Glass plate manufacturing apparatus and glass plate manufacturing method

Abstract

To suppress rotational motion around a shaft portion of a holding member that may occur due to movement of a processing unit with acceleration before processing an end surface of a glass plate.SOLUTION: A glass plate manufacturing apparatus 1 includes: a processing unit 3 that has a grinding wheel 3a for processing an end surface Ga of a glass plate G; a holding member 4 that holds the processing unit 3 at one end 4a; a shaft portion 8 that rotatably supports the holding member 4; and a traveling base 7 that supports the shaft portion 8. The processing unit 3 is configured to start from a departure position 12 and then process the end surface Ga of the glass plate G. A weight 9 attached to the holding member 4 functions to suppress rotational motion around the shaft portion 8 of the holding member 4 while the processing unit 3 moves with acceleration from the departure position 12 to a processing start position 13 on the end surface Ga of the glass plate G.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing a glass sheet that is provided with a configuration for processing an edge face of a glass sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of glass substrates used for panel displays such as liquid crystal displays, one or more glass plates are cut out from a large original glass plate (formed original plate). If scratches or other imperfections are present on the edge of the cut glass plate, they may cause cracks or other damage, so to prevent this, the edge of the glass plate is subjected to grinding (rough processing) and polishing (finishing processing).

[0003] As a technique for processing the edge of a glass sheet, Patent Document 1 discloses an edge processing device that includes a holding member (called an arm member in the publication) that holds a processing unit including a processing tool at one end, a shaft portion (called a support shaft member in the publication) that rotatably supports the holding member, and a servo motor that generates a force in the holding member that causes the processing tool to press the edge of the glass sheet. In this case, the processing unit has a motor that drives the processing tool in addition to the processing tool. The glass sheet is placed flat.

[0004] The main operation of this edge processing device is to detect changes in the speed and torque of the servo motor's rotating shaft (motor shaft) and perform feedback control of the speed or torque in response to those changes, thereby adjusting the pressing force of the processing tool against the edge of the glass plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-30089 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As a result of extensive research, the inventors have discovered that when using an edge processing device such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the processing part is moved with acceleration to the processing start position of the edge surface before processing the edge surface of the glass plate, the force of inertia acting on the processing part causes the holding member to rotate around the axis.

[0007] Therefore, if the processing part is accelerated and moved before processing the edge of the glass plate in order to shorten the takt time and improve productivity, the processing part cannot be stably held. This problem leads to a new problem that the processing part cannot properly start processing the edge of the glass plate when it reaches the processing start position.

[0008] In this regard, Patent Document 1 (see paragraphs 0053 and 0054) discloses a configuration in which a stopper and a servo motor can hold a holding member in a certain position before processing the edge of a glass sheet, although not during movement accompanied by acceleration. In more detail, the document describes that, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 10, the torque of the rotating shaft 6Aa of the servo motor 6A presses the holding member 4A against a stopper SA that restricts the counterclockwise rotation of the holding member 4A, and the pressing force (holding force) holds the holding member 4A in that state.

[0009] According to this configuration, when moving at a constant speed, it is expected that the processing part 3A can be stably held. However, when moving with acceleration, the inertial force acting on the processing part 3A may cause the holding member 4A to rotate around the shaft part 8A against the above-mentioned holding force as shown by the chain line in the figure, and move away from the stopper SA. If such a situation occurs, at the processing start position 13A, the processing tool 3Aa of the processing part 3A is in a state of being separated from the end face Ga of the glass sheet G, so that the processing tool 3Aa cannot process the predetermined area LA from the starting end Gax of the end face Ga of the glass sheet G, and the above problem still remains.

[0010] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to suppress rotational movement of the holding member about the shaft portion that may occur when the processing portion moves with acceleration before processing the edge surface of the glass sheet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] As a result of intensive research, the inventors have found that the mass balance of the holding member is important in order to suppress the rotational movement around the shaft of the holding member caused by the inertial force acting on the processing part during acceleration. Based on this, the inventors have found that it is preferable to attach a mass body that can counter the processing part to the holding member. Based on these findings, the following invention was invented.

[0012] (1) A first aspect of the present invention, which has been invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a glass plate manufacturing apparatus comprising: a processing unit including a processing tool that processes the end surface by moving along the processing direction of the end surface of a glass plate in a flat position; a holding member that holds the processing unit at one end; a shaft that is arranged at an intermediate position from one end to the other end of the holding member and supports the holding member so that the holding member can rotate in a plane along the main surface of the glass plate; and a running base that supports the shaft, wherein the running base is configured to move along a direction parallel to the processing direction of the end surface of the glass plate from the time the processing unit leaves a starting position that is located behind the glass plate in the movement direction of the processing unit until processing of the end surface of the glass plate is completed, and a weight is attached to the holding member, and the weight acts to suppress rotational movement of the holding member about the shaft while the processing unit moves with acceleration from the time the processing unit leaves the starting position to the processing start position of the end surface of the glass plate.

[0013] According to this configuration, the weight attached to the holding member can suppress the rotational movement of the holding member around the shaft caused by the inertial force acting on the processing part moving with acceleration. This makes it possible to stably hold the processing part even if the processing part moves with acceleration from the starting position to the processing start position of the edge surface of the glass sheet. As a result, the takt time can be shortened and productivity can be improved. Then, when the processing part reaches the processing start position, processing of the edge surface of the glass sheet can be properly started. In this configuration, even if the weight performing the above-mentioned action is attached to the holding member, processing of the edge surface of the glass sheet is not hindered.

[0014] (2) In the configuration of (1) above, a holding force is applied to the holding member to keep the posture of the holding member constant, and the weight may act to suppress the holding member from rotating around the shaft portion against the holding force.

[0015] Here, even if the holding force is applied to the holding member, the holding member may rotate around the shaft portion against the holding force. This situation becomes more prominent when the mass of the processed portion is large or the acceleration is large. In this configuration, even in such a case, the weight body suppresses the rotational movement of the holding member around the shaft portion.

[0016] (3) In the above configuration (2), a link mechanism may be connected to the other end of the holding member, and a holding force may be applied to the holding member from an actuator supported on the traveling base via the link mechanism.

[0017] Even in such a case, by attaching a weight to the holding member, it is possible to avoid the problem of the holding member rotating about the shaft against the holding force acting on the holding member from the actuator via the link mechanism.

[0018] (4) In any of the configurations (1) to (3) above, when the distance is defined as the distance in a direction perpendicular to the machining direction of the end face within a plane along the main surface of the glass plate, and the distance from one end of the holding member to the central axis of the shaft portion is defined as L1 and the distance from one end of the holding member to the center of gravity of the weight is defined as L2, the relationship L1 < L2 may be satisfied.

[0019] By doing so, the weight balance between the machining portion and the weight is improved, so that the rotational movement of the shaft portion of the holding member around the axis during movement accompanied by acceleration can be efficiently suppressed.

[0020] (5) In any of the configurations (1) to (3) above, the weight may be attached to a portion on the other end side of the holding member with respect to the central axis of the shaft portion.

[0021] By doing so, after the weight is attached to an appropriate position of the holding member, the weight balance between the machining portion and the weight can be improved.

[0022] (6) In any of the configurations (1) to (5) above, it may be provided with an acceleration zone in which the machining portion moves toward the end face of the glass plate while accelerating from the starting position, and a constant-speed zone in which the machining portion moves at a constant speed while machining the end face of the glass plate.

[0023] In this way, by providing an acceleration zone, shortening of the tact time and improvement of productivity are ensured. Also, by providing a constant-speed zone, the end face of the glass plate can be machined carefully and with high precision.

[0024] (7) In the configuration (6) above, the acceleration zone may include a zone in which the machining portion moves from the machining start position of the end face of the glass plate to a position on the front side in the moving direction by a predetermined length.

[0025] By doing so, since the acceleration zone can be made longer by the above-mentioned predetermined length, the tact time can be further shortened and the productivity can be improved.

[0026] (8) In any of the configurations (1) to (7) above, a plurality of processing parts may be arranged along the direction of movement, and a weight may be attached to a holding member that holds a front processing part that is arranged furthest forward in the direction of movement among these processing parts, and a weight may not be attached to a holding member that holds a rear processing part that is arranged rearward in the direction of movement than the front processing part.

[0027] In this way, the following operation can be performed. That is, when the front processing part has stopped moving while accelerating and is moving at a constant speed, the rear processing part is set to reach a position closer to the starting position than the processing start position. With this setting, when the rear processing part reaches the above-mentioned position, the rear processing part also moves at a constant speed following the movement of the front processing part. Therefore, when the rear processing part starts processing the end surface of the glass sheet, no force is generated that tries to rotate the holding member holding the rear processing part around the shaft part. In this case, even if the rear processing part moves while accelerating and the holding member rotates around the shaft part, if the holding member of the rear processing part returns to its original position (the position when stopped at the starting position) when the rear processing part starts moving at a constant speed, no hindrance is caused to the processing of the end surface of the glass sheet even if a weight is not attached to the holding member of the rear processing part.

[0028] (9) In any of the configurations (1) to (8) above, a holding force is applied to the holding member to keep its posture constant, the holding force being a force that presses the holding member against a stopper that regulates the rotational movement of the holding member about the shaft by the torque of the rotating shaft of the actuator, the weight acts to suppress the rotational movement of the holding member about the shaft against the holding force, the torque value of the rotating shaft of the actuator is 0.01 N·m or more and 0.2 N·m or less, and the weight of the weight may be 10% or more and 50% or less of the weight of the processed portion.

[0029] In this way, the weight balance between the processed portion and the weight body is appropriate while taking into account the holding force, so that rotational movement of the holding member around the shaft portion during movement involving acceleration can be suppressed even more efficiently.

[0030] (10) In any of the configurations (1) to (9) above, a holding force is applied to the holding member to keep its posture constant, the holding force being a force that presses the holding member against a stopper that restricts the rotational movement of the holding member about the shaft by the torque of the rotating shaft of the actuator, the weight acts to suppress the rotational movement of the holding member about the shaft against the holding force, the torque value of the rotating shaft of the actuator is 0.01 N·m or more and 0.2 N·m or less, and the distance is the distance in a plane along the main surface of the glass plate, in a direction perpendicular to the processing direction of the end face, where W3 is the weight of the weight, L3 is the distance from the center of gravity of the weight to the central axis of the shaft, W4 is the weight of the processed portion, and L4 is the distance from the center of gravity of the processed portion to the central axis of the shaft, and (W3×L3) / (W4×L4) may be 0.35 or more and 0.75 or less.

[0031] By doing this, the weight balance between the processed portion and the weight body is made even more appropriate while taking into account the holding force, so that rotational movement around the shaft of the holding member during movement involving acceleration can be suppressed even more efficiently.

[0032] (11) In any of the configurations (1) to (10) above, the weight may be divided into a plurality of pieces and attached to the holding member so that the weight can be changed by changing the number of pieces.

[0033] In this way, it is possible to appropriately deal with the case where the acceleration is changed when the processing part is moving while accelerating.

[0034] (12) A second aspect of the present invention devised to solve the above-mentioned problems is a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus comprising: a processing unit including a processing tool that processes the end surface by moving along the processing direction of the end surface of the glass sheet in a flat-laid posture; a holding member that holds the processing unit at one end; a shaft portion that is arranged at an intermediate position from one end to the other end of the holding member and supports the holding member so as to be rotatable within a plane along the main surface of the glass sheet; and a traveling base that supports the shaft portion, wherein the traveling base is configured to move along a direction parallel to the processing direction of the end surface of the glass sheet during the period from when the processing unit departs from a starting position that is located behind the glass sheet in the moving direction of the processing unit until the processing of the end surface of the glass sheet is completed, and the holding member has a holding force for holding the holding member constant and a force for rotating the holding member around the shaft portion during the period from when the processing unit departs from the starting position to a processing start position of the end surface of the glass sheet with acceleration. a torque value of the actuator's rotating shaft is 0.01 N·m or more and 0.2 N·m or less, and the torque value of the actuator's rotating shaft is 0.01 N·m or more, and the torque value of the actuator's rotating shaft is 0.01 N·m or more, and the torque value of the actuator's rotating shaft is 0.2 N·m or less, and the torque value of the actuator's rotating shaft is 0.01 N·m or more, and the torque value of the actuator's rotating shaft is 0.01 N·m or more, and the torque value of the actuator's rotating shaft is 0.2 N·m or more ...

[0035] With this configuration, taking into consideration the holding force, the weight balance between the first holding portion and the second holding portion of the holding member when the processed portion is not attached is improved, and the rotational movement of the holding member around the shaft portion can be suitably suppressed.

[0036] (13) A third aspect of the present invention devised to solve the above-mentioned problems is a method for producing a glass plate, characterized in that the glass plate is produced by using the glass plate production apparatus according to any one of (1) to (12) above.

[0037] According to this manufacturing method, it is possible to enjoy substantially the same effects as those of the glass sheet manufacturing apparatus having any one of the configurations (1) to (12) above. Effect of the Invention

[0038] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the rotational movement of the holding member about the shaft portion, which may occur when the processing portion moves with acceleration before processing the edge surface of the glass sheet. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an edge processing device, which is a main part of a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a glass sheet. [Diagram 2] 3 is a plan view showing the progress of movement of an edge surface processing device, which is a main part of the glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part of an edge surface processing device which is a main part of the glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view for explaining a first condition for attaching a weight to a holding member in an edge surface processing device, which is a main part of a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is a plan view for explaining a third condition for attaching a weight to a holding member in an edge surface processing device, which is a main part of the glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 11 is a plan view for explaining a fourth condition for attaching a weight to a holding member in an edge processing device, which is a main part of the glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing another example of use of the edge processing device, which is a main part of the glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 13 is a plan view for explaining a fifth condition for attaching a weight to a holding member in an edge processing device, which is a main part of the glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a plan view showing another example of attaching a weight to a holding member in an edge processing device which is a main part of a glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a plan view for explaining problems in the conventional art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus and a glass sheet manufacturing method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] 1 is a plan view showing a main part of an edge processing device 2 provided in a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a glass sheet G. The glass sheet G is rectangular and set at a fixed position (e.g., on a surface plate). The edge processing device 2 processes an edge surface Ga of the glass sheet G by moving along the longitudinal direction (processing direction) of the edge surface Ga. In the illustrated example, the edge processing device 2 moves in the direction of arrow A.

[0042] As shown in the figure, the end surface processing device 2 includes a processing unit 3, a holding member 4, a link mechanism 5, an actuator 6, and a traveling base .

[0043] The processing unit 3 is held by one end 4a of a holding member 4. The processing unit 3 has a grindstone as a processing tool 3a and an electric motor 3b that rotates and drives the grindstone 3a. In this embodiment, the grindstone 3a is attached to one end 4a of the holding member 4 via the electric motor 3b. As the electric motor 3b, a synchronous motor, an induction motor, a servo motor, or the like is used.

[0044] The holding member 4 is rotatably held by a shaft portion 8 disposed at an intermediate position between one end portion 4a and the other end portion 4b. In this case, the holding member 4 is configured to rotate within a plane along the main surface Gb of the glass sheet G. In this embodiment, the holding member 4 is inclined so as to move away from the end surface Ga of the glass sheet G as it moves toward the front side in the moving direction (direction A). The shaft portion 8 is fixed (supported) to the traveling base 7.

[0045] The link mechanism 5 includes a first link member 5a and a second link member 5b, and one end of each of the link members 5a and 5b is connected by an intermediate pin member 5x. The other end of the first link member 5a is connected to the other end 4b of the holding member 4 by a first pin member 5y. The other end of the second link member 5b is fixed to a rotating shaft 6a of the actuator 6. In this embodiment, the first pin member 5y, the shaft portion 8, and the rotating shaft 3ba of the electric motor 3b are arranged on a straight line.

[0046] In this embodiment, a servo motor is used as the actuator 6. The servo motor 6 is fixed (supported) to a traveling base 7.

[0047] The servo motor 6 has a control unit. This control unit monitors the speed, torque, and position of the rotating shaft 6a of the servo motor 6 when the edge surface processing device 2 processes the edge surface Ga of the glass sheet G. Then, the control unit controls the position and pressing force of the grindstone 3a by rotating the rotating shaft 6a of the servo motor 6 in the forward and reverse directions according to the speed, torque, and position.

[0048] The traveling base 7 is a component of the traveling carriage, and moves together with the traveling carriage in the direction of the arrow A. After the processing of the edge face Ga of the glass sheet G is completed by the traveling base 7 moving in the direction of the arrow A, the traveling base 7 moves in the opposite direction to the direction of the arrow A and returns to the starting position (details will be described later).

[0049] As shown in the figure, when the edge surface processing device 2 processes the edge surface Ga of the glass sheet G, a force acts to rotate the rotating shaft 6a of the servo motor 6 counterclockwise (in the direction of arrow B), which in turn acts via the link mechanism 5 to rotate the holding member 4 about the shaft portion 8 counterclockwise (in the direction of arrow B). In this case, the pressing force acting from the grindstone 3a on the edge surface Ga of the glass sheet G increases. Conversely, when a force acts to rotate the rotating shaft 6a of the servo motor 6 clockwise, the pressing force acting from the grindstone 3a on the edge surface Ga of the glass sheet G decreases.

[0050] A feature of the edge surface processing device 2 in this embodiment is that a weight 9 is attached to the holding member 4. The weight 9 is attached to a portion of the holding member 4 on the other end 4b side of the shaft portion 8. In this case, the boundary line between the portion of the holding member 4 on the other end 4b side of the shaft portion 8 and the portion of the holding member 4 on the one end 4a side of the shaft portion 8 is a straight line Lz that passes through the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8 and is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the edge surface Ga of the glass sheet G. The weight 9 plays an important role before the edge surface processing device 2 processes the edge surface Ga of the glass sheet G. This will be described in detail below.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 2, the edge processing device 2 moves in the direction of arrow A through the acceleration zone 10 and the constant speed zone 11. The acceleration zone 10 is a zone in which the processing unit 3 moves from the starting position 12 toward the edge Ga of the glass sheet G while accelerating. In this embodiment, the edge processing device 2 moves while always accelerating in the acceleration zone 10. The figure shows the progress of one edge processing device 2 moving in the direction of arrow A. The edge processing device 2 indicated by symbol C in the figure shows a state in which the processing unit 3 is at the starting position 12. The starting position 12 is located behind the glass sheet G in the movement direction. The edge processing device 2 indicated by symbol D in the figure shows a state in which the processing unit 3 is in the middle of moving through the acceleration zone 10.

[0052] The constant speed zone 11 is a zone where the processing unit 3 moves at a constant speed to process the edge surface Ga of the glass sheet G. The edge surface processing devices 2 indicated by the symbols E and F in the figure both show states in which the processing unit 3 is in the middle of processing the edge surface Ga of the glass sheet G.

[0053] In this embodiment, the acceleration zone 10 includes a zone in which the processing unit 3 moves a predetermined length Lx from when it reaches the processing start position 13 on the edge face Ga of the glass sheet G to a position forward in the movement direction. This predetermined length Lx is 10 to 500 mm.

[0054] Then, from the time when the processing unit 3 leaves the starting position 12 (from the time when it starts moving in the acceleration zone 10) until it reaches the processing start position 13, a holding force is applied to the holding member 4 to hold the holding member 4 in a fixed position. More specifically, the torque of the rotating shaft 6a of the servo motor 6 presses the holding member 4 against a stopper S that restricts the counterclockwise rotation of the holding member 4, and the pressing force (holding force) holds the holding member 4 in that state. This holding force is applied to the holding member 4 from the rotating shaft 6a of the servo motor 6 via the link mechanism 5. The torque value of the rotating shaft 6a of the servo motor 6 while this holding force is applied is maintained at 0.01 N·m or more and 0.2 N·m or less.

[0055] In this case, if the weight 9 is not attached to the holding member 4, as already described, the force of inertia acting on the processed portion 3 will cause the holding member 4 to rotate around the shaft portion 8 against the above-mentioned holding force, resulting in a malfunction in which the holding member 4 moves away from the stopper S.

[0056] A weight 9 is attached to the holding member 4 so that such a rotational movement around the shaft 8 of the holding member 4 does not occur. Therefore, from the time when the processing unit 3 starts moving in the acceleration zone 10 until it reaches the processing start position 13, the rotational movement around the shaft 8 of the holding member 4 caused by the inertial force is suppressed. Then, at the time when the processing unit 3 reaches the processing start position 13, the grindstone 3a contacts the starting end Gax of the end face Ga of the glass sheet G, and the stopper S moves away from the holding member 4 and retreats to the retreat position. At this time, the control unit controls the holding member 4 to rotate in the forward and reverse directions via the link mechanism 5 from the rotating shaft 6a of the servo motor 6. As a result, the control unit adjusts the pressing force with which the grindstone 3a presses the end face Ga of the glass sheet G. Therefore, after this, the grinding or polishing of the end face Ga of the glass sheet G is performed while the pressing force of the grindstone 3a on the end face Ga of the glass sheet G is adjusted.

[0057] In this case, the grindstone 3a is accelerated while moving a predetermined length Lx from the starting end Gax of the end face Ga of the glass sheet G, but moves at a constant speed after the predetermined length Lx is exceeded. This constant speed movement is performed until the grindstone 3a reaches the end end Gay of the end face Ga of the glass sheet G. Then, after the grindstone 3a reaches the end end Gay of the end face Ga, that is, after the processing unit 3 reaches the processing end position 14, the processing unit 3 moves while decelerating in the deceleration zone 15, and then stops at the end position 16 and returns to the starting position 12. In this embodiment, the end face processing device 2 moves while always decelerating in the deceleration zone 15. The end face processing device 2 indicated by the symbol H in the figure shows a state in which the processing unit 3 is in the middle of moving through the deceleration zone 15.

[0058] Here, the specific configuration of the weight body 9 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the weight body 9 is divided into a plurality (five in the illustrated example) of plate-shaped weight bodies 9x, and is attached to the holding member 4 so that the number of the plate-shaped weight bodies 9x can be changed to change the weight. Specifically, a plurality (two in the illustrated example) of shaft members 17 are fixed to the holding member 4, and male screw portions 17a are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the respective shaft members 17. A plurality of through holes 9xa corresponding to the shaft members 17 are formed in each plate-shaped weight body 9x, and each through hole 9xa is inserted through each shaft member 17. Then, nut members 18 having female screw portions 18a formed on their inner peripheral surfaces are screwed onto the protruding portions of each shaft member 17 upward from the weight body 9, respectively, so that each plate-shaped weight body 9x and the holding member 4 are fastened. With such a configuration, the number of the plate-shaped weight bodies 9x can be easily changed.

[0059] Hereinafter, the conditions for attaching the weight body 9 to the holding member 4 will be described.

[0060] FIG. 4 shows the first condition for attaching the weight body 9 to the holding member 4. As shown in the figure, this first condition is that when the distance from one end portion 4a of the holding member 4 to the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8 is L1 and the distance from one end portion 4a of the holding member 4 to the center of gravity 9z of the weight body 9 is L2, the relationship L1 < L2 is satisfied. Here, the distance is the distance in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the end face Ga in the plane along the main surface Gb of the glass plate G (the same shall apply hereinafter).

[0061] The second condition for attaching the weight body 9 to the holding member 4 is that, after satisfying the above first condition, the weight of the weight body 9 is 10% or more and 50% or less of the weight of the processing portion 3.

[0062] 5 shows a third condition for attaching the weight 9 to the holding member 4. As shown in the figure, this third condition is that, in addition to satisfying the first condition, when the weight of the weight 9 is W3 and the distance from the center of gravity 9z of the weight 9 to the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8 is L3, the weight of the processed portion 3 is W4 and the distance from the center of gravity 3z of the processed portion 3 to the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8 is L4, (W3×L3) / (W4×L4) is 0.35 or more and 0.75 or less.

[0063] 6 shows a fourth condition for attaching the weight 9 to the holding member 4. As shown in the figure, the fourth condition is that, when a region on one end 4a side of the holding member 4 to which the weight 9 is attached and the processed portion 3 is not attached is defined as a first holding portion 4c and a region on the other end 4b side is defined as a second holding portion 4d, with a line Lz passing through the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8 and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the end face Ga of the glass sheet G as a boundary, the weight of the first holding portion 4c is defined as W5, the weight of the second holding portion 4d (including the weight of the weight 9) is defined as W6, the distance from the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8 to the center of gravity 4cz of the first holding portion 4c is defined as L5, and the distance from the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8 to the center of gravity 4dz of the second holding portion 4d is defined as L6, a relationship of W5×L5≦W6×L6 is satisfied.

[0064] According to the end surface processing device 2 of this embodiment having the above configuration, the following effects can be obtained:

[0065] According to the end surface processing device 2, the weight 9 attached to the holding member 4 can suppress the rotational movement of the holding member 4 around the shaft portion caused by the inertial force acting on the processing unit 3 moving while accelerating. In detail, if the weight 9 is not attached to the holding member 4, a problem occurs in which the holding member 4 rotates around the shaft portion 8 against the holding force, but by attaching the weight 9 to the holding member 4, such a problem can be avoided. As a result, even if the processing unit 3 moves with acceleration from the starting position 12 to the processing start position 13 of the end surface Ga of the glass sheet G, it is possible to stably hold the processing unit 3. As a result, the tact time can be shortened and productivity can be improved. Then, when the processing unit 3 reaches the processing start position 13, the processing of the end surface Ga of the glass sheet G by the grindstone 3a can be properly started from the starting end Gax.

[0066] The processing unit 3 is provided with an acceleration zone 10 where it moves while accelerating, which ensures a reduction in tact time and an improvement in productivity. In addition, the processing unit 3 is provided with a constant speed zone 11 where the processing of the end face Ga is performed by the grindstone 3a while moving at a constant speed, which allows the processing of the end face Ga of the glass sheet G to be performed carefully and with high precision.

[0067] Furthermore, since the acceleration zone 10 includes a zone in which the grinding wheel 3a processes the end face Ga for a predetermined length Lx after the processing section 3 reaches the processing start position 13, the acceleration zone 10 can be extended by the predetermined length Lx, thereby further shortening the tact time and improving productivity.

[0068] By satisfying the above-mentioned first condition for attaching the weight body 9 to the holding member 4, the weight balance between the processed portion 3 and the weight body 9 is improved, so that the rotational movement of the holding member 4 around the shaft portion 8 during movement accompanied by acceleration can be efficiently suppressed.

[0069] By satisfying the above-mentioned second condition for attaching the weight body 9 to the holding member 4, the weight balance between the processed portion 3 and the weight body 9 is appropriate while taking into account the holding force acting on the holding member 4, so that the rotational movement of the holding member 4 around the shaft portion 8 during movement accompanied by acceleration can be suppressed even more efficiently.

[0070] By satisfying the above-mentioned third condition for attaching the weight body 9 to the holding member 4, the weight balance between the processed portion 3 and the weight body 9 becomes even more appropriate, taking into account the holding force acting on the holding member 4, so that the rotational movement of the holding member 4 around the shaft portion 8 during movement accompanied by acceleration can be more efficiently suppressed.

[0071] By satisfying the above-mentioned fourth condition for attaching the weight body 9 to the holding member 4, the weight balance between the first holding portion 4c and the second holding portion 4d of the holding member 4 when the weight body 9 is attached but the processed portion 3 is not attached is improved, so that the rotational movement of the holding member 4 around the shaft portion 8 during movement accompanied by acceleration can be efficiently suppressed.

[0072] The weight 9 is divided into multiple pieces and is attached to the holding member 4 so that the number of pieces can be changed to change the weight, making it possible to appropriately deal with changes in the acceleration in the acceleration zone 10.

[0073] Since the weight body 9 is attached to a portion of the holding member 4 closer to the other end 4b than the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8, the weight balance between the processed portion 3 and the weight body 9 can be improved by positioning the weight body 9 in an appropriate position on the holding member 4.

[0074] FIG. 7 shows another example of use of the end face processing device 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, this example of use is configured such that the leading front end face processing device 2 and the following rear end face processing device 2x move together in the direction of the arrow A. In this case, the shafts 8, 8x and the servo motors 6, 6x of the two end face processing devices 2, 2x may be supported by a single traveling base 7, or may be supported by separate traveling bases 7. The front end face processing device 2 is the end face processing device 2 according to the above-mentioned embodiment, and a weight 9 is attached to the holding member 4. The processing unit 3 of the front end face processing device 2 performs grinding (rough processing). On the other hand, the rear end face processing device 2x does not have a weight 9 attached to the holding member 4. The processing unit 3x of the rear end face processing device 2x performs polishing (finish processing). The other configurations are the same as those of the front end surface processing device 2, so that the components common to both 2, 2x are given the same reference numerals as those of the rear end surface processing device 2x shown in FIG. 7, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0075] Under such a configuration, when the processing unit 3 of the front end surface processing device 2 shifts from the acceleration zone 10 to the constant speed zone 11 as shown in the figure, the processing unit 3x of the rear end surface processing device 2x is set to reach a position closer to the starting position 12 than the processing start position 13. Therefore, when the processing unit 3 of the rear end surface processing device 2 reaches the above-mentioned position, the processing unit 3x of the rear end surface processing device 2x also shifts from an accelerated movement to a constant speed movement following the processing unit 3 of the front end surface processing device 2. As a result, the holding member 4 of the rear end surface processing device 2x returns from the state shown by the chain line in the figure, that is, the state in which it was rotating counterclockwise around the shaft 8 due to the inertial force acting on the processing unit 3x, to the initial state shown by the solid line, that is, the state when it was stopped at the starting position 12. Therefore, the processing unit 3x of the rear end surface processing device 2x can properly start processing the end surface Ga of the glass sheet G. In this example, only one rear end surface processing device 2x is provided, but a plurality of rear end surface processing devices 2x having the same configuration may be provided.

[0076] The glass sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes, in addition to the above-mentioned edge processing device 2, a melting furnace, a feeder, a forming device, a cutting device, a cleaning device, and the like, all of which are not shown in the figure.

[0077] The melting furnace heats glass raw materials to produce molten glass. The feeder transfers the glass raw materials from the melting furnace to the forming device. The forming device forms an original glass sheet (formed original sheet) from the molten glass. The cutting device cuts the original glass sheet to cut out the above-mentioned glass sheet G. The cleaning device cleans the glass sheet after processing the end face Ga using the above-mentioned end face processing device 2.

[0078] Next, a method for producing a glass plate according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0079] This manufacturing method includes a melting step, a transporting step, a molding step, a cutting step, an end surface processing step, and a cleaning step.

[0080] The melting step is a step of producing molten glass using a melting furnace. The transporting step is a step of transporting the molten glass produced in the melting furnace to a forming device using a feeder. The forming step is a step of forming a glass original plate (forming original plate) from the molten glass transported by the feeder. The cutting step is a step of bending and cutting the formed glass original plate, for example, by a scribing device, to obtain the above-mentioned glass plate G. The glass plate G preferably has a thickness of, for example, 0.05 mm to 10 mm, and preferably 0.2 mm to 0.7 mm. In addition, the glass plate G is used, for example, as a glass substrate for a panel display, typified by a liquid crystal display. The edge processing step is a step of processing an edge Ga of the glass plate G using the above-mentioned edge processing device 2. The cleaning step is a step of cleaning the glass plate whose edge Ga has been processed by the above-mentioned edge processing device 2.

[0081] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0082] For example, in the above embodiment, the first pin member 5y, the shaft portion 8, and the rotating shaft 3ba of the electric motor 3b are arranged in a straight line, but these 5y, 8, and 3b do not have to be arranged in a straight line. Therefore, the holding member 4 does not have to extend in a straight line at an angle as in the above embodiment, and may be bent or curved at an intermediate position from one end 4a to the other end 4b of the holding member 4. In addition, the width direction length of the holding member 4 (the length in the direction perpendicular to the direction from one end 4a to the other end 4b) does not have to be uniform.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the shape of the cone 9 is rectangular, but it may be circular, polygonal, or another shape. Also, the cone 9 does not have to be divided.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the servo motor 6 and the stopper S are used to apply the holding force to the holding member 4, but the servo motor 6 may be stopped so that the holding force is not applied to the holding member 4. In this case, the stopper S may be provided, but is not required. In this case, as shown in Figure 8, when the portion on one end 4a side of the holding member 4 to which the processed portion 3 and the weight 9 are attached is defined as the one end side holding portion 4e and the portion on the other end side 4b side is defined as the other end side holding portion 4f, with the boundary being a straight line Lz that passes through the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8 and is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the end face Ga of the glass plate G, the weight of the one end side holding portion 4e (including the weight of the processed portion 3) is defined as W7 and the weight of the other end side holding portion 4f (including the weight of the weight 9) is defined as W8, the distance from the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8 to the center of gravity 4ez of the one end side holding portion 4e is defined as L7 and the distance from the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8 to the center of gravity 4fz of the other end side holding portion 4f is defined as L8, it is preferable that (W7 x L7) / (W8 x L8) be 0.8 or more and 1.2 or less.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the weight 9 is attached to a portion of the holding member 4 on the other end portion 4b side with respect to the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8. However, as shown in FIG. 9, the weight 9 may be attached to a portion of the holding member 4 on the one end portion 4a side with respect to the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8. In this case, as shown in the same figure, when the distance from the one end portion 4a of the holding member 4 to the central axis 8z of the shaft portion 8 is L1, and the distance from the one end portion 4a of the holding member 4 to the center of gravity 9z of the weight 9 is L2, it is necessary to satisfy the relationship L1 < L2.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the holding force is applied to the holding member 4 from the servo motor 6 via the link mechanism 5. However, without using the link mechanism 5, the rotating shaft 6a of the servo motor 6 may be fixed to the other end portion 4b of the holding member 4, and the servo motor 6 may be disposed movably on the traveling base 7 and its movement may be controlled.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the servo motor 6 is used as the actuator. However, other actuators including other motors may be used as long as the above-described holding force can be applied to the holding member 4.

[0088] In the fourth condition shown in FIG. 6 above, the weight of the second holding portion 4d (including the weight of the weight 9) is W6. However, without attaching the weight 9, by using a material for the second holding portion 4d having a higher density than the material of the first holding portion 4c, the weight of the first holding portion 4c may be W5 and the weight of the second holding portion 4d may be W6. Also in this case, it is assumed that the relationship W5 × L5 ≤ W6 × L6 is satisfied.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the case where the end surface processing device 2 moves with respect to one end surface Ga of the glass plate G is illustrated. However, an end surface processing device 2 having the same configuration may simultaneously move at the same speed with respect to the end surface facing the end surface Ga.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the end face processing device 2 is configured to always move while accelerating in the acceleration zone 10, but the end face processing device 2 may also be configured to move at a constant speed in a portion of the zone after leaving the starting position 12, in which case it is sufficient to move while accelerating at least in the zone from just before the processing start position 13 to the processing start position 13. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1. Glass plate manufacturing equipment 2 Edge processing equipment 3a Processing tool (grindstone) 3z Center of gravity of processed part 4 Retaining member 4a One end of holding member 4b Other end of holding member 4c First holding part 4cz Center of gravity of first holding part 4d Second holding part 4dz Center of gravity of second holding part 5 Link mechanism 5a First link member 5b Second link member 6 Servo motor (actuator) 7 Traveling base 8 Shaft 8z Center axis of shaft 9 Pyramid 9z Center of gravity of the weight 10 Acceleration Zone 11 Constant Speed ​​Zone 12 Starting position 13 Machining start position 15 Slow Down Zone G Glass plate Ga end face Gb Main surface of glass plate

Claims

1. a processing unit including a processing tool that processes an edge surface of a glass sheet in a flat position by moving along the processing direction of the edge surface; a holding member that holds the processing unit at one end; a shaft that is disposed at an intermediate position between the one end and the other end of the holding member and supports the holding member so as to be rotatable within a plane along a main surface of the glass sheet; and a traveling base that supports the shaft portion, wherein the traveling base is configured to move along a direction parallel to the processing direction of the edge surface of the glass sheet during the period from when the processing unit departs from a starting position that is located behind the glass sheet in the movement direction of the processing unit until the processing of the edge surface of the glass sheet is completed; A glass plate manufacturing apparatus characterized in that a weight is attached to the holding member, and the weight acts to suppress the rotational movement of the holding member around the shaft portion while the processing portion moves with acceleration from the starting position to the processing start position of the edge surface of the glass plate.

2. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a holding force acts on the holding member to keep the posture of the holding member constant, and the weight acts to suppress the holding member from rotating around the axis portion against the holding force.

3. 3. The glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that a link mechanism is connected to the other end of the holding member, and the holding force is applied to the holding member from an actuator supported on the traveling base via the link mechanism.

4. The distance is defined as a distance in a direction perpendicular to the processing direction of the end surface within a plane along the main surface of the glass plate, When the distance from the one end of the holding member to the central axis of the shaft portion is L1 and the distance from the one end of the holding member to the center of gravity of the weight is L2, L1<L2 4. The apparatus for producing a glass sheet according to claim 1, wherein the following relationship is satisfied:

5. 4. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass sheet according to claim 1, wherein the weight is attached to a portion of the holding member closer to the other end than a central axis of the shaft portion.

6. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises an acceleration zone in which the processing part moves toward the end face of the glass plate while accelerating from the starting position, and a constant speed zone in which the processing part processes the end face of the glass plate while moving at a constant speed.

7. 7. The glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the acceleration zone includes a zone in which the processing part moves a predetermined length from when it reaches a processing start position on the end surface of the glass sheet to a position forward in the movement direction.

8. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a plurality of the processing sections are arranged along the moving direction, the weight is attached to a holding member that holds a front processing section that is arranged furthest forward in the moving direction among these processing sections, and no weight is attached to a holding member that holds a rear processing section that is arranged rearward in the moving direction of the front processing section.

9. a holding force is applied to the holding member to keep the position of the holding member constant, the holding force being a force that presses the holding member against a stopper that restricts the rotational movement of the holding member around the shaft by the torque of a rotating shaft of an actuator, and the weight acts to suppress the rotational movement of the holding member around the shaft against the holding force, The torque value of the rotating shaft of the actuator is 0.01 N·m or more and 0.2 N·m or less, 5. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass sheet according to claim 4, wherein a weight of the weight of the weight of the weight of the processed portion is 10% or more and 50% or less.

10. a holding force is applied to the holding member to keep the position of the holding member constant, the holding force being a force that presses the holding member against a stopper that restricts the rotational movement of the holding member around the shaft by the torque of a rotating shaft of an actuator, and the weight acts to suppress the rotational movement of the holding member around the shaft against the holding force, The torque value of the rotating shaft of the actuator is 0.01 N·m or more and 0.2 N·m or less, The distance is defined as a distance in a direction perpendicular to the processing direction of the end surface within a plane along the main surface of the glass plate, When the weight of the weight body is W3 and the distance from the center of gravity of the weight body to the central axis of the shaft portion is L3, the weight of the processed portion is W4 and the distance from the center of gravity of the processed portion to the central axis of the shaft portion is L4, 5. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass sheet according to claim 4, wherein (W3×L3) / (W4×L4) is 0.35 or more and 0.75 or less.

11. 4. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the weight of the weight-bearing body is changed by changing the number of the weight-bearing body parts.

12. a processing unit including a processing tool that processes an edge surface of a glass sheet in a flat position by moving along the processing direction of the edge surface; a holding member that holds the processing unit at one end; a shaft that is disposed at an intermediate position between the one end and the other end of the holding member and supports the holding member so as to be rotatable within a plane along a main surface of the glass sheet; and a traveling base that supports the shaft portion, wherein the traveling base is configured to move along a direction parallel to the processing direction of the edge surface of the glass sheet during the period from when the processing unit departs from a starting position that is located behind the glass sheet in the movement direction of the processing unit until the processing of the edge surface of the glass sheet is completed; while the processing unit moves with acceleration from the starting position to the processing start position of the end face of the glass plate, a holding force for maintaining a constant posture of the holding member and a force for rotating the holding member around the shaft portion act on the holding member, the holding force being a force that presses the holding member against a stopper that restricts the rotational movement of the holding member around the shaft portion by the torque of a rotating shaft of an actuator, The torque value of the rotating shaft of the actuator is 0.01 N·m or more and 0.2 N·m or less, A portion on the one end side of the holding member in a state where the processing portion is not attached is defined as a first holding portion, and a portion on the other end side is defined as a second holding portion, with a straight line passing through the central axis of the shaft portion and parallel to the processing direction of the end surface of the glass plate as a boundary, The weight of the first retaining portion is W5 and the weight of the second retaining portion is W6, The distance is defined as a distance in a direction perpendicular to the processing direction of the end surface within a plane along the main surface of the glass plate, When the distance from the central axis of the shaft portion to the center of gravity of the first holding portion is L5 and the distance from the central axis of the shaft portion to the center of gravity of the second holding portion is L6, W5 x L5 ≤ W6 x L6 The glass sheet manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that the above relationship is satisfied.

13. A method for producing a glass plate, comprising the steps of: producing a glass plate by using the glass plate producing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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