KR20150092190A - A Process and Apparatus for Working on a Thin Glass Web Material - Google Patents

Abstract

The process and apparatus of the present invention are disclosed for finishing long strips of thin glass web material. The process and apparatus of the present invention provide for the movement of thin glass web material in a downward vertical direction and perform various finishing processes such as slitting, taping, and testing before the thin glass web material is rolled into a roll. The process and apparatus of the present invention operate such that the thin glass web material is not contacted by the device and thus protected from potential damage.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing a thin glass web material,

This application is a continuation-in-part of US 35 USC. U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 731,153 filed on November 29, 2012 under §119, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present invention relates generally to processes and apparatus for treating and finishing glass and, more particularly, to processing and finishing a thin glass web material for use in a variety of ways, including integration into high tech products. And more particularly, to a process and an apparatus for finishing the same.

According to recent developments, glass can be produced in the form of thin glass webs having a thickness of only .05 to .200 millimeters, a width of 0.5 to 1.3 meters or more, and a length of 300 meters or more. The thin glass web material can be dried in a spool having an outer diameter of a radius as small as 200 millimeters. Thin glass web materials are widely used, including such as substrates for flat panel displays (e.g., liquid crystal displays). Current techniques for processing thin glass web materials generally borrow up to the rolling process of the converting industry working on materials moving in a horizontal direction from the roll. There is a large industrial zone provided in feed facilities that process these materials and this approach is consistent with an approach to a wide range of materials processed in a roll-to-roll process involving paper, plastic, and metals. As a general rule, these systems can be fabricated from materials that have been molded, transformed, or have added values in the form of coatings, laminates, circuits, and in many cases, vacuum, thermal, sputtering, Dryer, etc., the material has a horizontal design in which the material is fed through a series of transfer techniques, in many cases to the horizontal orientation through the rollers. It is not surprising that many of these process steps are provided by their nature to the horizontal web transfer process, and thus the majority of the conversion facility designs use a horizontal design approach.

Adjusting and processing thin glass web materials after fabrication can lead to many special problems, especially thin glass web materials being cut, inspected, tested for defects, and laminated, or other fabrication steps being carried out, There is a need to avoid direct contact with the thin glass web material as the material moves in the horizontal direction. Direct contact with thin glass web materials by process equipment can lead to large breakage of glass damage and breakage of crack forms and to induce bonding which can weaken the structure of the glass, as well as to the aesthetic quality of the glass It is possible to easily add various defects, abrasion, and scratches, which affect it. Integrated with transfer devices, reversers, steering and flat process equipment to work in thin glass web materials in a horizontal roll-to-roll operation designed to avoid direct physical contact with thin glass web materials. Air bearing technology is highly dependent. These devices allow a thin glass web to ride up the cushioning of the air along a horizontal directional treatment line, the horizontal directional treatment line can reach 10 meters in length or longer and its width is at least 1 - It is 1.5 meters. These systems require very complex air bearing devices, typically 10 to 15, for different purposes.

As described above, to avoid contact as the thin glass web material moves in the horizontal direction during the finishing process and to provide non-contact movement of the thin glass web material, a complex, sophisticated, and extremely expensive array of The air bearing device produces a cushion of air over which the thin glass web material rises as the thin glass web material moves along the direction in the horizontal direction between the unwinding module and the winding module. In many configurations, the air bearing device array is a series of parallel rails that release air to create a cushion of air having an exhaust path provided by the space between the rails. These arrays often cover many areas where thin glass webs come in. These arrays are additional to reversing, testing, and tensioning air bars.

As described above, many problems arise if the thin glass web material breaks during the finishing process as the thin glass web material moves along the horizontal processing line. When the thin glass web material is broken, it can form many small particles which can contaminate the machinery, especially a number of air bearing devices. Small particles generated by fracture in a thin glass web have a tendency to adhere to machinery that causes significant cleaning issues before the finishing process can be resumed. When the thin glass web material breaks during the finishing process, the small particles of the produced glass may also add time and cost of cleanup, and the air from the air bearing device, which can aggravate the situation, do.

An additional important issue is that all of these processes must be performed in a clean room environment that requires HEPA filtered air to maintain the process area within the class 10,000 target. If the thin glass web material breaks, the cleaning process is complicated by the fact that it needs to be done to a standard that resets the clean room environment.

The rethreading after the thin glass web material is broken or simply threaded at the beginning of the finishing process through the horizontal system is partly difficult because it does not need to contact the thin glass web material. The path taken by the thin glass web material through the system requires a threading treatment under both the winding module and on a series of air bars and reversers, and a process with many operational and ergonomic challenges, It is given by the fact that the air bar is spread over a considerable amount of floor space in a state difficult to reach from this side. This problem is that as the thin glass web material travels through the horizontal process, it becomes as messy as a very small distance between the thin glass web material and the air bearing device.

Coiling tension adjustment is a control parameter to prevent erroneous crack propagation associated with laser slitting and various finishing and testing processes and requires up and down winding tension control from the slitting process and several finishing steps. Horizontal processes typically use catenary technology, dancer technology or vacuum box tension technology, along with complex control algorithms to meet the tension requirements of a given process. Coiling tension is traditionally measured in units of pounds per inch (PLI) per linear inch in the web transport industry. As the thin glass web material travels through the finishing process and rewinds, the tension on the thin glass web material will generally be in the form of plastic, cardboard, and various conversion materials for various materials, typically in the range of 1 to 5 PLI (0.06 to 0.9 Kg / cm) per linear inch (PLI), which is smaller than the PLI typically used. To avoid contact with the thin glass web material at such low tension, operating in the horizontal direction on the air bearing providing the support not only represents a challenge to the control system, but also in connection with the winder and various process equipment, And requires a high degree of precision in the alignment and fabrication of the device. These requirements add significant cost and complexity to the design and operation of process equipment. Additionally, since the web requires a support throughout its path length, the web can come in close contact with the air bearing in many ways to cause scratches or flaws that degrade the mechanical integrity of the glass Is constantly increasing.

The current horizontal direction system also has a constraint of width in which the thin glass web material can be slit. This is because it is necessary to place an air bar having a space between the air bars which allows the air to escape in order to maintain a proper air pressure. As the thin glass material moves in the horizontal direction, the edges are necessarily located on the rails providing air pressure before and after the thin glass web material is cut, and are not necessarily located on one of the gaps between the air bars Do not. Thus, alternating patterns of air bars and open spaces limit the width at which thin glass web materials can be cut.

The present invention in one embodiment relates to a method for working in a thin glass web material, the method comprising: advancing a thin glass web material in a substantially downwardly vertical direction from a source; ; Performing a finishing operation on the thin glass web material substantially moving in a downward vertical direction; Controlling the horizontal stability of said thin glass web material moving in said substantially downward vertical direction without physical contact; Controlling the tension of the thin glass web material moving in the substantially downward vertical direction without physical contact; And winding the thin glass web material into at least one roll that can be positioned substantially below the source of the downwardly moving thin glass web material. In this exemplary embodiment, the source step comprises the steps of: rolling out the thin glass web material in the spool, advancing the thin glass web material in the downward direction at the end of the manufacturing process, or moving the thin glass web material over the air bar .

The invention in a further embodiment relates to a working machine in a thin glass web material, said working machine comprising: a source of thin glass web material; A winding spool positioned substantially vertically below said source of said thin glass web material; A non-contact ballast adjacent to the path of the thin glass web material operating from the source to the winding spool; At least one finishing device adjacent the path of the thin glass web material operating from the source to the winding spool; And a non-contact tension control device located at an interaction position with the path of the thin glass web material, and wherein a thin path for the glass web material is positioned substantially vertically downward from the source Spread to the winding spool.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is a method for working in a thin glass web material, the method comprising: providing a strip of thin glass web material moving in a substantially vertical direction Advancing said substantially vertically thin glass web material from a source to form a ribbon; Performing a finishing operation on the thin glass web material moving in the substantially vertical direction; Controlling the lateral stability of the thin glass web material moving in the substantially vertical direction without physical contact; And controlling the tension in the thin glass web material moving in the substantially vertical direction without physical contact. In this exemplary embodiment, the substantially vertical direction may be substantially downwardly normal or substantially upright.

Additional features and advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, and may be learned by a person skilled in the art from a more detailed description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, You will know.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and are intended to provide either an overall understanding of, or an overview of, the nature and character of the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operation of the various embodiments.

1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment;
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a part of a bonding machine;
3 is a schematic side view of a working part of another embodiment;
4 is a view of a portion of the face of the Bernoulli air bar;
5 is a schematic perspective view of a dancer;
Figure 6 is a view of one section of an array of standard air bars;
Figure 7 is a schematic side view of another embodiment;
8 is a cross-sectional view of a thin glass web material having a tape-coated edge;
Figure 9 is a schematic view of a screening device at an un-deployed position;
Figure 10 is a schematic view of a screening device at an unfolded position;
11 is a plan view of the air bearing cylinder;
12 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve. The provided embodiments and illustrations are illustrative of the concepts of the present invention and are not intended to be limiting as to the embodiments provided herein. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure that the invention may be practiced in various embodiments within the scope of the specific details disclosed herein. Moreover, descriptions of well known devices, methods, and materials may be omitted to further clarify the description of the present invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings to indicate the same or similar parts.

1st Example

1 is a schematic perspective view of several major components of an embodiment of the present invention. The roll 101 may have a width of, for example, 1 to 1.3 meters and a thickness of .01 mm to .2 mm (e.g., .01, .02, .03, .04, .05, .06, A spool of thin glass web material having a diameter of .08, .09, .10, .11, .12, .13, .14, .15, .16, .17, .18, spool), and the thin glass web material is spooled into rolls, which may be as small as 200 mm in length or longer strips or ribbons (the term strip or ribbon is interchangeable herein) with a length of up to 300 meters. When a thin glass web material is deemed to be needed, the additional operation may be carried out in the same manner as the thin glass web material to prepare the thin glass web material for a manufacturing process incorporating the thin glass web material into another one such as a flat panel display substrate. It may require something like slitting the material to a certain width. A technique for working roll 101 of thin glass web material 103 is to unspool the thin glass web material in a downward vertical direction and to separate two separate pieces of thin glass web material 107A and 107B with cutter 105 , And then re-winding the thin glass web material individually into rolls 109 and 111. The rolls 109 and 111 are then rewound to the thin glass web material.

The actual width of the thin glass web material can vary. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the width of the glass web material is in the range of 1 meter to 1.3 meters from the roll 101 and the glass web material has a total width of the entire width of the initial strip 103 It is cut into two separate strips of width that can be achieved. The thin glass web can be elongated at any location across the width of the glass web determined by where the cutter 105 is located. Additionally, the glass web can be cut into several smaller strips as needed and rewound with many rolls. The cutting device 105 is a typical laser cutting device that produces a laser beam 104 designed to cut a thin glass web material. However, a variety of suitable cutting devices may be used. Because the system shown in Fig. 1 does not require a supporting and protective air bearing device, the laser cutter 105 is thus capable of cutting along the width of a thin glass web material 101 that can be cut to any desired width Lt; / RTI > The slitting step may also include narrowing trimming cuts at one or both edges of the strip of thin glass web material. One of the important features of the method and apparatus described herein is that it works without contacting thin glass web material and is therefore a non-contact instrument and method.

As mentioned, when a thin glass web material travels through the finishing process, proper tension adjustment in the thin glass web material is an important factor for processing and maintenance. By moving the thin glass web material in the vertical direction, gravity becomes one of the main components of tension control and actually simplifies the handling of tension adjustment and control. The mass of the thin glass web provides tension control as the thin glass web automatically moves downward in the vertical direction. The tension in the thin glass web material thus becomes a factor of the height and mass of the moving thin glass web material.

By maintaining the proper height and mass of the glass web, the appropriate tension in the thin glass web material can be maintained in an acceptable PLI range. Additionally, because the process includes a non-contact guide that is vertical and does not delay advancement of the web, when the thin glass web material slits as it moves downward, the width of the cut strip is related to the initial overall width , Gravity can be used to deliver the proper tension on the slit strip of the thin glass web material, thus enabling the use of a minimal additional tensioning technique and control algorithm. This provides a great advance over horizontal directional systems, which require a very complex tensioning system, as described above, to maintain adequate tension and to provide a change in tension caused by the slitting and multiple finishing steps. Additionally, such systems are non-contact systems by their nature.

All of the suspension lines 113a and 113b of the cutting strips 107a and 107b are required to provide additional tension control. As the strip is spooled on its respective rolls 109 and 111 at the end of the process, the strip is calculated to produce an appropriate tension on each strip of thin glass web material 107a and 107b. One requirement for spooling a thin glass web material on a roll is that the thin glass web material is properly tensioned as it is spooled onto the roll. The very large tension in the spooling process can damage the thin glass web material and cause the spool to telescope by compressing very much the thin glass web material. Elongation occurs when the center of the spool can be rapidly ejected due to excessive tension of the rolled material and the roll can be efficiently purged. Additionally, if a very small tension is applied, the roll of thin glass web material will become very loose and will easily stretch if subjected to rapid horizontal movement.

When each strip hangs down, the stripe formed by the strip has a physical and geometric curve shape similar to the curve formed by the chain or cable as it hangs between the two supports. In this case, as each strip 107a and 107b is rewound on the spools 109 and 111, the tension on the strip is such that a thin glass web material, from the source 101, The vertical height of the thin glass web material at the point where it begins to move in the downward vertical direction and how the webs 113a and 113b of each strip 107a and 107b underneath each of their respective spools lie downward . As described above, the tension in the PLI for the thin glass web material is adjusted to produce an appropriate final tension in the roll of thin glass web material when the re-spooling process is completed. ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 >lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > cm). < / RTI > An additional advantage of working with thin vertical glass web materials with vertical orientation is that less tension requirements make it easier to adjust the thin glass web material and achieve the required tension required on the thin glass web material. One of the important features of the ship is to provide a non-contact tension control method and apparatus.

As shown in Figure 1, Other processes as well as slitting the thin glass web material may be performed without the need for any air bearing device or several such devices strategically placed as described below. In addition, the vertical process requires significantly less space to reduce the cost of a clean indoor environment that must be provided during the processing of thin glass web materials. This significantly reduces the cleaning cost and time if breakage occurs in the thin glass web material. The actual space that needs to be cleaned by the vertical process is considerably smaller than the actual space that needs to be cleaned by the horizontal process. Moreover, as explained through the examples, there may be no or little equipment to occupy the bottom area directly below the vertically aligned thin glass ribbon, so that the cleaning process can be further simplified and the contamination of the process equipment . For example, the rewinding spools 109 and 111 and associated equipment are moved directly outward under a vertically aligned thin glass ribbon to reduce contamination of the glass ribbon in the event of a break that causes the thin glass ribbon to fall off. Additionally, although not shown, there may be holes in the process floor, and the collection and rewinding of the broken parts at the bottom and the containment of airborne particles that contaminate several ribbon- The rewinding spool is disposed so that the glass ribbon can be dropped through the hole.

Another advantage of the vertical process is a dramatic simplification of the threading process required to initiate a slitting process or several finish processes in a spool of thin glass web material or to rethread the spool after fracture in the thin glass web material . As can be seen in Figure 1, the thin glass web material can be easily unwound from the spool 101 and moved by gravity in the downwardly normal direction, which is then transferred to the lower rewinding spool 109 in a very simple process Threaded. This has to take the leading edge of the thin glass web material only as the thin glass web material moves down to the level of the rewinding spools 109 and 111 and the thin glass web material is suitable for rewinding spools after being slit .

In a preferred embodiment, plastic or a leader of various suitable fabrics can be attached to the usable end of the thin glass web material on the spool, thereby facilitating the threading process and providing protection for the thin glass web material And limits contact with the thin glass web material during the threading process. Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of the end of the thin glass web material as the thin glass web material 131 emerges from the unshown spool. The end of the leader portion 133 made of plastic or other suitable material or fabric is cut at the cutting and splicing board 135 along the line 137 to form a thin glass web material 131 Lt; / RTI > At the end of the process when the thin glass web material is completely re-spooled, a trailer of plastic or other suitable material is taken up as a roll of the thin glass web material and then added to act like a leader part in operation. The process of joining the leader portion or the trailer portion can be done all while the thin glass web material is in its vertical position after the unspooling process is started. Manual or automatic bonding processes may be used. In a passive process, a person can easily stand adjacent to a cutting or joining board 135 positioned adjacent to a thin glass web material 131 that is suspended.

Second Example

3 is a schematic side view of the major operating components attached to the backplate 201 of another embodiment. All portions shown in Fig. 3 extend outwardly from the back plate 201 to which they are operably attached. The spool 203 is rotatably attached to the backplate 201 by a shaft 204 and the band of the protective material 205 is formed to have a width equal to or less than the width of the thin glass web material, A thin medical glass material of a length that is interleaved with a medical grade foam that can have a thickness of about 10 microns. The shaft 204 extends into the back plate 201 and has a driving force (not shown) that is geared to impart an appropriate rotation to the spool 203 in a suitable rotational direction if necessary. The thin glass web material combined with the band of protective material 205 is unwound from the roller 203 and passes over the rollers 207 and the thin glass web material 103 is separated from the band of the protective band 211. The band of protective material then moves downward into the spool 213 where the band is rewound. The thin glass web material 103 is moved up and down along the air bearing support 215 by a laser cutter 217 where it slits into two distinct strips, strips 209b and 209a. The air bearing support 215 creates a cushion of air for the thin glass web material over which the thin glass web material rides and the thin glass web material is not in direct contact with the surface of the air bearing support 215. [ The actual structure on the face of the air bearing support is described below.

The strip 209a of the thin glass web material after being slit then passes under the dancer 221 and then is combined with another band of protective material 227 being unwound from the spool 229. [ A strip of thin glass web material 209a having a protective band of material 227 underneath the thin glass web material then passes over the rollers 225 and is wound onto the spool 231. [ As such, a thin glass web material 209b is combined with a protective material band 242 that passes underneath the dancer 223 and thereafter unwound from the spool 243. A strip of thin glass web material, in combination with a band of protective material embedded in a thin glass web material, then passes over the rollers 241 and is wound onto the spool 256. The spools or rollers 207, 213, 225, 229, 231, 241, 243 and 246 are all rotatably attached to the plate 201 with appropriate gearing and drive force in the same manner as the spool 203.

The dancers 221 and 223 provide non-contact tension control of the strips 209a and 209b, respectively, passing under each of the dancers. In order to selectively add stability, control, and protection from high frequency vibrations or low frequency vibrations that can be induced to the ribbon or strip of the thin glass web material as the thin glass web material travels through this finishing process, The non-contact stabilized air bar 251 is located at a distance and adjacent to the distance to control the vibration in the strip 209a. As such, the non-contact stabilized air bar 252 can control excessive low frequency or high frequency vibrations in the strip of thin glass web material 209b to provide stability to the thin glass web material 209b, And is located adjacent to the strip 209b.

In a preferred embodiment, the air bar stabilizers 251 and 252 are Bernoulli air bar stabilizers that do not physically contact the thin glass web material and thus provide movement control and non-contact stabilization of the thin glass web material. Figure 4 provides a view of a portion of the Bernoulli air bar operating surface 257, that is, a portion of the thin glass web material positioned adjacent to and facing the strip of thin glass web material as the thin glass web material moves in the vertical direction. The surface 257 of the Bernoulli air bar has a positive pressure port 258 through which the air is blown out to create a positive air pressure or repulsion force on the passing strip of thin glass web material. Vacuum port 259 creates negative air pressure or pulling force on the thin glass web material as the thin glass web material passes through Bernoulli air bar surface 257. By passing a thin glass web material through the face 257 of the Bernoulli air bar, the position of the thin glass web material is subsequently controlled and by the selective flow variation of the negative and positive air flow created in the face of the Bernoulli air bar It changes. In this way, the distance of the strip passing through the thin glass web material can be accurately controlled. Additionally, any direct contact between the surface of the Bernoulli air bar and the passing strip of thin glass web material is avoided. A detailed description of the structure of the Bernoulli air bar is not required here; Such an air bar is typically considered to have a suitable internal structure of the air flow generator and conduit to supply and control the follow-up of air to the outside of the positive air port 258 and to the negative air port 259 Suffice. The air bearing support member 215 may also have a Bernoulli configuration.

5 is a schematic enlarged perspective view of the dancer 221. Fig. The dancer 221 includes an air bar structure 261 individually attached to the balance bars 262a and 262b at their respective ends 265a and 265b. The first balance bar 262a and the second balance bar 262b are connected to the support portion or the fulcrum bar 263 at the pivot points 264a and 264b, respectively. Additionally, counterweights 266a and 266b are attached at the ends of the respective bars 262a and 262b, respectively. It is shown that a portion of the thin glass web material 209a passes under the air bar at the air bar head 261 of the dancer 221. The first and second balance bars 262a and 262b with suitable counterweights 266a and 266b are positioned between the thin glass web material 209a and the thin glass web material 209a as individual thin glass web materials pass under the air bar 261. [ Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 264a and 264b < / RTI > The generated tension is determined according to the weight of the counterweights 266a and 266b. In addition, as the thin glass web material sheet 209a passes down, the face of the air bar head 261 facing the thin glass web material sheet has a suitable negative and positive orifice, A positive orifice can create a cushion of air for the thin glass web material 209a to pass underneath the air bar head 261 without coming into physical contact with the air bar 261. [ The dancer as described herein is a non-contact tension control mechanism of another embodiment.

6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a standard air bar array 267 used to provide a cushioning layer of air that can be used on the face of the air bar structure 261. As shown, there are alternating arrays of positive air bar 268 and negative return 269. Arrow 270 indicates the flow of air from positive air bar 268 to negative air return 269. The positive air bar 268 has a small air port 271 at the surface in which the air is blown out to produce a positive air pressure. Alternatively, a Bernoulli airbag surface may be used on the side of the air bar structure 261, as described and described with respect to Fig. A standard air bar structure or a Bernoulli air bar structure may also be used in the air bar support member 215.

As shown in Figure 3, the thin glass web material does not necessarily have to travel in the correct vertical direction, and it can be seen that many angles deviate from the vertical 90 degree normal to the horizontal direction as shown by the strip of thin glass web material 209a I can take it . The process still has all of the advantages of not necessarily using an air bearing device to provide a support on a substantial portion of the glass-web transport path. One potential use for an air bearing device is for stabilization by air bars 251 and 252 shown in Fig. 3, for example. All the advantages of a dramatically reduced cleaning area, several air bearing devices provided, and easy and easy access to the cleaning position are still applicable. Additionally, even a thin glass web material having an angle of several degrees beyond the absolute vertical, the thin glass web material is readily accessible to perform the necessary finishing operations. As can be appreciated, the use of an air bearing device as described above is another additional example that provides control of vertical or near vertical movement and horizontal stability of thin glass web material by non-contact methods and equipment.

Third Example

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment having a main operating component and a support structure mounted on several backplates. The thin glass web material (103) is unwound from the spool (303) with the embedded band of the protective material (305). Both the thin glass web material 103 and the band of protective material 305 under the glass web material pass over the roller 307. As described above, the band of material 305 is embedded in the thin glass web material on the spool 303, thereby protecting the thin glass web material without contacting the thin glass web material itself. Also, the thin glass web material is released from the spool 303 and protected by forming a layer between the thin glass web material and the surface of the roller 307 as it passes through the roller surface. After the glass web material has passed over the roller 307, the band of protective material 305 is rewound on the spool 309 and the thin glass material 103 passes downward in the vertical direction.

The spool 303 is connected to the back plate 315 by a tension control arm 319. The tension control arm 319 controls the tension applied on the thin glass web material 103 and the embedded protective material 305 as the thin glass web material is unwound from the spool 303. The tension control arm 319 And is connected to the support housing 323 at the pivot point 321. The support housing 323 is consequently parallel to the spool 303 and connected to the back plate 315. The tension control arm 319 is connected to the spool 303 at the rotation point 325. [ The tension control arm 319 moves clockwise or counterclockwise around the pivot point 321 in response to a tension change in the thin glass web material 103 and the protective material 305 being unspooled, This helps to control the tension in thin glass web materials. Tension control arm 319 is applied to the not-shown counterweight, i.e., geared mechanisam, which acts on the pivot point 321 to apply a thin glass web material and an unspooling band of the embedded protective material, .

As the band of protective material 305 is rewound at the spool 309, the roller 327 assists in moving the band and helps control the vibration. As the thin glass web material passes downwardly from the spool 307 the taping device 331 applies the tape 334 to the edge of the thin glass web material to provide strength and to provide the strength of the thinner glass web material To provide a contact point for the adjustment of the thin glass web material by several finishing or fabrication operations without necessarily directly contacting the thin glass web material surface.

Turning to Fig. 8, a cross-sectional view of the thin glass web material 103 is shown as tapes 361 and 363 attached to the respective edges of the thin glass web material 103. Fig. The tape covers a small area on either side of the edge of the thin glass web material and forms flanges 365 and 367 and is adjusted by this flange without contacting the thin glass web. In the illustrated embodiment, one continuous band of tape is attached to each edge. The tape applicator operates indirectly through the pinch roller not shown, which is used to apply a taper to the edge of the thin glass web material, rather than through integrated contact with the glass. The pinch roller does not come into contact with the glass, just the tape. Where the taping process is replaced by any alternative method, such as, for example, an etch-edge finish approach, this multiple-edge finish approach may similarly be implemented with vertical orientation instead of the taping system shown in FIG. The taping or laminating process can take many different forms, including partial edge taping or taping of only one edge of a desired edge. The taping process in the vertical system does not require an air bar, thereby limiting the opportunity for the glass to contact the transfer hardware during the taping process.

Referring again to Fig. 7, a strip of thin glass web material then passes through the slot opening 337 of the support structure 339. As the thin glass web material moves down, a screening mechanism 341, connected to a portion of the support structure 339 located on either side of the thin glass web material, forms a screen for quality and integrity of the thin glass web material Run the ning test. A detailed description of the screening process and the instrument is provided below in connection with the description of Figures 9 and 10. [

The inspection scanning device 343 inspects the glass web material as the thin glass web material passes over the screen device 341. The inspection scanning device is used to detect and count microparticles in the glass as well as to identify the grooves or defects of the glass which may be unsuitable for certain uses or which may degrade its strength. The inspection device 343 is located between the Bernoulli air bars 345 and 346 which maintain the position of the thin glass web material 103 at the correct distance from the various sensing devices of the inspection device 343 and the optical sensing lens. The Bernoulli air bars 345 and 346 provide precise control of the thin glass web material associated with the inspection device 343 so that the thin glass web material passes in a plane within the area of the focal point of the inspection device.

When the thin glass web material reaches the dancer 347, it is redirected in the upward direction on the aligning roller 350 side. In addition, the band of protective material 352 is sandwiched beneath the thin glass web material before the thin glass web material passes over the rollers 350 to provide protection to the thin glass web. The combined thin glass web material and protective material are then rewound on the spool 355. The dancer 347 operates in the same manner as shown in Figure 5 to maintain tension with a suitable counterweight; However, as an alternative, an electromechanical tension control mechanism, not shown, may be used. In addition, a tension control arm 357, which operates in the same manner as the tension control arm 319 described above, can be used to control the operation of re-winding in the spool 355. [ The spool 356 assists in guiding the band of protective material from the spool 354 to the roller 350 and controls excessive vibration as it rolls around the roller 350 under the thin glass web material 103. The rollers and spools 307, 309, and 327 are connected to the back plate 315, and have a rotatable connection portion and an appropriate rotational driving force not shown in the back plate. As such, both the spools and rollers 350, 354 and 356 are rotatably connected to the backplate 349 and have a suitable rotational drive force. Again, as described above, the tension and horizontal stabilization method and apparatus of this embodiment also provide a non-contact method and apparatus for providing a top surface of a thin glass web material for finishing operations.

Testing  Devices and methods

In order to test the integrity of the thin glass web material and ensure the quality of the thin glass web material, a screening test is performed on the thin glass web material. Screening allows the thin glass web material to selectively follow one path in both the clockwise and counterclockwise directions through a pair of movable air bearing cylinders providing a non-contact method and instrument, And placing both sides of the web material. As the glass surrounds the air bearing cylinder, the outside of the glass is placed in the tensioned state and the inside of the glass is in the compressed state. The degree of tension and compression is a function of the duration that the glass undergoes bending and movement, the thickness of the glass, and the size of the radius. Using this technique, thin glass web materials can be tested for edge and surface defects, to ensure that the glass has been manufactured with integrity and with proper specifications. In addition, the quality test of the glass ensures that the thin glass web material going to the consumer does not have defects that can lead to breakage in the manufacturing process.

Figures 9 and 10 are schematic diagrams of a screening device in one embodiment. Figure 9 shows a screening device in a non-deployed position before a test is started, and Figure 10 shows a screening device in a fully deployed mode in which a screening test is performed. Referring to Fig. 7, the special screen device shown in Figs. 9 and 10 will be deployed like the device 341 shown in the figure.

Referring again to Fig. 9, two facing air bearing cylinders 401 and 403 place a sheet of thin glass web material 103 moving downward between the air bearing cylinders. The air bearing cylinder 401 comprises a pneumatic actuator 411, a shaft 413 and a radial head 415. The shaft 413 is placed on the roller 419 so that the roller is placed on the carrying rail 417. As a result, air bearing cylinder 403 is thus comprised of shaft 423 with pneumatic actuator 421, radial head 425. The shaft 423 is seated on the roller 429 which is seated on the conveying rail 427 as a result. Additionally, the air bar 405 is located on the opposite side and above the thin glass web material from the air bearing cylinder 401, and the second air bar 407 is positioned from the air bearing cylinder 403 to the thin glass web material (103). ≪ / RTI & gt ;

The radial head 415 of the air bearing cylinder 401 and the radial head 425 of the air bearing cylinder 403 are arranged in a similar or identical manner to the air bars 405 and 407 and in the same manner as described in Figures 3 and 7 . These members may be of the Bernoulli type of air bars with positive and negative ports arranged in a matrix as shown in Fig. 4, or may be of a standard type with a row of alternating alternatives as shown in Fig. 6 Lt; / RTI > In essence, the rows of matrices or columns of positive and negative flow ports may be the front surface 431 of the radial head 415 and the front surface 433 of the radial head 425. The flow of air in the negative and positive holes of the radial heads 415 and 425 will be provided through the shafts 413 and 423 from the internal passages through the actuators 411 and 421. 11 is a plan view of the air bearing cylinder of the embodiment shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Fig. As shown in these figures, the radial head 415 has an extended width that can be wide enough to perform a screening test on a strip of thin glass web material. For example, this extended width may extend to one meter or 1.5 meters across the total width of the thin glass web material 103 moving down through the air bearing cylinders. The radial head 425 will have the same width extending across the entire width of the thin glass web material.

10, all of the air bearing cylinders 401 and 403 are configured such that each radial head of each radial head 415 and 425 of the air bearing cylinder is not in physical contact with the thin glass web material, Is in a fully deployed position, with proper curvature to the thin glass web material 103 to perform a screening test performed in a contact manner. The radial head 415 extends into the path of a thin glass web material by an actuator 411 that extends the shaft 413 outwardly to an appropriate length. Thus, the actuator 421 of the air bearing cylinder 403 extends the shaft 423 outwardly at an appropriate distance, so that the radial head 425 can be made of a thin glass web material < RTI ID = 0.0 > 103). Since both the radial head 415 and the radial head 425 have suitable air bearing structures on their respective sides 431 and 433, as described above, the thin glass web material passes down the radius head , It actually floats the cushion of the air created by each of the radial heads. Since the test radial head is launched horizontally in a standard high quality linear rail, the only force required to place the head in the testing mode is the force required to displace the web path. This enables a very precise method for measuring the total tension in the web path. It is also provided with the possibility that the screening system can also be used in an alternative role, such as a non-contact tension control device, which also accommodates the tension variation of the simple example, depending on the amount of web path that is replaced during the coupling of such a system.

Using such a device, thin glass web materials can be tested for edge defects and surface defects, all of which not only enable testing for quality and integrity, but also help to establish an understanding of the material itself do.

In other words, as described above, transporting the glass to a screen device with vertical orientation as shown in the figures herein provides many advantages that impact both the design cost and simplicity of the system . In addition to enabling easier threading of the testing system described above, as well as inadvertent mechanical contact with the glass during a testing process in which the mechanical integrity of the glass is scratch-formed, flawed, or causes damage, Reducing the likelihood that the process will lead to glass damage. Since a thin glass web material is provided to the testing apparatus with vertical orientation, flat air bearing bars are no longer required as in previous horizontal direction systems. This makes it possible to provide alternating upper and lower test radii independent of one another, without creating a situation in which the air bar can come in contact with an angle or direction that could damage the surface of the web.

Finally, regardless of the total strip or ribbon path in the vertical direction as described above, in the case of glass breaks caused by the testing process itself, the actual cleanup area can be limited to the bottom area just below the web path , Thus minimizing the amount of contamination to the assurance testing device.

Fourth Example

Thin glass web materials can be manufactured in many different ways, including fusion drawing and slot drawing processes, and can be spooled and stored for post processing and use. However, as shown in FIG. 12, the thin glass web material can also be worked during the initial fabrication process after the thin glass web material 103 is formed, as indicated by the fusing apparatus 501. A thin glass web material 103 is worked with a laser cutter 105 by first slitting said thin glass web material into two separate strips 503a and 503b. Each strip then passes individually below the air bars 504 and 505, where the direction of the thin glass web material is switched upwards and vertically. Both strips 503a and 503b then pass over air bars 506 and 507 individually and tape machines 511a and 511b apply to the edge of strip 503a and tape machines 513a and 513b (Redirects) the edge of the strip 503b again in the downward vertical direction of tape winding. The tape is added to protect the edge of the strip of thin glass web material. After the tape is wound, the strip 503a is wound onto the spool 515 and the strip 503b is wound on the spool 517.

The air bars 505 and 507 create a cushion of air for the strips 503a and 503b such that the strips move or float upwards through their respective air bars, It does not occur between bars. Any physical contact can cause breakage and can damage the strips 503a and 503b by weakening the glass web and inducing visual defects, or by causing scratches or wear. The air bar is made of a hole in the matrix, one of which holes blows air from a positive supply or sucks air from a negative supply to create a cushion of air. The holes of the matrix for performing positive or negative actuation are typically arranged in a Bernoulli-type air bar, as shown in Fig. 4, either equally between each other or evenly in separate rows or columns, as shown in Fig. .

The taping machines 511a, 511b, 513a and 513b tape the edges of the respective strips 503a and 503b to protect the edges as shown in Fig. This objective is to protect the edges of each strip and can also be used to adjust and position strips of thin glass web material during later fininshing, processing, or final manufacturing of the product incorporating the thin glass web material To provide a contact point.

As each strip 503a and 503b is wound onto the spool, the protective material 531 is wound from the spools 533 and 534 between the strips of glass webs 503a and 503b to protect the surface. The protective material may be, for example, soft and may be slightly elastic to provide the necessary cushioning and protective effect. For example, surgical grade foams are one type of material that meets these requirements. The finishing step may also be performed on the thin glass web material as the thin glass web material is moved upwardly and vertically between the air bars 504 and 507 and 505 and 506. 1, in which the strip of thin glass web material moves downward, upward and then again in a downward zigzag direction, maintaining the advantage of working on a thin glass web with vertical orientation, A relatively small area of cleanliness still exists, and the portion suitable for the threading process is still relatively easily accessed and threaded.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, any method described herein is not intended to be construed as requiring that the steps of the methods be performed in a particular order. Accordingly, if a method claim does not actually enumerate subsequent sequences as the steps of the method, or if the steps are not specifically described in the detailed description that is defined in a particular order, or in the claims, any particular order is deduced It was not intended.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Since modifications, alterations, combinations, or sub-combinations of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and scope of the present invention can be made by those skilled in the art, the present invention can be construed as including all things within the scope of the appended claims .

Claims (20)

As a method of working with a thin glass web material,
a. Advancing a thin glass web material in a substantially downward vertical direction from a source;
b. Performing a finishing operation on the thin glass web material moving in the substantially downward vertical direction;
c. Controlling the horizontal stability of said thin glass web material moving in said substantially downward vertical direction without physical contact; And
d. And controlling the tension of the thin glass web material moving in the substantially downward vertical direction without physical contact. The method according to claim 1,
The step of advancing the thin glass web material in a substantially downwardly normal direction from the supply source comprises the steps of delivering a thin glass web material from the spool, advancing a thin glass web material in a downward direction at the end of the manufacturing process, Passing the thin glass web material upwardly onto the bar; ≪ / RTI > The method of working in a thin glass web material. The method according to claim 1,
Threading a leading edge of said thin glass web material initially leading from said source and at least a plurality of at least one of said at least one roll positioned below said source to begin the step of winding said thin glass web material onto at least one roll, Further comprising advancing in a downward vertical direction onto one roll. ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 > 11. < / RTI > The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the step of performing the finishing operation on the thin glass web material as the thin glass web material moves in the downward vertical direction is selected from one or more of the following steps: screening, separating, inspecting, laminating, Working method in thin glass web material. The method according to claim 1,
The step of performing the finishing operation includes the step of longitudinally separating the thin glass web into a plurality of longitudinal sections of a predetermined width to produce a plurality of rewinding rolls upon completion of the rewinding step, Work method in web material. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein performing the finishing operation comprises creating at least one predetermined radius in the thin glass web material moving in a downward vertical direction. The method according to claim 1,
The step of controlling the tension of the thin glass web material moving in the substantially downwardly normal direction without the physical contact comprises one of the steps of creating a suspension line or using a tension responsive air bearing , Working methods on thin glass web materials. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the step of controlling the horizontal stability of the thin glass web material moving in the substantially downwardly normal direction without the physical contact comprises the steps of using at least one Bernoulli air bar or of using one of the screening devices Wherein the method comprises the steps of: The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising advancing the thin glass web material downwardly vertically and then downwardly downwardly again downwardly in the downwardly vertical direction. As a thin glass web material working machine,
a. A source of thin glass web material;
b. A winding spool positioned substantially vertically below said source of said thin glass web material;
c. A non-contact ballast adjacent the path for the thin glass web material operating from the source to the winding spool;
d. At least one finishing device adjacent the path; And
e. And a non-contact tension control device located at an interaction position having said path,
f. Wherein the path for the thin glass web material extends substantially vertically downwardly from the source to the winding spool. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the source is selected from a spool of thin glass web material, a manufacturing process, or an air bar. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the at least one finishing device is selected from a web separating device, a testing device, a taping device or an inspection device. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the at least one finisher is a screen device. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the screen device has an air bearing surface that, in a predetermined configuration, produces a cushion of air for non-contact displacement of the path for the thin glass web material. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the predetermined configuration is a predetermined radius. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the non-contact ballast is selected from a Bernoulli air bearing device or a screening device. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the non-contact tension control device is selected from a dancer, a suspension line, or a vacuum box. A method of working in a strip of thin glass web material,
a. Advancing a thin glass web material in a substantially vertical direction from a source to produce a strip of thin glass web material moving in a substantially vertical direction;
b. Performing a finishing operation on the thin glass web material moving in the substantially vertical direction;
c. Controlling the lateral stability of the thin glass web material moving in the substantially vertical direction without physical contact with the thin glass web material; And
d. And controlling the tension on the thin glass web material moving in the substantially vertical direction without physical contact with the thin glass web material. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the substantially vertical direction is a direction selected substantially from a downward vertical direction, a substantially upward vertical direction, or a substantially upward vertical direction and a substantially downward vertical direction, the operation in a strip of thin glass web material Way. 19. The method of claim 18,
Further comprising winding the thin glass web material into a roll after completion of the finishing operation.

Images