WO2020243257A1

WO2020243257A1 - Plate assembly, apparatus for producing glass laminate including the same, and method of producing glass laminate

Info

Publication number: WO2020243257A1
Application number: PCT/US2020/034858
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joo Sok Kim; Woo Jin Lee; Cheol Hee Park; Dong Keun Shin
Original assignee: Corning Incorporated
Priority date: 2019-05-30
Filing date: 2020-05-28
Publication date: 2020-12-03
Also published as: KR20200137539A; TW202112480A

Abstract

A plate assembly used in an apparatus for producing a glass laminate includes: a base plate including at least one slot through which laser beams are configured to pass; a flexible magnet placed on a first surface of the base plate and including at least one opening in communication with the at least one slot; and a guide portion placed on one side of the flexible magnet on the first surface of the base plate and extending in a first direction parallel to the first surface of the base plate.

Description

PLATE ASSEMBLY, APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GLASS LAMINATE INCLUDING THE SAME, AND METHOD OF PRODUCING GLASS LAMINATE

BACKGROUND

1. Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019- 0064073, filed on May 30, 2019, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

2. Field

[0002] One or more embodiments relate to a plate assembly, an apparatus for producing a glass laminate, which includes the plate assembly, and a method of producing a glass laminate, and more particularly, to a plate assembly used in laser cutting of a glass laminate, an apparatus for producing a glass laminate, which includes the plate assembly, and a method of producing a glass laminate using the apparatus.

3. Description of the Related Art

[0003] A glass laminate includes a base thin plate and a glass layer adhered to the base thin plate, and glass laminates are used in various fields such as automobile parts, electronic device parts, building structural parts, and the like. Generally, glass laminates have a relatively small thickness, and a base thin plate and a glass layer exhibit different physical characteristics from each other. Thus, it may be difficult to cut glass laminates without the occurrence of cracks in glass layers by using conventional machining methods. To cut a glass laminate, a method of sequentially performing laser beam irradiation and purge air supply has been proposed, but the glass laminate may move or vibrate due to a small thickness thereof. In this case, cutting non-uniformity of the glass laminate or cutting defects occur, such as deviation of the cutting position of the glass laminate from a target position, irregular cutting sectional shape, or the occurrence of cracks in a glass layer. SUMMARY

[0004] One or more embodiments include a plate assembly used in laser cutting of a glass laminate, and an apparatus for producing a glass laminate, which includes the plate assembly.

[0005] One or more embodiments include a method of producing a glass laminate by using an apparatus for producing a glass laminate, which includes a plate assembly, whereby cutting uniformity may be enhanced and the occurrence of cutting defects may be prevented.

[0006] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.

[0007] According to one or more embodiments, a plate assembly is used in an apparatus for producing a glass laminate. The plate assembly includes: a base plate including at least one slot through which laser beams are configured to pass; a flexible magnet placed on a first surface of the base plate and including at least one opening in communication with the at least one slot; and a guide portion placed along one edge of the flexible magnet on the first surface of the base plate and extending in a first direction parallel to an edge of the first surface of the base plate.

[0008] In some embodiments, the glass laminate may include a metal thin plate and a glass layer attached onto the metal thin plate, the metal thin plate may include steel, stainless steel, nickel, cobalt, or a metal alloy including at least one of these metals, and the metal thin plate may be configured to be fixed on the flexible magnet by magnetic force.

[0009] In some embodiments, the flexible magnet may have a magnetic flux density of about 100 Gauss to about 3,000 Gauss.

[0010] In some embodiments, the at least one slot may include a plurality of first slots extending in the first direction and being spaced apart from each other in parallel.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first slots may be spaced apart from each other at an equal distance.

[0012] In some embodiments, the plate assembly may include an outer circumferential portion on which the guide portion is placed, and a central portion surrounded by the outer circumferential portion and spaced apart from the outer circumferential portion, when viewed in a plan view, and the at least one slot may be defined between the central portion and the outer circumferential portion.

[0013] In some embodiments, the at least one slot may include a pair of first slots extending in parallel in the first direction, and a pair of second slots extending in parallel in a second direction and intersecting the pair of first slots, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the first surface of the base plate, and the central portion may be surrounded by the pair of first slots and the pair of second slots, when viewed in a plan view.

[0014] In some embodiments, an upper surface of the guide portion may be at a level higher than an upper surface of the flexible magnet in a third direction perpendicular to the first surface, with respect to the first surface of the base plate.

[0015] In some embodiments, the at least one slot may be defined by opposite side walls extending from the first surface to a second surface of the base plate, the second surface being opposite to the first surface, and a first width of the at least one slot at a same level as the first surface may be smaller than a second width of the at least one slot at a same level as the second surface.

[0016] In some embodiments, each of the opposite side walls of the base plate may be inclined from the first surface to the second surface of the base plate.

[0017] In some embodiments, each of the opposite side walls of the base plate may include a stepped portion between the first and second surfaces of the base plate.

[0018] According to one or more embodiments, an apparatus for producing a glass laminate, which is used to cut a glass laminate includes: a loading stage including a plurality of suction holes; a plate assembly mounted on the loading stage and onto which the glass laminate is configured to be fixed by magnetic force; and a laser beam irradiation unit configured to irradiate the glass laminate with laser beams. The plate assembly includes: a base plate including at least one slot through which the laser beams are configured to pass; a flexible magnet placed on a first surface of the base plate and including at least one opening in communication with the at least one slot; and a guide portion placed along one edge of the flexible magnet on the first surface of the base plate and extending in a first direction parallel to an edge of the first surface of the base plate.

[0019] In some embodiments, the at least one slot may vertically overlap the plurality of suction holes, and the laser beams may be configured to be irradiated onto the glass laminate in a direction in which the at least one slot extends. [0020] In some embodiments, the laser beam irradiation unit may include: a fiber laser irradiation portion configured to irradiate the glass laminate with the laser beams; and a purge air supply portion configured to supply purge air to a region on which the laser beams are irradiated, to transfer, into the plurality of suction holes via the at least one slot, pieces or burrs of the glass laminate produced when the glass laminate is cut by the laser beams.

[0021] In some embodiments, the glass laminate may include a metal thin plate and a glass layer attached onto the metal thin plate, the metal thin plate may include steel, stainless steel, nickel, cobalt, or a metal alloy comprising at least one of these metals, and the metal thin plate may be configured to be fixed on the flexible magnet of the plate assembly by the magnetic force.

[0022] In some embodiments, the guide portion of the plate assembly may be in contact with an edge of the glass laminate, and the glass laminate may be configured to be placed on the plate assembly.

[0023] According to one or more embodiments, a method of producing a glass laminate using a plate assembly includes: placing the plate assembly on a loading stage including a plurality of suction holes, wherein the plate assembly includes a base plate including at least one slot, and a flexible magnet placed on a first surface of the base plate and including at least one opening in communication with the at least one slot; placing a glass laminate on the plate assembly; and emitting laser beams onto the glass laminate in a direction in which the at least one slot extends, to cut a portion of the glass laminate, the portion overlapping the at least one slot.

[0024] In some embodiments, the plate assembly may further include a guide portion placed along one edge of the flexible magnet on the first surface of the base plate, and the placing of the glass laminate may include placing the glass laminate on the plate assembly such that an edge of the glass laminate comes into contact with the guide portion and the glass laminate is fixed on the flexible magnet by magnetic force.

[0025] In some embodiments, the method may further include, after the emitting of the laser beams, supplying purge air to a portion of the glass laminate onto which the laser beams are irradiated, to transfer, into the plurality of suction holes via the at least one slot, pieces or burrs of the glass laminate cut by the laser beams.

[0026] In some embodiments, in the supplying of the purge air, the plate assembly and the glass laminate may not move or vibrate by the purge air. [0027] By using an apparatus for producing a glass laminate according to embodiments according to a method of producing a glass laminate according to embodiments, cutting uniformity may be enhanced and the occurrence of cutting defects may be prevented, in a glass laminate cutting process. For example, a glass laminate may be firmly and temporarily fixed onto a plate assembly by magnetic force of a flexible magnet, and thus the glass laminate may not move or vibrate even when purge air is injected at a relatively high pressure after laser irradiation. Accordingly, cutting position deviations, cutting defects, or the like of the glass laminate may be prevented. In addition, the glass laminate may be cut by sequentially performing a laser irradiation operation and a purge air supply operation, and thus, the glass laminate produced using the method of producing a glass laminate according to embodiments may have excellent cutting cross-section quality.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an apparatus for producing a glass laminate, according to embodiments;

[0030] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a plate assembly according to embodiments;

[0031] FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-IIG of FIG. 2;

[0032] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a glass laminate produced according to a method of producing a glass laminate according to embodiments by using an apparatus for producing a glass laminate according to embodiments;

[0033] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plate assembly according to other example embodiments;

[0034] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plate assembly according to other example embodiments;

[0035] FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating a plate assembly according to other example embodiments;

[0036] FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views taken along line CIII-CIIG of FIG. 7;

[0037] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of producing a glass laminate, according to embodiments; and [0038] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a purge air supply operation (operation S240) of the method of producing a glass laminate of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. In this regard, the present embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein. Accordingly, the embodiments are merely described below, by referring to the figures, to explain aspects of the present description. Expressions such as "at least one of," when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list.

[0040] Hereinafter, example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, embodiments of the present disclosure may be modified in various other forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The embodiments of the present disclosure are provided to more completely explain the present disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Like reference numerals denote like elements. Further, various elements and regions in the drawings are schematically illustrated. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to the relative sizes or intervals illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0041] FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an apparatus 1 for producing a glass laminate according to embodiments. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a plate assembly 100 according to embodiments. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line Ill-Ill' of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a glass laminate 160 produced according to a method of producing a glass laminate according to embodiments by using the apparatus 1 for producing a glass laminate according to embodiments.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the apparatus 1 for producing a glass laminate may include a laser beam irradiation unit 10, a position movement control unit 20, a loading stage 30, and the plate assembly 100.

[0043] The laser beam irradiation unit 10 may include a laser irradiation portion 12 and a purge air supply portion 14. The laser beam irradiation unit 10 may be connected to the position movement control unit 20 and moved on the loading stage 30 in a first direction (a D1 direction) and a second direction (a D2 direction).

[0044] The laser irradiation portion 12 may be configured to irradiate laser beams for cutting the glass laminate 160. When the laser beams are emitted from the laser irradiation portion 12 onto the glass laminate 160, for example, at least a portion of the glass laminate 160 may be melted and cut. Examples of the laser irradiation portion 12 may include, but are not limited to, a fiber laser apparatus, a CO2 laser apparatus, and a YAG laser apparatus. The laser irradiation portion 12 may include any type of a laser apparatus having a power output capable of melting at least a portion of a material included in the glass laminate 160, e.g., a metal thin plate 162. For example, the laser irradiation portion 12 may include a fiber laser apparatus having a power output of about 100 W to about 10 kW.

[0045] The purge air supply portion 14 may be configured to supply purge air to a cut portion of the glass laminate in order to remove a metal melt, pieces, or burrs that may be produced by laser beam cutting from the cut portion of the glass laminate 160. The purge air supply portion 14 may supply purge air to the cut portion of the glass laminate 160 through air nozzles connected to a pump.

[0046] The loading stage 30 may be a table on which the plate assembly 100 and the glass laminate 160 are placed. The loading stage 30 may include a plurality of suction holes 30H. The suction holes 30H may pass through the loading stage 30, and pieces or burrs produced at the cut portion of the glass laminate 160 may pass through the suction holes 30H and be collected in a collection container (not shown) below the loading stage 30. Although it is illustrated in FIG. 1 that the suction holes 30H are in a multiple line form in which the suctions holes 30H extend in the first direction (the D1 direction), the shapes of the loading stage 30 and the suction holes 30H are not limited thereto.

[0047] The plate assembly 100 may be placed on the loading stage 30 in a state in which the glass laminate 160 is mounted on the plate assembly 100, and laser beams and purge air may be sequentially supplied from the laser beam irradiation unit 10 onto the glass laminate 160 along target cutting lines (not shown) such that the target cutting lines of the glass laminate 160 are cut.

[0048] The plate assembly 100 may include a base plate 110, a flexible magnet 120, and a guide portion 130.

[0049] The base plate 110 may include a first surface 1 10F1 and a second surface 110F2 that are opposite to each other. The base plate 1 10 may include a plurality of slots 110H extending from the first surface 110F1 to the second surface 110F2 and passing through the base plate 110. The slots 1 1 OH are spaces defined by side walls 11 OS extending from the first surface 110F 1 to the second surface 110F2 of the base plate 1 10, the laser beams and purge air may pass through the slots 110H, and the slots 11 OH may vertically overlap the target cutting lines on the glass laminate 160.

[0050] In example embodiments, the base plate 110 may be made of, for example, a metal, a wood, an inorganic material, an organic material, or a combination thereof, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the base plate 110 may include aluminum, copper, iron, nickel, or a combination thereof. To secure mechanical stability when the glass laminate 160 is mounted on the base plate 110 and the laser beams and purge air are supplied onto the base plate 110 and the glass laminate 160, the base plate 110 may include a sufficiently robust material. The base plate 110 may be sufficiently heavy not to vibrate or move when the purge air is supplied, while being sufficiently lightweight to allow ease of handling when repeatedly loaded on the loading stage 30 and unloaded from the loading stage 30. For example, the base plate 110 may have a thickness t11 (see FIG. 3) of about 2 mm to about 100 mm, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0051] The flexible magnet 120 may be placed on the first surface 1 10F1 of the base plate 1 10. Although not shown, the flexible magnet 120 may be attached to the first surface 1 10F1 of the base plate 1 10 by using an adhesive layer (not shown). The flexible magnet 120 may include a plurality of openings 120H, and the openings 120H of the flexible magnet 120 may respectively be in communication with the slots 1 10H of the base plate 110. For example, during laser cutting of the glass laminate 160, the laser beams and purge air may pass through the openings 120H of the flexible magnet 120 and the slots 1 10H of the base plate 110.

[0052] In example embodiments, the flexible magnet 120 may have a magnetic flux density of about 100 Gauss to about 3,000 Gauss. Accordingly, when the glass laminate 160 is mounted on the flexible magnet 120, the glass laminate 160 may be fixed to the flexible magnet 120 by magnetic force. In example embodiments, the flexible magnet 120 may have a thickness t12 (see FIG. 3) of about 0.1 mm to about 20 mm, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0053] The guide portion 130 may be placed on one side of the flexible magnet 120 on the first surface 110F1 of the base plate 110 and extend in the first direction (the D1 direction). Here, the first direction (the D1 direction) denotes a direction parallel to one edge of the first surface 110F1 of the base plate 110. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the guide portion 130 may be placed only on an edge of the base plate 1 10. In another embodiment, the guide portion 130 may be placed on at least two edges of the base plate 110. The guide portion 130 and the base plate 110 may be integrally formed, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0054] An upper surface of the guide portion 130 may be at a higher level than an upper surface 120U of the flexible magnet 120 in a third direction (D3 direction) perpendicular to the first surface 110F1 , with respect to the first surface 110F1 of the base plate 1 10. When the glass laminate 160 is mounted on the plate assembly 100, a side surface of the glass laminate 160 may come into contact with the guide portion 130. Thus, the guide portion 130 may precisely adjust the mounting position of the glass laminate 160, and operation easiness may be enhanced by the guide portion 130 in the mounting process of the glass laminate 160.

[0055] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the slots 1 10H (and the openings 120H respectively in communication with the slots 110H) may be spaced apart from each other in parallel at the same distance in the first direction (the D1 direction). In the plan view, a width w11 in the second direction (the D2 direction) of each slot 1 10H may be in a range of about 2 mm to about 20 mm. The width w11 in the second direction (the D2 direction) of each slot 11 OH may be appropriately selected based on a size of glass laminate segments 160P (see FIG. 10) to be cut, a material of the glass laminate 160, power of the laser beams, a pressure of the purge air, and the like. For example, when the width w1 1 of each slot 110H is less than about 2 mm, a metal melt, pieces, or burrs of the glass laminate 160 become attached to the inside of the slots 1 10H, and thus are likely to clog the slots 1 10H, or the width w11 of each slot 11 OH is less than the diameter of a stream of the purge air injected onto the glass laminate 160 so that an unwanted movement or vibration of the glass laminate 160 occurs. When the width w11 of each slot 1 10H is greater than about 20 mm, the area of a portion of the glass laminate 160, which is not supported by the plate assembly 100, increases, and thus, an unwanted movement or vibration of the glass laminate 160 may occur due to laser beam irradiation or purge air injection.

[0056] In the plan view, a first distance d11 between two neighboring slots 1 10H of the plurality of slots 1 10H may be determined according to a target size of the glass laminate segments 160P (see FIG. 10) to be cut. For example, when the glass laminate segment 160P having a rectangular or bar shape with a horizontal width greater than a vertical width is produced, the first distance d11 between the slots 11 OH may correspond to the vertical width of the required glass laminate segment 160P. That is, the first distance d1 1 between the slots 1 10H and the number of the slots 11 OH may be determined according to a target vertical width of the glass laminate segments 160P.

[0057] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the glass laminate 160 may include a metal thin plate 162, an adhesive layer 164, and a glass layer 166. The adhesive layer 164 may be arranged between the glass layer 166 and the metal thin plate 162 such that a bottom surface of the glass layer 166 faces an upper surface of the metal thin plate 162. The glass laminate 160 may include a first main surface 160F1 and a second main surface 160F2 that are opposite to each other, the first main surface 160F1 of the glass laminate 160 corresponds to an upper surface of the glass layer 166, which is opposite to the bottom surface of the glass layer 166, and the second main surface 160F2 of the glass laminate 160 may correspond to a bottom surface of the metal thin plate 162, which is opposite to the upper surface of the metal thin plate 162. In other embodiments, the adhesive layer 164 may be omitted, and the glass layer 166 may be directly adhered onto the metal thin plate 162.

[0058] The metal thin plate 162 may include steel, stainless steel, nickel, cobalt, or a metal alloy including at least one thereof. The metal thin plate 162 may include a ferromagnetic material, and thus the metal thin plate 162 may be fixed onto the flexible magnet 120 by magnetic force. In example embodiments, the metal thin plate 162 may have a thickness t21 of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm. More particularly, the thickness t21 of the metal thin plate 162 may be between about 0.2 mm and about 3 mm.

[0059] The glass layer 166 may be formed of glass, ceramic, glass-ceramic, or a combination thereof. The glass layer 166 may include, for example, borosilicate, aluminosilicate, boroaluminosilicate, alkali borosilicate, alkali aluminosilicate, alkali boroaluminosilicate, soda lime, or a combination thereof, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the glass layer 166 may be commercially available flexible glass under the product name of Corning® Willow® glass (Corning Incorporated, Corning, New York, USA) or commercially available chemically strengthened glass under the product name of Corning® Gorilla® glass (Corning Incorporated, Corning, New York, USA). For example, the glass layer 166 may be formed using a molding process, such as a down-draw process such as a fusion draw process or a slot draw process, a float process, an up-draw process, or a rolling process. In example embodiments, the glass layer 166 may have a thickness t22 of about 0.1 mm to about 2.0 mm. More particularly, the thickness t22 of the glass layer 166 may be between about 0.15 mm and about 1.5 mm.

[0060] The adhesive layer 164 may attach the glass layer 166 onto the metal thin plate 162, and may be formed of, for example, a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) or an optically clear adhesive (OCA), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0061] Since the metal thin plate 162 is exposed via the second main surface 160F2 of the glass laminate 160, the metal thin plate 162 may be placed to come into contact with the upper surface 120U of the flexible magnet 120 when the glass laminate 160 is mounted on the plate assembly 100. In this regard, the metal thin plate 162 may be firmly fixed onto the flexible magnet 120 by magnetic force. In addition, when the cutting process of the glass laminate 160 is performed by irradiating laser beams and supplying purge air in a direction in which the slots 11 OH extend, the glass laminate segment 160P (see FIG. 10) that has already been cut and separated from the glass laminate 160 may be fixed and maintained on the upper surface 120U of the flexible magnet 120 by magnetic force. Thus, the occurrence of cutting non-uniformity or cutting defects may be prevented in the cutting process of the glass laminate 160, and the glass laminate segment 160P may exhibit excellent cutting cross-section quality.

[0062] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plate assembly 100A according to other example embodiments. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I ll-Ill' of FIG. 2.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 5, a base plate 110A may include a plurality of side walls 110SA defining a plurality of slots 1 10HA, and each side wall 1 10SA may include a stepped portion 112. Each slot 110HA may extend in a lateral direction by the stepped portions 1 12 in a region adjacent to the second surface 110F2 of the base plate 110A. For example, each slot 1 10HA may have a first width w1 1a at the same level as the first surface 1 10F1 of the base plate 110A, and may have a second width w12a greater than the first width w11 a at the same level as the second surface 1 10F2 of the base plate 1 10A. The first width w1 1a in the second direction (the D2 direction) of each slot 110HA may be in a range of about 2 mm to about 20 mm, and the second width w12a in the second direction (the D2 direction) of each slot 110HA may be in a range of about 3 mm to about 40 mm.

[0064] According to the above-described embodiment, since the second width w12a of each slot 1 10HA is greater than the first width w11 a, a metal melt, pieces, or burrs produced in portions onto which laser beams are irradiated in the cutting process of the glass laminate 160 may not be attached to side walls of the slots 110HA or may not clog the slots 1 10HA, and may be easily transferred to the suction holes 30H of the loading stage 30 by purge air.

[0065] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plate assembly according to other example embodiments. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-IIG of FIG. 2.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 6, a base plate 1 10B may include a plurality of slots 110HB, and each slot 110HB may include a pair of side walls 1 10SB that are inclined and extend in the first direction (the D1 direction). The pair of side walls 110SB may be inclined at mutually opposite inclination angles with respect to the first surface 1 10F1 of the base plate 110B. For example, each slot 110HB may extend in a lateral direction in a region adjacent to the second surface 110F2 of the base plate 110B due to the pair of side walls 110SB inclined at mutually opposite inclination angles. For example, each slot 110HB may have a first width w1 1 b at the same level as the first surface 110F1 of the base plate 110B, and may have a second width w12b greater than the first width w1 1 b at the same level as the second surface 1 10F2 of the base plate 1 10B. The first width w11 b in the second direction (the D2 direction) of each slot 110HB may be in a range of about 2 mm to about 20 mm, and the second width w12b in the second direction (the D2 direction) of each slot 110HB may be in a range of about 3 mm to about 40 mm.

[0067] According to the above-described embodiment, since the second width w12b of each slot 1 10HB is greater than the first width w11 b, a metal melt, pieces, or burrs produced in portions onto which laser beams are irradiated in the cutting process of the glass laminate 160 may not be attached to side walls of the slots 110HB or may not clog the slots 1 10HB, and may be easily transferred to the suction holes 30H of the loading stage 30 by the purge air.

[0068] FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating a plate assembly 100C according to other example embodiments. FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views taken along line XIII-XIII' of FIG. 7.

[0069] Referring to FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8B, a base plate 1 10C may include a pair of first slots 110HC1 and a pair of second slots 1 10HC2. The pair of first slots 1 10HC1 may extend in parallel in the first direction (the D1 direction), and the pair of second slots 110HC2 may extend in parallel in the second direction (the D2 direction). Each of the pair of second slots 1 10HC2 and each of the pair of first slots 1 10HC1 may intersect at an intersection region 110HX.

[0070] As the pair of second slots 1 10HC2 intersects the pair of first slots 110HC1 , the plate assembly 100C may include a central portion 100C1 and an outer circumferential portion 100C2. For example, when viewed in the plan view, the central portion 100C1 may be surrounded by the pair of first slots 1 10HC1 and the pair of second slots 110HC2, and the outer circumferential portion 100C2 may be positioned around the central portion 100C1 , between the pair of first slots 1 10HC1 and the pair of second slots 110HC2. For example, the outer circumferential portion 100C2 may include the guide portion 130 and outermost edges of the base plate 1 10C. The central portion 100C1 may be spaced apart from the outer circumferential portion 100C2, and the pair of first slots 1 10HC1 and the pair of second slots 1 10HC2 may be defined between the central portion 100C1 and the outer circumferential portion 100C2.

[0071] In example embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 8A, the central portion 100C1 and the outer circumferential portion 100C2 may be separated from each other and each independently loaded on or unloaded from the loading stage 30. In this regard, a separation distance w21 in the second direction (the D2 direction) between the central portion 100C1 and the outer circumferential portion 100C2 (or a width in the second direction (the D2 direction) of the pair of first slots 1 10HC1) may be in a range of about 2 mm to about 20 mm.

[0072] In other embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 8B, the central portion 100C1 may be connected to the outer circumferential portion 100C2 via a metal bridge 140 attached to a bottom surface of the plate assembly 100C (or the second surface 1 10F2 of the base plate 110C). In this case, the pair of first slots 110HC1 and the pair of second slots 110HC2 may be placed at fixed positions, and the width of each of the pair of first slots 110HC1 and the pair of second slots 110HC2 may not be changed. Meanwhile, to fix the positions of the pair of first slots 1 10HC1 and the pair of second slots 110HC2, other arbitrary fastening members may also be employed instead of the metal bridge 140 illustrated in FIG. 8B.

[0073] In example embodiments, relative positions of the pair of first slots 110HC1 and the pair of second slots 1 10HC2 may be determined according to a target size of the glass laminate segments 160P (see FIG. 10) to be cut. For example, a horizontal width in the second direction (the D2 direction) of the glass laminate segment 160P to be cut may correspond to a first distance d21 between the pair of first slots 1 10HC1 , and a vertical width in the first direction (the D1 direction) of the glass laminate segment 160P to be cut may correspond to a second distance d22 between the pair of second slots 110HC2.

[0074] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of producing a glass laminate, according to embodiments. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a purge air supply operation (operation S240) of the method of producing a glass laminate of FIG. 9.

[0075] The method of producing a glass laminate by using the apparatus 1 for producing a glass laminate, which includes the plate assembly 100, 100A, 100B, or 100C according to the example embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8B will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. For example, the method of producing a glass laminate may be a method of forming the glass laminate segments 160P by cutting the glass laminate 160 by using the apparatus 1. In FIG. 10, a method of producing a glass laminate by using the plate assembly 100A is illustrated.

[0076] First, the plate assembly 100A, which includes the base plate 1 10A including at least one slot 110HA, the flexible magnet 120, and the guide portion 130, may be placed on the loading stage 30 (operation S210).

[0077] In example embodiments, the plate assembly 100A may be mounted on the loading stage 30 such that the at least one slot 1 10HA of the plate assembly 100A vertically overlaps a plurality of suction holes 30H of the loading stage 30. For example, the plate assembly 100A may be mounted on the loading stage 30 so that an upper surface of the loading stage 30 is not exposed by the at least one slot 1 10HA. When the upper surface of the loading stage 30 is exposed by the at least one slot 110HA, the loading stage 30 may be partially damaged by laser beams irradiated onto the plate assembly 100A in the subsequent process.

[0078] Subsequently, the glass laminate 160 may be placed on the plate assembly 100A such that an edge 160E of the glass laminate 160 comes into contact with the guide portion 130 and is fixed to the flexible magnet 120 by magnetic force (operation S220).

[0079] In example embodiments, as described above with reference to FIG. 4, the glass laminate 160 may be a plate-shaped structure in which the metal thin plate 162 and the glass layer 166 are attached to each other by the adhesive layer 164. The metal thin plate 162 of the glass laminate 160 may include steel, stainless steel, nickel, cobalt, or an alloy including at least one thereof, and accordingly, the metal thin plate 162 may be firmly attached to the flexible magnet 120 by magnetic force.

[0080] In example embodiments, the guide portion 130 extends in the first direction (the D1 direction) on the first surface 110F1 of the base plate 1 10A, and an upper surface of the guide portion 130 is at a level higher than an upper surface of the flexible magnet 120. Thus, in the process of mounting the glass laminate 160 on the plate assembly 100A such that the edge 160E of the glass laminate 160 comes into contact with the guide portion 130, misalignment or the like of the glass laminate 160 may be prevented.

[0081] Subsequently, laser beams may be irradiated in a direction in which the at least one slot 110HA extends to thereby cut the glass laminate 160 (operation S230).

[0082] In example embodiments, the laser beam irradiation unit 10 (see FIG. 1) may be connected to the position movement control unit 20 (see FIG. 1), and may be configured to move along predetermined target cutting lines (not shown) of the glass laminate 160. The laser beam irradiation unit 10 may include the laser irradiation portion 12 (see FIG. 1) and the purge air supply portion 14.

[0083] In example embodiments, the laser beams may be emitted from the laser irradiation portion 12 to a target cutting position of the glass laminate 160 such that at least a portion of the glass laminate 160, e.g., the metal thin plate 162, may be melt. For example, heat generated by the laser beams may be locally concentrated on the target cutting position of the glass laminate 160 that has been irradiated with the laser beams, and thus, the metal thin plate 162 may be melt and cut. In addition, during re cooling of the target cutting position of the glass laminate 160, stress may be locally generated in the glass layer 166, and thus, the glass layer 166 may be cut by transmission or propagation of the generated stress.

[0084] Subsequently, purge air may be supplied to the glass laminate 160 to transfer pieces 168R of the cut glass laminate 160 to the suction holes 30H of the loading stage 30 (operation S240).

[0085] In example embodiments, the purge air may be injected from the purge air supply portion 14 of the laser beam irradiation unit 10 into the suction holes 30H. A flow of the purge air is schematically illustrated by a dotted arrow in FIG. 10.

[0086] In example embodiments, the purge air supply operation may be performed after the laser beam irradiation operation. In other embodiments, the laser irradiation portion 12 may continuously emit laser beams onto the glass laminate 160 while continuously moving along the target cutting lines, and the purge air supply portion 14 may inject purge air onto a portion of the laser beam-irradiated glass laminate 160 while continuously moving along the target cutting lines after the laser irradiation portion 12.

[0087] In the purge air supply operation, a portion of the glass laminate 160 that has been irradiated with the laser beams may be cooled to locally generate stress in the glass layer 166, thus inducing or facilitating the cutting of the glass layer 166. In addition, the pieces 168R (or a metal melt or burrs of the glass laminate 160) of the glass laminate 160 cut by the purge air supply operation may be transferred into the suction holes 30H. Since the glass laminate 160 is firmly attached onto the plate assembly 100A by magnetic force, an unwanted movement or vibration of the glass laminate 160 may be prevented even when the purge air is injected at a relatively high pressure.

[0088] The above-described operations may be performed to thereby complete the production of the glass laminate segments 160P from the glass laminate 160. In a case in which the glass laminate 160 is cut into a plurality of glass laminate segments 160P, since the already cut glass laminate segment 160P is maintained on the plate assembly 100A in a state of being fixed thereto by magnetic force, movements or vibrations of the glass laminate segments 160P due to injection of the purge air may be prevented.

[0089] Subsequently, the glass laminate segments 160P may be unloaded, and another glass laminate 160 may be placed on the plate assembly 100A and the cutting process may be repeatedly performed thereon (i.e., operations S220 to S240 may be repeatedly performed). As such, the plate assembly 100A may be reused, which is economical.

[0090] According to the above-described production method, since the glass laminate 160 is firmly and temporarily fixed onto the plate assembly 100A by magnetic force of the flexible magnet 120, the glass laminate 160 may not move or vibrate even when the purge air is injected at a relatively high pressure after laser irradiation. Thus, the occurrence of cutting position deviations, cutting defects, or the like of the glass laminate 160 may be prevented. In addition, since the glass laminate 160 may be cut by sequentially performing the laser irradiation operation and the purge air supply operation, the glass laminate segments 160P may have excellent cutting cross-section quality. [0091] It should be understood that embodiments described herein should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects within each embodiment should typically be considered as available for other similar features or aspects in other embodiments.

[0092] While one or more embodiments have been described with reference to the figures, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the following claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A plate assembly used in an apparatus for producing a glass laminate, the plate assembly comprising:

a base plate comprising at least one slot through which laser beams are configured to pass;

a flexible magnet placed on a first surface of the base plate and comprising at least one opening in communication with the at least one slot; and

a guide portion placed along one edge of the flexible magnet on the first surface of the base plate and extending in a first direction parallel to an edge of the first surface of the base plate.

2. The plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the glass laminate comprises a metal thin plate and a glass layer attached onto the metal thin plate,

wherein the metal thin plate comprises steel, stainless steel, nickel, cobalt, or a metal alloy comprising at least one of these metals, and

the metal thin plate is configured to be fixed on the flexible magnet by magnetic force.

3. The plate assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the flexible magnet has a magnetic flux density of about 100 Gauss to about 3,000 Gauss.

4. The plate assembly of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one slot comprises a plurality of first slots extending in the first direction and being spaced apart from each other in parallel.

5. The plate assembly of claim 4, wherein the first slots are spaced apart from each other at an equal distance.

6. The plate assembly of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plate assembly comprises:

an outer circumferential portion on which the guide portion is placed; and a central portion surrounded by the outer circumferential portion and spaced apart from the outer circumferential portion, when viewed in a plan view,

wherein the at least one slot is defined between the central portion and the outer circumferential portion.

7. The plate assembly of claim 6, wherein the at least one slot comprises: a pair of first slots extending in parallel in the first direction; and

a pair of second slots extending in parallel in a second direction and intersecting the pair of first slots, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the first surface of the base plate, and

the central portion is surrounded by the pair of first slots and the pair of second slots, when viewed in a plan view.

8. The plate assembly of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein an upper surface of the guide portion is at a level higher than an upper surface of the flexible magnet in a third direction perpendicular to the first surface, with respect to the first surface of the base plate.

9. The plate assembly of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the at least one slot is defined by opposite side walls extending from the first surface to a second surface of the base plate, the second surface being opposite to the first surface, and

a first width of the at least one slot at a same level as the first surface is smaller than a second width of the at least one slot at a same level as the second surface.

10. The plate assembly of claim 9, wherein each of the opposite side walls of the base plate is inclined from the first surface to the second surface of the base plate.

1 1. The plate assembly of claim 9, wherein each of the opposite side walls of the base plate comprises a stepped portion between the first and second surfaces of the base plate.

12. An apparatus for producing a glass laminate which is used to cut a glass laminate, the apparatus comprising: a loading stage comprising a plurality of suction holes;

a plate assembly mounted on the loading stage and onto which the glass laminate is configured to be fixed by magnetic force; and

a laser beam irradiation unit configured to irradiate the glass laminate with laser beams,

wherein the plate assembly comprises:

a base plate comprising at least one slot through which the laser beams are configured to pass;

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one slot vertically overlaps the plurality of suction holes, and

the laser beams are configured to be irradiated onto the glass laminate in a direction in which the at least one slot extends.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the laser beam irradiation unit comprises:

a fiber laser irradiation portion configured to irradiate the glass laminate with the laser beams; and

a purge air supply portion configured to supply purge air to a region on which the laser beams are irradiated, to transfer, into the plurality of suction holes via the at least one slot, pieces or burrs of the glass laminate produced when the glass laminate is cut by the laser beams.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 or 14, wherein the glass laminate comprises a metal thin plate and a glass layer attached onto the metal thin plate,

the metal thin plate is configured to be fixed on the flexible magnet of the plate assembly by the magnetic force.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the guide portion of the plate assembly is in contact with an edge of the glass laminate, and the glass laminate is configured to be placed on the plate assembly.

17. A method of producing a glass laminate using a plate assembly, the method comprising:

placing the plate assembly on a loading stage comprising a plurality of suction holes, wherein the plate assembly comprises a base plate comprising at least one slot, and a flexible magnet placed on a first surface of the base plate and comprising at least one opening in communication with the at least one slot;

placing a glass laminate on the plate assembly; and

emitting laser beams onto the glass laminate in a direction in which the at least one slot extends, to cut a portion of the glass laminate, the portion overlapping the at least one slot.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plate assembly further comprises a guide portion placed along one edge of the flexible magnet on the first surface of the base plate, and

the placing of the glass laminate comprises placing the glass laminate on the plate assembly such that an edge of the glass laminate comes into contact with the guide portion and the glass laminate is fixed on the flexible magnet by magnetic force.

19. The method of claim 17 or 18, further comprising, after the emitting of the laser beams, supplying purge air to a portion of the glass laminate onto which the laser beams are irradiated, to transfer, into the plurality of suction holes via the at least one slot, pieces or burrs of the glass laminate cut by the laser beams.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, in the supplying of the purge air, the plate assembly and the glass laminate do not move or vibrate by the purge air.