Inspection device for glass plate and manufacturing method for glass plate

Abstract

To inspect a plurality of inspection items of a glass plate by one inspection device.SOLUTION: An inspection device 1 for glass plate comprises a mount part 2 and a measurement part 3. The mount part 2 comprises: a mount surface consisting of a plurality of projections; and a plurality of support members 6a arranged between the projections. The mount part 2 has: a support pattern for warpage measurement which supports a glass plate G through the mount surface with the support members 6a arranged at standby positions; and a support pattern for flexion measurement which supports the glass plate G through the support members 6a with the support members 6a arranged at support positions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a glass sheet inspection device and a glass sheet manufacturing method. [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] One of the devices used in such an inspection process is one that measures the warping of a glass plate. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an inspection device (glass plate measuring device) that includes a base on which a glass plate is placed and an optical measuring means that uses light irradiation and reflection for measurement (see claim 1 in the same document).

[0005] Also, there is a glass plate inspection device that measures the difference in deflection of the glass plate. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses an inspection device that includes two support members that support the glass plate from below and a laser meter that measures the deflection of the glass plate supported by the two support members (see paragraphs 0029, 0030 and FIG. 3 of the same document). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-148446 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2009-117301 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In recent years, in order to correspond to the trend of larger displays, the glass plates used in displays are also being made larger. Under such circumstances, it has been necessary to use multiple inspection devices to inspect multiple shape characteristics such as warping and bending of the glass plates. This has made the inspection process complicated, and it has been difficult to manufacture glass plates efficiently.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its technical object to inspect a plurality of inspection items of a glass sheet using a single inspection device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] (1) The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a glass plate inspection device comprising a mounting section for mounting a glass plate thereon, and a measuring section for measuring a shape of the glass plate mounted on the mounting section, wherein the mounting section comprises a mounting surface constituted by a plurality of convex portions, and a plurality of support members arranged between the convex portions, and the support members are movable between a support position where an upper end of the support member is above the mounting surface, and a standby position where the upper end of the support member is below the mounting surface, and the mounting section has a support pattern for warp measurement that supports the glass plate via the mounting surface when the support member is arranged at the standby position, and a support pattern for deflection measurement that supports the glass plate via the support member when the support member is arranged at the support position.

[0010] According to this configuration, since the mounting portion has a support pattern for measuring warpage and a support pattern for measuring deflection, it becomes possible to inspect a plurality of inspection items (warpage, deflection) of the glass plate by a single inspection device.

[0011] (2) In the glass plate inspection device described in (1) above, the placement surface of the placement part may be provided with an ejection hole capable of ejecting a fluid.

[0012] According to this configuration, the mounting portion can support the glass plate in a state spaced apart from the mounting surface by ejecting the fluid from the ejection holes in the mounting surface.

[0013] (3) In the glass plate inspection device described in (2) above, the support pattern for warpage measurement may include a support pattern that supports the glass plate in a state where it is raised above the mounting surface by a fluid ejected from the ejection hole of the mounting surface, and the shape of the glass plate measured by the measurement unit may include a warpage shape of the glass plate in a state where it is raised above the mounting surface.

[0014] According to this configuration, the support pattern for warpage measurement includes a support pattern that directly supports the glass plate by the mounting surface and a support pattern that indirectly supports the glass plate via the fluid, which makes it possible to measure the warpage of the glass plate with higher accuracy.

[0015] (4) In the glass plate inspection device described in any one of (1) to (3) above, the placement portion may include a positioning portion that abuts against a portion of two adjacent sides of the glass plate, and the placement surface of the placement portion may be an inclined surface so as to guide the glass plate toward the positioning portion.

[0016] According to this configuration, the glass plate is guided toward the positioning portion by the mounting surface of the mounting portion, so that two sides of the glass plate can be reliably abutted against the positioning portion, thereby enabling the glass plate to be positioned with high accuracy.

[0017] (5) In the glass sheet inspection device according to any one of (1) to (4) above, the support member may support the glass sheet by point contact or line contact. This makes it possible to minimize the contact area of ​​the support member with the glass sheet. In addition, the support device can support the glass sheet in a stable position.

[0018] (6) A method for manufacturing a glass sheet according to the present invention is provided to solve the above problems, and is characterized in that it includes an inspection step of inspecting the shape of the glass sheet by the glass sheet inspection device according to any one of (1) to (5) above. With this configuration, it becomes possible to efficiently manufacture glass sheets. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, a plurality of inspection items for a glass plate can be inspected by a single inspection device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [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. 11 is a side view showing a preparation step for the inspection step. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a front view showing a preparation step for an inspection step. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a measurement step in the inspection process. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a measurement step in the inspection process. [Figure 16] FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a measurement step in the inspection process. [Figure 19] FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 18 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] The glass plate G to be inspected is, for example, a rectangular original glass plate (mother glass plate) from which one or more product glass plates are taken. The thickness of the original glass plate and the product glass plate is, for example, 0.05 mm to 1.2 mm. The size of the original glass plate is, for example, 1000 mm×1000 mm to 3500 mm×3500 mm, and 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. Note that the substrate and cover glass of the display are not limited to a flat panel, and may be used for a curved panel or a foldable panel.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] The surface plate 5 is an elongated member, and is arranged such that its longitudinal direction 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. The 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 discharge holes 5b for discharging (squirting) a fluid (e.g., gas). The discharge holes 5b are connected to piping (not shown) and a fluid pressure-feeding device such as a compressor or a pump.

[0027] 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 multiple base plates 5 and concave portions formed by the multiple grooves 9.

[0028] The width W of the surface plate 5 as the convex portion (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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] The placement surface functions as a guide surface that guides the glass plate G toward the positioning portions 7a and 7b. As shown in Fig. 3, the placement surface is configured as an inclined surface that gradually slopes downward in the diagonal direction (the direction indicated by the arrow A3 in Fig. 2), i.e., from the third corner 10c toward the first corner 10a. The angle θ that the placement surface forms with the horizontal direction (horizon H) is preferably 0.1° or more and 5° or less.

[0031] The supporting devices 6 are disposed between the upper surfaces 5a (convex portions) of the adjacent base plates 5 in the width direction X. In other words, the supporting devices 6 are provided within the range of the groove portions 9 in the mounting portion 2. The multiple supporting devices 6 are disposed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction Y of the base plates 5.

[0032] 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.

[0033] The support member 6a is configured in a rod or block shape. An upper end portion 6a1 of the support member 6a functions as a support portion that supports a second main surface Gb, which is the lower surface of the glass sheet G. The upper end portion 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] The lifting device 6b is provided for each supporting member 6a so as to operate the supporting member 6a individually, thereby enabling the supporting device 6 to support glass sheets G of various sizes in accordance with the sizes.

[0037] The positioning portions 7a, 7b include a first positioning portion 7a and a second positioning portion 7b that abut against parts of two adjacent sides GS1, GS2 of the glass plate G. The first positioning portion 7a positions the first side GS1 of the glass plate G placed on the placing portion 2 by contacting the first side GS1 of the glass plate G placed on the placing portion 2. The second positioning portion 7b positions the second side GS2 of the glass plate G placed on the placing portion 2 by contacting the second side GS2 of the glass plate G placed on the placing portion 2.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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 operation of discharging the fluid through the discharge hole 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 on the data measured by the measurement unit 3.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] In the first cutting step S4, a cutting device disposed 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 is formed along the width direction 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 (breaking step).

[0052] 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).

[0053] In the inspection step S6, the shape of the glass sheet G is measured by the inspection device 1, and the control unit 4 judges whether the glass sheet G is good or bad based on the measured value.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 8, the inspection process S6 includes a preparation process S61, a measurement process S62, and an evaluation process S63.

[0055] In the preparation step S61, a sample glass plate 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 plates 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 plates G. Thereafter, the sample glass plate G is carried into the mounting section 2 of the inspection device 1 (carrying-in step).

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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).

[0058] 9(a) and 10(a) show the positional relationship between the positioning parts 7a and 7b that have been moved to the contact positions and the sample glass plate G. The first side GS1 of the sample glass plate G placed on the placement surface is located slightly away from the first positioning part 7a. Also, the second side GS2 of the sample glass plate G is located slightly away from the second positioning part 7b.

[0059] Thereafter, the platen 5 stops discharging 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 of the mounting surface toward the first corner 10a (the direction indicated by the arrow A3 in FIG. 2).

[0060] As a result, as shown in Fig. 9(b), the first side GS1 of the sample glass plate G comes into contact with the first positioning portion 7a at the contact position. Also, as shown in Fig. 10(b), the second side GS2 of the sample glass plate G comes into contact with 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] In the measurement step S62, the amount of warping, the difference in deflection, and the plate thickness related to the shape of the sample glass plate G are measured.

[0062] In the measurement step S62, the mounting unit 2 of the inspection device 1 can change the support pattern of the sample glass sheet G according to the measurement items of warpage, deflection difference, and sheet thickness. That is, the mounting unit 2 has a support pattern for warpage measurement, a support pattern for deflection measurement, and a support pattern for sheet thickness measurement. In the support pattern for warpage measurement and the support pattern for sheet thickness measurement, the mounting unit 2 supports the sample glass sheet G by the mounting surface (upper surface a of the base 5) with the support member 6a of the support device 6 placed in the standby position. In the support pattern for deflection measurement, the support member 6a of the support device 6 placed in the support position supports the sample glass sheet G by the support member 6a.

[0063] Hereinafter, the measurement of the warpage shape (warpage amount) of the sample glass plate G in the measurement step S62 will be described.

[0064] 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.

[0065] The support pattern for measuring warpage by the mounting part 2 includes a first support pattern that directly supports the sample glass plate G by the mounting surface (upper surface 5a of the base plate 5) of the mounting part 2 in order to measure the first warpage amount, and a second support pattern in which gas is discharged from the discharge hole 5b of the base plate 5 and the mounting surface indirectly supports the sample glass plate G via this gas.

[0066] 11, the sensor unit 11 measures a first warpage amount of the sample glass plate G supported by the first support pattern 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 a 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.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 12, 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. The pitch between each measurement point MP is set to, for example, 10 mm or more and 200 mm or less. The measurement points MP may be set at equal pitches, or may be set at different pitches depending on the position or direction on the sample glass plate G. In this embodiment, the measurement points MP are set at equal pitches in the width direction X and the longitudinal direction Y of the base plate 5, and the measurement points MP include positions corresponding to the convex portions (base plate 5) and positions corresponding to the concave portions (groove portions 9).

[0068] As shown by arrow B1 in Fig. 12, the sensor unit 11 measures the first warpage amount for each measurement point MP while moving along the width direction X of the sample glass plate G placed on the placement unit 2. After completing the measurement for one row of measurement points MP 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 first warpage amount is measured for all measurement points MP of the sample glass plate G. The sensor unit 11 transmits the acquired measurement data related to the first warpage amount to the control unit 4.

[0069] 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.

[0070] When measuring the second amount of warping, the placement unit 2 discharges gas from the discharge hole 5b of the surface plate 5 under the control of the control unit 4. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, the sample glass plate G supported on the upper surface 5a of the surface plate 5 floats up from the upper surface 5a and is supported by the second support pattern. 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 with the sample glass plate G floating 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] The sensor unit 11 measures the second amount of warping while repeatedly moving back and forth along the width direction X with respect to the sample glass sheet G placed on the placement unit 2, similarly to the measurement of the first amount of warping (see FIG. 12). The sensor unit 11 transmits measurement data relating to the second amount of warping to the control unit 4.

[0073] Hereinafter, the case where the deflection difference of the sample glass plate G is measured in the measuring step S62 will be described.

[0074] To measure the deflection difference of the sample glass plate G, first, the sample glass plate G placed on the placement surface (upper surface 5a of the base plate 5) of the placement unit 2 is supported by the support device 6 (supporting step). As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 14, the lifting device 6b of the support device 6 moves the support member 6a from the standby position to the support position. The support 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 support position.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] In the measurement step S62, 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.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 14, the sensor unit 11 moves along the width direction X while irradiating laser light L onto the first main surface Ga of the sample glass plate G and receiving 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.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 15, 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 arrow B2. 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.

[0082] 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.

[0083] Thereafter, a supporting step is carried out on this sample glass plate G. Thereafter, the deflection of the sample glass plate G is measured by the sensor unit 11. The sensor unit 11 transmits the measured data to the control unit 4.

[0084] 16 and 17 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for calculating the deflection difference according to this embodiment. In this method, as shown in FIG. 16, 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. 17, 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".

[0085] 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.

[0086] Hereinafter, a description will be given of the case where the thickness of the sample glass plate G is measured in the measuring step S62. The thickness is measured in a state where the sample glass plate G is placed on the placement surface (upper surface 5a of the platen 5) (support pattern for thickness measurement).

[0087] 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. 18, the sensor unit 11 measures the plate thickness of the sample glass plate G while moving back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the base 5 and along the path indicated by the arrow B3.

[0088] 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.

[0089] In the evaluation step S63, the control unit 4 judges whether the shape of the sample glass plate G measured in the measurement step S62 is acceptable or not.

[0090] In the evaluation step S63, the control unit 4 judges the acceptability of the measured values ​​of the first warpage amount, the second warpage amount, the deflection difference, and the plate thickness of the sample glass plate G measured in the measurement step S62. The control unit 4 stores threshold values ​​(reference values) for each of the warpage amount, the deflection difference, and the plate thickness.

[0091] The control unit 4 judges whether the measured values ​​of the first warpage amount, the second warpage amount, the deflection difference, and the sheet 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 ​​are beyond the ranges of the threshold values, the control unit 4 judges the shape of the sample glass sheet G to be "poor".

[0092] If it is found in the evaluation step S63 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.

[0093] 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.

[0094] According to the inspection device 1 and the manufacturing method for glass sheet G of this embodiment described above, the mounting portion 2 has a support pattern for measuring warp, a support pattern for measuring deflection, and a support pattern for measuring plate thickness, so that the amount of warp, deflection difference, and plate thickness as inspection items of the glass sheet G can be inspected by a single inspection device 1.

[0095] 19 and 20 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 configured in a triangular prism shape.

[0096] 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 by line contact 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. 19, or may be constituted by a single member.

[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 above-described second embodiment, an example was shown in which the upper end 6a1 of the support member 6a in the support device 6 is 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, a plate shape, or other shapes.

[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 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1. Inspection equipment 2. Placement section 3 Measuring part 5. Fixed Plate 5a Top surface of surface plate (mounting surface) 5b Discharge hole 6a Support member G Glass plate S6 Inspection process

Claims

1. A glass plate inspection device comprising a placement unit for placing a glass plate and a measurement unit for measuring a shape of the glass plate placed on the placement unit, the mounting portion includes a mounting surface formed of a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of support members disposed between the convex portions; 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, a support pattern for measuring warpage of the glass plate, the support member being disposed at the standby position, the support pattern for measuring deflection of the glass plate, the support member being disposed at the support position, and a support pattern for measuring deflection of the glass plate, the support member being disposed at the support position.

2. 2. The glass plate inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting surface of the mounting portion is provided with a discharge hole capable of discharging a fluid.

3. the support pattern for warpage measurement includes a support pattern that supports the glass plate in a state in which the glass plate is lifted from the placement surface by a fluid discharged from the discharge hole of the placement surface, 3. The glass-sheet inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the shape of the glass sheet measured by the measuring unit includes a warpage shape of the glass sheet in a state where the glass sheet is floated above the placement surface.

4. The placement portion includes a positioning portion that abuts against a part of two adjacent sides of the glass plate, 4. The glass plate inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the placement surface of the placement portion is an inclined surface so as to guide the glass plate toward the positioning portion.

5. 4. The glass plate inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the supporting member supports the glass plate by point contact or line contact.

6. A method for manufacturing a glass sheet, comprising: an inspection step of inspecting a shape of the glass sheet by the glass sheet inspection device according to claim 1 .

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