Glass plate manufacturing method and manufacturing device

Abstract

The manufacturing method of the glass plate comprises a scribing step of moving a cutter (7) along the width direction (X) of a glass ribbon (GR) which is conveyed downwards in a vertical posture so as to form a scribing line (SL) on the glass ribbon (GR). In the scribing step, the position of the cutter (7) in the width direction (X) of the glass ribbon (GR) is detected by a position detection unit (10a).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a glass sheet. Background Art

[0002] Glass plates are widely used as glass substrates for displays such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays, and as cover glasses for smartphones, tablet PCs, and the like.

[0003] As one of the methods for producing a glass sheet, there is a method in which a glass ribbon continuously formed by a down-draw method represented by an overflow down-draw method is cut into predetermined lengths to cut out a glass sheet from the glass ribbon.

[0004] An example of an apparatus used in such a manufacturing method is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The manufacturing apparatus for a glass sheet includes a scoring device (scoring mechanism) for forming a score line on one surface of a glass ribbon while following the descent of a glass ribbon that is conveyed downward after being formed, and a breaking device (breaking mechanism) for applying bending stress to a portion where the score line is formed to break and cut the glass ribbon while following the descent of the glass ribbon.

[0005] The scoring device includes: a cutter that forms a scoring line on one surface of the glass ribbon; a conveyor that moves the cutter; support rollers that support the other surface of the glass ribbon at a position corresponding to the cutter; and a conveyor that moves the support rollers.

[0006] Each conveyor that moves the cutter and the support roller includes a driving wheel using a servo motor as a driving source, a driven wheel, and a belt wound around these members. The cutter and the support roller are fixed to a part of each belt of each conveyor.

[0007] The cutter and the support roller can move along the width direction of the glass ribbon by driving the belts of each conveyor with the driving wheel. The scoring device can form a linear scoring line along the width direction of the glass ribbon on one surface of the glass ribbon by moving the cutter and the support roller synchronously in the same direction while the glass ribbon is sandwiched between the cutter and the support roller.

[0008] Prior art literature

[0009] Patent Literature

[0010] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-114686 Summary of the invention

[0011] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0012] In a conventional glass film manufacturing apparatus, while the scoring line is repeatedly formed on the glass ribbon by the scoring device, the belt of the conveyor supporting the cutter may stretch, and the belt supporting the support roller may stretch.

[0013] In this case, the elongation of each ribbon is different, so the position of the cutter and the support roller is offset. When such positional offset occurs, the glass ribbon cannot be sandwiched accurately by the cutter and the support roller, and there is a possibility that the formation of the scored line will be poor.

[0014] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a technical object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of defective formation of scribe lines due to positional deviation of a tool.

[0015] Solutions to Solve Problems

[0016] (1) The present invention is a method for manufacturing a glass sheet for solving the above-mentioned problems, comprising a scoring step of moving a cutter in a width direction of a glass ribbon being conveyed downward in a longitudinal posture to form a scoring line on the glass ribbon, wherein in the scoring step, a position detection unit is used to detect the position of the cutter in the width direction.

[0017] According to this configuration, by detecting the position of the tool using the position detection unit, when the tool is displaced, the positional deviation can be detected immediately, thereby preventing the occurrence of defective formation of the scribed lines due to the positional deviation of the tool.

[0018] (2) In the structure of the above (1), it is also possible that, in the scoring process, the tool is brought into contact with one surface of the glass ribbon, and the other surface of the glass ribbon is supported by a supporting rotating body moving along the width direction at a position corresponding to the tool, the position detection unit includes a first position detection unit for detecting the position of the tool in the width direction and a second position detection unit for detecting the position of the supporting rotating body in the width direction, and the scoring process includes: a calculation process, in which a control device is used to calculate the difference between the position of the tool detected by the first position detection unit and the position of the supporting rotating body detected by the second position detection unit; and a correction process, in which the control device is used to correct the relative position of the tool and the supporting rotating body based on the calculated position difference.

[0019] According to this structure, a scored line can be formed on one surface of the glass ribbon while the glass ribbon is sandwiched between the cutter and the supporting rotating body. By sandwiching the glass ribbon between the cutter and the supporting rotating body, the glass ribbon is not wrinkled, and the scored line can be formed on one surface with good accuracy. In addition, when a positional deviation occurs between the cutter and the supporting rotating body, the relative position of the cutter and the supporting rotating body can be adjusted through a correction process. Thus, the occurrence of poor formation of the scored line can be prevented.

[0020] (3) In the configuration of (2) above, the supporting rotating body may be a cylindrical supporting roller.

[0021] (4) In the structure of (2) or (3) above, the tool may be moved along the width direction by a first drive mechanism including a belt, or the supporting rotating body may be moved along the width direction by a second drive mechanism including a belt. According to this structure, the positions of the tool and the supporting rotating body can be controlled with high accuracy.

[0022] (5) In the structure of (4) above, the belt of the first drive mechanism and the belt of the second drive mechanism may be toothed belts. According to this structure, by using toothed belts to constitute the belts of each drive mechanism, the positions of the cutter and the supporting rotating body in the width direction of the glass ribbon can be easily controlled.

[0023] (6) In the structure of the above (5), it may be that the first driving mechanism includes a driving wheel for driving the belt of the first driving mechanism and a motor for rotationally driving the driving wheel of the first driving mechanism, and the second driving mechanism includes a driving wheel for driving the belt of the second driving mechanism and a motor for rotationally driving the driving wheel of the second driving mechanism. In the correction step, the relative position of the tool and the supporting rotating body is corrected by adjusting the rotation speed of the motor of the first driving mechanism or the rotation speed of the motor of the second driving mechanism.

[0024] According to this structure, by adjusting the rotation speed of the motor in the correction process, the position of the cutter or the support rotating body which moves along the width direction of the glass ribbon can be appropriately adjusted.

[0025] (7) In any one of the above (2) to (6), in the correction step, the control device may adjust the position of the supporting rotating body in the width direction so that the position of the supporting rotating body coincides with the position of the tool in the width direction. By adjusting only the position of the supporting rotating body in this way, the correction step can be easily performed.

[0026] (8) In any one of the above (2) to (7), the first position detection unit may detect the position of the tool in the width direction after the scored line is formed on the glass ribbon, and the second position detection unit may detect the position of the supporting rotating body in the width direction after the scored line is formed on the glass ribbon. Thus, the position of the tool and the position of the supporting rotating body can be detected with high accuracy.

[0027] (9) In any one of the above-mentioned structures (1) to (8), the position detection unit may be a laser displacement meter. This makes it possible to detect the position of the tool with high accuracy.

[0028] (10) The present invention is a glass plate manufacturing device for solving the above-mentioned problems, comprising a scoring device for forming a scoring line on a glass ribbon being conveyed downward in a longitudinal posture, wherein the scoring device comprises: a tool for forming the scoring line on one surface of the glass ribbon by moving along the width direction of the glass ribbon; and a position detection unit for detecting the position of the tool in the width direction.

[0029] According to this configuration, by detecting the position of the tool using the position detection unit, when the tool is displaced, the positional deviation can be detected immediately, thereby preventing the occurrence of defective formation of the scribed lines due to the positional deviation of the tool.

[0030] (11) In the structure of the above (10), it may also be that the scoring device includes a supporting rotating body that supports the other side of the glass ribbon at a position corresponding to the tool and moves along the width direction, the position detection unit includes a first position detection unit that detects the position of the tool in the width direction and a second position detection unit that detects the position of the supporting rotating body in the width direction, the glass plate manufacturing device includes a control device for controlling the scoring device, the control device is configured to calculate the difference in position between the tool and the supporting rotating body in the width direction based on the position of the tool detected by the first position detection unit and the position of the supporting rotating body detected by the second position detection unit, and the control device controls the scoring device in a manner that corrects the relative position of the tool and the supporting rotating body based on the calculated position difference.

[0031] According to this configuration, when the position of the cutter is misaligned, the control device adjusts the positions of the cutter and the supporting rotating body by correction, so that the glass ribbon can be sandwiched between the cutter and the supporting rotating body with high accuracy. This can prevent the occurrence of defective formation of the scribed line.

[0032] Effects of the Invention

[0033] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of defective formation of scribe lines due to positional deviation of the tool. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 It is a front view of the manufacturing apparatus of a glass plate.

[0035] Figure 2 It is a side view of the manufacturing apparatus of a glass plate.

[0036] Figure 3 is a top view of the scoring device.

[0037] Figure 4This is a side view showing a scribing step in the method for manufacturing a glass plate.

[0038] Figure 5 It is a side view showing the bending stress imparting step in the method for producing a glass sheet.

[0039] Figure 6 It is a side view showing the bending stress imparting step in the method for producing a glass sheet.

[0040] Figure 7 This is a side view showing a scribing step in the method for manufacturing a glass plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 7 An embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus and the manufacturing method of the glass plate of the present invention is described.

[0042] The manufacturing device of the glass plate includes a cutting device for cutting a glass ribbon conveyed downward in a vertical posture along its width direction. Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the cutting device 1 includes a scoring device 2 for forming a scoring line SL in the glass ribbon GR, a breaking device 3 for breaking the glass ribbon GR along the scoring line SL, and a control device 4 for controlling the scoring device 2 and the breaking device 3 .

[0043] The scribing device 2 is configured to be reciprocally movable in the vertical direction by a lifting device (not shown). The scribing device 2 includes a scribing mechanism 5 and driving mechanisms 6a and 6b for driving the scribing mechanism 5.

[0044] The scribing mechanism 5 mainly includes a cutter wheel 7, a coating roller 8, support rollers 9a and 9b as support rotating bodies, and position detection units 10a and 10b.

[0045] The cutter wheel 7 is used to form a scoring line SL on one surface (hereinafter referred to as the "first main surface") GRa of the glass ribbon GR. The cutter wheel 7 is configured to be a disk having a blade (edge) at the peripheral edge. The cutter wheel 7 is configured to be movable along the width direction (hereinafter simply referred to as the "width direction") X of the glass ribbon GR by a driving mechanism 6a. The cutter wheel 7 can Figure 1 as well as Figure 3 The starting point SP shown by the solid line is Figure 1 as well as Figure 3 Move back and forth between the end points EP shown by the double-dotted line.

[0046] like Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the cutter wheel 7 is configured to be able to approach and move away from the first main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR by the moving mechanism 11. The position of the cutter wheel 7 can be changed as follows: Figure 2 The standby position separated from the glass ribbon GR as shown by the solid line in the middle and Figure 2 The contact position with the 1st main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR is shown by the two-dot chain line.

[0047] The moving mechanism 11 can be constituted by various mechanisms such as a ball screw mechanism, a belt drive mechanism, a motor drive mechanism, a cylinder mechanism, a linear guide mechanism, etc. The moving mechanism 11 is fixed to the drive mechanism 6 a by a fixing member 12 .

[0048] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the glass ribbon GR is formed by the down-draw method, portions called ears Gm having a larger thickness than the central portion are formed at both ends in the width direction during the forming process. The scribing start position SL1 and the scribing end position SL2 are set at predetermined positions on the inner side of the ears Gm in the width direction X of the glass ribbon GR. The cutter wheel 7 can contact the glass ribbon GR in the region between them and form the scribing line SL at a predetermined position in the width direction X of the glass ribbon GR.

[0049] The coating roller 8 is used to apply liquid to the first main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR. The coating roller 8 can apply a predetermined liquid to the first main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR before forming the scribed line SL. That is, when the cutter wheel 7 moves to form the scribed line SL, the coating roller 8 applies liquid to the first main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR while moving in front of the cutter wheel 7 in the moving direction at the same speed as the cutter wheel 7. Thereby, the wear of the cutter wheel 7 is suppressed.

[0050] As the liquid applied to the glass ribbon GR by the coating roller 8, it is preferable to use a liquid having a boiling point of 100° C. or less under atmospheric pressure. Examples of such a liquid include alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 2-butanol, and 2-methyl-2-propanol, and liquids containing these alcohols. As a specific example, a mixed liquid of ethanol and water can be cited.

[0051] The coating roller 8 is configured to be movable along the width direction X by the driving mechanism 6a. Figure 3 The starting point SP shown by the solid line is Figure 3 The coating roller 8 is integrally formed with the cutter wheel 7 via a fixing member 12 , and thus moves in the width direction X at the same speed as the cutter wheel 7 .

[0052] like Figure 3As shown, the coating roller 8 is configured to be able to approach and separate from the first main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR by the moving mechanism 13. The coating roller 8 can change its position between a standby position separated from the glass ribbon GR and a contact position contacting the first main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR.

[0053] The moving mechanism 13 can be composed of various mechanisms such as a ball screw mechanism, a belt drive mechanism, a motor drive mechanism, a cylinder mechanism, a linear guide mechanism, etc. The moving mechanism 13 is fixed to the drive mechanism 6a by the fixing member 12. Figure 3 As shown, the fixing member 12 integrally supports the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 at a predetermined distance D in the width direction X. As shown in FIG.

[0054] Each support roller 9a, 9b is a cylindrical support member that supports the other surface (hereinafter referred to as the "second main surface") GRb of the glass ribbon GR. Each support roller 9a, 9b is configured to be movable in the width direction X by the drive mechanism 6b. Each support roller 9a, 9b is held so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis and to be held without sliding relative to the second main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR. Each support roller 9a, 9b can Figure 3 The starting point SP shown by the solid line is Figure 3 Move back and forth between the end points EP shown by the double-dotted line.

[0055] The support rollers 9a and 9b are arranged to face the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 via the glass ribbon GR. The support rollers 9a and 9b include a first support roller 9a facing the cutter wheel 7 and a second support roller 9b facing the coating roller 8.

[0056] The support rollers 9a and 9b are configured to be able to approach and move away from the second main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR by the moving mechanisms 14 and 15. The positions of the support rollers 9a and 9b can be changed as follows: Figure 2 The standby position separated from the glass ribbon GR as shown by the solid line in the middle and Figure 2 The contact position with the 2nd main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR is shown by the two-dot chain line.

[0057] The moving mechanisms 14 and 15 can be composed of various mechanisms such as a ball screw mechanism, a belt drive mechanism, a motor drive mechanism, a cylinder mechanism, a linear guide mechanism, etc. The moving mechanisms 14 and 15 are fixed to the drive mechanism 6b by a fixing member 16. Figure 3 As shown, the fixing member 16 integrally supports the first support roller 9a and the second support roller 9b via the moving mechanisms 14 and 15 at a certain distance D in the width direction X. The distance D between the first support roller 9a and the second support roller 9b is equal to the distance D between the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8.

[0058] The position detection units 10a and 10b are sensors for detecting the positions of the cutter wheel 7, the coating roller 8, and the support rollers 9a and 9b in the width direction X. The position detection units 10a and 10b are composed of, for example, laser displacement meters, but are not limited thereto, and may be composed of ultrasonic sensors, image sensors, or other sensors.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, the position detection units 10a and 10b include a first position detection unit 10a for detecting the positions of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 in the width direction X and a second position detection unit 10b for detecting the positions of the support rollers 9a and 9b in the width direction X.

[0060] When the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 reach the end point EP, the first position detection unit 10a measures the distance D1 between the first position detection unit 10a and the fixing member 12 supporting the coating roller 8, thereby detecting the positions of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 in the width direction X. The present invention is not limited thereto, and the first position detection unit 10a may be configured to directly detect the position of the coating roller 8. In addition, when the cutter wheel 7 is used to form the scoring line SL without using the coating roller 8, the first position detection unit 10a may be used to directly detect the position of the cutter wheel 7 that has reached the end point EP.

[0061] like Figure 3 As shown, when the support rollers 9a and 9b reach the end point EP, the second position detection unit 10b measures the distance D2 between the second position detection unit 10b and the fixing member 16 supporting the support rollers 9a and 9b, thereby detecting the positions of the support rollers 9a and 9b in the width direction X.

[0062] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the drive mechanisms 6a and 6b are, for example, belt drive mechanisms. The drive mechanisms 6a and 6b include a first drive mechanism 6a for driving the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 and a second drive mechanism 6b for driving the support rollers 9a and 9b.

[0063] The first driving mechanism 6 a mainly includes a belt 17 that movably supports the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 , and a driving wheel 18 a and a driven wheel 18 b that are arranged inside the belt 17 .

[0064] The belt 17 is formed of a material such as resin and is in a closed belt shape. The length dimension of the belt 17 is larger than the width dimension of the glass ribbon GR. The belt 17 is formed of a belt with teeth, for example, but is not limited to this structure. A plurality of teeth 19 are formed at a predetermined pitch along the circumference of the belt 17 on the inner circumferential surface of the belt 17. The outer circumferential surfaces of the driving wheel 18a and the driven wheel 18b have a structure that meshes with the teeth 19 of the belt 17.

[0065] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 3As shown in FIG. 1 , a fixing member 12 for supporting the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 is fixed to a portion of the belt 17. The belt 17 is driven by a driving wheel 18a, so that the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 reciprocate between a starting point SP and an end point EP along the width direction X. The cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 at the starting point SP are located outside one end of the glass ribbon GR in the width direction X. The cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 at the end point EP are located outside the other end of the glass ribbon GR in the width direction X.

[0066] The driving wheel 18a is driven to rotate by the servo motor 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may be driven by another electric motor. The driven wheel 18b can change its position along the width direction X in order to give appropriate tension to the belt 17. The driven wheel 18b is moved in the direction X by an actuator such as a cylinder device. Figure 1 as well as Figure 3 The belt 17 is partially pressed in the direction indicated by the reference numeral F. The present invention is not limited thereto, and the driven pulley 18b may be fixed at a position where the tension of the belt 17 becomes an appropriate value, and the tension of the belt 17 may be measured at predetermined intervals to adjust the fixed position of the driven pulley 18b.

[0067] like Figure 3 As shown, the second driving mechanism 6 b mainly includes a belt 21 that movably supports the support rollers 9 a and 9 b , and a driving wheel 22 a and a driven wheel 22 b that are arranged inside the belt 21 .

[0068] The belt 21 has the same structure as the belt 17 of the first driving mechanism 6a. The belt 21 is composed of a toothed belt like the belt 17, but is not limited to this structure. A fixing member 16 for supporting the support rollers 9a and 9b is fixed to a part of the belt 21. The belt 17 is driven by the driving wheel 22a, so that the support rollers 9a and 9b reciprocate along the width direction X from the starting point SP to the end point EP. The support rollers 9a and 9b at the starting point SP are located outside one end of the glass ribbon GR in the width direction X. The support rollers 9a and 9b at the end point EP are located outside the other end of the glass ribbon GR in the width direction X.

[0069] The driving wheel 22a is driven by the servo motor 23, but the present invention is not limited thereto and the driving wheel 22a may be driven by another electric motor. The driven wheel 22b can change its position along the width direction X in order to apply tension to the belt 21. The driven wheel 22b is moved in the direction X by an actuator such as a cylinder device. Figure 3 The belt 21 is pressed in a direction indicated by the reference numeral F. The present invention is not limited thereto, and the driven pulley 22b may be fixed at a position where the tension of the belt 21 becomes an appropriate value, and the tension of the belt 21 is measured every predetermined period to adjust the fixed position of the driven pulley 22b.

[0070] The breaking device 3 follows the descent of the glass ribbon GR and applies bending stress to the portion of the glass ribbon GR where the score lines SL are formed, thereby breaking the glass ribbon GR. Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the breaking device 3 includes a breaking mechanism 24 for breaking the glass ribbon GR and a breaking lifting mechanism 25 for lifting and lowering the breaking mechanism 24 .

[0071] The breaking mechanism 24 includes: a fulcrum rod 26 that forms a fulcrum for breaking the glass ribbon GR; a suction portion 27 that attracts glass powder generated when the glass ribbon GR is broken; and support devices 28a and 28b that support a portion of the glass ribbon GR and are configured to be able to change their posture to apply bending stress to the glass ribbon GR.

[0072] The fulcrum rod 26 is composed of a rod-shaped member or a plate-shaped member that is elongated along the width direction X of the glass ribbon GR, but is not limited to this shape. The fulcrum rod 26 is arranged below the scribing mechanism 5 .

[0073] The fulcrum rod 26 is configured to be able to approach and move away from the glass ribbon GR. The fulcrum rod 26 can change its position as follows: Figure 2 The standby position separated from the glass ribbon GR and waiting as shown by the solid line in the middle and Figure 2 The contact position with the second main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The fulcrum rod 26 is configured to be movable in the up-down direction. The fulcrum rod 26 can move downward at the same speed as the descending speed of the glass ribbon GR.

[0074] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the suction part 27 is arranged to face the fulcrum rod 26 across the glass ribbon GR. The suction part 27 is configured to be able to approach and move away from the glass ribbon GR. The position of the suction part 27 can be changed as shown in FIG. Figure 2 The standby position separated from the glass ribbon GR as shown by the solid line in the middle and Figure 2 As indicated by the two-dot chain line, the suction position is located in the vicinity of the first main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR.

[0075] The support devices 28a and 28b are arranged below the fulcrum rod 26. Figure 1 As shown, the support devices 28a and 28b include a first support device 28a for supporting one end of the glass ribbon GR in the width direction X and a second support device 28b for supporting the other end of the glass ribbon GR in the width direction X. The first support device 28a and the second support device 28b are arranged to face each other in the width direction X of the glass ribbon GR.

[0076] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2As shown, each support device 28a, 28b includes a plurality of chucks 29 arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction and a frame 30 that supports each chuck 29. In addition, a suction device capable of suction holding may be used instead of the chuck 29.

[0077] The frame 30 is configured to perform a predetermined swinging motion (rotational motion) to apply bending stress to the glass ribbon GR. The frame 30 is connected to a swing mechanism for performing the swinging motion. The swing mechanism is connected to a driving unit (swing driving unit) that drives the swing mechanism.

[0078] The breaking lifting mechanism 25 includes a supporting member 25a supporting the frame 30 and a support 25b supporting the supporting member 25a so as to be able to be lifted and lowered. The support 25b is provided with a motor and other driving parts (breaking lifting driving parts) for lifting and lowering the supporting member 25a. The breaking lifting mechanism 25 can move the frame 30 downward at the same speed as the downward movement speed of the glass ribbon GR.

[0079] The control device 4 controls the lifting and lowering of the scribing device 2, the movements of the cutter wheel 7, the coating roller 8, and the support rollers 9a and 9b in the scribing device 2, and the calculation and processing of the data obtained by the position detection units 10a and 10b. The control device 4 includes, for example, a computer (e.g., a PC, a console) equipped with various hardware such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, HDD, a monitor, and an input / output interface.

[0080] The control device 4 can calculate the position difference between the cutter wheel 7 and the first support roller 9a in the width direction X or calculate the position difference between the coating roller 8 and the second support roller 9b in the width direction X based on the position information of the cutter wheel 7 and the first support roller 9a detected by the position detection units 10a and 10b. The control device 4 can control the scribing device 2 in a manner to correct the positions of the cutter wheel 7, the coating roller 8, and / or the support rollers 9a and 9b based on the calculated position differences.

[0081] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a glass sheet using the manufacturing device (cutting device 1 ) having the above-mentioned configuration will be described. This method includes a cutting step of breaking a part of the glass ribbon GR to cut out a glass sheet.

[0082] In the cutting step, a portion of the vertical glass ribbon GR formed by down-drawing above the cutting device 1 and conveyed downward is cut by the cutting device 1. The cutting step includes a scoring step of forming a score line SL in the glass ribbon GR and a bending stress applying step of applying bending stress to the glass ribbon GR.

[0083] In the scribing step, the scribing device 2 forms a scribing line SL in the middle of the glass ribbon GR along the width direction X. The scribing mechanism 5 of the scribing device 2 forms the scribing line SL on the first main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR while descending at the same speed as the descending speed of the glass ribbon GR.

[0084] Moreover, in the scribing step, the breaking device 3 lowers the breaking mechanism 24 at the same speed as the lowering speed of the glass ribbon GR, while the supporting devices 28a and 28b of the breaking mechanism 24 support a part of the glass ribbon GR.

[0085] like Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, the scoring mechanism 5 moves the cutter wheel 7, the coating roller 8, and the support rollers 9a and 9b from the starting point SP to the end point EP. On the path, when the coating roller 8 and the second support roller 9b reach the scoring start position SL1, the coating roller 8 and the second support roller 9b are moved from the standby position to the contact position. In this case, the coating roller 8 contacts the first main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR. The second support roller 9b supports the second main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR at a position corresponding to the coating roller 8. In this way, the coating roller 8 moves in the width direction X while applying liquid to the first main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR while sandwiching the glass ribbon GR together with the second support roller 9b.

[0086] Next, when the cutter wheel 7 and the first support roller 9a reach the position corresponding to the scribing start position SL1, the cutter wheel 7 and the first support roller 9a are moved from the standby position to the contact position. In this case, the cutter wheel 7 contacts the first main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR. In addition, the first support roller 9a supports the second main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR at a position corresponding to the cutter wheel 7. In this way, the cutter wheel 7 moves in the width direction X while sandwiching the glass ribbon GR together with the first support roller 9a.

[0087] Next, when the coating roller 8 and the second support roller 9b reach the scribing end position SL2, the coating roller 8 and the second support roller 9b are moved from the contact position to the standby position.

[0088] Then, when the cutter wheel 7 and the first support roller 9a reach the scribing end position SL2, the cutter wheel 7 and the first support roller 9a move from the contact position to the standby position. Furthermore, the scribing mechanism 5 moves the cutter wheel 7, the coating roller 8 and the support rollers 9a and 9b from the end point EP to the start point SP.

[0089] like Figure 5As shown in FIG. 1 , in the bending stress imparting step, the breaking device 3 moves the fulcrum rod 26 in the standby position to the contact position while maintaining the downward movement of the breaking mechanism 24. As a result, the fulcrum rod 26 contacts a portion of the second main surface GRb corresponding to the position where the scribed line SL is formed in the glass ribbon GR. In addition, the breaking device 3 moves the suction part 27 in the standby position to the suction position. The breaking mechanism 24 lowers the fulcrum rod 26, the suction part 27, and the supporting devices 28a and 28b at the same speed as the lowering speed of the glass ribbon GR.

[0090] like Figure 6 As shown, the breaking mechanism 24 swings (rotates) the frame 30 while maintaining the support of the glass ribbon GR by the chucks 29 of the supporting devices 28a and 28b during its descent. In this case, the frame 30 swings at a predetermined angle with the contact position of the fulcrum rod 26 and the glass ribbon GR as the center (fulcrum). As a result, the supporting devices 28a and 28b change their posture from the vertical posture to the breaking posture (inclined posture).

[0091] In this way, the support devices 28a, 28b (frame 30) change their postures, thereby applying bending stress to the portion of the glass ribbon GR where the score line SL is formed. Under the action of this bending stress, cracks starting from the score line SL advance in the thickness direction of the glass ribbon GR. As a result, a portion of the glass ribbon GR supported by the support devices 28a, 28b is cut out as a glass sheet GS. The suction unit 27 sucks glass powder generated when the glass sheet GS is cut out.

[0092] By repeating the above-mentioned scribing process and bending stress imparting process, a plurality of glass sheets GS can be cut out from the glass ribbon GR. During the repeated cutting process, the belts 17 and 21 of the drive mechanisms 6a and 6b are extended. When the belts 17 and 21 are extended, the positions of the cutter wheel 7 and the first support roller 9a and the coating roller 8 and the second support roller 9b can be adjusted by the control device 4 in a manner that avoids the occurrence of positional deviations of the cutter wheel 7 and the first support roller 9a and the coating roller 8 and the second support roller 9b in the scribing process.

[0093] That is, the engraving process includes: a calculation process, using the control device 4 to calculate the difference between the position of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 detected by the first position detection unit 10a and the position of the support rollers 9a and 9b detected by the second position detection unit 10b; and a correction process, based on the calculated position difference, using the control device 4 to correct the relative position of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 and the support rollers 9a and 9b.

[0094] Below, refer to Figure 7 The calculation process and correction process are explained. Figure 7, the case where the belt 17 of the first drive mechanism 6a and the belt 21 of the second drive mechanism 6b are extended as indicated by the two-dot chain lines is illustrated.

[0095] According to the knowledge of the present inventors, the elongation E1 of the belt 17 of the first drive mechanism 6a is different from the elongation E2 of the belt 21 of the second drive mechanism 6b. In order to form the scribe line SL on the glass ribbon GR by the cutter wheel 7, a large driving force acts on the belt 17 of the first drive mechanism 6a. Therefore, the elongation E1 of the belt 17 of the first drive mechanism 6a is greater than the elongation E2 of the belt 21 of the second drive mechanism 6b.

[0096] After the scored line SL is formed on the glass ribbon GR, the first position detection unit 10a detects the positions of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 (the position of the fixing member 12) at the end point EP. Similarly, the second position detection unit 10b detects the positions of the support rollers 9a and 9b (the position of the fixing member 16) at the end point EP. The position detection units 10a and 10b may detect the positions each time the glass sheet GS is cut out from the glass ribbon GR, or may detect the positions after multiple cuts. The position detection units 10a and 10b transmit the detected position data to the control device 4.

[0097] In the calculation step, the control device 4 can calculate the elongation E1 of the belt 17 of the first driving mechanism 6a based on the position information of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 detected by the first position detection unit 10a (position information of the fixing member 12). The elongation E1 is calculated based on the difference (D1a-D1b) between the position of the fixing member 12 measured before the elongation (the distance D1a between the fixing member 12 and the first position detection unit 10a) and the position of the fixing member 12 measured after the elongation (the distance D1b between the fixing member 12 and the first position detection unit 10a).

[0098] As described later, when the belt 17 as a toothed belt is extended, the moving speed of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 is changed compared to before the extension. The control device 4 can calculate the speed in the width direction X of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 moved by driving the belt 17 after the extension based on the extension amount E1 of the belt 17.

[0099] The control device 4 can calculate the elongation E2 of the belt 21 of the second driving mechanism 6b based on the position information of the support rollers 9a and 9b detected by the second position detection unit 10b (the position information of the fixing member 16). The elongation E2 is calculated based on the difference (D2a-D2b) between the position of the fixing member 16 measured before the elongation (the distance D2a between the fixing member 16 and the second position detection unit 10b) and the position of the fixing member 16 measured after the elongation (the distance D2b between the fixing member 16 and the second position detection unit 10b).

[0100] The control device 4 can calculate the speed in the width direction X of the support rollers 9 a and 9 b that are moved by driving the belt 21 after the extension occurs, based on the extension amount E2 of the belt 21 .

[0101] The control device 4 can calculate the difference (E1-E2) between the elongation E1 of the belt 17 of the first drive mechanism 6a and the elongation E2 of the belt 21 of the second drive mechanism 6b. In other words, in the calculation process, the control device 4 can calculate the difference (D1b-D2b) between the position of the cutter wheel 7 in the width direction X and the position of the first support roller 9a in the width direction X when the belts 17 and 21 are elongated. Similarly, the control device 4 can calculate the difference (D1b-D2b) between the position of the coating roller 8 in the width direction X and the position of the second support roller 9b in the width direction X.

[0102] In the correction step, the control device 4 controls the scribing device 2 so as to adjust the relative positions of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 and the backup rollers 9a and 9b in the cutting step based on the position difference calculated as described above.

[0103] Specifically, the control device 4 adjusts the position of the first support roller 9a in motion so that the position of the support roller 9a coincides with the position of the moving cutter wheel 7 in the scribing process. Similarly, the control device 4 adjusts the position of the second support roller 9b in motion so that the position of the second support roller 9b coincides with the position of the moving coating roller 8 in the scribing process. As an example of this position adjustment, the control device 4 controls the scribing device 2 to adjust the moving speed of the support rollers 9a and 9b, for example.

[0104] When the belts 17 and 21 of the driving mechanisms 6a and 6b are toothed belts, when the belts 17 and 21 are stretched, the pitch of the teeth 19 becomes larger than before the stretch. Thus, even if the rotation speed of the driving wheels 18a and 22a is constant, the moving speed of the cutter wheel 7, the coating roller 8, and the support rollers 9a and 9b becomes larger than before the stretch of the belts 17 and 21.

[0105] Therefore, in the correction process, the control device 4 adjusts the rotation speed (rotation speed) of the servo motor 20 of the first drive mechanism 6a or the rotation speed (rotation speed) of the servo motor 23 of the second drive mechanism 6b in such a manner that the positions of the moving support rollers 9a and 9b are aligned with the positions of the moving cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 in the engraving process.

[0106] The elongation E1 of the belt 17 of the first drive mechanism 6a is greater than the elongation E2 of the belt 21 of the second drive mechanism 6b, so the moving speed of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 in the width direction X in the scribing process is greater than the moving speed of the support rollers 9a and 9b. Therefore, in order to follow the movement of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 whose moving speed increases due to the elongation of the belt 17, the control device 4 corrects the moving speed of the support rollers 9a and 9b. That is, the control device 4 calculates the difference between the moving speed of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 after the belt 17 is elongated and the moving speed of the support rollers 9a and 9b after the belt 21 is elongated as a correction value.

[0107] The control device 4 sends a control signal to the second drive mechanism 6b based on the correction value. The servo motor 23 of the second drive mechanism 6b increases the rotation speed of the drive wheel 22a based on the signal from the control device 4 so that the support rollers 9a and 9b move in the width direction X at the same position and at the same speed as the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8.

[0108] The correction process is not limited to the above-mentioned method. The control device 4 can send a control signal to the first drive mechanism 6a to reduce the moving speed of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 that have increased due to the extension of the belt 17 of the first drive mechanism 6a. In this case, the servo motor 20 of the first drive mechanism 6a reduces the rotation speed of the drive wheel 18a of the first drive mechanism 6a based on the signal from the control device 4 in such a way that the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 move in the width direction X at the same position and at the same speed as the support rollers 9a and 9b.

[0109] According to the manufacturing method and manufacturing device of the glass plate GS of the present embodiment described above, by executing the calculation process and the correction process, even if the belts 17 and 21 of each driving mechanism 6a and 6b are stretched and a positional displacement occurs between the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 and the supporting rollers 9a and 9b, the positions of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 can be made consistent with the positions of the supporting rollers 9a and 9b in the scoring process.

[0110] This can prevent the occurrence of defective formation of the scribed line SL in the scribing process. In addition, by detecting the elongation amounts E1 and E2 of the belts 17 and 21 of the drive mechanisms 6a and 6b, the life of the belts 17 and 21 and the replacement time thereof can be predicted.

[0111] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, nor is it limited to the above-described effects. The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0112] In the above-mentioned embodiment, although the support rollers 9a and 9b which move in the width direction X are illustrated as the support member which supports the 2nd main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR, this invention is not limited to this structure.

[0113] For example, the scoring mechanism 5 of the scoring device 2 may include a supporting rod as a supporting member instead of the supporting rollers 9a and 9b. The supporting rod has a length dimension greater than the width dimension of the glass ribbon GR. The supporting rod is configured to be able to approach and move away from the second main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR.

[0114] Since the support rod does not need to move in the width direction X, the second drive mechanism 6 b and the second position detection unit 10 b in the above-described embodiment can be omitted.

[0115] In the scribing step, the scribing mechanism 5 brings the support rod into contact with the second main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR, and brings the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 into contact with the first main surface GRa of the glass ribbon GR at a height position corresponding to the support rod. Thus, the cutter wheel 7 can form a scribing line on the first main surface GRa while the cutter wheel 7 moves from one end to the other end in the width direction X of the glass ribbon GR while sandwiching the glass ribbon GR with the support rod.

[0116] In the scribing process, when the ribbon 17 of the first driving mechanism 6a is stretched, the first position detecting unit 10a can detect the change in the position of the cutter wheel 7 and the coating roller 8 corresponding to the stretching. In the correction process, the control device 4 sends a control signal for correcting the position of the cutter wheel 7 to the first driving mechanism 6a so that the scribing line formed on the glass ribbon GR has a desired length.

[0117] In the scribing process of the above embodiment, when the coating roller 8 and the second support roller 9b reach the scribing start position SL1, the coating roller 8 and the second support roller 9b are moved from the standby position to the contact position, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. Alternatively, when the cutter wheel 7 and the first support roller 9a reach the scribing start position SL1, the cutter wheel 7, the coating roller 8, and the support rollers 9a, 9b are moved from the standby position to the contact position.

[0118] In the scribing process of the above embodiment, when the coating roller 8 and the second support roller 9b reach the scribing end position SL2, the coating roller 8 and the second support roller 9b are moved from the contact position to the standby position, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. Alternatively, when the cutter wheel 7 and the first support roller 9a reach the scribing end position SL2, the cutter wheel 7, the coating roller 8, and the support rollers 9a, 9b are moved from the contact position to the standby position.

[0119] In the scribing step of the above embodiment, the scribing line SL is formed in the range from the scribing start position SL1 to the scribing end position SL2, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The scribing line SL may be formed from one end to the other end of the glass ribbon GR.

[0120] In the above-mentioned embodiment, cylindrical support rollers 9a and 9b are used as the support rotating body, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As the support rotating body, a rotating body such as a sphere or a rotational ellipsoid may be used.

[0121] Description of Reference Numerals

[0122] 1 Cutting device (manufacturing device)

[0123] 2 Scribing device

[0124] 6a First driving mechanism

[0125] 6b Second driving mechanism

[0126] 7 Knife wheel

[0127] 9a First support roller

[0128] 10a First position detection unit

[0129] 10b Second position detection unit

[0130] 17 Belt of the first drive mechanism

[0131] 18a Driving wheel of the first driving mechanism

[0132] 19 belt teeth

[0133] 20 Servo motor

[0134] 21 Belt of the second drive mechanism

[0135] 22a Driving wheel of the second driving mechanism

[0136] 23 Servo motor

[0137] GR Glass Ribbon

[0138] Gm Ear

[0139] GRa First main surface of glass ribbon

[0140] GRb Second main surface of glass ribbon

[0141] GS Glass Sheet

[0142] SL Score Line

[0143] SL1 Score start position

[0144] SL2 scoring end position

[0145] X width direction.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a glass sheet, comprising a scoring step of moving a cutter along a width direction of a glass ribbon being conveyed downward in a vertical posture to form a score line on the glass ribbon, wherein: In the scribing step, the position of the tool in the width direction is detected by a position detection unit.

2. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 1, wherein: In the scribing step, the cutter is brought into contact with one surface of the glass ribbon, and the other surface of the glass ribbon is supported by a supporting rotating body that moves along the width direction at a position corresponding to the cutter. The position detection unit includes a first position detection unit that detects the position of the tool in the width direction and a second position detection unit that detects the position of the support rotating body in the width direction. The engraving process includes: a calculation process, using a control device to calculate the difference between the position of the tool detected by the first position detection unit and the position of the supporting rotating body detected by the second position detection unit; and a correction process, based on the calculated position difference, using the control device to correct the relative position of the tool and the supporting rotating body.

3. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 2, wherein: The supporting rotating body is a cylindrical supporting roller.

4. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 2, wherein: The knife is moved along the width direction by a first drive mechanism including a belt, The supporting rotating body is moved in the width direction by a second driving mechanism including a belt.

5. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 4, wherein: The belt of the first drive mechanism and the belt of the second drive mechanism are toothed belts.

6. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 5, wherein: The first driving mechanism includes a driving wheel for driving the belt of the first driving mechanism and a motor for rotationally driving the driving wheel of the first driving mechanism. The second driving mechanism includes a driving wheel for driving the belt of the second driving mechanism and a motor for rotationally driving the driving wheel of the second driving mechanism. In the correction step, the relative position of the tool and the supporting rotating body is corrected by adjusting the rotation speed of the motor of the first drive mechanism or the rotation speed of the motor of the second drive mechanism.

7. The method for producing a glass sheet according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein: In the correction step, the control device adjusts the position of the supporting rotating body in the width direction so that the position of the supporting rotating body coincides with the position of the tool in the width direction.

8. The method for manufacturing a glass sheet according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein: The first position detection unit detects the position of the cutter in the width direction after the scored line is formed on the glass ribbon. The second position detection unit detects the position of the supporting rotating body in the width direction after the scored line is formed on the glass ribbon.

9. The method for producing a glass sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The position detection unit is a laser displacement meter.

10. A glass plate manufacturing device comprising a scoring device for forming a scoring line on a glass ribbon being conveyed downward in a vertical posture, wherein: The scribing device includes: a cutter that forms the scribing line on one surface of the glass ribbon by moving along the width direction of the glass ribbon; and a position detection unit that detects a position of the cutter in the width direction.

11. The glass sheet manufacturing device according to claim 10, wherein: The scoring device includes a supporting rotating body that supports the other surface of the glass ribbon at a position corresponding to the cutter and moves along the width direction. The position detection unit includes a first position detection unit that detects the position of the tool in the width direction and a second position detection unit that detects the position of the support rotating body in the width direction. The glass plate manufacturing device comprises a control device for controlling the scribing device. The control device is configured to calculate a difference in position between the tool and the supporting rotating body in the width direction based on the position of the tool detected by the first position detection unit and the position of the supporting rotating body detected by the second position detection unit, The control device controls the scribing device so as to correct the relative position of the tool and the supporting rotating body based on the calculated position difference.

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