Method for inspecting glass plate, inspection device, and method for manufacturing glass plate

Abstract

To desirably inspect a large glass plate.SOLUTION: The method for inspecting a glass plate includes: a supporting step S62 for supporting a glass plate G by a supporting device 6 having a plurality of supporting members 6a; and a measurement step S63 for measuring deflections of the glass plate G supported by the supporting device 6. The supporting device 6 has a plurality of supporting units for supporting the glass plate G.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for inspecting a glass sheet, and a method for manufacturing a glass sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, lightweight, flexible, thin glass substrates have been used in displays such as liquid crystal displays and organic electroluminescence displays. After various films are uniformly applied to the surface of the glass substrate used in the display, thin film transistors (TFTs) are formed using photoprocessing techniques (exposure process, development process, etc.).

[0003] In order to form thin film transistors with high accuracy, high dimensional accuracy is required for the glass substrate, and therefore, in the process of manufacturing the glass plate, a step of inspecting the shape of the manufactured glass plate is carried out.

[0004] As an example of an apparatus used in such an inspection process, Patent Document 1 discloses a warpage measuring apparatus for measuring the warpage of a glass plate. This warpage measuring apparatus includes four point-like support members arranged line-symmetrically in a horizontal plane, and a displacement meter for measuring the distance to the surface of a plate-like member, which is the measurement target, supported by the four point-like support members (see claim 1 in the same document). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-77743 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In recent years, in order to correspond to the trend of larger displays, the glass plates used in displays are also becoming larger. Under such circumstances, an inspection device is required that can suitably measure large glass plates.

[0007] However, in the conventional warpage measuring device, the glass plate was supported by only four point-like support members, so it was difficult to appropriately support a large glass plate. Therefore, before the inspection, the glass plate had to be cut to a size that could be supported by the support members, and the inspection process could not be performed efficiently.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its technical object to suitably inspect the shape of a large glass plate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] (1) The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a method for inspecting a glass plate, comprising: a supporting step of supporting a glass plate with a supporting device having a plurality of supporting members; and a measuring step of measuring the deflection of the glass plate supported by the supporting device, wherein the supporting device has a plurality of supporting units, each of the supporting units being composed of a plurality of the supporting members, and the measuring step measures a plurality of deflections of the glass plate formed by the plurality of the supporting units.

[0010] According to this configuration, the support device includes a plurality of support units each composed of a plurality of support members. Each of the support units suitably supports the glass sheet with a deflection formed in a portion located between the support members. In addition, in the measurement step, the plurality of deflections formed by each of the support units are measured. This eliminates the need to cut a large glass sheet for inspection, and enables efficient inspection of the glass sheet.

[0011] (2) In the glass plate inspection method described in (1) above, the support members may be rod-shaped or block-shaped members extending in a vertical direction, and the support unit may be composed of two or more of the support members that support the glass plate and are arranged in a rectangular shape in a plan view. This makes it possible to reduce the contact area of ​​the support members with the glass plate and to support the glass plate in a stable position.

[0012] (3) In the glass sheet inspection method described in (2) above, the support members may be columnar members extending in a horizontal direction, and the support unit may be composed of two adjacent support members among the support members supporting the glass sheet. This makes it possible to reduce the contact area of ​​the support members with the glass sheet and to support the glass sheet in a stable position.

[0013] (4) In the glass sheet inspection method according to any one of (1) to (3) above, in the measuring step, a shape of the entire surface of the glass sheet may be measured, and the deflection of the glass sheet may be calculated. This makes it possible to identify points on the glass sheet where the deflection is large.

[0014] (5) In a method for inspecting a glass plate described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the method may further include a preparation step of placing the glass plate on a support surface arranged between a plurality of the support members, the support members being movable between a support position where an upper end of the support member is above the support surface and a standby position where the upper end of the support member is below the support surface, and the support step may include moving the support members from the standby position to the support position to support the glass plate placed on the support surface.

[0015] According to this configuration, by disposing the support member at the standby position, it is possible to prevent the support member from coming into contact with the glass plate when the glass plate is placed on the placement surface in the preparation step.

[0016] (6) In the method for inspecting a glass plate according to any one of (1) to (5) above, the glass plate may have a side length of 1000 mm or more and 3500 mm or less.

[0017] (7) A method for producing a glass plate according to the present invention is characterized in that an inspection step is carried out using the inspection method according to any one of (1) to (6) above. According to this configuration, a large glass plate can be suitably supported by a plurality of supporting units, thereby improving inspection efficiency.

[0018] (8) The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a glass plate inspection device comprising a support device having a plurality of support members and a measurement unit that measures the deflection of a glass plate supported by the support device, characterized in that the support device has a plurality of support units for supporting the glass plate.

[0019] According to this configuration, the supporting device can suitably support a large glass sheet by the multiple supporting units, which eliminates the need to cut the large glass sheet for inspection, and enables efficient inspection of the glass sheet. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, the shape of a large glass plate can be suitably inspected. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the placement portion taken along the line of arrows III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 11A and 11B are side views showing the operation of a positioning unit of the inspection apparatus. [Figure 6] 11 is a front view showing the operation of a positioning unit of the inspection apparatus. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a glass plate. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart showing an inspection process. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 16 show a first embodiment of a glass sheet inspection device and a glass sheet manufacturing method using this inspection device according to the present invention.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inspection device 1 includes a mounting section 2 for mounting a glass plate G, a measurement section 3 for measuring the shape of the glass plate G mounted on the mounting section 2, and a control section 4 for controlling the mounting section 2 and the measurement section 3.

[0024] The glass plate G to be inspected is, for example, a rectangular glass original plate (mother glass plate) or product glass plate from which one or more product glass plates are taken. The thickness of the glass original plate and the product glass plate is, for example, 0.05 mm to 1.2 mm. The size of the glass original plate is, for example, 1000 mm×1000 mm to 3500 mm×3500 mm. The lower limit of the size of the glass original plate is more preferably 1200 mm×1200 mm or more, and further preferably 1300 mm×1300 mm or more. The upper limit of the size of the glass original plate is more preferably 3000 mm×3000 mm or less, and further preferably 2800 mm×2800 mm or less. The size of the product glass plate is, for example, 700 mm×700 mm to 3500 mm×3500 mm. The product glass plate is used, for example, as a substrate or cover glass of a display. The substrate or cover glass of a display is not limited to a flat panel, and may be used for a curved panel or a foldable panel.

[0025] Hereinafter, one surface of the glass plate G is referred to as a first main surface Ga, and the other surface is referred to as a second main surface Gb. In addition, the sides of the glass plate G are referred to as a first side GS1, a second side GS2, a third side GS3, and a fourth side GS4.

[0026] The placement unit 2 includes a plurality of base plates 5, a plurality of support devices 6 provided between the base plates 5, positioning units 7a and 7b for positioning the glass sheet G, and a guide member 8 for guiding the glass sheet G to the base plates 5.

[0027] The surface plate 5 is an elongated member, and is disposed so that its longitudinal direction Y is aligned with the carry-in direction A1 and the carry-out direction A2 of the glass sheet G. The surface plate 5 is made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy. An upper surface 5a of the surface plate 5 functions as a placement surface on which the glass sheet G is placed. The upper surface 5a of the surface plate 5 has a plurality of ejection holes 5b for ejecting (discharging) a fluid (e.g., a gas).

[0028] The multiple base plates 5 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction X perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Y. Due to this arrangement, a groove 9 is formed between two adjacent base plates 5. The mounting part 2 is configured by alternately arranging the base plates 5 and the grooves 9. In other words, the mounting part 2 is configured by alternately providing convex portions formed by the base plates 5 and concave portions formed by the grooves 9.

[0029] The width W of the surface plate 5 (width of the upper surface 5a) is preferably 50 mm or more and 200 mm or less. The interval D of the surface plate 5 in the width direction X, that is, the width of the groove portion 9, is preferably 50 mm or more and 200 mm or less.

[0030] The upper surfaces 5a of the multiple bases 5 arranged at regular intervals form a rectangular mounting surface for mounting a glass plate G. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the mounting surface has a first corner 10a, a second corner 10b, a third corner 10c, and a fourth corner 10d.

[0031] 3, the mounting surface is configured as an inclined surface that gradually slopes downward in the diagonal direction, i.e., from the third corner 10c to the first corner 10a. The angle θ that the mounting surface makes with the horizontal direction (horizon H) is preferably 0.1° or more and 5° or less.

[0032] The support devices 6 are disposed between adjacent base plates 5 in the width direction X. In other words, the support devices 6 are provided within the range of the groove portions 9 in the mounting portion 2. The multiple support devices 6 are disposed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction Y of the base plates 5.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4, the supporting device 6 includes a supporting member 6a that supports the glass plate G, and a lifting device 6b that moves the supporting member 6a in the vertical direction.

[0034] The support member 6a is configured in a rod or block shape extending in the up-down direction (vertical direction). An upper end 6a1 of the support member 6a functions as a support part that supports the second main surface Gb, which is the lower surface of the glass sheet G. In this embodiment, the upper end 6a1 of the support member 6a is configured with a curved surface (e.g., a hemispherical surface) so as to be in point contact with the second main surface Gb of the glass sheet G, but may be a flat surface or a concave surface.

[0035] The support members 6a are disposed between the base plates 5 arranged at intervals in the width direction X. In other words, the upper surface 5a (mounting surface) of the base plate 5 is disposed between the support members 6a arranged at intervals in the width direction X. The pitch of the support members 6a is preferably 100 mm or more and 800 mm or less. The upper limit of the pitch of the support members 6a is more preferably 700 mm or less, and further preferably 600 mm or less. The lower limit of the pitch of the support members 6a is more preferably 200 mm or more, and further preferably 300 mm or more.

[0036] 4, the lifting device 6b can move the support member 6a between a standby position indicated by a solid line and a support position indicated by a two-dot chain line. At the standby position, the upper end 6a1 of the support member 6a is positioned below the upper surface 5a of the base plate 5. At the support position, the upper end 6a1 of the support member 6a is positioned above the upper surface 5a of the base plate 5.

[0037] In this embodiment, the lifting device 6b is provided for each support member 6a so as to operate the support member 6a individually, but it may be possible to operate all the support members 6a collectively.

[0038] The positioning portions 7a, 7b include a first positioning portion 7a and a second positioning portion 7b. The first positioning portion 7a contacts a first side GS1 of the glass sheet G placed on the placement portion 2, thereby positioning the first side GS1. The second positioning portion 7b contacts a second side GS2 of the glass sheet G placed on the placement portion 2, thereby positioning the second side GS2.

[0039] Each of the positioning units 7a, 7b is configured to be movable in the vertical and horizontal directions. As shown in Fig. 5, the first positioning unit 7a is configured to be movable vertically between a standby position (position indicated by a solid line) located below the upper surface 5a of the base plate 5 and a retreat position (position indicated by a dashed line) located above the standby position and horizontally separated from the first side GS1 of the glass sheet G. Furthermore, the first positioning unit 7a is configured to be movable horizontally between this retreat position and a positioning position (position indicated by a dashed line) where it comes into contact with the first side GS1 of the glass sheet G.

[0040] 6, the second positioning unit 7b is configured to be movable up and down between a standby position (position indicated by a solid line) located below the upper surface 5a of the base plate 5 and a retracted position (position indicated by a dashed line) above the standby position and horizontally separated from the second side GS2 of the glass sheet G. Furthermore, the second positioning unit 7b is configured to be movable horizontally between this retracted position and a positioning position (position indicated by a dashed line) where it comes into contact with the second side GS2 of the glass sheet G.

[0041] The guide member 8 is provided at a position away from an end of the base plate 5 in the longitudinal direction Y. In this embodiment, the guide member 8 is formed of, for example, a guide roller that contacts the second main surface Gb, which is the lower surface of the glass sheet G. The configuration of the guide member 8 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the measurement unit 3 includes a sensor unit 11 and drive units 12a and 12b that move the sensor unit 11.

[0043] The sensor unit 11 is configured by, for example, a laser displacement meter, but the configuration of the sensor unit 11 is not limited to this embodiment. The sensor unit 11 is preferably configured by a non-contact type displacement meter such as a laser displacement meter or an ultrasonic displacement meter.

[0044] The driving units 12a, 12b include a first driving unit 12a that supports the sensor unit 11, and a second driving unit 12b that supports the first driving unit 12a. The first driving unit 12a has an elongated first support unit 13 that extends along the width direction X, and a second support unit 14 that supports an end of the first support unit 13. The first support unit 13 is configured to reciprocate the sensor unit 11 along the width direction X. The second support unit 14 is an elongated member (leg) that extends in the up-down direction.

[0045] The second driving unit 12b is configured as a pair of support bases that movably support the second support unit 14 of the first driving unit 12a. The second driving unit 12b is configured as an elongated member extending along the carry-in / carry-out directions A1, A2 of the glass sheet G. The second driving unit 12b is disposed outside the placement unit 2 in the width direction X so as to be parallel to the base plate 5.

[0046] The second driving unit 12b includes a guide rail 15 for guiding the second support unit 14 of the first driving unit 12a. With this configuration, the second driving unit 12b can reciprocate the first driving unit 12a along the longitudinal direction Y of the base 5 or the load-in / load-out directions A1, A2.

[0047] The control unit 4 is composed of a computer that controls the mounting unit 2 and the measurement unit 3 and performs various calculation processes. The control unit 4 controls the fluid ejection operation from the ejection holes 5b of the base 5 of the mounting unit 2, the operation of the support device 6 and positioning units 7a, 7b of the mounting unit 2, and the operation of the sensor unit 11 and drive units 12a, 12b of the measurement unit 3, and performs calculation processes related to the data measured by the measurement unit 3.

[0048] Hereinafter, a method for inspecting a glass sheet G using the inspection device 1 having the above configuration and a method for manufacturing a glass sheet G will be described.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 7, the method for producing a glass sheet G includes a forming step S1, an annealing step S2, a cooling step S3, a first cutting step S4, a second cutting step S5, and an inspection step S6.

[0050] In the forming step S1, a glass ribbon is continuously formed from molten glass by a forming device. The forming device includes a forming body capable of performing an overflow downdraw method. The forming body causes molten glass to overflow from an overflow groove formed in the upper portion thereof and flow down along both sidewall surfaces of the forming body. Furthermore, the forming body fuses the flowed molten glass at the lower end portions of each sidewall surface. This forms a glass ribbon having a predetermined width. Note that the forming step S1 may be one that performs other downdraw methods such as a slot downdraw method.

[0051] The annealing step S2 is performed in an annealing furnace arranged below the forming device. In the annealing step S2, the glass ribbon is conveyed downward by a pair of rollers arranged in the annealing furnace. A predetermined temperature gradient is set in the annealing furnace, and the glass ribbon is annealed by passing through the annealing furnace. In the cooling step S3 after the annealing step S2, the glass ribbon is cooled to about room temperature while passing through a cooling zone arranged below the annealing furnace.

[0052] In the first cutting step S4, a first cutting device arranged below the cooling zone cuts the middle portion of the glass ribbon along the width direction to cut out a glass sheet G of a predetermined size. That is, in the first cutting step S4, a scribe line along the width direction is formed by a scribing device in the middle portion of the glass ribbon moving downward (scribing step), and a portion of the glass ribbon is bent and split along the scribe line to form a sheet-like glass sheet G (bending and splitting step).

[0053] The second cutting step S5 is a step of removing an end (unnecessary portion) in the width direction of the glass sheet G cut out in the first cutting step S4. In the second cutting step S5, similar to the first cutting step S4, a scribe line is formed in a part of the glass sheet G (scribing step), and then the end of the glass sheet G is bent and broken by a breaking device (breaking step).

[0054] In the inspection step S6, the shape of the glass sheet G is measured by the inspection device 1, and the quality of the glass sheet G is judged by the control unit 4 based on the measured value.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 8, the inspection process S6 includes a preparation process S61, a supporting process S62, a measurement process S63, and an evaluation process S64.

[0056] In the preparation step S61, a sample glass plate G to be inspected is selected at a predetermined timing from among the glass plates G formed through the second cutting step S5. The sample glass plate G may be selected, for example, every predetermined time or every predetermined number of plates. The predetermined time and the predetermined number of plates are appropriately selected depending on the manufacturing conditions and inspection results of the glass plate G. Thereafter, the sample glass plate G is carried into the mounting section 2 of the inspection device 1 (carrying-in step).

[0057] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in the carrying-in step, the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G is the upper surface, and the second main surface Gb is the lower surface. The sample glass plate G is sent to the base plate 5 along the carrying-in direction A1 with the second main surface Gb in contact with the guide member 8. At this time, the guide member 8 guides the second main surface Gb of the sample glass plate G along the carrying-in direction A1 while rotating. In addition, in the carrying-in step, gas is ejected from the ejection hole 5b under the control of the control unit 4. This avoids contact between the sample glass plate G and the base plate 5, and prevents damage to the sample glass plate G in the carrying-in step. While the sample glass plate G is carried into the mounting unit 2, the positioning units 7a and 7b are in the standby position and do not come into contact with the sample glass plate G.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the sample glass plate G is carried into the mounting unit 2, the positioning units 7a and 7b move from the standby position to the retreat position, and then move from the retreat position to the contact position (positioning step).

[0059] Thereafter, the platen 5 stops ejecting the gas. As a result, the sample glass plate G comes into contact with the upper surface 5a of the platen 5. At this time, the upper surface 5a of the platen 5 guides the sample glass plate G along its inclination direction, that is, along the direction from the third corner 10c to the first corner 10a of the mounting surface.

[0060] As a result, the first side GS1 of the sample glass plate G contacts the first positioning portion 7a at the contact position. Also, the second side GS2 of the sample glass plate G contacts the second positioning portion 7b at the contact position. As a result, the sample glass plate G is positioned at the reference measurement position where it can be measured by the measurement unit 3.

[0061] The supporting step S62 is a step of supporting the sample glass plate G placed on the mounting surface (upper surface 5a of the base plate 5) of the mounting unit 2 by the supporting device 6. As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 9, the lifting device 6b of the supporting device 6 moves the supporting member 6a from the standby position to the supporting position. The supporting member 6a brings the upper end portion 6a1 into contact with the second main surface Gb of the sample glass plate G supported by the base plate 5 during the movement from the standby position to the supporting position.

[0062] The support member 6a moves from the standby position to the support position to lift up a part of the sample glass plate G. When the support member 6a is in the support position, the upper end portion 6a1 of the support member 6a supports the sample glass plate G above the upper surface 5a of the base plate 5. The sample glass plate G supported by the support member 6a is separated from the upper surface 5a of the base plate 5.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 10, the supporting device 6 supports the sample glass plate G by a plurality of supporting units 6c. The supporting units 6c are composed of a plurality of supporting members 6a. In this embodiment, the supporting units 6c are composed of four supporting members 6a arranged in a rectangular shape in a plan view. However, the supporting units 6c may be composed of at least two supporting members 6a. By providing the supporting device 6 with a plurality of supporting units 6c, the sample glass plate G can be stably supported.

[0064] The control unit 4 controls the supporting devices 6 to operate only the supporting devices 6 located at positions overlapping the sample glass plate G, thereby allowing the sample glass plate G to be supported by the supporting members 6a.

[0065] In the measurement step S63, the deflection difference of the sample glass plate G supported by the supporting units 6c is measured by the measuring section 3. The supporting device 6 includes a plurality of supporting units 6c, and measures the deflection difference formed by each of the plurality of supporting units 6c.

[0066] In the measurement step S63, it is possible to measure the shape of the entire first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G, or to measure the shape of a part of the first main surface Ga. Here, measuring the shape of the entire first main surface Ga means supporting the sample glass plate G with the maximum number of supporting members 6a capable of contacting the sample glass plate G, and measuring the entire range of the sample glass plate G supported by the supporting members 6a with the measuring unit 3.

[0067] As shown in Figure 9, the sensor unit 11 moves along the width direction X, irradiates laser light L onto the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G, and receives the laser light L reflected from the first main surface Ga, thereby measuring the distance from the sensor unit 11 to the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G.

[0068] The sensor unit 11 measures the distance to the sample glass plate G at a predetermined pitch while moving in the region between two adjacent support members 6a in the width direction X. In this case, the predetermined pitch is, for example, 10 mm or more and 200 mm or less. In this way, the sensor unit 11 obtains measurement data at a plurality of positions between the two support members 6a. Among these measurement data, the data having the largest value can be used as the deflection between the two support members 6a.

[0069] Without being limited thereto, the sensor unit 11 can measure the distance to the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G at the intermediate position between two adjacent support members 6a in the width direction X, and the measurement data at this intermediate position can be used as the deflection. Furthermore, measurements may be performed at multiple points near the intermediate positions between two adjacent support members 6a in the width direction X.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 10, the sensor unit 11 measures the deflection at each measurement point while moving in the width direction X so as to pass directly above the support member 6a along the path indicated by the arrow B1. After completing the measurement for one row of measurement points along the width direction X, the sensor unit 11 moves along the longitudinal direction Y of the base plate 5 and measures the next row along the width direction X. By repeating the above procedure, the deflection is measured for all measurement points on the sample glass plate G. In this way, the deflection is measured for each region between two adjacent support members 6a in the width direction X. The sensor unit 11 transmits the measured data to the control unit 4.

[0071] Thereafter, the sample glass plate G is carried out from the mounting unit 2 and turned upside down. Thereafter, the preparation step S61 is performed again, and the sample glass plate G is placed on the mounting surface of the mounting unit 2 with the second principal surface Gb as the upper surface and the first principal surface Ga as the lower surface.

[0072] Thereafter, a supporting step S62 and a measuring step S63 are performed on the sample glass plate G. The sensor unit 11 transmits the measured data to the control unit 4.

[0073] 11 and 12 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for calculating the deflection difference according to this embodiment. In this method, as shown in FIG. 11, a first deflection d1 is measured when a sample glass plate G is supported by a support member 6a with the first main surface Ga facing upward. Next, the sample glass plate G is turned upside down, and as shown in FIG. 12, a second deflection d2 is measured when the sample glass plate G is supported by a support member 6a with the second main surface Gb facing upward. After that, the difference (|d1-d2|) between the first deflection d1 and the second deflection d2 is calculated, and this is evaluated as the "deflection difference".

[0074] The control unit 4 detects the deflection (d1, d2) of the sample glass plate G in the region between two adjacent support members 6a in the width direction X from the measurement data transmitted from the sensor unit 11. That is, the control unit 4 detects the maximum value in the region between two adjacent support members 6a in the width direction X from among the measurement data transmitted from the sensor unit 11 as the deflection. Without being limited to this, the control unit 4 may detect the measurement data in the middle position between two adjacent support members 6a in the width direction X as the deflection. The control unit 4 calculates the deflection difference based on the detected first deflection and second deflection.

[0075] In the measurement step S63, the measurement unit 3 can measure not only the deflection difference of the sample glass plate G, but also the warpage amount and plate thickness of the sample glass plate G.

[0076] Hereinafter, the measurement of the amount of warping of the sample glass plate G in the measurement step S63 will be described.

[0077] Under the control of the control unit 4, the measurement unit 3 measures the amount of warping (hereinafter referred to as the "first amount of warping") of the sample glass plate G when it is placed on the mounting surface (the upper surface 5a of the base plate 5) and the amount of warping (hereinafter referred to as the "second amount of warping") of the sample glass plate G when it is raised above the mounting surface.

[0078] 13, the sensor unit 11 measures the first warpage amount of the sample glass plate G while moving along the width direction X. That is, while moving above the groove portion 9 in the width direction X, the sensor unit 11 irradiates the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G with laser light L and receives the laser light L reflected from the first main surface Ga to measure the distance (first warpage amount) from the sensor unit 11 to the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of measurement points MP (measurement regions) are set on each sample glass plate G, and the distance between the sensor unit 11 and the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G is measured for each measurement point MP.

[0080] 14, the sensor unit 11 measures the first warpage amount while repeatedly moving back and forth along the width direction X with respect to the sample glass plate G placed on the placement unit 2. The sensor unit 11 transmits the acquired measurement data related to the first warpage amount to the control unit 4.

[0081] Before measuring the first warpage of the sample glass plate G, it is preferable to measure the first warpage of a reference glass plate serving as a standard for the shape of the glass plate, and evaluate the shape of the sample glass plate G by comparing the first warpage of the reference glass plate with the first warpage of the sample glass plate G. The measurement of the first warpage of the reference glass plate is performed in the same manner as the measurement of the first warpage of the sample glass plate G. The reference glass plate is composed of 3 to 10 non-defective glass plates, and the average value of the first warpage of these reference glass plates may be used for comparison.

[0082] When measuring the second amount of warping, the mounting unit 2 ejects gas from the ejection holes 5b of the surface plate 5 under the control of the control unit 4. As a result, as shown in FIG. 15, the sample glass plate G supported on the upper surface 5a of the surface plate 5 is lifted up from the upper surface 5a. The sensor unit 11 measures the shape of the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G while moving along the width direction X in a state in which the sample glass plate G is lifted up from the surface plate 5. That is, the sensor unit 11 irradiates the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G with laser light L while moving, and receives the laser light L reflected from the first main surface Ga to measure the distance (second amount of warping) from the sensor unit 11 to the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G.

[0083] The measurement of the second warpage amount is performed at each measurement point MP set on each sample glass sheet G in the same manner as the measurement of the first warpage amount.

[0084] The sensor unit 11 measures the second amount of warping while repeatedly moving back and forth along the width direction X of the sample glass sheet G placed on the placement unit 2 in the same manner as in the measurement of the first amount of warping (see FIG. 14). The sensor unit 11 transmits measurement data relating to the second amount of warping to the control unit 4.

[0085] Hereinafter, a description will be given of the case where the thickness of the sample glass plate G is measured in the measuring step S63. The thickness is measured in a state where the sample glass plate G is placed on the placement surface (the upper surface 5a of the platen 5).

[0086] The sensor unit 11 of the measurement section 3 irradiates the sample glass plate G with laser light L within the range of the groove portion 9 so as not to overlap with the support member 6a. That is, as shown in Fig. 16, the sensor unit 11 measures the plate thickness of the sample glass plate G while moving back and forth along the longitudinal direction Y of the base 5 and along the path indicated by the arrow B3.

[0087] The sensor unit 11 of the measurement unit 3 irradiates a laser beam L onto the first principal surface Ga, which is the upper surface, and the second principal surface Gb, which is the lower surface, of the sample glass plate G, receives the reflected laser beam L, and can measure the plate thickness from the difference in the optical path length. In detail, when the plate thickness of the sample glass plate G is d [mm], the optical path length difference is L [mm], and the refractive index of the sample glass plate G is n, the plate thickness can be measured from d = L / 2n. The sensor unit 11 transmits the measurement data related to the plate thickness to the control unit 4. After the measurement step S63 is completed, the used sample glass plate G is discarded.

[0088] In the evaluation step S64, the control unit 4 judges whether the shape of the sample glass plate G measured in the measurement step S63 is acceptable or not.

[0089] In the evaluation step S64, the control unit 4 judges the quality of the measured values ​​of the deflection difference, the first warpage amount, the second warpage amount, and the plate thickness of the sample glass plate G measured in the measurement step S63. The control unit 4 stores threshold values ​​(reference values) for the deflection difference, each warpage amount, and the plate thickness.

[0090] The control unit 4 judges whether the measured values ​​of the deflection difference, the first warpage amount, the second warpage amount, and the plate thickness of the sample glass sheet G are within the ranges of the respective threshold values. When the measured values ​​are within the ranges of the threshold values, the control unit 4 judges the shape of the sample glass sheet G to be "good". When the measured values ​​exceed the ranges of the threshold values, the control unit 4 judges the shape of the sample glass sheet G to be "poor".

[0091] If it is found in the evaluation step S64 that the sample glass sheet G is defective, that information is transmitted to the forming step S1 or the annealing step S2. In the forming step S1 or the annealing step S2, the forming conditions or the annealing conditions are corrected in order to eliminate the defective shape of the glass ribbon.

[0092] In addition, if the sample glass sheet G is judged to be defective, the glass sheets G produced from the time when the sample glass sheet G was last judged to be good until the time when it is judged to be good again are discarded.

[0093] According to the inspection device 1 and the manufacturing method of the glass plate G according to the present embodiment described above, sample glass plates G of various sizes can be suitably supported by the multiple support patterns formed by the support members 6a of the support device 6. This eliminates the need to cut a large sample glass plate G to fit the support device 6, and allows the sample glass plate G to be inspected efficiently.

[0094] 17 and 18 show a second embodiment of the glass plate inspection device. In this embodiment, the configuration of the support member 6a of the support device 6 is different from that of the first embodiment. The upper end portion 6a1 of the support member 6a according to this embodiment is formed of an elongated member extending in the horizontal direction (lateral direction). Specifically, the upper end portion 6a1 is formed in a triangular prism shape.

[0095] The upper end 6a1 of the support member 6a is disposed between the adjacent base plates 5 (within the range of the groove portion 9) so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the longitudinal direction Y of the base plates 5. The upper end 6a1 of the support member 6a is disposed so that one corner thereof faces upward. With this configuration, the upper end 6a1 of the support member 6a can support the second main surface Gb of the glass sheet G when in the supporting position. The upper end 6a1 of the support member 6a may be divided into a plurality of members along the longitudinal direction Y of the base plates 5 as shown in FIG. 17, or may be constituted by a single member.

[0096] The inspection device 1 according to this embodiment supports the sample glass plate G by a plurality of supporting units 6c, as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the supporting unit 6c is composed of two adjacent supporting members 6a. By providing the supporting device 6 with a plurality of supporting units 6c, the sample glass plate G can be stably supported.

[0097] The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, nor is it limited to the above-mentioned effects and advantages. Various modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0098] In the second embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the upper end 6a1 of the support member 6a in the support device 6 was configured in a triangular prism shape, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The upper end 6a1 of the support member 6a may be configured in a polygonal prism shape other than a triangular prism, or may be configured in a cylindrical shape or other shapes. In addition, the sample glass plate G may be supported by the ridge line of the polygonal prism, or the sample glass plate G may be supported by the surface of the polygonal prism.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the mounting surface is inclined at an angle θ with respect to the horizontal direction, but this is not limited thereto. The mounting surface may be configured to be switchable between an inclined state and a state in which the inclined surface coincides with a horizontal surface. Alternatively, the mounting surface may be fixed to coincide with the horizontal surface, and the sample glass plate G may be positioned by moving the sample glass plate G so that the first side GS1 and the second side GS2 of the sample glass plate G contact the positioning portions 7a and 7b.

[0100] In the first embodiment described above, the deflection is measured while the sensor unit 11 moves in the width direction X so as to pass directly above the support member 6a, but this is not limited to this. The deflection may be measured while the sensor unit 11 moves in the width direction X so as to pass through the middle part of the base 5 of the support member 6a in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the sensor unit 11 measures the distance to the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G at the intermediate position between two adjacent support members 6a in the width direction X, and the measurement data at this intermediate position is used as the deflection, but this is not limited to the above. The distance to the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G may be measured at the intermediate position between two adjacent support members 6a in the longitudinal direction Y of the base 5, and the measurement data at this intermediate position may be used as the deflection.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the multiple protrusions are formed by the long surface plate 5, but this is not limited thereto. The protrusions may be formed by a lattice-shaped surface plate, and the recesses may be formed by holes between the lattices. Alternatively, the recesses may be formed in a lattice shape, and the surface plate may be disposed between the lattices.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the difference in the deflection of the sample glass plate G is measured in the measurement step S63, but the present invention is not limited to this. The deflection of the sample glass plate G may be measured without turning it upside down, with the first principal surface Ga facing upward, or with the second principal surface Gb facing upward. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1. Inspection equipment 3 Measuring part 5. Fixed Plate 5a Top surface of surface plate (mounting surface) 6 Support device 6a Support member 6a1 Upper end of support member G Glass plate S6 Inspection process S61 Preparation process S62 Support process S63 Measurement Engineering

Claims

1. A glass plate inspection method comprising: a supporting step of supporting a glass plate by a supporting device having a plurality of supporting members; and a measuring step of measuring a deflection of the glass plate supported by the supporting device, The support device includes a plurality of support units, The support unit is composed of a plurality of the support members, A glass plate inspection method, wherein the measuring step measures a plurality of deflections of the glass plate formed by a plurality of the support units.

2. The support member is a rod-shaped or block-shaped member extending in the vertical direction, 2. The glass plate inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the support unit is composed of two or more of the support members that support the glass plate and that are arranged in a rectangular shape in a plan view.

3. The support member is a columnar member extending laterally, 2. The glass plate inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the support unit is constituted by two adjacent support members among the support members that support the glass plate.

4. 4. The glass plate inspection method according to claim 1, wherein in the measuring step, a shape of the entire surface of the glass plate is measured, and the deflection of the glass plate is calculated.

5. a preparation step of placing the glass plate on a placement surface disposed between a plurality of the support members; the support member is movable between a support position in which an upper end portion of the support member is above the placement surface and a standby position in which the upper end portion of the support member is below the placement surface, 4. The glass plate inspection method according to claim 1, wherein in the supporting step, the supporting member supports the glass plate placed on the placement surface by moving from the standby position to the supporting position.

6. 4. The glass plate inspection method according to claim 1, wherein one side of the glass plate has a length of 1000 mm or more and 3500 mm or less.

7. A method for manufacturing a glass plate, comprising carrying out an inspection step by using the glass plate inspection method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. A glass plate inspection device comprising a support device having a plurality of support members and a measurement unit that measures the deflection of a glass plate supported by the support device, 2. A glass plate inspection apparatus, comprising: a support device having a plurality of support units for supporting the glass plate;

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