Glass plate inspection method and glass plate inspection system

Abstract

To provide a glass plate inspection method and a glass plate inspection system which are able to efficiently and easily inspect a glass plate surface.SOLUTION: The glass plate inspection method inspects damage on a glass plate. The glass plate inspection method includes disposing a refractive material having an inclined surface so as to abut with one surface of the glass plate to form an angle (90 degree_θ) between the inclined surface and the glass plate surface. Length of an inclined side of the inclined surface is longer than 2 tSinθ when thickness of the glass plate is defined as t. The method further includes causing the inclined surface to receive light, the glass plate through the refractive material to receive light, and one and the other surfaces of the glass plate to totally reflect the light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a glass plate inspection method and a glass plate inspection system.

Background Art

[0002] Since solar panels are installed outdoors, there may be a number of scratches on the surface of the glass plate of the panel during use. An inspection method for determining whether reuse is possible is required during preventive maintenance after installation.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, when inspecting the end portion of a glass substrate, light is made to enter the glass substrate through a refractive body (prism), travels through total internal reflection within the glass substrate, and reaches the end portion of the glass substrate. By doing so, since the light reaches the end portion of the glass substrate with little attenuation, a technique is disclosed in which scattered light due to microcracks at the end portion of the glass substrate can be clearly observed. (See paragraph

[0028] , [Fig. 1b])

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, the shape of the refractive body, the observation range, etc. are not considered, and it is desired to efficiently observe the surface of the glass plate.

[0006] In particular, the presence or absence of microcracks, which are minute scratches on the glass plate, is an important inspection item for quality assurance of strength and durability. However, in the case of used products, since it is necessary to polish the end portion during the inspection, the inspection cost becomes an issue.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a glass plate inspection method and a glass plate inspection system capable of efficiently and simply inspecting the surface of a glass plate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The glass plate inspection method of the present invention is a glass plate inspection method for inspecting scratches on a glass plate, wherein a refractive material having an inclined surface is disposed in contact with one surface of the glass plate, and the angle formed by the inclined surface and the surface of the glass plate is (90 degrees - θ), and the length of the hypotenuse of the inclined surface is longer than 2tSinθ when the thickness of the glass plate is t. Light is incident on the inclined surface, the light enters the glass plate through the refractive material, and total reflection occurs on one surface and the other surface of the glass plate.

[0009] Further, the glass plate inspection system of the present invention is a glass plate inspection system for inspecting scratches on a glass plate, wherein a refractive material having an inclined surface is disposed in contact with one surface of the glass plate, and the angle formed by the inclined surface and the surface of the glass plate is (90 degrees - θ), and the length of the hypotenuse of the inclined surface is longer than 2tSinθ when the thickness of the glass plate is t. Light is incident on the inclined surface, the light enters the glass plate through the refractive material, and it is configured to cause total reflection on one surface and the other surface of the glass plate.

Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a glass plate inspection method and a glass plate inspection system capable of efficiently and simply inspecting the surface of a glass plate.

[0011] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the embodiments for carrying out the following invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] In the mode for carrying out the present invention, hereinafter, taking a solar panel as an example, it will be described in detail with specific examples. As the usage amount of solar panels increases and they age, the amount of waste may increase rapidly, and recycling and reuse are important for reducing the environmental load. In particular, since the glass plate on the surface of the solar panel is a material with a large discharge amount and high value, it is desirable to reuse it. In particular, solar panels installed outdoors may have scratches on the surface due to wind, rain, etc., and fine scratches such as microcracks may develop into large cracks. Therefore, in order to conduct quality control of recycled products, a method for detecting fine scratches is necessary.

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are examples for explaining the present invention, and for the sake of clarity of explanation, appropriate omissions and simplifications have been made. The present invention can also be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise particularly limited, each component may be in a single or plural number.

[0015] Also, the positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. of the respective components shown in the drawings may not represent the actual positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. For this reason, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

Example

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a method for inspecting microdefects on a glass plate according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, on one surface of the glass plate 2, at one end of the glass plate 2, a refractive member 1 having an inclined surface and refracting light such as a prism is arranged. Light is incident on this refractive member 1 from an oblique direction by a light source 3. Then, the light is incident on the inclined surface of the refractive member 1. This light propagates in the longitudinal direction of the glass plate 2 while repeating reflections inside the glass plate 2. That is, the light is made to totally reflect on one surface and the other surface inside the glass plate 2 and reach the other end of the glass plate 2. That is, if there is a scratch on one surface of the glass plate 2, the luminance of the light from inside the glass plate 2 is different, and the scratch can be confirmed. Here, the direction from one end to the other end of the glass plate 2, that is, the direction in which the light propagates while reflecting inside the glass plate 2 is called the longitudinal direction.

[0017] The angle formed by the inclined surface of the refractive member 1 and the surface of the glass plate 2 is set to (90 degrees - θ), and the length of the hypotenuse of the inclined surface is configured to be longer than 2tSinθ when the thickness of the glass plate 2 is t. Therefore, light with a desired width can be incident. By making light incident with a desired width, the surface of the glass plate 2 can be inspected efficiently. If the width is narrow, a gap is formed between, for example, the light reflected for the first time and the light reflected for the second time on one surface, and there is no light reflected in that gap, so it is difficult to detect scratches. In this embodiment, since the length of the hypotenuse of the inclined surface is configured to be longer than 2tSinθ when the thickness of the glass plate 2 is t, it is possible to make light with a desired width incident.

[0018] As described above, since the light reaches the other end of the glass plate 2 with almost no attenuation, the scattered light due to the microcracks on the surface of the glass plate 2 can be clearly observed.

[0019] Also, when the thickness of the glass plate 2 is t, it is configured to be longer than 2tSinθ, and the width of the incident light is made longer than 2tSinθ in the hypotenuse length direction. Therefore, in the longitudinal direction of the glass material 2, inspection can be efficiently performed without gaps. Here, the direction along the hypotenuse of the refractive material 1 in the drawing is referred to as the hypotenuse length direction, and the depth direction of the hypotenuse is referred to as the thickness direction of the inclined surface. Note that if light scattering occurs on one surface of the glass plate 2 and there are fine scratches or the like, it can be confirmed by visual inspection or the like. Also, since the refractive material 1 is used, inspection can be performed without incident light from the end face of the glass plate 2. That is, if light is to be incident from the end face, it is necessary to process the end face, but by using the refractive material 1, it is not necessary to process the end face, and the process and cost can be reduced.

[0020] Next, in the example of FIG. 1, a light detection unit 4 for detecting the luminance distribution, which is the state of one surface of the glass plate 2, is provided. By this light detection unit 4, the presence or absence and state of fine scratches can be accurately grasped.

[0021] The contact surface 5 between the glass plate 2 and the refractive material 1 is preferably in close contact. For example, a gel or liquid may be provided on this contact surface to fill the air gap of the contact surface 5. By filling the air gap of the contact surface 5 with a gel or liquid, light propagation can be accurately performed.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the principle of microdefect inspection of a glass plate according to this embodiment. Here, n0 is the refractive index of air, n1 is the refractive index of the glass plate, and n2 is the refractive index of the refractive material 1. In the drawing, the refractive material 1 is arranged on the surface of the glass plate 2, and light is incident on the inclined surface of the refractive material 1 at an angle of θ2 with respect to the plane perpendicular to the surface of the glass plate 2. The incident light passes through the refractive material 1 and is incident on the glass plate 2, and at an angle of θ1 with respect to the plane perpendicular to the surface of the glass plate 2, total reflection occurs on the other surface, and light is totally reflected on one surface and the other surface of the glass plate 2. That is, the range satisfies n0 / n2 < Sinθ < n1 / n2, and the refractive index difference |n2 - n1| between the refractive material 1 and the glass plate 2 is less than 0.1. Therefore, the transmitted light 10 is eliminated, and the reflected light 11 is configured to be totally reflected.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a refractive member for inspecting minute scratches on a glass plate according to the present embodiment. By integrating the refractive member 1 and the light source 3, it is possible to reduce the loss due to reflection at the interface between the air between the light source 3 and the refractive member 1 and the refractive member 1. Also, the equipment can be miniaturized.

Embodiment

[0024] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a method for inspecting minute scratches on a glass plate according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment, the refractive member 1 is disposed at one end of the glass plate 2 to inspect the surface of the glass plate 2. At this time, the contact surface between the glass plate 2 and the refractive member 1 cannot be inspected. Next, the refractive member 1 is disposed at the other end of the glass plate 2 to inspect the surface of the glass plate 2. By performing the inspection in this way, a comprehensive inspection is possible.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a method for inspecting minute scratches on a glass plate according to the present embodiment. Depending on the glass plate 2, it may also be considered to focus on inspecting its end portion. This is made possible by installing the refractive member 1 having a trapezoidal shape that is symmetric about the center on the glass plate 2. By incident light on each inclined surface of the trapezoid, it is possible to perform a focused inspection of the end portion of the glass plate. Also, it is possible to confirm in a single inspection a scratch that progresses from the end portion.

Embodiment

[0026] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a system for inspecting minute scratches on a glass plate according to the present embodiment. Similar to Example 1, it includes a light source 3, a refractive member 1, and a light detection unit 4. The light detection unit 4 obtains the luminance distribution of light. The luminance distribution information 6 is transmitted to the diagnosis unit 7. The diagnosis unit 7 analyzes information such as the number (density), size, and position of the scratches, and diagnoses the lifespan until it progresses to a large crack, the load resistance, etc. For example, it is possible to discriminate at least one of the number, density, and depth of the scratches, calculate the service life or the load resistance, and output the quality evaluation of the glass plate 2 as the diagnosis result 8.

[0027] Note that in the diagnostic unit 7 of this embodiment, there are processes (analysis and diagnosis) performed by executing a program. Here, the calculation means in the diagnostic unit 7 executes the program by a processor (such as a CPU or GPU), and performs the processes defined by the program while using a storage resource (such as a memory) and an interface device (such as a communication port), etc. Therefore, the entity that performs the processes executed by the program may be the processor. Similarly, the entity that performs the processes executed by the program may be a controller, a device, a system, a computer, or a node having a processor. The entity that performs the processes executed by the program may be an arithmetic unit, and may include a dedicated circuit for performing specific processes.

[0028] By applying this embodiment, when it is applied to the inspection of micro defects on the glass plate of a solar panel, the recycling efficiency of the solar panel is improved, leading to an improvement in customer value such as social contribution and CO2 reduction.

[0029] In addition, it can be applied to the quality assurance of used glass plates and the inspection of window glasses of high-rise buildings, railway vehicles, airplanes, automobiles, etc., and can easily inspect micro defects on the glass plate and confirm the quality.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0030] 1... Refractive material 2... Glass plate 3... Light source 4... Light detection unit 5... Contact surface 6... Luminance distribution information 7... Diagnostic unit 8... Diagnostic result 10... Transmitted light 11... Reflected light

Claims

1. In a method for inspecting a glass plate for scratches, a refractive material having an inclined surface is disposed in contact with one surface of the glass plate, the angle formed by the inclined surface with the surface of the glass plate is (90 degrees - θ), and the length of the hypotenuse of the inclined surface is longer than 2tSinθ where t is the thickness of the glass plate, light is incident on the inclined surface, the light is incident on the glass plate through the refractive material, and total reflection occurs on one surface and the other surface of the glass plate. A method for inspecting a glass plate, characterized in that.

2. In the method for inspecting a glass plate according to claim 1, A method for inspecting a glass plate, characterized in that the width of the light in the hypotenuse length direction incident on the inclined surface is longer than 2tSinθ.

3. In the method for inspecting a glass plate according to claim 1, When the refractive index of the space where the glass plate is installed is n0, the refractive index of the glass plate is n1, and the refractive index of the refractive material is n2, the range satisfies n0 / n2 < Sinθ < n1 / n2, and the refractive index difference |n2 - n1| between the refractive material and the glass plate is less than 0.

1. A method for inspecting a glass plate, characterized in that.

4. In the method for inspecting a glass plate according to claim 1, A method for inspecting a glass, characterized in that a gel or a liquid is applied to the surface of the refractive material in contact with the glass plate.

5. In the method for inspecting a glass plate according to claim 1, A method for inspecting a glass plate, characterized in that a light source is installed on the inclined surface of the refractive material.

6. In the method for inspecting a glass plate according to claim 1, The refractive material is installed at one end of the glass plate, light is incident, and the glass plate is inspected. The refractive material is installed at the other end of the glass plate, light is incident, and the glass plate is inspected. A method for inspecting a glass plate, characterized in that.

7. In the method for inspecting a glass plate according to claim 1, A trapezoidal refractive material having two inclined surfaces is installed at the center of the glass plate, light is incident, and the glass plate is inspected. A method for inspecting a glass plate, characterized in that.

8. In a glass plate inspection system for inspecting scratches on a glass plate, a refractive material having an inclined surface is provided in contact with one surface of the glass plate, the angle formed by the inclined surface with the surface of the glass plate is (90 degrees - θ), and the length of the hypotenuse of the inclined surface is configured to be longer than 2tSinθ where t is the thickness of the glass plate. A glass plate inspection system, characterized in that light is made to be incident on the inclined surface, the light is made to be incident on the glass plate through the refracting material, and total reflection is caused on one surface and the other surface of the glass plate.

9. In the glass plate inspection system according to Claim 8, A glass plate inspection system, characterized in that the width of the light in the hypotenuse length direction incident on the inclined surface is made longer than 2tSinθ.

10. In the glass plate inspection system according to Claim 8, A glass plate inspection system, characterized by comprising a light detection unit that detects light from the surface of the glass plate.

11. In the glass plate inspection system according to Claim 8, A glass plate inspection system, characterized by comprising: a light detection unit that detects light from the surface of the glass plate; and a diagnosis unit that evaluates the quality of the glass plate based on information detected by the light detection unit.

Images