Glass article manufacturing device

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing a glass article is provided with: a molding body for molding a glass ribbon from molten glass by a down-draw method; and a cooling roller that comes into contact over the entire width of the glass ribbon. The cooling roller is provided with: an outer tube having an outer surface in contact with the glass ribbon; an inner tube disposed inside the outer tube; a refrigerant supply flow path formed by the inner surface of the inner pipe; and a cooling flow path through which the refrigerant supplied from the supply flow path flows. A cooling flow path is formed between an inner surface of the outer tube and an outer surface of the inner tube.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a device and a method for manufacturing glass articles such as glass ribbons. Background Art

[0002] Glass plates are used as substrates and cover plates in displays such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays, and organic EL lighting. As a method for manufacturing these glass plates, an overflow down-draw method is well known.

[0003] The overflow down-draw method is a method in which molten glass is allowed to flow into an overflow trough provided at the upper portion of a forming body having a roughly wedge-shaped cross-section, the molten glass flowing out of the overflow trough to both sides flows down along the two side surfaces of the forming body, and the molten glasses are fused and integrated at the lower end portion of the forming body, thereby continuously forming a glass ribbon.

[0004] The glass ribbon formed in this way is conveyed by conveying rollers arranged below the forming body in a state where appropriate tension is applied. Thereby, the thickness of the glass ribbon can be controlled.

[0005] In the above manufacturing method, in order to give appropriate tension to the glass ribbon, the viscosity of the molten glass supplied to the forming body needs to be relatively high. When the viscosity of the molten glass is low, appropriate tension cannot be given to the glass ribbon, and the thickness of the glass ribbon cannot be controlled due to the influence of gravity.

[0006] In order to prevent this, for example, a roller (forming roller) disposed below a forming body (isobaric tube) is used in a method for producing a glass sheet disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this method, a glass ribbon (glass flow) formed by the forming body is brought into contact with the roller and cooled, thereby increasing the viscosity of the glass ribbon (see paragraph 0120 of the document).

[0007] Prior art literature

[0008] Patent Literature

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-505322 Utility Model Content

[0010] Issues to be solved by utility models

[0011] As described above, in the conventional manufacturing method, the viscosity of the glass ribbon can be controlled by bringing the glass ribbon formed by the forming body into contact with the roller. In this case, in order to uniformly cool the glass ribbon over its entire width, it is necessary to uniformly cool the roller in contact with the glass ribbon over its length direction.

[0012] The technical subject of the present invention is to uniformly cool a roller for cooling a glass ribbon.

[0013] Solutions to Solve Problems

[0014] The utility model is a manufacturing device for glass articles for solving the above-mentioned problems, comprising: a forming body, which forms a glass ribbon from molten glass by a down-draw method; and a cooling roller, which contacts the glass ribbon over the entire width of the glass ribbon, characterized in that the glass ribbon has a first main surface and a second main surface located on the opposite side of the first main surface, and the manufacturing device for glass articles is configured to make only the second main surface contact the cooling roller, and the cooling roller comprises: an outer tube, whose outer surface contacts the glass ribbon; an inner tube, which is arranged inside the outer tube; a supply flow path for a refrigerant, which is formed by the inner surface of the inner tube; and a cooling flow path, through which the refrigerant supplied from the supply flow path flows, and the cooling flow path is formed between the inner surface of the outer tube and the outer surface of the inner tube.

[0015] According to this structure, the inner tube is arranged inside the outer tube, and the refrigerant is supplied from the supply flow path formed by the inner surface of the inner tube to the cooling flow path formed between the outer surface of the inner tube and the inner surface of the outer tube, so that the outer tube in contact with the glass ribbon can be evenly cooled throughout its entire length direction.

[0016] The outer surface of the inner tube may include a plurality of supply holes for ejecting the coolant flowing in the supply flow path toward the cooling flow path, and the plurality of supply holes may be formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the inner tube.

[0017] When the refrigerant is supplied to the cooling flow path from the front end of the inner tube, a temperature difference of the refrigerant is generated in the cooling flow path, and the outer tube cannot be properly cooled evenly. In contrast, in the present invention, a plurality of supply holes formed on the outer surface of the inner tube are formed at intervals in the length direction of the inner tube, thereby reducing the temperature difference of the refrigerant in the cooling flow path and cooling the outer tube more evenly.

[0018] The supply hole may be configured to eject the coolant upward from the outer surface of the inner tube, and may be configured to eject the coolant so as not to overlap with a contact region where the glass ribbon contacts the outer tube.

[0019] According to the knowledge of the inventors, when the cooling medium is sprayed in a manner overlapping the contact area of ​​the glass ribbon in the outer tube, the cooling of the glass ribbon may be uneven. As in the present invention, the cooling medium is sprayed upward in a manner avoiding the contact area of ​​the glass ribbon, so that the outer tube can be evenly cooled and the glass ribbon can be appropriately cooled.

[0020] Alternatively, the outer tube may be rotatable, and the inner tube having the supply hole may be non-rotatable. According to this configuration, the refrigerant can be always supplied from the supply hole of the inner tube in a constant direction, thereby stably cooling the outer tube.

[0021] It may also be that the inner tube includes: a first inner tube, which extends from one end of the outer tube to the interior of the outer tube; and a second inner tube, which extends from the other end of the outer tube to the interior of the outer tube, and the supply flow path includes: a first supply flow path formed by the inner surface of the first inner tube; and a second supply flow path formed by the inner surface of the second inner tube.

[0022] According to this structure, by dividing the supply flow path of the refrigerant into a first supply flow path formed by the first inner tube and a second supply flow path formed by the second inner tube, the temperature difference of the refrigerant supplied from each supply flow path to the cooling flow path can be minimized. Thus, even if the length dimension of the outer tube becomes larger, for example, even if the length dimension of the outer tube is more than 1000 mm, the outer tube can be cooled evenly.

[0023] Alternatively, the one end of the outer tube may include a first discharge passage for discharging the refrigerant supplied from the first supply passage to the cooling passage, and the other end of the outer tube may include a second discharge passage for discharging the refrigerant supplied from the second supply passage to the cooling passage.

[0024] According to this configuration, the refrigerant supplied from the first supply flow path to the cooling flow path is discharged from the first discharge flow path, and the refrigerant supplied from the second supply flow path to the cooling flow path is discharged from the second discharge flow path, so that the outer tube can be cooled more evenly even if the length dimension of the outer tube is increased.

[0025] Alternatively, the cooling roller may include a partition member that divides the middle portion of the cooling flow path. According to this structure, by dividing the cooling flow path using the partition member, it is possible to facilitate the discharge of the refrigerant supplied from the first supply flow path to the cooling flow path from the first discharge flow path and the discharge of the refrigerant supplied from the second supply flow path to the cooling flow path from the second discharge flow path. Therefore, even if the length dimension of the outer tube becomes larger, the outer tube can be cooled more evenly.

[0026] The partition member may be fixed to the inner tube, and a gap may be formed between the partition member and the inner surface of the outer tube. This can prevent a reduction in cooling effect due to contact between the partition member and the inner surface of the outer tube.

[0027] The utility model is a method for manufacturing glass articles for solving the above-mentioned problems, comprising: a forming step of forming a glass ribbon from molten glass by a down-drawing method; and a cooling step of bringing the glass ribbon into contact with a cooling roller, characterized in that the cooling roller comprises: an outer tube, the outer surface of which contacts the glass ribbon over the entire width; an inner tube, which is arranged inside the outer tube; a supply flow path for a refrigerant, which is formed by the inner surface of the inner tube; and a cooling flow path, through which the refrigerant supplied from the supply flow path flows, the cooling flow path being formed between the outer surface of the inner tube and the inner surface of the outer tube.

[0028] According to this structure, the inner tube is arranged inside the outer tube, and the refrigerant is supplied from the supply flow path formed by the inner surface of the inner tube to the cooling flow path formed between the outer surface of the inner tube and the inner surface of the outer tube, so that the outer surface of the outer tube can be evenly cooled throughout its length direction during the cooling process.

[0029] Utility Model Effect

[0030] According to the present invention, the roller for cooling the glass ribbon can be uniformly cooled. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 This is a front view showing the manufacturing apparatus of the glass article according to the first embodiment.

[0032] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line II-II.

[0033] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of a cooling device in a manufacturing device for glass articles.

[0034] Figure 4 It is a front view which shows the manufacturing apparatus of the glass article which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

[0035] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view taken along the VV axis.

[0036] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view showing a manufacturing apparatus of a glass article according to a third embodiment.

[0037] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view showing a manufacturing apparatus for a glass article according to a fourth embodiment.

[0038] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of a cooling device in a manufacturing device for a glass article according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 3 An embodiment of a manufacturing device and a manufacturing method of a glass article of the present invention is shown.

[0040] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the manufacturing apparatus 1 mainly includes a forming area 2 , a cooling area 3 provided below the forming area 2 , and an annealing area 4 provided below the cooling area 3 .

[0041] The forming area 2 is provided with a forming body 5 for forming a glass ribbon GR from molten glass GM. The forming body 5 is composed of refractory bricks such as dense zircon, alumina, and zirconia. The forming body 5 may also be provided with a coating of a noble metal (e.g., platinum or a platinum alloy). The coating of the noble metal can be formed, for example, by spraying. The coating of the noble metal may be formed on the entire surface of the forming body 5, or may be formed only on the portion in contact with the molten glass GM.

[0042] The molded body 5 is configured in an elongated shape and has an overflow channel 6 formed along the longitudinal direction thereof at the top. In addition, the molded body 5 includes a pair of side surfaces 7 and a guide portion 8 that guides (regulates) the end portions in the width direction of the molten glass GM downward.

[0043] Each side surface 7 includes a vertical surface 9 located on the upper side and an inclined surface 10 located on the lower side. Figure 2 As shown, a pair of vertical surface parts 9 of a pair of side surfaces 7 are formed along the vertical direction. A pair of inclined surface parts 10 are inclined so as to approach each other downward. The lower ends of the inclined surface parts 10 are connected to each other, thereby forming a lower end part 11 of the molded body 5.

[0044] In the forming body 5, the molten glass GM overflowing from the overflow trough 6 to both sides becomes a plate while flowing down along each side surface 7. The plate-shaped molten glass GM flowing down each side surface 7 is fused and integrated at the lower end portion 11 to continuously form a glass ribbon GR. The glass ribbon GR includes a first main surface GRa and a second main surface GRb located on the opposite side of the first main surface GRa.

[0045] In addition, if Figure 1 As shown, the glass ribbon GR includes end portions GRc in the width direction X and a central portion GRd in the width direction X. The end portions GRc of the glass ribbon GR are portions that are cut off from the central portion GRd and discarded in a later process. The central portion GRd of the glass ribbon GR is a portion that can be a product by removing the end portions GRc.

[0046] As glass, silicate glass is used, preferably borosilicate glass and soda-lime glass are used, and alkali-aluminosilicate glass, LAS glass and alkali-free glass are used more preferably. If alkali-aluminosilicate glass is used, chemical strengthening treatment is implemented in the back process, so as to be suitable for the cover plate of display. In addition, if LAS glass is used, crystallization treatment is implemented in the back process, so as to be suitable for heat-resistant crystallized glass. If alkali-free glass is used, it is suitable for the substrate of display. Here, so-called alkali-free glass refers to glass that does not contain alkali component (alkali metal oxide) in substance, and specifically is glass that the weight ratio of alkali component is less than 3000ppm. The weight ratio of alkali component is preferably less than 1000ppm, more preferably less than 500ppm, and most preferably less than 300ppm.

[0047] The thickness of the glass ribbon GR is set to, for example, 400 to 1200 μm. The width of the glass ribbon GR is set to, for example, 400 to 2000 mm.

[0048] The cooling zone 3 is provided with a cooling device 12 for cooling the glass ribbon GR formed by the forming body 5. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the cooling device 12 includes: a cooling roller 13, which is in contact with the glass ribbon GR over the entire width from one end GRc of the glass ribbon GR to the other end GRc; a driving mechanism 14, which drives the cooling roller 13 to rotate; and a guide roller 15, which clamps the glass ribbon GR together with the cooling roller 13.

[0049] The cooling roller 13 is disposed below the formed body 5. The distance D between the cooling roller 13 and the lower end portion 11 of the formed body 5 in the vertical direction is set to, for example, 50 to 150 mm. The cooling roller 13 is made of metal, for example, heat-resistant steel, and is cylindrical.

[0050] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the cooling roller 13 includes an outer tube 16 having a length dimension larger than a width dimension of the glass ribbon GR and an inner tube 17 disposed inside the outer tube 16. The length dimension of the outer tube 16 is, for example, 450 to 2300 mm, preferably 1000 to 2300 mm.

[0051] The outer tube 16 has an outer surface 16a and an inner surface 16b. The outer surface 16a of the outer tube 16 is a contact surface with the glass ribbon GR. Figure 1 as well as Figure 3 As shown, the outer tube 16 has a first shaft portion 18A at one end thereof and a second shaft portion 18B at the other end thereof. Each shaft portion 18A, 18B is hollow and has an outer surface 18a and an inner surface 18b. The interior of each shaft portion 18A, 18B communicates with the interior of the outer tube 16.

[0052] like Figure 2As shown, the glass ribbon GR is in contact with a part of the upper portion of the outer surface 16a of the outer tube 16. Hereinafter, the region where the glass ribbon GR is in contact with the outer surface 16a of the outer tube 16 is referred to as a "contact region" and is indicated by reference numeral CA. In addition, the region where the glass ribbon GR is not in contact with the upper portion of the outer surface 16a of the outer tube 16 is referred to as a "non-contact region" and is indicated by reference numeral NCA.

[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, the inner tube 17 includes: a first inner tube 17A, which extends from one end of the outer tube 16 (the first shaft portion 18A side) to the inside of the outer tube 16; a second inner tube 17B, which extends from the other end of the outer tube 16 (the second shaft portion 18B side) to the inside of the outer tube 16; and a partition member 19, which separates the first inner tube 17A from the second inner tube 17B.

[0054] A portion of each inner tube 17A, 17B is housed inside the outer tube 16, and another portion thereof extends outside the outer tube 16. Outside the outer tube 16, a midway portion of each inner tube 17A, 17B is supported by a support member 20 so as to be non-rotatable.

[0055] Each inner tube 17A, 17B has an outer surface 17a, an inner surface 17b, supply passages 21a, 21b of the refrigerant formed inside each inner tube 17A, 17B, and a plurality of supply holes 17c formed in the outer surface 17a. Examples of the refrigerant supplied to the inner tube 17 include air, water vapor, water, and the like.

[0056] The outer diameter of each inner tube 17A, 17B is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer tube 16. Thus, between the outer surface 17a of each inner tube 17A, 17B and the inner surface 16b of the outer tube 16, cooling flow paths 22a, 22b through which the refrigerant flows are formed.

[0057] In addition, the outer diameter of each inner tube 17A, 17B is smaller than the inner diameter of each shaft portion 18A, 18B of the outer tube 16. Thus, discharge flow paths 23a, 23b for discharging the refrigerant are formed between the outer surface 17a of the inner tube 17A, 17B and the inner surface 18b of each shaft portion 18A, 18B. A discharge port 23c for discharging the refrigerant passing through the discharge flow paths 23a, 23b to the outside of the outer tube 16 is formed at the end of each shaft portion 18A, 18B.

[0058] The supply flow paths 21a and 21b include: a first supply flow path 21a formed by the inner surface 17b of the first inner tube 17A; and a second supply flow path 21b formed by the inner surface 17b of the second inner tube 17B. The first supply flow path 21a extends from one end of the outer tube 16 to the inside of the outer tube 16, and the second supply flow path 21b extends from the other end of the outer tube 16 to the inside of the outer tube 16. The first supply flow path 21a and the second supply flow path 21b are separated by a partition member 19 and are not connected to each other.

[0059] The plurality of supply holes 17c formed in the first inner tube 17A and the second inner tube 17B are formed at intervals in the length direction of each inner tube 17A, 17B. Each supply hole 17c is a hole that penetrates from the inner surface 17b of each inner tube 17A, 17B to the outer surface 17a. Each supply hole 17c is formed in the upper part of each inner tube 17A, 17B in a manner that the refrigerant is ejected upward.

[0060] Each supply hole 17 c can eject the coolant toward the inner surface 16 b of the outer tube 16 so as not to overlap with the contact area CA where the glass ribbon GR contacts the outer tube 16 .

[0061] The partition member 19 is fixed to connect the end of the first inner tube 17A and the end of the second inner tube 17B. In other words, the end of the first inner tube 17A and the end of the second inner tube 17B support the partition member 19 so that the partition member 19 does not contact the inner surface 16b of the outer tube 16.

[0062] The partition member 19 is formed in a disk shape, but is not limited to this shape. The outer diameter of the partition member 19 is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer tube 16. Therefore, a gap S is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the partition member 19 and the inner surface 16b of the outer tube 16. The size of the gap S, that is, the distance between the inner surface 16b of the outer tube 16 and the outer peripheral surface of the partition member 19 is set to 5 to 20 mm, for example.

[0063] The partition member 19 is located at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the outer tube 16 inside the outer tube 16. Thus, the cooling channels 22a and 22b are divided by the partition member 19 into the first cooling channel 22a and the second cooling channel 22b.

[0064] The driving mechanism 14 includes: a bearing portion 24 that supports the shaft portions 18A and 18B of the outer tube 16 so as to be rotatable; a power transmission mechanism 25 that is provided on the first shaft portion 18A; and a motor 26 that drives the power transmission mechanism 25. The power transmission mechanism 25 is composed of a gear mechanism, for example, but is not limited to this structure. The power transmission mechanism 25 includes: a first gear 27a (driven gear) that is provided on the outer surface 18a of the first shaft portion 18A; and a second gear 27b (driving gear) that meshes with the first gear 27a. Not limited to this structure, an intermediate gear may be provided between the first gear 27a and the second gear 27b. The second gear 27b is driven to rotate by the motor 26.

[0065] The shaft of the motor 26 is connected to the second gear 27 b . The shaft of the motor 26 is disposed in parallel with the first shaft 18A at a position separated from the first shaft 18A of the outer tube 16 .

[0066] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the guide roller 15 includes a roller portion 28 and a shaft portion 29 supporting the roller portion 28. The roller portion 28 is made of, for example, metal (more specifically, heat-resistant steel). The outer peripheral surface (surface) of the roller portion 28 has a concave-convex shape and serves as a contact surface with the glass ribbon GR. The shaft portion 29 is driven to rotate by a drive source such as a motor. The guide roller 15 has a cooling mechanism inside.

[0067] like Figure 2 As shown, the vertical position (height) of the axis O2 of the guide roller 15 is the same as the vertical position (height) of the axis O1 of the cooling roller 13. That is, the axis O1 of the cooling roller 13 and the axis O2 of the guide roller 15 are located on the same horizontal line HL.

[0068] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the annealing area 4 is provided with multiple upper and lower conveying rollers 30 for conveying the glass ribbon GR downward. The conveying rollers 30 are arranged below the cooling rollers 13 and the guide rollers 15. The conveying rollers 30 of the upper and lower stages are composed of a pair of rollers that clamp the end GRc of the glass ribbon GR in the width direction X on the first main surface GRa side and the second main surface GRb side.

[0069] Each conveying roller 30 includes a roller portion 31 and a shaft portion 32. The roller portion 31 is made of, for example, ceramic. The roller portion 31 has a surface (contact surface) that contacts the end portion GRc of the glass ribbon GR in the width direction X. The shaft portion 32 is rotationally driven by a driving source such as a motor.

[0070] In addition to the above, the annealing zone 4 includes a heater (not shown) disposed along the conveying path of the glass ribbon GR. In the annealing zone 4, a predetermined temperature gradient is formed in the conveying path of the glass ribbon GR by the heater.

[0071] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a glass article using the manufacturing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration will be described.

[0072] This method mainly includes: a forming step of forming a glass ribbon GR from molten glass GM by an overflow down-draw method; a cooling step of bringing the glass ribbon GR into contact with a cooling roller 13 of a cooling device 12; and an annealing step of annealing the glass ribbon GR having passed through the cooling roller 13.

[0073] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, in the forming process, in the forming area 2, the molten glass GM overflows from the overflow groove 6 of the forming body 5 and flows downward through the two side surfaces 7 of the forming body 5 to form a plate. The plate-shaped molten glass GM is fused at the lower end 11 of the forming body 5 to form the glass ribbon GR. The forming body 5 restricts the end of the molten glass GM by the guide part 8, so that the glass ribbon GR of a constant width can be formed.

[0074] The temperature of the glass ribbon GR before it is separated from the lower end portion 11 of the forming body 5 and contacts the cooling roller 13 is, for example, 1000 to 1450° C. In addition, the viscosity of the glass ribbon GR in this case is 10 2.0 ~10 5.5 dPa·s. When the glass ribbon GR is composed of molten glass with low liquidus viscosity, the above viscosity is 10 2.0 ~10 4.5 When the glass ribbon GR is composed of a high-viscosity molten glass, the above-mentioned viscosity is, for example, 10 2.0 ~10 5.5 dPa·s, preferably 10 4.5 ~10 5.5 dPa·s.

[0075] The liquidus viscosity of molten glass GM is preferably 10 2 dPa·s or more and 10 4.5 Here, the "liquid phase viscosity" refers to the viscosity of the glass at the liquid phase temperature, and can be measured by the platinum ball pulling method. In addition, the viscosity of the molten glass GM at 1000°C can be set to 10 4.5 dPa·s or more, preferably 10 7.0 On the other hand, the upper limit of the viscosity of molten glass GM at 1000° C. is preferably 10 dPa·s or more from the viewpoint of preventing the occurrence of cracks. 7.6 dPa·s or less.

[0076] In the cooling step, the second main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR separated from the lower end portion 11 of the forming body 5 is brought into contact with the outer surface 16a of the outer tube 16 in the cooling roller 13 of the cooling zone 3. As a result, the temperature of the second main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR is, for example, 650 to 1000° C. In this case, the temperature of the second main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR is lower than the temperature of the first main surface GRa due to the contact with the cooling roller 12, and the temperature difference is, for example, 150 to 450° C. In addition, the viscosity of the second main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR is, for example, 10 7.0 ~10 9.9 dPa·s, preferably 10 7.6 ~10 9.9 dPa·s.

[0077] In the cooling process, the guide roller 15 contacts the end GRc of the glass ribbon GR from the first main surface GRa side. As a result, the end GRc of the glass ribbon GR is clamped by a portion of the outer surface 16a of the outer tube 16 in the cooling roller 13 and the guide roller 15. The cooling roller 13 and the guide roller 15 guide the glass ribbon GR vertically downward while rotating.

[0078] In the cooling process, the cooling device 12 rotates the outer tube 16 at a predetermined rotation speed (at Figure 2 The cooling device 12 supplies the cooling medium to the cooling flow paths 22a and 22b through the supply flow paths 21a and 21b of the inner tubes 17A and 17B and the supply holes 17c.

[0079] The supply holes 17c of the inner tubes 17A and 17B allow the refrigerant supplied through the supply passages 21a and 21b to flow as in Figure 2 At this time, the refrigerant is injected so as not to overlap with the contact area CA, that is, so as to be injected toward the non-contact area NCA.

[0080] The coolant supplied from the supply hole 17c to the cooling flow paths 22a and 22b flows through the cooling flow paths 22a and 22b, passes through the respective discharge flow paths 23a and 23b, and is discharged to the outside of the outer tube 16 from the discharge port 23c.

[0081] In the subsequent annealing process, the glass ribbon GR is conveyed by the conveying rollers 30 to pass through the annealing area 4 (conveying process). In the conveying process, the glass ribbon GR sent vertically downward from the cooling rollers 13 is conveyed vertically downward by the conveying rollers 30. This is not limited to this, and by changing the horizontal position of the conveying rollers 30, the glass ribbon GR can also be conveyed obliquely with respect to the vertical direction.

[0082] After that, various processes such as a cutting process can be performed. For example, in the cutting process, a rectangular glass plate is obtained by cutting the middle portion of the glass ribbon GR along the width direction X. After that, for example, after a portion corresponding to the end GRc of the glass ribbon GR is cut from the glass plate, the glass plate surface is inspected for quality (inspection process), the end of the glass plate is ground and polished (grinding and polishing process), and the surface of the glass plate is cleaned (cleaning process), thereby manufacturing a glass plate as a glass article.

[0083] In addition to the above-mentioned steps, the present method may include a winding step of winding the glass ribbon GR consisting of only the central portion GRd with the end portions GRc cut off in a roll shape. In this way, a glass roll as a glass article is manufactured.

[0084] According to the manufacturing device 1 and manufacturing method of the glass article of the present embodiment described above, by arranging the inner tube 17 in the cooling roller 13 of the cooling device 12 inside the outer tube 16, and supplying refrigerant from the supply flow paths 21a, 21b formed by the inner surface 17b of the inner tube 17 to the cooling flow paths 22a, 22b formed between the outer surface 17a of the inner tube 17 and the inner surface 16b of the outer tube 16, the outer tube 16 can be evenly cooled throughout its entire length direction.

[0085] Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 The second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The cooling zone 3 of the manufacturing device 1 of this embodiment includes an edge roller 33 located below the cooling roller 13. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the edge rollers 33 are paired on the left and right sides so as to hold a pair of edge portions included in the end portion GRc in the width direction X of the glass ribbon GR. Figure 5 As shown, each edge roller 33 includes two rollers that clamp the glass ribbon GR.

[0086] Each edge roller 33 includes a roller portion 34 and a shaft portion 35. The roller portion 34 is made of a heat-resistant member such as ceramic or metal. The shaft portion 35 is driven to rotate by a drive source such as a motor. Each edge roller 33 has a cooling mechanism inside thereof, similarly to the guide roller 15 of the first embodiment. The edge roller 33 is configured to be movable along its axial direction.

[0087] The edge rolls 33 hold (cool) the edge of the glass ribbon GR that has passed through the cooling rolls 13 in the cooling step, and form the glass ribbon GR to a constant width while suppressing shrinkage in the width direction X of the glass ribbon GR.

[0088] The other structures in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. The components in this embodiment that are common to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0089] Figure 6 The third embodiment of the utility model is shown. In this embodiment, the structure of the forming body 5 and the forming process is different from that of the first embodiment. The forming body 5 includes: a side surface 7 that guides the molten glass GM flowing out of the overflow trough 6 downward; and a guide portion 8 that guides (limits) the end portion of the width direction of the molten glass GM downward.

[0090] The side surface 7 of the molded body 5 is composed only of the vertical surface 9 extending in the vertical direction, but the shape of the side surface 7 is not limited to this embodiment. The side surface 7 may be a surface inclined relative to the vertical direction or a surface obtained by combining the vertical surface 9 and the inclined surface.

[0091] In this embodiment, in the forming step, instead of fusing the molten glass GM at the lower end 11 of the forming body 5 using a pair of side surfaces 7 as in the first embodiment, the glass ribbon GR can be formed from the molten glass GM using only one side surface 7. The glass ribbon GR has a first main surface GRa and a second main surface GRb formed by the molten glass GM contacting the side surface 7. In the cooling step, the cooling roller 13 of the cooling device 12 contacts the second main surface GRb of the glass ribbon GR.

[0092] The other structures in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. The components in this embodiment that are common to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0093] Figure 7 The fourth embodiment of the utility model is shown. The forming body 5 of the manufacturing device 1 of this embodiment has two side surfaces 7, but each side surface 7 is composed of only a vertical surface 9. The lower ends 11 of the two vertical surface surfaces 9 are not connected, and each side surface 7 can independently form a glass ribbon GR1, GR2. That is, in the manufacturing method of the glass article of this embodiment, in the forming process, the plate-shaped molten glass GM flowing on one side surface 7 and the plate-shaped molten glass GM flowing on the other side surface 7 are not fused at the lower ends 11 of the forming body 5.

[0094] Hereinafter, the glass ribbon formed by one side surface 7 of the two side surfaces 7 is referred to as a first glass ribbon GR1 , and the glass ribbon formed by the other side surface 7 is referred to as a second glass ribbon GR2 .

[0095] The cooling area 3 of the manufacturing device 1 includes a first cooling device 12a for cooling the first glass ribbon GR1 and a second cooling device 12b for cooling the second glass ribbon GR2. The first cooling device 12a includes a first cooling roller 13a and a first guide roller 15a in contact with the first glass ribbon GR1, and a first driving device (omitted from the figure). The second cooling device 12b includes a second cooling roller 13b and a second guide roller 15b in contact with the second glass ribbon GR2, and a second driving device (omitted from the figure). Each cooling device 12a, 12b has the same structure as the cooling device 12 of the first embodiment.

[0096] The annealing area 4 of the manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a first conveying roller 30a for conveying the first glass ribbon GR1 and a second conveying roller 30b for conveying the second glass ribbon GR2. Each of the conveying rollers 30a and 30b has the same structure as the conveying roller 30 of the first embodiment.

[0097] In the manufacturing method of the glass article of this embodiment, in a forming process, molten glass GM overflowing from the overflow channel 6 is made to flow down along both side surfaces 7, and two glass ribbons GR1 and GR2 are formed at the same time.

[0098] In the subsequent cooling process, the cooling of the first glass ribbon GR1 and the second glass ribbon GR2 by the cooling rollers 13a, 13b and the guide rollers 15a, 15b in the cooling devices 12a, 12b proceeds simultaneously. Similarly, in the annealing process (conveying process), the conveying of the glass ribbons GR1 and GR2 by the conveying rollers 30a, 30b proceeds simultaneously.

[0099] The other structures in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. The components in this embodiment that are common to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0100] Figure 8 The fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the structure of the cooling roller in the cooling device of the manufacturing device is different from that in the above-mentioned embodiment. In the cooling roller 13 of the above-mentioned embodiment, the inner tube 17 is divided by the partition member 19, but the inner tube 17 of this embodiment does not have the partition member 19. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cooling flow path 22 is not divided by the partition member 19.

[0101] The inner tube 17 in this embodiment is a tube extending from one end (first shaft portion 18A side) to the other end (second shaft portion 18B side) of the outer tube 16. The supply flow path 21 formed inside the inner tube 17 allows the refrigerant to flow from one end (first shaft portion 18A) side and the other end (second shaft portion 18B) side of the outer tube 16 toward the middle portion in the length direction.

[0102] The other structures in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. The components in this embodiment that are common to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0103] 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.

[0104] In the cooling roller 13 illustrated in the above-mentioned embodiment, the supply flow path 21 formed inside the inner tube 17 allows the refrigerant to flow from one end (first shaft portion 18A) side and the other end (second shaft portion 18B) side of the outer tube 16 toward the middle portion in the length direction, but the refrigerant can also flow from one end (first shaft portion 18A) side toward the other end (second shaft portion 18B) side, and the refrigerant can also flow from the other end (second shaft portion 18B) side toward one end (first shaft portion 18A) side.

[0105] In the cooling roller 13 illustrated in the above embodiment, the discharge passages 23a and 23b for discharging the coolant flowing through the cooling passage 22 are provided at both ends of the outer tube 16 . However, the discharge passage may be provided only at one end of the outer tube 16 .

[0106] In the above-mentioned embodiment, although the glass ribbon GR is formed from molten glass GM by the overflow down-draw method, the glass ribbon GR may be formed from molten glass GM by the slot down-draw method.

[0107] Description of Reference Numerals

[0108] 1. Glass article manufacturing device

[0109] 5 formed body

[0110] 13 Cooling roller

[0111] 13a First cooling roller

[0112] 13b Second cooling roller

[0113] 16 outer tube

[0114] 16a The outer surface of the outer tube

[0115] 16b Inner surface of outer tube

[0116] 17 Inner tube

[0117] 17A first inner tube

[0118] 17B Second inner tube

[0119] 17a The outer surface of the inner tube

[0120] 17b Inner surface of inner tube

[0121] 17c Supply hole

[0122] 19Separator

[0123] 21 Supply flow path

[0124] 21a First supply flow path

[0125] 21b Second supply flow path

[0126] 22 cooling flow path

[0127] 22a first cooling flow path

[0128] 22b second cooling flow path

[0129] 23a first discharge flow path

[0130] 23b Second discharge flow path

[0131] CA contact area

[0132] GM Molten Glass

[0133] GR glass belt

[0134] GR1 First Glass Ribbon

[0135] GR2 Second Glass Ribbon

[0136] S is the gap between the partition member and the inner surface of the outer tube.

Claims

1. A device for manufacturing a glass article, comprising: a forming body for forming a glass ribbon from molten glass by a down-draw method; and a cooling roller for contacting the glass ribbon over the entire width thereof, It is characterized in that The glass ribbon has a first main surface and a second main surface located on the opposite side of the first main surface. The manufacturing device of the glass article is configured so that only the second main surface is in contact with the cooling roller. The cooling roller comprises: an outer tube whose outer surface contacts the glass ribbon; an inner tube disposed inside the outer tube; a supply flow path of a refrigerant formed by the inner surface of the inner tube; and a cooling flow path through which the refrigerant supplied from the supply flow path flows. The cooling flow path is formed between the inner surface of the outer tube and the outer surface of the inner tube.

2. The manufacturing device for glass articles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer surface of the inner tube has a plurality of supply holes for ejecting the refrigerant flowing in the supply flow path to the cooling flow path. The plurality of supply holes are formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the inner tube.

3. The manufacturing device for glass articles according to claim 2, characterized in that: The supply hole is configured to eject the coolant upward from the outer surface of the inner tube, and is configured to eject the coolant so as not to overlap with a contact region where the glass ribbon contacts the outer tube.

4. The manufacturing device for glass articles according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The outer tube is configured to be rotatable. The inner tube having the supply hole is configured to be non-rotatable.

5. The manufacturing device for glass articles according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The inner tube includes: a first inner tube extending from one end of the outer tube to the inside of the outer tube; and a second inner tube extending from the other end of the outer tube to the inside of the outer tube. The supply flow path includes: a first supply flow path formed by an inner surface of the first inner tube; and a second supply flow path formed by an inner surface of the second inner tube.

6. The manufacturing device for glass articles according to claim 5, characterized in that: The one end portion of the outer tube includes a first discharge flow path for discharging the refrigerant supplied from the first supply flow path to the cooling flow path. The other end portion of the outer tube includes a second discharge flow path for discharging the refrigerant supplied from the second supply flow path to the cooling flow path.

7. The manufacturing device for glass articles according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cooling roller includes a partition member that divides a middle portion of the cooling flow path.

8. The manufacturing device for glass articles according to claim 7, characterized in that: The partition member is fixed to the inner tube, A gap is formed between the partition member and the inner surface of the outer tube.

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