Glass plate manufacturing apparatus and glass plate manufacturing method

Abstract

To reduce a possibility of failing to hold a part to be cut-out when a glass ribbon is broken and the part to be cut-out is cut out.SOLUTION: A manufacturing apparatus 1 of a glass plate cuts out a part 3 to be cut-out from a glass ribbon 2 as a glass plate 4 by cutting the glass ribbon 2 by breaking it in a width direction while the glass ribbon is transported downward in a longitudinal posture. The manufacturing apparatus includes a breaking mechanism 8 that breaks the glass ribbon 2 while the part 3 to be cut-out is held. The breaking mechanism 8 includes a holding member 10 that captures the part 3 to be cut-out in a normal position P1 and holds it, and a correction member 11 that corrects a position shift of the part 3 to be cut-out from the normal position P1 into a thickness direction prior to holding by the holding member 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a manufacturing technique for glass plates.

Background Art

[0002] As is well known, as one of the methods for manufacturing a glass plate, there is a method of cutting out a glass plate from a glass ribbon by folding the glass ribbon formed by the down-draw method while transporting it downward in a vertical posture. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a specific form of the same method.

[0003] In the form disclosed in the same document, first, a scribe line is formed along a planned cutting line extending in the width direction on one surface of the glass ribbon being transported downward in a vertical posture. Then, with the glass ribbon supported by a fulcrum bar from the other surface side, the portion including the planned cutting line is curved with the fulcrum bar as a fulcrum so that the one surface side becomes convex. Thereby, the glass ribbon is folded and cut along the planned cutting line.

[0004] When folding the glass ribbon, the cut-out portion (the portion to be cut out as a glass plate) existing below the planned cutting line in the glass ribbon is held by a folding arm. The folding arm includes a chuck that holds one end portion in the width direction of the cut-out portion and a chuck that holds the other end portion. Each chuck has a pair of claw portions that sandwich the end portion from the front and back. The pair of claw portions can be switched between a closed state in which the end portion is sandwiched and held and an open state in which the holding state of the end portion is released and the claw portions are retracted outward in the width direction compared to the closed state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the above configuration, due to the warp of the glass ribbon, there was a case where the holding of the cut-out portion by the folding arm failed. Specifically, if the cut-out portion is displaced in the thickness direction beyond the allowable range from its original position due to the warp, it becomes impossible for the pair of claw portions to catch (hold) the end portion of the cut-out portion. As a result, the holding of the cut-out portion may fail.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the technical problem to be solved is to reduce the possibility of failure in holding the cut-out portion when cutting out the cut-out portion as a glass plate by folding the glass ribbon.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] A method for manufacturing a glass plate for solving the above problem is a method for manufacturing a glass plate from a glass ribbon by folding the glass ribbon in the width direction by cutting it with a folding mechanism that holds the cut-out portion of the glass ribbon being conveyed downward in a vertical posture, and when the cut-out portion is in the normal position, the folding mechanism catches and holds the cut-out portion to fold the glass ribbon, and when the cut-out portion is displaced in the thickness direction from the normal position, after correcting the position of the cut-out portion to the normal position, the folding mechanism catches and holds the cut-out portion to fold the glass ribbon.

[0009] In this manufacturing method, when the cut-out portion is displaced in the thickness direction from the normal position, the displacement is corrected prior to the folding mechanism catching and holding the cut-out portion. And since the folding mechanism catches the cut-out portion after the displacement of the cut-out portion is corrected as described above, in this manufacturing method, the cut-out portion can be surely held by the folding mechanism. From the above, according to this manufacturing method, when cutting out the cut-out portion as a glass plate by folding the glass ribbon, the possibility of failure in holding the cut-out portion can be reduced.

[0010] The manufacturing apparatus for a glass plate for solving the above problems is an apparatus for cutting out a cut-out portion from a glass ribbon as a glass plate by folding and cutting the glass ribbon being conveyed downward in a vertical posture in the width direction, and includes a folding mechanism for folding the glass ribbon while holding the cut-out portion, and the folding mechanism includes a holding member for catching and holding the cut-out portion at a normal position, and a correcting member for correcting a displacement in the thickness direction of the cut-out portion from the normal position prior to the holding by the holding member.

[0011] According to this apparatus, the same operational effects as those of the above manufacturing method of the glass plate can be enjoyed.

[0012] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the correcting member has a pair of guides that are paired on the front and back of the cut-out portion, and as the two guides approach each other with the normal position sandwiched therebetween, the displacement of the cut-out portion is corrected.

[0013] In this way, as the pair of guides provided on the correcting member approach each other with the normal position sandwiched therebetween, the cut-out portion existing between the two guides is guided to the normal position by the two guides, and accordingly the displacement is corrected. And after the displacement of the cut-out portion is corrected as described above, since the holding member catches the cut-out portion, the cut-out portion can be surely held by the holding member.

[0014] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the mutual distance when the pair of guides are closest to each other is longer than the thickness dimension of the cut-out portion.

[0015] In this way, even when the pair of guides are closest to each other, the cut-out portion is not pinched and restrained from the front and back by the two guides. Therefore, it is possible to suppress damage to the cut-out portion when correcting the displacement by the two guides.

[0016] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the correcting member is provided in a plurality of upper and lower stages.

[0017] By doing so, the displacement of the cut-out portion can be corrected by a plurality of correction members, so that the displacement can be corrected more reliably.

[0018] In the above configuration, it is preferable to approach the pair of guides in order from the upper correction member to the lower correction member.

[0019] By doing so, it is advantageous for quickly correcting the displacement of the entire cut-out portion. This is because, along with correcting the displacement of the upper part of the cut-out portion, the displacement that may occur in the lower part becomes smaller.

[0020] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the speed at which the pair of guides approach is adjusted according to the conveyance speed of the glass ribbon.

[0021] By doing so, when the conveyance speed of the glass ribbon is relatively slow, the speed at which the pair of guides approach can be slowed down, preventing the guides and the cut-out portion from strongly colliding during displacement correction, so that the cut-out portion can be prevented from being damaged. On the other hand, when the conveyance speed of the glass ribbon is relatively fast, the speed at which the pair of guides approach can be increased, enabling quick correction of the displacement of the cut-out portion, and as a result, contributing to the quick cutting out of the cut-out portion.

[0022] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the holding member includes a plurality of upper and lower stages of chucks having a pair of claw portions that sandwich the widthwise end portions of the cut-out portion from the front and back, and the correction member is disposed below the uppermost chuck and above the lowermost chuck.

[0023] By doing so, after the displacement of the cut-out portion is corrected, the widthwise end portions of the cut-out portion can be smoothly sandwiched by the chuck (pair of claw portions), and the cut-out portion can be held by the holding member.

[0024] In the above configuration, the pair of guides can perform an opening and closing operation, and when correcting the displacement of the cut-out portion, they come into contact with the widthwise end portions. The pair of guides correct the displacement by approaching each other during the closing operation, and they are in an opposing state where both guides face each other on the front and back of the widthwise end portions. During the opening operation, while both guides move away from each other, each of the guides is in a retracted state where it has retracted outside the width direction of the pass line of the cut-out portion. This is preferable.

[0025] In this way, for example, except for the time from when the pair of guides start correcting the displacement of the cut-out portion until the chuck (pair of claw portions) has finished clamping the widthwise end portion of the cut-out portion after correction, each of the pair of guides can be placed in a retracted state where it has retracted outside the width direction of the pass line of the cut-out portion. Therefore, when loading the cut-out portion into the folding mechanism or when folding the glass ribbon, contact between the guide and the cut-out portion can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the pair of guides come into contact with the widthwise end portions of the cut-out portion when correcting the displacement, it becomes easier to prevent parts other than the widthwise end portions of the cut-out portion from being damaged or contaminated. As a result, it is advantageous for improving the quality of the manufactured glass plate.

[0026] In the above configuration, when observed along the vertical direction, it is preferable that the pair of guides are longer than the pair of claw portions.

[0027] In this way, even when the cut-out portion is significantly displaced in the thickness direction from the normal position, the pair of guides can guide the cut-out portion to the normal position, and it becomes possible to cause the pair of claw portions to hold (clamp) the widthwise end portions. This is because the pair of guides are longer than the pair of claw portions, so the pair of guides can hold the widthwise end portions that are in positions where they cannot be held by the pair of claw portions.

[0028] In the above configuration, regarding the width along the vertical direction, it is preferable that the pair of guides are narrower than the pair of claw portions.

[0029] By doing so, it becomes possible to make the width along the vertical direction of the region where the pair of guides and the cut-out portion can come into contact narrower. As a result, damage and contamination of the cut-out portion can be more suitably avoided.

[0030] In the above configuration, after the holding of the cut-out portion by the holding member is completed, it is preferable that the pair of guides perform an opening operation and enter a retracted state.

[0031] By doing so, after the holding of the cut-out portion by the holding member is completed, it is possible to prevent the pair of guides from coming into contact with the cut-out portion, and thus it is possible to suppress the pair of guides from interfering with the cutting out of the cut-out portion from the glass ribbon or the like.

Advantages of the Invention

[0032] According to the method for manufacturing a glass plate and the glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the present disclosure, when the glass ribbon is folded and the cut-out portion is cut out as a glass plate, the possibility of failure in holding the cut-out portion can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0033]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0034] Hereinafter, a glass plate manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction shown in each drawing referred to in the description of the embodiment are directions orthogonal to each other.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 1. In the glass plate manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, a glass plate manufacturing apparatus 1 is used. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus 1 (hereinafter referred to as the manufacturing apparatus 1) is an apparatus for cutting out a cut-out portion 3 from a glass ribbon 2 as a glass plate 4 by folding and cutting the glass ribbon 2 being conveyed downward in a vertical posture in the width direction (X direction).

[0036] The glass ribbon 2 is a strip-shaped glass formed by the down-draw method (for example, the overflow down-draw method or the like). A planned cutting line 5 extends along the width direction of the glass ribbon 2, and a scribe line is formed on one surface 2a of the glass ribbon 2 along the planned cutting line 5 later. The above-mentioned cut-out portion 3 is a portion existing below the planned cutting line 5 in the glass ribbon 2. The cut-out portion 3 is cut out along with the folding of the glass ribbon 2 along the planned cutting line 5 and becomes a rectangular glass plate 4.

[0037] Here, in the following description, the cut-out portion 3 before being cut out from the glass ribbon 2 is referred to as the "cut-out portion 3", and the cut-out portion 3 after being cut out from the glass ribbon 2 is referred to as the "glass plate 4" for distinction.

[0038] The glass ribbon 2 includes an effective portion 6 existing at the center in the width direction and non-effective portions 7 existing at both ends in the width direction with the effective portion 6 interposed therebetween. The effective portion 6 is a portion that will later become the product glass plate, and the non-effective portion 7 is a portion that will not become the product glass plate and will be discarded. The thickness of the effective portion 6 is, for example, 1.0 mm or less. In addition, in FIG. 1, the boundary between the effective portion 6 and the non-effective portion 7 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0039] The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a folding mechanism 8 for folding the glass ribbon 2 while holding the cut-out portion 3. When folding the glass ribbon 2, the folding mechanism 8 has a function of curving the portion including the planned cutting line 5 in the glass ribbon 2 so that one surface 2a side is convex and applying a bending stress to the portion.

[0040] The folding mechanism 8 includes a fulcrum member 9 that supports the glass ribbon 2 from the other surface 2b side and serves as a fulcrum for folding, a holding member 10 that moves from one surface 2a side to the other surface 2b side of the glass ribbon 2 while holding the cut-out portion 3 to curve the portion including the planned cutting line 5, a correcting member 11 that corrects the displacement in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the cut-out portion 3 prior to the holding by the holding member 10, and a regulating member 12 that regulates the displacement in the width direction of the glass plate 4 during falling for disposal when the glass plate 4 cut out from the glass ribbon 2 is to be discarded.

[0041] The folding mechanism 8 is capable of moving up and down along the vertical direction (Y direction) by an elevating device (not shown). When folding the glass ribbon 2, the folding mechanism 8 descends following the glass ribbon 2 at the same speed as the conveyance speed of the glass ribbon 2 downward. Thereby, when folding the glass ribbon 2, the relative positional relationship in the vertical direction between the folding mechanism 8 and the glass ribbon 2 does not change.

[0042] The fulcrum member 9 is formed to be long along the width direction of the glass ribbon 2. The fulcrum member 9 can be changed in its position along the thickness direction of the glass ribbon 2. Specifically, the fulcrum member 9 can move between a contact position where it contacts the other surface 2b of the glass ribbon 2 and a standby position where it is separated from the glass ribbon 2. The fulcrum member 9 exists at the contact position when the glass ribbon 2 is being folded and exists at the standby position except when the glass ribbon 2 is being folded.

[0043] The holding member 10 has the following functions (1) to (3). (1) A function of holding the cut-out portion 3 before and during the folding of the glass ribbon 2, (2) a function of holding the glass plate 4 after the folding of the glass ribbon 2, and (3) a function of releasing the holding state of the glass plate 4 as necessary. And when there are defects in terms of the product, such as chipping or cracking in the glass plate 4 cut out from the glass ribbon 2, the holding member 10 releases the holding state of the glass plate 4. Thereby, it is possible to freely drop the glass plate 4 from the folding mechanism 8 and discard it.

[0044] The holding member 10 has a pair of arms 13, 13 facing each other on one side and the other side in the width direction of the cut-out portion 3. Each of the pair of arms 13, 13 includes an arm body 14 extending in the vertical direction and chucks 15 attached to the arm body 14 in a state of being arranged in a plurality of upper and lower stages (five upper and lower stages in this embodiment). The plurality of chucks 15 provided on one and the other of the pair of arms 13, 13 are for holding the end portion 3a on one side in the width direction and the end portion 3a on the other side in the width direction of the cut-out portion 3, respectively.

[0045] Here, the plurality of chucks 15 for holding the end portion 3a on one side in the width direction and the plurality of chucks 15 for holding the end portion 3a on the other side in the width direction are configured to essentially release the holding state of the glass plate 4 simultaneously when the above-mentioned glass plate 4 is discarded. However, since it is extremely difficult to completely release the holding state of the glass plate 4 simultaneously, an inevitable deviation occurs in the timing of releasing the holding state. Due to this deviation, the glass plate 4 drops (falls obliquely) while being displaced in the width direction rather than directly downward. To address this problem, in this manufacturing apparatus 1, a regulating member 12 is provided in the breaking mechanism 8 (details of the regulating member 12 will be described later).

[0046] Refer to FIG. 2. Each chuck 15 provided in the holding member 10 has a pair of claw portions 16, 16 that sandwich the end portion 3a of the cut-out portion 3 from the front and back, and a cylinder 17 that serves as a drive source for causing the pair of claw portions 16, 16 to perform an opening and closing operation. Here, in this embodiment, a cylinder 17 is adopted as the drive source, but it is not limited thereto, and a servo motor, an electromagnetic actuator, etc. may be adopted as the drive source.

[0047] The pair of claw portions 16, 16 can be switched between a closed state (the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 2) in which the end portion 3a is sandwiched and held, and an open state (the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) in which the holding state of the end portion 3a is released and the claw portions are retracted outward in the width direction compared to the closed state. The pair of claw portions 16, 16 in the open state are located outside the pass line of the cut-out portion 3 (the line through which the cut-out portion 3 passes when being carried into the breaking mechanism 8) in the width direction. At the tip of each of the pair of claw portions 16, 16, a contact portion 16a (not shown in the drawings other than FIG. 2) that directly contacts the end portion 3a of the cut-out portion 3 is provided. The contact portion 16a is made of an elastic material such as rubber as an example.

[0048] The pair of claw portions 16, 16 can capture and hold the cut-out portion 3 (end portion 3a) at the normal position P1. Here, the "normal position P1" is the position where the cut-out portion 3 exists in the thickness direction when there is no warp in the glass ribbon 2. The pair of claw portions 16, 16 can capture and hold the cut-out portion 3 as long as the displacement of the cut-out portion 3 in the thickness direction from the normal position P1 is within the allowable range. However, for example, when the cut-out portion 3 (end portion 3a) exists at the position shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 2, if the displacement of the cut-out portion 3 due to the warp exceeds the allowable range, the pair of claw portions 16, 16 cannot capture (pinch) the cut-out portion 3. To address this problem, in this manufacturing apparatus 1, a correcting member 11 is provided in the folding mechanism 8 (details of the correcting member 11 will be described later).

[0049] Refer to Fig. 1. The arm body 14 can rotate about an axis extending in the X direction. The arm body 14 can take a vertical posture parallel to the vertical direction and an inclined posture inclined with respect to the vertical posture during the rotation operation, and can switch between the two postures. When the glass ribbon 2 is folded, with each chuck 15 holding the cut-out portion 3, the posture of the arm body 14 shifts from the vertical posture to the inclined posture. As a result, the arm body 14 moves from one side 2a of the glass ribbon 2 toward the other side 2b, and accordingly, the portion of the glass ribbon 2 including the planned cutting line 5 is curved.

[0050] The correcting member 11 is attached to each of the pair of arms 13, 13. In each arm 13, the correcting member 11 is arranged in a plurality of upper and lower stages (two upper and lower stages in this embodiment). Between one and the other of the pair of arms 13, 13, the correcting member 11 exists at the same height position. Also, the correcting member 11 is arranged below the uppermost chuck 15 and above the lowermost chuck 15. In this embodiment, the number of the correcting members 11 is less than the number of the chucks 15.

[0051] Here, as a modification of the present embodiment, only a single correction member 11 may be arranged on each arm 13, or correction members 11 with three or more upper and lower stages may be arranged. Further, the height positions of the correction members 11 may be displaced between one and the other of the pair of arms 13, 13. Also, the positional relationship and the quantitative relationship between both the chuck 15 and the correction member 11 may be different from those of the present embodiment. In addition, the chuck 15 and the correction member 11 may be regularly arranged. As an example, one correction member 11 is arranged for each of the two-stage chucks 15. Also, the correction member 11 may be arranged above the uppermost chuck 15.

[0052] Refer to FIG. 3. The correction member 11 has a function of correcting the displacement in the thickness direction from the normal position P1 of the cut-out portion 3 so that the pair of claw portions 16, 16 can catch and hold the cut-out portion 3 (end portion 3a). The correction member 11 includes a pair of guides 18, 18 that face each other on the front and back of the cut-out portion 3, and a cylinder 19 that serves as a drive source for causing the pair of guides 18, 18 to perform an opening and closing operation. Here, in the present embodiment, the cylinder 19 is adopted as the drive source, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a servo motor, an electromagnetic actuator, or the like may be adopted as the drive source.

[0053] The pair of guides 18, 18 correct the displacement of the cut-out portion 3 as the two guides 18, 18 approach each other with the normal position P1 in between. In the present embodiment, the shape of each of the pair of guides 18, 18 is a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0054] Specifically, a pair of guides 18, 18 can be switched between an opposed state where they face each other on the front and back of the end 3a of the cut-out portion 3 (the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 3) and a retracted state where they are retracted outward in the width direction from the pass line of the cut-out portion 3 (the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3). Then, the pair of guides 18, 18 move from the retracted state to the opposed state by a closing operation, so that the two guides 18, 18 approach each other while correcting the displacement. At this time, the guide 18 guides the cut-out portion 3 to the normal position P1 while contacting the end 3a of the cut-out portion 3. Among the correction members 11 arranged in two upper and lower stages, the pair of guides 18, 18 approach the lower-stage correction member 11 from the upper-stage correction member 11 in order and are configured to move from the retracted state to the opposed state.

[0055] The speed at which the pair of guides 18, 18 approach each other can be adjusted according to the conveyance speed of the glass ribbon 2. For example, when the conveyance speed of the glass ribbon 2 is relatively fast, the speed at which the pair of guides 18, 18 approach each other can be increased, and when the conveyance speed of the glass ribbon 2 is relatively slow, the speed at which the pair of guides 18, 18 approach each other can be decreased. Also, the timing at which the pair of guides 18, 18 are shifted from the retracted state to the opposed state can be adjusted. For example, when the cut-out portion 3 is carried into the cutting mechanism 8 at the time of folding the glass ribbon 2, the pair of guides 18, 18 may be configured to shift from the retracted state to the opposed state after the entire cut-out portion 3 (the entire vertical length) has been carried in. In addition, the pair of guides 18, 18 may be configured to shift from the retracted state to the opposed state when the cut-out portion 3 passes through the height position where the pair of guides 18, 18 are arranged.

[0056] When the pair of guides 18, 18 are closest to each other, the mutual distance D (the mutual distance in the opposed state) is longer than the thickness dimension of the cut-out portion 3 (effective portion 6). Thereby, even when the pair of guides 18, 18 are closest to each other, a gap is ensured between at least one of the pair of guides 18, 18 and the end portion 3a of the cut-out portion 3. Here, the above mutual distance D is preferably a distance of 3 to 50 times the thickness dimension of the cut-out portion 3. This is from the viewpoint of preventing the end portion 3a of the cut-out portion 3 from being constrained from the front and back by the pair of guides 18, 18 while accurately guiding the cut-out portion 3 to the normal position P1.

[0057] As described above, when the correction of the displacement of the cut-out portion 3 is completed, the pair of claw portions 16, 16 shift from the open state to the closed state, and the pair of claw portions 16, 16 hold the cut-out portion 3. After the pair of claw portions 16, 16 hold the cut-out portion 3, the pair of guides 18, 18 shift from the opposed state to the retracted state by an opening operation, and both guides 18, 18 retract outward in the width direction while separating from each other. Among the correction members 11 arranged in the upper and lower two stages, the pair of guides 18, 18 separate from the upper-stage correction member 11 to the lower-stage correction member 11 in order and shift from the opposed state to the retracted state.

[0058] Refer to FIGS. 2 to 4. When observed along the vertical direction (when observed from the Y direction), in the comparison between the claw portion 16 and the guide 18, the length L2 of the guide 18 is longer than the length L1 of the claw portion 16. Here, the length L2 is preferably a length of more than 1 times and 5 times or less based on the length L1. On the other hand, regarding the width along the vertical direction, the width W2 of the guide 18 is narrower than the width W1 of the claw portion 16. The width W2 of the guide 18 is preferably, for example, 50 mm to 200 mm. In FIG. 4, the open state of the pair of claw portions 16, 16 and the retracted state of the pair of guides 18, 18 are shown by solid lines, and the closed state of the pair of claw portions 16, 16 and the opposed state of the pair of guides 18, 18 are shown by two-dot chain lines.

[0059] Here, as a modification of the present embodiment, when correcting the displacement of the cut-out portion 3, a configuration may be adopted in which a pair of guides 18, 18 approach in order from the lower correction member 11 to the upper correction member 11, or a configuration may be adopted in which a pair of guides 18, 18 approach simultaneously in the correction members 11 of a plurality of upper and lower stages. Further, after a pair of claw portions 16, 16 hold the cut-out portion 3, a configuration may be adopted in which a pair of guides 18, 18 separate in order from the lower correction member 11 to the upper correction member 11, or a configuration may be adopted in which a pair of guides 18, 18 separate simultaneously in the correction members 11 of a plurality of upper and lower stages.

[0060] Also, as another modification of the present embodiment, when the cut-out portion 3 has not been displaced in the thickness direction from the normal position P1, a configuration may be adopted in which the correction member 11 (a pair of guides 18, 18) does not operate. That is, the correction member 11 may be configured to operate only when displacement has occurred, or only when the displacement exceeds the allowable range.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 1, the regulating member 12 has a function of preventing collision between the chuck 15 (a pair of claw portions 16, 16) and the correction member 11 (a pair of guides 18, 18) and the glass plate 4 even when the glass plate 4 to be discarded falls while being displaced in the width direction rather than directly below. In other words, it has a function of making the direction of the glass plate 4 during falling appropriate. The regulating member 12 is attached to each of the pair of arms 13, 13. Only a single regulating member 12 is arranged on each arm 13. In each arm 13, the regulating member 12 is arranged above the lowermost chuck 15. The regulating member 12 attached to one of the pair of arms 13, 13 and the regulating member 12 attached to the other are paired and exist at the same height position. When regulating the displacement of the glass plate 4 in the width direction during falling, the regulating members 12 attached to one and the other of the pair of arms 13, 13 contact the end face 4a on one side in the width direction and the end face 4a on the other side in the width direction of the glass plate 4, respectively. In the present embodiment, as the regulating member 12, a roller 20 having a peripheral surface 20a that contacts the end face 4a of the glass plate 4 is adopted.

[0062] Refer to FIG. 4. The regulating member 12 is movable between a regulating position (the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4) for regulating the displacement of the glass plate 4 in the width direction during the fall and a separating position (the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 4) separated outward in the width direction from the regulating position. When dropping the glass plate 4, the regulating member 12 moves from the separating position to the regulating position immediately before releasing the holding state of the glass plate 4 by the holding member 10. On the other hand, when the dropping of the glass plate 4 is completed and the disposal is finished, the regulating member 12 returns from the regulating position to the separating position. Note that both the regulating position and the separating position are located outside the pass line of the cut-out portion 3 in the width direction. Thereby, when the glass plate 4 drops straight down without displacement in the width direction, the end face 4a of the glass plate 4 does not contact the regulating member 12.

[0063] The regulating member 12 that has moved to the regulating position can contact the end face 4a of the glass plate 4 inside the width direction of the pair of claw portions 16, 16 in the open state and the pair of guides 18, 18 in the retracted state. More specifically, when the regulating member 12 (roller 20) moves to the regulating position, a point 20aa (the point existing most inward in the width direction on the circumferential surface 20a) on the circumferential surface 20a of the roller 20 exists inside the width direction of the pair of claw portions 16, 16 in the open state and the pair of guides 18, 18 in the retracted state. And in this state, it is possible to contact the end face 4a of the glass plate 4. In the present embodiment, the innermost position in the width direction of the pair of claw portions 16, 16 in the open state and the innermost position in the width direction of the pair of guides 18, 18 in the retracted state are the same in the width direction (of course, they may not be the same). Note that, based on the pair of claw portions 16, 16 in the open state and the pair of guides 18, 18 in the retracted state, the protruding dimension A by which the above-mentioned point 20aa protrudes inward in the width direction is preferably 15 mm or more. This is from the viewpoint of accurately preventing the collision between the glass plate 4 during the fall and the pair of claw portions 16, 16 and the pair of guides 18, 18.

[0064] Here, as a modification of this embodiment, a plurality of upper and lower restricting members 12 may be arranged on each of the pair of arms 13, 13. Even in this case, each restricting member 12 attached to one of the pair of arms 13, 13 and each restricting member 12 attached to the other preferably form a pair and are located at the same height position. At this time, there will be a plurality of pairs vertically, and the separation distance (the separation distance along the X direction) between the restricting members 12, 12 may be equal or different among the plurality of pairs. When making the separation distance different, the separation distance between the restricting members 12, 12 forming a pair on the upper side may be shorter or, conversely, longer.

[0065] Also, as another modification of this embodiment, the restricting member 12 may always be in a fixed position. That is, the restricting member 12 may be fixed to the restricting position and may not be movable. Further, a member other than the roller 20 may be employed as the restricting member 12.

[0066] Hereinafter, the operation of the above manufacturing apparatus 1 (the method for manufacturing a glass plate using the manufacturing apparatus 1) will be described in chronological order.

[0067] When the cut-out portion 3 reaches the folding mechanism 8 as the glass ribbon 2 is conveyed, the folding mechanism 8 starts to descend following the glass ribbon 2. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, in each of the upper and lower two-stage correcting members 11, the pair of guides 18, 18 shift from the retracted state to the opposed state. At this time, the upper-stage correcting member 11 causes the pair of guides 18, 18 to shift to the opposed state prior to the lower-stage correcting member 11. When the pair of guides 18, 18 shift to the opposed state in each correcting member 11, the displacement in the thickness direction from the normal position P1 of the cut-out portion 3 is corrected.

[0068] After the misalignment of the cut-out portion 3 is corrected, as shown in FIG. 6, in each chuck 15 provided in the holding member 10, a pair of claw portions 16, 16 shift from the open state to the closed state. The shift from the open state to the closed state is performed simultaneously for all the chucks 15. As a result, the pair of claw portions 16, 16 in each chuck 15 catch and hold the cut-out portion 3 at the normal position P1. Then, the cut-out portion 3 is held by the holding member 10 via each chuck 15. At this time, the correcting member 11 maintains the opposed state of the pair of guides 18, 18.

[0069] After the cut-out portion 3 is held by the holding member 10, as shown in FIG. 7, in each of the upper and lower two-stage correcting members 11, the pair of guides 18, 18 return from the opposed state to the retracted state. At this time, the upper-stage correcting member 11 causes the pair of guides 18, 18 to return to the retracted state prior to the lower-stage correcting member 11. Thereafter, a scribe line is formed on one surface 2a of the glass ribbon 2 along the planned cutting line 5 by a scribe mechanism (including a cutter wheel or the like that rolls on one surface 2a of the glass ribbon 2) not shown.

[0070] After the scribe line is formed, the fulcrum member 9 moves from the standby position to the contact position and contacts the other surface 2b of the glass ribbon 2. Further, the posture of the arm main body 14 shifts from the vertical posture to the inclined posture. Along with this, the portion of the glass ribbon 2 including the planned cutting line 5 is curved, and the glass ribbon 2 is folded along the planned cutting line 5. At this point, the cut-out portion 3 is cut out as the glass plate 4 from the glass ribbon 2. The cut-out glass plate 4 is delivered to the downstream process by the holding member 10 when there are no defects such as chips or cracks in the glass plate 4.

[0071] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, when there are defects in the glass plate 4 in terms of the product, the glass plate 4 is discarded without being delivered to the downstream process. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the glass plate 4 is damaged and the lower part of the glass plate 4 (the portion indicated by the two-dot chain line in the figure) is missing. Hereinafter, the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1 when discarding the glass plate 4 cut out from the glass ribbon 2 will be described.

[0072] When the glass plate 4 is to be discarded, first, as shown in FIG. 9, the regulating members 12 (rollers 20) attached to each of the pair of arms 13, 13 move inward in the width direction and move from the separated position to the regulating position. Thereby, preparations are made for dropping and discarding the glass plate 4.

[0073] After the regulating member 12 (roller 20) has moved from the separated position to the regulating position, as shown in FIG. 10, in each chuck 15 provided in the holding member 10, the pair of claw portions 16, 16 shift from the closed state to the open state. The shift from the closed state to the open state is performed simultaneously for all the chucks 15. Thereby, the holding state of the glass plate 4 by each chuck 15 is released, and thus the holding state of the glass plate 4 by the holding member 10 is released. Along with this, the glass plate 4 falls from the folding mechanism 8.

[0074] When releasing the holding state of the glass plate 4, as described above, it is extremely difficult to completely release the holding state of the glass plate 4 simultaneously in all the chucks 15. Therefore, due to the difficulty of simultaneous release, as shown in FIG. 10, the glass plate 4 may fall while being displaced in the width direction. In this case, the regulating member 12 contacts the end face 4a of the glass plate 4 inside the width direction from the pair of claw portions 16, 16 in the open state and the pair of guides 18, 18 in the retracted state. Thereby, the collision between the falling glass plate 4 and the pair of claw portions 16, 16 and the pair of guides 18, 18 is prevented, and as a result, damage to the chuck 15 and the correcting member 11 is avoided. As described above, when the dropping and discarding of the glass plate 4 is completed, the manufacturing apparatus 1 starts an operation for cutting out a new glass plate 4 from the glass ribbon 2.

[0075] Here, the following modifications can also be applied to the above-described embodiments. For example, instead of the correction member 11 in the above-described embodiment, a correction member 11 as shown in FIGS. 11 to 14 may be used. In the correction member 11 shown in FIGS. 11 to 14, the shapes of the pair of guides 18, 18 are cylindrical, triangular prism-shaped, semi-cylindrical, and key-shaped, respectively.

[0076] Also, as another modification of the above-described embodiment, instead of the holding member 10 being the chuck 15, it may be provided with a suction pad that sucks and holds the surface of the cut-out portion 3. In this case, by correcting the displacement of the cut-out portion 3 by the correction member 11, the suction pad can reliably hold the cut-out portion 3.

[0077] Also, as the correction member 11, in addition to correcting the displacement of the cut-out portion 3 by the pair of guides 18, 18, for example, when the cut-out portion 3 is displaced from the normal position P1, a member that pushes one surface 2a or the other surface 2b side of the cut-out portion 3 to return it to the normal position P1 may be used.

[0078] Also, in the above-described embodiment, the restricting member 12 restricts the displacement of the glass plate 4 in the width direction (X direction) by contacting the end face 4a of the glass plate 4 during falling, but there may be a case where it restricts the displacement in a direction other than the width direction. The restricting member 12 only needs to be one that restricts the lateral displacement of the glass plate 4 by contacting the glass plate 4 during falling. Here, the "lateral direction" means a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction (Y direction). Therefore, the Z direction and the direction intersecting the X direction and the Z direction are included in the "lateral direction". As a specific example, when restricting the displacement of the glass plate 4 in the Z direction by the restricting member 12, the configuration may be such that the restricting member 12 restricts the displacement by contacting the main surface (front and back surfaces) of the glass plate 4.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0079] 1 Glass plate manufacturing apparatus 2 Glass ribbon 3 Cut-out portion 3a End portion of the cut-out portion 4 Glass plates 8 Folding mechanism 10 Holding member 11 Correction member 15 Chuck 16 Claw part 18 Guide D Distance between each other L1 Length of the claw part L2 Length of the guide P1 Normal position W1 Width of the claw part W2 Width of the guide

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a glass plate, which manufactures a glass plate from a glass ribbon by cutting the glass ribbon in the width direction by folding the glass ribbon while holding a cut-out portion of the glass ribbon being conveyed downward in a vertical posture by a folding mechanism, wherein when the cut-out portion is in a normal position, the folding mechanism catches and holds the cut-out portion to fold the glass ribbon, and when the cut-out portion is displaced in the thickness direction from the normal position, after correcting the position of the cut-out portion to the normal position, the folding mechanism catches and holds the cut-out portion to fold the glass ribbon.

2. A glass plate manufacturing apparatus that cuts out a cut-out portion as a glass plate from the glass ribbon by folding the glass ribbon being conveyed downward in a vertical posture and cutting it in the width direction, comprising a folding mechanism that folds the glass ribbon while holding the cut-out portion, wherein the folding mechanism includes a holding member that catches and holds the cut-out portion in a normal position, and a correcting member that corrects a displacement in the thickness direction of the cut-out portion from the normal position prior to the holding by the holding member.

3. The correcting member has a pair of guides that are opposite to each other on the front and back of the cut-out portion, and the pair of guides corrects the displacement of the cut-out portion as the two guides approach each other with the normal position sandwiched therebetween. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the distance between the pair of guides when they are closest to each other is longer than the thickness dimension of the cut-out portion.

5. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the correcting member is provided in a plurality of upper and lower stages.

6. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pair of guides are sequentially brought closer to each other from the correcting member on the upper stage side to the correcting member on the lower stage side.

7. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the speed at which the pair of guides are brought closer to each other is adjusted according to the conveyance speed of the glass ribbon.

8. The holding member includes a chuck having a pair of claw portions that sandwich the widthwise end portions of the cut-out portion from the front and back, and is provided in a plurality of upper and lower stages, and the correcting member is disposed below the chuck at the uppermost stage and above the chuck at the lowermost stage. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 7.

9. The pair of guides are capable of opening and closing operations, and come into contact with the width-direction end portions when correcting the displacement of the cut-out portion. The pair of guides During the closing operation, as the two guides approach each other, the displacement is corrected while the two guides are in an opposing state where they face each other on the front and back of the width-direction end portion. During the opening operation, as the two guides separate from each other, each of the two guides is in a retracted state where it has retracted outside the width direction from the pass line of the cut-out portion. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8.

10. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein when observed along the vertical direction, the pair of guides are longer than the pair of claw portions.

11. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein in terms of the width along the vertical direction, the pair of guides are narrower than the pair of claw portions.

12. The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein after the holding of the cut-out portion by the holding member is completed, the pair of guides perform an opening operation and enter a retracted state.

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