JP2020007193A - Manufacturing method of glass sheet, and washing equipment of glass sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

To remove dirt sufficiently, while avoiding generation of a scratch on the front and back surfaces, when cleaning the front and back surfaces of a glass sheet in a process for manufacturing the glass sheet.SOLUTION: In a manufacturing method of a glass sheet including a cleaning step for cleaning by scrubbing upper and lower surfaces Ga, Gb in the state of sandwiching the glass sheet G in a thickness direction, by a first cleaning member 10a in contact with the upper surface Ga of the glass sheet G and a second cleaning member 11a in contact with the lower surface Gb, hardness of the first cleaning member 10a is heightened furthermore than hardness of the second cleaning member 11a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a glass plate and an apparatus for cleaning a glass plate.

  2. Description of the Related Art Flat panel displays (FPDs) such as liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, and organic EL displays have been promoted to have higher definition. Along with this, a dense electric circuit is formed on the glass plate used as the substrate for the FPD in the manufacturing process of the FPD. Therefore, this type of glass plate is required to have high cleanliness without adhesion of dust and dirt.

  Therefore, in the manufacturing process of this type of glass sheet, for example, a glass sheet of a small product size is cut out from a glass sheet of a large area, and edge processing (grinding and polishing) is performed on the cut glass sheet. Thereafter, the front and back surfaces are washed. Here, an example of a method of cleaning the front and back surfaces of a glass plate is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this method, a rotating disk-shaped cleaning member is brought into contact with each of the front and back surfaces of the glass plate, and the front and back surfaces are rubbed by the two cleaning members while the glass plate is sandwiched in the thickness direction. In this case, both the cleaning members are usually made of the same material and therefore have the same hardness.

JP 2017-14060 A

  However, the above method has the following problems to be solved.

  That is, in the above method, when the hardness of both cleaning members is increased, dirt can be sufficiently removed by rubbing the front and back surfaces of the glass plate satisfactorily. (For example, glass powder) easily causes scratches on the front and back surfaces of the glass plate. As a result, the glass plate may be damaged. On the other hand, if the hardness of both cleaning members is reduced, the generation of scratches can be avoided, but the front and back surfaces of the glass plate cannot be rubbed satisfactorily, making it difficult to sufficiently remove dirt.

  The present invention, which has been made in view of the above circumstances, has been developed in view of the fact that when cleaning the front and back surfaces of a glass plate in the process of manufacturing the glass plate, it is possible to sufficiently remove dirt while avoiding generation of scratches on the front and back surfaces. Challenges.

  The present invention was devised to solve the above-described problem, the first cleaning member contacted to the surface of the glass plate and the second cleaning member contacted to the back surface, in a state sandwiching the glass plate in the thickness direction. A method for manufacturing a glass plate including a cleaning step of rubbing the front and back surfaces, wherein the hardness of the first cleaning member is higher than the hardness of the second cleaning member.

  In this method, the hardness of the first cleaning member is higher than the hardness of the second cleaning member. Due to the difference in hardness between the two cleaning members, the second cleaning member having a relatively low hardness serves as a cushion for the first cleaning member having a relatively high hardness, which is opposed to the first cleaning member across the glass plate. Will be fulfilled. Thereby, even when a foreign substance is interposed between the first cleaning member and the glass plate and / or the second cleaning member and the glass plate, the cushioning property of the second cleaning member allows the front and back surfaces of the glass plate to be removed. Scratches can be avoided, and breakage of the glass plate can be prevented. Further, in the present method, by utilizing the high hardness of the first cleaning member with respect to the second cleaning member, both cleaning members can be sufficiently pressed against the front and back surfaces of the glass plate, and the front and back surfaces are suitably rubbed. It becomes possible. Therefore, dirt on the front and back surfaces of the glass plate can be sufficiently removed. As described above, according to the present method, when cleaning the front and back surfaces of the glass plate in the process of manufacturing the glass plate, it is possible to sufficiently remove dirt while avoiding generation of scratches on the front and back surfaces.

  In the above method, it is preferable to use, as the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member, disk-shaped members that rotate around a rotation axis extending in the thickness direction of the glass plate.

  By doing so, the front and back surfaces of the glass plate can be more appropriately rubbed by the two cleaning members, which is further advantageous in removing dirt on the front and back surfaces.

  In the above method, it is preferable that the first cleaning member is formed of a nonwoven fabric and the second cleaning member is formed of a sponge.

  With this configuration, the cleaning ability of the first cleaning member is improved, and the cushioning property of the second cleaning member is improved. For this reason, it is possible to sufficiently and efficiently remove dirt while reliably avoiding the occurrence of scratches on the front and back surfaces.

  In the above method, the hardness of the first cleaning member is preferably 10 to 90 in Asker A hardness, and the hardness of the second cleaning member is preferably 8 to 100 in Asker C hardness.

  With this configuration, the cleaning ability of the first cleaning member is improved, and the cushioning property of the second cleaning member is improved. For this reason, it is possible to sufficiently and efficiently remove dirt while reliably avoiding the occurrence of scratches on the front and back surfaces.

  In the above method, in the cleaning step, it is preferable that the glass plate in a flat position with the front surface facing upward is cleaned, and the surface is a guaranteed surface.

  According to this configuration, in comparison with the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member, it is possible to clean the security surface with the first cleaning member having relatively high hardness and high cleaning ability. Therefore, it is advantageous in improving the quality of the glass plate manufactured by the present method. In the present invention, the flat posture includes a horizontal posture and an inclined posture. The horizontal posture is a posture in which the surface of the glass plate is horizontal, and the inclined posture is a posture in which the surface of the glass plate is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.

  Further, the present invention created to solve the above-described problem includes a first cleaning member that contacts the front surface of the glass plate and a second cleaning member that contacts the back surface, and the glass plate is moved in the thickness direction by both cleaning members. A cleaning apparatus for a glass plate for cleaning by rubbing the front and back surfaces in a state of being sandwiched between the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member.

  According to the present apparatus, the same operations and effects as those already described in the description of the method for manufacturing a glass sheet can be obtained.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, when wash | cleaning the front and back of a glass plate in the process of manufacturing a glass plate, it becomes possible to sufficiently remove dirt while avoiding generation of scratches on the front and back surfaces.

It is a side view which shows the washing | cleaning apparatus of the glass plate which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view showing the arrangement state of the cleaning implement contained in the cleaning sequence provided in the glass plate cleaning device concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the washing | cleaning mechanism provided in the glass plate washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the lower end part (tip part) side of the spindle case with which the glass plate washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention was provided. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the upper end part (base end part) side of the spindle case with which the glass plate washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention was provided.

  Hereinafter, an apparatus for cleaning a glass sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention and a method for manufacturing a glass sheet using the apparatus will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that XYZ in the drawing is an orthogonal coordinate system. The X direction and the Y direction are horizontal directions, and the Z direction is a vertical direction. The Y direction is the transport direction of the glass sheet, and the XZ plane including the X direction and the Z direction is a plane orthogonal to the transport direction of the glass sheet.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a glass plate cleaning apparatus 1 (hereinafter, referred to as a cleaning apparatus 1) according to the present embodiment includes a cleaning area W for cleaning a glass sheet G, and drying of the cleaned glass sheet G. And a drying area D. The cleaning apparatus 1 conveys the glass plate G in a flat posture in the Y direction (in the present embodiment, an inclined posture along the X direction), and secures the upper surface Ga as a guaranteed surface (front surface) and the non-guaranteed surface. The lower surface Gb (back surface) is simultaneously cleaned. Here, the “guaranteed surface” refers to a surface of the front and back surfaces of the glass plate G on which a film forming process of a transparent conductive film or the like is performed in the FPD manufacturing process.

  In the washing area W and the drying area D, the glass plate G is positioned such that one end is lower than the other end in the width direction of the glass plate G orthogonal to the transport direction Y (direction forming an angle θ with the X direction in FIG. 3). It is conveyed in an inclined posture so as to be located. This prevents excess liquid adhering to the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G from flowing down from the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G by its own weight, and preventing the formation of a liquid pool that causes contamination on the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G. I have. In the washing area W and / or the drying area D, the glass plate G may be transported in a horizontal posture.

  The cleaning device 1 includes squeezing rollers 2 and 3 for removing liquid adhering to the upper surface Ga and the lower surface Gb of the glass plate G in the cleaning area W; an upper cleaning mechanism 4 for cleaning the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G; And a lower cleaning mechanism 5 for cleaning the lower surface Gb of the G. The glass plate G is supplied to the cleaning area W by an arbitrary mechanism such as a transport roller arranged on the upstream side.

  The squeezing rollers 2 and 3 are composed of a pair of upper and lower rollers having upper rollers 2a and 3a and lower rollers 2b and 3b that convey the glass plate G vertically. That is, the aperture rollers 2 and 3 also function as a transport mechanism. In the present embodiment, the squeeze rollers 2 and 3 are arranged on the upstream and downstream sides of the cleaning mechanisms 4 and 5, respectively.

  The squeeze rollers 2 and 3 are constituted by rollers made of a material capable of absorbing liquid (for example, a soft sponge), but are not limited thereto.

  The upper cleaning mechanism 4 has three cleaning rows 6a to 6c provided at intervals in the transport direction Y, and the cleaning liquid C is stored in the internal space in order to supply the cleaning liquid C to each of the cleaning rows 6a to 6c. And a housing 7.

  The lower cleaning mechanism 5 includes three cleaning rows 8a to 8c provided at intervals in the transport direction Y so as to face the cleaning rows 6a to 6c of the upper cleaning mechanism 4 with the glass plate G interposed therebetween. In order to supply the cleaning liquid C to the cleaning rows 8a to 8c, a housing 9 in which the cleaning liquid C is stored in the internal space is provided.

  As the cleaning liquid C, for example, a liquid such as a cleaning liquid (for example, a liquid detergent) or a rinsing liquid (for example, water) can be used.

  Here, the lower cleaning mechanism 5 is configured such that the upper cleaning mechanism 4 is turned upside down, and has substantially the same configuration as the upper cleaning mechanism 4. Therefore, in the following description, the configuration of the upper cleaning mechanism 4 will be described as an example, the detailed description of the configuration of the lower cleaning mechanism 5 will be omitted, and differences from the upper cleaning mechanism 4 will be mainly described. .

  As shown in FIG. 2, each of the cleaning rows 6 a to 6 c of the upper cleaning mechanism 4 includes a plurality of first cleaning tools arranged in a row with a gap S in the width direction of the glass plate G orthogonal to the transport direction Y. 10 is provided. Each first cleaning tool 10 is a disk-shaped rotating body that can be cleaned by rubbing the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G. Each of the second cleaning tools 11 included in the cleaning rows 8a to 8c of the lower cleaning mechanism 5 sandwiches the glass plate G with each of the first cleaning tools 10 included in the cleaning rows 6a to 6c of the upper cleaning mechanism 4. Make a pair. The pair of the first cleaning tool 10 and the second cleaning tool 11 rotate in the same direction.

  The three cleaning rows 6a to 6c are arranged such that the first cleaning tools 10 are shifted from each other in the width direction so that the positions in the width direction of the gap S (the range of the gap S) do not overlap each other. In other words, the three cleaning rows 6a to 6c are composed of three types of cleaning rows whose positions in the width direction of the gap S do not overlap with each other. Accordingly, when viewed from the direction along the transport direction Y, all the gaps S included in any one of the cleaning rows 6a to 6c overlap the first cleaning tools 10 included in the remaining two cleaning rows. As described above, the upper cleaning mechanism 4 of the present embodiment includes three rows (three types) of cleaning rows 6a to 6c, but the upper cleaning mechanism 4 and the lower cleaning mechanism 5 include two rows (two types) or more of cleaning rows. Should be provided.

  If three rows (three types) of cleaning rows are provided as in the present embodiment, a region passing through any one of the gaps S in the three cleaning rows 6a to 6c on the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G is left. Since the first cleaning tool 10 included in the two cleaning rows is always contacted twice, the cleaning time can be sufficiently secured. Further, even if any one of the three cleaning rows 6a to 6c (or the first cleaning tool 10 included in any one of the three cleaning rows) cannot be used due to a failure or the like, the remaining two cleaning rows are used as glass. The entire width of the upper surface Ga of the plate G can be cleaned without gaps. Therefore, it is possible to reliably reduce unevenness in cleaning the glass plate G in the width direction. Therefore, it is preferable that the upper cleaning mechanism 4 and the lower cleaning mechanism 5 include three or more (three types) cleaning rows.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to suppress the total contact time of the glass plate G and the first cleaning tool 10 from varying in the width direction, the gaps S of the three rows (three types) of cleaning rows 6a to 6c are set. Are arranged at regular intervals in the width direction with a constant interval ΔL. Thereby, the uneven cleaning of the glass plate G in the width direction can be more reliably reduced. Note that the gaps S of the three rows (three types) of cleaning rows 6a to 6c may be located at unequal intervals in the width direction.

  Preferably, the diameter of the first cleaning tool 10 is, for example, 50 to 200 mm, and the width of the gap S is, for example, 2 to 10 mm. The interval ΔL between the gaps S can be appropriately set according to the diameter of the first cleaning tool 10 and the type of the cleaning row.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the upper cleaning mechanism 4 has a configuration for supplying the cleaning liquid C stored in the housing 7 to each of the first cleaning tools 10 in the three cleaning rows 6a to 6c. In the present embodiment, the cleaning liquid C is supplied from one housing 7 to each of the first cleaning tools 10 in the three cleaning rows 6a to 6c (see FIG. 1). The cleaning liquid C may be supplied from a plurality of housings, for example, by providing a dedicated housing for each of the three cleaning rows 6a to 6c.

  In the upper cleaning mechanism 4, the housing 7 is inclined according to the inclination of the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G. Due to the inclination of the housing 7, each of the first cleaning tools 10 in each of the cleaning rows 6a to 6c is inclined in accordance with the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G. The inclination angle θ of the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G with respect to the horizontal plane is preferably, for example, 2 to 10 °.

  The upper cleaning mechanism 4 includes a cylindrical spindle case 12 fixed to the housing 7 and a spindle 13 rotatably held inside the spindle case 12 at a position corresponding to each first cleaning tool 10. ing. The first cleaning tool 10 is mounted on the lower end of the spindle 13 outside the housing 7 and the spindle case 12.

  A cylindrical slide bearing (bushing) 14 is press-fitted and fixed to the lower end of the spindle case 12, and a cylindrical slide bearing (bushing) 15 is press-fitted and fixed to the upper end of the spindle case 12. The outer peripheral surface of the spindle 13 is rotatably held by bearing surfaces (inner peripheral surfaces) of the slide bearings 14 and 15. The slide bearings 14 and 15 may be made of, for example, metal, but are made of resin (for example, made of engineering plastic) in the present embodiment.

  The first cleaning tool 10 is attached to a spindle 13 via a spacer 16. The first cleaning tool 10 and the spacer 16 are detachable from the spindle 13.

  The first cleaning tool 10 includes a first cleaning member 10a that rubs and cleans the upper surface Ga while being in contact with the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G, and a support portion 10b to which the first cleaning member 10a is attached. The first cleaning member 10a is a disk-shaped member that rotates around a rotation axis (here, equal to the rotation axis of the spindle 13) extending in the thickness direction of the glass plate G.

  Here, the first cleaning member 10a is paired with the second cleaning member 11a provided in the second cleaning tool 11 with the glass plate G interposed therebetween in the thickness direction. The second cleaning member 11a is a disk-shaped member similar to the first cleaning member 10a, while rubbing and cleaning the lower surface Gb of the glass plate G.

  The cleaning members 10a and 11a are positioned so that they are in contact with each other when the glass plate G is not cleaned (before the glass plate G is supplied). That is, at the time of cleaning the glass sheet G (when supplying the glass sheet G), the glass sheet G enters between the two cleaning members 10a and 11a so as to push the two cleaning members 10a and 11a apart. . Unlike the present embodiment, when the glass plate G is not cleaned, the cleaning members 10a and 11a may be positioned so that a gap is formed between the cleaning members 10a and 11a.

  The hardness of the first cleaning member 10a is higher than the hardness of the second cleaning member 11a. Note that, unlike the present embodiment, when the lower surface Gb of the glass plate G is the guarantee surface instead of the upper surface Ga, the first cleaning member 10a having high hardness is arranged on the lower surface Gb side of the glass plate G, and the upper surface Ga is removed. It is preferable to arrange the second cleaning member 11a having low hardness on the side.

  The first cleaning member 10a is made of a nonwoven fabric, and has a hardness of 10 to 90 in Asker A hardness. Here, as the nonwoven fabric, for example, a nonwoven fabric in which fibers are entangled by a needle punch method can be used. The non-woven fabric fibers include, for example, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyester elastomers, polyamides such as nylon 6 and nylon 66, polyamide elastomers, polyurethanes, polyolefins, acrylonitriles, and celluloses such as rayon. Fibers can be used.

  The second cleaning member 11a is made of sponge, and has a hardness of 8 to 100 in Asker C hardness. Here, as the sponge, for example, a sponge made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyurethane, fluorine rubber, nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, ethylene rubber, silicone rubber, or the like can be used.

  Here, in the present embodiment, disk-shaped members are used as the first cleaning member 10a and the second cleaning member 11a, but roller-shaped members may be used instead. Further, the first cleaning member 10a may be configured by a brush having higher hardness than the second cleaning member 11a. Further, the second cleaning member 11a may be configured by a brush having a lower hardness than the first cleaning member 10a. The “brush hardness” means the hardness (hardness) of bristles provided on the brush.

  It is preferable that the contact pressure of the first cleaning member 10a with respect to the glass plate G is set smaller than the contact pressure of the upper rollers 2a and 3a with respect to the glass plate G. Thereby, the straight running stability of the glass sheet G in the transport direction Y is improved. The contact pressure of the first cleaning member 10a with respect to the glass plate G is, for example, adjusting the position of the upper cleaning mechanism 4 with respect to the glass plate G, changing the thickness of the spacer 16 (when the spacer 16 is not attached). Can be adjusted).

  The housing 7 is provided with a supply path R1 for supplying the cleaning liquid C to the internal space of the housing 7 from outside. As a result, the cleaning liquid C stored in a tank (not shown) disposed outside the housing 7 is pressure-fed to the internal space of the housing 7 through the supply path R1 by a pump (not shown) or the like as shown by an arrow a. It is supposed to be. By the pressure feeding of the cleaning liquid C, the pressure of the cleaning liquid C supplied to the internal space of the housing 7 is maintained at a high state. One or more supply paths R1 are provided in the housing 7.

  The spindle case 12 is provided with a communication path R2 that communicates the internal space of the housing 7 with the internal space of the spindle case 12. Thus, the cleaning liquid C in the internal space of the housing 7 is supplied to the internal space of the spindle case 12 through the communication path R2 as shown by the arrow b.

  The spindle 13 and the spacer 16 are provided with a communication path R3 that communicates the internal space of the spindle case 12 with the first cleaning tool 10. Thus, the cleaning liquid C in the internal space of the spindle case 12 is supplied to the first cleaning tool 10 through the communication path R3 as shown by the arrow c. The communication path R3 includes a through-hole provided in the spindle 13 and a through-hole provided in the spacer 16.

  The first cleaning tool 10 is provided with a through hole R4 communicating with the communication path R3. Thus, the cleaning liquid C supplied through the communication path R3 is supplied to the glass plate G through the through hole R4 as indicated by an arrow d. The through-hole R4 may be omitted when the first cleaning tool 10 is formed of a material (for example, a porous body or the like) that can transmit the cleaning liquid C.

  With this configuration, the cleaning liquid C is supplied from the supply path R1, the communication path R2, the communication path R3, and the through hole R4 to the internal space of the housing 7, the internal space of the spindle case 12, the first cleaning tool 10, and the glass plate G. Are supplied in this order. Therefore, since the cleaning liquid C supplied to the internal space of the housing 7 is directly supplied to each first cleaning tool 10 through the communication path R2 and the communication path R3, a complicated piping for supplying the cleaning liquid is not required. The waste of the cleaning liquid C is also reduced.

  Furthermore, since most of the spindle case 12 and the spindle 13 are immersed in the cleaning liquid C stored in the internal space of the housing 7, the spindle case 12 and the spindle 13 are also cooled by the cleaning liquid C. Can be expected. Therefore, even while the glass plate G is being washed by rotating the spindle 13, it is considered that the thermal expansion of the spindle case 12 and the spindle 13 can be reduced and the rotation operation of the spindle 13 can be favorably maintained. In the present embodiment, a plurality of spindle cases 12 and a plurality of spindles 13 corresponding to the respective first cleaning tools 10 of the respective cleaning rows 6a to 6c are immersed in the cleaning liquid C in one housing 7.

  Here, in the present embodiment, due to the inclination of the housing 7, a difference in elevation occurs in the housing 7 at a position corresponding to each first cleaning tool 10 included in each of the cleaning rows 6 a to 6 c. For this reason, the amount of the cleaning liquid C supplied to each of the first cleaning tools 10 included in each of the cleaning rows 6a to 6c may vary due to the pressure difference due to the height difference. Accordingly, although not shown, from the viewpoint of reducing the variation in the supply amount of the cleaning liquid C due to the difference in height, in each of the cleaning rows 6a to 6c, the communication path R3 located at a lower position is higher than the communication path R3 located at a higher position. Also preferably has a portion with a small opening area. Specifically, for example, the opening area of the through hole of the spacer 16 located at a lower position is made smaller than the opening area of the through hole of the spacer 16 located at a higher position, or the opening area of the through hole of the spindle 13 located at a lower position. Is preferably made smaller than the opening area of the through hole of the spindle 13 located at a higher position. Alternatively, an orifice may be provided in a part of the through hole of the spindle 13 to change the opening area.

  The upper cleaning mechanism 4 includes a rotation drive mechanism 17 that rotates the spindle 13 for each of the cleaning rows 6a to 6c. The rotation drive mechanism 17 applies a rotation drive force to the upper end of the spindle 13 outside the housing 7 and the spindle case 12.

  The rotation drive mechanism 17 includes a gear mechanism 18 and a drive unit 19. The gear mechanism 18 includes a plurality of gears 18a attached to the upper end of each spindle 13, and the gears 18a adjacent in the X direction mesh with each other. The drive unit 19 includes a motor 19a and a gear 19b attached to the motor 19a. The gear 19b meshes with the gear 18a at one end of the gear mechanism 18 in the X direction. Therefore, when the gear 19b is rotated by the drive of the motor 19a, the power is transmitted to the gear mechanism 18, and each spindle 13 rotates.

  The gears 18a, 19b may be made of, for example, metal (for example, made of stainless steel), but are made of resin (for example, made of engineering plastic) in the present embodiment. The gears 18a and 19b may be a combination of a metal gear and a resin gear.

  In each of the cleaning rows 6a to 6c, the gears 18a adjacent in the X direction are directly meshed with each other. Therefore, the spindle 13 and the first cleaning tool 10 adjacent to each other in the X direction rotate in directions opposite to each other (see FIG. 2). However, the spindle 13 and the first cleaning tool 10 rotate in the same direction by increasing the number of gears. You may. Further, the power transmission unit is not limited to the gear mechanism 18, but may be another unit such as a belt. Further, a drive unit may be individually attached to each spindle 13.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, between the bearing surface of the sliding bearing 14 and the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the spindle 13, and between the bearing surface of the sliding bearing 15 and the outer peripheral surface of the upper end of the spindle 13. Are formed with liquid layers C1 and C2, respectively. The liquid layers C1 and C2 are formed when the cleaning liquid C supplied to the internal space of the spindle case 12 oozes out from a portion corresponding to the liquid layers C1 and C2. Therefore, since the liquid layers C1 and C2 have a lubricating function derived from the cleaning liquid C, it is possible to prevent wear of the slide bearings 14, 15 and / or the spindle 13.

  The bleeding of the cleaning liquid C forming the liquid layers C1 and C2 is likely to occur by increasing the pressure of the cleaning liquid C in the internal space of the housing 7. The pressure of the cleaning liquid C in the internal space of the housing 7 can be adjusted, for example, by changing the supply amount of the cleaning liquid C to the internal space of the housing 7 per unit time.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning device 1 includes air knives 20 a and 20 b and a transport roller 21 in the drying area D. The air knife 20a is disposed above the transport roller 21, and the air knife 20b is disposed below the transport roller 21.

  In the drying area D, high-pressure gas is ejected from the air knives 20a and 20b to the upper surface Ga and the lower surface Gb of the glass plate G while the glass plate G is being transported by the transport roller 21, so that the gas adheres to both surfaces Ga and Gb. Remove any water that is present. In the drying area D, the glass plate G may be dried by other known drying means other than the air knives 20a and 20b. Further, the drying area D may be omitted.

  Next, a method for manufacturing a glass plate according to the present embodiment will be described. This manufacturing method includes a cleaning step using the above-described cleaning apparatus 1.

  Specifically, the method for manufacturing a glass plate includes, for example, a forming step, a slow cooling step, a sampling step, a cutting step, a washing step (including a drying step), an inspection step, and a packing step. ing. Note that a heat treatment step may be provided after the plate collecting step. Further, an end face processing step may be provided after the cutting step.

  In the forming step, a glass ribbon is formed from the molten glass by a known forming method such as an overflow down draw method or a float method.

  In the annealing step, the formed glass ribbon is gradually cooled in order to reduce the warpage and internal distortion of the formed glass ribbon.

  In the plate collecting step, the gradually cooled glass ribbon is cut into predetermined lengths to obtain a plurality of original glass plates.

  In the heat treatment step, for example, a heat treatment is performed on the original glass sheet in a heat treatment furnace.

  In the cutting step, the original glass plate is cut into a predetermined size to obtain one or a plurality of glass plates G. As a cutting method of the original glass sheet, for example, bending stress cutting that causes the scribe line formed along the planned cutting line to develop in the thickness direction by bending stress, or an initial crack formed in a part of the planned cutting line by laser It is possible to use laser cutting, in which the laser is developed along the planned cutting line by thermal stress generated by irradiation and rapid cooling, or laser cutting, in which the glass is melted by laser irradiation and cut along the planned cutting line. Note that the glass plate G is preferably rectangular. The size of one side of the glass plate G is preferably from 1000 mm to 3000 mm, the plate thickness is preferably from 0.05 mm to 10 mm, and more preferably from 0.2 mm to 0.7 mm.

  In the end face processing step, the end face processing including the grinding and polishing of the end face and the corner cut is performed on the glass sheet G.

  In the cleaning step, the glass plate G is cleaned while being transported in an inclined posture using the above-described cleaning device 1 and then dried.

  In the inspection process, the cleaned glass plate G is inspected for scratches, dust, dirt, and the like, and / or for internal defects such as bubbles and foreign substances. The inspection is performed using an optical inspection device such as a camera.

  In the packing step, as a result of the inspection, a glass plate G satisfying desired quality is packed. Packing is performed by stacking a plurality of glass plates G on a predetermined pallet in a flat manner or vertically. In this case, it is preferable to interpose a protective sheet made of interleaving paper or foamed resin between the glass plates G in the laminating direction.

  Hereinafter, main functions and effects of the above manufacturing method will be described.

  In the above-described manufacturing method, the second cleaning member 11a having low hardness causes the first cleaning member having high hardness to oppose the glass plate G with the difference in hardness between the first cleaning member 10a and the second cleaning member 11a. 10a plays a role of a cushion. Thereby, even if a foreign substance is interposed between the first cleaning member 10a and the glass plate G and / or the second cleaning member 11a and the glass plate G, the cushioning property of the second cleaning member 11a allows the glass plate G to be removed. Occurrence of scratches on the upper and lower surfaces Ga and Gb can be avoided, and breakage of the glass plate G can be prevented. Further, in the present method, both cleaning members 10a and 11a can be sufficiently pressed against the upper and lower surfaces Ga and Gb of the glass plate G by the high hardness of the first cleaning member 10a with respect to the second cleaning member 11a, The upper and lower surfaces Ga and Gb can be suitably rubbed. Therefore, dirt on the upper and lower surfaces Ga and Gb of the glass plate G can be sufficiently removed.

  Here, the present invention is not limited to the mode and configuration described in the above embodiment, and is not limited to the above-described operation and effect. Various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the cleaning liquid is supplied using the housing in which the cleaning liquid is stored has been described, but the supply method of the cleaning liquid is not limited to this. For example, the cleaning liquid may be jetted and supplied to the cleaning member and / or the glass plate using a shower nozzle or the like.

  In the above embodiment, the aperture roller may be omitted. Further, the squeezing roller may be replaced with a transport roller composed of a pair of upper and lower rollers that does not absorb liquid. In this case, the transport roller may be configured to transport only the both ends in the width direction of the glass plate, that is, may be configured not to contact the central portion in the width direction of the glass plate.

  In the above embodiment, the case where one cleaning area is provided in the cleaning apparatus has been described, but a plurality of cleaning areas may be provided. In this case, a drying area may be provided downstream of each cleaning area, or a drying area may be provided only downstream of the most downstream cleaning area.

  In the cleaning step of the above embodiment, the first cleaning member is brought into contact with the upper surface (front surface) of the glass plate, and the second cleaning member is brought into contact with the lower surface (back surface) of the glass plate. In addition to the step (2), a second cleaning step is performed. In the second cleaning step, the second cleaning member is brought into contact with the upper surface (front surface) of the glass plate, and the first cleaning member is brought into contact with the lower surface (back surface) of the glass plate. May be. This makes it possible to improve the quality of not only the front surface but also the back surface while avoiding the occurrence of scratches on the front and back surfaces.

  In the above embodiment, the glass plate in the flat position is cleaned, but the glass plate in the vertical position may be cleaned.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cleaning apparatus 10a First cleaning member 11a Second cleaning member G Glass plate Ga Upper surface Gb Lower surface

Claims (6)

A glass plate provided with a cleaning step of rubbing the front and back surfaces with the first cleaning member brought into contact with the front surface of the glass plate and the second cleaning member brought into contact with the back surface while sandwiching the glass plate in the thickness direction. The method of manufacturing
A method for manufacturing a glass sheet, wherein the hardness of the first cleaning member is higher than the hardness of the second cleaning member.   The method for manufacturing a glass sheet according to claim 1, wherein a disc-shaped member that rotates about a rotation axis extending in a thickness direction of the glass sheet is used as the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member. .   The method according to claim 1, wherein the first cleaning member is formed of a nonwoven fabric, and the second cleaning member is formed of a sponge. While the hardness of the first cleaning member is 10 to 90 in Asker A hardness,
The method for producing a glass sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hardness of the second cleaning member is 8 to 100 in Asker C hardness. In the washing step, washing the glass plate in a flat position with the surface as an upper surface,
The method according to claim 1, wherein the surface is a guarantee surface. Cleaning of a glass plate comprising a first cleaning member in contact with the front surface of the glass plate and a second cleaning member in contact with the back surface, wherein both cleaning members rub the front and back surfaces with the glass plate sandwiched in the thickness direction. A device,
An apparatus for cleaning a glass plate, wherein the hardness of the first cleaning member is higher than the hardness of the second cleaning member.

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