CN115989121A

CN115989121A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing sheet glass

Info

Publication number: CN115989121A
Application number: CN202180053225.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 冈田贞治; 奥隼人; 西堀章; 桐畑洋平
Original assignee: Nippon Electric Glass Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nippon Electric Glass Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-11-06
Filing date: 2021-08-20
Publication date: 2023-04-18
Also published as: WO2022097352A1; KR20230095055A; JP2022075174A

Abstract

A scribe line (S) is formed on the surface (Ga, gy) side of the boundary portion between the effective region (G1) and the unnecessary region (G2) with respect to a sheet glass (G) having the effective region (G1) and an unnecessary region (G2) in which an ear portion (Ge) having a thickness larger than that of the effective region (G1) is formed at the end portion in the width direction, and the sheet glass (G) is broken along the scribe line (S) while pulling the unnecessary region (G2) in the vertical direction in a state where the sheet glass (G) is suspended and supported in a vertical posture.

Description

Method and apparatus for manufacturing sheet glass

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an improvement in a technique for manufacturing a plate glass including a technique for breaking the plate glass along a scribe line.

Background

As is well known, plate glasses are used in various fields, including glass substrates for displays such as liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, and organic EL displays, cover glasses for organic EL lighting, and the like. When manufacturing such a sheet glass, a step of sequentially cutting a sheet glass of a predetermined length from a glass ribbon, a step of removing unnecessary regions along the edges of the sheet glass, and the like are performed. In these steps, after forming a score line on the glass ribbon or the plate glass, the glass ribbon or the plate glass is broken along the score line to obtain a desired plate glass.

As a specific example of a method for obtaining a plate glass by breaking, a method disclosed in patent document 1 can be mentioned. The method disclosed in this document is a method in which an upper end portion and a lower end portion of a sheet glass (glass substrate) in a vertical posture are respectively held at a plurality of portions in a width direction by a pair of upper and lower holding arms, and the pair of upper and lower holding arms present at one end in the width direction are rotated to twist one end portion in the width direction of the glass substrate. Thus, the glass substrate is broken along the scribe line, and one end portion in the width direction is cut out as a product substrate. The glass substrate disclosed in this document is a glass substrate obtained by bonding two sheets of glass, on the inner surfaces of which electrodes, alignment films, and the like are formed, with a sealing material (see paragraph 0011 of this document).

Documents of the prior art

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. H8-119654

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

Since the glass substrate disclosed in patent document 1 is formed into a flat plate shape by using two sheets of plate glass, it is expected that one end portion in the width direction of the glass substrate is held by a pair of upper and lower holding arms and rotated to break the glass substrate without hindrance.

In contrast, when one sheet of glass is held in a vertical position, warpage in the vertical direction may occur. This warpage is remarkable with the recent thinning of plate glass (for example, plate glass used for displays and the like).

In the case of a plate glass having a vertical warp, if only a pair of upper and lower holding members (holding arms) simply hold the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the plate glass as in the method of patent document 1, the warp existing around the scribe line cannot be eliminated.

Therefore, even if the pair of upper and lower holding members are rotated, appropriate bending stress (bending stress uniform in the vertical direction) cannot be applied to the periphery of the scribe line, and thus chipping, cracking, or the like is likely to occur when the plate glass is broken.

From the above viewpoint, an object of the present invention is to suppress occurrence of chipping, cracking, or the like by applying an appropriate bending stress to the periphery of a scribe line when a sheet glass in a vertical posture is broken.

Means for solving the problems

A first aspect of the present invention made to solve the above problems is a method for producing a plate glass, including a breaking step of breaking a plate glass in a vertical posture in which a first region and a second region are arranged adjacent to each other in a width direction and a scribe line is formed on a front surface side of a boundary portion between the regions, along the scribe line, to cut out the second region, wherein the method for producing a plate glass is characterized in that the plate glass is broken by pulling the second region in a vertical direction and applying a force toward a back surface side to the second region.

According to this method, when the sheet glass in the vertical posture is broken in the breaking step, the second region is pulled in the vertical direction, and the warp in the vertical direction which may exist in the second region and the periphery of the scribe line is corrected. This makes it possible to apply an appropriate bending stress (a bending stress uniform in the vertical direction) to the periphery of the scribe line, and to suppress occurrence of chipping, cracking, or the like when the plate glass is broken.

In this method, the tensile load acting in the vertical direction in the second region may be 10N to 200N.

Here, when the above-mentioned pulling load is made smaller than 10N, it is difficult to sufficiently correct the warpage that may occur in the periphery of the scribe line. On the other hand, when the above-described pulling load exceeds 200N, there is a possibility that, for example, a member pulling the second region up and down cannot hold the second region. With the structure, such a problem can be avoided.

In this method, the second region may be pulled in the vertical direction by an upper holding member that holds an upper end portion of the second region and a lower holding member that holds a lower end portion of the second region.

In this way, the second region can be appropriately pulled in the vertical direction with a simple structure, and therefore, the work in the breaking step can be efficiently performed.

In this method, the lower holding member may hold a lower end portion of the second region and move downward to pull the unnecessary region in the vertical direction.

In this way, the second region can be pulled in the vertical direction while maintaining the upper holding member at a constant height position. Thus, the hanging height of the plate glass can be made the same when the plate glass is conveyed and when the plate glass is broken, and the operation from the conveying step to the breaking step of the plate glass can be smoothly performed.

In the above method, the lower holding member may be movable in a vertical direction.

In this way, the operation of moving the lower holding member upward to hold the second region and the operation of moving the lower holding member downward to break can be repeated for the plate glass conveyed to the breaking position. Therefore, the operation of breaking the plurality of glass sheets can be continuously and efficiently performed.

In the above method, the upper holding member may be an upper chuck member that grips an upper end portion of the second region, and the lower holding member may be a lower chuck member that grips a lower end portion of the second region.

In this way, the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the second region of the sheet glass can be easily held and released by the simple holding operation and the releasing operation of the upper chuck member and the lower chuck member, and the work efficiency can be further improved.

In the above method, when the second region is in a state of being pulled in the vertical direction, the upper holding member and the lower holding member may apply a force toward the back surface side to the second region in a state where the back surface supporting member supports the back surface of the first region.

In this way, when the sheet glass is broken, the rear surface of the first region is supported by the rear surface support member, and therefore the second region is bent toward the rear surface side with the rear surface support member as a fulcrum. This makes it possible to apply a further appropriate bending stress to the periphery of the scribe line.

In the above method, the upper holding member and the lower holding member may be supported by an enclosing member that encloses the outer end portion and the upper and lower end portions in the width direction of the second region, and the upper holding member and the lower holding member may move along a circular orbit in accordance with the rotation of the enclosing member, and may apply a force toward the back surface side to the second region.

In this way, the upper holding member and the lower holding member are moved along the circular orbit only by rotating the surrounding member, and the operation of breaking the plate glass is completed, so that the apparatus for performing the breaking operation can be simplified. Further, since the surrounding member surrounds the width-direction outer end portion as well as the upper and lower end portions of the second region, the upper holding member and the lower holding member are connected to each other by the surrounding member. Therefore, the movement of the upper holding member and the lower holding member along the circular orbit can be accurately synchronized.

In the above method, the second region may have an ear portion at an outer end in the width direction, the ear portion having a plate thickness larger than that of the first region.

In this way, after the unnecessary region having the ear portion is cut out by breaking, the disposal process can be appropriately performed in a state where both the upper and lower end portions are held.

In this method, the second region may have an ear portion having a plate thickness larger than that of the first region at a widthwise outer end portion, and a portion of the second region in the widthwise direction, with which the upper holding member and the lower holding member are in contact, may be located closer to the first region than a portion where the plate thickness of the ear portion is largest.

In this way, the upper holding member and the lower holding member do not contact the portion where the plate thickness of the lug portion becomes maximum. This can sufficiently ensure the contact area between the upper holding member and the lower holding member and the second region having the ear portion. As a result, the second region can be efficiently prevented from being pulled out of the holding members, and a tensile load of an appropriate magnitude can be reliably applied to the second region.

In the above method, in the breaking step, an upper end portion of the first region may be held by a holding member and a lower end portion of the first region may be opened.

In this way, when the plate glass is broken, the lower end portion of the first region is opened, and therefore, it is possible to prevent improper stress or the like from acting on the plate glass. Specifically, if the lower end portion of the first region is held by the holding member, when the lower holding member moves downward, the holding member holding the lower end portion of the first region needs to move downward in accordance with the movement. Such an operation is troublesome and cumbersome, and if the operation is not accurate, the sheet glass may be subjected to undue stress, resulting in breakage, damage, and the like. With the structure, such a disadvantage can be avoided. If the lower end portion of the first region is held by the holding member, the sheet glass may be broken and the glass frit may adhere to the holding member. In this case, if the second region is an unnecessary region and the first region is an effective region, the lower end portion of the effective region of the subsequent plate glass is also held by the holding member, and therefore, there is a possibility that a defect such as damage may occur to the effective region. Such a disadvantage can be avoided by the structure described above.

A second aspect of the present invention made to solve the above problems is a device for manufacturing a sheet glass, comprising a breaking device configured to break a sheet glass in a vertical posture in which a first region and a second region are arranged adjacent to each other in a width direction and a scribe line is formed on a front surface side of a boundary portion between the regions along the scribe line to cut out the second region, wherein the breaking device is configured to apply a force toward a rear surface side to the second region while pulling the second region in a vertical direction to break the sheet glass.

According to this embodiment, the same operational effects as those obtained by the above-described manufacturing method having substantially the same structure as the manufacturing apparatus can be obtained.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, when breaking a sheet glass in a vertical posture, an appropriate bending stress acts on the periphery of a scribe line, and the occurrence of chipping, cracking, and the like can be suppressed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a cutting apparatus included in a sheet glass manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of a cutting device included in a sheet glass manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a main part enlarged cross sectional plan view showing an example of a state in which an unnecessary region of a sheet glass is held by a cleaving device included in a sheet glass manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a main-part enlarged cross-sectional plan view showing another example of a state in which an unnecessary region of a sheet glass is held by a cleaving device included in a sheet glass manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5a is a main part cross sectional bottom view showing in time series the step of breaking the plate glass using the breaking device included in the manufacturing apparatus of plate glass of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5b is a main part cross sectional bottom view showing in time series the step of breaking the plate glass using the breaking device included in the manufacturing apparatus of plate glass of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5c is a main part cross sectional bottom view showing in time series the step of breaking the plate glass using the breaking device included in the manufacturing apparatus of plate glass of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a main portion cross sectional bottom view showing the entire structure of a cutting device included in the apparatus for manufacturing sheet glass according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a main part of a cutting device included in a sheet glass manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional bottom view showing a principal part of a process when the sheet glass is broken by the breaking device included in the apparatus for manufacturing sheet glass according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a main part cross sectional bottom view showing the entire structure of a cutting apparatus included in a manufacturing apparatus for sheet glass according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a plate glass according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

< first embodiment >

Fig. 1 illustrates a breaking apparatus 1 included in a sheet glass manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the plate glass G has a first region G1 and a second region G2 adjacently aligned in the width direction. In this embodiment, the first region G1 is a region of the plate glass G to be a product and has a uniform plate thickness over the entire region. The second region G2 is a region cut out and discarded from the plate glass G and has an ear portion Ge having a plate thickness thicker than that of the first region G1 at a width-direction outer end portion (left end portion in the illustration). A scribe line S is formed on the surfaces Ga and Gx of the boundary between the first region G1 and the second region G2. In the illustrated example, the scribe line S does not reach the upper end and the lower end of the sheet glass G, but may reach the upper end and the lower end. In the following description, for convenience, the first region G1 is referred to as an effective region, and the second region G2 is referred to as an unnecessary region.

The plate glass G is suspended and supported in a vertical posture so that the scribe line S faces in the vertical direction. The plate thickness of the plate glass G (plate thickness of the region excluding the lug portion Ge) is, for example, 50 to 2000. Mu.m, but the upper limit of the plate thickness is preferably 500. Mu.m, and more preferably 300. Mu.m. In this embodiment, the plate glass G has flexibility. The sheet glass G has warp in the longitudinal direction. The specific shape of the warp is a shape in which a scribe line S on the surface of the sheet glass G and an arbitrary imaginary straight line parallel to the scribe line S are curved.

The breaking apparatus 1 breaks the plate glass G along the scribing line S in order to remove the unnecessary region G2. In detail, the breaking device 1 includes: an upper chuck member 2 and a lower chuck member 3 which respectively hold an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the unnecessary region G2; a surrounding member 4 that supports the

chuck members

2 and 3; a back surface support member 5 contactable with the back surface Gb of the effective area G1; and a gripping mechanism 6 that grips an upper end portion of the effective region G1. The lower end of the effective region G1 is not held but is open.

The upper chuck member 2 includes a pair of upper holding pieces 2a and an upper support portion 2b that supports the pair of upper holding pieces 2a so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the surface Gx of the unnecessary region G2. The configuration of the upper support portion 2b is not limited to the illustrated example. The pair of upper gripping pieces 2a are moved so as to approach and separate from each other by the operation of a driving mechanism not shown in the figure. In this case, the pair of upper gripping pieces 2a close to each other to grip the upper end of the unnecessary region G2, and separate from each other to open to release the gripping of the upper end of the unnecessary region G2. Similarly, the lower chuck member 3 includes a pair of lower gripping pieces 3a and a lower support portion 3b that supports the pair of lower gripping pieces 3a so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the surface Gx of the unnecessary region G2, and the pair of lower gripping pieces 3a are moved so as to approach and separate from each other by the operation of a drive mechanism not shown in the drawing. In this case, the pair of lower gripping pieces 3a are brought close to each other to a closed state to grip the lower end portion of the unnecessary region G2, and are brought apart from each other to an open state to release the gripping of the lower end portion of the unnecessary region G2. The pair of upper gripping pieces 2a and the pair of lower gripping pieces 3a may be opened by opening the legs and closed by closing the legs. In this case, the leg opening means that the pair of upper gripping pieces 2a rotate in a direction of opening around the fulcrum (fulcrum), and the leg closing means that the pair of upper gripping pieces 2a rotate in a direction of closing around the fulcrum (fulcrum). The same applies to the pair of lower gripping pieces 3a, namely, leg opening and leg closing.

The surrounding member 4 surrounds the width-direction outer end and the upper and lower end portions of the unnecessary region G2, and has a shape of "コ" in a rear view. More specifically, the surrounding member 4 includes an upper base 4a and a lower base 4b extending in the width direction of the plate glass G, and a vertical base 4c connecting the two

bases

4a and 4b and extending in the longitudinal direction. The upper base 4a is disposed above the unnecessary region G2, and supports the upper chuck member 2 on the lower surface side thereof. The lower base 4b is disposed below the unnecessary region G2, and supports the lower chuck member 3 on the upper surface side thereof. The upper chuck member 2 is coupled to a lower end of a support frame 4d protruding from a lower portion of the upper base 4 a. The lower chuck member 3 is supported on the upper side of the lower base 4b so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Specifically, a fluid pressure cylinder 7 such as an air cylinder is provided above the lower base material 4b, and the lower chuck member 3 is connected to an upper end of a piston rod 7a of the fluid pressure cylinder 7. Therefore, the lower chuck member 3 moves following the operation (upward projecting movement and downward retracting movement) of the piston rod 7 a. The vertical base material 4c is disposed on the side (left side in the drawing) of the outer end in the width direction of the unnecessary region G2. One ends (left ends in the drawing) of the upper base 4a and the lower base 4b are fixed to the upper end and the lower end of the vertical base 4c, respectively.

The surrounding member 4 is configured to rotate in the arrow a direction so as to surround the scribe line S while being held at a constant height position (see fig. 2). In this embodiment, the surrounding member 4 is configured to rotate around the virtual extension lines S1 and S2 extending upward and downward of the scribe line S. The upper chuck member 2 and the lower chuck member 3 move along a circular orbit in accordance with the rotation of the surrounding member 4. The scribe line S here means a scribe line S in a state where the plate glass G is not warped.

The rear surface support member 5 is disposed on the rear surface Gb side of the end portion of the effective region G1 on the scribe line S side. The distance separating the rear surface support member 5 from the scribe line S in the width direction (the distance separating the rear surface support member 5 from the effective region G1) is, for example, 10 to 30mm, preferably 10 to 20mm. In this embodiment, the rear surface support member 5 is a flat plate or a columnar body having a support surface in contact with the rear surface Gb of the effective region G1, which is flat and long in the vertical direction. The shape of the back support member 5 may be a round bar or the like. The back support member 5 extends upward and downward from the upper end and the lower end of the effective region G1, but may not extend upward and downward from the upper end and the lower end.

The gripping mechanism 6 includes a pair of gripping pieces 6a for suspension support and a driving portion 6b for moving the pair of gripping pieces 6a for suspension support toward and away from each other. The structure of the driving portion 6b is not limited to the illustrated example. The pair of suspension support gripping pieces 6a close to each other to grip the upper end portion of the effective region G1, and open away from each other to release the grip of the upper end portion of the effective region G1. The pair of suspension support gripping pieces 6a may be opened by opening the legs and closed by closing the legs. The leg opening and leg closing described here are the same as those of the upper gripping piece 2a and the lower gripping piece 3a described above. The gripping mechanism 6 is slidably held by a guide rail (not shown) extending in the width direction above the sheet glass G, and functions to convey the sheet glass G to the arrangement area of the breaking apparatus 1. When the breaking step of breaking the sheet glass G is performed, the holding mechanism 6 is in a state of holding the upper end of the effective region G1 and is stopped. The gripping mechanism 6 is disposed at a plurality of locations (two locations in the present embodiment (illustration of one location is omitted)) in the width direction at the upper end of the effective region G1.

Fig. 1 illustrates a state in which the upper chuck member 2 grips the upper end portion of the unnecessary region G2 and the lower chuck member 3 finishes moving upward and grips the lower end portion of the unnecessary region G2. When the lower clamp member 3 moves downward by the retraction movement of the piston rod 7a of the hydraulic cylinder 7 from this state, the unnecessary region G2 is pulled in the vertical direction as shown in fig. 2. Thus, the warpage existing in the unnecessary region G2 and the periphery of the scribe line S is corrected. In this case, when the lower jaw member 3 has completed the downward movement, the pulling load acting in the vertical direction in the unnecessary region G2 (more specifically, the pulling load acting on the portion of the unnecessary region G2 gripped by the lower jaw member 3) is 10N to 200N.

Fig. 3 and 4 are enlarged cross-sectional plan views illustrating a state in which the upper jaw member 2 grips the upper end portion of the unnecessary region G2. In the case illustrated in fig. 3, the width direction length of the ear portion Ge is short. Therefore, the pair of upper gripping pieces 2a of the upper jaw member 2 are not in contact with the ear portions Ge, but are in contact with a portion on the effective region G1 side (the right side in the drawing) with respect to the ear portions Ge. In contrast, in the case illustrated in fig. 4, the width-direction length of the ear portion Ge is longer than that in the case of fig. 3. Therefore, the pair of upper gripping pieces 2a of the upper clip member 2 contact the lug Ge, but do not contact the portion Gex where the plate thickness of the lug Ge is the maximum. Therefore, in both cases shown in fig. 3 and 4, the portion in the width direction of the unnecessary region G2 with which the pair of upper gripping pieces 2a are in contact is located on the effective region G1 side with respect to the portion Gex where the thickness of the lug Ge is the largest. The lower chuck member 3 (the pair of lower gripping pieces 3 a) grips the lower end of the unnecessary region G2 in the same manner as in the case illustrated in fig. 3 and 4.

Next, a method for manufacturing a plate glass using the manufacturing apparatus configured as described above will be described.

First, in the step of forming the score line S on the upstream side of the position shown in fig. 1, the plate glass G is pressed by the cutter wheel, irradiated with the laser beam, or the like while being suspended and supported by the holding mechanism 6. Specifically, the scribe line S is formed on the surface Ga, gx side of the boundary between the effective region G1 and the unnecessary region G2. Next, the glass sheet G on which the scribe line S is formed is conveyed in the width direction while being suspended and supported by the holding mechanism 6, and the glass sheet G reaches the front of the breaking apparatus 1. At this time, both the pair of upper gripping pieces 2a of the upper jaw member 2 and the pair of lower gripping pieces 3a of the lower jaw member 3 are in an open state. Then, the sheet glass G is further fed in the width direction, so that the upper end portion of the unnecessary region G2 is inserted into the gap between the pair of upper gripping pieces 2a, and the lower end portion of the unnecessary region G2 is inserted into the gap between the pair of lower gripping pieces 3 a. The sheet glass G stops at the time when the insertion is completed. At this time, the sheet glass G is warped in the longitudinal direction. After the sheet glass G stops, both the pair of upper gripping pieces 2a and the pair of lower gripping pieces 3a are closed. At this time, the lower jaw member 3 is in a state of having completed the upward movement. As a result, as shown in fig. 1, the upper end and the lower end of the unnecessary region G2 are held by the upper chuck member 2 and the lower chuck member 3, respectively. At this time, the state where the glass sheet G is warped in the longitudinal direction is also maintained.

In this state, the piston rod 7a of the hydraulic cylinder 7 moves backward, and the lower chuck member 3 moves downward following this. As a result, as shown in fig. 2, the unnecessary region G2 is pulled in the vertical direction, and when the pulling load acting in the vertical direction of the unnecessary region G2 reaches the above-described load value, the lower chuck member 3 completes its downward movement. As a result, the warpage existing in the unnecessary region G2 and the periphery of the scribe line S is corrected. Thereafter, the rear surface support member 5 moves closer to the plate glass G and comes into contact with the rear surface Gb of the effective region G1.

Fig. 5a, 5b, and 5c are views each showing a subsequent step of breaking the sheet glass G, and each of these views is a main portion cut bottom view obtained by viewing a main portion of the breaking apparatus 1 and a main portion of the sheet glass G from below. Fig. 5a shows a state in which the unnecessary region G2 of the sheet glass G is pulled in the vertical direction as described above and the rear surface support member 5 is in contact with the rear surface Gb of the effective region G1 in the initial stage of the breaking step. From this state, as shown in fig. 5b, the surrounding member 4 rotates in the arrow a direction, and the unnecessary region G2 of the sheet glass G bends toward the back surface side with the back surface supporting member 5 as a fulcrum. In this process, bending deformation occurs in the plate glass G in the width direction around the scribe line S, and bending stress acts on the periphery of the scribe line S due to the bending deformation. At this time, the unnecessary region G2 of the sheet glass G is pulled in the vertical direction, and the warp existing around the scribe line S is corrected, so that bending stress uniform in the vertical direction acts on the periphery of the scribe line S. Thereafter, when the bending stress applied to the periphery of the scribe line S becomes sufficiently large with further rotation of the surrounding member 4, the sheet glass G is broken along the scribe line S as shown in fig. 5 c. After the glass sheet G is broken and the unnecessary region G2 is separated from the effective region G1, the unnecessary region G2 is conveyed to the retracted position while being held by the upper chuck member 2 and the lower chuck member 3, and thereafter, the holding by both the

chuck members

2 and 3 is released and the glass sheet G is dropped and collected. Then, the lower chuck member 3 moves upward following the projecting movement of the piston rod 7a of the hydraulic cylinder 7. Before, after, or at the same time, the surrounding member 4 is restored to the original state. In this state, the unnecessary region G2 is broken while being pulled in the vertical direction with respect to the subsequently conveyed sheet glass G in the same procedure as described above. This breaking operation is repeatedly and continuously performed for the subsequent plurality of sheet glasses G.

In the breaking apparatus 1 and the breaking step described above, the unnecessary region G2 at one end portion in the width direction of the sheet glass G is described as an object, but the unnecessary region G2 is usually formed at each end portion in the width direction of the sheet glass G. In order to break the unnecessary removal region G2 of the plate glass G, the following structure is adopted. That is, as shown in fig. 6, the width direction center side region of the plate glass G is an effective region G1 and the width direction both sides of the plate glass G are unnecessary regions G2. Scribe lines S are formed at two boundaries between the effective region G1 and each unnecessary region G2. The sheet glass G is broken along the two scribe lines S by the breaking devices 1 disposed so as to correspond to the unnecessary regions G2, respectively. Both breaking devices 1 have an enclosing member 4 enclosing the unwanted region G2 and an upper jaw member 2 and a lower jaw member 3 supported by the enclosing member 4. Both lower jaw members 3 are movable in the up-down direction. Both the surrounding members 4 are rotatable in the direction of the arrow a so as to surround the scribe line S as indicated by the dashed line in the figure. The detailed construction of the two breaking devices l is the same as that of the breaking device 1 already described. According to this configuration, the two unnecessary regions G2 are pulled in the vertical direction by the two breaking devices 1 as in the above-described case, and the sheet glass G is broken along the two scribe lines S. In the structure here, it is preferable that one or both of the two breaking devices 1 be movable in the width direction in order to provide the sheet glass G to the breaking device 1. In this case, the breaking by the two breaking devices 1 may be performed simultaneously, or the breaking by one breaking device 1 may be performed after the breaking by the other breaking device 1 is completed. Alternatively, the one breaking device 1 and the other breaking device 1 may be arranged at a distance longer than the length of the plate glass G in the width direction, and after the one unnecessary region G2 is broken and removed by the one breaking device 1, the plate glass G may be moved in the width direction, and then the other unnecessary region G2 may be broken and removed by the other breaking device 1. In addition to these, one breaking device 1 may be provided, one unnecessary region G2 may be broken and removed by the breaking device 1, the plate glass G may be rotated 180 degrees in a plan view, and the other unnecessary region G2 may be broken and removed by the breaking device 1.

According to the apparatus for manufacturing sheet glass configured as described above and the method for manufacturing sheet glass using the apparatus for manufacturing sheet glass, the following operational effects are obtained.

Since the sheet glass G is broken while the unnecessary region G2 is pulled in the vertical direction, the warp in the vertical direction that may exist in the periphery of the scribe line S is corrected, and bending stress that is uniform in the vertical direction acts on the periphery of the scribe line S. This suppresses the occurrence of chipping, cracking, or the like when the plate glass G is broken.

The lower chuck member 3 moves downward to pull the unnecessary region G2 in the vertical direction, and the upper chuck member 2 is maintained at a constant height position. Therefore, the upper chuck member 2 and the gripping mechanism 6 can be always maintained at the same height position, and thus the operations from the plate glass G conveying step to the breaking step can be smoothly performed. If the unnecessary region G2 is pulled in the vertical direction by moving the upper chuck member 2 upward, the gripping mechanism 6 must also move upward following the upper chuck member 2, which complicates the structure of the manufacturing apparatus, makes the breaking work troublesome and complicated, and increases the production interval. According to the structure of this embodiment, such a problem does not occur.

When the lower jaw member 3 completes the downward movement, if the tensile load acting in the vertical direction in the unnecessary region G2 is less than 10N, it is difficult to sufficiently correct the warpage that may exist in the unnecessary region G2. On the other hand, if the pulling load exceeds 200N, the upper jaw member 2 or the lower jaw member 3 may not grip the sheet glass G and may pull out the sheet glass G. According to the configuration of this embodiment, the above-described pulling load is 10N to 200N, and therefore such a problem does not occur.

Since the lower chuck member 3 is movable in the vertical direction, the lower chuck member 3 may be moved upward when the unnecessary region G2 of the sheet glass G conveyed to the breaking position is held, and the lower chuck member 3 may be moved downward when the sheet glass G is broken. Therefore, the breaking work can be repeatedly performed in the same step, and the breaking work for a plurality of sheet glasses G can be continuously and efficiently performed.

By rotating only the surrounding member 4, the upper jaw member 2 and the lower jaw member 3 are moved along the circular orbit in synchronization with each other, and the work of breaking the sheet glass G is completed, thereby simplifying the breaking apparatus 1. Further, since the surrounding member 4 surrounds not only the upper and lower end portions of the unnecessary region G2 but also the outer end portion in the width direction, the upper chuck member 2 and the lower chuck member 3 are connected to each other by the surrounding member 4. Therefore, the movement of the upper and

lower jaw members

2, 3 along the circular orbit can be reliably synchronized.

Since the lower end portion of the effective region G1 is open when the plate glass G is broken, when the lower chuck member 3 is moved downward to pull the unnecessary region G2 in the vertical direction, it is possible to prevent an improper stress or the like from acting on the plate glass G. Specifically, if the lower end portion of the effective region G1 is gripped by the chuck member, when the lower chuck member 3 moves downward, it is necessary to move the chuck member of the effective region G1 downward following the movement of the lower chuck member 3. Such an operation is troublesome and cumbersome, and if the operation is not accurate, an undue stress may be applied to the sheet glass G to cause breakage, damage, or the like. Further, if the lower end portion of the effective region G1 is held by the chuck member, when the glass sheet G is broken or the like and glass frit adheres to the chuck member, the lower end portion of the effective region G1 of the subsequent glass sheet G is also held by the chuck member, and therefore, there is a possibility that a defect such as damage may occur to the effective region G1. With the configuration of this embodiment, the above-described problems do not occur.

As illustrated in fig. 3 and 4, since the portion in the width direction of the unnecessary region G2 with which the upper jaw member 2 and the lower jaw member 3 are in contact is a portion closer to the effective region G1 than the portion Gex where the thickness of the lug Ge is the largest, the contact area between each of the two

jaw members

2 and 3 and the unnecessary region G2 can be made sufficiently large. Therefore, the unnecessary region G2 can be made difficult to be pulled out from both the

chuck members

2 and 3, and a pulling stress of an appropriate magnitude can be reliably applied to the unnecessary region G2.

< second embodiment >

Fig. 7 illustrates a breaking apparatus 1 included in a plate glass manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The breaking device 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the breaking device 1 according to the first embodiment described above in that it includes a press-fitting member 8 that presses the unnecessary region G2 of the sheet glass G toward the back surface Gy when breaking. The press-fitting member 8 is disposed between the upper chuck member 2 and the lower chuck member 3, and is configured to rotate so as to surround the scribe line S, similarly to the surrounding member 4. In this embodiment, the press-fitting member 8 moves along a circular orbit around the virtual extension lines S1 and S2 of the upper and lower sides of the scribe line S. Therefore, the press-fitting member 8 moves in synchronization with the upper chuck member 2 and the lower chuck member 3. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above, the same reference numerals are given to the components common to both embodiments in fig. 7, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the breaking step of the second embodiment, first, as shown in fig. 7, in a state where the lower chuck member 3 is moved downward and the unnecessary region G2 is pulled in the vertical direction, the distal end portion 8a of the press-fitting member 8 is brought into contact with the surface Gx of the unnecessary region G2. The front end portion 8a of the press-fitting member 8 is convexly curved in cross section. Therefore, the distal end portion 8a is in line contact or substantially in line contact with the surface Gx of the unnecessary region G2. While maintaining this contact state, the press-fitting member 8 and the surrounding member 4 are rotated in the arrow a direction at the same time as shown in fig. 8, and the unnecessary region G2 is bent toward the back surface Gy side. Thus, the unnecessary region G2 is bent in a state where the press-fitting force is applied from the press-fitting member 8. Then, the sheet glass G is broken along the scribe line S at a timing when the bending stress applied to the periphery of the scribe line S becomes sufficiently large. In the second embodiment, as shown in fig. 9, the breaking device 1 in which the plate glass G having the unnecessary regions G2 at both ends in the width direction is arranged corresponding to the unnecessary regions G2 is configured to include the press-fitting members 8 for press-fitting the unnecessary regions G2 to the back surface Gy side. Since the case shown in fig. 9 is different from the case shown in fig. 6 of the first embodiment described above only in that the respective breaking devices 1 are provided with the press-fitting members 8, the same reference numerals are given to the components common to both of them in fig. 9, and the description thereof will be omitted. In this configuration, as in the case described above, one or both of the two breaking devices 1 may be movable in the width direction, one breaking device 1 may be disposed apart from the other breaking device 1 by a distance longer than the length of the sheet glass G in the width direction, or one breaking device 1 may be provided.

According to the second embodiment, in addition to the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment described above, the advantage of being able to reduce the gripping force of the upper jaw member 2 and the lower jaw member 3 can be obtained by applying the pushing force from the pushing member 8 to the unnecessary region G2. In the second embodiment, the press-fitting member 8 is disposed between the upper chuck member 2 and the lower chuck member 3, but the press-fitting member 8 may be disposed at a position offset in the width direction from between the

chuck members

2 and 3.

The method and apparatus 1 for manufacturing a glass plate according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the second region G2 is an unnecessary region having the lug Ge, but the second region G2 may be an unnecessary region having no lug Ge or an effective region to be a product (an effective region having the same plate thickness as the first region G1).

In the above first and second embodiments, the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the second region G2 are respectively gripped by the upper chuck member 2 having the pair of upper gripping pieces 2a and the lower chuck member 3 having the pair of lower gripping pieces 3a, but the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the second region G2 may be respectively held by other holding members such as a suction cup that performs suction holding by negative pressure suction or the like. Similarly, the gripping mechanism 6 may hold the upper end portion of the first region G1 by another holding member such as a suction cup.

In the above first and second embodiments, the second region G2 is pulled in the vertical direction by moving the lower chuck member 3 (lower holding member) downward, but the second region G2 may be pulled in the vertical direction by moving the upper chuck member 2 (upper holding member) upward or by moving the lower chuck member 3 downward and moving the upper chuck member 2 upward.

In the above first and second embodiments, the upper jaw member 2 and the lower jaw member 3 (the

gripping pieces

2a and 3a thereof) grip the portion of the second region G2 on the ear Ge side of the widthwise central portion, but may grip other portions as long as they do not interfere with the scribe line S. Further, a part of both the chuck members 2 and 3 (the

grip pieces

2a and 3a thereof) may extend from one end (end on the ear Ge side) in the width direction of the second region G2.

In the first and second embodiments described above, one upper chuck member 2 and one lower chuck member 3 are provided, but a plurality of both

chuck members

2 and 3 may be provided in the width direction, provided that they do not interfere with the scribe line S.

In the above first and second embodiments, the fluid pressure cylinder 7 is used as a mechanism for moving the lower chuck member 3 downward (vertically), but other vertical movement mechanisms may be used, such as a combination of a ball screw mechanism, a slide mechanism, and a motor.

In the above first and second embodiments, the fluid pressure cylinder 7 (vertical lift mechanism) is provided above the lower base material 4b of the surrounding member 4, but may be provided on the side and lower side of the lower base material 4 b.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the surrounding member 4 is formed in the shape of "コ" in the rear view from the upper base 4a, the lower base 4b, and the vertical base 4c, but the number and shape of the bases may be other numbers and shapes.

In the above first and second embodiments, the surrounding member 4 rotates about the imaginary extensions S1 and S2 in the vertical direction of the scribe line S, and the upper chuck member 2 and the lower chuck member 3 move along the circular orbit about the imaginary extensions S1 and S2 in conjunction therewith, but the rotation center axis thereof may be an axis of a portion other than the imaginary extension as long as the surrounding member 4 rotates to surround the scribe line S. The surrounding member 4 may be configured to move in a curved manner without rotating, as long as the upper chuck member 2 and the lower chuck member 3 can hold the second region G2 and bend the region to the back surface Gy side.

In the second embodiment, the tip end portion 8a of the press-fitting member 8 is curved in a convex shape, but the tip end portion 8a may be a flat surface portion. The press-fitting member 8 may be a plate-like body having a flat portion at the distal end portion 8a and a length of the flat portion 8a in the width direction longer than a length of the flat portion in the plate thickness direction orthogonal to the flat portion 8 a. In these cases, the flat surface portion 8a of the press-fitting member 8 is in surface contact with the surface Gx of the unnecessary region G2. The path along which the pushing member 8 moves can be appropriately changed in the same manner as the path along which the surrounding member 4 moves according to the above-described modified example.

Description of the reference numerals

1. Apparatus for producing plate glass (breaking apparatus)

2. Upper jaw member

2a upper side holding piece

3. Lower chuck member

3a lower side holding piece

4. Surrounding member

5. Back support member

6. Holding mechanism

6a suspension support holding piece

7. Fluid pressure cylinder

7a piston rod

8. Press-in member

G plate glass

G1 Effective area

G2 Unneeded area

Surface of Ga active region

Back side of Gb effective area

Surface of the Gx unwanted area

Back of Gy unwanted area

Ears with Ge-free regions

Gex part with largest plate thickness

And S, scribing.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a plate glass, comprising a breaking step of breaking a plate glass in a vertical posture in which a first region and a second region are arranged adjacent to each other in a width direction and a scribe line is formed on a surface side of a boundary portion between the regions, along the scribe line, to cut out the second region,

the method for producing a sheet glass is characterized in that,

in the breaking step, the plate glass is broken by pulling the second region in the vertical direction and applying a force to the second region toward the back surface side.

2. The sheet glass manufacturing method according to claim 1,

the second region has a tensile load acting in the vertical direction of 10N to 200N.

3. The sheet glass manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2,

the second region is pulled in the vertical direction by an upper holding member that holds an upper end portion of the second region and a lower holding member that holds a lower end portion of the second region.

4. The sheet glass manufacturing method according to claim 3,

the lower holding member holds a lower end portion of the second region and moves downward, thereby pulling the second region in the vertical direction.

5. The sheet glass manufacturing method according to claim 3 or 4,

the lower holding member is movable in the up-down direction.

6. The sheet glass manufacturing method according to any one of claims 3 to 5,

the upper holding member is an upper chuck member that grips an upper end portion of the second region, and the lower holding member is a lower chuck member that grips a lower end portion of the second region.

7. The method for producing a sheet glass according to any one of claims 3 to 6,

when the second region is in a state of being pulled in the vertical direction, the upper holding member and the lower holding member apply a force toward the back surface side to the second region in a state where the back surface supporting member supports the back surface of the first region.

8. The method for producing a sheet glass according to any one of claims 3 to 7,

the upper holding member and the lower holding member are supported by an enclosing member that encloses the outer end portion and the upper and lower end portions in the width direction of the second region, and the upper holding member and the lower holding member move along a circular orbit as the enclosing member rotates, and a force toward the back surface side acts on the second region.

9. The sheet glass manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

the second region has an ear portion at a widthwise outer end portion, the ear portion having a plate thickness thicker than that of the first region.

10. The method for producing a sheet glass according to any one of claims 3 to 8,

the second region has an ear portion having a plate thickness larger than that of the first region at a widthwise outer end portion thereof, and a portion of the second region in the widthwise direction, with which the upper holding member and the lower holding member are in contact, is located on the first region side with respect to a portion where the plate thickness of the ear portion is largest.

11. The method for producing a sheet glass according to any one of claims 1 to 10,

in the breaking step, an upper end portion of the first region is held by a holding member and a lower end portion of the first region is opened.

12. A plate glass manufacturing device is provided with a breaking device which is configured to break a plate glass in a vertical posture that a first region and a second region are arranged adjacently in a width direction and a scribing line is formed on a surface side of a boundary part of the regions along the scribing line so as to cut the second region,

the apparatus for manufacturing a sheet glass is characterized in that,

the breaking device is configured to apply a force to the second region toward the back surface side while pulling the second region in the vertical direction, and break the plate glass.