JP6631838B2 - Method and apparatus for manufacturing glass sheet, and apparatus for transporting glass sheet - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement in glass sheet manufacturing technology.

  As a method for manufacturing a glass plate, a method using a down draw method represented by an overflow down draw method, a slot down draw method, a redraw method, and a method using a float method have been widely adopted. . As an example of a manufacturing process of a glass plate using these techniques, the following is exemplified.

  First, a long glass ribbon is continuously formed (for example, see Patent Document 1). At this time, the side ends (both ends in the width direction) on both sides of the glass ribbon are generally thicker than the center in the width direction of the glass ribbon. The portions where the thickness of the side edges on both sides of the glass ribbon are relatively large may be referred to as ears.

  Next, the glass ribbon is cut in the width direction for each predetermined length, and a glass base plate that is a base of the glass plate is cut out from the glass ribbon (for example, see Patent Document 2). When ears are formed at the side edges of the glass ribbon, the ears also remain at the side edges of the glass blank.

  After that, the product part is cut out from the glass base plate by cutting the glass base plate and removing the non-product part including the ears from the glass base plate (for example, see Patent Document 3). By applying various processes such as polishing and washing to the cut-out product part, a glass plate that finally becomes a product is manufactured.

JP 2014-122124 A JP 2014-005170 A JP 2014-024720 A

  When a glass plate is manufactured using a downdraw method such as an overflow downdraw method, the glass ribbon is formed in a vertical posture (for example, a vertical posture). Therefore, from the viewpoint of space saving, etc., when cutting the glass base plate from the glass ribbon in the vertical position, transporting the cut glass base plate in the vertical position, and removing the non-product part of the glass base plate on the transfer path There is.

  However, until the non-product part is removed from the glass base plate, relatively thick ears remain at the side ends on both sides of the glass base plate. Therefore, when the glass base plate is transported in the vertical position, the glass base plate may shake or bend due to the weight of the side end in a section until the non-product portion is removed from the glass base plate. When such a situation occurs, an excessive bending stress acts on the side end portion of the glass plate and its vicinity, and the glass plate may be broken during transportation. The occurrence of such a problem has become more remarkable with recent thinning of glass plates. This is because even if the product part of the glass plate is made thinner, the ear part does not become thinner, so the thickness difference between the side part (ear part) included in the non-product part and the product part in the glass original plate increases, This is because the influence of the weight of the part on the product part increases.

  Note that the above problem is not limited to the case where the down-draw method is used, and even when the float method is used, the same problem can occur when the glass substrate in the vertical position is transported. .

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to reliably prevent a glass substrate from breaking during transportation even when the glass substrate in a vertical position is transported.

  The manufacturing method of the glass plate according to the present invention was devised to solve the above problems, a forming step of continuously forming a glass ribbon, a cutting step of cutting the glass ribbon in the width direction, and cutting out a glass base plate from the glass ribbon. A method of manufacturing a glass sheet, comprising: a transfer step of transferring a glass base plate in a vertical position by a transfer device, wherein the transfer device has a restriction gap larger than a thickness of a side portion of the support portion and the glass base plate. A regulating portion, wherein the supporting portion supports the upper end portion of the glass base plate in a state where the side end portion of the glass base plate is regulated in the regulation gap.

  According to such a configuration, while supporting the upper end of the glass base plate with the support portion, the side end portion of the glass base plate can be regulated within the regulation gap of the regulation portion. That is, the movement of the side end portion of the glass base plate is restricted to the range of the restriction gap. For this reason, it is difficult for the side end portion of the glass base plate to swing or bend. Therefore, even if the glass substrate is transported in the vertical position, the glass substrate can be reliably prevented from breaking.

  Here, it is conceivable to solve the problem of shaking or bending of the glass base plate by directly sandwiching the side ends of the glass base plate from the front and back sides, but the thickness of the side ends may fluctuate due to manufacturing conditions and the like. is there. Therefore, in the case where the side end of the glass base plate is directly sandwiched, the side end of the glass base plate is excessively pressed, so that the glass base plate may be more likely to be broken. Therefore, based on such knowledge, the present invention does not directly sandwich the side end of the glass plate, but restricts the inside of the restriction gap larger than the thickness of the side end of the glass plate as described above. And

  In the above-described configuration, the transport device may transport the raw glass plate in the width direction along the front and back surfaces facing the thickness direction. With this configuration, the air resistance acting on the glass plate during transportation is reduced, so that it is possible to more reliably prevent the glass plate from shaking or bending.

  In the above configuration, only the upper portion of the side end of the glass plate may be regulated in the regulation gap.

  With this configuration, since the supporting portion and the regulating portion can be gathered in the upper portion of the glass plate, the configuration of the transfer device can be made compact.

  In the above configuration, during the transfer process, the boundary between the product part of the glass base plate and the non-product part including the side end thereof is vertically cut on the transfer path of the transfer device, and the non-product part is removed from the glass base plate. And a second cutting step for performing the second cutting step.

  In this way, the product part can be cut out from the glass base plate while preventing the non-product part including the side end from shaking or bending.

  In the above configuration, it is preferable that the support portion supports only the upper end portion of the product portion among the upper end portions of the glass base plate.

  With this configuration, since the supporting portion does not support the upper end portion of the non-product portion among the upper end portions of the glass base plate, when the non-product portion is cut and removed from the glass base plate, the support by the support portion may become an obstacle. Absent. Further, after cutting the non-product part, the product part can be transported to a subsequent process while the product part is supported by the support part.

  In the above configuration, a guide member having a guide gap larger than the thickness of the side edge of the glass plate is provided at a predetermined position on the transfer path of the transfer device, and the glass is transferred at the predetermined position while the glass plate is transferred by the transfer device. The lower end of the original plate may be passed through the guide gap.

  With this configuration, the lower end of the glass base plate is guided at a predetermined position on the transport path by the guide gap of the guide member different from the transport device. Therefore, the position of the lower end portion of the glass base plate can be corrected during transportation.

  In the above configuration, the guide member has a pair of guide surfaces facing each other in the thickness direction of the glass base plate, and a gap between the pair of guide surfaces is set as a guide gap, and a facing interval between the pair of guide surfaces is set in the transport direction. It may be smaller toward the downstream side.

  With this configuration, the position of the lower end portion of the glass base plate can be corrected without difficulty simply by passing the lower end portion of the glass base plate between the pair of guide surfaces.

  In the above configuration, the second cutting step includes: a first station for forming a scribe line in a vertical direction at a boundary between a product part and a non-product part of the glass raw sheet; and a downstream side in the transport direction of the first station. And a second station for cutting the glass plate along the scribe line, and the guide member may be arranged at at least one of the first station and the second station.

  According to this configuration, at least one of the first station for forming the scribe line and the second station for cutting the glass plate along the scribe line, the lower end of the glass plate is guided by the guide member. Therefore, in the station on the side where the guide member is provided, the positioning of the glass plate can be reliably performed. Therefore, processing (formation and / or cutting of a scribe line) corresponding to the station provided with the guide member can be accurately performed on the glass base plate.

  A manufacturing apparatus for a glass plate according to the present invention created to solve the above-described problems includes a forming apparatus for continuously forming a glass ribbon, a cutting apparatus for cutting the glass ribbon in a width direction, and cutting a glass base plate from the glass ribbon. An apparatus for manufacturing a glass sheet, comprising: a transport device that transports a glass substrate in a vertical position, wherein the transport device is configured to support an upper end portion of the glass substrate and a thickness of a side edge portion of the glass substrate. A regulating portion that has a large regulating gap, and regulates a side end portion of the glass plate in the regulating gap. According to such a configuration, the same effect as that of the corresponding configuration described above can be obtained.

  In the above-described configuration, a second cutting for vertically cutting a boundary between a product part of the glass base plate and a non-product part including its side end on the transfer path of the transfer device and removing the non-product part from the glass base plate An apparatus may be further provided. According to such a configuration, the same effect as that of the corresponding configuration described above can be obtained.

  The glass sheet transport device according to the present invention, which was created to solve the above-described problem, is a glass plate transport device that transports a glass plate in a vertical position, and a support unit that supports an upper end of the glass plate, A regulating gap that is larger than the thickness of the side end of the glass plate, and a regulating section that regulates the side end of the glass plate within the regulating gap. According to such a configuration, the same effect as that of the corresponding configuration described above can be obtained.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reliably prevent the glass original plate from breaking during transportation even when the original glass plate is transported in the vertical position.

It is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper stream side field of the manufacturing device of the glass sheet concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view showing the 2nd conveyance device included in the manufacturing device of the glass plate concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is XX sectional drawing of FIG. It is a partial side view of the downstream side field of the manufacturing device of the glass sheet concerning one embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a YY sectional view of FIG. 4, and (b) is a ZZ sectional view of FIG.

  An embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, a glass plate manufacturing apparatus includes a forming apparatus 1 (see FIG. 1) for forming a glass ribbon G2 and a first cutting apparatus 2 (see FIG. 1) for cutting a glass plate G3 from the glass ribbon G2. 1), a transfer device 3 (see FIG. 1) for receiving the glass plate G3 from the first cutting device 2, and a transfer device 4 for receiving the glass plate G3 from the transfer device 3 and transporting the glass plate G3 (see FIG. 1). 2), and a second cutting device 5 (see FIG. 4) for cutting and removing unnecessary portions from the glass plate G3 being conveyed by the conveying device 4.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the forming apparatus 1 includes a forming furnace 11 for forming a glass ribbon G2, a slow cooling furnace 12 for gradually cooling (annealing) the glass ribbon G2, and a cooling furnace 13 for cooling the glass ribbon G2 to around room temperature. And a roller pair 14 provided in a plurality of upper and lower stages in respective internal spaces of the forming furnace 11, the annealing furnace 12, and the cooling furnace 13.

  In the internal space of the forming furnace 11, a formed body 15 for forming a glass ribbon G2 from the molten glass G1 by an overflow down draw method is arranged. The molten glass G1 supplied to the molded body 15 overflows from the top 15a of the molded body 15, and the overflowed molten glass G1 travels along both side surfaces 15b of the molded body 15 having a wedge-shaped cross section. By joining, the plate-shaped glass ribbon G2 is continuously formed. The glass ribbon G2 to be formed has a vertical posture (preferably a vertical posture).

  The internal space of the annealing furnace 12 has a predetermined temperature gradient downward. The glass ribbon G2 in the vertical posture is gradually cooled so as to have a lower temperature as it moves downward in the internal space of the annealing furnace 12. Accordingly, the internal distortion of the glass ribbon G2 is removed. The temperature gradient in the internal space of the annealing furnace 12 can be adjusted by, for example, a temperature adjusting device such as a heating device provided on the inner surface of the annealing furnace 12. Here, the glass ribbon G2 may be released to the atmosphere below the annealing furnace 12, and the cooling furnace 13 may be omitted.

  The plurality of roller pairs 14 are configured to hold the side end portions on both sides of the glass ribbon G2 in the vertical posture from both sides. In the internal space of the lehr 12, for example, a plurality of roller pairs 14 that do not sandwich the side end of the glass ribbon G2 may be included. In other words, the distance between the pair of rollers 14 may be made larger than the thickness of the side end of the glass ribbon G2, and the glass ribbon G2 may pass between the pair of rollers 14. In this embodiment, each roller constituting the roller pair 14 opposed to each other with the glass ribbon G2 interposed therebetween is constituted by a cantilever roller supported by a rotating shaft extending outside the furnace.

  Here, in this embodiment, the side end portions on both sides of the glass ribbon G2 manufactured by the forming apparatus 1 have a larger thickness than the center portion in the width direction due to the influence of shrinkage and the like in the forming process. That is, the side end of the glass ribbon G2 is a so-called ear.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the first cutting device 2 cuts the glass raw sheet G3 from the glass ribbon G2 by cutting the glass ribbon G2 in the vertical position in the width direction at predetermined intervals below the forming device 1. It is configured to cut out sequentially. Here, the width direction is a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the glass ribbon G2, and substantially coincides with the horizontal direction in this embodiment.

  The first cutting device 2 travels on the surface G2x of the glass ribbon G2 in the vertical position that has descended from the forming device 1 to form a scribe line S1 along the width direction of the glass ribbon G2 (shown in the figure). (Omitted), the scribe line S1 and the scribe line S1 in a state where the back surface support portion 21 abutting from the back surface G2y side to the area where the scribe line S1 is formed and the glass ribbon G2 corresponding to the glass plate G3 to be cut out are supported And a side end support portion 22 for performing an operation for applying a bending stress to the vicinity. Here, the front surface G2x and the back surface G2y mean the main surfaces facing each other in the thickness direction, and any main surface of the glass ribbon G2 may be the front surface G2x (or the back surface G2y). This is the same for the front and back surfaces of the original glass plate G3 described later.

  The wheel cutter is configured to form the scribe line S1 over the entire width or a part of the width of the glass ribbon G2 while following the descending glass ribbon G2. In this embodiment, the scribe line S1 is also formed in the width direction at the side end of the glass ribbon G2 having a relatively large thickness. The scribe line S1 may be formed by laser irradiation or the like.

  The back support part 21 is formed so as to be long along the width direction of the glass ribbon G2, and abuts on the entire width or a part of the glass ribbon G2 while following the descending glass ribbon G2. It has become.

  The side end supporting portion 22 is constituted by a chuck mechanism for holding the side ends on both sides of the glass ribbon G2 from both sides. In this embodiment, a plurality of side end support portions 22 are provided at respective side end portions on both sides of the glass ribbon G2 at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the glass ribbon G2. The plurality of side end support portions 22 provided at one side end are all held by the same arm (not shown). Similarly, a plurality of side end support portions 22 provided on the other side end portion are all held by the same arm (not shown). Then, by the operation of each arm, the plurality of side end supporting portions 22 follow the descending glass ribbon G2 while descending, and as shown by the arrow A, the supported glass ribbon G2 is supported by the back surface supporting portion 21 as a fulcrum. An operation for bending is performed. Thereby, bending stress is applied to the scribe line S1 and the vicinity thereof, and the glass ribbon G2 is cut in the width direction along the scribe line S1. As a result of this cutting, a glass original plate G3 is cut out from the glass ribbon G2. In addition, the side end support part 22 is not limited to the supporting form to be sandwiched, and may support only one of the front and back surfaces of the glass ribbon G2 (or the glass base plate G3) by negative pressure suction. .

  The side end supporting portion 22 can transfer the cut glass sheet G3 to the transfer device 3 after transferring the cut glass sheet G3 to the first position P1 along the transfer path B with the movement of the arm. It has become. After the delivery, the side end supporting portion 22 releases the support of the side end in the glass plate G3, and starts cutting with the movement of the arm in order to cut out the next glass plate G3 from the glass ribbon G2. Return to previous position.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the delivery device 3 includes an upper end support portion 31 that suspends and supports the glass plate G3.

  The upper end support portion 31 is constituted by a chuck mechanism for holding the upper end G3u of the glass plate G3 from both sides. At the first position P1, the upper end support 31 receives the glass plate G3 in the vertical position from the side end support 22 of the first cutting device 2, and then moves along the transport path C (in the illustrated example, in the horizontal direction). Along, the glass substrate G3 in the vertical position is transported to the second position P2 in the thickness direction (the direction perpendicular to the front and back surfaces). Note that the upper end support 31 is not limited to the supporting form to be sandwiched, and may support only one of the front and back surfaces of the glass base plate G3 by negative pressure suction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the transport device 4 includes an upper end supporting portion 41 that suspends and supports the glass plate G3, and a side end regulating portion 42 that regulates a side end G3w on both sides in the width direction of the glass plate G3. And Here, at the second position P2, the glass plate G3 is disposed such that the boundary BL between the product portion G3a and the non-product portion (unnecessary portion) G3b including the side end portion G3w is oriented in the vertical direction. The non-product parts G3b are formed on both sides in the width direction of the product part G3a. The upper end supporting portion 41 supports the product portion G3a of the original glass sheet G3, and the side end regulating portion 42 regulates at least the side end portion G3w included in the non-product portion G3b of the original glass plate G3. In this embodiment, the side end portion G3w included in the non-product portion G3b is thicker than the product portion G3a (see FIG. 3).

  The upper end supporting portion 41 is constituted by a chuck mechanism for holding the upper end of the glass plate G3 from both sides. It is preferable that the upper end support 41 sandwich the glass plate G3 within a range of 20 mm or less from the upper end of the glass plate G3. That is, it is preferable that the upper end supporting portion 41 does not contact an effective surface (a portion where the quality is guaranteed) formed in the central region excluding the frame-shaped peripheral portion of the glass plate G3.

  At the second position P2, the upper end support portion 41 receives the glass substrate G3 in the vertical position from the upper end support portion 31 of the transfer device 3, and then transfers the glass plate G3 in the vertical position to the transport path D (horizontal in FIG. 2). ) To the downstream side. Although not shown, the upper end supporting portion 31 of the transfer device 3 and the upper end supporting portion 41 of the transport device 4 are different from each other in the position for supporting the glass plate G3. At the second position P2, first, the glass base plate G3 is supported by the upper end support portion 31 of the transfer device 3, and in this state, different positions of the glass base plate G3 are supported by the upper end support portion 41 of the transport device 4. Is done. Thereafter, the support of the glass plate G3 by the upper end support portion 31 of the transfer device 3 is released while the glass plate G3 is supported by the upper end support portion 41 of the transport device 4. Thus, the glass plate G3 is transferred from the transfer device 3 to the transfer device 4 at the second position P2. Note that the transfer device 3 returns from the second position P2 to the first position P1 after transferring the glass plate G3 to the transfer device 4.

  The transport device 4 includes a rail 43 and a first moving body 44 that slides along the rail 43. A plurality of (two in the illustrated example) are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the glass plate G3. ) Is attached to the first moving body 44. In this embodiment, the plurality of upper end support portions 41 are attached to one first moving body 44, and the plurality of upper end support portions 41 are integrally formed on the rail 43 with the movement of the first moving body 44. It is designed to move along. Since the rail 43 is provided along the width direction of the glass plate G3, the glass plate G3 is transported in the width direction along the front and back surfaces. The glass plate G3 may be transported in the thickness direction. Further, the upper end support portion 41 may support only one of the front and back surfaces of the glass base plate G3 by negative pressure suction. Furthermore, the plurality of upper end support portions 41 may be attached to independent moving bodies so that they can approach and separate from each other. In this way, there are advantages such as easy adjustment of the supporting position even when the size of the glass base plate G3 is changed, and to be able to apply tension in the width direction to the glass base plate G3. .

  As shown in FIG. 3, the side end regulating portion 42 has a regulation gap C1 larger than the thickness of the side end G3w of the glass base plate G3, and regulates the side end G3w of the glass base plate G3 within the regulation gap C1. It is supposed to. That is, the side end regulating portion 42 does not directly sandwich the glass plate G3 disposed in the regulating gap C1. In this embodiment, only the upper portion of the side end portion G3w of the glass plate G3 is disposed in the regulation gap C1. In this case, the side end regulating portion 42 is preferably arranged within a range of 20 mm or less from the upper end of the glass plate G3. That is, it is preferable that the side end regulating portion 42 does not contact the effective surface of the glass plate G3. In addition, a plurality of (for example, three places of an upper part, a center part, and a lower part) may be arranged at intervals in the vertical direction of the side end part G3w of the glass sheet G3.

  The side end regulating portion 42 includes a pair of arms 42a that can be opened and closed, and a regulating gap C1 is formed between the pair of arms 42a in the closed state. That is, the side end regulating portion 42 has a configuration similar to that of the chuck mechanism except that the glass plate G3 is not directly sandwiched. At the second position P2, while the glass base plate G3 is being transferred from the upper end support portion 31 of the transfer device 3 to the upper end support portion 41 of the transfer device 4, the open side end regulating portion 42 is in contact with the glass base plate G3. Is closed after approaching the side end of the glass plate G3, and the side end G3w of the glass base plate G3 is disposed in the regulation gap C1 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Note that the side end regulating portion 42 does not have to have the opening and closing mechanism as described above as long as the side end regulating portion 42 has the regulation gap C1 for regulating the side end G3w of the glass plate G3.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the transport device 4 includes a first moving body 44 and a second moving body 45 that slides along the same rail 43, and the side end regulating unit 42 is configured to move the second moving body 45 to It is attached to the moving body 45. In this embodiment, the second moving body 45 is synchronized with the movement of the first moving body 44. Therefore, the relative positional relationship between the upper end supporting portion 41 and the side end restricting portion 42 does not change, and even if the glass sheet G3 supported by the upper end supporting portion 41 moves, the side end restricting portion 42 becomes glass. It follows the original plate G3. Note that the side end regulating portion 42 may be attached to a movable body common to the upper end supporting portion 41.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the portion of the arm 42a of the side end regulating portion 42 facing the glass plate G3 is prevented from being damaged when the glass plate G3 swings and comes into contact. For this purpose, an elastic body 42b such as rubber is provided. The distance L1 between the regulating gap C1 in the thickness direction of the glass plate G3 is preferably 5 to 10 mm. It is preferable that the depth L2 of the regulating gap C1 in the width direction of the glass plate G3 is 50 to 100 mm. The dimension L3 in the width direction of the glass plate G3 disposed in the regulation gap C1 is preferably 30 to 70 mm.

  When the movement of the side end portion G3w of the glass base plate G3 is regulated within the regulation gap C1 of the side end regulation portion 42 configured as described above, the side end portion G3w of the glass base plate G3 is moved during the transportation of the glass base plate G3. Shaking and bending are less likely to occur. Therefore, even if the glass substrate G3 is transported in the vertical position, it is possible to reliably prevent the glass substrate G3 from breaking before the non-product portion G3b including the side end portion G3w is cut off.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the second cutting device 5 includes a first station ST1 for forming a scribe line S2 in a vertical direction along a boundary BL between the product part G3a and the non-product part G3b of the glass plate G3. And a second station ST2 that is provided downstream of the first station ST1 and that cuts the glass sheet G3 along the scribe line S2. In this embodiment, the original glass sheet G3 conveyed by the conveying device 4 is temporarily stopped at the first station ST1 and the second station ST2, and processing is performed at each station.

  As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 (a), the second cutting device 5 includes a back surface support portion that abuts on the area where the scribe line S2 of the glass base sheet G3 is formed from the back surface G3y side in the first station ST1. 51, and a wheel cutter 52 for forming the scribe line S2 on the surface G3x side of the original glass plate G3. The wheel cutter 52 is configured to form the scribe line S2 over the entire area or a part of the original glass plate G3 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, a scribe line S2 is formed on a part of the glass plate G3 in the vertical direction except for the upper end G3u and the lower end G3d. The scribe line S2 may be formed by laser irradiation or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 (b), the second cutting device 5 is provided at the second station ST2 at a distance from the scribe line S2 and in parallel with the scribe line S2 on the back surface G3y side of the product part G3a. A back surface support portion 53 that comes into contact with the scribe line S2 and a pressing portion 54 that comes into contact with the front surface G3x of the non-product portion G3b in parallel with the scribe line S2 are provided.

  In this embodiment, the back surface supporting portion 53 and the pressing portion 54 are plate-like bodies (surface plates) each having a flat surface in contact with the glass base plate G3. In addition, the back support part 53 and the pressing part 54 may be a round bar-like body having a curved contact surface.

  The pressing portion 54 presses the non-product portion G3b toward the back surface G3y, thereby bending the glass plate G3 with the back support portion 53 as a fulcrum (see an arrow E in FIG. 5B). As a result, bending stress is applied to the scribe line S2 and the vicinity thereof, and the glass plate G3 is cut vertically along the scribe line S2. As a result of this cutting, the non-product part G3b is removed from the glass base sheet G3, and the product part G3a is cut out. At this time, the side end regulating portion 42 is opened and separated from the glass plate G3 so as not to hinder the pressing operation of the pressing portion 54 into the glass plate G3 (see FIG. 4). More specifically, after the glass base plate G3 is conveyed to the second station ST2 while the movement of the side end portion G3w of the glass base plate G3 is regulated by the side end regulating portion 42, before the pressing portion 54 presses the glass base plate G3. Then, the side end regulating portion 42 is separated from the glass plate G3 to release the regulation of the side end G3w.

  In this embodiment, the product part G3a is supported by the upper end support part 41 before and after cutting, and the cut product part G3a is transported to a subsequent process while being supported by the upper end support part 41. It has become so. After moving to the subsequent process (for example, inspection) determined in advance, the upper end support portion 41 and the side end regulating portion 42 return to the second position P2 for receiving the original glass sheet G3 from the transfer device 3.

  On the other hand, if the non-product part G3b is not supported after being cut, it will fall and be collected near the product part G3a. In order to prevent the non-product part G3b from dropping in the vicinity of the product part G3a, the non-product part G3b is supported before and after cutting, and the non-product part G3b is collected at a position away from the product part G3a. Is also good. For supporting the non-product part G3b, for example, a robot arm provided with a vacuum cup at the tip of the robot arm capable of adsorbing the back surface G3y of the non-product part G3b can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, a guide member 6 that guides the lower end portion G3d of the original glass plate G3 is provided at a predetermined position on the transport path D of the transport device 4. More specifically, the guide members 6 are provided immediately upstream of the forming positions of the scribe lines S2 in the first station ST1 and immediately upstream of the cutting positions in the second station ST2. The height position of the guide member 6 can be appropriately adjusted.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the guide member 6 has a pair of guide surfaces 61 facing each other in the thickness direction of the original glass plate G3. Between the pair of guide surfaces 61, a guide gap C2 larger than the thickness of the side end G3w of the glass base plate G3 is formed. The distance between the pair of guide surfaces 61 having the guide gap C2 becomes smaller toward the downstream side. That is, the guide gap C2 is large at the upstream end of the guide member 6 and small at the downstream end. The lower end portion G3d of the glass plate G3 is passed through the guide gap C2 formed between the pair of guide surfaces 61 of the guide member 6 while the glass plate G3 is transferred by the transfer device 4. Thereby, even when only the upper end portion G3u of the glass base plate G3 is supported, the position of the lower end portion G3d of the glass base plate G3 can be correctly corrected. Therefore, the scribe line S2 can be accurately formed on the glass plate G3 in the first station ST1, and the glass plate G3 can be cut accurately along the scribe line S2 in the second station ST2.

  It is preferable that the pair of guide surfaces 61 contact the glass plate G3 within a range of 20 mm from the lower end of the glass plate G3. That is, it is preferable that the pair of guide surfaces 61 do not contact the effective surface of the glass plate G3. The pair of guide surfaces 61 are formed of a slippery material in order to prevent the glass plate G3 from being damaged. Specifically, for example, it is formed of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. It is preferable that the inclination angle θ of the pair of guide surfaces 61 with respect to the front and back surfaces of the glass plate G3 is 10 ° to 40 °. The distance L4 between the downstream ends of the pair of guide surfaces 61 is preferably 30 to 100 mm.

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

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, a glass ribbon G2 is continuously formed by a forming apparatus 1 (forming step). Next, at a position below the forming device 1, the glass ribbon G2 is cut in the width direction by the first cutting device 2, and a glass plate G3 is cut out from the glass ribbon G2 (first cutting step). Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the cut glass base plate G3 is transferred to the transfer device 4 using the transfer device 3, and the transfer device 4 transfers the glass base plate G3 in a vertical posture (conveying step). As shown in FIG. 3, the transfer device 4 supports the upper end portion in a state where the movement of the side end portion G3w of the glass base plate G3 is restricted within the restriction gap C1 of the side end regulating portion 42 during the transfer of the glass base plate G3. The upper end portion G3u of the original glass plate G3 is supported by the portion 41. Then, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A and 5B, the product section G3a and the side end G3w of the original glass plate G3 are moved by the second cutting apparatus 5 on the transport path D of the transport apparatus 4. The boundary BL with the non-product part G3b is cut in the vertical direction, and the non-product part is removed from the original glass sheet G3 (second cutting step). The cut product part G3a is transported to a subsequent process while being supported by the upper end support part 41.

  As described above, the manufacturing apparatus and the manufacturing method of the flat glass according to the embodiment of the present invention have been described. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various changes may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Can be applied.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration is such that the glass ribbon is formed by the overflow down draw method, but the present invention is not limited to this. The glass ribbon may be formed by a slot down draw method, a redraw method, a float method, or the like, in addition to the overflow down draw method.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the glass ribbon G2 and the glass base plate G3 are scribed and cut has been described. However, the glass ribbon G2 and / or the glass base plate G3 may be cut by thermal stress cutting with a laser or the like. .

  In the above embodiment, the case where the transfer device 3 is used has been described. However, the transfer device 3 is omitted, and the glass original plate G3 supported by the side end support portion 22 of the first cutting device 2 is transferred to the transfer device. 4 may be directly delivered to the upper end support portion 41.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case has been described where the side end G3w of the glass base plate G3 to be conveyed is formed from the ear portion having a relatively large thickness. The portion may have no ear portion and may have a substantially uniform thickness in the width direction. In other words, while the upper end of the glass plate having no ears is supported by the upper end support 41 while the side end thereof is regulated in the regulation gap C1 of the side end regulation part 42 by the transport device 4. Alternatively, a glass plate having no ear may be conveyed.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the product portion G3a is supported by the upper end support portion 41 before and after the cutting, and the cut product portion G3a is supported by the upper end support portion 41 and then proceeds to a subsequent process. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the transport device 4 may be configured to transport the glass plate G3 one pitch at a time between the stations. In this case, the transport device 4 sequentially transfers and receives the glass base plate G3 to a holding member (not shown) separately provided in each station (the transport device 4 moves one pitch → the glass base plate moves to the holding member of the station). G3 delivery → the transport device 4 returns one pitch → the upper end support portion 41 receives the glass base plate G3 from the holding member of the station). In this case, it is preferable that the side end regulating portion 42 is provided in the transport device 4 up to the second cutting device 5 from which the non-product portion G3b has not been removed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Forming apparatus 11 Forming furnace 12 Slow-cooling furnace 13 Cooling furnace 14 Roller pair 15 Molded body 2 First cutting device 21 Backside support part 22 Side end support part 3 Transfer device 31 Upper end support part 4 Transfer device 41 Upper end support part 42 Side end regulating part 43 Rail 44 First moving body 45 Second moving body 5 Second cutting device 51 Backside supporting part 52 Wheel cutter 53 Backside supporting part 54 Pressing part 6 Guide member 61 Guide surface C1 Regulatory gap C2 Guide Gap G1 Molten glass G2 Glass ribbon G3 Glass plate S1 Scribe line S2 Scribe line

Claims (11)

A forming step of continuously forming a glass ribbon, a cutting step of cutting the glass ribbon in a width direction and cutting out a glass base plate from the glass ribbon, and a transfer step of transferring the glass base plate in a vertical position by a transfer device. A method for manufacturing a glass plate,
The transfer device includes a supporting portion, a regulating portion having a regulating gap larger than the thickness of the side end portion of the glass plate,
A method for manufacturing a glass sheet, wherein the supporting portion supports the upper end of the glass sheet in a state where the side end of the glass sheet is regulated in the regulation gap.   The method for manufacturing a glass sheet according to claim 1, wherein the conveying device conveys the raw glass sheet in a width direction along front and back surfaces opposed to each other in a thickness direction.   The method for manufacturing a glass sheet according to claim 1, wherein only the upper portion of the side end of the glass plate is regulated in the regulation gap.   During the transporting step, a boundary between a product part of the glass base plate and a non-product part including a side end thereof is vertically cut on a transfer path of the transfer device, and the non-product part is removed from the glass base plate. The method for producing a glass sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a second cutting step of:   The method for manufacturing a glass sheet according to claim 4, wherein the support part supports only an upper end part of the product part among the upper end parts of the glass base sheet. At a predetermined position on the transport path of the transport device, a guide member having a guide gap larger than the thickness of the side end of the glass base plate is provided,
The method according to claim 4, wherein a lower end portion of the glass plate is passed through the guide gap at the predetermined position while the glass plate is transferred by the transfer device. The guide member has a pair of guide surfaces facing each other in the thickness direction of the glass base plate,
The space between the pair of guide surfaces is the guide gap, and an interval between the pair of guide surfaces decreases toward the downstream side in the transport direction. Manufacturing method of glass plate. The second cutting step includes: a first station for forming a scribe line in a vertical direction at a boundary between the product part and the non-product part of the glass raw sheet; and a downstream side in a transport direction of the first station. And a second station for cutting the glass sheet along the scribe line,
The method according to claim 6, wherein the guide member is disposed in at least one of the first station and the second station. A forming apparatus for continuously forming a glass ribbon, a cutting apparatus for cutting the glass ribbon in a width direction, and cutting a glass base plate from the glass ribbon, and a transfer device for transferring the glass base plate in a vertical position. A manufacturing device,
The transfer device has a support portion that supports an upper end portion of the glass base plate, and a regulation gap that is larger than a thickness of a side end portion of the glass base plate, and the side end portion of the glass base plate within the regulation gap. An apparatus for manufacturing a glass sheet, comprising: a regulating unit for regulating.   A second cutting device for vertically cutting a boundary between a product part of the glass base plate and a non-product part including a side end thereof on the transfer path of the transfer apparatus, and removing the non-product part from the glass base plate. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: A glass sheet transfer device for transferring a glass plate in a vertical position,
A support portion that supports the upper end portion of the glass plate, has a regulation gap that is larger than the thickness of the side end portion of the glass plate, and a regulation portion that regulates the side end portion of the glass plate within the regulation gap. A transfer device for a glass sheet, comprising:

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