TWI657057B - Apparatus for processing edge of glass substrate and method for processing edge of glass substrate using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for treating the edges of a glass substrate are disclosed herein. The apparatus includes: a heating unit; a heating unit support; and a glass substrate support. At least one of the heating unit support and the glass substrate support is provided to be movable such that the heating unit and the glass substrate are in contact with each other. The heating unit and the heating unit support are connected to each other by a compression member. The first end of the compression member is fixed to a side surface of the heating unit. The second end of the compression member is secured to the heating unit support. When pressure is applied to the heating unit in a heated state such that the heating unit is in intimate contact with the edge of the glass substrate in a cooled state, the compression member acts as a means for generating pressure by the pressure applied to the heating unit. The reaction lifts the heating unit to its original position.

Description

Apparatus for processing the edge of a glass substrate and method for treating the edge of the glass substrate using the same

The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating the edges of a glass substrate and a method of treating the edges of the glass substrate using the apparatus.

Processing a glass substrate for a flat panel display or the like generally includes: cutting the glass substrate into a desired configuration; and grinding and/or polishing the edge of the cut glass substrate to remove sharp portions of the cut glass substrate.

In the above typical treatment method, since the particles generated when the edge of the glass substrate is treated contaminate the surface of the glass substrate, the operation of cleaning and drying the glass substrate is required. Accordingly, the cost of producing a glass substrate increases. In addition, the particles and debris collected between the strip and the glass substrate during processing can significantly damage the surface of the glass substrate, which may require a series of processing operations to be interrupted for processing.

A method is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2001-0085114, which comprises: using a diamond grinding wheel and dehorning a glass substrate; using a nozzle mounted adjacent to a portion of the glass substrate to be cornered and blowing air to remove power And pumping compressed air including glass particles.

However, in the case where grinding or chamfering is used to treat the edge of the glass substrate, glass frit is inevitably present. In addition, there are the following problems: edge cracks generated during the grinding process; surface scratches attributable to glass frit or dust; exposure of the operator to the glass frit, and the like.

In the Korean Patent Application No. 2012-0002573, a method of trimming an edge of a glass substrate into a strip 220 by contacting the heating member 110 to the cooling glass substrate 200 and moving the heating member 110 along the edge of the glass substrate 200 is disclosed. The method is shown in Figure 1. This conventional method can fundamentally prevent glass frit from appearing at the edge of the treated glass substrate and can thus be effectively used in this field.

However, as shown in FIG. 2, in the method of No. 2012-0002573, if cracking occurs on the edge of the glass substrate when cutting the glass substrate (refer to FIG. 2(a), there is uneven edge caused by chipping. The heating member 110 is ejected from the protrusion formed on the edge of the glass substrate 200 by chipping. Therefore, it is difficult to uniformly process the edges of the glass substrate. In addition, if the angle between the side surface of the cutting surface of the glass substrate and the adjacent other side surface is not close to 90°, the heating member 110 may not contact the glass substrate 200. a portion of the edge (refer to (b) of FIG. 2 having a glass substrate having an inaccurately cut edge), thereby constituting an untrimmed portion, or a force at which the protruding portion of the edge of the glass substrate is in contact with the heating member may be excessively increased, thereby causing Damage to the glass substrate.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3 (a glass substrate having a non-uniform thickness), if there is a variation in the thickness of the glass substrate 200, an untrimmed portion may be generated.

[Previous Technical Document]

[Patent Document 1]

Korean Patent Application No. 2012-0002573

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for processing the edges of a glass substrate which is assembled such that even when the edge of the glass substrate is cut by the glass substrate When the chip is unevenly formed on the edge, the edge of the glass substrate can be uniformly trimmed; even when the angle of the cut surface of the glass substrate is not accurate (not 90°), the edge of the glass substrate can be uniformly trimmed; Even when there is a deviation in the thickness of the glass substrate, it is possible to trim the edge of the glass substrate without forming an untrimmed portion; and provide a A method of treating the edge of a glass substrate using the device.

In order to achieve the above object, in one aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for processing an edge of a glass substrate, the apparatus comprising: a heating unit; a heating unit support; and a glass substrate support. At least one of the heating unit support and the glass substrate support is provided to be movable such that the heating unit and the cut portion of the glass substrate fixed to the glass substrate support sequentially contact each other. The heating unit and the heating unit support are connected to each other by a compression member, and the compression member includes at least two compression members provided on a side surface of the heating unit, wherein the first end of the compression member is predetermined The position is fixed to a side surface of the heating unit, at which the sum of the forces is zero based on the vertical central axis of the heating unit, and the predetermined positions vary depending on the number of compression members, and the compression members The second end is fixed to the heating unit support. When pressure is applied to the heating unit in a heated state such that the heating unit is in intimate contact with the edge of the glass substrate in a cooled state, the compression member acts as a means for generating pressure by the pressure applied to the heating unit. The reaction lifts the heating unit to its original position.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of treating an edge of a glass substrate using the processing device. The method comprises: heating a heating unit; fixing a glass substrate on a glass substrate support; pressurizing the heating unit such that the heating unit is in contact with an edge of the glass substrate in a cooled state; and moving the heating unit support or the glass substrate support Piece, keep heating list The contact between the element and the edge of the glass substrate, and thus the edges of the glass substrate are sequentially trimmed.

100‧‧‧heating unit

110‧‧‧heating components

120‧‧‧ head

130‧‧‧heating unit support

200‧‧‧ glass substrate

210‧‧‧ glass substrate support

220‧‧‧ strips

300‧‧‧ Magnets, springs or bellows members

310‧‧‧Compression member (spring)

320‧‧‧Compressed components (magnets)

330‧‧‧Compressed components (bellows)

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from

Figure 1 illustrates a method for trimming the edges of a glass substrate in accordance with conventional techniques.

2 and 3 are views showing problems of the conventional method of Fig. 1.

4 is a view showing a coupling relationship between the following components of an apparatus for processing an edge of a glass substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention: a heating unit, a compression member (a spring of FIG. 4(a), FIG. 4 (b) the magnet and the bellows member of (c) of FIG. 4 and the heating unit support.

(a) of FIG. 5 illustrates an example of trimming a non-uniform edge of a glass substrate (a glass substrate having uneven edges caused by chipping) using the processing apparatus according to the present invention.

(b) of FIG. 5 illustrates an example of trimming the edge of a glass substrate (a glass substrate having an inaccurately cut edge) using the processing apparatus according to the present invention when the angle of the cut surface of the glass substrate is inaccurate (90°).

6 is a schematic diagram showing a method of processing an edge of a glass substrate using a processing apparatus in accordance with the present invention, wherein symbol 300 can represent a magnet, a spring, or a bellows member.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a processing device in accordance with the present invention.

The invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, redundant descriptions and detailed descriptions of known functions and elements that may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention are omitted.

The following description and the drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention in order to Other embodiments may include other structural or logical modifications. The configuration and function of each component is the same as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, unless otherwise defined. The order of processing may vary, and components or features of several embodiments may be included in or substituted for other embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 7, an apparatus for processing an edge of a glass substrate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a heating unit, a heating unit support 130, and a glass substrate support 210.

At least one of the heating unit support and the glass substrate support is provided to be movable such that the heating unit and the cut portion of the glass substrate fixed to the glass substrate support can sequentially contact each other.

The heating unit and the heating unit support are connected to each other by a compression member. The compression member includes two or more compression members provided on a side surface of the heating unit. The first end of the compression member is fixed to a side surface of the heating unit at a predetermined position at which the sum of the forces is zero based on the vertical central axis of the heating unit, and the predetermined positions are dependent on the compression member The quantity changes. The second end of the compression member is fixed to the heating unit support, the heating unit support being disposed at a position around a side surface of the heating unit, the position corresponding to a line passing through a central axis of the heating unit and a portion of the heating unit, Wherein the first end of the compression member is secured to the portion.

When pressure is applied to the heating unit in a heated state such that the heating unit is in intimate contact with the edge of the glass substrate in a cooled state, the compression member acts as a means for generating pressure by the pressure applied to the heating unit. The reaction lifts the heating unit to its original position.

In the processing apparatus, when the heated heating unit contacts the edge of the glass substrate, the edges of the glass substrate are trimmed in a corresponding manner so that the temperature difference in the glass substrate is formed by the contact portion between the heating unit and the edge of the glass substrate. Bands. Therefore, the edge of the glass substrate can be uniformly treated without generating glass frit.

The heating unit may refer to the heating member itself. Alternatively, as shown in (a) to (c) of FIG. 4, the heating unit 100 may refer to a unit including the heating member 110 and the head 120 coupled to the circumference of the heating member 110 and provided for A device that connects the heating member 110 to the heating unit support 130. Each of the compression members 310, 320, 330 can be directly coupled to the heating member 110. Depending on the type of material used to compress the member, it may not be preferred that the compression member is directly coupled to the heating member because the heating member is subjected to heat to a relatively high temperature. In this case, as shown in (a) to (c) of Fig. 4, it is preferable that the compression member is connected to the heating member by the head.

A portion of the heating unit in contact with the edge of the glass substrate has a taper from the circumferential surface of the heating unit toward the central axis of the heating unit. Although the taper shape from the circumferential surface to the central axis is not limited to a specific shape, the taper shape may have, for example, a conical shape or the like.

When the heating unit has a taper as described above, the heating unit can be advantageously used to contact the edge of the glass substrate and the cornering of the heating unit.

Although the portion of the heating unit formed over the tapered portion is not limited to a specific shape, the portion may have, for example, a cylindrical shape.

The heating member can be heated by means commonly used in this technology. For example, a resistance heating method, a high frequency induction heating method, or the like can be used. High frequency The heating method refers to a method in which a heating member is disposed at the center of the coil, wherein the high-frequency current is rapidly along the coil by eddy current caused by electromagnetic induction and by heat loss due to hysteresis of a portion of the high-frequency current Heated.

The high frequency induction heating method effectively concentrates energy through the coil to the heating member. Therefore, the temperature of the heating member can be rapidly increased, and it is particularly advantageous for preventing the heating member from being lowered in temperature due to contact with the cooling member. Therefore, in this exemplary embodiment, it is preferred to use a high frequency induction heating method.

In this exemplary embodiment, the temperature at which the heating member is heated means that the heating member is heated to a Tg or higher of the glass. The Tg of the glass varies from 750 ° C to 1300 ° C depending on the type of glass. In order to satisfactorily trim the cut portion of the glass substrate to be treated, the temperature of the heating member is maintained at 50 ° C or higher than the Tg of the glass, preferably 100 ° C or higher, and more preferably about 200 ° C. Up to about 500 ° C.

The compression member can comprise: a spring; a pair of magnets that use a repulsive force generated between the same magnetic poles of the magnets; or a device, such as a bellows member, that uses air compression and reactions generated therefrom.

As shown in FIG. 4, when two compression members are provided, the first ends of the compression members are fixed to the side surfaces of the heating unit at positions facing each other based on the vertical central axis of the heating unit, and the second end of the compression members Fixed to Heating unit support.

The heating unit support is disposed around the heating unit in a position corresponding to a line passing through a central axis of the heating unit and a portion of the heating unit to which the first end of the compression member is secured.

The shape of the heating unit support is not limited to a specific shape as long as the heating unit can be fixed to the heating unit support by the compressing member. For example, the heating unit support can have a structure that is well understood by those skilled in the art.

The glass substrate support functions to hold the glass substrate. Various kinds of support devices known in the art can be used as the glass substrate support. In particular, the glass substrate support may comprise means for cooling the glass substrate. For example, the cooling device may be assembled such that a cooling plate having a flow path is provided in the bottom of the glass substrate support along which the low temperature refrigerant flows.

In the processing apparatus according to the present invention, since the temperature of the heating unit is heated to the Tg of the glass or higher, the edge of the glass substrate can be trimmed in a corresponding manner so that even when the temperature of the glass substrate is in the range from 0 ° C to 50 ° C In the meantime, the strip is also formed by the temperature difference in the glass substrate.

However, it is possible to cool the glass substrate to enhance the effect of trimming the edges of the glass substrate in a corresponding manner so that a strip is formed. The term "cooling" refers to forcibly lowering the temperature of a glass substrate below the periphery of the glass substrate. The temperature of the environment.

It is possible to cool the entire glass substrate with respect to the cooling operation, and it is also possible to selectively cool only the target portion of the glass substrate. However, in order to ensure stable control, it is preferred to cool the entirety of the glass substrate.

The cooling of the glass substrate can be carried out by placing the glass substrate in a working environment maintained under a low temperature condition for a predetermined period of time. Alternatively, the cooling of the glass substrate can be carried out by contacting the glass substrate with a cooling plate maintained under low temperature conditions. Preferably, while the operation of trimming the edges of the glass substrate is being performed, the glass substrate is fixed to the cooling plate maintained at a predetermined temperature, so that the temperature rise of the glass substrate can be prevented during the trimming operation.

In the present invention, the glass substrate is cooled to a temperature lower than room temperature (=25 ° C), more preferably cooled to a temperature lower than room temperature 10 ° C, so that the glass substrate to which the heating unit is contacted can be trimmed without Produces dust. In this exemplary embodiment, the temperature of the glass substrate is preferably less than 10 °C. More preferably, the temperature of the glass substrate is in the range of from 0 ° C to 10 ° C in order to prevent excessive consumption of energy for cooling.

As the temperature of the glass substrate increases, the amount of glass removed from the edge of the glass substrate increases. In this case, it becomes difficult to precisely trim the edges of the glass substrate. If the temperature of the glass substrate is excessively lowered, the energy consumption excessively increases, and it becomes difficult to control the process of trimming the edges of the glass substrate.

In the present invention, the heating unit and the glass substrate are movable relative to each other. That is, the heating unit can be assembled to be movable. Alternatively, the glass substrate can be mobile. As a further alternative, both the heating unit and the glass substrate can be configured to move simultaneously relative to one another. The movement of the heating unit and the glass substrate can be separately performed by the operation of the heating unit support and the glass substrate support.

The speed at which the heating unit and/or the glass substrate can be moved can be adjusted in consideration of the productivity, the edge of the glass substrate, the depth to the depth, the temperature difference, and the pressure difference.

In the present invention, the heating unit support and the glass substrate support may be assembled such that the heating unit support or the glass substrate support is fixed in place, and the other of the heating unit support or the glass substrate support The assembly is configured to allow the other to move, maintaining contact between the heating unit and the edge of the glass substrate. Preferably, the glass substrate support is movable while the heating unit support is held in place. The reason for this is because, in fact, if the heating unit support moves, the convection current is induced by the movement of the heating unit support, and the convection current causes the temperature of the heating unit to change, so that it is difficult to evenly trim the edges of the glass substrate into strips. Belt shape.

In the present invention, preferably, when the heating unit is in contact with the edge of the glass substrate, the pressure applied to the heating unit is in a range from about 0.1 Kgf/cm ² to about 3.0 Kgf/cm ² , more preferably from It is in the range of 0.5 Kgf/cm ² to 1.5 Kgf/cm ² . If the pressure applied to the heating unit is too high, the amount of glass removed from the edge of the glass substrate may increase. Therefore, this may not be suitable for processing the edges of thin glass substrates. When the pressure applied to the heating unit is too low, if the protrusion and the recess are formed in the edge of the glass substrate, or the angle at which the glass substrate is cut is not accurate, the edge of the glass substrate cannot be uniformly trimmed. In this case, it is impossible to uniformly trim the edges of the glass substrate. In other words, in the processing apparatus according to the present invention, even if the edge of the glass substrate is uneven, the edge can be uniformly trimmed because the heating unit moves along the uneven line of the edge due to the pressure applied to the heating unit and due to the compression member The performance of the heating unit is changed.

Further, even when the glass substrate is not precisely angled by cutting or the thickness of the glass substrate is not uniform, the edge of the glass substrate can be uniformly trimmed by the above mechanism.

In the present invention, when processing the edge of the glass substrate, the edge based on the junction between the horizontal surface and the vertical surface of the glass substrate is from 50 μm to each of the vertical and horizontal surfaces of the glass substrate. The edge of the glass substrate is trimmed within a range of 5 mm, although the range is not limited to a specific value. The edges of the glass substrate are trimmed in a corresponding manner so that a strip is formed, whereby secondary damage due to the glass frit or the glass sheet can be prevented.

At the same time, the present invention provides a method of treating the edges of a glass substrate. Method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for processing a glass substrate The above apparatus of the edge, and the method comprises: heating the heating unit; fixing the glass substrate on the glass substrate support; pressurizing the heating unit to bring the heating unit into contact with the edge of the cooling glass substrate; and moving the heating unit support Or a glass substrate support that maintains contact between the heating unit and the edge of the glass substrate and thus sequentially trims the edges of the glass substrate.

All of the content related to the processing device described above can be applied to the processing method.

As described above, in an apparatus for processing the edge of a glass substrate and a method of processing the edge of the glass substrate using the apparatus, a compressing member is provided between the heating unit and the heating unit support, thereby enabling even when the glass substrate is cut When the chipping on the edge of the glass substrate causes unevenness of the edge of the glass substrate, the edge of the glass substrate can be uniformly trimmed. Further, even when the angle of the cut surface of the glass substrate is not accurate (not 90°), the edges of the glass substrate can be uniformly trimmed. Further, even when there is a deviation in the thickness of the glass substrate, it is possible to trim the edge of the glass substrate without forming an untrimmed portion.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims. , add and replace as possible.

Claims (8)

An apparatus for processing an edge of a glass substrate, the apparatus comprising: a heating unit; a heating unit support; and a glass substrate support, at least one of the heating unit support and the glass substrate support being provided as Mobile, such that the heating unit and the cut portion of the glass substrate fixed to the glass substrate support are sequentially in contact with each other; the heating unit and the heating unit support are connected to each other by a compression member, and The compression member includes at least two compression members provided on one side surface of the heating unit, wherein the first ends of the compression members are fixed to the side surface of the heating unit at a predetermined position, At the predetermined positions, the sum of the forces is zero based on a vertical central axis of the heating unit, and the predetermined positions vary depending on the number of the compression members, and the second ends of the compression members Fixed to the heating unit support; when a pressure is applied to the heating unit in a heated state such that the heating unit is in close contact with When the edge of the glass substrate is in a cooled state, the compressing members act as a means for generating pressure to lift the heating unit to one by a reaction to the pressure applied to the heating unit. Original location. The apparatus for processing an edge of a glass substrate as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the compression members comprises: a spring; a pair of magnets that use a repulsive force generated between the same magnetic poles of the magnets; And a device that uses air compression and reactions generated therefrom. The apparatus for processing an edge of a glass substrate as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least two compression members comprise two compression members, and the first ends of the compression members are based on the vertical central axis of the heating unit The side surfaces facing the other are fixed to the side surface of the heating unit. The apparatus for processing an edge of a glass substrate as recited in claim 1, wherein the heating unit comprises: a heating member; and a head coupled to a peripheral surface of the heating member and provided to fix the heating member To the heating unit support; the first ends of the compression members are fixed to one side surface of the head. An apparatus for processing an edge of a glass substrate as recited in claim 1, wherein a portion of the heating unit in contact with the edge of the glass substrate has a taper from a circumferential surface of the heating unit toward a central axis of the heating unit. The apparatus for processing an edge of a glass substrate as recited in claim 1, wherein the heating unit support or the glass substrate support is fixed, and the other of the heating unit support or the glass substrate support is grouped Equipped to allow the other to move, maintaining contact between the heating unit and the edge of the glass substrate. The apparatus for processing an edge of a glass substrate as recited in claim 1, wherein the glass substrate support comprises one of cooling the glass substrate Device. A method for treating an edge of a glass substrate using an apparatus for processing an edge of a glass substrate as recited in claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: heating a heating unit; fixing the glass substrate to the glass substrate support; and pressurizing the heating a unit such that the heating unit is in contact with an edge of the glass substrate in a cooled state; and moving the heating unit support or the glass substrate support to maintain contact between the heating unit and the edge of the glass substrate, and Therefore, the edge of the glass substrate is sequentially trimmed.