JP2021059477A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing glass plate - Google Patents

Abstract

To excellently support a rear surface in a second region of a glass plate when split to appropriately split the glass plate along a scribe line.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a glass plate comprises: forming a scribe line S on the surface (Ga and Gx) side of a boundary part between first and second regions G1 and G2 of a glass plate G; and acting force toward the side of a rear surface Gy in the second region G2 in the state of supporting a rear surface Gy in one region G1 by a rear surface support member 3 when splitting the glass plate G along the scribe line S and supporting the second region G2 by a suction pad 7 and an auxiliary support member 8 extended in the direction of the scribe line S to split the glass plate G along the scribe line S.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

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

As is well known, flat glass is used in various fields as represented by glass substrates for displays such as liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, and organic EL displays, and cover glasses for organic EL lighting. When producing this type of flat glass, a step of cutting out a small flat glass from a large flat glass, a step of trimming an end portion along the side of the flat glass, and the like are executed. In these steps, usually, after forming a scribe line on the plate glass, the plate glass is cut along the scribe line.

Specific examples of the method for cutting this type of flat glass include the method disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the method disclosed in the same document, after forming a scribe wire on the front surface of the plate glass, the back surface of the first region (one side region of the scribe wire) of the plate glass is supported by the back surface support member. Then, in this state, the back surface of the second region (the region on the other side of the scribe line) of the flat glass is suction-supported by the suction pad, and the roller (rolling element) is rolled along the surface of the second region. A force toward the back surface side is applied to the second region. As a result, bending stress is applied in the vicinity of the scribe line to cut the flat glass along the scribe line.

JP-A-2017-226549

By the way, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, in the configuration in which the back surface of the second region of the plate glass is attracted and supported by the suction pad and divided, due to the characteristics of the plate glass, the characteristics of the suction pad, etc., as shown below. Problems arise.

That is, the flat glass before cutting may be warped. When the plate glass having the warp is cut, if the back surface of the second region of the plate glass is suction-supported by the suction pad, the suction support portion becomes sparse. Moreover, since the suction pad is made of an elastic member such as rubber or resin, it has characteristics such as high elasticity. As a result, the elements supporting the back surface of the second region of the plate glass are insufficient, and it becomes difficult to sufficiently correct the warp of the plate glass at the time of cutting. Therefore, the bending stress cannot be applied evenly in the vicinity of the scribe line of the flat glass, and proper cutting along the scribe line is hindered. As a result, chipping (unjustified cracks on the cut end surface) occurs in the cut portion of the flat glass, causing problems such as a large amount of glass powder being scattered.

From the above viewpoint, it is an object of the present invention to appropriately cut the flat glass along the scribe line so that the flat glass can be well supported against the back surface of the second region at the time of cutting.

The first aspect of the present invention, which was devised to solve the above problems, forms a scribe line on the surface side of the boundary between the first region and the second region of the plate glass, and the plate glass is formed along the scribe line. In the method for manufacturing a flat glass including a cutting step of cutting a glass plate, in the cutting step, the back surface of the first region is supported by a back surface support member, and the second region is supported by a suction pad and a direction along the scribe line. It is characterized in that the flat glass is cut along the scribe line by applying a force toward the back surface side to the second region while being supported by the auxiliary support member extending to. Here, the plate glass has a plate thickness of 500 μm or less, preferably 300 μm or less. Further, it is preferable that the flat glass has flexibility.

According to this method, in the cutting step, the second region of the flat glass is supported by the suction pad and the auxiliary support member extending in the direction along the scribe line. , A preferred form of support that extends along the scribe line is added. Therefore, even if the flat glass is warped, the warp can be sufficiently corrected by adding the support portion having the above-mentioned preferable form. Moreover, since the suction pad pulls in the second region, when the auxiliary support member is in contact with the second region, a pulling force by the suction pad acts on the contact portion, and the second region is the auxiliary support member. It is strongly pressed against. This makes the correction of warpage even more sufficient. Due to the above circumstances, when the flat glass is cut, bending stress acts evenly in the vicinity of the scribe line to perform proper cutting, so that chipping occurs at the cut portion of the flat glass and a large amount of glass powder is generated. Problems such as scattering are properly avoided. The warp of the plate glass is particularly effective as long as the scribe line on the surface of the plate glass and an arbitrary virtual straight line parallel to the scribe line are curved.

In this method, the suction pad and the auxiliary support member support the back surface of the second region, bring the pushing member into contact with the front surface of the second region, and push the second region toward the back surface side. A force toward the back surface side may be applied to the two regions.

In this way, with the suction pad and the auxiliary support member sufficiently correcting the warp of the flat glass, the pushing member arranged on the front surface side can appropriately apply a force toward the back surface side to the second region. Therefore, the flat glass can be stably cut.

In the above method, in the cutting step, the flat glass may be suspended and supported so that the scribe line faces in the vertical direction.

In this way, the above-mentioned action and effect when the flat glass is warped can be remarkably obtained. More specifically, when the flat glass is placed on a surface plate or the like in a flat position and split, the warp of the flat glass becomes small, but when the flat glass is suspended and supported as in the configuration here, the flat glass is suspended and supported. , The warp becomes large. Even when the warp of the flat glass is large as described above, it can be dealt with appropriately as described above, so that the action and effect are exceptional.

In the above method, the auxiliary support member may be arranged at a position where the distance from the scribe line is shorter than that of the suction pad.

This is convenient when the dimension from the scribe line in the second region to the edge portion facing the scribe line is short. More specifically, since the suction pad has been used conventionally, there is a suitable position as the suction support position of the suction pad with respect to the back surface of the second region. Therefore, if the auxiliary support member is to be arranged closer to the edge portion than the suitable suction support position in the second region, it may not be possible in terms of space. However, according to the configuration here, since the auxiliary support member is arranged on the side opposite to the end edge portion side of the conventional suction support position, such a problem can be eliminated. This eliminates the need for major improvements to the traditional configuration. Auxiliary support members can be added and arranged.

Contrary to the configuration in this method, the auxiliary support member may be arranged at a position where the distance from the scribe line is longer than that of the suction pad.

In this way, the effect of correcting a large warp of the flat glass becomes remarkable. More specifically, the warpage of the flat glass tends to be particularly large at and near the edge portion facing the scribe line in the second region. Such a tendency becomes particularly remarkable when the edge portion is thicker than the other portion of the second region. According to the relative positional relationship between the suction pad and the auxiliary support member described here, the auxiliary support member can be brought into contact with the edge portion and its vicinity, so that the above-mentioned particularly large warp can be sufficiently corrected. it can.

In the above method, the auxiliary support member may come into contact with a region on the back surface of the second region except for both ends in the direction along the scribe line.

This is advantageous when the end faces of both ends of the second region have a fractured surface. That is, since the fractured surface has minute cracks and the like, when the auxiliary support member comes into contact with the fractured surface, the minute cracks and the like may develop and the flat glass may be damaged. However, according to the configuration here, since the auxiliary support member does not come into contact with both ends, such a problem does not occur.

Contrary to the configuration in this method, the auxiliary support member may come into contact with a region on the back surface of the second region including both ends in a direction along the scribe line.

By doing so, the warp of the plate glass can be corrected by the auxiliary support member in the entire area extending over both ends of the second region, so that the plate glass can be cut more appropriately.

In the above method, the auxiliary support member may have a contact portion with the second region formed of a cushioning material.

In this way, for example, the impact when the auxiliary support member comes into contact with the second region can be cushioned by the cushioning material. Therefore, even if the auxiliary support member is brought into contact with the second region at high speed, the flat glass is less likely to be damaged or damaged, and the work can be speeded up.

The second aspect of the present invention, which was devised to solve the above problems, is to cut a flat glass having a scribe line formed on the surface side of the boundary between the first region and the second region along the scribe line. In a flat glass manufacturing apparatus provided with a slicing device, the slicing device supports the back surface of the first region by a back surface support member, and supports the second region with a suction pad in a direction along the scribe line. It is characterized in that the flat glass is cut along the scribe line by applying a force toward the back surface side to the second region while being supported by the extending auxiliary support member.

According to this manufacturing apparatus, the flat glass is appropriately cut in the same manner as in the case of the above-mentioned manufacturing method, and the occurrence of chipping at the time of cutting and the scattering of a large amount of glass powder are avoided.

According to the present invention, the flat glass is well supported against the back surface of the second region at the time of cutting, and the flat glass is properly cut along the scribe line.

It is a perspective view which shows the cutting apparatus included in the plate glass manufacturing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the main part of the cutting apparatus included in the plate glass manufacturing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3A is a schematic side view of the cutting device included in the flat glass manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side, and FIG. 3B is a schematic side view of the flat glass according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is an enlarged schematic bottom view which looked at the main part of the slicing apparatus included in the manufacturing apparatus of 1 4 (a), (b), and (c) are schematic bottom views showing a cutting step included in the method for producing a flat glass according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic bottom view which shows the 1st modification of the cutting process included in the manufacturing method of the flat glass which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic bottom view which shows the 2nd modification of the cutting process included in the manufacturing method of the flat glass which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic bottom view which shows the 3rd modification of the cutting process included in the manufacturing method of the flat glass which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic bottom view which shows the 1st modification of the cutting apparatus included in the plate glass manufacturing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic bottom view which shows the 2nd modification of the cutting apparatus included in the plate glass manufacturing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

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

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cutting device 1 included in a flat glass manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the flat glass G has a scribe line S formed on the surface side (the side of the reference numerals Ga and Gx) as a boundary, and one side in the width direction (the side in the arrow A direction) is defined as the first region G1. The other side in the width direction (the side in the arrow B direction) is defined as the second region G2. In this embodiment, the first region G1 is the product part and the second region G2 is the non-product part. However, both the first region G1 and the second region G2 may be product parts. In the illustrated example, the scribe line S does not reach the upper end and the lower end of the flat glass G, but may reach the upper end and the lower end thereof.

The flat glass G is suspended and supported so that the scribe line S faces in the vertical direction. The plate thickness of the plate glass G can be, for example, 200 to 2000 μm. Since the plate glass G tends to warp, the plate thickness of the plate glass G is preferably 500 μm or less, more preferably 300 μm or less. Further, the flat glass G preferably has flexibility. In this embodiment, the flat glass G is warped. This warp has a shape in which the scribe line S on the surface of the flat glass G and an arbitrary virtual straight line parallel to the scribe line S are curved.

The breaking device 1 cuts the plate glass G along the scribe line S by bending stress. More specifically, the cutting device 1 includes a gripping mechanism 2 that suspends and supports the flat glass G, a back surface support member 3 that supports the back surface Gb side of the first region G1, and a back surface that supports the back surface Gy side of the second region G2. A plate-shaped member (pushing member) that exerts a force (pushing force) toward the back surface Gy side on the second region G2 while rotating in the arrow C direction in contact with the auxiliary support mechanism 4 and the front surface Gx of the second region G2. It has 5 and.

The gripping mechanism 2 moves the flat glass G in the width direction while gripping the upper end portion of the first region G1. The gripping mechanism 2 is slidably held on a rail (not shown) extending above the plate glass G along the width direction. When the step of cutting the plate glass G is performed, the gripping mechanism 2 and the plate glass G are stopped. Further, the gripping mechanism 2 may be arranged at a plurality of positions in the width direction at the upper end portion of the first region G1.

The back surface support member 3 is arranged on the back surface Gb side at the end of the first region G1 on the scribe line S side. The back surface support member 3 is a columnar body or a plate-like body (surface plate) having a flat support surface for supporting the back surface Gb of the first region G1 and being elongated in the vertical direction. The shape of the back surface support member 3 may be a round bar or the like. Further, the back surface support member 3 may have a length that protrudes vertically from the upper end Gf and the lower end Gg of the first region G1 but does not reach the upper end Gf and the lower end Gg.

The back surface auxiliary support mechanism 4 includes a holding base material 6 that is long in the vertical direction, a suction pad 7 attached to the holding base material 6, and an auxiliary support member 8 fixed to the holding base material 6. The holding base material 6 is configured to move by the operation of a driving means (not shown) such as a robot arm.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed configuration of the back surface auxiliary support mechanism 4. As shown in the figure, a plurality of (five in the example) suction pads 7 are arranged on the front side of the holding base material 6 at equal intervals in the vertical direction. The suction pad 7 is formed of an elastic member such as stretchable rubber or resin, and sucks and supports the back surface Gy of the second region G2 by negative pressure. Further, on the front side of the holding base material 6, a long auxiliary support member 8 is arranged in the vertical direction. The auxiliary support member 8 is fixed to the front surface of the holding base material 6 and contacts and supports the back surface Gy of the second region G2. The end surface 8a of the auxiliary support member 8 in contact with the second region G2 is made flat so that the auxiliary support member 8 comes into surface contact with the back surface Gy of the second region G2. The contact portion of the auxiliary support member 8 with the second region G2 is formed of a cushioning material 8x made of a foamed resin or the like represented by Palonia. The cushioning material 8x is attached to the tip of the plate-shaped substrate 8y, and the plate-shaped substrate 8y is made of a metal material (for example, aluminum, aluminum alloy or various steels) or a material having a rigidity similar to that of the metal material (for example, aluminum, aluminum alloy or various steels). The region in contact with the auxiliary support member 8 on the back surface Gy of the second region G2 is a region excluding the upper end Gf and the lower end Gg of the second region G2. In this embodiment, the auxiliary support member 8 is arranged on the holding base material 6 so that the distance from the scribe line S is shorter than that of the suction pad 7. That is, in the width direction of the flat glass G, the auxiliary support member 8 is arranged between the suction pad 7 and the scribe wire S. Further, although the auxiliary support member 8 continuously extends in the direction along the scribe line S, it may extend in the direction along the scribe line S at predetermined intervals. In other words, the auxiliary support member 8 may be divided into a plurality of parts in the direction along the scribe line S. The scribe line S here is a scribe line formed on the flat glass G having no warp as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the plate-shaped member 5 is arranged on the surface Gx side of the second region G2. In this embodiment, the plate-shaped member 5 is a flat plate having a flat side in contact with the surface Gx of the second region G2 and being elongated in the vertical direction. Further, the plate-shaped member 5 may have a length that protrudes vertically from the upper end Gf and the lower end Gg of the second region G2 but does not reach the upper end Gf and the lower end Gg. On the front side of the plate-shaped member 5, a member 9 with a roller that holds the plate-shaped member 5 detachably is arranged. The roller-attached member 9 includes a roller shaft 10 extending in a direction along the scribe line S, a plurality of (five in the example) rollers 11 arranged at equal intervals in the axial direction of the roller shaft 10, and a roller shaft 10. It is provided with a support 12 for supporting the above. The scribe line S referred to here is also a scribe line S when the flat glass G has no warp, as in the case described above. In this embodiment, the plate-shaped member 5 is connected to the roller shaft 10 by using a binding band 13. The binding band 13 can be wound and unwound across the plate-shaped member 5 and the roller shaft 10, whereby the plate-shaped member 5 can be attached to and detached from the roller-attached member 9. The support 12 is configured to move by the operation of a driving means (not shown) such as a robot arm, whereby the roller-attached member 9 and the plate-shaped member 5 move in synchronization with each other. Here, the roller shaft 10 and the roller 11 are configured to move straight in the D direction. This D direction is a direction orthogonal to the surface Gx of the second region G2. The surface Gx of the second region G2 referred to here is the surface Gx of the second region G2 before the cutting step when there is no warp.

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

First, in the process on the upstream side of the position shown in FIG. 1, a scribe line S is formed on the surface Gx of the plate glass G by pressing with a wheel cutter, irradiating a laser, or the like with the plate glass G suspended and supported by the gripping mechanism 2. To do. Next, while the flat glass G on which the scribe wire S is formed is suspended and supported by the gripping mechanism 2, the flat glass G is conveyed in the width direction and stopped. When the plate glass G is stopped, as shown in FIG. 1, the back surface support member 3 moves toward the front side and comes into contact with the back surface Gy of the first region G1 of the plate glass G. Further, as the roller-attached member 9 moves toward the back side, the plate-shaped member 5 comes into contact with the surface Gx of the second region G2. Further, as the holding base material 6 of the back surface auxiliary support mechanism 4 moves toward the front side, the suction pad 7 and the auxiliary support member 8 come into contact with the back surface Gy of the second region G2.

After that, the suction pad 7 sucks the second region G2, so that the auxiliary support member 8 comes into strong surface contact with the back surface Gy of the second region G2. In parallel with this, the plate-shaped member 5 presses the second region G2 to the back side, so that the plate-shaped member 5 comes into surface contact with the surface Gx of the second region G2. Maintaining such a state, the plate-shaped member 5 pushes the second region G2 toward the back surface Gy side. At this stage, the periphery of the support portion Gw of the second region G2 by the suction pad 7 and the auxiliary support member 8 is flat with almost no warpage in the side view shown in FIG. 3 (a) and the bottom view shown in FIG. 3 (b). Shape. In this case, if the back surface Gy of the second region G2 is suction-supported only by the suction pad as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the support element (the above-mentioned element) is insufficient, and the second region G2 The warp cannot be corrected sufficiently. Therefore, when the flat glass G is cut, it becomes difficult to generate an even bending stress in the vicinity of the scribe line S. On the other hand, if the back surface Gy of the second region G2 is supported by the suction pad 7 and the auxiliary support member 8, the number of support points can be increased and the warp of the second region G2 can be reduced. Further, since the auxiliary support member 8 extends in the direction along the scribe line S, the support portion of the back surface auxiliary support mechanism 4 is preferably formed so as to extend in the direction along the scribe line S to the suction support portion by the suction pad 7. Support points are added. Therefore, the warp of the second region G2 is sufficiently corrected by adding the support portion of the above-mentioned preferable form. Moreover, since the suction pad 7 pulls in the second region G2, when the auxiliary support member 8 is in contact with the second region G2, the pulling force of the suction pad 7 acts on the contact portion, so that the second region G2 is pulled in. The region G2 is strongly pressed against the auxiliary support member 8 (cushioning material 8x). This makes the correction of warpage even more sufficient. Due to the above circumstances, when the flat glass G is cut, bending stress acts evenly in the vicinity of the scribe line S to perform proper cutting, so that chipping occurs in the cut portion of the flat glass G and a large amount of glass powder is generated. Problems such as scattering are effectively avoided. In this embodiment, even when the plate-shaped member 5 comes into surface contact with the surface Gx of the second region G2, the warp of the second region G2 is corrected, so that the plate glass G is cut more appropriately.

4 (a) to 4 (c) show a time series of steps in which the second region G2 is pushed toward the back surface Gy side by the operation of the suction pad 7, the auxiliary support member 8, and the plate-shaped member 5, and the plate glass G is cut. Is illustrated in. First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the roller-attached member 9 and the back surface auxiliary support mechanism 4 are moved to bring the plate-shaped member 5 into surface contact with the front surface Gx of the second region G2, and the back surface of the second region G2. Gy is suction-supported by the suction pad 7 and contact-supported by the auxiliary support member 8. At this time, the roller 11 is in contact with the plate-shaped member 5, and neither the plate-shaped member 5 nor the holding base material 6 is tilted (parallel to the surface Gx of the first region G1). Hereinafter, this state is referred to as an initial state.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the roller 11 moves linearly in the D direction, so that the plate-shaped member 5 maintains a state of being in surface contact with the surface Gx of the second region G2, and the roller shaft 10 is maintained. Rotate around (axis 9a). While the plate-shaped member 5 rotates in this way, the angle of the plate-shaped member 5 changes following the change in the angle of the second region G2. In parallel with this, the holding base material 6 moves along a predetermined curved trajectory, so that the angle of the holding base material 6 changes according to the angle change of the second region G2. The predetermined curved orbit referred to here is, for example, a curved orbit such as a circular orbit centered on the vicinity of the back surface support member 3 or the vicinity of the scribe line S, or an orbit similar thereto. As a result, the flat glass G bends starting from the back surface support member 3. In this process, since the portion of the second region G2 from the surface contact portion Gw with the plate-shaped member 5 to the scribe line S becomes a nearly flat shape, the vicinity of the scribe line S in the second region G2 is bent. It has a similar shape, that is, a curved shape with a large curvature. Here, the curved line W shown by the chain line in the figure depicts the shape when the surface Gx of the second region G2 is bent only by the roller 11 and the suction pad 7 as disclosed in Patent Document 1. .. The curved line W is curved in the vicinity of the scribe line S in the second region G2 with a small curvature. The bending stress acting on the vicinity of the scribe line S is larger when the vicinity of the scribe line S is curved with a small curvature than when the vicinity is curved with a large curvature.

After that, when the roller 11 further moves straight in the D direction, the second region G2 is further pushed toward the back surface Gy side, and the bending stress acting in the vicinity of the scribe line S becomes sufficiently large, FIG. As shown in c), the flat glass G is cut along the scribe line S. In this case, as already described based on FIG. 4B, when the second region G2 is bent, the portion from the surface contact portion Gw of the second region G2 to the scribe line S has a shape that is almost flat. become. Therefore, the flat glass G can be cut even if the distance for moving the roller 11 in the D direction is short. As a result, the time required for cutting the flat glass G is shortened, the work efficiency is improved, and the mechanism for moving the roller-equipped member 9 and the mechanism for moving the back surface auxiliary support mechanism 4 can be made compact. After the second region G2 is separated from the first region G1 by cutting the flat glass G, the second region G2 does not fall and is maintained in a state of being sucked and held by the suction pad 7. Then, the second region G2 is transported to a retracted position where the first region G1 is not affected, and then the suction by the suction pad 7 is released and the second region G2 is dropped and collected.

In the plate glass manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the above embodiment, instead of the above-exemplified configuration, as shown in FIG. 5, the plate-shaped member 5 has an edge portion Gz facing the scribe line S in the second region G2. The surface Gx of the portion containing the above may be brought into contact with the surface Gx. More specifically, the edge portion Gz (the portion referred to as the ear portion) of the second region G2 is thicker than the other portions of the second region G2. Moreover, in the illustrated state, the length of the second region G2 in the width direction (distance from the edge portion Gz to the scribe line S) is short. Even under such conditions, as shown in the drawing, the back surface Gy of the second region G2 can be supported by the suction pad 7 and the auxiliary support member 8, and the flat glass G can be appropriately cut.

Further, the structure of the flat glass manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the above embodiment can be changed as shown below. That is, first, the binding band 13 of the member 9 with a roller is unwound, and the plate-shaped member 5 is removed. After that, as shown in FIG. 6, the roller 11 is rotatably brought into contact with the front surface Gx of the second region G2, and the back surface Gy of the second region G2 is supported by the suction pad 7 and the auxiliary support member 8. With this state as the initial state, the second region G2 is bent as shown in FIG. 4B described above, and when the bending stress acting on the scribe line S becomes sufficiently large, the above-mentioned state is described. The flat glass G is cut as shown in FIG. 4 (c).

Further, the flat glass manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the above embodiment can be applied not only to the case where the flat glass G is cut at one place but also when the flat glass G is cut at two places as shown below. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the central region in the width direction of the flat glass G is set as the first region G1, scribe lines S are formed on both sides thereof, and the outer regions in the width direction of each scribe line S are the second regions. Let it be G2. Then, the roller-attached member 9 is arranged on the front surface Gx side of each second region G2, and the back surface auxiliary support mechanism 4 is arranged on the back surface Gy side of each second region G2. Further, the back surface support members 3 are arranged on the back surface Gb side at both ends in the width direction of the first region G1. In this case, based on each roller-attached member 9, the center side in the width direction is the arrow A direction side in FIG. 1, and both outer sides in the width direction are the arrow B direction sides in FIG. If these are preconditions, substantially the same action as the already described action is performed on both sides of the flat glass G in the width direction, and substantially the same effect as the already described effect can be obtained.

According to the above embodiment, in addition to the effects already described, the effects described below can also be obtained. That is, in the above embodiment, since the plate glass G is suspended and supported so that the scribe line S faces in the vertical direction (see FIG. 1), the effect when the plate glass G is greatly warped is remarkable. Obtainable. More specifically, when the flat glass G is placed in a flat position and cut, the warp of the flat glass G becomes small, but when the flat glass G is suspended and supported, the warp becomes large. Even when the warp of the flat glass G is large as described above, it can be appropriately dealt with as described above, so that the action and effect are exceptional.

In the above embodiment, since the auxiliary support member 8 is arranged at a position where the distance from the scribe line S is shorter than that of the suction pad 7 (see FIG. 2 and the like), the scribe line S in the second region G2 is scribed. This is convenient when the dimension to the edge portion Gz facing the line S is short. More specifically, since the suction pad 7 has been used conventionally, there is a suitable position as a suction support position of the suction pad 7 with respect to the back surface Gy of the second region G2. Therefore, if the auxiliary support member 8 is to be arranged closer to the edge portion Gz than the suitable suction support position in the second region G2, it may not be possible in terms of space. However, according to the relative positional relationship here, since the auxiliary support member 8 is arranged on the side opposite to the end edge portion Gz side of the conventional suction support position, such a problem can be eliminated. .. This eliminates the need for major improvements to the traditional configuration. The auxiliary support member 8 can be additionally arranged.

In the above embodiment, since the auxiliary support member 8 is in contact with the region excluding the upper end Gf and the lower end Gg in the back surface Gy of the second region G2 (see FIG. 2 and the like), the end faces of the upper end Gf and the lower end Gg have a split cross section. It is advantageous when it is. That is, since the split cross section has cracks and the like, when the auxiliary support member 8 comes into contact with the split cross section, cracks and the like may develop and the flat glass G may be damaged. However, in the configuration here, since the auxiliary support member 8 does not come into contact with the upper end Gf and the lower end Gg, such a problem does not occur.

In the above embodiment, since the contact portion of the auxiliary support member 8 with the second region G2 is formed of the cushioning material 8x, the impact when the auxiliary support member 8 comes into contact with the second region G2 is alleviated by the cushioning material 8x. can do. Therefore, even if the auxiliary support member 8 is brought into contact with the second region G2 at high speed, the flat glass G is less likely to be damaged or damaged, and the work can be speeded up.

In the above embodiment, the auxiliary support member 8 is arranged at a position where the distance from the scribe line S is shorter than that of the suction pad 7. However, on the contrary, as shown in FIG. 8, the auxiliary support member 8 is provided. The member 8 may be arranged at a position where the distance from the scribe line S is longer than that of the suction pad 7. In this way, the effect of correcting the large warp of the flat glass G becomes remarkable. More specifically, the warp of the flat glass G tends to be particularly large at the edge portion Gz facing the scribe line S in the second region G2 and its vicinity. Such a tendency becomes particularly remarkable when the edge portion Gz is thicker than the other portion of the second region G2 as shown in the figure. According to the relative positional relationship between the suction pad 7 and the auxiliary support member 8, the auxiliary support member 8 can be brought into contact with the vicinity of the edge portion Gz, so that the above-mentioned large warp can be sufficiently corrected. Can be done.

Further, in the above embodiment, the auxiliary support member 8 is in contact with the region excluding the upper end Gf and the lower end Gg in the back surface Gy of the second region G2, but on the contrary, as shown in FIG. The auxiliary support member 8 may be brought into contact with the region including the upper end Gf and the lower end Gg. In this way, the warp of the plate glass G can be corrected by the auxiliary support member 8 in the entire area from the upper end Gf to the lower end Gg of the second region G2, so that the plate glass G can be cut more appropriately. it can.

Further, in the above embodiment, the warp of the plate glass G has a shape in which the scribe line S on the surface of the plate glass G and an arbitrary virtual straight line parallel to the scribe line S are curved, but the shape is different from this. It may be warped.

Further, in the above embodiment, the flat glass G is suspended and supported in a vertical posture, but the flat glass G may be laid flat in a horizontal posture (preferably a horizontal posture).

Further, in the above embodiment, the front surface Gx of the second region G2 of the plate glass G is pushed toward the back surface Gy side by a pushing member such as a plate-shaped member 5 or a roller 11, but the use of this pushing member is abolished. Therefore, the second region G2 may be pulled in only by the back surface auxiliary support mechanism 4. In this case, a pulling force toward the back surface Gy side acts on the second region G2. Alternatively, the suction pad 7 and the auxiliary support member 8 may support the front surface Gx of the second region G2 of the plate glass G, and the suction pad 7 and the auxiliary support member 8 may be pushed toward the back surface Gy side.

Further, the back surface auxiliary support mechanism 4 attaches the suction pad 7 and the auxiliary support member 8 to the holding base material 6 so that the two 7 and 8 move in synchronization with each other, but the two 7 and 8 are separated. You may move in synchronization with each other.

1 Flat glass manufacturing equipment (cutting equipment)
3 Back surface support member 4 Back surface auxiliary support mechanism 6 Holding base material 7 Adsorption pad 8 Auxiliary support member 8 x Cushioning material G Plate glass G1 First region G2 Second region Gb Back surface Gy of first region Back surface Gz of second region Edge S scribe line

Claims (9)

In a method for manufacturing a flat glass, which comprises a cutting step of forming a scribe line on the surface side of a boundary portion between a first region and a second region of the flat glass and cutting the flat glass along the scribe line.
In the cutting step, the back surface of the first region is supported by the back surface support member, and the second region is supported by the suction pad and the auxiliary support member extending in the direction along the scribe line. A method for producing a flat glass, which comprises applying a force toward the back surface side to the second region to cut the flat glass along the scribe line. The suction pad and the auxiliary support member support the back surface of the second region.
The plate glass according to claim 1, wherein a force toward the back surface side is applied to the second region by bringing the pushing member into contact with the front surface of the second region and pushing the second region toward the back surface side. Production method. The method for producing a flat glass according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the cutting step, the flat glass is suspended and supported so that the scribe wire faces in the vertical direction. The method for manufacturing a flat glass according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the auxiliary support member is arranged at a position where the distance from the scribe line is shorter than that of the suction pad. The method for manufacturing a flat glass according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the auxiliary support member is arranged at a position where the distance from the scribe line is longer than that of the suction pad. The method for producing a flat glass according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the auxiliary support member contacts a region on the back surface of the second region except for both ends in a direction along the scribe line. The method for producing a flat glass according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the auxiliary support member contacts a region including both ends in a direction along the scribe line on the back surface of the second region. The method for manufacturing a flat glass according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the auxiliary support member has a contact portion with the second region formed of a cushioning material. In a plate glass manufacturing apparatus provided with a cutting device for cutting a plate glass having a scribe line formed on the surface side of the boundary between the first region and the second region along the scribe line.
In the cutting device, the back surface of the first region is supported by the back surface support member, and the second region is supported by the suction pad and the auxiliary support member extending in the direction along the scribe line. A plate glass manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that the second region is configured to cut the plate glass along the scribe line by applying a force toward the back surface side.

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