JP7415267B2 - Glass plate manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

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

Glass plates are used for displays such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays. If there are scratches on the edges of the glass plate, cracks will occur due to the scratches, so to prevent this, the edges of the glass plate are ground and polished.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a grinding process in which the edge of the glass plate is chamfered with a grinding wheel while the glass plate is conveyed in a predetermined direction, and the chamfered edge of the glass plate is polished. A method of processing a glass plate is disclosed, which includes a polishing step of performing polishing with a grindstone.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-103320

For example, when a glass plate is used as a display substrate, the end of the glass plate may be pressed against pins or rollers for positioning during the process of manufacturing electronic devices on the substrate. At this time, if any scratches remain on the edges of the glass plate, glass powder is likely to be generated. If this glass powder adheres to the surface of the glass plate, it will cause disconnection of the electronic device. Therefore, it is desired to further improve the surface properties of the edges of the glass plate.

However, if the surface quality of the entire edge of the glass plate is improved, the entire edge becomes mirror-like, making it difficult to detect the edge when capturing an image of the edge of the glass plate with a camera.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its technical object is to enable detection with a camera at the end of a glass plate while reducing the generation of glass powder.

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is a method of manufacturing a glass plate having a surface and an edge, wherein the edge of the glass plate has an end surface, and a combination of the end surface and the surface. a first processing step of processing the end portion of the glass plate with a first grindstone, and processing the end portion of the glass plate that has undergone the first processing step with a second grindstone. a second processing step of polishing the glass plate, in the second processing step, the second grindstone is polished while relatively moving the second grindstone in the length direction of the end portion of the glass plate. It is characterized by being moved relative to the thickness direction of the plate.

According to this configuration, in the second processing step, by moving the second grindstone relatively in the length direction of the end of the glass plate and relatively in the thickness direction of the glass plate, mainly The end face is processed, and the surface roughness of the end face is smaller than the surface roughness of the connecting face. Since the positioning pins and rollers come into contact with the end surface with small surface roughness, the generation of glass powder can be reduced. Furthermore, when the end of the glass plate is imaged with a camera, the end surface has a mirror surface, but the connecting surface has a non-mirror surface, so it is possible to detect the end based on the connecting surface.

Here, if the entire edge of the glass plate is polished, the abrasive grains are likely to be eroded and damaged by processing heat, resulting in increased wear of the grindstone and even deterioration of the surface quality. In the second processing step described above, since the end face is mainly processed, processing heat can be reduced and erosion of the abrasive grains can be suppressed. Therefore, wear of the grindstone can be reduced, and the surface quality of the end face can be further improved.

In the method for manufacturing a glass plate according to the present invention, the second grindstone has a groove portion for polishing the end surface of the glass plate, and the groove portion has a bottom portion that contacts the end surface of the glass plate, and a bottom portion that is in contact with the end surface of the glass plate. a regulating surface that is connected to the connecting surface and that is capable of contacting the connecting surface; the bottom of the groove has a width larger than the thickness of the end surface of the glass plate; The width of the bottom portion may be smaller than the sum of the thickness of the end surface and the relative movement distance of the second grindstone in the thickness direction.

According to this configuration, by setting the width of the bottom of the groove of the second whetstone within the above range, the width of the bottom of the groove is set to the width of the glass plate while the second whetstone is moved relative to the glass plate. The end face can be suitably polished and the connecting surface of the glass plate can be brought into contact with the regulating surface of the groove. Thereby, when manufacturing a plurality of glass plates, it becomes possible to stably process the edges thereof.

In the method for manufacturing a glass plate according to the present invention, before performing the second processing step, the second grindstone has an outer peripheral surface in which a groove is not formed, and in the second processing step, the second grindstone The end portion of the glass plate may be polished by the outer circumferential surface of a grindstone.

When a groove is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the second grindstone, only the groove on the outer circumferential surface can be used for processing, and the number of glass plates that can be processed with a single second grindstone is reduced. By using a second grinding wheel that has an outer peripheral surface without grooves, most of the outer peripheral surface can be used for processing, and the number of glass plates that can be processed with a single second grinding wheel can be significantly increased. can.

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is a glass plate having a surface and an edge, wherein the edge includes an end surface and a connecting surface formed between the end surface and the surface. , and the surface roughness Ra1 of the end face is smaller than the surface roughness Ra2 of the connection face.

According to this configuration, it is possible to increase the strength of the end face of the glass plate and to improve product quality. In addition, since the positioning pins and rollers come into contact with the end surface with small surface roughness, the generation of glass powder can be reduced. Furthermore, when the end of a glass plate is imaged with a camera, the end surface is mirror-like, but the connecting surface is non-mirror-like, so it is possible to detect the end based on the connecting surface. Become.

In the above glass plate, a ratio Ra1/Ra2 of the surface roughness Ra1 of the end face and the surface roughness Ra2 of the connection face may be 0.15 to 0.6. According to this configuration, the difference in reflectance between the end face and the connecting face becomes large, so when the end of the glass plate is imaged with a camera, it becomes easy to detect the end based on the connecting face.

Moreover, the surface roughness Ra1 of the end face may be 0.06 μm or less. According to this configuration, generation of glass powder due to contact between positioning pins and rollers can be reliably reduced.

According to the present invention, it is possible to detect the edges of a glass plate with a camera while reducing the generation of glass powder.

It is a perspective view showing the manufacturing method of the glass plate concerning a first embodiment. It is a sectional view showing a first whetstone and a glass plate. It is a sectional view showing a first processing step. It is a sectional view showing a second whetstone and a glass plate. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a locus of movement of a second grindstone. It is a sectional view showing a second processing step. It is a sectional view showing a second processing step. It is a sectional view showing a second processing step. It is a figure which shows the other example based on the locus|trajectory of the movement of a 2nd grindstone. It is a figure which shows the other example based on the locus|trajectory of the movement of a 2nd grindstone. It is a sectional view showing a second processing step. It is a sectional view showing a second processing step. It is a sectional view showing a manufacturing method of a glass plate concerning a second embodiment. It is a sectional view showing a second processing step. It is a sectional view showing a second processing step. It is a sectional view showing a second processing step. It is a sectional view showing a second processing step.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 12 show a first embodiment of a method for manufacturing a glass plate according to the present invention.

In the following example, a case will be described in which a rectangular glass plate G having four sides is manufactured, but the shape of the glass plate G is not limited to this embodiment. The glass plate G is formed by a known forming method such as a float method, an overflow down-draw method, or a slot down-draw method, and is cut into a predetermined size. The thickness T of the glass plate G is 0.2 to 10 mm, and the size of the glass plate G is 200 mm x 300 mm to 3100 mm x 3500 mm, but is not limited to this range. Further, the composition of the glass plate G is preferably alkali-free glass or aluminosilicate glass. Here, "alkali-free glass" is a glass that does not substantially contain an alkali component (alkali metal oxide), and specifically, a glass in which the weight ratio of an alkali component is 1000 ppm or less. The weight ratio of the alkaline component is preferably 500 ppm or less, more preferably 300 ppm or less.

As shown in FIG. 1, the glass plate G has a first surface GS1, a second surface GS2, and end portions GE corresponding to each side. In this embodiment, a case will be exemplified in which the end portions GE of two parallel sides among the four sides of the glass plate G are processed. Each end GE of the glass plate G includes a processing start end GEa and a processing end end GEb.

As shown in FIG. 1, this method includes a first processing step S1 in which the end portion GE of the glass plate G is processed using the first grindstone 1, and a second processing step S1 in which the end portion GE of the glass plate G is processed using the first grindstone 1; A second machining step S2 in which machining is performed using a grindstone 2 is provided. Note that XYZ in the figure is an orthogonal coordinate system. The X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are horizontal directions, and the Z-axis direction is a vertical direction (up-down direction).

In the first processing step S1 and the second processing step S2, each end GE of the glass plate G is moved in the length direction (X-axis direction) by relatively moving the grindstones 1 and 2 and the glass plate G. Machining is performed from the machining start end GEa to the machining end end GEb along. For example, by moving the glass plate G along the conveyance direction GX1, the end portion GE of the glass plate G can be processed using the respective grindstones 1 and 2. Alternatively, the end portion GE of the glass plate G may be processed by moving each of the grindstones 1 and 2 in a predetermined direction GX2.

The first grindstone 1 used in the first machining step S1 is composed of, for example, a pair of rotating grindstones. The first whetstone 1 is a grinding wheel that chamfers the end GE of the glass plate G, for example. As the first whetstone 1, for example, an electrodeposited whetstone formed by hardening diamond abrasive grains with a metal electrodeposition bond, or a metal bond whetstone formed by hardening abrasive grains with a metallic binder is suitably used.

The first grindstone 1 is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) by a moving mechanism. Further, the first grindstone 1 is rotated around its axis RC1 by a driving means such as an electric motor.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first grindstone 1 has a first groove 3 for processing the end GE of the glass plate G. The first groove portion 3 has a bottom portion 3a and sloped surfaces 3b formed on both sides of the bottom portion 3a. In this embodiment, the first whetstone 1 in which the first groove part 3 of one stage is formed is illustrated, but the structure is not limited to this, and the first whetstone 1 may have a plurality of stages of the first groove part 3. Further, the first processing step S1 may be performed on each end GE of the glass plate G using a plurality of first grindstones 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the end GE of the glass plate G supplied to the first processing step S1 is constituted by an end surface including a corner GC. In the first processing step S1, the corner portion GC of each end portion GE is removed by chamfering the first grindstone 1.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the first grindstone 1 grinds the end GE of the glass plate G using the bottom portion 3a and the inclined surface 3b. In this case, the corner GC of the end GE of the glass plate G is removed by the inclined surface 3b. By performing this first processing step S1, the end GE of the glass plate G is ground by the end surface ES1 (top) ground by the bottom 3a of the first grinding wheel 1 and the inclined surface 3b of the first grinding wheel 1. The connecting surface ES2 is provided with a connecting surface ES2.

The end surface ES1 is configured to have a flat surface shape or a curved surface shape, following the shape of the bottom portion 3a of the first grindstone 1. The connection surface ES2 is a boundary formed between the end surface ES1 and each surface GS1, GS2 of the glass plate G. The connection surface ES2 is configured in a curved shape so as to connect each surface GS1, GS2 of the glass plate G and the end surface ES1.

The second grindstone 2 used in the second processing step S2 is constituted by a pair of rotating grindstones that polish the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G, for example. As the second whetstone 2, a resin bond whetstone in which a resin bond is used as a bonding material for the abrasive grains is preferably used.

It is preferable to use a thermosetting resin as the resin binding material. As specific examples, phenol resin, epoxy resin, polyimide resin, polyurethane resin, etc. can be employed as the resin binder.

The abrasive grains bonded to the second grinding wheel 2 are selected from diamond particles, aluminum oxide particles, silicon carbide particles, cubic boron nitride particles, metal oxide particles, metal carbide particles, metal nitride particles, etc. Alternatively, a mixture of two or more can be used. The particle size of the abrasive grains is, for example, #1000 to #3000, but is not limited to this range.

The second grindstone 2 is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction, Y-axis direction) and up-down direction (Z-axis direction) by a moving mechanism. Further, the second grindstone 2 is rotated around its axis RC2 by a driving means such as an electric motor.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second grindstone 2 has a second groove 4 on its outer circumferential surface 2a for polishing the end GE of the glass plate G. The second groove 4 can receive substantially the entire end GE of the glass plate G, and the width W1 of the second groove 4 is larger than the thickness T of the glass plate G. The second groove portion 4 has a bottom portion 4a that contacts the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G, and a pair of regulating surfaces 4b that are connected to both sides of the bottom portion 4a. Note that the second groove portion 4 may be configured to receive a part of the end portion GE of the glass plate G (for example, the end surface ES1 and the connecting surface ES2 on the end surface ES1 side). In this case, the width dimension W1 of the second groove 4 is larger than the maximum thickness of the portion of the end GE that can be received by the second groove 4.

The bottom portion 4a is configured to have a curved surface shape or a flat surface shape so as to correspond to the end surface of the glass plate G ES1. The regulating surface 4b is configured to have a curved shape so as to correspond to the connecting surface ES2 of the glass plate G.

The width dimension W2 of the bottom portion 4a is larger than the thickness T1 of the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G. The width W2 of the bottom portion 4a is preferably 1 to 2.5 times the thickness T1 of the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G (T1≦W2≦2.5T1).

In the present embodiment, the second whetstone 2 is illustrated in which a single stage of second groove portion 4 is formed, but the configuration is not limited to this, and the second whetstone 2 may have a plurality of stages of second groove portions 4 formed therein. Further, the second processing step S2 may be performed on each end GE of the glass plate G using a plurality of second grindstones 2.

In the second processing step S2, while relatively moving the second grindstone 2 from the processing start end GEa of the glass plate G toward the processing end end GEb in the length direction (X-axis direction) of the end GE, The second grindstone 2 is moved relative to the thickness direction (Z-axis direction) of the glass plate G.

FIG. 5 shows the movement locus of the second grindstone 2 in the second processing step S2. The second grindstone 2 moves relative to the glass plate G in the X-axis direction from the processing start position XS through the first intermediate position XM1 and the second intermediate position XM2 to the processing end position XE. The processing start end GEa of the glass plate G contacts the second groove 4 of the second grindstone 2 at the processing start position XS. At the machining end position XE, the second grindstone 2 reaches the machining end end GEb of the glass plate G.

The second grindstone 2 reciprocates in the Z-axis direction while moving from the machining start position XS to the machining end position XE in the X-axis direction. That is, the second grindstone 2 moves (raises) a distance L1 from the reference position Z0 in the Z-axis direction and reaches the first position Z1. Thereafter, it moves (descends) the same distance L1 and returns to the reference position Z0, and then moves (descends) a distance L2 from the reference position Z0 to reach the second position Z2.

In the present embodiment, the moving distance L1 from the reference position Z0 to the first position Z1 is equal to the distance L2 from the reference position Z0 to the second position Z2, but the relationship is not limited to this.

In this case, the sum (L1+L2) of the moving distances L1 and L2 from the reference position Z0 becomes the moving range of the second grindstone 2 in the Z-axis direction. The width dimension W1 of the second groove portion 4 of the second grinding wheel 2 before executing the second processing step S2 (initial stage) may be smaller than the sum of this movement range (L1+L2) and the thickness dimension T of the glass plate G. Preferably (W1<(L1+L2+T)). Moreover, the width dimension W2 of the bottom part 4a of the second groove part 4 before executing the second processing step S2 (initial stage) is larger than the sum of this movement range (L1+L2) and the thickness dimension T1 of the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G. It is preferable that it is small (W2<(L1+L2+T1)).

Hereinafter, the specific operation mode of the second grindstone 2 in the second processing step S2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8.

As shown in FIG. 5, the second grindstone 2 is placed at the reference position Z0 in the Z-axis direction at the processing start position XS.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the processing start end GEa of the glass plate G reaches the second grindstone 2, the second groove 4 of the second grindstone 2 located at the reference position Z0 is aligned in the groove width direction (Z-axis) at the bottom 4a. direction) contacts the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G. In this case, the connecting surface ES2 of the glass plate G is not in contact with the regulating surface 4b of the second groove portion 4. That is, a gap is formed between the connecting surface ES2 and the regulating surface 4b of the second groove portion 4.

As shown in FIG. 5, while moving from the machining start position XS to the first intermediate position reach. During this movement, only the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G is in contact with the bottom 4a of the second groove 4 in the second grindstone 2.

When the second grindstone 2 reaches the first position Z1, the connection surface ES2 on the second surface GS2 side of the glass plate G is connected to the lower side of the second groove 4 at the first position Z1, as shown in FIG. It contacts the regulating surface 4b. In this case, the glass plate G is elastically deformed in the Z-axis direction by pressing the connection surface ES2 against the restriction surface 4b. Thereby, the connection surface ES2 on the second surface GS2 side of the glass plate G is polished by the regulating surface 4b of the second groove portion 4.

Thereafter, while moving from the first intermediate position XM1 to the second intermediate position XM2, the second grindstone 2 moves at a constant speed from the first position Z1 to the reference position Z0 in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the second grindstone 2 moves at a constant speed from the reference position Z0 to the second position Z2 in the Z-axis direction while moving from the second intermediate position XM2 to the machining end position XE. .

While the second whetstone 2 moves from the first position Z1 (first intermediate position XM1) to the second position Z2 (processing end position XE), only the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G is It comes into contact with the bottom 4a of the groove 4.

When the second grindstone 2 reaches the second position Z2, the connection surface ES2 on the first surface GS1 side of the glass plate G is connected to the upper side of the second groove 4 at the second position Z2, as shown in FIG. Contact surface 4b. In this case, the glass plate G is elastically deformed in the Z-axis direction by pressing the connection surface ES2 against the restriction surface 4b. Thereby, the connection surface ES2 on the first surface GS1 side of the glass plate G is polished by the regulating surface 4b of the second groove portion 4.

Since the end surface ES1 is mainly processed in the second processing step S2, in the glass plate G after the second processing step S2, the surface roughness Ra1 (arithmetic mean roughness) of the end surface ES1 is equal to the surface roughness of the connecting surface ES2. The surface roughness becomes smaller than Ra2 (arithmetic mean roughness). The ratio Ra1/Ra2 between the surface roughness Ra1 of the end surface ES1 and the surface roughness Ra2 of the connecting surface ES2 is preferably 0.15 to 0.6. The surface roughness Ra1 of the end surface ES1 is preferably 0.03 to 0.06 μm. The surface roughness Ra2 of the connection surface ES2 is preferably 0.1 to 0.2 μm.

In the present invention, the surface roughness Ra1 of the end surface ES1 is measured at multiple locations at different positions in the length direction of the end surface ES1 (for example, around the machining start position XS, around the machining end position XE, and around an intermediate position thereof). and take their average value. Moreover, the surface roughness Ra2 of the connection surface ES2 is measured at a plurality of locations at different positions in the length direction of the end surface ES1, and is taken as the maximum value thereof.

9 and 10 show other examples of the movement trajectory of the second grindstone 2 in the second processing step S2.

In the example shown in FIG. 9, the second grindstone 2 passes through the first intermediate position XM1 to the fifth intermediate position XM5 before moving from the machining start position XS to the machining end position XE.

While moving from the machining start position XS to the first intermediate position Moving. The second grindstone 2 moves (raises) from the reference position Z0 to the first position Z1 in the Z-axis direction while moving from the first intermediate position XM1 to the second intermediate position XM2. While the second grindstone 2 moves from the processing start position XS to the second intermediate position XM2 via the first intermediate position XM1, only the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G is polished by the bottom 4a of the second groove 4.

While moving from the second intermediate position XM2 to the third intermediate position XM3, the second grindstone 2 relatively moves along the X-axis direction while maintaining the first position Z1 in the Z-axis direction. During this movement, the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G is polished by the bottom 4a of the second groove 4, and the connecting surface ES2 on the second surface GS2 side is polished by the lower regulating surface 4b of the second groove 4.

The second grindstone 2 moves from the first position Z1 to the reference position Z0 in the Z-axis direction while moving from the third intermediate position XM3 to the fourth intermediate position XM4. During this movement, the connecting surface ES2 on the second surface GS2 side of the glass plate G separates from the regulating surface 4b of the second groove portion 4.

The second grindstone 2 moves from the reference position Z0 to the second position Z2 in the Z-axis direction while moving from the fourth intermediate position XM4 to the fifth intermediate position XM5. While the second grindstone 2 moves from the third intermediate position XM3 to the fourth intermediate position XM4 to the fifth intermediate position XM5, only the end surface ES1 of the end GE of the glass plate G is polished by the bottom 4a of the second groove 4. be done.

While moving from the fifth intermediate position XM5 to the machining end position XE, the second grindstone 2 relatively moves along the X-axis direction while maintaining the second position Z2 in the Z-axis direction. During this movement, the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G is polished by the bottom 4a of the second groove 4, and the connecting surface ES2 on the first surface GS1 side is polished by the upper regulating surface 4b of the second groove 4.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the second grindstone 2 passes through the first intermediate position XM1 to the eighth intermediate position XM8 while moving from the machining start position XS to the machining end position XE.

The second grindstone 2 moves from the reference position Z0 to the second position Z2 in the Z-axis direction while moving from the processing start position XS to the first intermediate position XM1. The second grindstone 2 moves from the second position Z2 to the reference position Z0 in the Z-axis direction while moving from the first intermediate position XM1 to the second intermediate position XM2.

The second grindstone 2 moves from the reference position Z0 to the first position Z1 in the Z-axis direction while moving from the second intermediate position XM2 to the third intermediate position XM3. The second grindstone 2 moves from the first position Z1 to the reference position Z0 in the Z-axis direction while moving from the third intermediate position XM3 to the fourth intermediate position XM4. The second grindstone 2 periodically moves in the same manner as described above while moving from the fourth intermediate position XM4 to the fifth intermediate position XM5, the sixth intermediate position XM6, the seventh intermediate position XM7, and the eighth intermediate position XM8. Repeat.

When the above-described second processing step S2 is repeatedly performed on a plurality of glass plates G, the depth of the second groove portion 4 of the second grindstone 2 increases due to shedding of the abrasive grains. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the second grindstone 2 when the second processing step S2 is performed multiple times. In this case, the depth dimension D1 of the second groove portion 4 is deeper than the initial depth dimension D0.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the second grindstone 2 when the second processing step S2 is further performed a plurality of times using the second groove portion 4 shown in FIG. 11. In this case, the depth dimension D2 of the second groove portion 4 is deeper than the depth dimension D1 in FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 12, by repeating the second processing step S2, the bottom 4a of the second groove 4 is shaped so that its radius of curvature increases from the initial curved shape, that is, it approaches a flat surface shape. It will gradually transform.

As described above, in the second processing step S2, the second grindstone 2 is relatively moved in the Z-axis direction so that the regulating surface 4b of the second groove portion 4 definitely contacts the connecting surface ES2 of the glass plate G. ing. As a result, even if the second processing step S2 is repeatedly performed as described above, reduction in the width dimension W2 of the bottom portion 4a can be suppressed, and the processing accuracy of the end surface ES1 of the end portion GE can be improved in each glass plate G. can be maintained constant.

The glass plate manufactured in this manner is supplied, for example, to a display panel manufacturing process. In the process of manufacturing an electronic device on the first surface GS1, for example, the position of the end GE may be detected by capturing an image of the end GE with a camera. In this case, the end surface ES1 and the connection surface ES2 having different surface roughnesses Ra1 and Ra2 are displayed in the captured image of the end portion GE. As described above, by performing the second processing step S2, the surface roughness Ra1 of the end surface ES1 at the end GE of the glass plate becomes smaller than the surface roughness Ra2 of the connecting surface ES2. Thereby, in the captured image, the end surface ES1 and the connection surface ES2 can be easily distinguished. Furthermore, since the connecting surface ES2, which is the boundary between the surfaces GS1 and GS2 of the glass plate G and the end GE, can be easily identified, the end GE in the image can be easily detected.

Further, in the process of manufacturing an electronic device on the first surface GS1, a positioning pin or roller may come into contact with the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G. Since the end surface ES1 has a small surface roughness Ra, the generation of glass powder due to this contact can be reduced.

According to the manufacturing method of the glass plate G according to the present embodiment described above, by polishing the end part GE of the glass plate G in the second processing step S2, glass powder is generated in the end part GE of the glass plate G. It becomes possible to easily perform detection with a camera while reducing the amount of noise.

If the width W2 of the bottom 4a of the second groove 4 of the second whetstone 2 is made larger than the thickness T1 of the end surface ES1 of the glass plate G, a new second whetstone can be used when replacing the second whetstone 2. The positioning work described in step 2 can be performed efficiently.

13 to 17 show a second embodiment of the method for manufacturing a glass plate according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the embodiment of the second processing step is different from the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 13, the second groove 4 illustrated in the first embodiment is not formed on the outer circumferential surface 2a of the second grindstone 2 before (unused) performing the second processing step S2.

As shown in FIG. 14, in the first second processing step S2 in this embodiment, when the first glass plate G1 comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface 2a, the second grindstone 2 G1, the end GE moves in the length direction (X-axis direction) from the processing start end GEa to the processing end end GEb, and also in the Z-axis direction (thickness direction of the first glass plate G1). move relative to. As shown in FIG. 15, in the first second processing step S2, a second groove portion 4 having a width dimension W3 and a depth dimension D3 is formed in the second grindstone 2.

The depth dimension D3 of this second groove part 4 is smaller than the initial depth dimension D0 of the second groove part 4 in the first embodiment. That is, the second groove portion 4 according to the first embodiment had the function of regulating the end portion GE of the glass plate G with its regulating surface 4b when processing the glass plate G, but in the present embodiment The second groove portion 4 does not have this function.

When performing the second machining step S2 for the second time, the second grindstone 2 has one end (upper end) in the groove width direction (Z-axis direction) of the second groove portion 4, as shown in FIG. It is arranged so as to overlap the end surface ES1 of the second glass plate G2. In this case, the end surface ES1 of the second glass plate G2 contacts the outer circumferential surface 2a of the second grindstone 2 in which the second groove portion 4 is not formed.

Thereafter, the second grindstone 2 is moved in the length direction of the end GE from the processing start end GEa to the processing end end GEb of the second glass plate G2, as in the case of processing the first glass plate G1. While moving relatively in the X-axis direction, it also moves relative to the Z-axis direction as shown in FIG. The width of the second groove portion 4 formed by processing the first glass plate G1 is expanded by processing the second glass plate G2. As shown in FIG. 17, the width W4 of the second groove 4 after processing the second glass plate G2 is larger than the width W3 of the second groove 4 immediately after processing the first glass plate G1. Become. In this case, the depth dimension D3 of the second groove portion 4 is approximately the same as after the completion of the first second processing step S2.

In the third second processing step S2, the second grindstone 2 is arranged so as to overlap one end in the groove width direction (Z-axis direction) of the second groove portion 4 after processing the second glass plate G2. (See Figure 17). In this case, the end surface ES1 of the third glass plate G3 contacts the outer circumferential surface 2a of the second grindstone 2 in which the second groove portion 4 is not formed.

After that, similarly to the case where the second glass plate G2 is processed, the second grindstone 2 is moved relatively to the thickness direction (Z-axis direction) of the glass plate G3 to polish the end surface ES1. As a result, the width of the second groove portion 4 of the second grindstone 2 in this embodiment is first expanded as the second processing step S2 is repeated. When the second groove 4 spreads over the entire outer circumferential surface 2a of the second whetstone 2, the second whetstone 2 is placed at the same position as the first second processing step S2, and a part of the second groove 4 increases in depth. let Subsequently, by repeating the second processing step S2 while changing the position of the second grindstone 2, all of the second groove portions 4 are made to have the same depth.

The method for manufacturing glass plates G1 to G3 according to this embodiment has the following advantages compared to the first embodiment. If the second groove 4 is formed on the outer circumferential surface 2a of the second grinding wheel 2 as in the first embodiment, only the second groove 4 on the outer circumferential surface 2a can be used for processing, and a single second grinding wheel 2 The number of glass plates G that can be processed is reduced. On the other hand, if the second grindstone 2 having the outer circumferential surface 2a without the second groove 4 is used as in this embodiment, most of the outer circumferential surface 2a can be used for machining, and a single The number of glass plates G that can be processed by the second grindstone 2 can be significantly increased.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment described above, nor is it limited to the effects described above. The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the invention.

In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the first processing step S1 and the second processing step S2 are performed on the ends GE of two sides of the glass plate G configured in a rectangular shape. The present invention can also be applied to the section GE.

The relative movement of the second grindstone 2 in the Z-axis direction in the second processing step S2 may be performed by moving the glass plate G in the Z-axis direction (thickness direction).

1 First grindstone 2 Second grindstone 4 Second groove ES1 End surface ES2 Connection surface G Glass plate GE End of glass plate GS1 First surface GS2 Second surface S1 First processing step S2 Second processing step

Claims (3)

1. A method of manufacturing a glass plate having a surface and an edge, the method comprising:
A first processing step of processing the end portion of the glass plate with a first grindstone, and a second processing step of grinding the end portion of the glass plate that has undergone the first processing step with a second grindstone,
The end portion of the glass plate supplied to the second processing step has an end surface and a connection surface formed between the end surface and the surface,
In the second processing step, while moving the second grindstone relatively in the length direction of the end portion of the glass plate, the second grindstone is moved relatively to the thickness direction of the glass plate. A method for manufacturing a glass plate , characterized in that at least the end face is processed . The second grindstone has a groove for polishing the end surface of the glass plate,
The groove portion has a bottom portion that contacts the end surface of the glass plate, and a regulating surface that is connected to the bottom portion and can contact the connection surface,
The bottom of the groove has a width greater than the thickness of the end surface of the glass plate,
The glass according to claim 1, wherein the width of the bottom portion before performing the second processing step is smaller than the sum of the thickness of the end surface and the relative movement distance of the second grindstone in the thickness direction. Method of manufacturing the board. Before performing the second processing step, the second grindstone has an outer peripheral surface in which no groove is formed;
The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 1, wherein in the second processing step, the end portion of the glass plate is polished by the outer circumferential surface of the second grindstone.

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