JP6860824B2 - Glass film manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing a glass film, which comprises a cutting step by laser cutting.

In recent years, flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays have been promoted to be thinner, and the glass substrate used for the flat panel display has been thinned to a film shape (for example, the thickness is 200 μm or less). Glass film has been developed.

A laser cutting technique is used as a method for cutting this glass film (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the laser cutting method, first, an initial crack (initial crack) is formed at an end portion (breaking start end portion) of a scheduled cutting line assumed on a glass film (glass substrate) placed on a table. Next, with this initial crack as the starting position of the fracture, the Er-YAG laser beam and the CO ₂ laser beam are irradiated along the planned fracture line, and a refrigerant obtained by mixing water and air is injected into the irradiation region. The irradiation area is cooled. As a result, thermal stress is generated in the glass film. The glass film is cut by the action of this thermal stress as the initial cracks grow along the planned cutting line.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-57494

When an ultra-thin glass film having a thickness of 200 μm or less is cut by the above laser cutting method, innumerable fine wrinkles may occur on the glass film while it is placed on a table. In the conventional laser cutting method, if the wrinkles are cut while overlapping the planned cutting line, there is a problem that defective parts due to the wrinkles remain on the end face (cross section) of the glass film after the cutting. ..

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is a technical subject to prevent the occurrence of end face defects when a glass film is cut by laser cutting.

The present invention is for solving the above-mentioned problems, and is a method for producing a glass film, comprising a cutting step of cutting the mother glass film placed on a surface plate by irradiating the mother glass film with a laser beam. In the cutting step, the first fixing member is placed on the mother glass film under the first mounting condition at intervals from the first scheduled cutting line, and then the laser beam is applied along the first scheduled cutting line. The second fixing member is different from the first mounting condition after the first cutting step of irradiation and after the first cutting step, at intervals from the second scheduled cutting line intersecting the first scheduled cutting line. It is characterized by comprising a second splitting step of irradiating the laser beam along the second splitting scheduled line after mounting on the mother glass film under the second mounting condition.

According to such a configuration, by placing the first fixing member on the surface of the mother glass film at a distance from the first planned cutting line, it is possible to suppress the generation of fine wrinkles on the surface of the mother glass film. Similarly, by placing the second fixing member on the surface of the glass film at a distance from the second planned cut line, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of fine wrinkles on the surface of the mother glass film. Therefore, when the mother glass film is cut by irradiating the laser beam along the first scheduled cut line, and when the mother glass film is cut by irradiating the second scheduled cut line with the laser light, each scheduled cut line is used. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of defects (end face defects) in the cross section of the above. Further, by making the first mounting condition of the first fixing member different from the second mounting condition of the second fixing member, it is possible to divide the film under the optimum conditions according to the shape and dimensions of the mother glass film. become.

In the method for manufacturing a glass film described above, the first fixing member is a pair of first fixing bars arranged in parallel with the first scheduled cutting line, and the second fixing member is the second scheduled cutting line. It is desirable to have a pair of second fixed bars arranged in parallel with. In this way, by arranging each fixed bar in parallel with each scheduled cutting line, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles over the entire planned cutting line.

In the method for manufacturing a glass film described above, the first mounting condition is the distance between the pair of first fixing bars and the first split line, and the second mounting condition is the pair of first mounting conditions. (Ii) It is desirable that the distance between the fixed bar and the second planned cut line is the same.

In this way, by making the distance between the pair of first fixed bars and the first planned cut line different from the distance between the pair of second fixed bars and the second planned cut line, the shape and dimensions of the mother glass film It can be divided under the optimum conditions according to the above conditions. Further, in this method, the first splitting step is performed by setting the distance between the first fixed bar and the first scheduled cut line to be relatively large, and the second fixed bar and the second scheduled cut line are combined. It is desirable to perform the second splitting step by setting the interval to be relatively small.

Further, in the above method for manufacturing a glass film, the first mounting condition is the length of the first fixed bar, and the second mounting condition is the length of the second fixed bar. desirable. In this way, by making the lengths of the pair of first fixing bars different from the lengths of the pair of second fixing bars in the cutting step, the mother glass film can be suitably cut according to the shape, dimensions, and the like. Further, in the present method, the first splitting step is performed by the first fixing bar longer than the second fixing bar, and the second splitting step is performed by the second fixing bar shorter than the first fixing bar. desirable.

In the above-mentioned manufacturing method, in the first-splitting step and the second-splitting step, the irradiation portion of the laser beam on the first-planned splitting line and the second scheduled-cutting line is cooled after the irradiation of the laser beam. Is desirable. According to this, the mother glass film can be accurately cut along each scheduled cutting line by the action of the thermal stress (tensile stress) generated by cooling the part (irradiated part) heated by the irradiation of the laser beam. ..

In the present method, the first scheduled split line and the second scheduled split line have a split start end portion at which the split is started and a split end portion at which the split ends, and the split step is performed in the split start end. It is desirable to provide an initial crack forming step of forming an initial crack in the portion. By advancing this initial crack along each scheduled cutting line, the mother glass film can be cut with high accuracy.

In this method, it is desirable that the first fixing member and the second fixing member include a main body made of metal and a protective cover that covers the surface of the main body. In this way, since each fixing member is provided with a protective sheet, it can be fixed without damaging the mother glass film.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of end face defects when the glass film is cut by laser cutting.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the manufacturing apparatus of a glass film. It is a perspective view which shows the 3rd cut part. It is a perspective view which shows the 3rd cut part. It is a top view which shows the mother glass film and the glass film. It is a flowchart which shows the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a top view which shows the 1st cutting process which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a side view which shows the 1st cutting process which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a top view which shows the 1st cutting process which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a side view which shows the 1st cutting process which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a top view which shows the 1st cutting process which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a side view which shows the 1st cutting process which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a top view which shows the 2nd cutting process which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a top view which shows the 2nd cutting process which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a side view which shows the 2nd cutting process which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a top view which shows the 2nd cutting process which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a top view which shows the 2nd cutting process which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a top view which shows the 2nd cutting process which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a top view which shows another example which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a top view which shows another example which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a top view which shows another example which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film. It is a top view which shows another example which concerns on the manufacturing method of a glass film.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 17 show an embodiment of a glass film manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a molding unit 2 for molding the band-shaped glass film GR, a direction changing unit 3 for changing the traveling direction of the band-shaped glass film GR from the lower vertical direction to the horizontal direction, and after the direction change. The first transport portion 4 that transports the strip-shaped glass film GR in the lateral direction, the first cut portion 5 that cuts the widthwise end (ear portion) of the strip-shaped glass film GR, and the strip-shaped glass film GR from which the ear portion has been removed. The glass roll GRL is formed by winding the glass roll GRL.

Further, the manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a take-out section 7 for taking out the strip-shaped glass film GR from the glass roll GRL, a second transport section 8 for carrying the strip-shaped glass film GR taken out from the take-out section 7, and a part of the strip-shaped glass film GR. A glass film G is formed by cutting the second cutting portion 9 for cutting as a single-wafered mother glass film MGF, the third transport portion 10 for transporting the mother glass film MGF, and SD1 to SD4 on each side of the mother glass film MGF. A third cutting portion 11 is provided.

The molding portion 2 has a substantially wedge-shaped molded body 12 having an overflow groove 12a formed at the upper end portion thereof, and an edge that is arranged directly under the molded body 12 and sandwiches the molten glass GM overflowing from the molded body 12 from both the front and back sides. A roller 13 and an annealer 14 deployed directly below the edge roller 13 are provided.

The molding unit 2 causes the molten glass GM that overflows from above the overflow groove 12a of the molded body 12 to flow down along both side surfaces and merges at the lower end portions thereof to form a film. The edge roller 13 regulates the shrinkage of the molten glass GM in the width direction to obtain a strip-shaped glass film GR having a predetermined width. The annealer 14 is for performing a strain-removing treatment on the strip-shaped glass film GR. The annealer 14 has an annealer roller 15 arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction.

Below the annealer 14, a support roller 16 for sandwiching the strip-shaped glass film GR from both the front and back sides is arranged. A tension is applied between the support roller 16 and the edge roller 13 or between the support roller 16 and any one of the annealing rollers 15 to help thin the strip-shaped glass film GR.

The direction changing unit 3 is provided at a position below the support roller 16. A plurality of guide rollers 17 for guiding the strip-shaped glass film GR are arranged in a curved shape in the direction changing unit 3. These guide rollers 17 guide the strip-shaped glass film GR, which is conveyed in the vertical direction, in the lateral direction.

The first transport unit 4 is arranged in front (downstream side) of the direction changing unit 3 in the traveling direction. The first transport unit 4 is composed of a belt conveyor, but is not limited to this configuration, and a roller conveyor or other various conveyors can be used. By driving the endless belt-shaped belt 4a, the first conveying portion 4 continuously conveys the strip-shaped glass film GR that has passed through the direction changing portion 3 to the downstream side.

The first cutting portion 5 is arranged above the first conveying portion 4. In the present embodiment, the first cutting portion 5 cuts the strip-shaped glass film GR by laser cutting, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the first cutting portion 5 may be configured by laser cutting or other cutting means. The first cutting portion 5 includes a pair of laser irradiation devices 18 and a pair of cooling devices 19. The laser irradiation device 18 locally heats a predetermined portion of the strip-shaped glass film GR _{by irradiating the predetermined portion with CO 2 laser light L.} The cooling device 19 is arranged on the downstream side of the laser irradiation device 18 in the transport direction of the strip-shaped glass film GR. The cooling device 19 injects the refrigerant R onto the locally heated portion of the strip-shaped glass film GR to cool the portion.

The winding unit 6 is installed on the downstream side of the first transport unit 4 and the first cutting unit 5. The winding unit 6 winds the strip-shaped glass film GR in a roll shape by rotating the winding core 20. The glass roll GRL configured in this way is conveyed to the position of the take-out portion 7. The take-out part 7 pulls out the strip-shaped glass film GR from the glass roll GRL formed by the take-up part 6 and supplies it to the second cutting part 9.

The second transport unit 8 transports the strip-shaped glass film GR taken out from the glass roll GRL at the take-out unit 7 to the downstream side. The second conveyor 8 is composed of a belt conveyor, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a roller conveyor or other various conveyors can be used. The second transport unit 8 transports the strip-shaped glass film GR to the second cut portion 9 on the downstream side by driving the endless belt-shaped belt 8a.

The second cutting portion 9 forms a single-wafered mother glass film MGF by cutting the strip-shaped glass film GR. The second cutting portion 9 is configured by a bending stress breaking device, but is not limited to this configuration, and may be configured by laser fusing or other cutting means. The second cutting portion 9 includes a supporting member 21 having a curved surface, a pair of pressing members 22, and a crack forming member 23. The support member 21 is a rod-shaped member having a cylindrical surface. The support member 21 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. The pressing member 22 is formed of a columnar shape made of metal, resin, or the like. The pressing member is configured to be movable in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The pressing member 22 is arranged at two locations, an upstream side and a downstream side of the supporting member 21. The crack forming member 23 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction, and is arranged above the support member 21. The crack forming member 23 has a diamond cutter at its lower end.

The third transport unit 10 is composed of a belt conveyor, but the configuration is not limited to this, and a roller conveyor or other various transport devices can be used. The third transport unit 10 transports the mother glass film MGF to the third cut portion 11 on the downstream side by driving the endless belt-shaped belt 10a.

The third cutting portion 11 fully cuts the four sides SD1 to SD4 of the single-wafered mother glass film MGF by laser cutting. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the third cutting portion 11 is formed on the surface of the surface plate 24 that supports the mother glass film MGF, the cushioning material 25 that is placed on the surface plate 24, and the mother glass film MGF. A plurality of fixing members 26a, 26b, 27a, 27b to be mounted, a crack forming member 28 that forms an initial crack in the mother glass film MGF, a pair of laser irradiation devices 29 for cutting the mother glass film MGF, and a pair of cooling. The device 30 is provided.

The surface plate 24 is made of metal and has a support surface 24a larger than the surface area of the mother glass film MGF. The cushioning material 25 is a sheet material made of a foamed resin. The cushioning material 25 has an area smaller than the support surface 24a and larger than that of the mother glass film MGF.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the mother glass film MGF has a rectangular shape, and faces the first side SD1, the second side SD2 intersecting the first side SD1, and the first side SD1. It has a third side SD3 and a fourth side SD4 that intersects the first side SD1 and the third side SD3. Each side SD1 to SD4 is cut (cut) at the third cutting portion 11 and removed as an unnecessary portion. The length of each side SD1 to SD4 is 500 mm or more and 1500 mm or less, but is not limited to this range. In the present embodiment, the mother glass film MGF in which the lengths of the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 are shorter than the lengths of the first side SD1 and the third side SD3 is exemplified, but the shape is not limited to this.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the first scheduled cut line CL1 and the second scheduled cut line CL2 are virtually set in the mother glass film MGF. The first scheduled cut line CL1 and the second scheduled cut line CL2 intersect at a predetermined angle (for example, 90 degrees). In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), after the division along the first scheduled cut line CL1 is executed, as shown in FIG. 4 (c), along the second scheduled cut line CL2. The split is performed. As a result, each side SD1 to SD4 of the mother glass film MGF is removed, and a rectangular glass film G having new four sides SD1a to SD4a is formed.

The fixing members 26a, 26b, 27a, 27b include two pairs of first fixing members 26a, 26b and two pairs of second fixing members 27a, 27b. In the present embodiment, as the fixing members 26a, 26b, 27a, 27b, a fixing bar placed on the surface (upper surface) of the mother glass film MGF is illustrated. Specifically, each of the fixing members 26a, 26b, 27a, 27b includes a main body 31 made of a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, and a protective cover 32 that covers the outer surface of the main body 31. The main body 31 is composed of a square columnar or square tubular rod-shaped member, but is not limited to this shape. The protective cover 32 is formed in a sheet shape by a resin containing a foamed resin. The protective cover 32 covers the entire outer surface of the main body 31, but is not limited to this, and may cover only a part of the outer surface of the main body 31.

In the present embodiment, the first fixing member (first fixing bar) 26a, 26b is longer than the second fixing member (second fixing bar) 27a, 27b. Specifically, when the lengths of the first fixing members 26a and 26b are L1 and the lengths of the second fixing members 27a and 27b are L2 (see FIG. 2), the relationship is such that L1> 1.1L2. It is desirable to set the lengths L1 and L2 of both. The width W1 of the first fixing members 26a and 26b (see FIG. 2) is set to 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less, and the width W2 of the second fixing members 27a and 27b is set to 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less. It is not limited to.

The crack forming member 28 is arranged above the surface plate 24 and is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. The crack forming member 28 is provided with a diamond cutter at its lower end.

The laser irradiation device 29 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The laser irradiation device 29 is _{configured to irradiate, for example, CO 2} laser light L, but is not limited to this configuration. The cooling device 30 is configured to inject a refrigerant (mist air) R formed by mixing water and air downward. Further, the cooling device 30 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and moves following the laser irradiation device 29.

As the material of the glass film G manufactured by the above-mentioned manufacturing apparatus 1, silicate glass and silica glass are used, preferably borosilicate glass, sodalime glass, aluminosilicate glass and chemically strengthened glass are used. Most preferably non-alkali glass is used. By using non-alkali glass as the glass film G, it is possible to obtain chemically stable glass. Here, the non-alkali glass is a glass that does not substantially contain an alkaline component (alkali metal oxide), and specifically, a glass having a weight ratio of an alkaline component of 3000 ppm or less. is there. The weight ratio of the alkaline component in the present invention is preferably 1000 ppm or less, more preferably 500 ppm or less, and most preferably 300 ppm or less.

The thickness of the glass film G (mother glass film MGF) is 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less, preferably 30 μm or more and 200 μm or less, and most preferably 30 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the glass film G using the manufacturing apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the present method includes a molding step S1 for molding the strip-shaped glass film GR by the molding portion 2, and an ear portion removing step S2 for cutting the widthwise end portion (ear portion) of the strip-shaped glass film GR. The winding step S3 for winding the strip-shaped glass film GR to form the glass roll GRL, the taking-out step S4 for drawing out the strip-shaped glass film GR from the glass roll GRL, and the cutting of the strip-shaped glass film GR to form the mother glass film MGF. The mother glass forming step S5 and the cutting step S6 for cutting the four sides SD1 to SD4 of the mother glass film MGF to form the glass film G are provided.

In the molding step S1, the molten glass GM overflowing from the overflow groove 12a of the molded body 12 in the molded body 2 is allowed to flow down along both side surfaces of the molded body 12, and merged at the lower ends thereof to form a film. At this time, the shrinkage of the molten glass GM in the width direction is regulated by the edge roller 13 to obtain a strip-shaped glass film GR having a predetermined width. Then, the strip-shaped glass film GR is subjected to a strain-removing treatment by the annealing 14 (slow cooling step). The strip-shaped glass film GR is formed to a predetermined thickness by the tension of the support roller 16.

In the selvage removal step S2, the direction changing unit 3 and the first transport unit 4 send the strip-shaped glass film GR to the downstream side, while the first cutting unit 5 expands and cools the laser irradiation device 18 by local heating. Thermal stress is generated in the strip-shaped glass film GR by shrinkage due to cooling. Initial cracks are formed in advance in the strip-shaped glass film GR, and the cracks are propagated by this thermal stress to continuously cut the widthwise end portion of the strip-shaped glass film GR. As a result, the selvage portion as the non-product portion is separated from the strip-shaped glass film GR as the product portion.

In the subsequent winding step S3, the strip-shaped glass film GR from which the ears have been removed is wound around the winding core 20 to form a glass roll GRL. After that, the glass roll GRL is transferred to the take-out unit 7. In the take-out step S4, the strip-shaped glass film GR is pulled out from the glass roll GRL transferred to the take-out part 7, and is carried to the second cutting part 9 by the second carrying part 8.

In the mother glass forming step S5, a tensile stress is applied to the strip-shaped glass film GR by the support member 21 and the pressing member 22 of the second cutting portion 9. Next, the crack forming member 23 forms an initial crack in a part of the strip-shaped glass film GR. After that, due to the tensile stress acting on the strip-shaped glass film GR, the initial crack is propagated along the planned split line assumed in the longitudinal direction of the support member 21. As a result, a part of the strip-shaped glass film GR is cut to form a single-wafer-shaped mother glass film MGF. After that, the mother glass film MGF is conveyed to the third cutting portion 11 by the third conveying portion 10.

In the cutting step S6, first, the mother glass film MGF is placed on the cushioning material 25 arranged on the support surface 24a of the surface plate 24 in the third cutting portion 11 (placement step). After that, the first cutting step of cutting the first side SD1 and the third side SD3 of the mother glass film MGF, and after the first cutting step, the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 of the mother glass film MGF are cut. The second splitting process is performed.

In the first cutting step, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 6 and 7, two pairs of first fixing members 26a and 26b are placed on the upper surface of the mother glass film MGF. In this case, the first fixing members 26a and 26b are installed in parallel with the two first split scheduled lines CL1 corresponding to the first side SD1 and the third side SD3 of the mother glass film MGF (first fixing step). .. In this case, a part of the protective cover 32 of the first fixing members 26a and 26b comes into contact with the mother glass film MGF, and the main body 31 does not come into contact with the mother glass film MGF. This prevents damage to the mother glass film MGF due to contact with the main body 31. The first fixing members 26a and 26b may be placed on the mother glass film MGF manually by an operator or automatically by a manipulator or the like (the same applies to the second fixing step described later).

Specifically, two (pair) first fixing members 26a and 26b are arranged with respect to one first split scheduled line CL1. The two first fixing members 26a and 26b are arranged at regular intervals in the horizontal direction. More specifically, the first fixing members 26a and 26b are provided at positions away from the first scheduled cut line CL1. The distances D1a and D1b (see FIG. 7) from the first scheduled cut line CL1 in each of the first fixing members 26a and 26b are set to 5 mm or more and 100 mm or less. In the present embodiment, the distance D1a between one first fixing member 26a and the first scheduled cut line CL1 and the distance D1b between the other first fixing member 26b and the first scheduled cut line CL1 are equalized. Not limited to this, the intervals D1a and D1b may be different.

As shown in FIG. 6, the four (two pairs) first fixing members 26a and 26b arranged in parallel along the first cut line CL1 intersect the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4. As a result, one end of the first fixing members 26a and 26b protrudes from the second side SD2, and the other end protrudes from the fourth side SD4. The protrusion length L3 from the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 of the first fixing members 26a and 26b is 1 mm or more and 300 mm or less, but is not limited to this range.

The first split scheduled line CL1 has a split start end S set at one end and a split end E set at the other end. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the first cutting step, an initial crack is formed by the crack forming member 28 at the cutting start end portion S of the first cutting scheduled line CL1 (first initial crack forming step). The crack forming member 28 descends from a position above the split start end portion S of the mother glass film MGF and comes into contact with the split start end portion S to form an initial crack. After that, the crack forming member 28 separates from the mother glass film MGF, returns to a predetermined standby position, and waits until the next operation.

When the initial cracks are formed, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the laser irradiation device 29 is located above the mother glass film MGF along the first split scheduled line CL1 from the split start end portion S to the split end portion E. And move horizontally. The laser irradiation device 29 irradiates the laser beam L toward the first split scheduled line CL1 while moving.

The cooling device 30 is located behind the laser irradiation device 29 and moves in the horizontal direction following the laser irradiation device 29. The cooling device 30 injects the refrigerant R toward the portion irradiated with the laser beam L. The refrigerant R cools the portion heated by the laser beam L. Thermal stress (tensile stress) is generated at the portion of the first scheduled cut line CL1 due to the expansion of the glass due to the local heating of the laser beam L and the contraction of the glass due to the cooling of the refrigerant R. Due to this thermal stress, the initial crack propagates along the first split scheduled line CL1, and the crack reaches the split end portion E, so that the first side SD1 and the third side SD3 are separated from the mother glass film MGF. (See FIG. 12). With the above, the first cutting step is completed.

As shown in FIG. 12, the first side SD1 and the third side SD3 have a certain cutting allowance RS1. The cutting allowance RS1 in the present embodiment is set to 10 mm or more and 400 mm or less, but is not limited to this range.

In the second cutting step, the position (orientation) of the mother glass film MGF is changed in order to cut the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 of the mother glass film MGF. As shown in FIG. 12, the mother glass film MGF rotates 90 degrees in a plan view and moves from the position indicated by the solid line to the position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line. The orientation and position of the mother glass film MGF may be changed by an operator, or the surface plate 24 may be configured to be rotatable and the surface plate 24 may be rotated by 90 degrees. Further, the crack forming member 28, the laser irradiation device 29, and the cooling device 30 may be moved to positions where the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 can be cut without changing the position of the mother glass film MGF. Alternatively, a crack forming member, a laser irradiation device, and a cooling device for cutting the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 may be separately prepared.

The second split scheduled line CL2 is set on the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 of the mother glass film MGF. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, in the second splitting step, two pairs of second fixing members 27a and 27b are arranged in parallel with the second splitting scheduled line CL2 of the mother glass film MGF (second fixing step). ). In this case, each end of the second fixing member 27a, 27b protrudes from the mother glass film MGF. The protruding length L4 of this end is set to 1 mm or more and 300 mm or less, but is not limited to this range.

As shown in FIG. 14, the second fixing members 27a and 27b are provided at positions away from the second scheduled cut line CL2. The distances D2a and D2b from the second scheduled line CL2 in each of the second fixing members 27a and 27b are set to 6 mm or more and 50 mm or less. In the present embodiment, the distance D2a between one second fixing member 27a and the second scheduled line CL2 is equal to the distance D2b between the other second fixing member 27b and the second scheduled line CL2. Not limited to this, the intervals D2a and D2b may be different. Further, it is desirable that the intervals D2a and D2b related to the second fixing members 27a and 27b are set smaller than the intervals D1a and D1b related to the first fixing members 26a and 26b. In this case, it is desirable that the difference between the intervals D1a and D1b and the intervals D2a and D2b is 1 mm or more and 50 mm or less.

When the second fixing members 27a and 27b fix the mother glass film MGF, the crack forming member 28 restarts as shown in FIG. 15, and the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 of the mother glass film MGF are related to the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4. An initial crack is formed at the split start end portion S of the scheduled split line CL2 (second initial crack formation step).

After that, as shown in FIG. 16, each laser irradiation device 29 and each cooling device 30 move above the mother glass film MGF along the second split scheduled line CL2. Initial cracks propagate along the second split scheduled line CL2 due to the thermal stress generated in the mother glass film MGF due to the heating by the laser beam L emitted by the laser irradiation device 29 and the cooling of the refrigerant R injected by the cooling device 30. .. When this crack reaches the split end portion E of the second scheduled split line CL2, the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 are separated from the mother glass film MGF (see FIG. 17).

As shown in FIG. 17, the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 have a constant cutting allowance RS2. The cutting allowance RS2 in the present embodiment is set to 10 mm or more and 400 or less, but is not limited to this range.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 17, all of the four sides SD1 to SD4 of the mother glass film MGF are cut with high accuracy, and a rectangular glass film G having new four sides SD1a to SD4a is completed.

According to the method for producing the glass film G according to the present embodiment described above, the first fixing members 26a and 26b are placed on the surface of the glass film G in parallel with the first cut line CL1. The occurrence of wrinkles around the planned break line CL1 can be suppressed. Similarly, by placing the second fixing members 27a and 27b on the surface of the mother glass film MGF in parallel with the second scheduled cut line CL2, the occurrence of wrinkles around the second scheduled cut line CL2 can be suppressed. Thereby, the occurrence of end face defects on each side SD1a to SD4a of the glass film G can be effectively prevented.

Further, in the present embodiment, the mounting conditions of the first fixing members 26a and 26b in the first cutting step (first mounting conditions) and the mounting conditions of the second fixing members 27a and 27b in the second splitting step (first mounting conditions). (2) Placement conditions) are different from those of the mother glass film MGF. That is, in the present embodiment, the difference in the mounting conditions between the first fixing member 26a, 26b and the second fixing member 27a, 27b is firstly the length of each fixing member 26a, 26b, 27a, 27b. L1 and L2 (L1> L2). The second difference is the separation intervals D1a, D1b, D2a, and D2b from the planned split lines CL1 and CL2 in the fixing members 26a, 26b, 27a, and 27b (D1a (D1b)> D2a (D2b)). The third difference is the weight of each fixing member 26a, 26b, 27a, 27b.

In this way, by making the mounting conditions of the first fixing members 26a and 26b different from those of the second fixing members 27a and 27b, the first cutting is scheduled in the cutting step S6 (first cutting step, second cutting step). The first side SD1 and the third side SD3 along the line CL1 and the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 along the second scheduled line CL2 can be divided under the optimum conditions.

That is, in the present embodiment, the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 of the mother glass film MGF are shorter than the first side SD1 and the third side SD3, but are further shorter after the first cutting step. In this case, if the mother glass film MGF after the first cutting step is fixed under the same conditions as the first mounting conditions of the first fixing members 26a and 26b, the fixing may be insufficient.

Therefore, in order to sufficiently fix the mother glass film MGF, the intervals D2a and D2b related to the second fixing members 27a and 27b are set smaller than the intervals D1a and D1b related to the first fixing members 26a and 26b. In other words, the intervals D1a and D1b related to the first fixing members 26a and 26b relate to the second fixing members 27a and 27b so that the mother glass film MGF is not excessively constrained by the first fixing members 26a and 26b. It is set larger than the intervals D2a and D2b. Further, in the second splitting step, the second fixing members 27a and 27b, which are shorter than the first fixing members 26a and 26b, are used so that an excessive pressure does not act when fixing the mother glass film MGF.

The above mounting conditions are not limited to the lengths L1 and L2 of the fixing members 26a, 26b, 27a and 27b, and the separation intervals D1a, D1b, D2a and D2b from the planned split lines CL1 and CL2. The mounting conditions include the widths W1 and W2 of the fixing members 26a, 26b, 27a and 27b, the height, the material and density of the main body 31, the thickness of the protective cover 32, the lengths of the planned cut lines CL1 and CL2, etc. , Various conditions are included.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and is not limited to the above-mentioned action and effect. The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the mother glass film MGF is fixed by the fixing members 26a, 26b, 27a, 27b formed in a square columnar shape or a square cylinder shape is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in addition to the polygonal columnar shape or the polygonal tubular shape, a rod-shaped member or a plate-shaped member having a deformed cross-sectional view can be used as the first fixing member 26a, 26b or the second fixing member 27a, 27b.

In the above embodiment, the first cutting step and the second cutting step are executed by using the first fixing members 26a and 26b and the second fixing members 27a and 27b shorter than the first fixing members 26a and 26b. Although an example is shown, the present invention is not limited to this, and the second fixing members 27a and 27b may be formed longer than the first fixing members 26a and 26b, and the cutting step S6 may be executed.

Further, the length L1 of the first fixing members 26a and 26b and the length L2 of the second fixing members 27a and 27b are made equal to each other, and the intervals D1a and D1b related to the first fixing members 26a and 26b and the second fixing member 27a, The cutting step S6 may be executed only by making the intervals D2a and D2b related to 27b different.

Alternatively, the intervals D1a and D1b related to the first fixing members 26a and 26b and the intervals D2a and D2b related to the second fixing members 27a and 27b are made equal, and the lengths L1 of the first fixing members 26a and 26b and the second The cutting step S6 may be executed only by making the lengths L2 of the fixing members 27a and 27b different from each other.

In the above embodiment, the first side SD1 and the third side SD3 of the mother glass film MGF are both cut in the first cutting step, and the second side SD2 and the fourth side SD4 are both cut in the second cutting step. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the method for producing the glass film G according to the present invention, the first side SD1 to the fourth side SD4 may be individually divided. In this case, the first to 40th division scheduled lines corresponding to the SD1 to SD4 on each side are set in the mother glass film MGF.

In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the glass roll GRL is formed in the winding step S3 and then the strip-shaped glass film GR is taken out from the glass roll GRL in the taking-out step S4, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the method for producing the glass film G according to the present invention, the winding step S3 and the taking-out step S4 may be omitted, and the mother glass forming step S5 may be executed after the selvage removal step S2.

In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the laser irradiation device 29 and the cooling device 30 of the third cutting portion 11 are moved in the horizontal direction to execute the cutting step S6, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the laser irradiation device 29 and the cooling device are not limited to this. The cutting step S6 may be executed by moving the platen 24 in the horizontal direction without moving the device 30.

In the above embodiment, the first scheduled cut line CL1 and the second scheduled cut line CL2 are formed in a straight line, but the structure is not limited to this, and the line may be formed in a curved line.

In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the four sides SD1 to SD4 of the rectangular mother glass film MGF are removed by cutting to form the glass film G, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, the glass film G is executed by executing the cutting step S6 based on the first scheduled cutting line CL1 and the second scheduled cutting line CL2 set in the circular mother glass film MGF. May be formed.

In the above embodiment, the first split scheduled line CL1 substantially parallel to the first side SD1 and the third side SD3 of the mother glass film MGF is set, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, the first split scheduled line CL1 intersecting the first side SD1 and the second side SD2 of the mother glass film MGF at a predetermined angle, and the third side SD3 and the fourth side SD4 intersecting each other. The 10th division scheduled line CL1 may be set, and the first division step may be executed based on each first division scheduled line CL1.

In the above embodiment, the first fixing members 26a and 26b are installed so as to be substantially parallel to the first scheduled cut line CL1, and the second fixing members 27a and 27b are substantially parallel to the second scheduled cut line CL2. Although an example in which they are installed so as to be parallel to each other is shown, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, even if the second fixing members 27a and 27b are arranged so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the second scheduled split line CL2 in a plan view, the second split step may be executed. Good. Similarly, the first fixing members 26a and 26b may be arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the first split scheduled line CL1 to execute the first split step. That is, the fixing members 26a, 26b, 27a, 27b arranged in parallel with the scheduled cutting lines CL1 and CL2 are arranged in parallel with the scheduled cutting lines CL1 and CL2, and also with the scheduled cutting lines CL1 and CL2. Those arranged non-parallel (for example, inclined arrangement) are included. In the example shown in FIG. 20, the distance between the second fixing members 27a and 27b from the second scheduled cut line CL2 gradually increases from the start end portion S to the end portion E of the second scheduled cut line CL2. However, it is not limited to this inclined arrangement.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the pair of first fixing members 26a and 26b are formed of fixing bars of the same shape and the pair of second fixing members 27a and 27b are formed of fixing bars of the same shape has been shown. The invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in FIG. 21, one first fixing member 26a may be a fixing bar, and the other first fixing member 26b may be formed of a shape different from that of the fixing bar, for example, a fixing plate. In FIG. 21, the other first fixing member 26b is exemplified as a circular fixing plate, but is not limited to this shape.

24 Surface plate 26a First fixing member 26b First fixing member 27a Second fixing member 27b Second fixing member 28 Crack forming member 31 Main body 32 Protective cover CL1 First split scheduled line CL2 Second split scheduled line D1a First split scheduled line Spacing between the first fixing member and D1b D1b Spacing between the first scheduled cut line and the first fixing member D2a Spacing between the second scheduled split line and the second fixing member D2b Spacing between the second scheduled split line and the second fixing member E Fracture end part G Glass film L Laser light L1 Length of first fixing member L2 Length of second fixing member MGF Mother glass film S Fracture start end part S6 Fracture process SD1 First side of mother glass film SD2 Mother glass film Second side

Claims (6)

In a method for producing a glass film, which comprises a cutting step of cutting the mother glass film by irradiating the mother glass film placed on a surface plate with a laser beam.
In the cutting step, the first fixing member is placed on the mother glass film under the first mounting condition at intervals from the first scheduled cutting line, and then the laser beam is irradiated along the first scheduled cutting line. The second fixing member, which is different from the first mounting condition after the first cutting step and the first cutting step, is separated from the second scheduled cutting line that intersects with the first scheduled cutting line. A second splitting step of irradiating the laser beam along the second splitting scheduled line after mounting on the mother glass film under mounting conditions is provided .
The first fixing member is a pair of first fixing bars arranged in parallel with the first split scheduled line.
The second fixing member is a pair of second fixing bars arranged in parallel with the second split scheduled line.
The first mounting condition is the distance between the pair of first fixed bars and the first cut line.
The second mounting condition is the distance between the pair of second fixed bars and the second scheduled line.
The first split step is performed by setting the distance between the first fixed bar and the first scheduled cut line to be relatively large, and the distance between the second fixed bar and the second scheduled cut line is relative to each other. A method for producing a glass film, which comprises setting the size to be small and performing the second cutting step. The first mounting condition is the length of the first fixed bar.
The method for producing a glass film according to claim 1 , wherein the second mounting condition is the length of the second fixing bar. Wherein the long the first fixing bar than the second fixing bar performs the first percent cross step, the second percent cross step by short the second fixing bar than the first fixing bar, according to claim 2 A method for manufacturing a glass film. The first cutting step and the second cutting step are claimed 1 to 3 in which the irradiation portion of the laser beam on the first scheduled cutting line and the second scheduled cutting line is cooled after the irradiation of the laser light. The method for producing a glass film according to any one of the above. The first scheduled cut line and the second scheduled cut line have a split start end portion at which division is started and a split end portion at which division ends.
The method for producing a glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the cutting step includes an initial crack forming step of forming an initial crack at the cutting start end portion. The glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the first fixing member and the second fixing member include a main body made of metal and a protective cover that covers the surface of the main body. Production method.

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