Glass sheet manufacturing method and glass sheet manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

A glass sheet manufacturing method includes sequentially taking out a first glass sheet (4) that is a frontmost column from a laminate (5) that includes a protective sheet (3) and a glass sheet (4) laminated in a front-rear direction, and includes a pressing step of pressing an upper end portion (3a) of the protective sheet (3) at a pressing position (L2) using a pressing member (7) in association with the taking out of the first glass sheet (4). The pressing step includes a first step of moving the pressing member (7) upward from an initial position (L0) that is lower than a middle position (L1) located on a front side of the pressing position (L2) to the middle position (L1) along a front surface of the first glass sheet (4), and a second step of moving the pressing member (7) present at the middle position (L1) toward the pressing position (L2) to a rear side to press the upper end portion (3a).

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Glass plates are used in thin-film display devices such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays, as substrates for sensors, as semiconductor packaging covers for solid-state imaging elements, as well as substrates for thin-film compound solar cells.

[0003] In this glass plate manufacturing process, after multiple glass plates that will become raw materials are conveyed in a state of alternating stacking with protective sheets, a process is performed in which glass plates are removed one by one from the stack and transported to the next process. As a specific example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method that uses a transfer pad to adsorb, hold, and pull away the front protective sheet on the front side of the first glass plate in the foremost row together with the first glass plate from the stack which is supported on a back plate that is placed upright in an inclined position on a tray.

[0004] Furthermore, this document discloses that before pulling the first glass plate and the front protective sheet from the laminate, a pressing member is used to press the upper ends of the front protective sheet, the upper ends of the rear protective sheet, and the upper ends of the protective sheet located behind them, so that their upper ends do not tilt forward. The pressing part at the front end of the pressing member is composed of a flexible brush or the like.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-104566 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] The pressing member disclosed in Patent Document 1, when preparing a tray to hold a laminate, is first moved upwards towards the laminate and presses the upper end of the protective sheet in a manner that prevents it from tilting forward (see paragraph 0044 of that document). Figure 5 (a)

[0010] However, the protruding portions, such as the upper end of the protective sheet, sometimes tilt forward before being pressed by the pressing member. Furthermore, when the protruding portions tilt forward, their shape is irregular. Therefore, it is difficult to reliably press the protruding portions simply by moving the pressing member upwards on the laminate. Moreover, when the protruding portions are not reliably pressed, the protective sheet may become an obstruction, preventing smooth removal of the glass plate.

[0011] The objective of this invention is to smoothly perform the glass plate removal operation.

[0012] Means for solving the problem

[0013] The present application made in order to solve the above problem is a glass sheet manufacturing method that sequentially takes out a first glass sheet that is the foremost column from a stack that includes a glass sheet in a tilted posture and a protective sheet in a tilted posture by stacking the glass sheet in a tilted posture and the protective sheet in a tilted posture in a front-rear direction and that has an overhanging portion that overhangs from the glass sheet and an overlapping portion that overlaps the glass sheet, characterized by including a pressing step of pressing the overhanging portion with a pressing member at a pressing position outside the overlapping portion in association with the taking out of the first glass sheet, the pressing step including: a first step of moving the pressing member along a front surface of the first glass sheet from an initial position that is closer to the overlapping portion than an intermediate position on a front side of the pressing position to the intermediate position; and a second step of moving the pressing member present at the intermediate position toward the pressing position to the rear side to press the overhanging portion.

[0014] In this way, even in the case where the overhanging portion of the protective sheet is tilted to the front side, the pressing member contacts the portion of the overhanging portion that is tilted to the front side during the movement of the pressing member along the front surface of the first glass sheet in the first step of the pressing step. In this state, when the pressing member is further moved to the intermediate position side along the front surface of the first glass sheet, the portion of the overhanging portion that is tilted to the front side is lifted by the pressing member, and the tilting to the front side is corrected. Also, as long as the overhanging portion whose tilting is thus corrected, it is possible to reliably press by moving the pressing member present at the intermediate position toward the pressing position to the rear side in the second step of the pressing step. Thus, even in the case where the overhanging portion is tilted to the front side, it is possible to reliably press the protective sheet and smoothly perform the taking out work of the glass sheet.

[0015] In the above structure, it can also be that the pressing member presses the overhanging portion of the protective sheet (front side protective sheet) present on the front side of the first glass sheet before the first glass sheet is taken out.

[0016] In this way, it is possible to reliably press the overhanging portion of the front side protective sheet with the pressing member before the first glass sheet is taken out. Therefore, it is possible to accurately position the holding member or the like for taking out with respect to the front side holding member.

[0017] In the above structure, it can also be that the pressing member presses the overhanging portion of the protective sheet (rear side protective sheet) present on the rear side of the first glass sheet when the first glass sheet is taken out.

[0018] In this way, it is possible to reliably press the overhanging portion of the rear side protective sheet with the pressing member when the first glass sheet is taken out. Therefore, it is possible to reliably separate the first glass sheet from the rear side protective sheet and take out with the holding member or the like for taking out.

[0019] In the above-described structure, it is preferable that the initial position be located in the overlapping portion.

[0020] In this way, the initial position is a position in which the inclination of the protruding portion of the protective sheet to the front side is less likely to be affected. That is, when the movement of the pressing member is started from such an initial position, the pressing member is easily made to penetrate the portion of the protruding portion that is inclined to the front side and lift it up. As a result, the inclination of the protruding portion to the front side can be corrected more reliably.

[0021] In the above-described structure, it is preferable that the pressing member press the upper end portion of the protective sheet that protrudes upward from the upper end edge of the first glass sheet.

[0022] The upper end portion of the protective sheet is easily inclined to the front side by the influence of gravity, and thus the present application that can correct the inclination to the front side is particularly useful.

[0023] In the above-described structure, it is preferable that the pressing member press the upper end portion of the protective sheet at a position inside in the width direction from the upper side corner portion of the first glass sheet.

[0024] In this way, the movement (inclination to the front side or the rear side) of the upper end portion of the protective sheet is limited to some extent by the upper end edge of the first glass sheet, and thus the pressing of the protective sheet by the pressing member is facilitated.

[0025] In the above-described structure, it is preferable that the pressing member have an adsorption pad that adsorbs and holds the protective sheet.

[0026] In this way, in a state in which the protective sheet is pressed by the pressing member, slippage between them is less likely to occur, and thus the protective sheet can be reliably pressed by the pressing member.

[0027] In the case where the pressing member has an adsorption pad, it is preferable that, in the second process, the inclination of the adsorption surface of the adsorption pad be changed while the adsorption pad is moved.

[0028] In this way, even in the case where the protruding portion is inclined to the rear side, the protruding portion can be reliably pressed.

[0029] The present invention, made to solve the aforementioned problems, is a glass plate manufacturing apparatus that sequentially removes a first glass plate from a stack, wherein the stack comprises tilted glass plates and tilted protective sheets stacked in a front-back direction, and the protective sheets have protrusions extending from the glass plates and overlapping portions overlapping the glass plates. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus is characterized by comprising: a pressing member that presses the protrusions at a pressing position outside the overlapping portion in association with the removal of the first glass plate; a first moving mechanism that moves the pressing member along the front surface of the first glass plate from an initial position closer to the overlapping portion than a middle position located on the front side of the pressing position to an intermediate position; and a second moving mechanism that moves the pressing member present at the intermediate position rearward toward the pressing position to press the protrusions.

[0030] In this way, one can enjoy the same effect as the corresponding structure that has been described.

[0031] Invention Effects

[0032] According to the present invention, the glass plate removal operation can be carried out smoothly. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a side view illustrating a glass plate manufacturing method according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and a manufacturing apparatus for carrying out the glass plate manufacturing method.

[0034] Figure 2 This is an enlarged front view showing the main parts of the steps of the glass plate manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 This is an enlarged side view showing the main parts of the steps (pressing process) of the glass plate manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 4 This is an enlarged front view showing the main parts of the steps of the glass plate manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 5 This is an enlarged front view showing the main parts of the steps of the glass plate manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 6 This is an enlarged front view showing the main parts of the steps of the glass plate manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 7 This is an enlarged front view showing the main parts of the steps of the glass plate manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 8is a main part enlarged front view showing a step of a glass sheet manufacturing method of the first embodiment of the present application.

[0041] Figure 9 is a side view showing a step of a glass sheet manufacturing method of the first embodiment of the present application.

[0042] Figure 10 is a side view showing a step of a glass sheet manufacturing method of the first embodiment of the present application.

[0043] Figure 11 is a main part enlarged side view showing a glass sheet manufacturing method of the second embodiment of the present application and a manufacturing apparatus for implementing the glass sheet manufacturing method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that, sometimes, repeated description is omitted by labeling the same reference numerals on corresponding constituent elements in each embodiment. In a case where only a part of the structure is described in each embodiment, as for the other part of the structure, the structure of the other embodiment already described can be applied. In addition, not only the combination of the structures explicitly shown in the description of each embodiment, but also the structures of the plurality of embodiments can be partially combined with each other even if not explicitly shown, as long as no hindrance is caused to the combination.

[0045] (First Embodiment)

[0046] Figure 1 is a side view showing a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment of the present application. The left direction in the drawing is the front side and the right direction is the back side. As shown in the drawing, a laminate 5 in which protective sheets 3 and glass sheets 4 are alternately stacked in the front-back direction is loaded on a floor 2a of a pallet 2. The laminate 5 is supported in an inclined attitude by a back plate 2b of the pallet 2. Therefore, the protective sheets 3 and the glass sheets 4 also become in the inclined attitude.

[0047] As shown in Figure 2 , an upper end portion 3a of the protective sheet 3 protrudes upward from an upper end edge 4a of the glass sheet 4, and widthwise end portions 3b of the protective sheet 3 protrude outward in the widthwise direction from widthwise end edges 4b of the glass sheet 4, respectively. That is, the upper end portion 3a and the widthwise end portions 3b of the protective sheet 3 become protruding portions that protrude from the glass sheet 4. On the other hand, the portions of the protective sheet 3 other than the upper end portion 3a and the widthwise end portions 3b become overlapping portions 3c that overlap the glass sheet 4.

[0048] The protruding dimension of the upper end portion 3a of the protective sheet 3 is, for example, 40 to 80 mm, and the protruding dimension of the widthwise end portion 3b of the protective sheet 3 is, for example, 40 to 150 mm.

[0049] The protective sheet 3 is a synthetic resin such as a foamed resin sheet, paper, or the like. As the foamed resin sheet, for example, a foamed resin sheet having a material of polyethylene or the like, a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 mm, and a foaming ratio of 5 to 20 times can be used. The protective sheet 3 is preferably stretchable from the viewpoint of suppressing generation of wrinkles.

[0050] Here, in Figures 1-2 , Figures 4-10 , the protective sheet 3 and the glass plate 4 are simplified, but sometimes the upper end portion 3a and the width direction end portion 3b of the protective sheet 3 are tilted to the front side or the rear side. In the following description, the glass plate 4 in the foremost row in the stack 5 is referred to as a first glass plate, the protective sheet 3 present on the front side of the glass plate 4 in the foremost row is referred to as a front side protective sheet, and the protective sheet 3 present on the rear side of the glass plate 4 in the foremost row is referred to as a rear side protective sheet.

[0051] As Figures 1-10 shown, the manufacturing device 1 is provided with a turning-up suction member 6 that turns up the front side protective sheet 3 in such a manner that a part of the overhanging portion of the rear side protective sheet 3 is exposed, a pressing member 7 that presses the overhanging portion of the protective sheet 3, a holding member 8 that holds the front side protective sheet 3 together with the first glass plate 4 and pulls it away from the stack 5, and a chuck 9 that suspends and supports the first glass plate 4 and the front side protective sheet 3 pulled away from the stack 5 by the holding member 8.

[0052] As Figure 1 , Figures 4-10 shown, the turning-up suction member 6 is separately provided with a first suction pad 6a that holds the overlapping portion 3c of the front side protective sheet 3 and a second suction pad 6b that holds the overhanging portion of the front side protective sheet 3. The holding region of the first suction pad 6a and the holding region of the second suction pad 6b are separate from and independent of each other.

[0053] In the present embodiment, as Figure 4 shown, the first suction pad 6a holds the upper portion of the overlapping portion 3c of the front side protective sheet 3 in the vicinity of the upper side corner portion 4c of the first glass plate 4, and the second suction pad 6b holds the upper end portion 3a of the front side protective sheet 3 at a position inside in the width direction from the upper side corner portion 4c of the first glass plate 4.

[0054] As Figure 6As shown, the first and second adsorption pads 6a and 6b turn up the front protective sheet 3 in a manner that exposes a portion of the upper end portion 3a of the rear protective sheet 3 at a position that is located more inward in the width direction than the upper side corner portion 4c of the first glass plate 4. Note that from the viewpoint of suppressing positional deviation of the front protective sheet 3 with respect to the first glass plate 4, the area of the exposed portion X of the rear protective sheet 3 is preferably small. That is, it is preferable that the width direction central portion of the upper end portion 3a of the rear protective sheet 3 not be exposed under the turning-up action of the front protective sheet 3 by the first and second adsorption pads 6a and 6b. In this case, the exposed portion X is, for example, a triangular region of the rear protective sheet 3 that includes the upper side corner portion.

[0055] The first and second adsorption pads 6a and 6b move obliquely forward and inward in the width direction while adsorbing and holding the front protective sheet 3 when turning up the front protective sheet 3. Note that the direction of movement of the first and second adsorption pads 6a and 6b is not particularly limited as long as the exposed portion X of the rear protective sheet 3 is formed. For example, the direction of movement of the first and second adsorption pads 6a and 6b can be only forward, only downward, only inward in the width direction, or a direction that includes at least two of forward, downward, and inward in the width direction.

[0056] As shown in Figures 1-4 , Figures 7-10 , the pressing member 7 has a third adsorption pad 7a that adsorbs and holds the extended portion of the protective sheet 3 at a pressing position L1 outside the overlapping portion 3c. In addition, in the present embodiment, as shown in Figure 3 , the pressing member 7 also has a cylindrical guide portion 7b that surrounds the side surface of the third adsorption pad 7a and is formed of a low-friction material such as polyvinyl chloride.

[0057] In Figure 3 , a case in which the third adsorption pad 7a presses the front protective sheet 3 is exemplified, but the third adsorption pad 7a can be used for pressing the front protective sheet 3 (see Figures 2-4 ) and pressing the rear protective sheet 3 (see Figures 7-10 ) respectively. In either case, the action of the third adsorption pad 7a is substantially the same, only the protective sheet 3 that becomes the object of pressing is different.

[0058] As shown in Figure 2 , Figure 7 , the third adsorption pad 7a adsorbs and holds the upper end portion 3a of the front protective sheet 3 or the rear protective sheet 3 at a position that is located more inward in the width direction than the upper side corner portion 4c of the first glass plate 4.

[0059] The third adsorption pad 7a can be moved by a first movement mechanism and a second movement mechanism, which are not shown. As shown in Figure 3As shown, the first moving mechanism moves the third suction pad 7a upward along the front surface of the first glass plate 4 from the initial position L0 of the overlapping portion 3c to the intermediate position Ll (arrow A action). The second moving mechanism moves the pressing member 7 present at the intermediate position Ll toward the pressing position L2 in the rearward direction (arrow B, C action) in order to press the upper end portion 3a of the front side protective sheet 3 or the rear side protective sheet 3. Here, in the present embodiment, the initial position L0 and the intermediate position Ll are located at positions on the frontward side from the front surface of the first glass plate 3a, and the pressing position L2 is located at a position on the rearward side from the front surface of the first glass plate 3a. Note that the arrow A action, when viewed from the front, becomes Figure 2 or Figure 7 in the manner as shown by the arrow A action. The direction of the arrow A action, when viewed from the side, need not be completely parallel to the front surface of the first glass plate 4, but can be inclined in either of the frontward and rearward directions with respect to a direction parallel to the front surface of the first glass plate 4. Similarly, the direction of the arrow B action, when viewed from the side, need not be completely parallel to the stacking direction of the stack 5 (the inclination direction of the floor 2a of the tray 2), but can be inclined in either of the upward and downward directions with respect to a direction parallel to the stacking direction.

[0060] When the third suction pad 7a is moved upward along the front surface of the first glass plate 4 by the first moving mechanism, the suction surface of the third suction pad 7a is maintained in a state parallel to the front surface of the first glass plate 4. At this time, even if the upper end portion 3a of the protective sheet 3 tilts toward the front side, the upper end portion 3a of the protective sheet 3 does not directly contact the side surface of the third suction pad 7a, but contacts the guide portion 7b. The guide portion 7b is composed of a low-friction material, and thus a moderate sliding is maintained between the guide portion 7b and the protective sheet 3. Therefore, the upward movement of the third suction pad 7a can be smoothly performed. Note that the orientation of the suction surface of the third suction pad 7a at the time of the upward action by the first moving mechanism is not particularly limited. In addition, the guide portion 7b is not an essential structure, and can be omitted.

[0061] As shown by arrow C, the second moving mechanism moves the third adsorption pad 7a while simultaneously changing the angle of its adsorption surface. In this embodiment, the adsorption surface of the third adsorption pad 7a tilts backward from a state parallel to the front surface of the first glass plate 4, approaching the upper edge 4a of the first glass plate 4. The final angle of the adsorption surface of the third adsorption pad 7a can be automatically adjusted by a sensor or similar means to detect the state of the upper end 3a of the protective sheet 3, or it can be manually adjusted by an operator to confirm the state of the upper end 3a of the protective sheet 3 by visual observation. It should be noted that the angle of the adsorption surface of the third adsorption pad 7a can also be changed only when the upper end 3a of the protective sheet 3 tilts backward. That is, when the upper end 3a of the protective sheet 3 tilts forward, the angle of the adsorption surface of the third adsorption pad 7a can remain parallel to the front surface of the first glass plate 4 without changing. The upper end 3a of the protective sheet 3 tends to tilt backward when the number of sheets in the laminate 5 is large, and tends to tilt forward when the number of sheets in the laminate 5 is small.

[0062] The initial position L0 is preferably within the overlapping portion 3c, that is, a position lower than the upper edge 4a of the first glass plate 4. It should be noted that the initial position L0 can be lower than the middle position L1 (pressing position L2), or higher than the upper edge 4a of the first glass plate 4.

[0063] The third adsorption pad 7a located at the initial position L0 is preferably separated forward by 10 to 20 mm from the front surface of the first glass plate 4. Alternatively, the third adsorption pad 7a located at the intermediate position L1 is preferably separated upward by 30 to 40 mm from the upper edge 4a of the first glass plate 4 in a direction parallel to the front surface of the first glass plate 4.

[0064] The first and second moving mechanisms can be either a single mechanism or separate mechanisms. Specifically, when they are a single mechanism, they may be composed of a manipulator, for example, or they may be composed of multiple feed mechanisms combined together.

[0065] like Figure 1 , Figures 4-10 As shown, the retaining member 8 has a fourth adsorption pad 8a that simultaneously adsorbs and retains the overlapping portion 3c of the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3.

[0066] Although the illustration is omitted, the fourth adsorption pad 8a forms a ventilation passage in the front protective sheet 3, and applies negative pressure to the first glass plate 4 through the passage, while simultaneously adsorbing and retaining the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3.

[0067] The fourth adsorption pad 8a adsorbs and holds the upper portion of the overlapping portion 3c of the front-side protective sheet 3 and the upper portion of the first glass plate 4 at a position lower than the holding region of the front-side protective sheet 3 adsorbed and held by the first adsorption pad 6a.

[0068] As shown in Figure 9 , the fourth adsorption pad 8a moves forward (or forward and upward) in a state of adsorbing and holding the first glass plate 4 and the front-side protective sheet 3. At this time, the lower end edge 4d of the first glass plate 4 can be in contact with the floor 2a of the tray 2 or can be separated from the floor 2a of the tray 2.

[0069] The holding region of the first glass plate 4 and the front-side protective sheet 3 adsorbed and held by the fourth adsorption pad 8a is larger than the holding region of the front-side protective sheet 3 adsorbed and held by the first adsorption pad 6a. Also, the holding region of the first glass plate 4 and the front-side protective sheet 3 adsorbed and held by the fourth adsorption pad 8a is larger than the holding region of the front-side protective sheet 3 adsorbed and held by the second adsorption pad 6b. Note that the size relationship of the holding regions is not limited to this as long as the first glass plate 4 and the front-side protective sheet 3 can be stably carried.

[0070] As shown in Figure 9 , Figure 10 , the chuck 9 holds the upper end portions of the first glass plate 4 and the front-side protective sheet 3 carried by the fourth adsorption pad 8a at the handover position P, thereby suspending and supporting them and carrying them to the next process. The handover position P can be on the tray 2 as in the illustrated example or can be a position separated from the tray 2 forward, sideways, or the like.

[0071] Here, in Figure 2 , Figures 4-8 , only one-half region of the width direction of the laminated body 5 is illustrated, and the action of the turning-up adsorption member 6, the pressing member 7, and the holding member 8 in the one-half region is exemplified. Note that the turning-up adsorption member 6, the pressing member 7, and the holding member 8 can be arranged in a manner symmetrical to the one-half region of the width direction on the other side as well. Alternatively, a worker can be arranged in the one-half region of the width direction on the other side instead of the turning-up adsorption member 6 or the like, and assist the action of the turning-up adsorption member 6, the pressing member 7, and the holding member 8 arranged in the one-half region of the width direction on the one side.

[0072] Next, a glass plate manufacturing method using the manufacturing apparatus 1 having the above-described structure will be described. The manufacturing method includes, in order, a first pressing process, a turning-up process, a second pressing process, a separation process, and a carrying process.

[0073] (First pressing process)

[0074] As shown in Figure 2As shown, the first pressing process involves using the third adsorption pad 7a to adsorb, hold, and press the upper end 3a of the front protective sheet 3 at a position that is more inward in the width direction than the upper corner 4c of the first glass plate 4. This makes the sheet state in the holding area of ​​the third adsorption pad 7a more stable, thus reliably adsorbing and holding the upper end 3a of the front protective sheet 3. It should be noted that at a position that is more outward in the width direction than the upper corner 4c of the first glass plate 4, the restriction on the movement of the front protective sheet 3 by the upper edge 4a of the first glass plate 4 is weaker, therefore the sheet state is more prone to instability compared to a position that is more inward in the width direction than the upper corner 4c of the first glass plate 4.

[0075] like Figure 3 As shown by arrow A, in the first pressing step, firstly, the third adsorption pad 7a moves along the front surface of the first glass plate 4 from its initial position L0, which is closer to the overlapping portion 3c than the middle position L1 located in front of the pressing position L2, to the middle position L1 (first step). Then, as shown by arrows B and C in the figure, the third adsorption pad 7a, located in the middle position L1, moves rearward toward the pressing position L2 to press the upper end 3a of the front protective sheet 3 (second step). In this way, even if the upper end 3a of the front protective sheet 3 tilts forward, in the first step, as the third adsorption pad 7a moves upward along the front surface of the first glass plate 4, the tilted portion of the upper end 3a of the front protective sheet 3 can be lifted by the third adsorption pad 7a, thus correcting the tilt. Furthermore, in the second step, as the third adsorption pad 7a, located in the middle position L1, moves back and forth, it can reliably adsorb, hold, and press the upper end 3a of the front protective sheet 3, whose tilt has been corrected, against the tilt.

[0076] In the second step, the third adsorption pad 7a moves forward and backward in a straight line as indicated by the action of arrow B, and then moves further as indicated by the action of arrow C, changing the angle of its adsorption surface. In this way, even if the upper end 3a of the front protective sheet 3 tilts backward, the angle of the adsorption surface of the third adsorption pad 7a can be adjusted in the same manner as the upper end 3a. Therefore, when combined with the upward action of arrow A in the first step, the upper end 3a can be reliably adsorbed, held, and pressed down by the third adsorption pad 7a regardless of whether the upper end 3a of the front protective sheet 3 tilts forward or backward.

[0077] It should be noted that, preferably, the adsorption force of the third adsorption pad 7a is not applied in the first step (adsorption closed state), and the adsorption force of the third adsorption pad 7a is applied in the second step (adsorption open state). In this way, in the first step, it is possible to prevent the third adsorption pad 7a from adsorbing at unnecessary positions on the protective sheet 3 when the protective sheet 3 is lifted by the pressing member 7.

[0078] (turning-up process)

[0079] As shown in Figures 4-8 , the turning-up process is a process of turning up the front protective sheet 3 in a manner that a portion of the upper end portion 3a of the rear protective sheet 3 at a position located more width direction inner side than the upper side corner portion 4c of the first glass sheet 4 is exposed, using the first and second adsorption pads 6a and 6b.

[0080] As shown in Figure 4 , in the turning-up process, the front protective sheet 3 is adsorptively held by the first and second adsorption pads 6a and 6b in a state that the upper end portion 3a of the front protective sheet 3 is adsorptively held by the third adsorption pad 7a, and the front protective sheet 3 and the first glass sheet 4 are adsorptively held by the fourth adsorption pad 8a.

[0081] In detail, the second adsorption pad 6b adsorptively holds the upper end portion 3a of the front protective sheet 3 at a position located more width direction inner side than the upper side corner portion 4c of the first glass sheet 4. Thereby, the sheet state of the holding region of the second adsorption pad 6b is easily stabilized, and thus the upper end portion 3a of the front protective sheet 3 can be reliably adsorptively held.

[0082] The holding region of the second adsorption pad 6b adsorptively holding the front protective sheet 3 is located at a position more width direction inner side than the holding region of the third adsorption pad 7a adsorptively holding the front protective sheet 3 (or the rear protective sheet 3). Thereby, in the turning-up process, even if the second adsorption pad 6b is moved to the width direction inner side, the second adsorption pad 6b and the third adsorption pad 7a are not easily interfered with each other.

[0083] The holding region of the first adsorption pad 6a adsorptively holding the front protective sheet 3 has a portion located more width direction outer side than the holding region of the fourth adsorption pad 8a adsorptively holding the first glass sheet 4 and the front protective sheet 3. Thereby, the first adsorption pad 6a can adsorptively hold the front protective sheet 3 at a position more width direction outer side than the fourth adsorption pad 8a. Thus, in the turning-up process, even in a state that the fourth adsorption pad 8a adsorptively holding the first glass sheet 4 and the front protective sheet 3 is stationary at a fixed position, the first adsorption pad 6a is easily moved to the width direction inner side to turn up the front protective sheet 3. Note that, in the present embodiment, the holding region of the second adsorption pad 6b adsorptively holding the front protective sheet 3 is located more width direction inner side than the holding region of the first adsorption pad 6a adsorptively holding the front protective sheet 3.

[0084] As shown in Figure 5 , in the turning-up process, at a stage that the adsorptive holding based on the first, second and fourth adsorption pads 6a, 6b and 8a is completed, the third adsorption pad 7a releases the adsorptive holding of the front protective sheet 3 to be separated from the front protective sheet 3.

[0085] like Figure 6 As shown, in the flipping process, after the third adsorption pad 7a separates, while the fourth adsorption pad 8a, which holds the front protective sheet 3 and the first glass plate 4, remains stationary in a fixed position, the first adsorption pad 6a and the second adsorption pad 6b, which hold the front protective sheet 3, are moved. This causes the front protective sheet 3 to be flipped up such that the portion of the upper end portion 3a of the rear protective sheet 3 located inside the width direction of the upper corner 4c of the first glass plate 4 is exposed. As a result, an exposed portion X is formed in the rear protective sheet 3. In this way, the overlapping portion 3c and the upper end portion 3a of the front protective sheet 3 are each held separately by the first adsorption pad 6a and the second adsorption pad 6b. That is, it is possible to rationalize the posture and adsorption force of the first adsorption pad 6a in accordance with the state of the overlapping portion 3c of the front protective sheet 3, and simultaneously rationalize the posture and adsorption force of the second adsorption pad 6b in accordance with the state of the upper end portion 3a of the front protective sheet 3. Therefore, the overlapping portion 3c and the upper end portion 3a of the front protective piece 3 can be stably maintained at the same time, so that in the flipping process, the front protective piece 3 can be reliably prevented from being improperly bent or stuck to other components.

[0086] (Second pressing step)

[0087] like Figure 7 As shown, the second pressing process is a process in which the upper end 3a of the exposed rear protective sheet 3 is adsorbed, held and pressed by the third adsorption pad 7a at a position inside the width direction of the upper corner 4c of the first glass plate 4.

[0088] In detail, in the second pressing step, except that the object held by the third adsorption pad 7a is replaced by the upper end 3a of the rear protective sheet 3, the basic operation of the pressing member 7 is essentially the same as that in the first pressing step described above. That is, although the figure is omitted, the third adsorption pad 7a moves along the front surface of the first glass plate 4 from the initial position L0, which is closer to the overlap 3c than the middle position L1 located in front of the pressing position L2, to the middle position L1 (first step) via the first moving mechanism (not shown). Afterwards, the third adsorption pad 7a moves from the middle position L1 toward the pressing position L2 to the rear side via the second moving mechanism (not shown) to press the upper end 3a of the rear protective sheet 3 (second step). It should be noted that the pressing position L2 for pressing the front protective sheet 3 in the first pressing step and the pressing position L2 for pressing the rear protective sheet 3 in the second pressing step can be the same position or different positions.

[0089] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, as Figure 8As shown, after the third adsorption pad 7a adsorbs and holds the upper end 3a of the rear protective sheet 3 as described above, while maintaining this state, the first adsorption pad 6a and the second adsorption pad 6b, which adsorb and hold the front protective sheet 3, are returned to their original positions. Through this action, the third adsorption pad 7a, which adsorbs and holds the rear protective sheet 3, is sometimes concealed behind the front protective sheet 3, as shown by the dotted line in the figure.

[0090] (Separation process)

[0091] like Figure 9 As shown, the separation process is the process of pulling the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3 away from the laminate 5.

[0092] In detail, during the separation process, while the upper end 3a of the rear protective sheet 3 is held and pressed down by the third adsorption pad 7a, the fourth adsorption pad 8a, which holds the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3, is moved. This pulls the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3 away from the laminate 5.

[0093] In this embodiment, when the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3 are pulled away from the laminate 5, the first adsorption pad 6a and the second adsorption pad 6b, which hold the front protective sheet 3 in place, also move in the same direction along with the fourth adsorption pad 8a. That is, when the fourth adsorption pad 8a is used to move the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3, the first adsorption pad 6a and the second adsorption pad 6b are used to assist in adsorbing and holding the front protective sheet 3. Therefore, the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3 can be smoothly pulled away from the laminate 5 simultaneously.

[0094] (Transportation process)

[0095] like Figure 10 As shown, the handling process is the process of using the chuck 9 to hold and move the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3.

[0096] In the handling process, the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3 are transported to the handover position P using the first adsorption pad 6a, the second adsorption pad 6b, and the fourth adsorption pad 8a. At the handover position P, the upper ends of the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3, which are held by the adsorption pads 6a, 6b, and 8a, are held by the clamp 9. Thus, the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3 are handed over to the clamp 9. When this handover is completed, the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3 are transported to the next process using the clamp 9.

[0097] At the aforementioned junction point P, the adsorption hold of the second adsorption pad 6b is released before the upper ends of the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3 are held by the clamp 9. On the other hand, the adsorption hold of the first adsorption pad 6a and the fourth adsorption pad 8a is released after the upper ends of the first glass plate 4 and the front protective sheet 3 are held by the clamp 9. That is, the adsorption hold of the second adsorption pad 6b is released before the adsorption hold of the first adsorption pad 6a. Therefore, before holding by the clamp 9, the wrinkles at the upper end of the front protective sheet 3 are reduced due to the elasticity of the front protective sheet 3. It should be noted that if the upper end of the front protective sheet 3 is held by the clamp 9 in a wrinkled state, damage to the front protective sheet 3 may occur in subsequent processes, potentially causing defects.

[0098] It should be noted that in the subsequent process, the chuck 9 transfers the front protective sheet 3 and the first glass plate 4 to the attitude conversion device (not shown). The attitude conversion device performs an attitude conversion so that the first glass plate 4 is placed on the front protective sheet 3 in a horizontal position before transferring them to the transport conveyor. Furthermore, with the first glass plate 4 placed on the front protective sheet 3, the process of applying a scribe line to the first glass plate 4 and then breaking it along the scribe line is performed. Afterwards, the front protective sheet 3 separates from the first glass plate 4, and the end face of the first glass plate 4 is processed and cleaned.

[0099] The same actions are performed on the subsequent glass plate 4 and protective sheet 3. In this way, the various processes of glass plate 4 in the production line, from removal to cleaning, are carried out.

[0100] (Second Implementation)

[0101] like Figure 11 As shown, in the glass plate manufacturing apparatus 1 and glass plate manufacturing method of the second embodiment of the present invention, the operation of the third adsorption pad 7a of the pressing member 7 in the pressing process is different from that in the first embodiment.

[0102] In the second embodiment, the third adsorption pad 7a is moved along the front surface of the first glass plate 4 from its initial position L0, which is closer to the overlapping portion 3c than the middle position L1 located in front of the pressing position L2, to the middle position L1 (first step of the pressing process) using the first moving mechanism (not shown). Then, the third adsorption pad 7a, located in the middle position L1, is moved rearward toward the pressing position L2 using the second moving mechanism (not shown) as indicated by arrows E, F, and G to press the upper end 3a of the protective sheet 3 (second step of the pressing process).

[0103] In the first process, the adsorption surface of the third adsorption pad 7a faces upward at the action of the arrow D. On the other hand, in the second process, the adsorption surface of the third adsorption pad 7a changes from the state of facing upward to a state of being parallel to the front surface of the first glass plate 4 at the action of the arrow E. Next, the adsorption surface of the third adsorption pad 7a maintains the state of being parallel to the front surface of the first glass plate 4 at the action of the arrow F. Thereafter, the adsorption surface of the third adsorption pad 7a is inclined to the rear side in a manner of approaching the upper end edge 4a side of the first glass plate 4 from the state of being parallel to the front surface of the first glass plate 4 at the action of the arrow G.

[0104] In this way, as in the first embodiment, the upper end portion 3a of the front side protective sheet 3 can be reliably adsorbed and held and pressed by the third adsorption pad 7a regardless of which direction the upper end portion 3a of the front side protective sheet 3 is tilted toward, the front or the rear.

[0105] Note that the present application is not limited to the structures of the above-described embodiments, nor to the above-described effects. The present application can be variously changed within the scope of the gist thereof.

[0106] In the above-described embodiments, the third adsorption pad 7a of the pressing member 7 can also adsorb and hold the width direction end portion 3b of the front side protective sheet 3 and / or the rear side protective sheet 3. In this case, the third adsorption pad 7a is moved in the width direction from a position (for example, the inside of the width direction end edge 4b of the first glass plate 4) of the overlapping portion 3c to an intermediate position on the front side of the pressing position by the first moving mechanism. Thereafter, the third adsorption pad 7a existing in the intermediate position is moved toward the rear side of the pressing position by the second moving mechanism.

[0107] In the above-described embodiments, the structure in which the pressing member 7 presses the front side protective sheet 3 and the rear side protective sheet 3 respectively by the same actions described above has been described, but the pressing member 7 can also be a structure in which only either one of the front side protective sheet 3 and the rear side protective sheet 3 is pressed by the actions described above. In this case, either the other one of the front side protective sheet 3 and the rear side protective sheet 3 can be pressed by the same pressing member 7 in different actions (for example, only the front and rear movement of the second process) from the actions described above, or the other one can be pressed by another pressing member.

[0108] In the above-described embodiments, the structure in which the fourth adsorption pad 8a forms the through hole for ventilation in the front side protective sheet 3 has been described, but a perforation member that forms the through hole for ventilation in the front side protective sheet 3 can also be provided in addition to the fourth adsorption pad 8a. In addition, in the case where the front side protective sheet 3 is a material having a ventilation property, the structure for forming the through hole for ventilation in the front side protective sheet 3 can also be omitted.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, the second adsorption pad 6b can also adsorb and hold the width direction end portion 3b of the protective sheet 3.

[0110] In the above-described embodiment, the first adsorption pad 6a, the second adsorption pad 6b, the third adsorption pad 7a, and the fourth adsorption pad 8a can also be non-contact chucks such as cyclone type, Bernoulli type, or the like, or adsorption members other than adsorption pads.

[0111] In the above-described embodiment, the pressing member 7 can also not have an adsorption mechanism as long as it can press the front side protective sheet 3 and the rear side protective sheet 3.

[0112] Note that the present application also includes the following inventions.

[0113] (1) A glass sheet manufacturing method in which a front side protective sheet of a first glass sheet in a front row is taken out from a stack together with the first glass sheet in a front row, the stack including glass sheets in a tilted posture and protective sheets in a tilted posture stacked in a front-rear direction and having an extended portion of the protective sheet extended from the glass sheet and an overlapping portion of the protective sheet overlapping the glass sheet, the glass sheet manufacturing method characterized by comprising: a turning-up process of turning up the front side protective sheet by a turning-up adsorption member in a manner that a part of the extended portion of the rear side protective sheet of the first glass sheet is exposed; and a separating process of holding the front side protective sheet together with the first glass sheet by a holding member and pulling away from the stack in a state where the extended portion of the rear side protective sheet exposed by the turning-up process is pressed by a pressing member, the turning-up adsorption member having a first adsorption member and a second adsorption member, the overlapping portion of the front side protective sheet is adsorbed and held by the first adsorption member, and the extended portion of the front side protective sheet is adsorbed and held by the second adsorption member in the turning-up process.

[0114] In this way, in the turning-up process, the overlapping portion and the extended portion of the front side protective sheet are each adsorbed and held separately by the first adsorption member and the second adsorption member. That is, it is possible to rationalize the posture, the size of adsorbing force, or the like of the first adsorption member in correspondence with the state of the overlapping portion of the front side protective sheet, and to rationalize the posture, the size of adsorbing force, or the like of the second adsorption member in correspondence with the state of the extended portion of the front side protective sheet. Thus, it is possible to stably hold the overlapping portion and the extended portion of the front side protective sheet at the same time, and therefore, in the turning-up process, it is possible to reliably suppress the front side protective sheet from being improperly bent or caught on other members or the like. As a result, in the separating process, it is possible to smoothly pull away the first glass sheet and the front side protective sheet from the stack at the same time by the holding member in a state where the extended portion of the rear side protective sheet is pressed by the pressing member.

[0115] (2) In the above (1), it is preferable that, after the protruding portion of the front-side protective sheet is pressed by the pressing member and before the first glass sheet and the front-side protective sheet are held by the holding member and pulled away from the stack, the first and second adsorbing members adsorbing the front-side protective sheet are caused to return to positions before the front-side protective sheet was turned up in the turning-up process.

[0116] Thus, the first glass sheet and the front-side protective sheet can be simultaneously pulled away from the stack by the holding member without easily causing a deviation in the positional relationship of the front-side protective sheet with respect to the first glass sheet.

[0117] (3) In the above (1) or (2), it is preferable that, in the separating process, the first and second adsorbing members adsorbing the front-side protective sheet and the holding member holding the first glass sheet and the front-side protective sheet are caused to move in a direction in which the front-side protective sheet and the first glass sheet are pulled away from the stack.

[0118] Thus, when the first glass sheet and the front-side protective sheet are pulled away from the stack, the overlapping portion and the protruding portion of the front-side protective sheet are also held, so a deviation in the positional relationship of the front-side protective sheet with respect to the first glass sheet is less likely to occur.

[0119] (4) In any one of the above (1) to (3), it is preferable that the holding region of the second adsorbing member adsorbing the front-side protective sheet is located at a position that is located inward in the width direction from the pressing region of the pressing member pressing the rear-side protective sheet.

[0120] Thus, even if the second adsorbing member is caused to move inward in the width direction, interference with the pressing member is less likely to occur. Thus, the degree of freedom of the movement mode of the second adsorbing member in the turning-up process and the like is improved, so the device structure and / or the device operation can be simplified.

[0121] (5) In any one of the above (1) to (4), it is preferable that the protruding portion of the front-side protective sheet adsorbed by the second adsorbing member is a portion of the upper end portion of the front-side protective sheet that protrudes upward from the upper end edge of the first glass sheet and that is located inward in the width direction from the upper corner portion of the first glass sheet.

[0122] At a position on the width direction outer side of the upper side corner portion of the first glass plate, the restriction of the action (for example, the tilting to the rear) of the front side protection sheet by the upper end edge of the first glass plate is weak, and thus the sheet state easily becomes unstable. In contrast, at a position on the width direction inner side of the upper side corner portion of the first glass plate, the action of the front side protection sheet by the upper end edge of the first glass plate is restricted to some extent, and thus the sheet state easily becomes stable. Therefore, it is preferable that the second adsorption member adsorbs and holds the protruding portion of the front side protection sheet at a position on the width direction inner side of the upper side corner portion of the first glass plate, as in the above-described structure. Thereby, the protruding portion of the front side protection sheet can be reliably adsorbed and held.

[0123] (6) In any one of the above-described (1) to (5), it is preferable that the protruding portion of the rear side protection sheet pressed by the pressing member is a portion of the upper end portion of the rear side protection sheet protruding upward from the upper end edge of the first glass plate, which is located on the width direction inner side of the upper side corner portion of the first glass plate.

[0124] That is, at a position on the width direction outer side of the upper side corner portion of the first glass plate, the restriction of the action (for example, the tilting to the front or the rear) of the rear side protection sheet by the upper end edge of the first glass plate is weak, and thus the sheet state easily becomes unstable. In contrast, at a position on the width direction inner side of the upper side corner portion of the first glass plate, the action of the rear side protection sheet by the upper end edge of the first glass plate is restricted to some extent, and thus the sheet state easily becomes stable. Therefore, it is preferable that the pressing member presses the protruding portion of the rear side protection sheet at a position on the width direction inner side of the upper side corner portion of the first glass plate, as in the above-described structure. Thereby, the protruding portion of the rear side protection sheet can be reliably pressed.

[0125] (7) In any one of the above-described (1) to (6), it is preferable that, in the turning-up process, the first adsorption member and the second adsorption member that adsorb and hold the front side protection sheet are moved in a state in which the holding member that adsorbs the first glass plate and the front side protection sheet is stationary at the fixed position.

[0126] In this way, during the turning-up of the front side protection sheet, the first glass plate and the front side protection sheet are also held at the fixed position in the holding region of the holding member, and the positional relationship of the two is maintained constant. Therefore, in the turning-up process, a deviation in the positional relationship of the front side protection sheet with respect to the first glass plate is less likely to occur.

[0127] (8) In the above-described (7), it is preferable that the holding region of the first adsorption member that adsorbs and holds the front side protection sheet has a portion located on the width direction outer side of the holding region of the holding member that holds the first glass plate and the front side protection sheet.

[0128] Thus, even in a state where the first glass sheet and the front-side protective sheet are made stationary at the fixed position by the holding member, the front-side protective sheet can be easily turned up in a manner that the protruding portion of the rear-side protective sheet is exposed.

[0129] (9) In any one of the above (1) to (8), it is preferable that the front-side protective sheet be formed with a through portion for ventilation, and the holding member adsorptively hold the first glass sheet together with the front-side protective sheet by negative pressure acting on the first glass sheet via the through portion.

[0130] Thus, regardless of the material of the protective sheet, the protective sheet can be made ventilative by the through portion. Thus, even if a protective sheet that is not originally ventilative is used, the first glass sheet can be reliably adsorptively held via the front-side protective sheet.

[0131] (10) In any one of the above (1) to (9), it is preferable that the pressing member adsorptively hold the rear-side protective sheet.

[0132] Thus, the rear-side protective sheet can be reliably pressed by the pressing member.

[0133] (11) In any one of the above (1) to (10), it is preferable that the first adsorptive member and the second adsorptive member be adsorptive pads.

[0134] Thus, both the protective sheet and the glass sheet can be reliably adsorbed.

[0135] (12) A glass sheet manufacturing apparatus that sequentially takes out a front-side protective sheet of a first glass sheet that is the foremost column together with the first glass sheet from a stack that stacks glass sheets in an inclined attitude and protective sheets in an inclined attitude in a front-rear direction and includes the glass sheets in an inclined attitude and the protective sheets in an inclined attitude and the protective sheets have protruding portions that protrude from the glass sheets and overlapping portions that overlap the glass sheets, the glass sheet manufacturing apparatus being characterized by comprising: a turning-up adsorptive member that turns up the front-side protective sheet in a manner that a portion of the protruding portion of the rear-side protective sheet of the first glass sheet is exposed; a pressing member that presses the protruding portion of the rear-side protective sheet that is exposed by the turning-up adsorptive member; and a holding member that holds the protective sheet together with the first glass sheet and pulls away from the stack, the turning-up adsorptive member having a first adsorptive member that adsorptively holds the overlapping portion of the front-side protective sheet and a second adsorptive member that adsorptively holds the protruding portion of the front-side protective sheet.

[0136] Thus, the same effects as those of the corresponding structures described above can be enjoyed.

[0137] Explanation of Reference Signs

[0138] 1 Glass sheet manufacturing apparatus

[0139] 2 tray

[0140] 3 protective sheet

[0141] 3a upper end portion (overhang portion)

[0142] 3b width direction end portion (overhang portion)

[0143] 3c overlapping portion

[0144] 4 glass sheet

[0145] 5 laminate

[0146] 6 turning-up suction member

[0147] 6a first suction pad

[0148] 6b second suction pad

[0149] 7 pressing member

[0150] 7a third suction pad

[0151] 8 holding member

[0152] 8a fourth suction pad

[0153] 9 chuck

[0154] Lo initial position

[0155] Ll intermediate position

[0156] L2 pressing position

Claims

1. A glass sheet manufacturing method of sequentially taking out a first glass sheet which is a foremost row from a stack which includes a glass sheet in an inclined attitude and a protective sheet in an inclined attitude by stacking the glass sheet in an inclined attitude and the protective sheet in an inclined attitude in a front-rear direction and which has an overhanging portion which overhangs from the glass sheet and an overlapping portion which overlaps with the glass sheet, the glass sheet manufacturing method characterized by a pressing step of pressing the overhanging portion with a pressing member at a pressing position outside the overlapping portion in association with the taking out of the first glass sheet, The pressing step includes: a first step of moving the pressing member along a front surface of the first glass sheet from an initial position which is closer to the overlapping portion than an intermediate position which is located on a front side of the pressing position to the intermediate position; and a second step of moving the pressing member which is present at the intermediate position toward the pressing position to a rear side to press the overhanging portion.

2. The glass sheet manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member presses the overhanging portion of the protective sheet which is present on a front side of the first glass sheet before the first glass sheet is taken out.

3. The glass sheet manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pressing member presses the overhanging portion of the protective sheet which is present on a rear side of the first glass sheet when the first glass sheet is taken out.

4. The glass sheet manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the initial position is located inside the overlapping portion.

5. The glass sheet manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pressing member presses an upper end portion of the protective sheet which overhangs upward from an upper end edge of the first glass sheet.

6. The glass sheet manufacturing method according to claim 5, wherein the pressing member presses the upper end portion of the protective sheet at a position which is located on an inner side in a width direction than an upper side corner portion of the first glass sheet.

7. The glass sheet manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pressing member has a suction pad which adsorbs and holds the protective sheet.

8. The glass sheet manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein in the second step, a gradient of a suction surface of the suction pad is changed while the suction pad is moved.

9. A glass sheet manufacturing apparatus of sequentially taking out a first glass sheet which is a foremost row from a stack which includes a glass sheet in an inclined attitude and a protective sheet in an inclined attitude by stacking the glass sheet in an inclined attitude and the protective sheet in an inclined attitude in a front-rear direction and which has an overhanging portion which overhangs from the glass sheet and an overlapping portion which overlaps with the glass sheet, the glass sheet manufacturing apparatus characterized by comprising: a pressing member which presses the overhanging portion at a pressing position outside the overlapping portion in association with the taking out of the first glass sheet; a first moving mechanism which moves the pressing member along a front surface of the first glass sheet from an initial position which is closer to the overlapping portion than an intermediate position which is located on a front side of the pressing position to the intermediate position; and a second moving mechanism which moves the pressing member which is present at the intermediate position toward the pressing position to a rear side to press the overhanging portion. A second moving mechanism moves the pressing member present in the intermediate position toward the rear side of the pressing position to press the protruding portion.

Images