JP2022115544A - Method for manufacturing glass film - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce the manufacturing cost of a glass film.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a glass film G comprises: a preparation step S1 of preparing a mother glass film MG; a cutting step S2 of applying bending stress along the cutting scheduled line C2 of the mother glass film MG to cut the mother glass film MG and obtain a glass film G; and an evaluation step S3 of superimposing the glass film G on a reference plate SP having a size served as a reference to evaluate the size of the glass film G.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing a glass film.

The glass film is thin plate glass having a thickness of, for example, 300 μm or less. A cutting step is typically included.

Laser cleaving is used in this type of cutting process (see, for example, US Pat. In laser cutting, first, an initial crack is formed at one end of a planned cutting line (imaginary line) of the mother glass film. Next, the heating area heated by the laser and the following cooling area cooled by the coolant are sequentially scanned from one end to the other end of the intended cutting line of the glass film. As a result, the thermal stress generated due to the temperature difference between the heating region and the cooling region propagates the initial crack along the planned cutting line, and the mother glass film is split (full-body cutting).

JP 2011-57494 A

When the mother glass film is cut by laser cutting, the dimensional accuracy after cutting is good, but on the other hand, it takes a long time to cut and many people are required to adjust the cutting conditions such as the laser and coolant. Therefore, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost of the glass film increases.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the manufacturing cost of a glass film.

(1) A method for manufacturing a glass film according to the present invention, which has been devised to solve the above problems, includes a preparation step of preparing a mother glass film and applying a bending stress along a planned cutting line of the mother glass film. and an evaluation step of stacking the glass film on a reference plate having a reference size and evaluating the size of the glass film.

In this way, the mother glass film is cut by bending stress in the cutting process, so that the cutting time can be shortened compared to laser cutting. In addition, since adjustment of the laser or the like is not required in the cutting process, the cutting can be performed with a small number of personnel. On the other hand, when bending stress is applied for cutting, the dimensional accuracy after cutting tends to be worse than when cutting by laser cutting. Therefore, in the present invention, the size of the glass film is evaluated by stacking the glass film on the reference plate in the evaluation step. With an evaluation method using such a reference plate, the size of the glass film can be evaluated efficiently in a short time. Therefore, even if the glass film contains defective products whose size is evaluated as unacceptable in the evaluation process, the manufacturing time and manpower can be greatly reduced, so the overall manufacturing cost can be reduced by laser cutting in the cutting process. The cost can be reduced as compared with the case of using .

(2) In the configuration of (1) above, in the preparatory step, bending stress is applied along the intended cutting line of the glass ribbon unwound from the glass roll to cut the glass ribbon to obtain a mother glass film. good.

In this way, the mother glass film can be efficiently obtained from the glass roll around which the glass ribbon is wound.

(3) In the configuration of (2) above, in the preparation step, the first transfer section guides the glass ribbon unwound from the glass roll along the first transfer surface inclined upward toward the downstream side; downstream of the transfer section, a second transfer section for guiding the glass ribbon along a second transfer surface that slopes downward toward the downstream side; and a glass ribbon at the top between the first and second transfer sections. is supported from below, and the glass ribbon is cut using a glass ribbon cutting apparatus including a bending stress applying unit that applies bending stress along the intended cutting line of the glass ribbon.

In this way, the glass ribbon is subjected to mutually opposing tensions around the intended cutting line following the inclination of the first transfer surface and the second transfer surface. Since this tension acts so that the planned cutting line spreads on both sides, it promotes cutting along the planned cutting line together with the bending stress applied by the bending stress applying section. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently cut the glass ribbon.

(4) In the configuration of (3) above, it is preferable to change the type of bending stress applying section of the glass ribbon cutting device according to the thickness of the glass ribbon.

In this way, optimum bending stress can be applied to the glass ribbon according to the thickness of the glass ribbon.

(5) In any one of the above configurations (1) to (4), in the cutting step, a mounting table on which the mother glass film is mounted, a positioning portion for positioning the mother glass film with respect to the mounting table, and a mother A pair of pressing members for pressing both sides of the planned cutting line of the glass film against the mounting table side, and pressing the mother glass film between the pair of pressing members in a direction away from the mounting table, along the planned cutting line of the mother glass film. It is preferable to cut the mother glass film by using a mother glass film cutting device including a bending stress applying portion that applies bending stress to the mother glass film.

With this configuration, the mother glass film is placed on the placement table while being positioned by the positioning portion. Then, the mother glass film placed on the mounting table is pressed in a direction away from the mounting table (upward or downward) by the bending stress-applying part in a state in which both sides of the planned cutting line are pressed by a pair of pressing members. Therefore, bending stress can be reliably applied along the planned cutting line. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently cut the mother glass film.

(6) In the configuration of (5) above, it is preferable to change the type of the bending stress applying portion of the mother glass film cutting device according to the thickness of the mother glass film.

In this way, optimum bending stress can be applied to the mother glass film according to the thickness of the mother glass film.

(7) In the configuration of (5) or (6) above, the position of the pressing member of the mother glass film cutting device with respect to the mounting table is adjusted to the thickness of the mother glass film so that the distance from the intended cutting line of the mother glass film changes. It is preferable to change according to

This makes it possible to easily and reliably adjust the magnitude of the bending stress applied along the planned cutting line.

(8) In any one of the configurations (1) to (7) above, it is preferable that the reference plate has a colored marking portion on at least a part of the contour portion of the main surface of the reference plate.

In this way, the position of the end surface of the glass film can be easily grasped by the colored marking portion, so that the size of the glass film can be accurately evaluated. Therefore, this configuration is particularly effective when the reference plate is made of a transparent material.

(9) In any one of the configurations (1) to (8) above, it is preferable that the reference plate has a glass plate as a base material.

By doing so, it is possible to accurately evaluate the size of the glass film because the dimensional change and warpage of the reference plate are less likely to occur. In particular, the reference plate is preferably manufactured from the same mother glass film as the glass film from the viewpoint of easy availability.

(10) In any one of the configurations (1) to (9) above, it is preferable that the reference plate has a buffer layer on the side of the contact surface with the glass film.

By doing so, the glass film superimposed on the reference plate is less likely to be damaged.

(11) In any one of the above configurations (1) to (10), in the evaluation step, it is preferable to palpate an end surface of the laminate obtained by stacking the glass film on the reference plate. Here, palpation is performed by the operator's fingers, for example.

In this way, the size of the glass film can be evaluated simply and quickly.

(12) In any one of the above configurations (1) to (11), the reference plate and the glass film are each rectangular, and in the evaluation step, one of the four sides of the laminate in which the glass film is superimposed on the reference plate is It is preferable to position the reference plate and the glass film by contacting the positioning portions on two sides that intersect at one corner, and to evaluate the size of the glass film on the remaining two sides of the laminate.

With this arrangement, the reference plate and the glass film are positioned by contacting the positioning portions on two sides of the laminate. That is, on two sides of the laminate, the end surfaces of the reference plate and the glass film are aligned. On the other hand, on the remaining two sides of the laminate, if the size of the reference body and the glass film are different, the positions of the end face of the reference plate and the end face of the glass film are different. Therefore, the size of the glass film can be evaluated using only the remaining two sides of the laminate. That is, since it is not necessary to evaluate all four sides of the laminate, the size of the glass film can be quickly evaluated.

(13) In any one of the above configurations (1) to (12), in the evaluation step, if the glass film is larger than the reference plate, the protruding dimension of the glass film with respect to the reference plate is the first pass threshold If the glass film is smaller than the reference plate, the glass film is judged to be a non-defective product if the overhang dimension of the reference plate with respect to the glass film is equal to or less than the second pass threshold. Also, the first pass threshold is preferably less than the second pass threshold.

In this way, the first acceptance threshold becomes a stricter criterion than the second acceptance threshold, so the probability that a glass film larger than the reference plate will be accepted as a non-defective product can be reduced. For this reason, when a glass film determined to be a non-defective product is placed inside the frame corresponding to the size of the reference plate and used, the glass film can be easily placed.

(14) In any one of the configurations (1) to (13) above, the glass film determined to be non-defective in the evaluation process is placed inside the frame of the film formation jig corresponding to the size of the reference plate. preferably.

In this way, the glass film can be reliably arranged inside the frame of the film-forming jig, so that film formation can be accurately performed on the glass film.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the glass film.

It is a flow figure of a manufacturing method of a glass film concerning an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic front view showing a glass ribbon cutting device for carrying out a preparatory step included in a method of manufacturing a glass film according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is an enlarged front view of a main part showing a glass ribbon cutting device for carrying out a preparatory step included in a method of manufacturing a glass film according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing a glass ribbon cutting device for carrying out a preparatory step included in a method of manufacturing a glass film according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a principal part expansion perspective view for demonstrating the implementation condition of the preparation process included in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part expansion perspective view for demonstrating the implementation condition of the preparation process included in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view of a main part showing a modification of the breaking bar of the glass ribbon cutting device for carrying out the preparatory step included in the glass film manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing a length adjusting mechanism of a glass ribbon cutting device for carrying out a preparatory step included in the glass film manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a mother glass film cutting device for carrying out a cutting step included in a glass film manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a mother glass film cutting device for carrying out a cutting step included in a glass film manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a mother glass film cutting device for explaining the state of implementation of a cutting step included in a glass film manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. (a) is an enlarged front view of a main part showing a folding bar of a mother glass film cutting device for carrying out a cutting step included in a glass film manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is an enlarged front view of a main part showing a modification of the split bar; FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a reference plate used in an evaluation step included in the method for manufacturing a glass film according to the embodiment of the invention; FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. 13; It is a schematic perspective view for demonstrating the implementation condition of the evaluation process included in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part enlarged plan view for demonstrating the implementation condition of the evaluation process included in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view for demonstrating the implementation condition of the film-forming process included in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view for demonstrating the implementation condition of the film-forming process included in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the method for manufacturing a glass film according to this embodiment includes a preparation step S1, a cutting step S2, and an evaluation step S3. The preparation step S1, the cutting step S2, and the evaluation step S3 are preferably performed in a processing room (for example, a clean room) in which temperature and humidity are controlled.

(Preparation process)
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the preparation step S1 is a step of preparing the mother glass film MG, and the glass ribbon cutting device 1 is used in this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the glass ribbon cutting apparatus 1 includes a glass roll 2 and a cutting section 3 that cuts only the glass ribbon GR out of the glass ribbon GR unwound from the glass roll 2 and the protective ribbon PR. The glass roll 2 is mounted on a carriage 2v movable by casters (not shown), and the cutting section 3 is arranged on a base 3v movable by casters (not shown). In addition, in the same figure, for convenience, the glass ribbon GR is drawn with a solid line, and the protection ribbon PR is drawn with a chain line.

Here, the glass ribbon GR has a thickness of 300 μm or less, 200 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, and a width dimension of 100 mm to 2000 mm or 500 mm to 1000 mm. The protective ribbon PR is made of resin or foamed resin, has a thickness of 200 μm or less, and both widthwise ends protrude from the widthwise both ends of the glass ribbon GR.

The cutting part 3 has a cylindrical or cylindrical folding bar 4 as a bending stress applying part. The folding bar 4 is fixedly installed on the upper end of a support member 3x fixed on the base 3v using a frame member 3w. In this case, the folding bar 4 is arranged at a position higher than the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass ribbon GR and protective ribbon PR on the glass roll 2 . Specifically, the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass roll 2 is positioned at the lower end portion of the glass roll 2 . Further, the glass roll 2 has a protective ribbon PR wound around the outer peripheral side of the glass ribbon GR, and is unwound in a state in which the glass ribbon GR is superimposed on the protective ribbon PR. In addition, the folding bar 4 is arranged at a position higher than the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass roll 2 (strictly speaking, the unwinding start portion 2z when the glass roll 2 becomes the minimum diameter). Both ribbons GR and PR are stretched over the folding bar 4 from the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass roll 2 .

Furthermore, the cutting section 3 includes a first table 5 as a first transfer section arranged behind the folding bar 4 and a second table 6 as a second transfer section arranged in front of the folding bar 4. have In the following description, "rear" means the upstream side in the transport direction of the unwound glass ribbon GR, which is the left side in the drawing. Further, "forward" means the downstream side in the transport direction of the unwound glass ribbon GR, and is the right side on the paper surface.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first table 5 is tilted upward toward the front, and the second table 6 is tilted downward toward the front. Although the first table 5 and the second table 6 are slightly separated from the folding bar 4 in the illustrated example, they may be in contact with the folding bar 4 . In addition, while the first table 5 is fixedly installed, the second table 6 rotates around the end on the folding bar 4 side from the fixed position indicated by the solid line in FIG. It is considered movable.

A glass ribbon GR is unwound from the glass roll 2 in a state of being overlaid on the protective ribbon PR. The unwound ribbons GR and PR (including the mother glass film MG obtained by cutting, which will be described later) are the first transfer surface 5a, which is the upper surface of the first table 5, and the upper surface of the second table 6. It is transferred along the second transfer surface 6a. In addition, "along the first and second transfer surfaces 5a and 6a" is not limited to along the entire area of the first and second transfer surfaces 5a and 6a. Including cases along part of the area of FIG. 3 illustrates the state before the glass ribbon GR is cut (the same applies to FIG. 2), and in the illustrated example, both ribbons GR and PR are along only the front region of the first transfer surface 5a. Further, regarding the second transfer surface 6a, the protective ribbon PR is along the entire region in the transfer direction, and the glass ribbon GR is along only the rear side region. Although not shown, a mother glass film MG obtained by cutting (details of which will be described later) runs along the front region of the second transfer surface 6a. In the description of this embodiment, that the protective ribbon PR is along the first and second transfer surfaces 5a and 6a means that the protective ribbon PR is in contact with the first and second transfer surfaces 5a and 6a. is.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first transfer surface 5a is a surface that slopes upward toward the front, and the second transfer surface 6a is a surface that slopes downward toward the front. For example, the inclination angle α1 of the first transfer surface 5a with respect to the horizontal plane is 20° to 60°, and the inclination angle α2 of the second transfer surface 6a with respect to the horizontal surface is 20° to 60°. The second table 6 is held on the base 3v so that the inclination angle α2 of the second transfer surface 6a can be set to any angle within the above angle range. The first table 5 is fixedly installed on the base 3v in this embodiment. may be held in The angle β formed by the first transfer surface 5a and the second transfer surface 6a is 60° to 120°.

The cutting of the glass ribbon GR is performed in a state in which the transfer of both ribbons GR and PR is stopped. Here, the first transfer surface 5a also serves as a receiving surface for receiving and supporting the glass ribbon GR after being cut, which will be described later. The second transfer surface 6a also serves to hold both ribbons GR and PR along when the transfer of both ribbons GR and PR is stopped. Furthermore, the second transfer surface 6a also serves to transfer the mother glass film MG after being cut, which will be described later. Both the upper end 5x of the first transfer surface 5a and the upper end 6x of the second transfer surface 6a exist at a position lower than the upper end of the folding bar 4 and higher than the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass roll 2. ing.

In this embodiment, both ribbons GR and PR are unwound from the glass roll 2 by pulling the protection ribbon PR at a position on the front side of the folding bar 4 . Therefore, when both ribbons GR, PR are being transported, tension is applied to the protective ribbon PR. At this time, no tension is applied to the glass ribbon GR. Further, when the transfer of both the ribbons GR and PR is stopped, the protective ribbon PR is held at a fixed position on the second transfer surface 6a, so that the protective ribbon PR existing on the rear side of the splitting bar 4 is A tension is applied to receive the sagging of the glass ribbon GR. Also at this time, no tension is applied to the glass ribbon GR.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the cutting section 3 includes a sheet roll 7 for winding the protective ribbon PR that has passed through the second transfer surface 6a.

Next, a method for obtaining the mother glass film MG using the glass ribbon cutting apparatus 1 described above will be described.

In the process of unwinding the glass ribbon GR and the protective ribbon PR from the glass roll 2 , both the ribbons GR and PR are transferred along the first transfer surface 5 a , so that the tip GRa of the glass ribbon GR moves along the breaking bar 4 . pass. After that, both ribbons GR and PR are transferred along the second transfer surface 6a, and as shown in FIG. , the transfer of both ribbons GR and PR is stopped. In this embodiment, both ribbons GR and PR are transferred by an operator pulling the protective ribbon PR at a position in front of the folding bar 4 . Specifically, the operator pulls the protective ribbon PR along the second transfer surface 6a as shown in the figure, thereby causing the glass ribbon GR to reach a position overshooting the predetermined length L1. The predetermined length L1 can be visually recognized by the operator by means of a mark (not shown) provided on the second transfer surface 6a. Therefore, the operator performs the work for positioning the leading end GRa of the glass ribbon GR to the above mark, and stops the operation of pulling the protective ribbon PR when the positioning is completed. This stops the transfer of both ribbons GR and PR. The operator may separate the protective ribbon PR from the second transfer surface 6a and pull it. There is Here, when the mother glass film MG having the same length is repeatedly cut out from the glass ribbon GR, the above mark may be attached to one location on the second transfer surface 6a. However, when the mother glass film MG cut out from the glass ribbon GR has a plurality of lengths, the above-mentioned marks are attached at a plurality of locations on the second transfer surface 6a in the transfer direction.

When the transfer of both ribbons GR and PR is stopped in this manner, the breaking bar 4 applies a sufficient bending stress to the glass ribbon GR. At this point, in order to ensure that a sufficient bending stress is applied to the glass ribbon GR, an operation such as pressing both the ribbons GR and PR against the first and second transfer surfaces 5a and 6a around the folding bar 4 is performed. may be performed. Under such a state, one end of a planned cutting line (imaginary existing line) C1 extending in the width direction of the glass ribbon GR from above the folding bar 4 (preferably above the central axis of the folding bar 4) A scratch (initial crack) is made on the part (the side edge of the glass ribbon GR indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 5) using a scratching means. In this embodiment, the operator also performs the scratching operation. As a result, the damage progresses in a straight line along the projected cutting line C1 to the other end of the projected cutting line C1. That is, the scratch made at one end of the intended cutting line C1 develops over the entire length in the width direction and the length in the thickness direction of the glass ribbon GR due to the action of the bending stress. As a result, the folding (cutting) of the glass ribbon GR is completed. As shown in FIG. 6, the rectangular mother glass film MG obtained by this cutting is transferred following the protective ribbon PR on the second transfer surface 6a. After that, if the second table 6 is, for example, in the posture indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 3, the mother glass film MG can be easily loaded, for example, in a vertical posture on a packing pallet or the like. As shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the planned cutting line C2 (vertical direction of the mother glass film MG) of the mother glass film MG in the later-described cutting step S2 corresponds to the planned cutting line of the glass ribbon GR in the preparation step S1. It is orthogonal to the line C1 (the width direction of the glass ribbon GR).

As shown in FIG. 7, the type of folding bar can be changed according to the thickness of the glass ribbon GR. In this embodiment, if the above-described folding bar 4 is referred to as the first folding bar, when the thickness of the glass ribbon GR is, for example, 50 μm or less, a cylinder having a smaller curvature than that of the first folding bar 4 A second folding bar 8 having a shape or a cylindrical shape is arranged parallel to the first folding bar 4 . The radius of curvature of the first folding bar 4 is, for example, 30-70 mm, and the radius of curvature of the second folding bar 8 is, for example, 10-40 mm. Then, the glass ribbon GR unwound from the glass roll 2 and the protective ribbon PR are arranged on the second folding bar 8 . Accordingly, in the preparation step S1, the type of bending stress applying portion can be changed according to the thickness of the glass ribbon GR. That is, when the thickness of the glass ribbon GR is thin, the glass ribbon GR can be bent more steeply than when the thickness of the glass ribbon GR is thick. Therefore, an appropriate bending stress is applied regardless of the thickness of the glass ribbon GR. can. In this embodiment, since the second folding bar 8 is arranged on the first folding bar 4, when the first folding bar 4 is changed to the second folding bar 8, bending stress is applied. The height difference between the part and the glass roll 2 also increases. There may be three or more types of fold bars that can be changed.

The glass ribbon cutting device 1 has a length adjusting mechanism 9 as shown in FIG. 8 in addition to the above configuration.

The length adjusting mechanism 9 adjusts the unwinding length of the glass ribbon GR on the second transfer surface 6a of the second table 6 when unwinding the protective ribbon PR and the glass ribbon GR from the glass roll 2. . Specifically, when the tip GRa of the glass ribbon GR passes the folding bar 4, the length adjusting mechanism 9 accurately positions the tip GRa of the glass ribbon GR on the mark provided on the second transfer surface 6a. Therefore, the unwinding length is finely adjusted.

Specifically, the length adjusting mechanism 9 includes a large-diameter gear 10 arranged coaxially with the roll shaft 2a of the glass roll 2 so as to rotate integrally therewith, a small-diameter gear 11 meshing with the large-diameter gear 10, and a small-diameter gear 11. A worm wheel 12 coaxially arranged so as to be rotatable integrally with the worm wheel 12 and a worm 13 meshing with the worm wheel 12. - 特許庁The small-diameter gear 11, the worm wheel 12 and the worm 13 are held by a lifting table 15 which can be moved up and down by a fluid pressure cylinder 14 such as an air cylinder. The worm 13 is attached with an operating shaft 17 extending forward and having a handle 16 at its front end. The rear end portion of the operating shaft 17 is rotatably supported by the shaft support portion 15a of the lifting table 15, and the front end portion of the operating shaft 17 is supported by a plurality of (two in the figure) shaft supports fixed to the base 3v. It is rotatably supported by the wall material 18 . The operating shaft 17 is connected between the shaft support portion 15a and the shaft support wall member 18 by a plurality of universal joints 19 (two in the example shown). The handle 16 is arranged below the second table 6 . A switch 20 that emits a signal for raising and lowering the platform 15 is attached to a peripheral portion of the handle 16 (in the example of the figure, the pivotal support wall material 18 on the front side).

This length adjusting mechanism 9 is operated by an operator as follows. First, the operator positions the tip GRa of the glass ribbon GR near the mark by pulling the protective ribbon PR along the second transfer surface 6a. In this state, the operator operates the switch 20 to raise the lift table 15 to the upper end position shown in the figure. At this point, if there is a predetermined length of space from the tip GRa of the glass ribbon GR to the mark, the operator rotates the handle 16 forward. As a result, the glass roll 2 rotates in the direction of arrow W1, and both ribbons GR and PR are unwound. Conversely, when the leading end GRa of the glass ribbon GR has passed the mark by a predetermined length, the operator reverses the handle 16 . As a result, the glass roll 2 rotates in the direction of arrow W2, and both ribbons GR and PR are wound. While the operator is operating the handle 16 in this manner, the protective ribbon PR is under tension. In this case, the operator performs the work for positioning the tip GRa of the glass ribbon GR at the mark by rotating the handle 16 forward or reverse only once, or by repeatedly rotating forward and reverse. conduct. The operator stops operating the handle 16 when this positioning is completed. In this state, the glass ribbon GR is cut as described above, after which the operator operates the switch 20 to lower the lift table 15 from the illustrated state. As a result, the engagement between the large-diameter gear 10 and the small-diameter gear 11 is released, and power is no longer transmitted from the handle 16 to the large-diameter gear 10 and the glass roll 2 . Note that the cutting of the glass ribbon GR and the lowering of the platform 15 may be performed in the reverse order of the above. After this, the operator again pulls the protective ribbon PR and performs the same operation as in the above-described case.

The cutting device 1 is not limited to the above embodiments, and various variations are possible.

In the above-described embodiment, the folding bar 4 as the bending stress-applying portion has a cylindrical or columnar shape, but it may have an elliptical or other curved shape in cross section. Only the upper portion may have such a curved shape, or it may have no curved shape. Furthermore, the number of folding bars 4 is not limited to one, and may be composed of a plurality of pieces. In addition, the bending stress applying section may be configured without a break bar, and in any case, the bending stress applying section can apply the bending stress necessary for cutting the glass ribbon GR. I wish I had.

In the above embodiment, the glass ribbon GR is scratched above the folding bar 4, but the glass ribbon GR may be scratched behind the folding bar 4, that is, before it is cut. In addition to scratching, a scribe line may be added, but it is preferable to scribe the glass ribbon GR before it is cut.

In the above embodiment, the first and second transfer surfaces 5a and 6a are the upper surfaces of the first and second tables 5 and 6. It may be the top surface. Alternatively, one or both of the first and second transfer surfaces 5a, 6a may be flat surfaces. Furthermore, the first and second transfer surfaces 5a, 6a may be conveying surfaces such as conveyors. In this case, the operator does not need to pull the protective ribbon PR.

Although the glass ribbon GR and the protective ribbon PR are unwound from the bottom of the glass roll 2 in the above embodiment, both the ribbons GR and PR may be unwound from the top of the glass roll 2 .

In the above embodiment, the glass ribbon GR unwound from the glass roll 2 is cut by the cutting device 1 to obtain the mother glass film MG, but the method of preparing the mother glass film MG is not limited to this. For example, the glass ribbon GR is formed by a forming section that performs an overflow down-draw method, a float method, or the like, and the glass ribbon GR that is continuous with the forming section is cut at predetermined lengths downstream of the forming section to form a mother glass film. MG may be obtained.

(Cutting process)
As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the cutting step S2 is a step of cutting the mother glass film MG to obtain the glass film G, and in this embodiment, a mother glass film cutting device 21 is used. In addition, in FIG. 9, XYZ is an orthogonal coordinate system. The X direction is the longitudinal direction of the mother glass film MG, the Y direction is the lateral direction of the mother glass film MG, and the Z direction is the thickness direction of the mother glass film MG.

As shown in FIG. 9, the mother glass film cutting device 21 positions a mounting table 22 on which the mother glass film MG and the protective sheet PS are mounted, and the mother glass film MG and the protective sheet PS with respect to the mounting table 22. A pair of pressing bars as pressing members for pressing the mother glass film MG and the protective sheet PS against the mounting table 22 on both sides of the positioning portion 23 and the planned cutting line (imaginary line) C2 of the mother glass film MG. 24, and a folding bar 25 as a bending stress imparting portion that imparts bending stress along the planned cutting line C2 between the pair of pressing bars 24. As shown in FIG. The cutting device 21 cuts only the mother glass film MG out of the mother glass film MG and the protective sheet PS. The protective sheet PS protrudes from both longitudinal ends of the mother glass film MG.

The mounting table 22 is divided into a first support portion 22a and a second support portion 22b with a folding bar 25 extending along the X direction as a boundary. In other words, the folding bar 25 is arranged in the gap between the first support portion 22a and the second support portion 22b. The upper surface of the first support portion 22a and the upper surface of the second support portion 22b are flat surfaces that support the mother glass film MG and the protective sheet PS in a horizontal position (preferably horizontal position).

The positioning portion 23 is configured by a plate-like body erected on the second support portion 22 b of the mounting table 22 . The positioning portion 23 abuts on the leading end surface MGa of the mother glass film MG in the Y direction. Note that the positioning portion 23 may have any shape as long as it can position the leading end surface MGa of the mother glass film MG, and may have, for example, a cylindrical (pin) shape. The mother glass film MG is transferred from the first support portion 22a to the second support portion 22b while being placed on the protective sheet PS, and is positioned by contacting the positioning portion 23 with its leading end surface MGa. . The operation of transferring the mother glass film MG from the first supporting portion 22a to the second supporting portion 22b is performed manually by an operator, but may be performed by a conveying surface such as a conveyor.

The pressing bar 24 has a plate shape, a prism shape, or a prism shape extending along the X direction, and presses the mother glass film MG and the protective sheet PS against the mounting table 22 with its lower surface (pressing surface). A handle 24a is provided at the center of the upper surface of the pressing bar 24 in the longitudinal direction to be gripped by the operator when pressing the mother glass film MG and the protective sheet PS. The pressing bar 24 may have any shape as long as it can press the mother glass film MG and the protective sheet PS. may be

The pressing bar 24 is slidable in the Y direction so that the fixed position relative to the mounting table 22 can be changed. Specifically, long holes 26 extending in the Y direction are provided in the mounting table 22 at positions corresponding to both ends of the pressing bar 24 in the X direction. It is possible. Both ends of the pressing bar 24 can be fixed at arbitrary positions of the elongated hole 26 by fastening members 27 such as bolts. As a result, the distance L2 (see FIG. 10) between the pressing bar 24 and the folding bar 25 (or the planned cutting line C2) is changed according to the thickness of the mother glass film MG, thereby acting on the planned cutting line C2. The magnitude of the bending stress applied can be easily and reliably adjusted.

The folding bar 25 is an elongated body extending along the X direction, and has a semicircular shape with a cross section in the Y direction that is upwardly convex. A planned cutting line C2 of the mother glass film MG is located on the folding bar 25. As shown in FIG. The folding bar 25 can be in a retreated state below the upper surface of the mounting table 22 as shown in FIG. 10 and a raised state protruding above the upper surface of the mounting table 22 as shown in FIG. It is possible to move up and down between them. In this raised state, the folding bar 25 lifts the planned cutting line C2 of the mother glass film MG from below through the protective sheet PS, and holds the glass film G so that the upper surface side of the glass film G becomes convex. Thereby, a bending stress is applied along the planned cutting line C2.

As shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the type of folding bar 25 can be changed according to the thickness of the mother glass film MG. In the present embodiment, when the thickness of the mother glass film MG is, for example, 100 μm or less, the folding bar 25 having a semicircular cross section with a relatively large curvature (eg, radius of curvature: 20 to 50 mm) in FIG. 4B is changed to a split bar 25 having a semicircular cross section with a relatively small curvature (for example, radius of curvature: 5 to 25 mm). Accordingly, in the cutting step S2, the type of bending stress applying portion can be changed according to the thickness of the mother glass film MG. That is, when the thickness of the mother glass film MG is thin, the mother glass film MG can be bent more steeply than when the thickness of the mother glass film MG is thick. Bending stress can be applied. Note that the number of types of changeable folding bars may be three or more. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b), the height L3 for pushing up the folding bar 25 may be adjusted according to the thickness of the mother glass film MG.

Next, a method for obtaining the glass film G by cutting the mother glass film MG using the mother glass film cutting apparatus 21 described above will be described.

First, the mother glass film MG is positioned on the mounting table 22 by the positioning part 23 while being superimposed on the protective sheet PS. Next, the mother glass film MG and the protective sheet PS are pressed toward the mounting table 22 by the pressing bars 24 on both sides of the planned cutting line C2 of the mother glass film MG. In this state, the folding bar 25 is raised to lift the mother glass film MG through the protective sheet PS. As a result, the upper surface side of the mother glass film MG is bent so as to be convex, and a bending stress is applied along the planned cutting line C2. Under this condition, one end of the planned cutting line C2 of the mother glass film MG (mother glass indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 9) is cut from above the folding bar 25 (preferably above the central axis of the folding bar 25). The side edges of the film MG) are scratched using a scratching means. As a result, the damage progresses straight along the projected cutting line C2 to the other end of the projected cutting line C2. That is, the scratch made at one end of the planned cutting line C2 develops over the entire lengthwise and thicknesswise lengths of the mother glass film MG due to the action of the bending stress. As a result, the folding (cutting) of the mother glass film MG is completed, and two rectangular glass films G are obtained.

The cutting device 21 is not limited to the above embodiment, and various variations are possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the folding bar 25 as the bending stress-applying portion has a semicircular cross section, but it may have a cylindrical or columnar shape, an elliptical cross section, or any other curved shape. It may have a shape, may have such a curved shape only at the upper portion, or may have no curved shape. Furthermore, the number of folding bars 25 is not limited to one, and may be composed of a plurality of pieces.

In the above embodiment, the mother glass film MG is scratched above the folding bar 25, but the mother glass film MG is scratched before the folding bar 25 is lifted, that is, before it is cut. good too. In addition to scratching, a scribe line may be added, but it is preferable to scribe the glass ribbon GR before it is cut.

In the above-described embodiment, as a method of applying bending stress to the mother glass film MG, the folding bar 25 is raised from below the mother glass film MG, and the upper surface side of the mother glass film MG is bent so as to be convex. However, the folding bar 25 may be lowered from above the mother glass film MG to fold the mother glass film MG so that the lower surface side of the mother glass film MG is convex.

(Evaluation process)
As shown in FIGS. 13 to 16, the evaluation step S3 is a step of evaluating the size of the glass film G in the state of the laminated body LB in which the glass film G is superimposed on the reference plate SP having a reference size. be.

As shown in FIG. 13, of the four sides SP1 to SP4 of the reference plate SP, two sides SP1 and SP2 intersecting at one corner have a colored marking portion SPa such as black on the outline. This makes it easier to distinguish between the reference plate SP and the glass film G, so that the position of the end surface of the glass film G can be easily grasped. In the present embodiment, the remaining two sides SP3 and SP4 of the reference plate SP on which the marking portion SPa is not formed are brought into contact with the positioning portion 32 of the measuring table 31, which will be described later. Note that the marking portions SPa may be formed on all contour portions of the four sides SP1 to SP4 of the reference plate SP. 14 to 16, the illustration of the marking portion SPa is omitted for the sake of convenience.

As shown in FIG. 14, the reference plate SP has a glass plate GP and a buffer layer CL.

The glass plate GP is the base material of the reference plate SP, and has a rectangular shape that is accurately cut into a reference size. The glass plate GP is preferably composed of a glass film G obtained by cutting the mother glass film MG from the viewpoint of availability.

The buffer layer CL is formed on the surface side in contact with the glass film G among both main surfaces of the glass plate GP. The buffer layer CL is composed of, for example, a resin film such as PET. Thereby, it can suppress that the glass film G for evaluation is damaged. 15 and 16, illustration of the buffer layer CL is omitted for the sake of convenience.

As shown in FIG. 15, in the evaluation step S3, the laminated body LB made up of the glass film G and the reference plate SP is placed on the measurement table 31 having the positioning portion 32 with the glass film G side facing up. be. The positioning portion 32 positions two sides LB3 and LB4 that intersect at one corner of the four sides LB1 to LB4 of the laminate LB, and is composed of a pair of cylindrical (pin)-shaped bodies 32a in contact with the side LB3, and a plate-like body 32b abutting on the side LB4. Note that the laminate LB may be placed on the measurement table 31 with the reference plate SP side up. Further, the positioning portion 32 may have any shape as long as it can position the two sides LB3 and LB4 of the laminate LB.

In the evaluation step S3, the laminate LB is positioned in such a manner that the respective end faces of the reference plate SP and the glass film G are brought into contact with the cylindrical body 32a and the plate-like body 32b at the two sides LB3 and LB4 of the laminate LB. The operator palpates the end surfaces of the reference plate SP and the glass film G with fingers on the remaining two sides LB1 and LB2. Thereby, the displacement between the position of the end face of the glass film G and the position of the end face of the reference plate SP is measured, and the size of the glass film G is evaluated. In the present embodiment, the two sides LB1 and LB2 of the laminate LB are separated from the measuring table 31 so that the respective end surfaces of the reference plate SP and the glass film G can be easily palpated on the two sides LB1 and LB2 of the laminate LB. protruding. The method of evaluating the size of the glass film G may be a method using image processing or the like, but a method using palpation is preferable because it is a simple and inexpensive method.

As shown in FIG. 16, in the evaluation step S3, for example, when the glass film G is larger than the reference plate SP, the protruding dimension of the glass film G with respect to the reference plate SP is equal to or less than the first acceptance threshold value T1. When the glass film G is regarded as a non-defective product and the glass film G is smaller than the reference plate SP, the glass film G is judged when the protruding dimension of the reference plate SP with respect to the glass film G is equal to or less than the second acceptance threshold value T2. Good product. In this case, the first pass threshold T1 is preferably set to a value smaller than the second pass threshold T2. Specifically, for example, the first pass threshold T1 is set to 1 mm, and the second pass threshold T2 is set to 2 mm. As a result, the first acceptance threshold value T1 becomes a stricter criterion than the second acceptance threshold value T2, so that the probability that the glass film G larger than the reference plate SP is accepted as a non-defective product can be reduced.

(Film formation process)
As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the method for manufacturing a glass film according to the present embodiment may further include a film forming step S4 of forming a film on the glass film G determined as non-defective in the evaluation step S3.

In the film formation step S4, for example, the glass film G determined as non-defective in the evaluation step S3 is arranged on the film formation jig 41. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 17, the film formation jig 41 includes a base portion 42 on which the glass film G is placed, and a frame portion 43 surrounding the glass film G placed on the base portion 42 . have. The frame portion 43 defines a rectangular space in plan view having a size corresponding to the reference plate SP. As shown in FIG. 18, the glass film G is arranged inside the frame portion 43 . Then, while the glass film G is placed on the film forming jig 41 in this manner, a film forming mask (not shown) or the like is further placed on the upper surface of the glass film G, and a predetermined pattern is formed on the surface of the glass film G. Deposition is applied.

The glass film G thus formed can be used, for example, as substrates for thin display devices such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays, as well as sensor substrates, covers for semiconductor packages such as solid-state imaging devices and laser diodes, and thin film compound solar cells. It is used for substrates of

According to the manufacturing method as described above, the mother glass film MG is cut by bending stress in the cutting step S2, so the cutting time can be shortened compared to the case of using laser cutting. Also, in the cutting step S2, the laser or the like does not need to be adjusted, so cutting can be performed with a small number of personnel. On the other hand, when bending stress is applied for cutting, the deviation from the intended cutting line C2 tends to increase as compared with laser cutting. Therefore, in the evaluation step S3, the size of the glass film G is evaluated by stacking the glass film G on the reference plate SP. With such an evaluation method using the reference plate SP, the size of the glass film G can be evaluated efficiently in a short time. In particular, by palpating the end face of the laminate LB in which the glass film G is superimposed on the reference plate SP, the evaluation time for the size of the glass film G can be significantly shortened compared to the case where image processing or the like is used. Costs can also be reduced. Therefore, even if the glass film G contains a defective product whose size is evaluated as being rejected in the evaluation step S3, the manufacturing time and personnel can be greatly reduced, so the overall manufacturing cost can be reduced to the cutting step S2. Therefore, the cost can be reduced as compared with the case of using laser cutting.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, nor is it limited to the above-described effects. Various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, it is preferable that all four sides of the glass film G are cut using bending stress. It may contain laser cut edges. Here, laser cutting includes, for example, laser cutting and laser fusion cutting.

1 Glass ribbon cutting device 2 Glass roll 3 Cutting part 4 Folding bar 5 First table 6 Second table 21 Mother glass film cutting device 22 Mounting table 23 Positioning part 24 Pressing bar 25 Folding bar 31 Measuring table 32 Positioning part 41 Membrane jigs C1, C2 Planned cutting line GR Glass ribbon MG Mother glass film G Glass film SP Reference plate SPa Marking part GP Glass plate CL Buffer layer

Claims (14)

A method for producing a glass film,
a preparation step of preparing a mother glass film;
a cutting step of applying a bending stress along a planned cutting line of the mother glass film to cut the mother glass film to obtain a glass film;
A method for producing a glass film, comprising an evaluation step of stacking the glass film on a reference plate having a reference size and evaluating the size of the glass film. 2. The production of the glass film according to claim 1, wherein in the preparation step, the mother glass film is obtained by applying a bending stress along a planned cutting line of a glass ribbon unwound from a glass roll to cut the glass ribbon. Method. In the preparation step, a first transfer section that guides the glass ribbon unwound from the glass roll along a first transfer surface inclined upward toward the downstream side, and downstream of the first transfer section, a second transfer section that guides the glass ribbon along a second transfer surface that is downwardly inclined toward the downstream side; 3. The production of the glass film according to claim 2, wherein the glass ribbon is cut using a glass ribbon cutting device including a bending stress applying unit that supports and applies bending stress along the planned cutting line of the glass ribbon. Method. 4. The method for manufacturing a glass film according to claim 3, wherein the type of the bending stress applying section of the glass ribbon cutting device is changed according to the thickness of the glass ribbon. In the cutting step, a mounting table on which the mother glass film is mounted, a positioning portion for positioning the mother glass film with respect to the mounting table, and a cutting line on both sides of the planned cutting line of the mother glass film are attached to the mounting table. a pair of pressing members that press the mother glass film on the side thereof, and between the pair of pressing members, the mother glass film is pressed in a direction away from the mounting table, and a bending stress is applied along the planned cutting line of the mother glass film. The method for producing a glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mother glass film is cut using a mother glass film cutting device having a bending stress applying section. 6. The method for manufacturing a glass film according to claim 5, wherein the type of the bending stress applying portion of the mother glass film cutting device is changed according to the thickness of the mother glass film. 6. A position of the pressing member of the mother glass film cutting device with respect to the mounting table is changed according to a thickness of the mother glass film so that a distance from the planned cutting line of the mother glass film changes. 7. The method for producing the glass film according to 6. The method for producing a glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the reference plate has a colored marking portion on at least a part of the outline of the main surface of the reference plate. The method for producing a glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the reference plate has a glass plate as a substrate. The method for producing a glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the reference plate has a buffer layer on the side of the contact surface with the glass film. The method for producing a glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein in the evaluation step, an end surface of a laminate obtained by stacking the glass film on the reference plate is palpated. The reference plate and the glass film are each rectangular,
In the evaluation step, the reference plate and the glass film are positioned by contacting the positioning portions at two sides that intersect at one corner of the four sides of the laminate in which the glass film is superimposed on the reference plate. , The method for producing a glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the size of the glass film is evaluated on the remaining two sides of the laminate. In the evaluation step, when the glass film is larger than the reference plate, the glass film is regarded as a non-defective product when the protruding dimension of the glass film with respect to the reference plate is equal to or less than a first pass threshold, and When the glass film is smaller than the reference plate, the glass film is determined to be a non-defective product when the protruding dimension of the reference plate with respect to the glass film is equal to or less than a second acceptance threshold,
The method for producing a glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first acceptance threshold is smaller than the second acceptance threshold. The glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the glass film determined to be non-defective in the evaluation step is arranged inside a frame of a film formation jig corresponding to the size of the reference plate. manufacturing method.

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