Method for manufacturing glass film and apparatus for manufacturing glass film

Abstract

When the manufacturing-related processing section (9) is used to perform manufacturing-related processing on the glass film (Gl) while the glass film (Gl) is being carried by the belt conveyor (22d), the belt conveyor (22d) is configured to be able to attract the glass film (Gl) to the belt (23d) at a position on the upstream side of the manufacturing-related processing section (9) in the direction of conveyance of the glass film (Gl), and the belt conveyor (22d) is configured to be able to change the attraction force (P11, P12) to the glass film (Gl) in the direction of conveyance (X) of the glass film (Gl).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for manufacturing glass films and an apparatus for manufacturing glass films. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing process of glass film, cutting, printing, and other manufacturing-related processes are typically performed on the glass film while it is being transported along a specified direction. At this time, there are cases where the glass film is transported in a state of being adsorbed onto the surface of a belt conveyor in the area or surrounding area where these manufacturing-related processes are being performed (for example, see Patent Document 1). By using a belt conveyor capable of adsorption, advantages such as being able to transport the glass film without contact with one side and being able to stably maintain the glass film even when transport stops are available.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-150131 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, in practice, when manufacturing-related processes such as cutting the glass film are performed simultaneously using a belt conveyor to adsorb and transport the film, as described above, it can be very difficult to adjust the adsorption force on the glass film. Since the glass film is continuously transported along with the belt drive, insufficient adsorption force can cause the adsorption state of the glass film to be eliminated during transport. The elimination of the adsorption state reduces or temporarily eliminates the constraint force on the glass film, thus increasing the risk of positional displacement relative to the belt. On the other hand, if the adsorption force on the glass film is increased to strongly adsorb it in order to avoid the elimination of the adsorption state during transport, the glass film is strongly constrained according to the degree of adsorption force. In this case, the risk of deformation such as wrinkles due to the speed difference between the film and its surroundings increases.

[0008] In view of the above, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to transport the glass film without displacement while preventing deformation such as wrinkles and maintaining the adsorption state of the tape, thereby performing good manufacturing correlation processing on the glass film.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] The problem is solved by the glass film manufacturing method of the present invention. That is, the manufacturing method is a method for manufacturing a glass film in which a manufacturing-related processing unit performs manufacturing-related processing on the glass film while it is being transported by a belt conveyor. The glass film manufacturing method is characterized in that the belt conveyor is capable of adsorbing the glass film onto the belt at a position upstream of the manufacturing-related processing unit in the transport direction of the glass film, and the belt conveyor is capable of changing the adsorption force on the glass film in the transport direction of the glass film.

[0011] Thus, in the method for manufacturing the glass film of the present invention, at least a predetermined portion of the belt conveyor is configured to adsorb the glass film onto the belt, and the adsorption force of the belt conveyor on the glass film can be varied in the transport direction of the glass film. With this configuration, the glass film can be transported while being adsorbed with an appropriate magnitude of adsorption force according to its position in the transport direction. Therefore, in cases where the glass film is adsorbed too strongly, by reducing the adsorption force at those locations, deformations such as wrinkles can be prevented or suppressed as much as possible. On the other hand, regarding other locations, for example, by relatively increasing the adsorption force, slippage of the glass film relative to the belt can be prevented, and the glass film can be transported without positional deviation.

[0012] Alternatively, in the glass film manufacturing method of the present invention, when viewed in the transport direction of the glass film, the adsorption force on the glass film is relatively small on the side closer to the manufacturing-related processing section, and relatively large on the side farther from the manufacturing-related processing section.

[0013] Regarding deformations such as wrinkles, assuming that even if wrinkles or deformations occur during transport, it is important to eliminate or minimize these deformations when performing manufacturing-related processing (when passing through the processing position), which has a high probability of affecting the final quality. Therefore, the adsorption force on the glass film is relatively small on the side closer to the manufacturing-related processing section and relatively large on the side farther from the manufacturing-related processing section. This allows the glass film to be strongly adsorbed at a position upstream of the manufacturing-related processing section without shifting its position during transport. Furthermore, even if wrinkles or deformations occur during strong adsorption, by pre-setting a relatively small adsorption force in a region downstream of the area where wrinkles or deformations occurred but upstream of the manufacturing-related processing section, temporarily generated wrinkles or deformations can be eliminated or minimized before reaching the manufacturing-related processing section. Thus, the glass film can be transported to the manufacturing-related processing section without shifting its position and without wrinkles or deformations, enabling more stable and high-quality manufacturing-related processing.

[0014] Alternatively, in the method for manufacturing the glass film of the present invention, the adsorption surface of the strip capable of adsorbing the glass film may be divided into multiple adsorption regions in the transport direction of the glass film, such that the adsorption forces on the glass film are different from each other.

[0015] By dividing the adsorption surface of the strip into multiple adsorption regions along the transport direction of the glass film, the adsorption force can be set for each adsorption region. Therefore, compared to cases where the adsorption force is continuously varied along the transport direction, the distribution of the adsorption force on the glass film can be easily set or changed. Furthermore, since the adsorption is divided into multiple adsorption regions along the transport direction, the adsorption mechanism can be formed relatively simply. Therefore, it is also preferable in terms of equipment cost.

[0016] Alternatively, in the case where the adsorption surface is divided into multiple adsorption regions, in the method for manufacturing the glass film of the present invention, the adsorption surface may be divided into two adsorption regions in the transport direction of the glass film. Furthermore, in this case, the adsorption force in each adsorption region may be controlled such that the adsorption force in the first adsorption region located upstream of the glass film in the transport direction is relatively large, while the adsorption force in the second adsorption region located downstream of the first adsorption region in the transport direction of the glass film is relatively small.

[0017] As described above, by dividing the adsorption surface of the strip into two adsorption regions, the adsorption force in the adsorption region (first adsorption region) located upstream in the transport direction is relatively large, while the adsorption force in the adsorption region (second adsorption region) located downstream in the transport direction is relatively small. This allows the glass film to be strongly adsorbed in the first adsorption region without shifting its position, as described above. Furthermore, even if wrinkles or other deformations occur when the glass film is strongly adsorbed in the first adsorption region, by pre-setting the adsorption force to be relatively small in the region downstream in the transport direction compared to the area where wrinkles or other deformations occurred, the temporarily generated wrinkles or other deformations can be eliminated or reduced. Therefore, the glass film can be transported without shifting its position and without wrinkles or other deformations. Thus, by arranging the manufacturing-related processing unit in the second adsorption region or at a position downstream in the transport direction from the second adsorption region, high-quality manufacturing-related processing can be stably performed. Moreover, regarding the two adsorption regions, only the adsorption force needs to be set, making it easy to set and change the adsorption force distribution.

[0018] Alternatively, in the case where the adsorption surface is divided into multiple adsorption regions, the glass film manufacturing method of the present invention may also divide the adsorption surface into three adsorption regions in the transport direction of the glass film. Furthermore, in this case, when the three adsorption regions are sequentially designated as a first adsorption region, a second adsorption region, and a third adsorption region from upstream to downstream in the transport direction of the glass film, the adsorption force in each adsorption region may be controlled such that the adsorption force in the second adsorption region is the greatest, and the adsorption forces in the first and third adsorption regions are respectively smaller than the adsorption force in the second adsorption region.

[0019] As described above, when the adsorption surface of the belt is divided into three adsorption regions, the adsorption force of the adsorption region located in the middle of the transport direction (the second adsorption region) is maximized, while the adsorption forces of the adsorption regions downstream of this region (the third adsorption region) and upstream of the transport direction (the first adsorption region) are respectively smaller than the adsorption force of the second adsorption region. After the glass film is formed, it undergoes various treatments depending on the situation, such as being transferred from other conveyors to the belt conveyor of the present invention. Therefore, during this transfer, if the glass film is strongly adsorbed, it is easy to cause deformation such as wrinkles. In this regard, by making the adsorption force in the upstream adsorption region relatively small, it is possible to prevent deformation such as wrinkles from occurring immediately after the transfer. As a result, the glass film can be transported towards the manufacturing-related processing unit without wrinkles or deformation after the transfer. Furthermore, the glass film is strongly adsorbed in the second adsorption region and transported without positional shift. In the adsorption region (third adsorption region) downstream of the second adsorption region in the transport direction, the adsorption force is pre-set to be relatively small. Therefore, even if new deformations such as wrinkles occur in the second adsorption region, these deformations can be eliminated or reduced. Thus, the glass film can be transported without positional shift and without wrinkles or other deformations. Therefore, by arranging the manufacturing-related processing unit in the third adsorption region or downstream of the third adsorption region in the transport direction, high-quality manufacturing-related processing can be stably performed. Moreover, regarding the three adsorption regions, only the adsorption force needs to be set, making the setting of the adsorption force distribution easy.

[0020] In addition, when the adsorption surface is divided into multiple adsorption regions, in the glass film manufacturing method of the present invention, the belt conveyor may also have a hollow support body that supports the belt, the support body having an exhaust space inside the support body that can exhaust air, and the exhaust space being divided in the transport direction of the glass film corresponding to the adsorption regions, and a connecting part being provided between the support body and the belt to connect the space between the belt and the support body and the exhaust space.

[0021] With this configuration, the portion of the upper surface of the belt that passes above the exhaust space where the support is located functions as an adsorption surface for the glass membrane. Furthermore, since the exhaust space is divided into corresponding adsorption areas, by adjusting the exhaust volume in each divided space (and thus the magnitude of the negative pressure generated in each divided space), adsorption areas capable of exerting a predetermined adsorption force can be formed on the belt. Based on this structure, only minimal improvements are required to the conventional support, thus avoiding the need for large-scale and complex devices and forming the desired adsorption force distribution on the belt at the lowest possible cost.

[0022] In addition, in the method for manufacturing the glass film of the present invention, when the exhaust space inside the support body is divided into corresponding adsorption areas, each of the divided spaces formed by the exhaust space may be connected to a blower that can be controlled independently.

[0023] For example, by connecting a blower to each segment of the exhaust space and installing valves between each segment and the blower, the exhaust volume of each segment can be adjusted. However, this makes it difficult to precisely adjust the suction force. In contrast, in this invention, a blower is connected to each segment, so by simply adjusting the frequency of the motor that powers the blower, the exhaust volume of each segment can be easily and precisely controlled, thereby enabling precise control of the negative pressure.

[0024] Alternatively, in the method for manufacturing the glass film of the present invention, the belt conveyor may be an upstream belt conveyor located upstream of the glass film in the transport direction, and there may be no downstream conveyor located downstream of the glass film in the transport direction.

[0025] Thus, by equipping a downstream conveyor, even when the glass film is in the form of a belt, a pulling force can be applied to the portion passing downstream of the belt conveyor that forms the adsorption structure. Therefore, deformations such as wrinkles in the glass film can be eliminated or suppressed more effectively, and the glass film can be reliably fed into the manufacturing-related processing unit without wrinkles or other deformations.

[0026] Furthermore, according to the glass film manufacturing method described above, deformations such as wrinkles can be prevented, and the glass film can be transported without displacement while maintaining its adsorption state on the belt. This allows for efficient manufacturing-related processing of the glass film. Therefore, for example, the present invention is preferred when the manufacturing-related processing unit is a laser cutting unit capable of cutting the glass film along its length. That is, by applying the present invention to the laser cutting of a glass film transported by a belt conveyor, accurate cutting of the glass film can be performed stably.

[0027] Furthermore, the aforementioned problem is also solved by the glass film manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. That is, this manufacturing apparatus is a glass film manufacturing apparatus comprising a belt conveyor for transporting the glass film and a manufacturing-related processing unit for performing manufacturing-related processing on the glass film being transported by the belt conveyor. The glass film manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that the belt conveyor mechanism is capable of adsorbing the glass film onto the belt at a position upstream of the manufacturing-related processing unit in the glass film transport direction, and the belt conveyor mechanism is capable of changing the adsorption force on the glass film in the glass film transport direction.

[0028] Thus, in the glass film manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, at least a predetermined portion of the belt conveyor is configured to adsorb the glass film onto the belt, and the adsorption force of the belt conveyor on the glass film can be varied in the transport direction of the glass film. With this configuration, the glass film can be transported while being adsorbed with an appropriate magnitude of adsorption force according to its position in the transport direction. Therefore, in cases where the glass film is adsorbed too strongly, by reducing the adsorption force at those locations, deformations such as wrinkles can be prevented or suppressed as much as possible. On the other hand, regarding other locations, for example, by relatively increasing the adsorption force, slippage of the glass film relative to the belt can be prevented, and the glass film can be transported without positional deviation.

[0029] Invention Effects

[0030] As described above, according to the present invention, deformations such as wrinkles can be prevented and the glass film can be transported without displacement while maintaining the adsorption state of the tape, thereby enabling good manufacturing-related processing of the glass film. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a side view showing the overall structure of the glass film manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top view of the conveying device shown.

[0033] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Side view of the conveying device shown.

[0034] Figure 4 It is along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the main parts of the conveying device for the AA cutting line.

[0035] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 4 A graph showing the relationship between the transport direction and the adsorption force in the transport device.

[0036] Figure 6This is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the conveying device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 6 A graph showing the relationship between the transport direction and the adsorption force in the transport device.

[0038] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the adsorption force control system according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and is along... Figure 2 A sectional view of the main part of the BB cut line.

[0039] Figure 9 This is a graph showing the relationship between the transport direction position and the adsorption force in the transport device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The following is based on Figures 1-5 A first embodiment of the method for manufacturing the glass film of the present invention will be described. It should be noted that the following description will take the case where the glass film is wound into a roll and a glass roll is finally obtained as an example.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, a glass film (glass roll) manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a forming section 2, which forms a strip-shaped base glass film G; a direction conversion section 3, which converts the traveling direction of the base glass film G from longitudinal downward to transverse; a first conveying section 4, which conveys the base glass film G transversely after the direction conversion; a first cutting section 5, which cuts off both ends of the base glass film G in the width direction; and a first winding section 6, which winds the glass film (hereinafter referred to as the first glass film) G1 with its ends removed in the width direction into a roll to obtain a first glass roll GRL1. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the longitudinal direction is the vertical direction and the transverse direction is the horizontal direction.

[0042] Furthermore, the glass roll manufacturing apparatus 1 also includes: a pull-out section 7 that pulls out a first glass film G1 from a first glass roll GRL1; a second transport section 8 that transports the first glass film G1 pulled out from the pull-out section 7 laterally; a second cutting section 9 that cuts a portion of the first glass film G1; and a second winding section 10 that winds the glass films (hereinafter referred to as second glass films) G2a and G2b cut by the second cutting section 9 into rolls to obtain second glass rolls GRL2a and GRL2b. It should be noted that the second cutting section 9 in this embodiment corresponds to the manufacturing-related processing section of the present invention.

[0043] The forming section 2 includes: a forming body 11 that is generally wedge-shaped in cross-section, having an overflow groove 11a formed at its upper end; an edge roller 12 disposed directly below the forming body 11, which clamps the molten glass GM overflowing from the forming body 11 from both sides of the surface and back; and an annealing furnace 13 disposed directly below the edge roller 12.

[0044] The forming section 2 allows molten glass GM overflowing from the overflow groove 11a of the forming body 11 to flow down along both sides and merge at their lower ends to form a film. Edge rollers 12 restrict the width-direction contraction of the molten glass GM, thereby adjusting the width-direction dimension of the base glass film G. An annealing furnace 13 is used to perform strain relief treatment on the base glass film G. The annealing furnace 13 has multiple annealing rollers 14 arranged vertically.

[0045] Below the annealing furnace 13, support rollers 15 are provided to clamp the base glass film G from both sides of the surface. Tension is applied between the support rollers 15 and the edge rollers 12 or between the support rollers 15 and any part of the annealing rollers 14 to promote the thinning of the base glass film G.

[0046] The direction conversion section 3 is located below the support roller 15. Multiple guide rollers 16, which guide the parent material glass film G, are arranged in a curved manner within the direction conversion section 3. These guide rollers 16 guide the parent material glass film G, which is transported vertically, laterally.

[0047] The first transport unit 4 is positioned in front of (downstream of) the direction conversion unit 3 in the direction of travel. The first transport unit 4 transports the mother glass film G, which has passed through the direction conversion unit 3, downstream along its length by driving a drive unit having a supporting transport surface. It should be noted that the first transport unit 4 can adopt any structure, for example, it can be composed of one or more belt conveyors. In this case, the drive unit having the supporting transport surface is a belt, and by driving this belt, the mother glass film G can be transported in the manner described above. Of course, the first transport unit 4 is not limited to the structure illustrated above, and roller conveyors or various other transport devices can also be used.

[0048] The first cutting section 5 is disposed above the first conveying section 4. In this embodiment, the first cutting section 5 is configured to cut the parent material glass film G using laser cutting. Specifically, the first cutting section 5 includes: a pair of laser irradiation devices 17a; and a pair of cooling devices 17b, which are disposed downstream of the laser irradiation devices 17a. After the first cutting section 5 irradiates a predetermined portion of the conveyed parent material glass film G with laser L from each laser irradiation device 17a and heats it, the first cutting section 5 releases a refrigerant R from the cooling devices 17b to cool the heated portion.

[0049] The first winding section 6 is located downstream of the first transport section 4 and the first cutting section 5. The first winding section 6 winds the first glass film G1 into a roll by rotating the core 18. The resulting first glass roll GRL1 is then transported to the pull-out section 7. The pull-out section 7 pulls the first glass film G1 out from the first glass roll GRL1 obtained by the first winding section 6 and supplies it to the second transport section 8.

[0050] The second transport section 8 transports the first glass film G1, pulled out from the first glass roll GRL1 in the pull-out section 7, along the transverse direction (hereinafter referred to as the transport direction X). Here, as... Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 As shown, the second transport unit 8 includes: an upstream conveyor 19, located upstream of the first glass film G1 in the transport direction; and a downstream conveyor 20, located downstream of the upstream conveyor 19 in the transport direction of the first glass film G1. In this case, a second cutting unit 9, serving as a manufacturing-related processing unit, is disposed between the upstream conveyor 19 and the downstream conveyor 20. Therefore, the cutting area 21 of the first glass film G1, which is cut by the second cutting unit 9, Figure 2 The area enclosed by a single-dot dashed line does not exist on either the support transport surface of the upstream conveyor 19 or the support transport surface of the downstream conveyor 20.

[0051] The upstream conveyor 19 is composed of a belt conveyor. In this case, the upstream conveyor 19 is equivalent to the belt conveyor of the present invention. In this embodiment, the upstream conveyor 19 includes a plurality of upstream belt conveyors 22a to 22g. The plurality of upstream belt conveyors 22a to 22g are all configured to transport the first glass film G1 in contact with the support and downstream side using belts (hereinafter referred to as first belts 23a to 23g) in the same direction. Here, each first belt 23a to 23g is, for example, an annular belt, and each first belt 23a to 23g is positioned at the same height direction so that the first glass film G1 is kept in a substantially horizontal posture over the entire area in which it contacts the first glass film G1 in the length direction.

[0052] Here, each upstream belt conveyor 22a to 22g has the same belt drive structure. If we consider the end closest to the width direction ( Figure 2 Taking the upstream belt conveyor 22g (the lower side) as an example, then as Figure 3As shown, the upstream belt conveyor 22g includes: the aforementioned annular first belt 23g; a plurality of pulleys 24 for applying tension to the first belt 23g and positioning it in a predetermined position; and a first support body 25 for supporting the plurality of pulleys 24. The first support body 25 is fixed to the floor surface. Furthermore, a drive source 26 (see reference 26) such as a motor is connected to a designated pulley 24 (drive pulley 24a) among the plurality of pulleys 24. Figure 2 The drive source 26 applies driving force to the drive pulley 24a, thereby enabling the first belt 23g of the upstream belt conveyor 22g to be driven in a specified direction.

[0053] Furthermore, the multiple upstream belt conveyors 22a to 22g of the above-described structure are respectively positioned at predetermined width directions. Here, it is envisioned that multiple first glass films G1 with different width dimensions are transported on the upstream conveyor 19, and the width directions of each first belt 23a to 23g are set such that they are contacted and supported at both ends of the width direction of each envisioned first glass film G1. In addition, in this embodiment, the upstream belt conveyor 22d (see reference) is provided in such a way that all the first glass films G1 can be contacted and supported at the center position of the width direction of the first glass film G1 regardless of the size of the width direction dimension. Figure 2 In this embodiment, the upstream side belt conveyor 22d at the center of the width direction is configured to adsorb the first glass film G1 on the surface (adsorption surface 23d1) of the first belt 23d, which serves as the support transport surface. This adsorption structure will be described later. Furthermore, regarding the remaining upstream side belt conveyors 22a-22c and 22e-22g, in this embodiment, as can be seen from the smooth surfaces of the first belts 23a-23c and 23e-23g, they do not have any adsorption structure (they are configured not to adsorb).

[0054] In this embodiment, the downstream conveyor 20 is composed of a belt conveyor. In this case, the downstream conveyor 20 includes a plurality of downstream belt conveyors 27a to 27g. The plurality of downstream belt conveyors 27a to 27g are all configured to transport the cut first glass film G1, i.e., the second glass films G2a and G2b, in contact and support to the downstream side using belts (hereinafter referred to as second belts 28a to 28g) in the same direction. Here, each second belt 28a to 28g is, for example, an annular belt, and each second belt 28a to 28g is set at the same height position so that the second glass films G2a and G2b are kept in a substantially horizontal posture over the entire area in which the second glass films G2a and G2b are in contact along their length.

[0055] Here, each downstream belt conveyor 27a to 27g has the same belt drive structure. If we consider the side closest to the width direction ( Figure 2 Taking the downstream belt conveyor 27g (the lower side of the belt) as an example, then... Figure 3 As shown, the downstream belt conveyor 27g includes: the aforementioned annular second belts 28a-28g; a plurality of pulleys 29 for applying tension to the second belts 28a-28g and positioning them in a predetermined position; and a first support body 30 for supporting the plurality of pulleys 29. Furthermore, a drive source 31, such as a motor, is connected to a specific pulley 29 (drive pulley 29a) among the plurality of pulleys 29. Figure 2 The drive source 31 applies driving force to the drive pulley 29a, thereby driving the second belts 28a-28g of each downstream belt conveyor 27a-27g in a predetermined direction. This drive source 31 is separately and independently configured from the drive source 26 of the upstream belt conveyors 22a-22g. Therefore, the driving of each drive source 26 and 31 can be controlled independently without linkage, and consequently, the driving of the upstream belt conveyors 22a-22g and the downstream belt conveyors 27a-27g can be controlled independently without linkage.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple downstream belt conveyors 27a-27g can be positioned at predetermined width directions, and are configured to allow adjustment of the position of each second belt 28a-28g in the width direction of the first glass film G1. Specifically, a guide rail portion 32 extending along the width direction of the first glass film G1 is provided below each downstream belt conveyor 27a-27g. Furthermore, a sliding portion 33, movable relative to the guide rail portion 32, is installed at the lower part of each first support body 30 constituting each downstream belt conveyor 27a-27g. Thus, the sliding portion 33 of each first support body 30 slides relative to the guide rail portion 32 in the width direction, allowing the multiple pulleys 29 supported by each first support body 30 and the second belts 28a-28g supported by these pulleys 29 to slide integrally in the width direction. It should be noted that the drive pulleys 29a of each downstream belt conveyor 27a-27g are supported so that they can slide relative to a common shaft portion 34 in the width direction. Therefore, its position relative to the width direction of the shaft portion 34 can be freely changed, and it can be driven by the driving force from the drive source 31 at any position in the width direction. It should be noted that in the example shown, the end located furthest in the width direction (...) Figure 2 The downstream belt conveyor 27a (at the topmost side) is positioned at a location offset in the width direction from the transport path of the second glass films G2a and G2b (retreat space 35).

[0057] In addition, in this embodiment, such as Figure 2As shown, the second belts 28a to 28g of all downstream side belt conveyors 27a to 27g are configured to adsorb the second glass films G2a and G2b onto the surfaces that serve as their supporting transport surfaces.

[0058] Next, the adsorption structure of the upstream belt conveyor 22d will be described in detail.

[0059] The upstream side belt conveyor 22d, as described above, has a first annular belt 23d, multiple pulleys 24, a first support body 25, and a drive source 26 (see reference). Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 ), and as Figure 4 As shown, it also includes: a second support body 36 that supports the first belt 23d from below; an exhaust space 37; and a connecting portion 38 that connects the space between the first belt 23d and the second support body 36 and the exhaust space 37.

[0060] The second support 36 is mounted on the first support 25, thereby fixing it to the floor surface. In this embodiment, the second support 36 is constructed from a hollow frame-like body, such as a square tube. In this case, an exhaust space 37 is provided inside the second support 36. The exhaust space 37 is divided into multiple spaces in the transport direction of the first glass film G1; here, it is divided into two spaces (a first dividing space 39a and a second dividing space 39b). In this case, each dividing space 39a and 39b is connected to a blower 40a and 40b, respectively, which serve as an exhaust device. The multiple blowers 40a and 40b can be independently controlled by the control unit 41. Details of the control method will be described later.

[0061] In this case, the connecting portion 38 includes: one or more grooves 42 disposed on the upper surface of the second support 36 and extending along the length direction of the first band 23d; holes 43 disposed on the second support 36 and communicating the grooves 42 with the segmented spaces 39a, 39b of the exhaust space 37; and a plurality of through holes 44 disposed on the first band 23d and formed at a position overlapping the grooves 42 in the width direction of the first band 23d. Therefore, by driving the exhaust from the segmented spaces 39a, 39b using the blowers 40a, 40b, the first glass membrane G1 on the first band 23d is attracted downwards by the grooves 42, holes 43, and through holes 44, thereby being adsorbed onto the first band 23d. Thus, the portion of the surface of the first band 23d that passes through the exhaust space 37 functions as an adsorption surface 23d1 for the first glass membrane G1. Furthermore, as described above, when the exhaust space 37 is divided into multiple spaces along the length of the first glass membrane G1, the adsorption surface 23d1 of the first strip 23d is divided into multiple adsorption regions Z11, Z12 within a predetermined region along the transport direction X of the first glass membrane G1, such that the adsorption force on the first glass membrane G1 is different from each other. In this case, each adsorption region Z11, Z12 is set to a position and size corresponding to each of the lowered partition spaces 39a, 39b. In this embodiment, as... Figure 4 As shown, the positions and sizes of the segmented spaces 39a and 39b are set such that the dimension of the first adsorption region Z11 along the transport direction X is equal to the dimension of the second adsorption region Z12 along the transport direction X. Furthermore, the positions and sizes of the segmented spaces 39a and 39b are set such that the width dimension of the first adsorption region Z11 is equal to the width dimension of the second adsorption region Z12; however, these are not illustrated in the diagram.

[0062] The upstream belt conveyor 22d that forms the above-described adsorption structure is configured to change the adsorption force on the first glass film G1 in its length direction, or in other words, in the transport direction X of the first glass film G1. As in this embodiment, when blowers 40a and 40b are connected to each segmented space 39a and 39b, and each blower 40a and 40b is configured to be controllable by the control unit 41, for example, by adjusting the output (exhaust volume) of each blower 40a and 40b using the control unit 41, the negative pressure in each segmented space 39a and 39b is independently set for each adsorption region Z11 and Z12 formed and set on each segmented space 39a and 39b, and thus the adsorption force on the first glass film G1 is independently set for each adsorption region Z11 and Z12 formed and set on each segmented space 39a and 39b. Based on the above, the output of each blower 40a and 40b is controlled by the control unit 41 in such a way that the adsorption forces on the first glass film G1 are different in the two adsorption regions Z11 and Z12.

[0063] Figure 5 This is a graph showing the relationship between the adsorption regions Z11 and Z12 and the adsorption forces P11 and P12 in this embodiment. Figure 5 As shown, when the upstream belt conveyor 22d forms the above-described structure, for example, between position X11 and position X12 in the first adsorption region Z11 along the transport direction X that becomes the upstream end (refer to...) Figure 4 The adsorption force P11 exerts a relatively large effect on the first glass membrane G1. In this case, the adsorption force P11 is set to a constant magnitude (equal) between positions X11 and X12. Additionally, between positions X12 and X13 in the transport direction X (which becomes the upstream end) of the second adsorption region Z12 (refer to...). Figure 4 The adsorption force P12 exerted on the first glass film G1 is relatively small. In this case, the adsorption force P12 is set to a constant magnitude between position X12 and position X13. In this case, the difference between the adsorption force P11 in the first adsorption region Z11 and the adsorption force P12 in the second adsorption region Z12 is preferably 1 kPa to 1.5 kPa. Thus, in this embodiment, when viewed in the transport direction X of the first glass film G1, the adsorption force P12 on the first glass film G1 is relatively small on the side near the second cutting portion 9 (second adsorption region Z12), and relatively large on the side away from the second cutting portion 9 (first adsorption region Z11), the control unit 41 drives each blower 40a and 40b in a manner that is relatively large.

[0064] The second cutting section 9 is disposed above the area in the second conveying section 8 located between the upstream conveyor 19 and the downstream conveyor 20 (see reference). Figure 1 as well as Figure 3 In this embodiment, the second cutting section 9 is configured to cut the first glass film G1 using laser cutting, and includes: a plurality of laser irradiation devices 45; and a cooling device 46 disposed downstream of each laser irradiation device 45. In this case, the cooling devices 46 are arranged in the same number as the laser irradiation devices 45. In this embodiment, the cutting area 21 of the first glass film G1 cut by the second cutting section 9 is provided at three locations in the width direction (see reference). Figure 2 Therefore, three laser irradiation devices 45 and three cooling devices 46 are provided. The second cutting section 9 of the above structure is configured to release a coolant R from the cooling device 46 after the first glass film G1 being transported is irradiated with laser L from each laser irradiation device 45 and heated, thereby cooling the heated part.

[0065] In addition, in this embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, a first platform 47 is provided at a position separated in the width direction from the cut area 21 of the first glass film G1, capable of contacting and supporting the first glass film G1 transported by the second transport unit 8. More precisely, the first platform 47 is provided at a position corresponding to the center side in the width direction of the cut first glass film G1 (second glass films G2a, G2b). In this embodiment, since two second glass films G2a, G2b are cut from one first glass film G1, first platforms 47 are respectively provided at positions in the width direction relative to the cut area 21 and corresponding to the center in the width direction of each second glass film G2a, G2b. These first platforms 47 are provided on the floor surface and fixed, and are always in a stationary state; therefore, they are not shown in the figure.

[0066] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown, the first platform 47 has a first support surface 48 that can contact and support the first glass film G1 and a first attraction portion 49 that can attract the first glass film G1 toward the first support surface 48. According to the first attraction portion 49, when the first glass film G1 is transported on the first support surface 48 of the first platform 47, the first glass film G1 can be attracted to the first support surface 48.

[0067] In addition, in this embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, a second platform 50 capable of contacting and supporting the first glass film G1 is provided in the cut area 21 of the first glass film G1. In this embodiment, the first glass film G1 is cut at three points in the width direction, therefore three second platforms 50 are provided in the cut areas 21 of the three points respectively. These second platforms 50 are provided on the floor surface and fixed, and remain in a static state, so they are not shown in the figure.

[0068] Here, as Figure 2 As shown, the second platform 50 has a second support surface 51 that can contact and support the first glass film G1, and a second attraction portion 52 that can attract the first glass film G1 toward the second support surface 51. According to the second attraction portion 52, when the first glass film G1 is transported on the second support surface 51 of the second platform 50, the first glass film G1 can be attracted to the second support surface 51.

[0069] A gap forming section 53 is provided downstream of the second transport section 8 to form a width-direction gap between a pair of adjacent second glass films G2a, G2b. In this embodiment, the gap forming section 53 has barrel-shaped support rollers 54a, 54b with the largest central diameter in the width direction, which causes each second glass film G2a, G2b to bend and deform in an upwardly convex direction. In this embodiment, two second glass films G2a, G2b are cut out, hence the two support rollers 54a, 54b are provided.

[0070] The second winding section 10 is located downstream of the second transport section 8. Specifically, the second winding section 10 uses cores 55a and 55b to wind the second glass films G2a and G2b transported by the second transport section 8 to obtain second glass rolls GRL2a and GRL2b. In this embodiment, two second glass films G2a and G2b are cut out, and then these two second glass films G2a and G2b are wound separately to obtain two second glass rolls GRL2a and GRL2b.

[0071] As the material for the second glass films G2a and G2b (first glass film G1) manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus 1 with the above-described structure, silicate glass and silicon dioxide glass are used, preferably borosilicate glass, soda-lime glass, aluminosilicate glass, or chemically strengthened glass, and most preferably alkali-free glass. Here, alkali-free glass refers to glass that substantially does not contain alkali components (alkali metal oxides), specifically, glass with an alkali component weight ratio of 3000 ppm or less. In this invention, the alkali component weight ratio is preferably 1000 ppm or less, more preferably 500 ppm or less, and most preferably 300 ppm or less.

[0072] In addition, the thickness of the second glass film G2a and G2b (first glass film G1) is 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less, preferably 30 μm or more and 200 μm or less, and most preferably 30 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

[0073] The following describes a method for manufacturing second glass films G2a and G2b (in this embodiment, second glass rolls GRL2a and GRL2b) using the manufacturing apparatus 1 with the above-described structure. This method includes a forming step S1, an end-removal step S2, a first winding step S3, a pulling step S4, a cutting step S5, and a second winding step S6.

[0074] In forming process S1, such as Figure 1 As shown, molten glass GM overflowing from the overflow groove 11a of the forming body 11 in the forming section 2 flows down along both sides of the forming body 11 and merges at its lower end to form a film. At this time, the molten glass GM is restricted to shrink in the width direction by the edge roller 12 to form a base glass film G of a specified width. Then, the base glass film G is subjected to strain relief treatment (annealing process) in the annealing furnace 13. Under the tension of the support roller 15, the base glass film G is formed to a specified thickness.

[0075] In the process of removing both ends S2, the same applies. Figure 1 As shown, while the parent glass film G is fed downstream using the direction conversion unit 3 and the first conveying unit 4, a portion of the parent glass film G is heated by irradiating a portion with laser L from the laser irradiation device 17a in the first cutting unit 5. Then, a coolant R is blown onto the heated portion using the cooling device 17b. This generates thermal stress in the parent glass film G. An initial crack is pre-formed in the parent glass film G, and this crack develops under the action of thermal stress. As a result, both ends of the parent glass film G in the width direction are removed, forming a first glass film G1.

[0076] In the subsequent first take-up process S3, the same applies. Figure 1 As shown, a first glass roll GRL1 is obtained by winding the first glass film G1 around the core 18. Then, the first glass roll GRL1 is transferred to the pull-out section 7. In the pull-out process S4, the first glass film G1 is pulled out from the first glass roll GRL1 transferred to the pull-out section 7, and the first glass film G1 is transported to the cutting area 21 on the second transport section 8 by the second transport section 8 (see reference). Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 ).

[0077] In the cutting process S5, laser L is irradiated onto the portion of the first glass film G1 that passes through the cutting area 21 on the second transport section 8 using a laser irradiation device 45, and coolant R is blown onto the irradiated area, thereby cutting the first glass film G1 in the transport direction X. Meanwhile, the first glass film G1 is transported by the upstream conveyor 19 in the transport direction X. At this time, regarding the upstream belt conveyor 22d, which corresponds to the center position of the first glass film G1 in the width direction among the multiple upstream belt conveyors 22a-22g constituting the upstream conveyor 19, blowers 40a and 40b are used to vent air from the exhaust space 37 within its second support 36, thereby creating negative pressure within the exhaust space 37. This results in air being vented through the groove 42, the hole 43, and the through hole 44 (see reference). Figure 4 The first glass film G1 on the first belt 23d is subjected to a downward adsorption force, so the first glass film G1 is transported along the transport direction X in the state of being adsorbed on the first belt 23d of the upstream side belt conveyor 22d.

[0078] Furthermore, at this time, the upstream belt conveyor 22d with the adsorption structure is configured to change the adsorption forces P11 and P12 on the first glass film G1 in the transport direction X of the first glass film G. Specifically, when viewed in the transport direction X of the first glass film G1, the adsorption force P12 on the first glass film G1 is relatively small on the side near the second cut-off portion 9, and the adsorption force P11 on the side away from the second cut-off portion 9 is relatively large (see reference). Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 Therefore, at a position upstream of the second cutting section 9, the first glass film G1 is transported towards the second cutting section 9 in a manner that strongly adsorbs it without shifting its position. Furthermore, even if wrinkles or other deformations occur during strong adsorption, by pre-setting the adsorption force P12 to be relatively small in a region downstream of the area where wrinkles or other deformations occur and upstream of the second cutting section 9, the temporarily generated wrinkles or other deformations are eliminated or reduced before reaching the second cutting section 9. Thus, the first glass film G1 is transported towards the second cutting section 9 in a state where its position is not shifted and there are no wrinkles or other deformations.

[0079] Regarding the remaining upstream belt conveyors 22a-22c and 22e-22g, as described above, they are configured such that the first glass film G1 cannot be adsorbed onto the first belts 23a-23c and 23e-23g. Therefore, the first glass film G1 is transported along the transport direction X in a state where it is supported by contact with each of the first belts 23a-23c and 23e-23g.

[0080] In the cutting process S5, as described above, the first glass film G1 is transported along the specified transport direction X by the upstream side belt conveyors 22a to 22g, while multiple laser beams L are irradiated onto the first glass film G1 from the laser irradiation unit of the laser irradiation device 45 (laser irradiation process).

[0081] The first glass film G1 is heated by the laser L as described above. Then, when the heated portion of the first glass film G1 reaches directly below the cooling device 46, it is cooled by the refrigerant R sprayed downwards from the cooling device 46. Thermal stress is generated in the first glass film G1 due to the expansion caused by the localized heating of the laser irradiation device 45 and the contraction caused by the cooling of the cooling device 46. An initial crack is pre-formed in the first glass film G1 using a mechanism not shown, and the initial crack is propagated using the aforementioned thermal stress, thereby continuously cutting (severing) the first glass film G1 at predetermined positions in its width direction. In this embodiment, by performing the laser cutting at three locations in the width direction, the two ends of the first glass film G1 in the width direction are discarded, and two second glass films G2a and G2b (refer to...) with predetermined width dimensions are cut out. Figure 2 These second glass films G2a and G2b are transported by a downstream conveyor 20 located downstream of the cutting area 21 in the transport direction X toward a second winding section 10 located downstream of the downstream conveyor 20 in the transport direction X.

[0082] At this time, the multiple downstream belt conveyors 27a to 27g constituting the downstream conveyor 20 are provided with a structure capable of adsorbing the second glass membranes G2a and G2b that are supported and transported (see reference). Figure 2 Thus, the second glass films G2a and G2b are transported along the transport direction X in a state of being adsorbed onto the second belts 28a to 28f of the downstream belt conveyors 27a to 27f.

[0083] In the second winding process S6, the second glass films G2a and G2b are wound by the cores 55a and 55b respectively positioned at predetermined locations. By winding the second glass films G2a and G2b to predetermined lengths, second glass rolls GRL2a and GRL2b are obtained.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, support rollers 54a and 54b, which serve as gap forming sections 53, are arranged between the downstream conveyor 20 and the second winding section 10. Therefore, the second glass films G2a and G2b passing on each support roller 54a and 54b are deformed (here, they bend and deform in an upward convex direction) in accordance with the outer peripheral surface shape of the support rollers 54a and 54b and are transported downstream. As a result, a gap of a predetermined width is formed between the freshly cut second glass films G2a and G2b, thus preventing interference between the cut surfaces and allowing them to be transported separately to the second winding section 10.

[0085] As explained above, in the manufacturing method of the glass films (second glass films G2a, G2b) of this embodiment, at least a portion of the upstream belt conveyors 22a to 22g (the upstream belt conveyor 22d corresponding to the center of the width direction of the first glass film G1) located upstream of the second cutting portion 9 in the transport direction X of the first glass film G1 is configured to adsorb the first glass film G1 onto the first belt 23d, and the adsorption forces P11 and P12 of the upstream belt conveyor 22d on the first glass film G1 in the transport direction X of the first glass film G1 can be varied. With this configuration, the first glass film G1 can be adsorbed and transported with an appropriate adsorption force according to its position in the transport direction X. Therefore, in the case of a part where the first glass film G1 is adsorbed too strongly, by reducing the adsorption force at that part, deformation such as wrinkles can be prevented or suppressed as much as possible. On the other hand, regarding other parts, for example, by relatively increasing the adsorption force, it is possible to prevent the first glass film G1 from slipping relative to the first strip 23d (the adsorption surface 23d1), and to transport the first glass film G1 without positional deviation. Therefore, it is possible to stably and accurately cut the first glass film G1, and thus to stably provide high-quality product glass rolls (second glass rolls GRL2a, GRL2b).

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the adsorption surface 23d1 of the first band 23d is divided into two adsorption regions Z11 and Z12 within a predetermined region in the transport direction X of the first glass film G1, such that the adsorption forces P11 and P12 on the first glass film G1 are different from each other. In this case, the adsorption forces P11 and P12 in each adsorption region Z11 and Z12 are controlled such that the adsorption force P11 in the first adsorption region Z11, located upstream of the first adsorption surface 23d1 in the transport direction X, is relatively large, while the adsorption force P12 in the second adsorption region Z12, located downstream of the first adsorption region Z11 in the transport direction X, is relatively small. By controlling the adsorption forces P11 and P12 in this way, the first glass film G1 can be strongly adsorbed at a position relatively upstream of the transport direction X, thus allowing the first glass film G1 to be transported toward the second cutting portion 9 without positional deviation. Furthermore, even if wrinkles or other deformations occur when the first adsorption region Z11 strongly adsorbs the first glass film G1, the adsorption force P12 can be reduced or eliminated by pre-setting a relatively small adsorption force in the region downstream of the area where wrinkles or other deformations occurred in the transport direction X. As a result, the first glass film G1 can be transported without positional shifts or wrinkles or other deformations. Therefore, even if the second cutting portion 9 is positioned downstream of the second adsorption region Z12 in the transport direction X, high-quality manufacturing processes can be stably performed. Moreover, regarding the two adsorption regions Z11 and Z12, only the adsorption forces P11 and P12 need to be set separately, making it easy to set and change the adsorption force distribution.

[0087] The above describes one embodiment of the manufacturing method and apparatus for the glass film of the present invention, but the manufacturing method and apparatus can of course be adopted in any manner within the scope of the present invention.

[0088] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the main components of the upstream side belt conveyor 60d according to the second embodiment of the present invention is shown. This upstream side belt conveyor 60d is the same as that in the first embodiment of the present invention, and together with the remaining upstream side belt conveyors 22a-22c and 22e-22g, it constitutes the upstream side conveyor 19 of the second transport unit 8. Furthermore, similar to the upstream side belt conveyor 22d of the first embodiment, it includes a first annular belt 23d, a plurality of pulleys 24, a first support 25, and a drive source 26 (see reference). Figure 2 as well as Figure 3It also includes: a second support 61 that supports the first belt 23d from below; an exhaust space 62 disposed inside the second support 61; and a connecting portion 63 that connects the space between the first belt 23d and the second support 61 and the exhaust space 62. The exhaust space 62 is disposed inside the second support 61.

[0089] In this embodiment, the exhaust space 62 is divided into three spaces (first dividing space 64a, second dividing space 64b, and third dividing space 64c) in the transport direction X of the first glass film G1. In this case, each dividing space 64a to 64c is connected to a blower 65a to 65c, which serves as an exhaust device. The aforementioned blowers 65a to 65c can be controlled independently by the control unit 41. It should be noted that the structure of the connecting part 63 is the same as the structure of the connecting part in the first embodiment (groove 42, hole 43, through hole 44), so its description is omitted.

[0090] According to the upstream belt conveyor 60d with the adsorption structure described above, by driving the blowers 65a-65c to exhaust the corresponding segmented spaces 64a-64c, an attractive force is exerted downward on the first glass membrane G1 on the first belt 23d via the connecting portion 63 (groove portion 42, hole portion 43, and through hole 44), thereby adsorbing the first glass membrane G1 onto the adsorption surface 23d1 of the first belt 23d. Furthermore, as described above, when the exhaust space 62 is divided into three spaces along the length of the first glass membrane G1, the adsorption surface 23d1 of the first belt 23d is divided into three adsorption regions Z21-Z23 within a predetermined area in the transport direction X of the first glass membrane G1, allowing the adsorption force on the first glass membrane G1 to differ from each other. In this case, each adsorption region Z21-Z23 is set to a position and size corresponding to the segmented spaces 64a-64c located below. In this embodiment, as... Figure 6 As shown, the positions and sizes of the segmented spaces 64a to 64c are set such that the dimensions of the first adsorption region Z21, the second adsorption region Z22, and the third adsorption region Z23 along the transport direction X are equal. Furthermore, the positions and sizes of the segmented spaces 64a to 64c are also set such that the width dimensions of the first adsorption region Z21, the second adsorption region Z22, and the third adsorption region Z23 are equal; however, these are not illustrated in the diagram.

[0091] The upstream belt conveyor 60d forming the above-described adsorption structure is configured to change the adsorption force on the first glass film G1 in the transport direction X of the first glass film G1. As in this embodiment, when blowers 65a-65c are connected to each segmented space 64a-64c, and each blower 65a-65c is configured to be controllable by the control unit 41, for example, the output (exhaust volume) of each blower 65a-65c can be adjusted by the control unit 41. This allows for the independent setting of the negative pressure within each segmented space 64a-64c for each adsorption region Z21-Z23 formed on each segmented space 64a-64c, and consequently, the independent setting of the adsorption forces P21-P23 on the first glass film G1 (refer to...) for each adsorption region Z21-Z23 formed on each segmented space 64a-64c. Figure 7 Therefore, by adjusting the output of each blower 65a to 65c using the control unit 41, the adsorption forces P21 to P23 on the first glass membrane G1 are controlled to be different from each other in the three adsorption regions Z21 to Z23.

[0092] Figure 7 This is a graph showing the relationship between the adsorption regions Z21 to Z23 and the adsorption forces P21 to P23 in this embodiment. Figure 7 As shown, when the upstream belt conveyor 60d forms the above-described structure, for example, the control unit 41 controls the drive of each blower 65a to 65c in such a manner that the adsorption force P22 acting on the first glass film G1 is greatest in the second adsorption region Z22 formed at the middle position in the transport direction X of the first glass film G1, the adsorption force P21 acting on the first glass film G1 in the first adsorption region Z21 formed at the upstream side in the transport direction X is second greatest, and the adsorption force P23 acting on the first glass film G1 in the third adsorption region Z23 formed at the downstream side in the transport direction X is smallest. In this case, the difference between the adsorption force P22 in the second adsorption region Z22 and the adsorption force P21 in the first adsorption region Z21 is preferably 0.2 kPa to 0.5 kPa. In addition, the difference between the adsorption force P21 in the first adsorption region Z21 and the adsorption force P23 in the third adsorption region Z23 is preferably 0.8 kPa to 1.1 kPa. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the adsorption force P21 is set to a constant magnitude between positions X21 and X22 in the corresponding transport direction X, the adsorption force P22 is set to a constant magnitude between positions X22 and X23, and the adsorption force P23 is set to a constant magnitude between positions X23 and X24.

[0093] Thus, in this embodiment, an adsorption structure is provided on the upstream belt conveyor 60d located upstream of the second cutting section 9 in the transport direction X of the first glass film G1, and the adsorption forces P21 to P23 can be varied in the transport direction X of the first glass film G1. Therefore, the first glass film G1 can be transported toward the second cutting section 9 without deformation such as wrinkles or positional deviation.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the adsorption surface 23d1 of the first band 23d is divided into three adsorption regions Z21 to Z23, the adsorption force P22 of the second adsorption region Z22, located in the middle of the transport direction, is maximized among the adsorption forces P21 to P23 of the three adsorption regions Z21 to Z23. The adsorption forces P21 and P23 in the third adsorption region Z23, which is downstream of the adsorption region Z22 in the transport direction X, and in the first adsorption region Z21, which is upstream of the adsorption region Z22 in the transport direction X, are respectively smaller than the adsorption force P22 in the second adsorption region Z22. For example, when the first glass film G1 is pulled out from the first glass roll GRL1 and... Figure 6 When the first glass film G1 is transferred from below to the upstream belt conveyor 60d (upstream conveyor 19) via the support roller 66 as shown, strong adsorption of the first glass film G1 immediately after the transfer can easily cause deformation such as wrinkles. Therefore, by making the adsorption force P21 in the upstream first adsorption region Z21 smaller than the adsorption force P22 in the downstream second adsorption region Z22, it is possible to prevent deformation such as wrinkles immediately after the transfer. As a result, the first glass film G1 can be transported toward the second cutting section 9 without deformation such as wrinkles after the transfer. Furthermore, the first glass film G1 is strongly adsorbed in the second adsorption region Z22 and transported without positional shift. In the third adsorption region Z23, located downstream of the second adsorption region Z22 in the transport direction X, the adsorption force P23 is pre-set to be smaller than the adsorption force P22 in the second adsorption region Z22 (smaller than the adsorption force P21 in the first adsorption region Z21 in this embodiment). Therefore, even if new deformations such as wrinkles occur in the second adsorption region Z22, these deformations can be eliminated or reduced. Thus, the first glass film G1 can be transported without positional shift and without deformations such as wrinkles. Therefore, when the second cutting portion 9 is positioned downstream of the third adsorption region Z23 in the transport direction X, high-quality cutting processing can be stably performed.

[0095] Figure 8 as well as Figure 9This is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the adsorption force control system of the conveying device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and representatively shows a cross-sectional view of the main part of the downstream side belt conveyor 27d located at the center in the width direction among the downstream side belt conveyors 27a to 27g (along... Figure 2 (A cross-sectional view of the main part of the BB cut-off line in the diagram). The downstream side belt conveyor 27d, like the remaining downstream side belt conveyors 27a-27c, 27e-27g, has: a second support body 71 that supports the annular second belt 28d from below; an exhaust space 72 disposed inside the second support body 71; and a connecting portion 73 that connects the space between the second belt 28d and the second support body 71 and the exhaust space 72.

[0096] Here, an exhaust space 72 is located inside the second support 71, and this exhaust space 72 is connected to a blower 74, which serves as an exhaust device. This blower 74 can be controlled independently of the control unit 41 from other blowers 65a to 65c.

[0097] In this case, the connecting portion 73 includes: one or more grooves 75 disposed on the upper surface of the second support 71 and extending along the length direction of the second belt 28d; a hole 76 disposed on the second support 71 and communicating the grooves 75 with the exhaust space 72; and a plurality of through holes 77 disposed on the second belt 28d and formed in the width direction of the second belt 28d at positions overlapping with the grooves 75. Therefore, by driving the blower 74 to exhaust air from the exhaust space 72, the grooves 75, the holes 76, and the through holes 77 exert a downward attraction on the second glass membrane G2a on the second belt 28d, thereby allowing the second glass membrane G2a to be adsorbed onto the second belt 28d. Thus, the portion of the surface of the second belt 28d that passes through the exhaust space 72 functions as an adsorption surface 28d1 for the second glass membrane G2a. In this case, the fourth adsorption region Z24 on the second belt 28d is set to a position and size corresponding to the exhaust space 72 located below. The remaining downstream belt conveyors 27a-27c and 27e-27g also form the aforementioned adsorption structure.

[0098] The downstream belt conveyors 27a-27g and the upstream belt conveyor 60d, which form the aforementioned adsorption structure, are configured to change the adsorption force on the glass films G1, G2a, and G2b in the transport direction X of the glass films G1, G2a, and G2b at both ends of the cut width direction. As in the second embodiment, the exhaust space 62 of the upstream belt conveyor 60d is divided into partitioned spaces 64a-64c, and blowers 65a-65c and 74 (see reference) are connected to each partitioned space 64a-64c and the exhaust space 72. Figure 6 as well as Figure 8 When each blower 65a-65c and 74 is configured to be controllable by the control unit 41, for example, the control unit 41 adjusts the output (exhaust volume) of each blower 65a-65c and 74, thereby independently setting the negative pressure in each of the segmented spaces 64a-64c and the exhaust space 72 for each adsorption region Z21-Z24 formed in each segmented space 64a-64c and the exhaust space 72, and further independently setting the adsorption force on the glass films G1, G2a, and G2b for each adsorption region Z21-Z24 formed in each segmented space 64a-64c and the exhaust space 72. Therefore, by adjusting the output of each blower 65a-65c and 74 using the control unit 41, the adsorption force on the glass films G1, G2a, and G2b is controlled in such a way that the adsorption forces on each of the four adsorption regions Z21-Z24 are different from each other.

[0099] Figure 9 This is a graph showing the relationship between the adsorption regions Z21 to Z24 and the adsorption forces P21 to P24 in this embodiment. Figure 9 As shown, when the upstream belt conveyor 60d and the downstream belt conveyors 27a-27g are configured as described above, for example, the control unit 41 controls the drive of each blower 65a-65c, 74 in such a way that the adsorption force P22 acting on the glass films G1, G2a, G2b is maximized in any of the first to third adsorption regions Z21-Z23 on the first belt conveyor 60d (here, the second adsorption region Z22), and the adsorption force P24 acting on the glass films G1, G2a, G2b is minimized in the adsorption region Z24 on the downstream belt conveyors 28a-28g, which is located downstream of the third adsorption region Z23 in the transport direction X. By minimizing the adsorption force P24 in the adsorption region Z24, it is possible to prevent the end faces from rubbing against each other due to the shaking of the cut glass films G1, G2, G3, and prevent the influence of the attraction force P24 from affecting the second cutting section 9. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the adsorption force P21 is set to a constant magnitude between positions X21 and X22 in the corresponding transport direction X, the adsorption force P22 is set to a constant magnitude between positions X22 and X23, the adsorption force P23 is set to a constant magnitude between positions X23 and X24, and the adsorption force P24 is set to a constant magnitude between positions X25 and X26 in the corresponding transport direction X.

[0100] Thus, in this embodiment, an adsorption structure is provided on the upstream belt conveyor 60d and the downstream belt conveyors 27a to 27g, and the adsorption forces P21 to P24 can be changed in the transport direction X of the glass films G1, G2a, and G2b, which are cut at both ends in the width direction. Therefore, the glass films G1, G2a, and G2b can be transported without wrinkles or deformation and without positional deviation before and after the cutting by the second cutting part 9.

[0101] It should be noted that, when each adsorption force P21 to P24 satisfies Figure 9 Given the shown size relationships, the difference between the adsorption force P22 in the second adsorption region Z22 and the adsorption force P21 in the first adsorption region Z21 is preferably 0.2 kPa to 0.5 kPa. Furthermore, the difference between the adsorption force P21 in the first adsorption region Z21 and the adsorption force P23 in the third adsorption region Z23 is preferably 0.8 kPa to 1.1 kPa. Similarly, it is preferable to set the magnitudes of each adsorption force P23 and P24 such that the difference between the adsorption force P23 in the third adsorption region Z23 and the adsorption force P24 in the fourth adsorption region Z24 is 0.01 to 0.1 kPa.

[0102] It should be noted that in the above embodiment, the example illustrates that when the adsorption surface 23d1 is divided into multiple adsorption regions Z11, Z12 (Z21 to Z23), the dimensions along the transport direction X and the width direction of each adsorption region Z11, Z12 (Z21 to Z23) are set to be equal, but this is not a limitation. For example, it could also be that... Figure 6 In the upstream belt conveyor 60d shown, the dimension of the second adsorption region Z22 along the transport direction X is set to be larger than the dimension of the remaining adsorption regions Z21 and Z23 along the transport direction X; therefore, the dimensions are not shown in the figure. In this case, the adsorption force P22 in the second adsorption region Z22 can be set to be larger than... Figure 6 The second adsorption region Z22 in the case shown has the advantage of a small adsorption force P22. The same structure can also be achieved when the adsorption surface 28d1 is divided into multiple adsorption regions.

[0103] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example is shown where the adsorption surface 23d1 of the first band 23d is divided into two adsorption regions Z11 and Z12 or three adsorption regions Z21 to Z23 in the transport direction X of the first glass film G1, but it is not limited to this. As needed, the adsorption surface 23d1 may be divided into four or more adsorption regions. In this case, the corresponding exhaust space is divided into four or more spaces.

[0104] in addition, Figure 5 , Figure 7The relationship between the adsorption regions Z11, Z12 (Z21~Z23) and the adsorption forces P11, P12 (P21~P23) is shown, or Figure 9 The relationship between the adsorption regions Z21~Z24 and the adsorption forces P21~P24 shown is just one example. The number of adsorption regions and the adsorption force can be arbitrarily set according to the material, size, shape, or processing other than cutting of the glass film being transported.

[0105] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example is shown where the adsorption force of the first glass film G1 changes in stages along the transport direction. However, the adsorption force can certainly be set in a manner other than this. For example, the adsorption force distribution can be set such that the adsorption force changes linearly (with a predetermined gradient) within a defined transport direction region; illustrations for this are omitted. Alternatively, the adsorption force distribution can be set such that the adsorption force acts intermittently. Of course, the adsorption structure can also be modified according to the adsorption force distribution. That is, in order to obtain the desired adsorption force distribution, the adsorption structure can be modified... Figure 4 The second support 36 shown in the figure is provided with an exhaust space 37, and an adsorption structure other than the structure that divides the exhaust space 37 is adopted.

[0106] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, an example is shown where the adsorption structure of the present invention is applied only to a specific upstream belt conveyor 22d among the upstream belt conveyors 22a to 22g constituting the upstream conveyor 19. However, the adsorption structure of the present invention can certainly be applied to other belt conveyors as well. For example, the adsorption structure of the present invention can also be applied to two or more belt conveyors among the upstream belt conveyors 22a to 22g, for which illustrations are omitted.

[0107] Furthermore, the above description illustrates a case where a second platform 50 is arranged in the cutting area 21 of the first glass film G1, and a first platform 47 is arranged at a position separated from the cutting area 21 in the width direction, but it is not limited to this. As long as it does not have such a large impact on laser cutting, a third conveyor (not shown) can be arranged in the cutting area 21 by means of a support transport surface, and at least one of the first platform 47 and the second platform 50 can be omitted.

[0108] Furthermore, the supporting transport surface of the transport device (second transport section 8) does not necessarily have to be disconnected at a position corresponding to the cutting area 21 in the transport direction X. For example, the supporting transport surface of the second transport section 8 may be disconnected at a position offset downstream from the cutting area 21 in the transport direction X.

[0109] It should be noted that in the above description, the example shown is that both the upstream conveyor 19 and the downstream conveyor 20, which are divided into the second conveying unit 8 (which is a conveying device) by the cutting area 21, are composed of belt conveyors. However, other methods can certainly be used. For example, the downstream conveyor 20 can also be constructed using roller conveyors or various other conveying devices.

[0110] Furthermore, the above description illustrates a case where the second transport unit 8 includes two conveyors 19 and 20 in its transport direction X, but it is not limited to this. For example, the second transport unit 8 could also be composed of a single belt conveyor covering the entire area in its transport direction X, with a cutting area 21 provided on the belt conveyor and the adsorption structure of the present invention applied.

[0111] Furthermore, the above description illustrates a case where the second transport section 8 is constructed using a plurality of upstream-side belt conveyors 22a-22g and downstream-side belt conveyors 27a-27g adjacent in the width direction of the first glass film G1. However, other structures are certainly possible. For example, the upstream-side conveyor 19 could be constructed using a single belt conveyor mechanism, and the adsorption structure of the present invention could be applied to that single belt conveyor. Alternatively, the downstream-side conveyor 20 could be constructed using a single belt conveyor mechanism.

[0112] Furthermore, in the above description, the case of cutting two second glass films G2a and G2b from a first glass film G1 is illustrated. However, the present invention can also be applied to the case of cutting a second glass film G2a with different dimensions in the width direction. In addition, the present invention can also be applied when cutting three or more second glass films G2a...

[0113] Furthermore, the above description illustrates the application of the present invention to the first glass film G1 obtained by cutting off both ends of the base glass film G in the width direction using the first cutting part 5. However, the present invention can also be applied to the cutting of the base glass film G by the first cutting part 5. In this case, the first conveying part 4 can be used with... Figure 2 The present invention is implemented with the same structure as the second transport section 8 shown. Furthermore, the first cutting section 5 and the second cutting section 9 can also employ structures capable of cutting other than laser cutting.

[0114] Furthermore, in the above description, the example shown is a cutting process along the length direction as a manufacturing-related process for the glass film. However, other processes, such as coating, film formation, lamination, etc., can be performed from the formation of the glass film to the shipment of the final product while being transported by a belt conveyor. Therefore, the belt conveyor of the present invention can also be applied to any manufacturing-related process.

[0115] Furthermore, while the above description illustrates the application of the present invention to a strip-shaped first glass film G1, it is of course possible to apply the present invention to a first glass film G1 in other forms as well. That is, the present invention can also be applied to sheet glass (glass film) in rectangular or other single-sheet shapes, for which illustrations are omitted. Additionally, it is not necessary to roll the cut second glass film G2a… into a roll. In other words, the present invention can also be applied to the manufacturing process of a second glass film G2a… that is not rolled into a roll.

[0116] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0117] 1: Glass roll manufacturing apparatus; 2: Forming section; 3: Direction conversion section; 4: First conveying section; 5: First cutting section; 8: Second conveying section; 9: Second cutting section; 11: Formed body; 17a: Laser irradiation device; 17b: Cooling device; 19: Upstream conveyor; 20: Downstream conveyor; 21: Cutting area; 22a-22g, 60d: Upstream belt conveyor; 23a-23g: First belt; 24, 29: Pulleys; 25, 30: First support body; 26, 31: Drive source; 27a-27g: Downstream belt conveyor; 28a-28g: Second belt; 32: Guide rail section; 33: Sliding section; 36, 61, 71: Second support body; 37, 62, 72: Exhaust space; 38, 63 73: Connecting part; 39a, 39b, 64a-64c: Divided space; 40a, 40b, 65a-65c, 74: Blower; 41: Control part; 42, 75: Groove part; 43, 76: Hole part; 44, 77: Through hole; 45: Laser irradiation device; 46: Cooling device; 47: First platform; 48: First support surface; 49: First attraction part; 50: Second platform; 51: Second support surface; 52: Second attraction part; G, G1, G2a, G2b: Glass film; GRL1, GRL2a, GRL2b: Glass roll; L: Laser; R: Coolant; P11, P12, P21-P24: Adsorption force; X: Transport direction; Z11, Z12, Z21-Z24: Adsorption area.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a glass film, wherein the glass film is cut using a cutting section, which is a manufacturing-related processing unit for cutting the glass film, while being transported by a belt conveyor. The manufacturing method of the glass film is characterized in that, The belt conveyor is an upstream conveyor located upstream of the cutting section in the transport direction of the glass film. The upstream conveyor has an adsorption structure capable of adsorbing the glass film onto the belt, and is configured to change the adsorption force on the glass film in the transport direction of the glass film. Among the multiple upstream-side belt conveyors constituting the upstream-side conveyor, the upstream-side belt conveyor mechanism having the adsorption structure serves to support the central portion of the glass film in the width direction. Multiple upstream belt conveyor mechanisms that do not have the aforementioned adsorption structure and are therefore unable to adsorb the glass film serve to support both ends of the glass film in the width direction.

2. The method for manufacturing a glass film according to claim 1, wherein, The adsorption surface of the strip capable of adsorbing the glass film is divided into multiple adsorption regions in a specified area in the transport direction of the glass film, such that the adsorption force on the glass film is different from each other.

3. The method for manufacturing a glass film according to claim 2, wherein, The adsorption surface is divided into two adsorption regions in the transport direction of the glass film.

4. The method for manufacturing the glass film according to claim 3, wherein, The adsorption force in each adsorption region is controlled such that the adsorption force in the first adsorption region located upstream of the glass film in the transport direction of the adsorption surface is relatively large, and the adsorption force in the second adsorption region located downstream of the glass film in the transport direction of the adsorption surface is relatively small.

5. The method for manufacturing a glass film according to claim 2, wherein, The adsorption surface is divided into three adsorption regions in the transport direction of the glass film.

6. The method for manufacturing a glass film according to claim 5, wherein, When the three adsorption regions are sequentially designated as the first adsorption region, the second adsorption region, and the third adsorption region from the upstream side to the downstream side of the transport direction of the glass film, the adsorption force in each adsorption region is controlled in such a way that the adsorption force in the second adsorption region is the greatest, and the adsorption forces in the first adsorption region and the third adsorption region are respectively smaller than the adsorption force in the second adsorption region.

7. The method for manufacturing the glass film according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein, The belt conveyor also has a hollow support body that supports the belt. The support has an exhaust space inside, and the exhaust space is divided in the transport direction of the glass film corresponding to the adsorption region. A connecting portion is provided between the support body and the belt to connect the space between the belt and the support body and the exhaust space.

8. The method for manufacturing a glass film according to claim 7, wherein, Each of the partitioned spaces, which divides the exhaust space, is connected to a blower that can be controlled independently.

9. The method for manufacturing a glass film according to claim 1, wherein, A downstream conveyor is installed at a position downstream of the upstream belt conveyor in the direction of glass film transport. The cutting section is disposed between the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor.

10. The method for manufacturing a glass film according to claim 9, wherein, A platform capable of supporting the glass film is provided on the downstream side of the upstream conveyor. The cutting section cuts the glass film on the platform.

11. The method for manufacturing a glass film according to claim 10, wherein, The platform has the following features: A support surface that can contact and support the glass film; and The suction unit is capable of attracting the glass film toward the supporting surface. The cutting section cuts the glass membrane while it is being attracted and supported by the platform.

12. The method for manufacturing the glass film according to any one of claims 1-6 and 8-11, wherein, The cutting section is a laser cutting section capable of cutting the glass film along its length.

13. A glass film manufacturing apparatus comprising a belt conveyor for transporting a glass film and a cutting unit as a manufacturing-related processing unit for cutting the glass film being transported by the belt conveyor. The glass film manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that, The belt conveyor is an upstream conveyor located upstream of the cutting section in the transport direction of the glass film. The upstream conveyor has an adsorption structure capable of adsorbing the glass film onto the belt, and is configured to change the adsorption force on the glass film in the transport direction of the glass film. Among the multiple upstream-side belt conveyors constituting the upstream-side conveyor, the upstream-side belt conveyor mechanism having the adsorption structure serves to support the central portion of the glass film in the width direction. Multiple upstream belt conveyor mechanisms that do not have the aforementioned adsorption structure and are therefore unable to adsorb the glass film serve to support both ends of the glass film in the width direction.

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