JP7366344B2 - Glass plate manufacturing method and its manufacturing device - Google Patents

Description

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

As is well known, glass plates are used in various fields including substrates for displays such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays.

In the manufacturing process of this type of glass plate, first, a long glass ribbon is continuously formed by a known method such as an overflow down-draw method or a float method. Next, the glass ribbon is cut in the width direction every predetermined length, and a glass plate is cut out from the glass ribbon. Thereafter, the cut glass plate is transported on a transport path by a transport device. On this conveyance path, for example, a process of removing the edges of the glass plate, a process of inspecting the glass plate for defects, etc. are performed as necessary. After going through these various steps, a plurality of glass plates are packed into pallets by a loading device at the downstream end of the conveyance path of the conveyance device, and stored or transported (shipped) (for example, Patent Document 1 and 2).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-30744 JP2019-89674A

By the way, in a production line for glass plates, it is necessary to take out glass plates as samples for evaluation at a certain frequency and perform predetermined evaluations such as observing the cut end surfaces of the glass plates.

However, conventional glass plate manufacturing lines are not designed specifically to take out samples for evaluation, and, for example, samples for evaluation are taken out from the downstream end of the conveyance path. In this case, production of glass plates (for example, loading of glass plates onto a pallet) must be temporarily interrupted in order to extract samples for evaluation, resulting in a decrease in glass plate manufacturing efficiency.

An object of the present invention is to collect glass plates from a glass plate production line without causing a decrease in glass plate production efficiency.

The present invention, which was created to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a method for manufacturing a glass plate, which includes a cutting process for cutting out a glass plate from a glass ribbon, and a conveying process for conveying the cut glass plate. The present invention is characterized by further comprising a step of providing a branch path branching off from the transport path of the step and collecting the glass plate from the branch path.

In this way, the glass plate can be collected from a dedicated branch route different from the conveyance route, so there is no need to temporarily interrupt the production of the glass plate in order to collect the glass plate as an evaluation sample, for example. Therefore, glass plates can be collected from a glass plate production line without reducing glass plate production efficiency.

In the above configuration, the conveyance path includes a first straight section, a second straight section provided on the downstream side of the first straight section and extending in a direction different from the first straight section, and a bend where the first straight section and the second straight section are connected. It is preferable that the branch path has a bent portion and that the branch path branches from the bent portion.

In this way, even when conveying the glass plate from the first straight section to the second straight section, the glass plate is once decelerated (including stopped) in order to change the conveying direction at the bending section. Therefore, if the branch path is branched from the bending portion, the glass plate in a decelerated state can be handled, making it easier to supply the glass plate to the branch path. It is also possible to branch a branch route from the downstream end (packing position) of the transport process, but in this case, there is a risk that the branch route may restrict the passage of a forklift that moves the package. On the other hand, if the branch path branches from the bent portion as in the above configuration, the occurrence of such a problem can be reliably avoided.

When the branch route branches from the bent part, the branch route has a third straight part, and the third straight part is parallel to the second straight part and extends from the bent part to the opposite side from the second straight part. It is preferable.

In this way, when a plurality of manufacturing lines are arranged in parallel, the distance between the manufacturing lines can be narrowed, so that the space of the entire manufacturing equipment can be saved.

When the branch path branches from a bent part, the conveyance process includes a vertical conveyance process in which the vertical glass plate is conveyed along a direction perpendicular to its surface on the first straight line, and a vertical conveyance process on the second straight line. , a parallel conveyance step of conveying a glass plate in a vertical position along a direction parallel to the surface thereof, further comprising a step of removing an ear part of the glass plate in the middle of the parallel conveyance process, and a branching path has an ear part. A glass plate with sections may also be supplied.

In this way, at the stage of the bend where the branch path branches, the ears of the glass plate remain without being removed. Therefore, since the glass plate with ears can also be collected from the branch route, the ears can be evaluated if necessary.

When a glass plate with ears is supplied to the branching route, it is preferable to further include a step of forming a scribe line for removing the ears on the glass plate using a scribing device in the middle of the branching route.

In this way, when using a sampled glass plate with the ears removed, scribe lines can be easily formed even on a large glass plate, so that the ears can be removed reliably.

In the above configuration, in the cutting process, the size of the glass plate cut from the glass ribbon is changed so that the size of the glass plate supplied to the branching route is smaller than the size of the glass plate that becomes the product supplied to the conveyance route. It's okay.

The sampled glass plate may be discarded after a predetermined evaluation such as observation of the cut end surface, for example. For this reason, if the size of the glass plate supplied to the branch path is made smaller than the size of the glass plate used as a product as in the above configuration, the amount of glass to be discarded can be reduced.

In the above configuration, it is preferable that the space in which the cutting process is performed and the space in which the sampling process is performed are separated.

In this way, it is possible to prevent the glass powder generated in the cutting process from entering the space where the sampling process is performed, so that it is possible to reduce the contamination of the glass plate to be sampled with the glass powder.

In the above configuration, in the sampling step, it is preferable to collect a glass plate from the branched path as an evaluation sample.

Evaluation samples may be periodically taken at a certain frequency. In this case, if the present invention is applied, there is no need to periodically suspend product production of glass plates, and a decrease in glass plate production efficiency can be accurately prevented.

The present invention, which was created in order to solve the above problems, is a glass plate manufacturing apparatus that includes a cutting device that cuts out a glass plate from a glass ribbon, and a conveying device that conveys the cut glass plate. The present invention is characterized in that a branch path is provided that branches off from the conveyance path of the apparatus and is used to collect the glass plate.

In this way, it is possible to enjoy the same effects as the corresponding configuration described above.

According to the present invention, glass plates can be collected from a glass plate production line without causing a decrease in glass plate production efficiency.

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. 3 is a sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to a third embodiment. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the manufacturing apparatus of the glass plate based on 4th embodiment.

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below based on the accompanying drawings. Note that XYZ in the figure is an orthogonal coordinate system. The X direction and the Y direction are horizontal directions, and the Z direction is a vertical direction.

(First embodiment)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the method for manufacturing a glass plate according to the first embodiment includes a forming process of forming a glass ribbon Gr, a cutting process of cutting out a glass plate G from the glass ribbon Gr, and a process of cutting out the glass plate G from the glass ribbon Gr. A transport process in which the plate G is transported, a packing process in which the glass plate G is taken out from the downstream end of the transport route R in the transport process and packed, and a glass plate G is taken out from the branch route T branched from the transport route R in the transport process for evaluation. and a collection step of collecting as sample Gx.

In other words, the glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment includes a forming apparatus 1 that forms the glass ribbon Gr, a cutting apparatus 2 that cuts out the glass plate G from the glass ribbon Gr, and a conveyor that transports the cut glass plate G. and a branch path T that branches off from the transport path R of the transport device 3 and collects the glass plate G as an evaluation sample Gx.

Each step included in this manufacturing method is performed in a processing chamber 4 (for example, a clean room) that defines a space that can block contaminants from the outside to some extent. The inside of the processing chamber 4 is partitioned into a plurality of spaces S1, S2, and S3, and walls 5 and 6 that partition the adjacent spaces have openings (for example, slits) 5a and 6a for passing the glass plate G. It is provided. Although the manner in which the processing chamber 4 is divided can be changed as appropriate, in this embodiment, a space S1 in which the cutting process is performed and a space S3 in which the sampling process is performed are partitioned by a wall 5, and a space S1 in which the cutting process is performed and a space S3 in which the packaging process is performed are separated. A space S2 in which this is performed is separated by a wall 6. Thereby, glass powder generated in the space S1 where the cutting process is performed can be prevented from entering other adjacent spaces S2 and S3. Note that the openings 5a, 6a of the walls 5, 6 may be provided with shutters for opening and closing the openings 5a, 6a.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the molding process, a glass ribbon Gr is continuously molded by a molding device 1. The forming apparatus 1 includes a forming furnace 11 for forming the glass ribbon Gr, an annealing furnace 12 for slowly cooling (annealing) the glass ribbon Gr in order to reduce the internal strain of the glass ribbon Gr, and a slow cooling furnace 12 for cooling the glass ribbon Gr to around room temperature. The molding furnace 11, the slow cooling furnace 12, and the cooling zone 13 each have roller pairs 14 provided in a plurality of upper and lower stages. The roller pair 14 conveys and lowers the glass ribbon Gr while holding both ends of the glass ribbon Gr in the width direction.

In the internal space of the forming furnace 11, a formed body 15 for forming a glass ribbon Gr from molten glass by an overflow down-draw method is arranged. The molten glass supplied to the molded body 15 overflows from the top of the molded body 15, runs along both side surfaces of the molded body 15, and joins at the lower end of the molded body 15. As a result, a plate-shaped glass ribbon Gr is continuously formed.

In the present embodiment, both end portions in the width direction of the glass ribbon Gr molded by the molding device 1 include ear portions that are thicker than the center portion in the width direction due to the effects of shrinkage during the molding process and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the cutting process, the cutting device 2 cuts the glass ribbon Gr in the vertical position below the forming device 1 in the width direction for each predetermined length, thereby converting the glass ribbon Gr into the glass plate G. Cut out sequentially. Here, the width direction is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (stretching direction) of the glass ribbon Gr, and in this embodiment substantially coincides with the horizontal direction.

The cutting device 2 includes a scribing device (not shown) that forms a scribe line L1 along the width direction on one surface of the glass ribbon Gr, and a scribing device (not shown) that forms a scribe line L1 along the width direction on one surface of the glass ribbon Gr, and a scribing device (not shown) that forms a scribe line L1 on one surface of the glass ribbon Gr. It includes a supporting contact part 21 and a stress applying part 22 that holds the glass ribbon Gr in a portion corresponding to the glass plate G to be cut out (the part below the scribe line L1) and applies bending stress to the scribe line L1. ing.

The scribing device is equipped with a wheel cutter. The wheel cutter forms a scribe line L1 in the width direction of the glass ribbon Gr while descending to follow the descending glass ribbon Gr. Note that the scribing device may form the scribing line L1 by other methods such as laser irradiation.

The contact portion 21 is composed of a plate-shaped body (surface plate) having a flat contact surface that descends to follow the descending glass ribbon Gr and comes into contact with the width direction of the glass ribbon Gr. Note that the contact surface of the contact portion 21 may be a curved surface curved in the width direction.

The stress applying section 22 is constituted by a chuck mechanism that clamps both ends of the glass ribbon Gr in the width direction. It is preferable that the stress applying part 22 does not come into contact with an effective surface (a part whose quality is guaranteed) formed in the central region of the glass plate G excluding the frame-shaped peripheral part. In this embodiment, the stress applying section 22 moves downward to follow the descending glass ribbon Gr, and performs an operation (operation in the A direction) for bending the glass ribbon Gr using the contact section 21 as a fulcrum. This operation of the stress applying section 22 applies bending stress to the scribe line L1. As a result, the glass ribbon Gr is broken in the width direction along the scribe line L1, and the glass plate G is cut out from the glass ribbon Gr. Note that the stress applying section 22 may hold the glass ribbon Gr (glass plate G) by other methods such as negative pressure adsorption. Moreover, the cutting device 2 may cut the glass ribbon Gr by other methods such as laser cutting or laser fusing.

The stress applying unit 22 transports the cut glass plate G along the direction B in a vertical posture, and then delivers the glass plate G to the transport device 3 at the delivery position P1. After the delivery, the stress applying unit 22 releases the hold on both ends of the glass plate G in the width direction, and returns to the position before starting cutting in order to cut out the next glass plate G from the glass ribbon Gr.

In addition, in the cutting process, the glass ribbon Gr is cut so that the size of the glass plate G serving as the evaluation sample Gx supplied to the branching route T is smaller than the size of the glass plate G serving as the product supplied to the conveying route R. The length of the glass plate G to be cut out may be changed. Since the evaluation sample Gx is discarded after performing a predetermined evaluation such as observation of the cut end surface, if the size of the glass plate G that becomes the evaluation sample Gx is made smaller than the size of the glass plate G that becomes the product, The amount of glass waste can be reduced.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in the conveying process, the glass plate G is conveyed in a vertical position by the conveying device 3. That is, the vertical direction of the glass plate G matches the stretching direction of the glass ribbon Gr.

In the present embodiment, the conveyance path R of the conveyance device 3 in the conveyance process is provided with a first straight section R1 extending in the , a second straight portion R2 extending in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction), and a bent portion R0 where the first straight portion R1 and the second straight portion R2 are connected. Note that when the glass plate G is conveyed along the conveyance path R by the conveyance device 3, the glass plate G is once decelerated (including stopped) at the bent portion R0 in order to change the conveyance direction. . The form (shape, length, direction, etc.) of the transport path R of the transport device 3 is not particularly limited, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the production line.

The conveying device 3 includes a first holding section 31 and a second holding section 32 that hold and suspend the glass plate G in a vertical position at its upper end. In addition, in this embodiment, in order to simultaneously convey a plurality of glass plates G on the conveyance route R, a plurality of first holding parts 31 and/or second holding parts 32 are arranged on the conveyance route R.

The first holding part 31 and the second holding part 32 are composed of a chuck mechanism that holds the upper end of the glass plate G. It is preferable that the first holding part 31 and the second holding part 32 do not contact the effective surface of the glass plate G. Note that the first holding section 31 and the second holding section 32 may hold the glass plate G by other methods such as negative pressure adsorption.

After receiving the glass plate G from the stress applying unit 22 of the cutting device 2 at the delivery position P1, the first holding unit 31 holds the glass plate G in the vertical position on the first straight portion R1 along a direction perpendicular to the surface thereof. A vertical conveyance process is carried out. Note that the first holding portion 31 may be configured to reciprocate between the upstream end (delivery position P1) and downstream end (bent portion R0) of the first straight portion R1. Alternatively, the first holding part 31 divides the area between the upstream end and the downstream end of the first straight part R1 into a plurality of sections, and receives the glass plate G between adjacent divided sections while reciprocating through each divided section. It may be configured to pass.

After receiving the glass plate G from the first holding part 31 at the bent part R0 located at the downstream end of the first straight part R1, the second holding part 32 holds the glass plate G in the vertical position on the second straight part R2. A parallel conveyance step is performed in which the substrate is conveyed along a direction parallel to the surface. In this embodiment, in order to reduce the air resistance during conveyance of the glass plate G, the second linear part R2 that performs the parallel conveyance process is longer than the first straight line part R1 that performs the vertical conveyance process. In addition, the second holding part 32 may be configured to reciprocate between the upstream end (bent part R0) and the downstream end (removal position P2) of the second linear part R2. Alternatively, the second holding part 32 divides the area between the upstream end and the downstream end of the second linear part R2 into a plurality of sections, and moves back and forth in each divided section while passing the glass plate G between adjacent divided sections. It may be configured to do so.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the present embodiment, the method for manufacturing a glass plate according to the first embodiment is such that the glass plate G in the vertical position is The method further includes an ear removal step of removing the ear portion Ga, and an inspection step of inspecting the glass plate G in the vertical position. In other words, the glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment includes a selvage removing device (not shown) that removes the selvage Ga of the glass plate G in the vertical position in the second linear portion R2 of the conveying device 3; , and an inspection device 7 for inspecting the glass plate G in a vertical position.

In the edge removal step, an edge removal device (not shown) including a scribing device and a breaking device cuts scribe lines along the vertical direction of the glass plate G at positions corresponding to both ends of the glass plate G in the width direction. After forming L2, bending stress is applied along the scribe line L2 to break the glass plate G. Thereby, the edge portion Ga of the glass plate G is removed. Note that the ear portion removal device may be one that removes the ear portion Ga using other methods such as laser cutting or laser fusing.

In the inspection process, the inspection device 7 automatically inspects the glass plate G. The inspection device 7 measures, for example, uneven thickness (thickness), streaks (striae), types of defects (for example, bubbles, foreign objects, etc.), positions (coordinates), sizes, etc. of the glass plate G.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the packing process, the loading device 8 takes out the glass plate G (glass plate to be a product) from the take-out position P2 at the downstream end of the second straight section R2, and the taken out glass plate G is palletized. Load onto C and pack. The loading device 8 reciprocates between the take-out position P2 and the pallet C. The loading device 8 holds (for example, sucks or clamps) the glass plate G in a vertical position and conveys the glass plate G along a direction perpendicular to its surface, and also transfers the glass plate G onto a pallet C in a vertical position. Stack them on top of each other. At this time, a protective sheet (not shown) such as interleaving paper is interposed between the glass plates G on the pallet C. Note that the glass plates G may be loaded onto a plurality of pallets C at the same time by a plurality of loading devices 8. In this case, it is preferable to provide a plurality of takeout positions P2.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the collection process, the glass plate G is supplied to a branch route T branched from the transport route R of the transport device 3, and the glass plate G is transported from the collection position P3 at the downstream end of the branch route T. Collected as evaluation sample Gx. In this embodiment, the branch route T has a third straight portion T1, and the third straight portion T1 is parallel to the second straight portion R2 and extends from the bent portion R0 to the opposite side to the second straight portion R2. There is. Note that the form (shape, length, direction, etc.) of the branch path T is not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate depending on the manufacturing line.

The collection process is performed only when it is necessary to collect the evaluation sample Gx. That is, the second holding part 32 holding the glass plate G at the bent part R0 moves toward the third straight part T1 at the timing when it is necessary to collect the evaluation sample Gx. As a result, the vertical glass plate G held by the second holding part 32 moves along the third straight portion T1 in a direction parallel to the surface of the glass plate G. Note that the transport device that supplies the glass plate G to the branch route T may be a dedicated transport device that is independent from the transport device 3 that supplies the glass plate G to the transport route R.

In the collection step, since the evaluation sample Gx can be collected from a dedicated branch route T that is different from the transport route R, there is no need to temporarily interrupt the production of the glass plate G in order to collect the evaluation sample Gx. Therefore, the evaluation sample Gx can be collected from the production line of the glass plate G without causing a decrease in the production efficiency of the glass plate G. Using the collected evaluation sample Gx, a predetermined evaluation such as, for example, observation of the cut end surface by the cutting device 2 is performed.

In this embodiment, a glass plate G with ears Ga is supplied to the branch path T. Therefore, a scribing device (not shown) disposed in the middle of the branch path T forms scribe lines L3 along the vertical direction of the glass plate G at positions corresponding to both ends of the glass plate G in the width direction. . In this way, after the glass plate G is taken from the branch path T, the glass plate G is broken along the scribe line L3, thereby making it possible to reliably remove the ear portion Ga. Note that the ear portion Ga of the glass plate G may be removed while the glass plate G is in the vertical position, or may be removed after the glass plate G is changed from the vertical position to the horizontal position. The thickness of the ear portion Ga is evaluated as necessary.

(Second embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 4, the glass plate manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment differ from the first embodiment in that a plurality of manufacturing lines are arranged in parallel.

Specifically, in the second embodiment, a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) manufacturing lines ML are arranged in parallel in the X direction, and in each manufacturing line ML, a branch path T from the transport path R is It has a third straight part T1 that is parallel to the second straight part R2 extending in the direction and extends from the bent part R0 to the opposite side of the second straight part R2. In this way, in each manufacturing line ML, the second straight portion R2 of the transport path R and the third straight portion T1 of the branch path T both extend in the Y direction, so that the distance between each manufacturing line ML in the X direction is The distance can be narrowed, and the space of the entire manufacturing equipment can be saved.

The other configurations in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, components common to those in the first embodiment are given common symbols.

(Third embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 5, the difference between the glass plate manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus according to the third embodiment from the first and second embodiments is that the branch path T is connected to a take-out position P2 at the downstream end of the conveyance path R. It is at the point where it diverges from. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the case where the branch route T is branched from the bent portion R0 of the conveyance route R.

Specifically, in the third embodiment, at the take-out position P2 of the transport route R, a branch route T is provided so as to be parallel to the second straight part R2 and extend the second straight part R2 in the same direction. An evaluation sample Gx is collected from a collection position P3 on the branch route T in the same space as the space S2 in which the evaluation is performed. In this case, since the edge portion Ga of the glass plate G is removed on the transport route R before reaching the branch route T, there is no need to arrange a dedicated edge removal device on the branch route T.

However, if the branch route T is branched from the take-out position P2 of the transport route R, there is a risk that the branch route T will restrict the path of the forklift that moves the pallet C (or the packaged product in which the glass sheets G are packed on the pallet C). There is. Therefore, from the viewpoint of avoiding the occurrence of such a problem, as explained in the first embodiment, the branch route T is not at the downstream end of the transport route R, but at the upstream side of the bend R0 of the transport route R. It is preferable to branch out from the region.

The other configurations of this embodiment are the same as those of the first and second embodiments. In this embodiment, components common to the first and second embodiments are designated by common symbols.

(Fourth embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 6, the glass plate manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment differ from the first to third embodiments in that the branching route T is branched downward from the conveying route R. It is in. That is, the present invention is not limited to the case where the collection position P3 of the branch route T is on the same horizontal plane as the transport route R.

Specifically, in the fourth embodiment, the spaces S1 and S2 where the transport route R is provided are above (e.g., the second floor of a building), and the space S3 where the sampling position P3 of the branch route T is provided is below (e.g., on the second floor of a building). The spaces S1, S2 and the space S3 are separated by the floor surface 9 of the spaces S1, S2 where the transport path R is provided. In the illustrated example, the branch route T branches downward from the bend R0 of the conveyance route R, and an opening 9a for passing the glass plate G is provided in the floor surface 9 corresponding to the bend R0. . Note that the opening 9a may be provided with a shutter for opening and closing the opening 9a.

The other configurations of this embodiment are the same as those of the first to third embodiments. In this embodiment, components common to those of the first to third embodiments are given common symbols.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the glass plate is conveyed in a vertical position, but the manner in which the glass plate is conveyed is not particularly limited. ) or in an inclined position.

In the above embodiment, the case where the glass ribbon is formed by the overflow downdraw method has been described, but the glass ribbon may also be formed by other known forming directions such as the slot downdraw method, the redraw method, the float method, etc. good. In addition, in the case of the float method, the forming device for forming the glass ribbon is provided beside the cutting device, not above the cutting device for cutting out the glass plate from the glass ribbon.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a glass plate is collected as a sample for evaluation, but a glass plate may be collected as a product of a normal size or a product of a size different from the mainstream product size.

1 Molding device 11 Molding furnace 12 Annealing furnace 13 Cooling zone 14 Roller pair 15 Molded object 2 Cutting device 21 Contact portion 22 Stress applying portion 3 Conveying device 31 First holding portion 32 Second holding portion 4 Processing chamber 7 Inspection device 8 Loading device G Glass plate Ga Ear part Gx Evaluation sample R Transport route R0 Bent part R1 First straight part R2 Second straight part T Branch route T1 Third straight part

Claims (9)

A method for manufacturing a glass plate, comprising a cutting step of cutting out a glass plate from a glass ribbon, and a conveying step of transporting the cut glass plate, the method comprising:
Further comprising a sampling step of providing a branching route branching from the transportation route of the transportation step and collecting the glass plate from the branching route ,
In the cutting step, the size of the glass plate to be cut from the glass ribbon is changed so that the size of the glass plate to be supplied to the branching route is different from the size of the glass plate to be a product to be supplied to the conveyance route. A method for manufacturing a glass plate, characterized by: In the cutting step, the size of the glass plate to be cut from the glass ribbon is set so that the size of the glass plate to be supplied to the branching route is smaller than the size of the glass plate to be a product to be supplied to the conveyance route. 2. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 1 , further comprising: changing the glass plate. The conveyance path includes a first straight section, a second straight section provided downstream of the first straight section and extending in a direction different from the first straight section, and a bend connecting the first straight section and the second straight section. and has a
The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the branch path branches from the bent portion. The branch path has a third straight section,
The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 3 , wherein the third straight part extends parallel to the second straight part and from the bent part to the opposite side of the second straight part. The conveyance step includes a vertical conveyance step of conveying the glass plate in a vertical position on the first linear part along a direction perpendicular to the surface thereof, and a vertical conveyance process of conveying the glass plate in a vertical position on the second straight line. and a parallel conveyance step of conveying along a direction parallel to the surface,
Manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 3 or 4 , further comprising a step of removing ears of the glass plate during the parallel conveyance step, and supplying the glass plate with the ears to the branch path. Method. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 5 , further comprising the step of forming a scribe line for removing the ear on the glass plate using a scribing device in the middle of the branching path. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a space in which the cutting step is performed and a space in which the sampling step is performed are partitioned. 8. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 1, wherein in the sampling step, the glass plate is sampled from the branched path as an evaluation sample. A glass plate manufacturing apparatus comprising a cutting device for cutting a glass plate from a glass ribbon, and a conveying device for conveying the cut glass plate,
A branching route branching from the conveying route of the conveying device and for collecting the glass plate is provided ,
The cutting device changes the size of the glass plate cut from the glass ribbon so that the size of the glass plate supplied to the branching route is different from the size of the glass plate to be a product supplied to the conveyance route. 1. A glass plate manufacturing device characterized by being configured so that :

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