g., a plurality of dispensing ports 1405) on one or both sides of glass sheet 104, such as a spray nozzle, oriented to dispense coating on a major surface (e.g., first major surface 214a and second major surface 214b) of glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, a first plurality of distribution ports 1405 and a second plurality of distribution ports 1405 may be provided. Each of the first plurality of dispensing ports can be oriented to dispense coating on first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104 and each of the second plurality of dispensing ports can be oriented to dispense coating on second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104. Any one or more of the dispensing ports 1405 can include, but is not required to include, a plasma deposition port oriented to dispense plasma to one or both

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104. The coating on

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 can include a polymer that can be easily removed during downstream processes, as described below. In some embodiments, the coating can provide a protective layer on at least one of the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104.

In some embodiments, the hydrocarbon precursor may be used as a coating that is resistant to temperatures greater than 400 ℃. Exemplary hydrocarbon coatings may have 30mJ/m by adding functional groups on top of the hydrocarbon coating by way of a process gas or by way of an additional precursor²To 75mJ/m²The adjustable surface energy spectrum of (1). In some embodiments, organometallic coatings can be deposited that can withstand temperatures greater than 400 ℃. In other embodiments, a combination of hydrocarbon and organosilicon precursors may be used that are capable of withstanding temperatures greater than 400 ℃ and have a thickness of 30-75mJ/m²The adjustable surface energy coating of (1). In some embodiments, the coating may also be formed by adding other functional groups to the organometallic coating, such as, but not limited to: amine, hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxyl groups, etc., or by controlling the coating (top) composition or porosity.

As used herein, the terms "plasma," "atmospheric plasma," and variations thereof are intended to mean a gas passed through a high frequency electric field. The encounter with the electromagnetic field generates ionized and free electrons of the gas atoms, which are accelerated to high velocities and thus have high kinetic energy. Some of the high-speed electrons ionize the outermost electrons of other atoms by colliding with them, and these free electrons can in turn create additional ionization, resulting in a cascade ionization effect. The resulting plasma may generate a flow in which energetic particles may be projected onto an object (e.g., glass sheet 104).

In various embodiments, the plasma may be an Atmospheric Pressure (AP) plasma and a thermal or non-thermal plasma. For example, the temperature of the plasma may be from room temperature (e.g., about 25 ℃) to higher temperatures (e.g., up to about 300 ℃). By way of non-limiting example, the temperature of the plasma may be about 25-300 deg.C, such as about 50-250 deg.C, or about 100-200 deg.C, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. The plasma may include at least one gas selected from the group consisting of: argon, helium, nitrogen, air, hydrogen, water vapor, and mixtures thereof, by way of example only. According to some embodiments, argon may be used as the plasma gas.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the plasma may include at least one hydrocarbon, which may be present as a gas. Suitable hydrocarbons may include, but are not limited to: c₁-C₁₂Hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, nonane, decane, undecane, dodecane, combinations thereof, and the like. According to various embodiments, volatile hydrocarbons having a low boiling point (e.g., less than 100 ℃), e.g., C, may be used₁-C₆A hydrocarbon. In other embodiments, the hydrocarbon may be methane or ethane. For example, the plasma may include about 1-20% by volume of the at least one hydrocarbon, such as about 2-18%, about 3-15%, about 4-12%, about 5-10%, or about 6-8%, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

Contact between the plasma and the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 can be achieved in any suitable manner known in the art, for example, any number of plasma jets, nozzles, or torches can be used to sweep the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104. The scan speed can be varied as desired to achieve a desired coating density and/or efficiency for a particular application. For example, the scan speed may be about 5-100mm/s, such as about 10-75mm/s, about 25-60mm/s, or about 40-50mm/s, including all ranges and subranges.

The residence time (e.g., the period of time during which the plasma contacts the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104) can similarly vary depending on the scan speed and the desired coating properties. By way of non-limiting example, the residence time may be from less than 1 second to several minutes, such as from about 1 second to about 10 minutes, from about 30 seconds to 9 minutes, from about 1 minute to about 8 minutes, from about 2 minutes to about 7 minutes, from about 3 minutes to about 6 minutes, or from about 4 minutes to about 5 minutes, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. In various embodiments, the contacting of

major surface

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 with the plasma can be a single pass, or in some embodiments, multiple passes can be employed, such as 2 or more, 3 or more, 4 or more, 5 or more, 10 or more, 20 or more, and so forth.

As shown in fig. 16, at least a portion of

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 may be coated with an exemplary hydrocarbon layer after being contacted with the plasma. In certain embodiments, the entire

major surface

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 may be coated with a hydrocarbon layer. In some embodiments, desired portions of

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 can be coated, for example, the edges or perimeter of glass sheet 104, the central area, or any other desired area or pattern. In various embodiments, the coated portions of

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 can have a total surface energy of: less than about 50mJ/m²E.g. less than about 45mJ/m²Less than about 40mJ/m²Less than about 35mJ/m²Less than about 30mJ/m²Or less than about 25mJ/m²Including all ranges and subranges therebetween. The polar surface energy may be, for example: less than about 15mJ/m²For example, less than about 10, less than about 9, less than about 8, less than about 7, less than about 6, less than about 5, less than about 4, less than about 3, less than about 2, or less than about 1mJ/m²Including all ranges and subranges therebetween. In certain embodiments, the dispersion energy of the coated portion can be greater than about 25mJ/m²E.g., greater than about 30mJ/m²Large, largeAt about 35mJ/m²Or greater than about 40mJ/m²Including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

According to various embodiments, the coated portions of

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 after contact with the plasma may have contact angles in the following ranges: about 20-95 degrees, e.g., about 30-90 degrees, about 40-85 degrees, about 50-80 degrees, or about 60-70 degrees, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. In certain embodiments, the hydrocarbon layer may also be removed from the glass sheet 104 as desired (e.g., prior to finishing of the glass sheet 104 for end use applications). As described above with respect to the methods disclosed herein, wet and/or dry cleaning methods may be used to remove the hydrocarbon layer. After cleaning, the contact angle of the previously coated

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 can be greatly reduced, for example, to a minimum of 0 degrees. For example, the contact angle may be up to 95 degrees when coated, and after cleaning, the contact angle may be less than 20 degrees, e.g., less than 15 degrees, less than 10 degrees, less than 5 degrees, less than 3 degrees, less than 2 degrees, or less than 1 degree, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

Fig. 17 is a perspective schematic view of another embodiment of a sheet surface protection device of a coating chamber 1403 of the glass processing device 100, and fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the coating chamber 1403 of fig. 17 taken along line 15-15. As shown in fig. 17, in some embodiments, an exemplary non-limiting coating chamber 1403 can include: a fog chamber 1453, which may include one or more housings (e.g., at least one of a first housing 1451 and a second housing 1452). Coating chamber 1403 may also include a mist generator (e.g., first and second mist generators 1461, 1462) to provide a mist (shown schematically as mist 1463 and mist 1464) to the housings (e.g., respective first and second housings 1451, 1452). In some embodiments, fog chamber 1453 can include channels (e.g., first opening 1457, second opening 1458) in the enclosure (e.g., first enclosure 1451, respectively second enclosure 1452, respectively) so that fog can exit the enclosure to contact at least one

major surface

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, the fog can condense on the at least one

major surface

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 and deposit a fog coating on the at least one

major surface

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104.

In some embodiments, only a single housing may be provided, and in some embodiments, more than one housing may be provided. Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. In some embodiments, the gas processing apparatus 100 may include a mist chamber 1453, the mist chamber 1453 comprising: at least one of the first housing 1451 and the second housing 1452, at least one of a first mist generator 1461 that provides mist 1463 to the first housing 1451 and a second mist generator 1462 that provides mist 1464 to the second housing 1452. Fog chamber 1453 may include at least one of a first channel (e.g., first opening 1457) in first housing 1451 from which fog 1463 may exit first housing 1451 to contact first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104 and a second channel (e.g., second opening 1458) in second housing 1452 from which fog 1464 may exit second housing 1452 to contact second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, a first channel (e.g., first opening 1457) may face toward a channel (e.g., second opening 1458). In some embodiments, the first channel (e.g., first opening 1457) can be spaced apart from the second channel (e.g., second opening 1458) by a predetermined distance 1459. Predetermined distance 1459 may define a path 1481 of movement of glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, the path of movement 1481 may extend along, laterally between, the first and second channels. Further, in some embodiments, predetermined distance 1459 between the first and second channels may be selected to provide an area between first and

second housings

1451, 1452 within which glass sheet 104 may be placed and exposed to the fog.

It is to be understood that the fog chamber 1453, including the first and

second housings

1451, 1452, can comprise any shape and configuration. Thus, while the fog chamber 1453, including the first and

second housings

1451, 1452, is shown as a rectangular housing (e.g., a box), such illustration should not limit the scope of the present disclosure unless otherwise noted. For example, in some embodiments, the location where the mist chamber 1453 can be placed and used can include other components. Thus, in some embodiments, the location, shape, structure, etc. (including any components in the environment) of the environment in which the mist chamber 1453 is used can at least partially control the shape of the first and

second housings

1451, 1452. In some embodiments, the fog chamber 1453, including the first and

second housings

1451, 1452, may be constructed from and include any one or more shapes and features without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, it is to be understood that in some embodiments, a single mist generator may be provided. For example, a single mist generator may provide mist, which may be transmitted (e.g., via pipes, tubes, conduits, etc.) to the first and

second housings

1451, 1452 of the mist chamber 1453. Similarly, in some embodiments, multiple mist generators can be provided to generate a mist that can be transmitted (e.g., via pipes, tubes, conduits, etc.) to the first and

second housings

1451, 1452 of the mist chamber 1453. In some embodiments, one or more mist generators can be positioned within at least one of the first and

second housings

1451, 1452 to provide a mist within at least one of the first and

second housings

1451, 1452 without employing pipes, tubes, conduits, etc. to transport the mist.

In some embodiments, the mist generator may comprise any one or more of: ultrasonic mist generators, atomizer mist generators, ultrasonic or pneumatic atomizers, airless atomizers, and any other device that generates mist. For example, in some embodiments, the mist generator may include any one or more of: a Prototype Vicks ultrasonic mist generator, a Mainland Mart (Mainland Mart) ultrasonic mist generator, a TSI atomizer sprayer, and an atomic layer deposition or aerosol coating system available from Beneq corporation. In some embodiments, the mist generator may comprise a mist system manufactured by atomization Systems, Inc, which may include any one or more of a pump, a motor, a water filter, a control panel, a nozzle, and a conduit. In some embodiments, atomization Systems (atomization Systems) the atomization system may operate at an adjustable operating pressure of about 400-. In some embodiments, the mist system may comprise any one or more nozzles having an orifice of about 0.1-0.4mm, a flow rate of about 0.01 gallons per minute (gpm) to about 0.12pgm at 1000 psi; for example, about 0.11mm (about 0.014-0.017gpm), about 0.13mm (about 0.020gpm), about 0.14mm (about 0.025gpm), about 0.15mm (about 0.026gpm), about 0.20mm (about 0.046gpm), about 0.25mm (about 0.072gpm), about 0.30mm (about 0.092gpm), and about 0.38mm (0.012 gpm). In some embodiments, a mist system may include a nozzle comprising: a stainless steel body with ruby openings, an impact pin, and a polypropylene filter to prevent trapping of particles in the nozzle base. The nozzle may then be supplied with high pressure liquid and the impact pin is hit with a fine liquid jet to produce a mist. Non-limiting embodiments of the nozzle may include ASI-4R, ASI-45R, ASI-5R, ASI-55R, ASI-6R, ASI-8R, ASI-10R, ASI-12R, and ASI-15R. In some embodiments, the mist generator may comprise a Mee industry ltd mist system, which may comprise a MeeFog brand striker type mist nozzle comprising a 150 micron diameter opening that generates a mist at an operating pressure of about 2000 psi. In some embodiments, other mist systems may be used, including mist systems not expressly disclosed herein.

In some embodiments, the mist generator can be operated periodically to provide mist (e.g., when glass sheet 104 is provided in mist chamber 1453), or can be operated continuously to provide mist (e.g., to maintain mist in mist chamber 1453 regardless of whether glass sheet 104 is provided in mist chamber 1453). In some embodiments, providing the fog continuously in the fog chamber 1453 can provide a more uniform and consistent fog, which can better coat the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104, than providing the fog, for example, periodically or intermittently. Alternatively, in some embodiments, periodically providing the mist alone or in combination with continuously providing the mist may be advantageous for: adding additional mist to the mist chamber 1453 replaces the mist that has been depleted by the mist chamber 1453 and circulates and redistributes the mist within the mist chamber 1453 to provide a uniform and consistent mist within the mist chamber 1453.

In some embodiments, the mist may apply a mist coating chemical on the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, the fog can provide a fog coating chemistry that provides a coating that includes a wettability (e.g., contact angle of a liquid-gas interface where one of the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 meets) of about 30-60 °, such as about 45-60 °, such as about 55-60 °, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the fog coating chemistry can reduce the adhesion of contaminants (e.g., at least one of environmental debris 1002 and separation debris 1001) on the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 and protect the glass sheet from scratches and debris. In some embodiments, the fog coating chemistry can collect debris (e.g., at least one of environmental debris 1002 and separation debris 1001), prevent the debris from coming into contact with the glass surface, and can then be removed from the glass sheet 104 by, for example, washing. In some embodiments, the fog coating chemistry can include a single or multiple layer coating that can be deposited onto the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104. The mist may include various chemical components and compounds, the specific composition of which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure unless otherwise specified.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the mist may include at least one hydrocarbon, which may be present as a gas. Suitable hydrocarbons may include, but are not limited to: c₁-C₁₂Hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, nonane, decane, undecane, dodecane, combinations thereof, and the like. According to various embodiments, volatile hydrocarbons having a low boiling point (e.g., less than 100 ℃), e.g., C, may be used₁-C₆A hydrocarbon. In other embodiments, the hydrocarbon may be methane or ethane. For example, the plasma may include about 1-20% by volume of the at least one hydrocarbon, such as about 2-18%, about 3-15%, about 4-12%, about 5-10%, or about 6-8%, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. Further, in some embodiments, the mist can include particles comprising about 5-15um, e.g., about 5-15umParticle sizes (e.g., droplet sizes) of about 10-15um, such as about 10-12um, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. In some embodiments, a mist comprising particle sizes within these ranges may provide a better quality (e.g., more evenly distributed) surface coating than a mist comprising particle sizes falling outside these ranges. However, in some embodiments, a mist comprising particles of any size not specifically disclosed herein may be provided.

In some embodiments, one or more fans (e.g., first fan 1495, second fan 1496) may be provided to circulate the mist within at least one of the first and

second housings

1451, 1452. In some embodiments, for example, the first and

second fans

1495, 1496 may redistribute particles having at least one of a different size and weight that may create a non-uniform mist distribution within the mist chamber 1453 based on the effect of gravity on the mist. For example, in some embodiments, larger, heavier mist particles may settle toward the bottom of the first and

second housings

1451, 1452 based on gravity, and the first and

second fans

1495, 1496 may be operated such that the larger, heavier mist particles are redistributed toward the top of the first and

second housings

1451, 1452 against gravity. In some embodiments, providing a fog with a uniform particle distribution may provide a better quality fog coating on glass sheet 104 than, for example, providing a fog with a non-uniform particle distribution.

As shown in fig. 18, in some embodiments, the glass processing apparatus 100 can include a conveyor 1480 that defines a travel path 1481 that extends along at least one of the first channel (e.g., first opening 1457) and the second channel (e.g., second opening 1458). In some embodiments, the conveyor 1480 can be oriented transverse to the glass sheet 104 along the path of movement 1481. For example, in some embodiments, the conveyor 1480 may include a pulley system, rails, or belts to which the carriage 1483 and clamp 1482 may be attached. Clamps 1482 may hold glass sheet 104 in an orientation where glass sheet 104 may be suspended from conveyor 1480 so that glass sheet 104 may move along movement path 1481 through fog chamber 1453. In some embodiments, conveyor 1480 can be oriented transverse to glass sheet 104 along travel path 1481 between the first and second channels. In some embodiments, first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104 can face toward a first channel (e.g., first opening 1457) of first housing 1451 and second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104 can face toward a second channel (e.g., second opening 1458) of second housing 1452 as glass sheet 104 moves along travel path 1481.

In some embodiments, as shown, the height H1 of the first channel (e.g., first opening 1457) and the second channel (e.g., second opening 1458) may extend between an inner surface of a top wall of the first housing 1451 (or second housing 1452) and an inner surface of a bottom wall of the first housing 1451 (or second housing 1452). In some embodiments, height H1 of the first channel (e.g., first opening 1457) and the second channel (e.g., second opening 1458) can be greater than height H2 of glass sheet 104. Thus, in some embodiments, the entire height H2 of first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104 can face the first pass of first housing 1451 and the entire height H2 of second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104 can face the second pass of second housing 1452 as glass sheet 104 moves along travel path 1481. As glass sheet 104 moves along travel path 1481, the entire first and second

major surfaces

214a, 214b may be exposed (e.g., uniformly exposed) to the fog exiting the respective first and second passages (e.g., first opening 1457, 1458).

In some embodiments, width W1 of first opening 1457 may be less than width W2 of glass sheet 104, but in other embodiments, width W1 may be equal to or greater than width W2 of glass sheet 104. The entire width W2 of

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 can eventually face

respective openings

1457, 1458 as glass sheet 104 moves along travel path 1481. Thus, while width W1 of

openings

1457, 1458 may be less than width W2 of glass sheet 104, the entire width W2 of

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 may be exposed to

fog

1463, 1464.

In some embodiments, glass sheet 104 can be moved along movement path 1481 through fog chamber 1453 once (e.g., in a single pass). In some embodiments, glass sheet 104 can be moved along movement path 1481 through fog chamber 1453 multiple times (e.g., in multiple passes). In some embodiments, the movement of the glass sheet 104 may be at least one of: forward along travel path 1481 and backward (e.g., in the opposite direction) along travel path 1481 through mist chamber 1453. In some embodiments, the glass sheet can be placed (e.g., manually placed) into the fog chamber 1453. In some embodiments, glass sheet 104 can remain in a fixed position (e.g., without traversing along travel path 1481) as the fog condenses onto at least one

major surface

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, conveyor 1480 can provide glass sheet 104 to fog chamber 1453 (where glass sheet 104 can be exposed to fog), and then conveyor 1480 can transport glass sheet 104 from fog chamber 1453 (where the fog coating chemistry is applied to glass sheet 104).

For purposes of describing the fog chamber 1453, if the footprint of a major surface projected from the major surface in a direction perpendicular to the major surface passes through a channel, the area of the major surface of the glass sheet is considered to be "facing" the channel. Fig. 18 shows that the area of first major surface 214a facing first opening 1457 in first housing 1451 is to be exposed to mist 1463. In fact, the footprint of first major surface 214a projecting from first major surface 214a in a direction perpendicular to first major surface 214a passes through first opening 1457. Similarly, in a similar manner, the area of second major surface 214b facing second opening 1458 in second housing 1452 is to be exposed to fog 1464.

In some embodiments, a cross-section along dashed line 15A-15A (i.e., the opposite cross-section 15-15 in FIG. 17) may appear as a mirror image of FIG. 18. Thus, in some embodiments, the characteristics (e.g., dimensions) of the first channel (e.g., first opening 1457) can be the same as the characteristics (e.g., dimensions) of the second channel (e.g., second opening 1458). Thus, while fig. 18 shows an embodiment in which only a single side (e.g., first major surface 214a) of glass sheet 104 is coated with fog, a mirror image of fig. 18 along line 15A-15A of fig. 17 may represent an embodiment in which both first and second

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the respective channels are simultaneously coated with

fog

1463, 1464, e.g., to protect both first and second

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104.

In some embodiments, in addition to or in lieu of the first and/or

second openings

1457, 1458, the passage of the mist chamber 1453 may optionally include a slit nozzle 1490 located upstream or downstream of the first opening 1457 along the moving path 1481. For example, as shown in fig. 18, in one embodiment, the slit nozzle 1490 may be located upstream relative to the first opening 1457, wherein a glass sheet moving through the inlet 1471 along direction 1402 would encounter the slit nozzle 1490 first, and then encounter the first opening 1457. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the passage of the mist chamber 1453 can include a slit nozzle 1490 located upstream or downstream of the second opening 1458 along the travel path 1481. For example, when viewed along section line 15A-15A of fig. 17, the mirror image of fig. 18 may represent the slit nozzle 1490 being upstream relative to the second opening 1458, wherein a glass sheet 104 moving through the inlet 1471 along direction 1402 would encounter the slit nozzle 1490 first and then the second opening 1458.

As shown in fig. 18, in some embodiments, the fog chamber 1453 can provide fog to an area of the first major surface 214a and/or the second major surface 214b (e.g., an area facing the respective slit nozzle 1490 along the entire height H2 of the glass sheet 104). Thus, in some embodiments, the fog can exit first housing 1451 through slit nozzle 1490 to contact first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, the slit nozzle 1490 may include an elongated aperture or a plurality of elongated apertures through which the mist may pass. In some embodiments, the elongated gap may include a height H3 that is greater than or equal to the height H2 of glass sheet 104 such that the fog passing through the slit nozzle 1490 may be exposed to the height H2 of glass sheet 104 (e.g., the entire height H2). In some embodiments, the mist chamber 1453 can include a plurality of slit nozzles 1490 (e.g., 2 slit nozzles, 3 slit nozzles, etc.) that can be aligned with (e.g., parallel to) each other and sequentially spaced apart along the travel path 1481. For example, in some embodiments, a plurality of elongated slits may be spaced along a travel path 1481 that extends along the path of the mist chamber 1453.

In some embodiments, the passage of the mist chamber 1453 may optionally include a diffuser nozzle 1491 located upstream or downstream of the first opening 1457 along the moving path 1481 in addition to or in lieu of the first opening 1457, the second opening 1458, and/or the slit nozzle 1490. For example, as shown in fig. 18, in some embodiments, the diffuser nozzle 1491 may be located downstream along the travel path 1481 relative to the first opening 1457, wherein a glass sheet moving through the inlet 1471 along the direction 1402 encounters the first opening 1457 first, then the diffuser nozzle 1491. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the passage of the mist chamber 1453 may include a diffuser nozzle 1491 located upstream or downstream of the second opening 1458 along the movement path 1491. For example, when viewed along section line 15A-15A of fig. 17, the mirror image of fig. 18 may represent the diffuser nozzle 1491 located downstream along the travel path 1481 relative to the second opening 1458, wherein a glass sheet 104 moving along the travel path 1481 through the inlet 1471 would encounter the second opening 1458 first and then the diffuser nozzle 1491.

As shown in fig. 18, in some embodiments, the fog chamber 1453 can provide fog to an area of the first major surface 214a and/or the rear second major surface 214b (e.g., an area facing the respective diffuser nozzle 1491 along the entire height H2 of the glass sheet 104). Thus, in some embodiments, the fog can exit first or

second housings

1451, 1452 through respective diffuser nozzles 1491 to contact respective first or second

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, the diffuser nozzle 1491 may include a plurality of elongated slits 1492 through which the mist may pass. The diffuser nozzle 1491 may include any number of slits 1492 of any size, shape, and distribution. For example, the plurality of apertures 1492 may be arranged in a pattern that includes at least one of staggered and equally spaced apertures.

Embodiments of the passages of the mist chamber 1453 may include a single or any combination of the first opening 1457, the slit nozzle 1490 and the diffuser nozzle 1491. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the openings, slit nozzles, and diffuser nozzles may all be provided such that any one or more are partially or completely inactive. For example, a mask may be partially or completely placed over one or more channels (e.g., the first opening 1457, the slit nozzle 1490, and/or the diffuser nozzle 1491) to inhibit (e.g., prevent) fog from passing through the channels at the masked locations.

Thus, while shown with respect to the first housing 1451, it is to be understood that in some embodiments, the mist chamber 1453 can include: a first slit nozzle 1490 positioned relative to first opening 1457, wherein the fog can exit first housing 1451 through first slit nozzle 1490 to contact first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104; and a second slot nozzle (not shown) positioned in second opening 1458, wherein the mist can exit second housing 1452 through the second slot nozzle to contact second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, the first slit nozzle 1490 and the second slit nozzle may each include an elongated slot or a plurality of elongated slots through which the mist may pass. Similarly, in some embodiments, the fog chamber 1453 can include: a first diffuser nozzle 1491 positioned relative to first opening 1457, wherein the fog can exit first housing 1451 through first diffuser nozzle 1491 to contact first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104; and a second diffuser nozzle (not shown) positioned relative to second opening 1458, wherein the fog can exit second housing 1452 through the second diffuser nozzle to contact second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, the first diffuser nozzle 1491 and the second diffuser nozzle may each include a plurality of slits 1492 through which the mist may pass. In some embodiments, the diffuser nozzle 1491 may provide a permeable barrier that simultaneously contains the fog within the first housing 1451 and also allows the fog to pass through the plurality of slits 1492 of the diffuser nozzle 1491 to contact the glass sheet 104.

In some embodiments, the fog chamber 1453 may include an inlet 1471 that defines an inlet path 1473 from an exterior 1440 of the fog chamber 1453, through the inlet 1471, to an interior 1444 of the fog chamber 1453. Inlet 1471 may be oriented to receive glass sheet 104 from an exterior 1440 of fog chamber 1453 through to an interior 1444 of fog chamber 1453 along an inlet path 1473. In some embodiments, gas chamber 1453 may include an inlet door 1475 (shown in fig. 17, but not shown in fig. 18 for clarity) that selectively blocks inlet 1471. In some embodiments, direction 1402 may extend through inlet 1471 and laterally between a first channel (e.g., first opening 1457) and a second channel (e.g., second opening 1458). Further, in some embodiments, when glass sheet 104 is not present, a first channel (e.g., first opening 1457) can face a second channel (e.g., second opening 1458), and the first channel and the second channel can be spaced apart by a predetermined distance 1459 to define a travel path 1481 for glass sheet 104. As shown, a travel path 1481 may extend into through the inlet 1471 and laterally between the first and second passageways.

In some embodiments, the mist chamber 1453 can include an outlet 1472 that defines an outlet path 1474 from an interior 1444 of the mist chamber 1453 through the outlet 1472 to an exterior 1440 of the mist chamber 1453. Outlet 1472 may be oriented to receive glass sheet 104, travel along an outlet path 1474 from an interior 1444 of mist chamber 1453 to an exterior 1440 of mist chamber 1453. In some embodiments, the mist chamber 1453 can include an outlet door 1476 (shown schematically in fig. 17, but not shown in fig. 18 for clarity) that selectively blocks the outlet 1472. In some embodiments, the travel path 1481 may extend into through the inlet 1471 and laterally between the first and second passages and out the second opening 1458.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass sheet 104 may comprise: providing glass sheet 104 to fog chamber 1453; providing a

fog

1463, 1464 to at least one of the first and

second housings

1451, 1452 of the fog chamber 1453; and contacting the fog with at least one

major surface

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 by at least one of: the mist is caused to pass through the first housing 1451 via a first passage in the first housing 1451 including a first opening 1457, and the mist is caused to pass through the second housing 1452 via a second passage in the second housing 1452 including a second opening 1458. In some embodiments, contacting first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104 can include: such that the mist passes through the first housing 1451 via another passageway in the form of a slit nozzle 1490. In such examples, making contact with second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104 can include: such that the mist passes through the second housing 1452 via the elongated slot of the slit nozzle 1490 positioned opposite the first opening 1457. In some embodiments, the channel may include a diffuser nozzle 1491, wherein the contact with first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104 may include: such that the mist passes through the first housing 1451 via a plurality of slits 1492 of the diffuser nozzle 1491 positioned relative to the first opening 1457. Similarly, making contact with second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104 can include: such that the mist passes through the second housing 1452 via a second opening 1458 opposite the second housing 1452. In some embodiments, contacting second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104 can include: such that the mist passes through the second housing 1452 via a second elongated slit of a second slit nozzle (not shown) positioned opposite the second opening 1458. In some embodiments, contacting second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104 can include: such that the mist passes through the second housing 1452 via a second plurality of apertures of a second diffuser nozzle (not shown) positioned relative to the second opening 1458.

In some embodiments, a method may comprise: causing glass sheet 104 to traverse along an inlet path 1473 from an exterior 1440 of mist chamber 1453 through an inlet 1471 of mist chamber 1453 to an interior 1444 of mist chamber 1453. In some embodiments, a method may comprise: opening an entrance door 1475 that selectively blocks the entrance 1471; causing glass sheet 104 to traverse along inlet path 1473 from an exterior 1440 of mist chamber 1453 through inlet 1471 to an interior 1444 of mist chamber 1453; the entry door 1475 is then closed to block the entry 1471. In some embodiments, a method may comprise: causing the glass sheet 104 to traverse along the exit path 1474 from the interior 1444 of the fog chamber 1453 through the exit 1472 of the fog chamber 1453. In some embodiments, a method may comprise: opening an outlet door 1476 that selectively blocks an outlet 1472 of the mist compartment 1453; causing glass sheet 104 to traverse along exit path 1474 from an interior 1444 of mist chamber 1453 through exit 1472 to an exterior 1440 of mist chamber 1453; the exit door 1476 is then closed to block the exit 1472. In some embodiments, a method may comprise: the glass sheet 104 is transported from an inlet 1471 of the mist chamber 1453 to an outlet 1472 of the mist chamber 1453 along a moving path 1481, which moving path 1481 extends along and between a first channel and a second channel.

In some embodiments, by selectively opening and closing the inlet door 1475 to selectively block the inlet 1471 and selectively opening and closing the outlet door 1476 to selectively block the outlet 1472, mist within the mist compartment 1453 may be controlled and contained within the mist compartment 1453 without being dispensed into the environment in which the mist compartment 1453 is used. Thus, in some embodiments, the inlet door 1475 may block the inlet 1471 and the outlet door 1476 may block the outlet 1472, thereby providing a sealed enclosure in which mist may be contained, thereby allowing for selective entry and exit of the mist chamber 1453 when desired. Further, in some embodiments, the mist can include chemicals that are desirably controlled and contained within the mist chamber 1453 as compared to being dispersed into the environment in which the mist chamber 1453 is used. Thus, the inlet door 1475 and the outlet door 1476 may prevent mist containing any chemicals from escaping into the environment. In some embodiments, the inlet 1471 or the outlet 1472 may be provided separately, and the glass sheet 104 may be provided and delivered from the mist chamber 1453 through only the inlet 1471 or only the outlet 1472.

While the freshly coated glass sheet 104 may already have the desired predetermined dimensions, in some embodiments, the glass sheet 104 may also be dimensionally adjusted to provide a glass sheet 104 having the final dimensions desired by the customer. For example, as shown by arrow 1501 of fig. 16 and arrow 1502 of fig. 17 and 18, the glass sheet 104 may optionally travel to a re-sizing station as shown in fig. 19, where the glass sheet 104 may be separated into the final desired size. In the illustrated embodiment, the full body crack 1505 may be propagated through the cooling zone 1507 trailing the laser heating zone 1509, although in some embodiments other techniques such as scoring and/or fracturing may be provided. Regardless of the technique used, any debris generated during the separation process can be prevented from coming into contact with first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104 and second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104 by applying a corresponding first coating 1503a to first major surface 214a of glass sheet 104 and a corresponding second coating 1503b to second major surface 214b of glass sheet 104 using coating chamber 1403.

As indicated by arrow 1601 of fig. 19, glass sheet 104 may then pass through an edge finishing station shown in fig. 20, where the edge of glass sheet 104 may be finished to remove microcracks or other flaws that may otherwise compromise the strength of glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, as shown, a grinding apparatus 1603 may be provided to reduce processing time. In some embodiments, one or more of the grinding devices 1603 may provide different finishing operations. For example, one grinding apparatus 1603 may provide a rough grinding step, while another grinding apparatus 1603 (e.g., with finer grinding wheels) may provide a fine-tuned grinding or polishing step. Further, although not shown, another similar device may be provided having a cleaning wheel designed to remove debris generated during the polishing and/or abrading process.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 21, the mandrel 1701 may drive the grinding wheel 1703 to rotate about the spindle 1705. The grinding wheel 1703 can be moved longitudinally (e.g., as indicated by double arrow 1707) to expose appropriate grooves in the grinding wheel 1703 to receive the corresponding edge 1709 of the glass sheet 104. As shown in fig. 21, an edge 1709 of the glass sheet 104 may be received through a lateral opening 1711 in the cover 1713. A fluid lubricant and/or coolant (not shown) may be applied to the edge 1709 of the glass sheet 104 within the cover 1713, for example, as a fluid stream. The cover 1713 may shield the protective coating of the glass sheet 104 outside of the cover 1713 from the large amount of debris entrained within the fluid coolant generated during the edge machining technique. Rather than depositing the fluid stream onto the glass sheet 104, the fluid stream can exit from fluid exit ports 1801, 1803 located away from the glass sheet 104.

As further shown in fig. 22, in some embodiments, a fluid flow 1805 (e.g., a lubricant) may impinge on the working surface of the grinding wheel 1703 to remove debris embedded in the grinding wheel 1703, thereby restoring the grinding capacity of the grinding wheel 1703. In some embodiments, one or more of the milling

device gas nozzles

1807a, 1807b can direct gas to the lateral opening 1711, thereby trapping fluid in the cover 1713 rather than migrating toward the interior of the glass sheet 104. Thus, the

grinder gas nozzles

1807a, 1807b further contribute to the function of the cover 1713, thereby reducing exposure of the central portion of the glass sheet 104 to debris and fluids. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 22, a trailing grinder nozzle 1809 may be provided to clean the liquid entrained debris from the edge (e.g., within the cover 1713). As further shown, an abrasive air knife 1811 may also be provided to more completely remove any residual fluid left on the glass sheet 104 from the machining process.

Once the edge of glass sheet 104 is finished, as indicated by arrow 1901 of fig. 20, the protective coating (e.g., first coating 1503a, second coating 1503b) can be removed in coating removal station 1903 as shown in fig. 23. In some embodiments, multiple cleaning heads 1905 may be provided such that both sides of glass sheet 104 are exposed to a liquid designed to remove protective coatings. For example, the liquid may include an alkaline substance and/or a detergent, with or without brushing or other techniques designed to remove the protective layer from the glass sheet 104. Any debris deposited on the protective layer may also be washed away with the liquid.

Although not shown, the glass sheet 104 may then be dried using, for example, an air knife or other drying process. As indicated by arrow 2001 of fig. 23, glass sheet 104 may then pass to inspection station 2003 shown in fig. 24, where inspection device 2005 may inspect one or more properties of glass sheet 104 to ensure quality and to determine whether glass sheet 104 meets one or more requirements that may be set by a customer. Inspection device 2005 may be designed to sense one or more of: bubbles, inclusions, surface particles, bundles, thickness, squareness, dimensions, edge quality, scratches, cracks, surface flaws, surface shape, surface characteristics, or other attributes of glass sheet 104.

If the glass sheet 104 meets inspection requirements, the clean glass sheet 104 may be packaged with other glass sheets 104. In some embodiments, the glass sheets 104 may be placed in a stack with high quality interleaf paper or other material (e.g., polymeric material) disposed in adjacent glass sheets 104. A high quality interleaf paper or other material may be selected to avoid any contamination of the glass sheet 104 with chemicals or fibers.

Methods of processing the glass ribbon 103 and glass sheet 104 will now be described with reference to fig. 25, which schematically illustrates a glass processing method 2100 according to various embodiments disclosed herein. The glass processing method 2100 can begin with a separation step 2100, in which, for example, a glass sheet 104 can be separated from a glass ribbon 103 with a glass separator 149. In some embodiments, the glass sheet 104 may be separated from the glass ribbon 103 as shown in fig. 1. In some embodiments, the outer portion 159 of the glass sheet 104 can be separated from the central portion 161 of the glass sheet 104. In either case, any or all of the processes described above with respect to fig. 10-14 may be used. For example, curtains (e.g., first outer curtain of gas 187a, second outer curtain of gas 187b, first inner curtain of gas 187c, second inner curtain of gas 187d) can be generated to entrain debris (e.g., separation debris 1001) generated during the separation process and to prevent the environmental debris 1002 from contacting the glass ribbon 103 and the glass sheet 104.

The glass processing method 2100 may then proceed to a debris removal step 2103, where debris generated during the separation step 2101 may be removed with a cleaner 1303 described with respect to fig. 15. The glass processing method 2100 may then proceed to a coating application step 2105. During coating application step 2105,

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 can be protected with first coating layer 1503a and second coating layer 1503b by coating chamber 1403 described above with respect to fig. 16. In some embodiments, the cleaned and dried glass sheet 104 may be inspected during an optional inspection step 2127 after the debris removal step 2103, but before the protective layer is applied during the coating application step 2105. In some embodiments, inspection device 2005 may be used for inspection step 2127.

After the coating application step 2105, if the glass sheet 104 requires further re-sizing, the glass sheet 104 can be advanced to a re-sizing step 2109. During the re-sizing step 2109, the glass sheet 104 can be re-sized as described above with respect to fig. 19. Alternatively, if the glass sheet 104 already has the desired dimensions, the glass sheet 104 can skip the re-sizing step 2109. In either case, the glass processing method 2100 can then proceed to an edge finishing step 2115. During the edge finishing step 2115, the edge of the protected glass sheet 104 can be finished as described above with respect to fig. 20-22.

If the customer wishes to receive a glass sheet 104 with the protective coating removed, the glass sheet 104 with the finished edge can then proceed to a coating removal step 2121 in which the protective coating (e.g., first coating 1503a, second coating 1503b) is removed as described above with respect to fig. 23. Once dried, the glass sheet 104 may then pass to an inspection step 2123, as described above with respect to fig. 24 and inspection station 2003. The clean and dry glass sheet 104 may then be encapsulated during a final encapsulation and transport step 2125.

Providing a glass sheet without a protective surface to a customer may be desirable to reduce the processing time of the customer. However, transporting pristine glass sheets without protective coatings can present difficulties. For example, without a protective surface, there is an increased chance that the glass may be damaged during transport. Furthermore, if the surface itself is not protected, an interleaf paper may be used to separate the glass sheets in the package or stack, and a more expensive interleaf paper may be used to reduce fiber shedding or other adverse effects on the glass sheets, as the interleaf material may come into direct contact with the glass sheets. Furthermore, without surface protection, debris may subsequently be introduced into the package, which may prove unacceptable to the customer.

It may be advantageous to leave the protective coating during shipping and for the customer to remove the coating on site. For example, the protective coating may avoid possible damage to the glass surface. In some embodiments, any debris generated during transportation and protective coating may be removed during the subsequent coating removal step 2131. Fig. 25 also shows one possible method of processing glass sheet 104, wherein the glass sheet is transported with a protective coating. In fact, after passing through the coating application step 2105 and optional re-sizing step 2109, the glass sheet 104 may then be finished during the edge finishing step 2115. The glass sheet 104 may then be packaged and transported as shown in packaging and transporting step 2129, rather than removing the coating during the coating removal step 2121. Because the glass sheet 104 is already protected by the protective coating, a less expensive interleaving paper can be used. In fact, any exfoliated interleaf paper may be removed during a subsequent coating removal step 2131, in which the protective coating is removed as described above with respect to fig. 23. As described above, a subsequent coating removal step 2131 may be performed after the glass sheet 104 is shipped to a customer. In some embodiments, the subsequent coating removal step may be similar to or the same as coating removal step 2121 described above.

The method of processing the glass ribbon 103 may include: drawing a glass ribbon 103 from a quantity of molten material 121 in a draw direction 177 along a draw plane 181; passing the first outer upstream portion 188a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a along a first outer upstream path that is spaced apart from the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103; passing the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a along a first outer downstream path in a direction toward the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103; and impinging the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a onto the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103. The method may further comprise: passing a second outer upstream portion 188b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b along a second outer upstream path that may be spaced apart from the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103; passing the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b along a second outer downstream path in a direction toward the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103; and impinging a second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b onto the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon 103 can include: passing a first inner upstream portion 188c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c along a first inner upstream path that is spaced apart from the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103; passing the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c along the first inner downstream path in a direction toward the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103; and impinging the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c against the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103. The method may further comprise: passing a second inner upstream portion 188d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d along a second inner upstream path that can be spaced apart from the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103; passing the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d along a second inner downstream path in a direction toward the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103; and impinging the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d against the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103.

In some embodiments, the method may comprise: passing the first outer upstream portion 188a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a over the first outer surface 1007b of the first baffle 1005a, the first baffle 1005a positioned such that the first inner surface 1007b faces the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103; and then passing the first outer upstream portion 188a of the first outer curtain 187a over the first downstream edge 1009a of the first baffle 1005 a. In some embodiments, the method may comprise: the cooling gas flow 1003 is caused to pass through a first space defined between the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the first inner surface 1007a of the first baffle 1005a, wherein the cooling gas flow 1003 is movable in a first upstream direction opposite to the first downstream direction of the first outer curtain of gas 187 a. The method may further comprise: passing the second outer upstream portion 188b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b over the second outer surface 1008b of the second baffle 1005b, the second baffle 1005b positioned such that the second inner surface 1008a faces the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103; and then passing the second outer upstream portion 188b of the second outer curtain of air 187b over the second downstream edge 1009b of the second baffle 1005 b. In some embodiments, the method may comprise: the cooling gas flow 1003 is caused to pass through a second space defined between the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and the second inner surface 1008a of the second bulkhead 1005b, wherein the cooling gas flow 1003 is movable in a second upstream direction opposite to the second downstream direction of the second outer curtain of gas 187 b.

In some embodiments, the method may comprise: passing the first inner upstream portion 188c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c over the first inner surface 1007a of the first baffle 1005a, the first baffle 1005a positioned such that the first outer surface 1007b faces the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103; and then passing the first inner upstream portion 188c of the first inner curtain 187c over the first downstream edge 1009a of the first baffle 1005 a. In some embodiments, the method may comprise: the flow of cooling gas 1003 is caused to pass through a first space defined between the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the first inner upstream portion 188c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c, wherein the cooling gas 1003 is movable in a first upstream direction opposite to the first downstream direction of the first inner curtain of gas 187 c. The method may further comprise: passing the second inner upstream portion 188d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d over the second inner surface 1008a of the second baffle 1005b, the second baffle 1005b positioned such that the second outer surface 1008a faces away from the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103; and then passing the second inner upstream portion 188d of the second inner curtain 187d over the second downstream edge 1009b of the second baffle 1005 b. In some embodiments, the method may comprise: the cooling gas flow 1003 is caused to pass through a second space defined between the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and the second inner upstream portion 188d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d, wherein the cooling gas flow 1003 is movable in a second upstream direction opposite the second downstream direction of the second inner curtain of gas 187 d.

In some embodiments, the method may comprise: the glass ribbon 103 can be drawn between the first outer upstream portion 188a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer upstream portion 188b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the glass ribbon 103 can then be drawn between the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a and the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187 b. In some embodiments, the method may comprise: the glass ribbon 103 is drawn between the first inner surface 1007a of the first separator 1005a and the second inner surface 1008a of the second separator 1005 b. In some embodiments, the method may comprise: the glass ribbon 103 can be drawn between the first inner upstream portion 188c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner upstream portion 188d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d, and the glass ribbon 103 can then be drawn between the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187 d.

In some embodiments, the method may comprise: the glass sheet 104 is separated from the glass ribbon 103 downstream of the location where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the method may comprise: the glass sheet 104 is separated from the glass ribbon 103 upstream of the location where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon 103 can include: the glass sheet 014 was separated from the glass ribbon 103 downstream from the location where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a struck the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b struck the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon 103 can include: the glass sheet 104 is separated from the glass ribbon 103 upstream of the location where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103.

In some embodiments, the method may comprise: the glass sheet 104 is separated from the glass ribbon 103 at an elevation along the draw plane 181 between where the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon 103 can include: the glass sheet 104 is separated from the glass ribbon 103 at an elevation along the draw plane 181 between where the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 and where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon 103 can include: debris (e.g., separation debris 1001) generated when separating the glass sheet 104 from the glass ribbon 103 is entrained in at least one of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187 d. In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon 103 can include: debris entrained in at least one of the first outer curtain of gas 187a, the first inner curtain of gas 187c, the second outer curtain of gas 187b, and the second inner curtain of gas 187d is drawn into at least one of the vacuum port 1011 (having a pressure applied to the vacuum port 1011) and the vacuum 148 (e.g., the first vacuum 148a, the second vacuum 148b) having the respective first vacuum source 147a and the second vacuum source 147 b.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon 103 can include purging debris from a region 1212 associated with the glass ribbon 103 (e.g., purging separation debris 1001 and environmental debris 1002 with a gas distributor 1200). In some embodiments, the region 1212 can be defined transversely between the first outer upstream portion 188a of the first outer curtain of air 187a and the second outer upstream portion 188b of the second outer curtain of air 187 b. In some embodiments, the region 1212 may be defined laterally between the first and

second partitions

1005a, 1005 b. In some embodiments, the region 1212 can be defined transversely between the first inner upstream portion 188c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c and the second inner upstream portion 188d of the second inner curtain of gas 187 d. In some embodiments, the region 1212 can be upstream of where the first outer downstream portion 189a of the first outer curtain of gas 187a impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 and upstream of where the second outer downstream portion 189b of the second outer curtain of gas 187b impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103. In some embodiments, the area 1212 may be located as follows: the first inner downstream portion 189c of the first inner curtain of gas 187c impinges on the first major surface 213a of the glass ribbon 103 upstream, and the second inner downstream portion 189d of the second inner curtain of gas 187d impinges on the second major surface 213b of the glass ribbon 103 upstream. In some embodiments, purging may include distributing a gas flow 1205 in the draw direction 177 along the draw plane 181. In some embodiments, purging may include: the gas flow 1205 is distributed along the entire width "W" of the glass ribbon 103, and the gas flow 1205 is distributed to surround the glass ribbon 103.

In some embodiments, a method may comprise: separating glass sheet 104 from glass ribbon 103, and then cleaning (e.g., in washer 1303) glass sheet 104 to remove debris (e.g., separation debris 1001, environmental debris 1002) from the major surfaces (e.g., first major surface 214a, second major surface 214b) of glass sheet 104. In some embodiments, the cleaning may include: (e.g., with a first liquid dispenser 1307 comprising first liquid nozzles 1309) a first stage of dispensing liquid to the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 to at least one of remove debris and entrain debris in the liquid; and a second stage of dispensing gas (e.g., with a gas knife 1317 including gas nozzles 1319) to the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 to remove liquid from the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104.

In some embodiments, glass sheet 104 may be oriented longitudinally and moved along travel path 1321 during cleaning. In some embodiments, the gas may be at a second angle "a 2" relative to the direction of travel 1321 of the glass sheet 104 during the second stage, thereby directing the liquid downward in the direction of gravity. In some embodiments, the cleaning may include: during the second stage, the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 are rinsed with a rinsing liquid (e.g., from a second liquid dispenser 1323 including second liquid nozzles 1327) before dispensing a gas to the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104; and removing the rinsing liquid from the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 with a deflector 1325, the deflector 1325 being oriented at an angle relative to the direction of movement 1321 of the glass sheet 104 so as to direct the rinsing liquid downwardly in the direction of gravity.

In some embodiments, a method of processing a glass ribbon 103 can include: after glass sheet 104 is cleaned,

major surfaces

214a, 214b of glass sheet 104 are coated with protective layers (e.g., first coating 1503a, second coating 1503 b). In some embodiments, the protective layer may include a polymer. In some embodiments, the protective layer can be coated onto the

major surfaces

214a, 214b of the glass sheet 104 by plasma deposition (e.g., in coating chamber 1403).

It should be understood that various disclosed embodiments may be directed to specific features, elements, or steps described in connection with a particular embodiment. It will be understood that although specific features, elements or steps have been described in connection with one particular embodiment, the various embodiments may be interchanged or combined in various combinations or permutations not shown.

It is also to be understood that the articles "the", "a", or "an" as used herein mean "at least one" and should not be limited to "only one" unless explicitly stated to the contrary. Thus, for example, reference to "a light source" includes embodiments having two or more such light sources, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, "a plurality" or "array" is intended to mean "more than one". Thus, "a plurality" of cavities or an array of cavities "includes two or more such elements, e.g., 3 or more such elements, etc.

Ranges can be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value, and/or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, embodiments include from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent "about," it will be understood that the particular value forms another aspect. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.

As used herein, the terms "substantially", "essentially" and variations thereof are intended to mean that the features described are equal or approximately the same as the numerical values or descriptions. For example, a "substantially flat" surface is intended to mean a flat or near flat surface. Further, as defined above, "substantially similar" is intended to mean that the two values are equal or approximately equal.

Unless otherwise stated, it is not intended that any method described herein be construed as requiring that its steps be performed in a particular order. Thus, where a method claim does not actually recite an order to be followed by its steps or it does not otherwise specifically imply that the steps are to be limited to a specific order in the claims or specification, it is not intended that any particular order be implied.

Although the transition term "comprising" may be used to disclose various features, elements or steps of a particular embodiment, it should be understood that this implies that alternative embodiments may be included which may be described using the transition term consisting of, or consisting essentially of. Thus, for example, implied alternative embodiments to a device comprising a + B + C include embodiments where the device consists of a + B + C and embodiments where the device consists essentially of a + B + C.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. Since numerous modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and variations of the described embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the disclosure will occur to persons skilled in the art, it is intended that the present disclosure include all such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a glass ribbon, the apparatus comprising:

a glass former for drawing a glass ribbon in a draw direction from a quantity of molten material along a draw plane of the glass former;

a baffle having an inner surface facing the draw plane; and

an elongated gas port oriented to dispense an outer curtain of gas that passes over the outer surface of the baffle before passing over the downstream edge of the baffle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a glass separator downstream from the glass former and oriented to separate a glass sheet from the glass ribbon along a separation path transverse to the draw direction along a width of the glass ribbon.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a vacuum port located downstream of the glass separator and oriented to receive debris entrained in the outer curtain of gas.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a vacuum source arranged to draw debris entrained in the outer curtain of gas into the vacuum port.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said elongated gas ports are oriented to distribute the inner curtain of gas across the inner surface of said baffle.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a glass separator downstream of the glass former and oriented to separate a glass sheet from the glass ribbon along a separation path transverse to the draw direction along a width of the glass ribbon; and

a vacuum source located downstream of the glass former and oriented to receive debris entrained in the inner curtain of gas.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a vacuum source arranged to draw debris entrained in the inner air curtain into the vacuum.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a washer comprising a first liquid dispenser comprising a first liquid nozzle oriented to dispense liquid onto a major surface of the glass sheet separated from the glass ribbon.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the washer further comprises a gas knife positioned downstream from the first liquid distributor, the gas knife comprising a gas nozzle oriented to distribute gas onto the major surface of the glass sheet to remove liquid from the major surface of the glass sheet.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the gas knife is oriented at an angle relative to a direction of movement of the glass sheet through the washer.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the washer comprises a housing comprising a partition dividing an interior of the housing into a first region comprising the first liquid distributor and a second region located downstream of the first region, the second region comprising the gas knife.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second area further comprises a second liquid dispenser comprising a second liquid nozzle oriented to rinse the major surface of the glass sheet at a location upstream from the gas knife.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the washer further comprises a deflector positioned downstream of the second liquid dispenser and upstream of the gas knife, the deflector oriented to direct an amount of liquid from the second liquid dispenser away from the gas knife.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the deflector is oriented at an angle relative to a direction of movement of the glass sheet through the washer.

15. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a coating chamber comprising a dispensing port oriented to dispense a coating onto a major surface of a glass sheet separated from the glass ribbon.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the dispensing port comprises a plasma deposition port oriented to dispense plasma to coat a major surface of the glass sheet.

17. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-16, wherein at least one of the glass ribbon and the glass sheet is longitudinally oriented.

18. An apparatus for processing a glass ribbon, the apparatus comprising:

a gas distributor comprising a gas outlet oriented to distribute a gas flow in the draw direction along the draw plane, wherein the gas outlet of the gas distributor is located downstream of the glass former;

a glass separator downstream from the gas outlet of the gas distributor and oriented to separate a glass sheet from the glass ribbon along a separation path transverse to the draw direction along a width of the glass ribbon,

a first baffle having a first inner surface facing the draw plane;

a second baffle having a second inner surface facing the draw plane and the first inner surface of the first baffle;

a first elongated gas port oriented to dispense a first outer curtain of gas that passes over a first outer surface of the first baffle before passing over a first downstream edge of the first baffle; and

a second elongated gas port oriented to dispense a second curtain of outer gas that passes over a second outer surface of the second baffle plate before passing over a second downstream edge of the second baffle plate;

wherein the gas outlet of the gas distributor is located laterally between the first and second partitions.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the gas outlet is oriented to distribute the gas flow along the draw plane along the entire width of the draw plane.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the gas outlet is oriented to distribute the gas flow along the draw plane to surround the draw plane.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the gas distributor surrounds the draw plane.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first elongated gas port is oriented to dispense a first inner curtain of gas to pass over the first interior surface of the first baffle plate and the second elongated gas port is oriented to dispense a second inner curtain of gas to pass over the second interior surface of the second baffle plate.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the washer further comprises a gas knife positioned downstream from the first liquid distributor, the gas knife comprising a gas nozzle oriented to distribute gas onto the major surface of the glass sheet to remove liquid from the major surface of the glass sheet.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the gas knife is oriented at an angle relative to a direction of movement of the glass sheet through the washer.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the washer comprises a housing comprising a partition dividing an interior of the housing into a first region comprising the first liquid distributor and a second region located downstream of the first region, the second region comprising the gas knife.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the second area further comprises a second liquid dispenser comprising a second liquid nozzle oriented to rinse the major surface of the glass sheet at a location upstream from the gas knife.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the washer further comprises a deflector positioned downstream of the second liquid dispenser and upstream of the gas knife, the deflector oriented to direct an amount of liquid from the second liquid dispenser away from the gas knife.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the deflector is oriented at an angle relative to a direction of movement of the glass sheet through the washer.

30. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising: a coating chamber comprising a dispensing port oriented to dispense a coating onto a major surface of a glass sheet separated from the glass ribbon.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the dispensing port comprises a plasma deposition port oriented to dispense plasma to coat a major surface of the glass sheet.

32. The apparatus of any one of claims 18-31, wherein at least one of the glass ribbon and the glass sheet is longitudinally oriented.