Method for manufacturing glass sheet

Abstract

To inhibit glass powder from adhering to an original material of a protective sheet.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a glass sheet includes: a loading step of loading a glass sheet G and a protective sheet S on a pallet T in a first packing chamber 3; and a carrying-out step of carrying-out the pallet T on which a glass sheet G and a protective sheet S are loaded to a second packing chamber 4 from the first packing chamber 3. The loading step further includes the steps of: supplying a belt-like sheet Sw unwound from a protective sheet roll Sr disposed in a protective sheet supply chamber 5 from the protective sheet supply chamber 5 to the first packing chamber 3; and cutting the belt-like sheet Sw supplied into the first packing chamber 3 at a predetermined length to obtain a protective sheet S. An atmospheric pressure of the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is substantially equalized to an atmospheric pressure of the first packing chamber 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a glass sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, glass plates are used in various fields, including as substrates for displays such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays.

[0003] In this type of glass sheet manufacturing process, first, a band-shaped glass ribbon is continuously formed by a known method such as an overflow downdraw method or a float method. Next, the glass ribbon is cut in the width direction at predetermined lengths, and glass sheets are cut out from the glass ribbon. Then, the cut glass sheets are transported on a transport path by a transport device. On this transport path, for example, a process of removing the edge of the glass sheet and a process of inspecting the glass sheet for defects are performed as necessary. Then, after going through these various processes, at the downstream end of the transport path of the transport device, the glass sheet and the protective sheet are loaded on a pallet by a loading device. Then, a glass sheet package is produced by attaching, for example, a member for regulating the positional deviation of the glass sheet to the pallet on which the glass sheet and the protective sheet are loaded. The produced glass sheet package is stored or transported (shipped) (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-30744 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-89674 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] If the glass plate breaks in a packing room for loading the glass plate and the protective sheet onto a pallet, the glass powder may adhere to the original material of the protective sheet.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to prevent glass powder from adhering to the base material of a protective sheet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The present invention, which has been invented to solve the above problems, is a method for manufacturing a glass plate, comprising: a loading step of loading a glass plate and a protective sheet onto a pallet in a first packing chamber; and a transporting step of transporting the pallet on which the glass plate and the protective sheet are loaded from the first packing chamber to a second packing chamber, wherein the loading step further includes a step of supplying, from the protective sheet supply chamber to the first packing chamber, a strip sheet drawn from a protective sheet roll arranged in the protective sheet supply chamber; and a step of cutting the strip sheet supplied to the first packing chamber to a predetermined length to obtain a protective sheet, and is characterized in that the air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber is made approximately the same as the air pressure in the first packing chamber.

[0008] (2) In the configuration of (1) above, the difference P3-P1 between the air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber and the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber is preferably -1Pa to 1Pa.

[0009] (3) In the above configuration (1) or (2), it is preferable that the pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber is higher than atmospheric pressure.

[0010] (4) In any of the above configurations (1) to (3), the protective sheet supply chamber is preferably located above the first packing chamber.

[0011] (5) In any of the above configurations (1) to (4), it is preferable that the gas in the first packing chamber and / or the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber is circulated through an air conditioner equipped with a filter unit. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent glass powder from adhering to a protective sheet roll or a strip-shaped sheet that is the base material for the protective sheet. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each embodiment, the same reference numerals are used to designate corresponding components, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted. When only a portion of a configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of another embodiment described above may be applied to the other portion of the configuration. In addition to the combination of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments may be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0015] First embodiment As shown in FIG. 1, a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment is an apparatus for manufacturing a glass sheet G by an overflow downdraw method, and constitutes a part of a building.

[0016] The present manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a cutting chamber 2, a first packing chamber 3, a second packing chamber 4, a protective sheet supply chamber 5, and a spare chamber 6. Each of the chambers 2 to 6 is a chamber (e.g., a clean room) that partitions a space capable of blocking out external contaminants to a certain extent.

[0017] In this embodiment, the cutting chamber 2, the first packing chamber 3, and the second packing chamber 4 are arranged on the same floor of a building, and the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the spare chamber 6 are arranged on the same floor of the building. The floor on which the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the spare chamber 6 are arranged is above the floor on which the cutting chamber 2, the first packing chamber 3, and the second packing chamber 4 are arranged, and of these, the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is arranged directly above the first packing chamber 3.

[0018] The cutting chamber 2 and the first packing chamber 3, the first packing chamber 3 and the second packing chamber 4, and the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the spare chamber 6 are separated by openable and closable doors 7, 8, and 9 serving as partition members.

[0019] In the cutting chamber 2, first, a first cutting device (not shown) cuts a belt-shaped glass ribbon produced by the overflow downdraw method into predetermined lengths to obtain sheet-shaped glass sheets G. Next, in the cutting chamber 2, a second cutting device (not shown) cuts both widthwise ends of the glass sheet G, including the edge portions (thick portions).

[0020] In the first packing chamber 3, a loading device (not shown) loads a vertically oriented glass sheet G and a vertically oriented protective sheet S onto a pallet T. As a result, a glass sheet laminate L including the glass sheet G and the protective sheet S is placed on the pallet T. Note that an inspection chamber may be provided between the cutting chamber 2 and the first packing chamber 3, and the glass sheet G may be inspected by an inspection device (not shown) in the inspection chamber before being loaded onto the pallet T. The inspection device measures, for example, uneven thickness (sheet thickness), streaks (striae), type of defect (e.g., bubbles, foreign matter, etc.), position (coordinates), size, etc. of the glass sheet G.

[0021] An air supply device 10a is provided on the ceiling of the first packing chamber 3, and an exhaust device 11a is provided on the floor. The air pressure in the first packing chamber 3 is adjusted by adjusting the amount of air supplied by the air supply device 10a and the amount of air exhausted by the exhaust device 11a. The air pressure in the first packing chamber 3 is measured by a pressure sensor 12a.

[0022] The pallet T on which the glass sheet laminate L is placed in the first packing chamber 3 is carried into the second packing chamber 4. In the second packing chamber 4, a final packing process is performed, and the final glass sheet package X is obtained from the pallet T on which the glass sheet laminate L is placed. The final packing process includes, for example, a process of attaching a position regulating member (not shown) that regulates the positional deviation of the glass sheet G with respect to the pallet T, and a process of covering the glass sheet laminate L with a protective member C to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the glass sheet laminate L. The position regulating member includes, for example, a pressing plate disposed at the forefront of the glass sheet laminate L and a belt that presses the pressing plate against the pallet T. As the protective member C, for example, a protective bag that is placed on the glass sheet laminate L or a protective film that is wrapped around the glass sheet laminate L can be used. In addition, the glass sheet package X and an empty pallet T are stored in the second packing chamber 4.

[0023] In the second packing chamber 4, an air supply device 10b is provided on the ceiling, and an exhaust device 11b is provided on the floor. The air pressure in the second packing chamber 4 is adjusted by adjusting the amount of air supplied by the air supply device 10b and the amount of air exhausted by the exhaust device 11b. The air pressure in the second packing chamber 4 is measured by a pressure sensor 12b. The air supply device 10b and the exhaust device 11b in the second packing chamber 4 may be omitted.

[0024] A protective sheet roll Sr is disposed in the protective sheet supply chamber 5. The protective sheet roll Sr is obtained by winding a strip-shaped sheet Sw, which is the source of the protective sheet S, around a core R in a roll shape. For example, a foamed resin sheet or interleaf paper can be used as the strip-shaped sheet Sw (protective sheet S). The strip-shaped sheet Sw drawn out from the protective sheet roll Sr is supplied from the protective sheet supply chamber 5 to the first packing chamber 3 through a through hole 13 provided on the floor surface of the protective sheet supply chamber 5 so as to communicate between the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the first packing chamber 3. In the first packing chamber 3, the strip-shaped sheet Sw is cut into predetermined lengths by a cutting device (not shown) to obtain a single-leaf protective sheet S. The protective sheet S obtained in this manner is loaded onto a pallet T by a loading device.

[0025] An air supply device 10c is provided on the ceiling of the protective sheet supply chamber 5, and an exhaust device 11c is provided on the floor. The air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is adjusted by adjusting the amount of air supplied by the air supply device 10c and the amount of air exhausted by the exhaust device 11c. The air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is measured by a pressure sensor 12c.

[0026] The spare room 6 is used, for example, when a new protective sheet roll Sr is carried into the protective sheet supply room 5. The spare room 6 is provided with an elevator.

[0027] The air pressure in the preliminary chamber 6 is measured by a pressure sensor 12d. In this embodiment, the preliminary chamber 6 is not provided with an air supply device and an exhaust device for adjusting the air pressure, but may be provided with an air supply device and an exhaust device, similar to the first packing chamber 3, etc.

[0028] The air supply devices 10a to 10c are preferably provided with a filter unit (not shown) on the gas flow path. This allows clean gas to be supplied into the room. Similarly, the exhaust devices 11a to 11c are preferably provided with a filter unit on the gas flow path. This allows clean gas to be exhausted outside the room. As the filter unit of the air supply devices 10a to 10c, for example, a coarse dust filter, a medium performance filter (e.g., MEPA filter, etc.), a high performance filter (e.g., HEPA filter, ULPA filter, etc.), etc. can be used.

[0029] Next, a method for manufacturing a glass sheet according to this embodiment will be described. This manufacturing method is a method for manufacturing a glass sheet G using the manufacturing apparatus 1 described above.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, this manufacturing method includes a loading process of loading a glass plate G and a protective sheet S onto a pallet T in a first packing chamber 3, a transporting process of transporting the pallet T loaded with the glass plate G and the protective sheet S, i.e., the pallet T on which the glass plate laminate L is placed, from the first packing chamber 3 to a second packing chamber 4, and a final packing process of obtaining a final glass plate package X from the pallet T on which the glass plate laminate L is placed in the second packing chamber 4.

[0031] The lamination process further includes a supplying process of supplying a strip sheet Sw drawn from a protective sheet roll Sr arranged in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 from the protective sheet supply chamber 5 to the first packaging chamber 3 through the through hole 13, and a cutting process of cutting the strip sheet Sw supplied to the first packaging chamber 3 to a predetermined length to obtain a protective sheet S.

[0032] During the course of these steps, that is, during the process of manufacturing the glass sheet G, the air pressures in the first packing chamber 3, the second packing chamber 4 and the protective sheet supply chamber 5 are controlled as follows.

[0033] That is, the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3 is set higher than the air pressure P2 in the second packing chamber 4.

[0034] In detail, the pressure difference (P1-P2) between the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3 and the air pressure P2 in the second packing chamber 4 is, for example, preferably 3 to 10 Pa, and more preferably 5 to 8 Pa. The pressure difference (P1-P2) is managed, for example, by air supply devices 10a, 10b and exhaust devices 11a, 11b.

[0035] In this way, the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3 in which the glass plate G and the protective sheet S are loaded onto the pallet T is set higher than the air pressure P2 in the second packing chamber 4. This makes it possible to prevent the gas in the second packing chamber 4 and foreign matter contained in the gas from flowing into the first packing chamber 3. In other words, the first packing chamber 3 can be kept cleaner than the second packing chamber 4. This makes it possible to reliably prevent foreign matter from being brought into the contact surface between the glass plate G and the protective sheet S when the glass plate G and the protective sheet S are loaded onto the pallet T in the first packing chamber 3. Note that after the glass plate G and the protective sheet S are stacked on the pallet T, the glass plate G and the protective sheet S are in contact with each other, so that foreign matter is less likely to be brought into the contact surface between the glass plate G and the protective sheet S from the outside.

[0036] The air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is set higher than the air pressure P4 in the preliminary chamber 6. In this embodiment, the preliminary chamber 6 is not provided with a device for controlling the air pressure, and is provided with an elevator or the like that communicates with the outside air, so the air pressure P4 in the preliminary chamber 6 is atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the air pressure P4 in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is set higher than atmospheric pressure.

[0037] In detail, the pressure difference (P3-P4) between the air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the air pressure P4 (atmospheric pressure) in the preliminary chamber 6 is, for example, preferably 1 to 10 Pa, and more preferably 2 to 7 Pa. The pressure difference (P3-P4) is managed, for example, by the air supply device 10c and the exhaust device 11c.

[0038] In this way, it is possible to prevent outdoor gas and foreign matter from flowing into the protective sheet supply chamber 5 through the spare chamber 6. In other words, since the inflow of foreign matter from outdoors is prevented, it is easier to ensure the cleanliness of the protective sheet supply chamber 5. In addition, since the inflow of gas from outdoors is prevented, it is also easier to manage the air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber 5.

[0039] The air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is set to be substantially the same as the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3.

[0040] In detail, the pressure difference (P3-P1) between the air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3 is, for example, preferably -1 to 1 Pa, more preferably -0.2 to 0.2 Pa, and most preferably 0 to 0.2 Pa. The pressure difference (P3-P1) is managed, for example, by air supply devices 10a, 10c and exhaust devices 11a, 11c.

[0041] This makes it possible to prevent air currents (e.g., ascending air currents) caused by the pressure difference from being formed near the through-holes 13 between the first packing chamber 3 and the protective sheet supply chamber 5. This makes it possible to prevent the strip sheet Sw from being shaken by the air currents, resulting in poor supply or cutting of the strip sheet Sw. Note that, since poor supply or cutting of the strip sheet Sw is more likely to occur when an ascending air current is generated near the through-holes 13, it is preferable that the pressure difference (P3-P1) between the air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3 is 0 Pa or more.

[0042] The air pressure P2 in the second packing chamber 4 is set higher than the atmospheric pressure.

[0043] In detail, the pressure difference (P2-PA) between the atmospheric pressure P2 in the second packing chamber 4 and the atmospheric pressure PA is, for example, preferably 0.5 to 10 Pa, and more preferably 2 to 6 Pa. The pressure difference (P2-PA) is managed, for example, by the air supply device 10b and the exhaust device 11b.

[0044] In this way, it is possible to prevent gas or foreign matter from entering the second packing chamber 4 from the outside. In other words, since the inflow of foreign matter from the outside is prevented, it becomes easier to ensure the cleanliness of the second packing chamber 4. In addition, since the inflow of gas from the outside is prevented, it becomes easier to manage the air pressure in the second packing chamber 4.

[0045] The air pressure in each of the chambers 3 to 6 and / or the differential pressure in each of the chambers 3 to 6 are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate. The differential pressure is determined based on the measurement results of the pressure sensors 12a to 12d, but may also be measured directly with a differential pressure gauge.

[0046] Second Embodiment As shown in FIG. 2, the glass plate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the gas in the first packing chamber 3 and the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 are circulated by an air conditioner (air handling unit) 21.

[0047] In detail, in this embodiment, a common air conditioner 21 is connected to the first packing chamber 3 and the protective sheet supply chamber 5. The air conditioner 21 includes an air blower 22 for sending gas (air) to the first packing chamber 3 and the protective sheet supply chamber 5, and a filter unit 23 for removing foreign matter from the gas sent out by the air blower 22. The filter unit 23 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it includes a coarse dust filter 23a, a medium-performance filter (e.g., MEPA filter, etc.) 23b, and a high-performance filter (e.g., HEPA filter, ULPA filter, etc.) 23c in this order from the gas intake side (blower 22 side). Although not shown, the air conditioner 21 may further include a temperature and humidity adjustment unit (e.g., a hot water coil, a cooling coil, a humidification nozzle, an eliminator, etc.) for adjusting the temperature and / or humidity of the gas to be supplied.

[0048] An outside air duct 24 for taking in outside air and return air ducts 25, 26 for taking in the gas in the first packing chamber 3 and the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 from exhaust devices (exhaust ports) 11a, 11c are connected to the gas intake side of the air conditioner 21. In addition, air supply ducts 27, 28 for supplying clean gas from air intake devices (air supply ports) 10a, 10c into the first packing chamber 3 and the protective sheet supply chamber 5 are connected to the gas supply side of the air conditioner 21.

[0049] Providing the air conditioner 21 in this manner has the advantage that the gas in the first packing chamber 3 and the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 are circulated and the cleanliness of these gases is improved. In other words, adhesion of foreign matter to the glass sheet laminate L and its package X can be more reliably suppressed.

[0050] Third embodiment As shown in Figure 3, the glass plate manufacturing apparatus 1 of the third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that a first air conditioner 31 for circulating the gas in the first packaging chamber 3 and a second air conditioner 32 for circulating the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 are provided separately.

[0051] The internal structures of the first air conditioner 31 and the second air conditioner 32 are the same as the internal structure of the air conditioner 21 of the second embodiment.

[0052] An outside air duct 33 for taking in outside air and a return air duct 34 for taking in gas from the first packing chamber 3 through an exhaust device (exhaust port) 11a are connected to the gas intake side of the first air conditioner 31. In addition, an intake air duct 35 for supplying clean gas into the first packing chamber 3 from an intake device (intake port) 10a is connected to the gas supply side of the first air conditioner 31.

[0053] Similarly, an outside air duct 36 for taking in outside air and a return air duct 37 for taking in gas from the protective sheet supply chamber 5 through the exhaust device (exhaust port) 11c are connected to the gas intake side of the second air conditioner 32. In addition, an air supply duct 38 for supplying clean gas into the protective sheet supply chamber 5 from the air intake device (air intake port) 10c is connected to the gas supply side of the second air conditioner 32.

[0054] By providing the first air conditioner 31 and the second air conditioner 32 in this way, the gas in the first packing chamber 3 and the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 can be managed separately. The foreign matter mainly generated in the first packing chamber 3 is powder of packing materials such as the protective sheet S and glass powder. On the other hand, the foreign matter mainly generated in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is powder of packing materials such as the protective sheet S, and contains almost no glass powder. Therefore, since the foreign matter generated in the first packing chamber 3 and the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is different, it is preferable to manage them separately as described above. In addition, by providing separate air conditioners 31 and 32, the individual air conditioners can be made smaller than when a common air conditioner is used. In addition, the duct piping structure of each air conditioner 31 and 32 can be simplified. Therefore, it is advantageous in terms of equipment costs.

[0055] 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.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the air pressure in each of the chambers 3 to 5 is controlled by the air supply devices 10a to 10c installed on the ceiling and the exhaust devices 11a to 11c installed on the floor, but the air pressure control mechanism for controlling the air pressure in each of the chambers 3 to 5 is not limited to this. For example, the air pressure control mechanism may be configured to include only the air supply devices. Furthermore, the position of the air pressure control mechanism is not limited to the ceiling or floor, and can be changed as appropriate.

[0057] In the above embodiment, an example was given of a case in which a vertically oriented glass plate G and a vertically oriented protective sheet S are loaded on a pallet T for vertical placement in the first packaging chamber 3, but a horizontally oriented glass plate G and a horizontally oriented protective sheet S may also be loaded on a pallet for horizontal placement (flat placement).

[0058] In the above embodiment, the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is located above the first packing chamber 3, but the positional relationship between the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the first packing chamber 3 is not limited to this. For example, the protective sheet supply chamber 5 may be located below the first packing chamber 3. Furthermore, the protective sheet supply chamber 5 may be omitted, and the protective sheet roll Sr may be disposed in the first packing chamber 3.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the glass plate G and the protective sheet S are loaded onto the pallet T in the first packing chamber 3 to obtain the pallet T on which the glass plate laminate L is placed, and the final packing process is performed in the second packing chamber 4 to obtain the glass plate package X by attaching a position regulating member to the pallet T on which the glass plate laminate L is placed or covering the glass plate laminate L with a protective member C. However, the contents of the packing work in each chamber 3, 4 are not limited to this. For example, when there is sufficient space in the first packing chamber 3, the above-mentioned loading process and the final packing process may be performed in the first packing chamber 3. In this case, the glass plate package X before collection is stored in the second packing chamber 4. Note that, usually, there is no extra space in the first packing chamber 3 other than the working space of the loading device. Therefore, in consideration of the manufacturing efficiency, it is preferable that after the loading process of one pallet T is completed, the pallet T on which the glass plate laminate L is placed is carried out to the second packing chamber 4, and an empty pallet T is immediately placed in the working space of the loading device in the first packing chamber 3.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the protective sheet S is obtained by cutting the strip-shaped sheet Sw at predetermined lengths, but the protective sheet S may be prepared in advance as a sheet. In this case, the lamination step includes a step of supplying the protective sheet S from the protective sheet supply chamber 5 to the first packaging chamber 3 through the through hole 13, instead of the above-mentioned supply step and cutting step.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3 is preferably set higher than the air pressure P0 in the cutting chamber 2. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter such as glass powder generated in the cutting chamber 2 from flowing into the first packing chamber 3.

[0062] In the above second and third embodiments, the gas in the first packing chamber 3 and the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 are circulated by the air conditioners 21, 31, and 32, but the configuration for circulating gas by the air conditioner may be provided only in the first packing chamber 3 or only in the protective sheet supply chamber 5, and may also be applied to other locations such as the second packing chamber 4, the spare chamber 6, and the inspection chamber. The positions and numbers of the air inlets and exhaust ports in each chamber are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate depending on the size of each chamber and the required cleanliness of the gas, etc.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the case where the glass ribbon is formed by the overflow downdraw method has been described. However, the glass ribbon may be formed by other known forming methods such as the slot downdraw method, the redraw method, the float method, or the like.

[0064] The present invention also includes the following problems and inventions.

[0065] A packing room for loading the glass plate and the protective sheet onto the pallet needs to be a clean space to prevent foreign matter (particles) from adhering to the glass plate. However, if the air pressure in the packing room is not properly controlled, outdoor gas (air) and foreign matter contained in the gas may flow into the packing room, causing the foreign matter to adhere to the glass plate and / or the protective sheet. If the glass plate or protective sheet with foreign matter attached thereto is loaded onto the pallet, the foreign matter may be brought to the contact surface between the glass plate and the protective sheet, causing problems such as the foreign matter being pressed against the glass plate or scratches.

[0066] An object of the present invention is to reliably prevent foreign matter from being introduced onto the contact surface between a glass plate and a protective sheet when the glass plate and the protective sheet are loaded onto a pallet.

[0067] (1) The present invention, which has been invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a method for manufacturing glass plates, comprising a loading process for loading a glass plate and a protective sheet onto a pallet in a first packing chamber, and an unloading process for unloading the pallet carrying the glass plate and the protective sheet from the first packing chamber to a second packing chamber, and is characterized in that the air pressure in the first packing chamber is made higher than the air pressure in the second packing chamber.

[0068] In this way, the packing chamber is divided into a first packing chamber and a second packing chamber. The air pressure in the first packing chamber, in which the glass plate and the protective sheet are loaded onto the pallet, is set higher than the air pressure in the second packing chamber. This makes it possible to prevent the gas in the second packing chamber and foreign matter contained in the gas from flowing into the first packing chamber. In other words, the first packing chamber can be kept cleaner than the second packing chamber. This makes it possible to reliably prevent foreign matter from being brought into the contact surface between the glass plate and the protective sheet when the glass plate and the protective sheet are loaded onto the pallet in the first packing chamber.

[0069] (2) In the above configuration (1), it is preferable that the air pressure in the second packing chamber is made higher than atmospheric pressure.

[0070] In this way, it is possible to prevent gas or foreign matter from entering the second packing chamber from the outside (e.g., outdoors). In other words, since the inflow of foreign matter from the outside is prevented, it is easier to ensure the cleanliness of the second packing chamber. In addition, since the inflow of gas from the outside is prevented, it is also easier to manage the air pressure in the second packing chamber.

[0071] (3) In the configuration of (1) or (2) above, the loading process may further include a step of supplying a strip sheet pulled out from a protective sheet roll arranged in the protective sheet supply chamber from the protective sheet supply chamber to the first packing chamber, and a step of cutting the strip sheet supplied to the first packing chamber to a predetermined length to obtain a protective sheet.

[0072] In this way, the protective sheet supply chamber in which the protective sheet roll is disposed can be a chamber separate from the first packing chamber, so that even if a glass plate is broken in the first packing chamber, the glass powder is less likely to adhere to the protective sheet roll or the strip-shaped sheet in the protective sheet supply chamber.

[0073] (4) In the above configuration (3), it is preferable that the pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber is higher than atmospheric pressure.

[0074] In this way, it is possible to prevent gas or foreign matter from entering the protective sheet supply chamber from the outside (e.g., outdoors). In other words, since the inflow of foreign matter from the outside is prevented, it is easier to ensure the cleanliness of the protective sheet supply chamber. In addition, since the inflow of gas from the outside is prevented, it is also easier to manage the air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber.

[0075] (5) In the above configuration (3) or (4), it is preferable that the air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber is substantially the same as the air pressure in the first packing chamber.

[0076] In this way, it is possible to prevent the formation of an air current (e.g., an ascending air current) caused by a pressure difference between the first packing chamber and the protective sheet supply chamber, and therefore to prevent the strip sheet from being shaken by the air current, resulting in poor supply or cutting of the strip sheet.

[0077] (6) In any of the above configurations (3) to (5), the protective sheet supply chamber is preferably located above the first packing chamber.

[0078] Particles (tiny foreign matter) such as glass powder floating in space tend to move from top to bottom due to gravity. Therefore, by positioning the protective sheet supply chamber above the first packing chamber as described above, particles from the first packing chamber are less likely to flow into the protective sheet supply chamber, making it easier to maintain the protective sheet roll and strip-shaped sheet in the protective sheet supply chamber in a clean state.

[0079] (7) In any of the above configurations (3) to (6), it is preferable that the gas in the first packing chamber and / or the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber is circulated through an air conditioner equipped with a filter unit.

[0080] In this way, the gas in the first packing chamber and / or the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber can be circulated and the cleanliness thereof can be improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1. Glass plate manufacturing equipment 2 Cutting chamber 3. First Packing Room 4. Second Packaging Room 5. Protective Sheet Supply Room 6. Spare Room 10a~10c Air supply device 11a~11c Exhaust system 12a~12d Pressure sensors 13 Through hole 21, 31, 32 Air conditioner (air handling unit) G Glass plate C. Protective material S Protective Sheet T Palette X Glass plate packaging

Claims

1. A method for producing a glass sheet, comprising the steps of: a loading step of loading the glass plate and the protective sheet onto a pallet in the first packing chamber; A carrying-out process of carrying out the pallet on which the glass plate and the protective sheet are loaded from the first packing chamber to a second packing chamber, The loading step further includes a step of supplying a strip sheet drawn from a protective sheet roll arranged in a protective sheet supply chamber from the protective sheet supply chamber to the first packing chamber, and a step of cutting the strip sheet supplied to the first packing chamber to a predetermined length to obtain the protective sheet, A method for manufacturing a glass plate, comprising the steps of: setting the air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber to be substantially the same as the air pressure in the first packing chamber.

2. 2. The method for producing a glass sheet according to claim 1, wherein a difference (P3-P1) between the air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber and the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber is -1 Pa to 1 Pa.

3. 3. The method for producing a glass plate according to claim 1, wherein the pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber is made higher than atmospheric pressure.

4. The method for producing a glass sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the protective sheet supply chamber is located above the first packing chamber.

5. The method for producing a glass plate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gas in the first packing chamber and / or the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber is circulated via an air conditioner equipped with a filter unit.

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