Glass roll manufacturing method

Abstract

This method for manufacturing a glass roll comprises: a supply step for supplying a glass film; a cutting step for cutting the glass film by irradiating the glass film with laser light from a laser irradiation device; a winding step for winding, by means of a winding device, the glass film that has undergone the cutting step into a roll shape; and a downstream-side adjustment step for adjusting the position of the glass film that has undergone the cutting step, by means of a downstream-side adjustment device provided between the laser irradiation device and the winding device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a glass roll. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs have become increasingly popular, and as a result, there is a growing demand for thinner glass substrates to be incorporated into these devices. Under these circumstances, glass films, which are glass substrates that have been thinned to the point of being like a film (for example, a thickness of 300 μm or less), have been developed and manufactured.

[0003] The manufacturing process of a glass film may include a process of winding a strip-shaped base glass film into a roll to manufacture a glass roll. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a manufacturing method of a glass roll including a forming process, an edge portion removing process, a first winding process, a removal process, a cleaving process, and a second winding process.

[0004] In this manufacturing method, first, in a forming step, a base glass film is continuously formed by an overflow downdraw method. Next, in an edge portion removing step, the base glass film is irradiated with laser light from a laser irradiation device to remove unnecessary edge portions located at both widthwise ends of the base glass film, thereby forming a first glass film. In a first winding step, the first glass film is wound around a winding core to form a first glass roll.

[0005] Then, in the removal process, the glass film is removed from the first glass roll, and in the cleaving process, laser light is irradiated onto the first glass film from a laser irradiation device. As a result, the widthwise ends of the first glass film are removed as unnecessary portions (non-product portions), and a second glass film is formed. Finally, in the second winding process, the second glass film is wound around a winding core to produce a second glass roll. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-48734 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the glass roll manufacturing method described above, the second glass film transported after the cleaving step may be skewed or meandered. This is due to the difference between the length of one end of the second glass film in the width direction and the length of the other end of the second glass film in the width direction. If the degree of skew or meandering becomes large, it may have an undesirable effect on the upstream cleaving step.

[0008] That is, when the second glass film is slanted or meandered, an upstream portion of the second glass film may be pulled by a downstream portion thereof and broken, or the upstream portion of the second glass film may come into contact with an unnecessary portion separated from the first glass film and broken.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its technical object to suppress meandering and oblique movement of a glass film when it is transported. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is a method for manufacturing a glass roll, comprising: a supplying process for supplying a glass film; a cutting process for cutting a portion of the glass film by irradiating the glass film with laser light from a laser irradiation device; a winding process for winding the glass film after the cutting process into a roll using a winding device; and a downstream adjustment process for adjusting the position of the glass film after the cutting process using a downstream adjustment device provided between the laser irradiation device and the winding device.

[0011] As described above, the glass film formed by the cutting process may have a difference in length between one end and the other end in the width direction. In this method, the downstream adjustment process (downstream adjustment device) adjusts the position of the glass film so that the difference in length between one end and the other end of the glass film is not excessive, thereby suppressing skewing and meandering during transport of the glass film. This prevents adverse effects on the cutting process by the upstream laser irradiation device.

[0012] In the supplying step of the present method, the glass film may be supplied by an unwinding device capable of unwinding the glass film from a glass roll formed by winding the glass film into a roll, and the present method may also include an upstream adjustment step of adjusting the position of the glass film supplied from the unwinding device by an upstream adjustment device provided between the unwinding device and the laser irradiation device.

[0013] The glass film supplied from the unwinding device to the laser irradiation device may have a different length at one end in the width direction from the other end in the width direction. If this difference in length is excessive, wrinkles may occur in the glass film supplied to the laser irradiation device, which may hinder cutting of the glass film. In this method, the upstream adjustment process adjusts the position of the glass film so that the difference in length is not excessive, thereby enabling the glass film to be cut with high precision in the cutting process.

[0014] In this method, the amount of position adjustment by the downstream adjustment device with respect to the glass film after the cutting step may be smaller than the amount of position adjustment by the upstream adjustment device with respect to the glass film supplied from the unwinding device. With this configuration, the upstream adjustment device can perform a relatively large position adjustment of the glass film, and the downstream adjustment device can perform fine adjustment of the position of the glass film. This prevents adverse effects on the cutting step by the laser irradiation device.

[0015] The method may include a positioning step of positioning the glass film after the cutting step by using a suction belt conveyor provided between the laser irradiation device and the downstream adjustment device.

[0016] By preventing the glass film from being misaligned by the positioning step, it becomes possible to cut the glass film with high precision in the cutting step on the upstream side of the suction belt conveyor.

[0017] The downstream-side adjusting device may include a conveying roller that comes into contact with the glass film after the cutting step so as to form a wrap angle with the glass film, thereby making it possible to reliably adjust the position of the glass film in the downstream-side adjusting step.

[0018] The upstream-side adjusting device may include a conveying roller that comes into contact with the glass film supplied from the unwinding device so as to form a wrap angle with the glass film, thereby making it possible to reliably adjust the position of the glass film in the upstream-side adjusting step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress meandering and oblique movement of the glass film when it is transported. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a glass roll manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the second cutting portion. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the downstream adjustment device. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a glass roll. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a downstream side adjusting step. [Figure 7]FIG. 4 is a side view showing a glass roll manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the upstream adjustment device and the second cutting portion. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a glass roll. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a glass roll manufacturing apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the downstream adjustment device. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the downstream adjustment device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 6 show a first embodiment of a method for producing a glass roll according to the present invention.

[0022] 1 shows a glass roll manufacturing apparatus used in this method. The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a forming unit 2 that forms a strip-shaped base glass film G, a direction changing unit 3 that changes the traveling direction of the base glass film G from a vertical direction downward to a horizontal direction, a first conveying unit 4 that conveys the base glass film G in the horizontal direction after the direction change, a first cutting unit 5 that cuts both widthwise end portions of the base glass film G to form a first glass film G1, and a first winding device 6 that winds up the first glass film G1 into a roll to obtain a first glass roll GRL1.

[0023] The manufacturing apparatus 1 further includes an unwinding device 7 that feeds out the first glass film G1 from the first glass roll GRL1, a second conveying section 8 that conveys the first glass film G1 supplied from the unwinding device 7, a second cutting section 9 that cuts a portion of the first glass film G1 to form a second glass film G2, and a second winding device 10 that winds up the second glass film G2 into a roll to obtain the second glass roll GRL2.

[0024] The forming section 2 has a forming body 11 that is roughly wedge-shaped in cross section and has an overflow groove 11a formed at its upper end, edge rollers 12 that are arranged directly below the forming body 11 and clamp the molten glass GM formed by the forming body 11 from both the front and back sides, and an annealer 13 that is arranged directly below the edge rollers 12.

[0025] The forming unit 2 causes the molten glass GM overflowing from the overflow grooves 11a of the forming body 11 to flow down along both side surfaces of the forming body 11 and join at the lower end to form a film. The edge rollers 12 regulate the widthwise contraction of the molten glass GM to adjust the widthwise dimension of the base glass film G. The annealer 13 is used to perform a distortion removal process on the base glass film G. The annealer 13 has annealer rollers 14 arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction.

[0026] Support rollers 15 that sandwich the base glass film G from both the front and back sides are disposed below the annealer 13. Tension is applied to the base glass film G between the support rollers 15 and the edge rollers 12 or between the support rollers 15 and any one of the annealer rollers 14 to promote thinning of the base glass film G.

[0027] The direction changer 3 is provided below the support rollers 15. A plurality of guide rollers 16 for guiding the base glass film G are arranged in a curved shape in the direction changer 3. These guide rollers 16 guide the base glass film G, which is transported in the vertical direction, laterally.

[0028] The first conveying unit 4 is disposed in front of (downstream of) the direction changing unit 3. The first conveying unit 4 conveys the base glass film G that has passed through the direction changing unit 3 downstream along the horizontal conveying direction X1.

[0029] The first conveying unit 4 may have any configuration, and may be configured, for example, with one or more belt conveyors. In this case, the first conveying unit 4 includes a conveying belt 17, and the base glass film G can be conveyed by driving the conveying belt 17. The first conveying unit 4 is not limited to this configuration, and may also use a roller conveyor or other various conveying devices.

[0030] The first cutting unit 5 is disposed above the first conveying unit 4. In the present embodiment, the first cutting unit 5 is configured to cut the base glass film G by laser cleaving. Specifically, the first cutting unit 5 includes a pair of laser irradiation devices (hereinafter referred to as "first laser irradiation devices") 18 and a pair of cooling devices (hereinafter referred to as "first cooling devices") 19 disposed downstream of the first laser irradiation devices 18.

[0031] The first cutting section 5 irradiates a predetermined portion of the base glass film G being transported with laser light L from each first laser irradiation device 18 to heat it, and then releases a refrigerant R from the first cooling device 19 to cool the heated portion.

[0032] The first winding device 6 is installed downstream of the first conveying section 4 and the first cutting section 5. The first winding device 6 rotates the winding core 20 to wind the first glass film G1 into a roll, thereby forming a first glass roll GRL1. This first glass roll GRL1 is transported to the position of the unwinding device 7.

[0033] The unwinding device 7 functions as a supply unit that supplies the first glass film G1 to the second conveying unit 8 and the second cutting unit 9. The unwinding device 7 is fitted with the first glass roll GRL1 transferred from the first winding device 6, and feeds the first glass film G1 from the first glass roll GRL1 to supply it to the second conveying unit 8.

[0034] The second conveying unit 8 conveys the first glass film G1 and the second glass film G2 by a roll-to-roll system. The second conveying unit 8 conveys the first glass film G1 fed from the first glass roll GRL1 in the unwinding device 7 upward Z1 and then along the horizontal conveying direction X2. The second conveying unit 8 conveys the second glass film G2 formed by the second cutting unit 9 along the horizontal conveying direction X2 and then downward Z2 toward the second winding device 10.

[0035] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the second conveying section 8 includes conveying rollers 21 that convey the first glass film G1 supplied from the unwinding device 7 upward Z1, an upstream conveyor 22 located upstream of the second cutting section 9, a downstream conveyor 23 located downstream of the second cutting section 9, a downstream adjustment device 24 that adjusts the position of the second glass film G2 during conveyance, and conveying rollers 25 that convey the second glass film G2 downward Z2.

[0036] The upstream conveyor 22 is configured as a belt conveyor, but is not limited to this configuration. In this embodiment, the upstream conveyor 22 includes a plurality of belts (hereinafter referred to as "first belts") 26. The first belts 26 contact the lower surface of the first glass film G1 and support the first glass film G1 so that it is in a horizontal position. The first belts 26 are configured to transport the first glass film G1 toward the second cutting unit 9 on the downstream side.

[0037] Each first belt 26 is formed, for example, by an endless belt. As shown in Fig. 2, among the plurality of first belts 26, one located at the center in the width direction is formed by a suction belt. This first belt (suction belt) 26 has a plurality of suction holes 27 penetrating in the thickness direction. The suction holes 27 are connected to a suction device (not shown).

[0038] The downstream conveyor 23 is configured as a suction belt conveyor, but is not limited to this configuration. The downstream conveyor 23 includes a plurality of belts (hereinafter referred to as "second belts") 28. The second belts 28 contact the lower surface of the second glass film G2 and support the second glass film G2 so that it is in a horizontal position. The second belts 28 are configured to transport the second glass film G2 to the downstream adjusting device 24.

[0039] Each second belt 28 is configured, for example, as an endless belt. The second belt 28 is configured as a suction belt that suctions the second glass film G2, but is not limited to this configuration. As shown in Fig. 2, the second belt 28 has a plurality of suction holes 29 penetrating through it in the thickness direction. The suction holes 29 are connected to a suction device (not shown).

[0040] 2, the second cutting unit 9 is disposed in a region between the upstream conveyor 22 and the downstream conveyor 23 in the second transport unit 8. The second cutting unit 9 is configured to cut widthwise ends Ga and Gb of the first glass film G1 by laser cleaving. The second cutting unit 9 includes a pair of laser irradiation devices (hereinafter referred to as "second laser irradiation devices") 30 and a pair of cooling devices (hereinafter referred to as "second cooling devices") 31 disposed downstream of each of the second laser irradiation devices 30.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 1 , a surface plate 32 that comes into contact with the lower surface of the first glass film G1 is disposed below the second laser irradiation device 30 and the second cooling device 31. As shown in Fig. 2 , since the first glass film G1 is cut at two locations in the width direction, the surface plate 32 is disposed at two locations corresponding to the pair of second laser irradiation devices 30 and second cooling devices 31.

[0042] Although not shown, the surface plate 32 is fixed to the floor and is always stationary. The surface plate 32 has a plurality of suction ports 33 that suction-hold the first glass film G1. The suction ports 33 are connected to a suction device (not shown).

[0043] 1, the downstream-side adjusting device 24 is disposed between the second cutting unit 9 and the second winding device 10. The downstream-side adjusting device 24 also functions as a direction changing unit that changes the conveyance direction of the second glass film G2 from the horizontal conveyance direction X2 to the downward direction Z2.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the downstream-side adjusting device 24 includes a transport roller that comes into contact with the second glass film G2 so as to form a wrap angle with the second glass film G2, and a drive mechanism 35 that drives the transport roller .

[0045] The transport rollers 34 are, for example, free rollers. The embrace angle (central angle) of the transport rollers 34 with respect to the second glass film G2 is preferably 20° to 70°, more preferably 30° to 60°, and even more preferably 40° to 50°, but is not limited to these ranges. The transport rollers 34 change the transport direction of the second glass film G2 from the horizontal transport direction X2 to a downward direction Z2.

[0046] The transport roller 34 is configured to be rotatable about a first axis A1 so as to transport the second glass film G2 downstream. The transport roller 34 is configured to be rotatable about a second axis A2 that is perpendicular to the first axis A1 and extends in the vertical direction. The second axis A2 may be set along the radial direction of the transport roller 34 passing through the apex of the curve of the second glass film G2 that is curved while in contact with the transport roller 34 (for example, a 45° direction when the second glass film G2 is bent by 90° by the transport roller 34 and transported).

[0047] The drive mechanism 35 includes bearings 36 that support the conveying roller 34 at both axial ends thereof, a motor 37, and a connecting portion 38 that connects the bearings 36 and the motor 37. The rotation axis of the motor 37 coincides with the second axis A2.

[0048] The drive mechanism 35 can rotate the connecting portion 38 around the second axis A2 using the motor 37. The rotation of the connecting portion 38 causes the conveyance roller 34 to rotate around the second axis A2, thereby changing the posture for supporting the second glass film G2. The drive mechanism 35 can control the posture of the conveyance roller 34 by adjusting the rotation amount of the shaft portion of the motor 37.

[0049] The second winding device 10 is located downstream of the downstream adjusting device 24 and below the downstream adjusting device 24. The second winding device 10 forms a second glass roll GRL2 by winding the second glass film G2 transported by the second transport section 8 around a winding core 39.

[0050] The second glass film G2 (first glass film G1) manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus 1 having the above configuration may be made of silicate glass or silica glass, preferably borosilicate glass, soda-lime glass, aluminosilicate glass, or chemically strengthened glass, and most preferably alkali-free glass. Here, alkali-free glass refers to glass that is substantially free of alkali components (alkali metal oxides), specifically glass having an alkali component weight ratio of 3000 ppm or less. The alkali component weight ratio in the present invention is preferably 1000 ppm or less, more preferably 500 ppm or less, and most preferably 300 ppm or less.

[0051] The thickness of the second glass film G2 (first glass film G1) is set to 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less, preferably 30 μm or more and 200 μm or less, and most preferably 30 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

[0052] Hereinafter, a method for producing the second glass roll GRL2 using the production apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration will be described.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 5, this method includes a forming step S1, a first cutting step S2, a first winding step S3, a supplying step S4, a second cutting step S5, a downstream adjusting step S6, and a second winding step S7.

[0054] In the forming step S1, the molten glass GM overflowing from the overflow grooves 11a of the forming body 11 in the forming section 2 flows down along both side surfaces of the forming body 11, and is joined at the bottom end to be formed into a film.

[0055] At this time, the widthwise contraction of the molten glass GM is restricted by the edge rollers 12 to form a base glass film G having a predetermined width. Thereafter, the base glass film G is subjected to a distortion removal treatment by the annealer 13 (slow cooling process). The base glass film G is formed to a predetermined thickness by the tension of the support rollers 15.

[0056] In the first cutting step S2, the base glass film G is transported along the horizontal transport direction X1 by the direction changing unit 3 and the first transport unit 4, while laser light L is irradiated from the first laser irradiation device 18 to a portion of the base glass film G in the first cutting unit 5.

[0057] The base glass film G is heated by the above-described irradiation with the laser light L. Thereafter, when the heated portion of the base glass film G reaches directly below the first cooling device 19, the heated portion is cooled by the refrigerant R sprayed downward from the first cooling device 19.

[0058] Thermal stress is generated in the base glass film G due to expansion caused by local heating by the first laser irradiation device 18 and contraction caused by cooling by the first cooling device 19. Initial cracks are formed in the base glass film G in advance, and the cracks are propagated by the thermal stress. As a result, both ends (edge portions) in the width direction of the base glass film G are separated from the base glass film G as non-product portions Gs, and a first glass film G1 is formed.

[0059] In the first winding step S3, the first glass film G1 is wound around the winding core 20 in the first winding device 6 to form a first glass roll GRL1. Thereafter, the first glass roll GRL1 is removed from the first winding device 6 and transferred to the unwinding device 7.

[0060] In the supply step S4, the first glass film G1 is fed from the first glass roll GRL1 attached to the unwinding device 7. The first glass film G1 is transported upward Z1 via the transport rollers 21 of the second transport unit 8. Thereafter, the first glass film G1 is transported by the upstream conveyor 22 to the second cutting unit 9 along the horizontal transport direction X2.

[0061] In the second cutting step S5, the first glass film G1 is conveyed by the upstream conveyor 22 along the lateral conveyance direction X2, and the second laser irradiation device 30 irradiates a part of the first glass film G1 with laser light L.

[0062] The first glass film G1 is heated by the above-described irradiation with the laser light L. Thereafter, when the heated portion of the first glass film G1 reaches directly below the second cooling device 31, the heated portion is cooled by the refrigerant R sprayed downward from the second cooling device 31.

[0063] Thermal stress is generated in the first glass film G1 due to expansion caused by local heating by the second laser irradiation device 30 and contraction caused by cooling by the second cooling device 31. An initial crack is formed in the first glass film G1 in advance, and the thermal stress propagates this crack. As a result, both end portions Ga and Gb of the first glass film G1 in the width direction Y are separated from the first glass film G1 as non-product portions Gs, and the second glass film G2 is formed.

[0064] The downstream conveyor 23 conveys the second glass film G2 downstream while suctioning it with the second belt 28. This positions the second glass film G2 so that the second glass film G2 does not become misaligned (positioning step). By positioning the second glass film G2 using the downstream conveyor 23 in this manner, it becomes possible to cut the first glass film G1 with high accuracy at the upstream cutting position.

[0065] In the downstream-side adjustment step S6, the position of the second glass film G2 conveyed downstream of the downstream conveyor 23 is adjusted by the downstream-side adjustment device 24 to prevent the second glass film G2 from moving obliquely or meandering.

[0066] The skewing or meandering of the second glass film G2 can occur due to a difference in length between one end Ga of the second glass film G2 in the width direction Y and the other end Gb of the second glass film G2 in the width direction Y. In the downstream-side adjustment step S6, the position of the second glass film G2 is adjusted by changing the attitude of the conveying roller 34 of the downstream-side adjustment device 24 so that the difference in length does not become excessive.

[0067] 6, the downstream adjustment device 24 changes the conveyance roller 34 from a reference position (position indicated by a solid line) in which the first axis A1 is parallel to the width direction Y of the second glass film G2 to an adjusted position (position indicated by a two-dot chain line) rotated by a predetermined angle θ1 about the second axis A2. This adjusts the position of the second glass film G2 in the width direction Y. The amount of position adjustment of the conveyance roller 34 (position adjustment angle θ1) is set appropriately depending on the width dimension of the second glass film G2 and the difference in length between the ends Ga and Gb.

[0068] Furthermore, the second conveying section 8 converts the conveying direction of the second glass film G2 from the horizontal conveying direction X2 to the downward direction Z2 by the downstream adjusting device 24, and conveys the second glass film G2 toward the second winding device 10 by the downstream conveying rollers 25.

[0069] In the second winding step S7, the second winding device 10 winds the second glass film G2 around the winding core 39. A predetermined length of the second glass film G2 is wound up, and the second winding device 10 forms a second glass roll GRL2.

[0070] According to the manufacturing method of the second glass roll GRL2 according to the present embodiment described above, the position of the second glass film G2 is adjusted in the downstream adjustment step S6 (downstream adjustment device 24), thereby making it possible to suppress skewing and meandering of the second glass film G2 when it is conveyed. This makes it possible to prevent the second cutting section 9 from being adversely affected by skewing and meandering of the second glass film G2. Furthermore, the conveyance rollers 34 of the downstream adjustment device 24 have a wrap angle with respect to the second glass film G2, thereby making it possible to reliably adjust the position of the second glass film G2.

[0071] 7 to 9 show a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 7, the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment forms two second glass films G2a, G2b from one first glass film G1 and winds them up, thereby manufacturing two second glass rolls GRL2a, GRL2b.

[0072] 8 , the second cutting section 9 includes three second laser irradiation devices 30 and three second cooling devices 31 in order to form two second glass films G2 from one first glass film G1. Three surface plates 32 that support the lower surface of the first glass film G1 are arranged below each second laser irradiation device 30 so as to correspond to each second laser irradiation device 30.

[0073] The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes two downstream adjusting devices 24a and 24b for adjusting the positions of the two second glass films G2a and G2b. The configuration of each of the downstream adjusting devices 24a and 24b is the same as that of the downstream adjusting device 24 in the first embodiment.

[0074] Additionally, the manufacturing apparatus 1 includes an upstream adjustment device 40 that adjusts the position of the first glass film G1. The upstream adjustment device 40 is disposed between the unwinding device 7 and the second cutting unit 9. The upstream adjustment device 40 also functions as a direction changing unit that changes the conveying direction of the first glass film G1 sent out from the unwinding device 7 from the vertical direction (upward Z1) to the horizontal conveying direction X2.

[0075] The upstream-side adjusting device 40 has the same configuration as the downstream-side adjusting device 24 in the first embodiment. That is, the upstream-side adjusting device 40 includes a conveying roller 34 that comes into contact with the first glass film G1 supplied from the unwinding device 7 at a wrap angle, a motor (not shown), and a connecting portion (not shown). The wrap angle (central angle) of the first glass film G1 at the conveying roller 34 of the upstream-side adjusting device 40 is preferably 20° to 70°, more preferably 30° to 60°, and even more preferably 40° to 50°.

[0076] The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes two second winding devices 10a and 10b for individually winding up the two second glass films G2a and G2b formed in the second cutting section 9.

[0077] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing the second glass roll GRL2 using the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0078] 9, this method includes a forming step S11, a first cutting step S12, a first winding step S13, a supplying step S14, an upstream-side adjusting step S15, a second cutting step S16, a downstream-side adjusting step S17, and a second winding step S18. Below, differences between this method and the first embodiment will be described.

[0079] In the upstream-side adjusting step S15, the first glass film G1 sent out from the unwinding device 7 is supplied to the upstream-side adjusting device 40.

[0080] The first glass film G1 has one end Ga in the width direction Y that is different in length from the other end Gb in the width direction Y. If this difference in length becomes large, wrinkles may occur in part of the first glass film G1 supplied to the second cutting unit 9, which may hinder cutting by the second cutting unit 9.

[0081] The upstream adjustment device 40 adjusts the position of the first glass film G1 so that the first glass film G1 supplied to the second cutting unit 9 can be cut with high accuracy.

[0082] Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the upstream adjustment device 40 changes the conveying roller 34 from a reference position (position shown by the solid line) in which the first axis A1 is parallel to the width direction Y of the first glass film G1 to an adjusted position (position shown by the two-dot chain line) in which the conveying roller 34 is rotated by a predetermined angle θ2 around the second axis A2.

[0083] The amount of position adjustment of the first glass film G1 by the upstream adjuster 40 (position adjustment angle θ2) is desirably set to be larger than the amount of position adjustment of the second glass film G2 by the downstream adjusters 24a and 24b (position adjustment angle θ1). In other words, the amount of position adjustment by the downstream adjusters 24a and 24b is desirably set to be smaller than the amount of position adjustment by the upstream adjuster 40. According to this configuration, the upstream adjuster 40 can perform a relatively large position adjustment of the first glass film G1, and the downstream adjuster 24 can perform fine adjustment of the position of the second glass film G2. This can prevent adverse effects on the second cutting portion 9.

[0084] In the second cutting step S16, the second laser irradiation devices 30 irradiate the second glass film G2 with laser light L, and the second cooling devices 31 spray a refrigerant R toward the second glass film G2. As a result, the non-product portion Gs is separated from the first glass film G1, and two second glass films G2a, G2b are formed as product portions. The two second glass films G2a, G2b are transported to the second winding devices 10a, 10b via the downstream adjusting devices 24a, 24b (downstream adjusting step S17).

[0085] In the second winding step S18, two second glass films G2a and G2b are individually wound by two second winding devices 10a and 10b, thereby forming second glass rolls GRL2a and GRL2b on the second winding devices 10a and 10b, respectively.

[0086] Other configurations of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, and components of this embodiment that are common to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0087] 10 to 13 show a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 10 and 11, the downstream adjustment device 24 of the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes, in addition to the conveyance rollers 34 and the drive mechanism 35, an edge sensor 41 that detects the position of the end Ga of the second glass film G2 in the width direction Y, and a control device 42.

[0088] The edge sensor 41 may be, for example, an optical sensor that uses an LED or the like, but other non-contact sensors may also be used. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the edge sensor 41 has a light-projecting unit 41a disposed below the second glass film G2 and a light-receiving unit 41b disposed above the second glass film G2 so as to face the light-projecting unit 41a. The light-projecting unit 41a and the light-receiving unit 41b are disposed so as to overlap with the edge Ga of the second glass film G2 in a plan view.

[0089] 11, the edge sensor 41 causes the light LT emitted from the light-projecting unit 41a to be received by the light-receiving unit 41b. The light LT emitted from the light-projecting unit 41a passes through the edge Ga of the second glass film G2 and reaches the light-receiving unit 41b. The edge sensor 41 can detect the position of the edge Ga of the second glass film G2 in the width direction Y based on the signal of the light LT detected by the light-receiving unit 41b.

[0090] 11 and 12, the drive mechanism 35 includes a bearing 36 and a motor 37, but in this embodiment, the configuration of the motor 37 is different from that in the first embodiment. The motor 37 in this embodiment is configured by a linear motor (for example, a linear servo motor).

[0091] The motor 37 is provided on a bearing 36 that supports one of the shaft ends 34a, 34b of the conveying roller 34. The motor 37 includes a drive unit 43 that moves the bearing 36 in a predetermined direction, and a support base 44 that supports the drive unit 43. Note that, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the motor 37 is not provided on the bearing 36 that supports the other shaft end 34b of the conveying roller 34, but the motor 37 may be provided on this bearing 36.

[0092] The upper surface of the drive unit 43 supports a bearing 36 associated with one shaft end 34a of the conveyance roller 34. As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the drive unit 43 is configured to be movable in a first movement direction D1 or a second movement direction D2.

[0093] The support base 44 includes a rail portion (guide portion) 45 that slidably supports the drive portion 43. The rail portion 45 is configured linearly along the horizontal conveyance direction X2 of the second glass film G2.

[0094] In the downstream adjustment step, the motor 37 moves the drive unit 43 in the first movement direction D1 or the second movement direction D2 along the rail portion 45 of the support base 44, thereby changing the positions of one shaft end portion 34a of the conveying roller 34 and its bearing 36. In this case, the conveying roller 34 changes its posture by rotating around the position of the bearing 36 that supports the other shaft end portion 34b.

[0095] The control device 42 is connected to the edge sensor 41 and the motor 37. When the end Ga of the second glass film G2 deviates from a predetermined reference position, the control device 42 activates the motor 37 based on position information of the end Ga detected by the edge sensor 41. For example, in FIG. 12 , if the edge sensor 41 detects that the second glass film G2 is skewed to the left (toward the end Gb of the second glass film G2), the control device 42 activates the motor 37 to move the shaft end 34a of the conveyance roller 34 and its bearing 36 in a first movement direction D1, and the conveyance roller 34 changes its position from the reference position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 13 to the adjusted position indicated by the two-dot chain line. Conversely, in FIG. 12 , if the edge sensor 41 detects that the second glass film G2 is skewed to the right (toward the end Ga of the second glass film G2), the control device 42 moves the shaft end 34a of the conveyance roller 34 and its bearing 36 in a second movement direction D2 in FIG. 13 .

[0096] By adjusting the posture of the conveyance rollers 34 as described above, the downstream adjusting device 24 can suppress meandering and skewing of the second glass film G2. The manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can efficiently manufacture the second glass film G2 by automatically adjusting the posture of the conveyance rollers 34 using the edge sensor 41 and the control device 42 of the downstream adjusting device 24.

[0097] Other configurations of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, components common to those of the first embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals. The manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment may include the configuration of the upstream adjustment device 40 according to the second embodiment, etc.

[0098] The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, nor is it limited to the above-described effects. The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0099] In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the first glass film G1 is supplied by the unwinding device 7 in the supplying step S4, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The present invention can also be applied to a method for producing a first glass roll GRL1.

[0100] That is, the first cutting unit 5 of the manufacturing apparatus 1 may have the same configuration as the second cutting unit 9. The manufacturing apparatus 1 may include a downstream adjusting device 24 between the first cutting unit 5 and the first winding device 6. The manufacturing apparatus 1 may include an upstream adjusting device 40 between the direction changing unit 3 and the first cutting unit 5.

[0101] In this case, in the supplying step, the base glass film G is supplied from the shaping unit 2 and the direction changing unit 3 to the first cutting unit 5. That is, the shaping unit 2 and the direction changing unit 3 function as a supplying unit that supplies the glass film (base glass film G) to the first cutting unit 5, similar to the unwinding device 7.

[0102] The position of the first glass film G1 formed by cutting the width direction end portion of the base glass film G by the first cutting unit 5 is adjusted in a downstream adjustment step.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the downstream adjusting device 24 and the upstream adjusting device 40 adjusted the positions of the glass films G1, G2 by changing the attitude of the conveying rollers 34, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The downstream adjusting device 24 and the upstream adjusting device 40 may be provided with a belt conveyor capable of adjusting the positions of the glass films G1, G2, instead of the conveying rollers 34. The belt conveyor is configured to be attitude-changeable (position-changeable) so as to adjust the positions of the glass films G1, G2.

[0104] In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the postures of the conveying rollers 34 of the downstream-side adjusting device 24 and the upstream-side adjusting device 40 are adjusted by the motor 37 of the drive mechanism 35 is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The posture of the conveying rollers 34 may be changed manually by an operator.

[0105] In the second embodiment described above, the manufacturing apparatus 1 is described as including the upstream-side adjusting device 40. However, the manufacturing apparatus 1 in the first embodiment may also include the upstream-side adjusting device 40. The manufacturing apparatus 1 may include non-contact sensors arranged corresponding to the end portions Ga and Gb in the width direction Y of the glass films G1 and G2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 6 First winding device 7 Unwinding device 10 Second winding device 10a Second winding device 10b Second winding device 18 First laser irradiation device 23 Downstream conveyor (suction belt conveyor) 24 Downstream adjustment device 30 Second laser irradiation device 34 Conveyor roller G Base glass film G1 First Glass Film G2 second glass film GRL1 First Glass Roll GRL2 Second Glass Roll GRL2a Second Glass Roll GRL2b Second glass roll L laser light S2 First cutting process S3 First winding process S4 Supply process S5 Second cutting process S6 Downstream adjustment process S7 Second winding process θ1 Position adjustment by downstream adjustment device for second glass film regular amount θ2 Position adjustment by the upstream adjustment device relative to the first glass film regular amount

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a glass roll, a supplying step of supplying a glass film; a cutting step of cutting a portion of the glass film by irradiating the glass film with laser light from a laser irradiation device; a winding step of winding the glass film after the cutting step into a roll shape by a winding device; a downstream adjusting step of adjusting a position of the glass film after the cutting step by a downstream adjusting device provided between the laser irradiation device and the winding device; a positioning step of positioning the glass film after the cutting step by an adsorption belt conveyor provided between the laser irradiation device and the downstream adjustment device, The downstream-side adjusting device includes a conveying roller that contacts the glass film after the cutting step so as to have a wrap angle with the glass film, and a drive mechanism that drives the conveying roller, The conveying roller is a direction changing unit that changes the conveying direction of the glass film from a horizontal conveying direction to a downward direction, the conveying roller is configured to be rotatable about a first axis and to be rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; the downstream-side adjusting step includes rotating the conveying roller around the second axis by the drive mechanism, thereby adjusting the position of the glass film.

2. In the supplying step, the glass film is supplied by an unwinding device capable of unwinding the glass film from a glass roll obtained by winding the glass film in a roll shape, The method for manufacturing a glass roll according to claim 1 , further comprising an upstream adjustment step of adjusting a position of the glass film supplied from the unwinding device by an upstream adjustment device provided between the unwinding device and the laser irradiation device.

3. The method for manufacturing a glass roll according to claim 2 , wherein an amount of position adjustment by the downstream adjustment device with respect to the glass film after the cutting step is smaller than an amount of position adjustment by the upstream adjustment device with respect to the glass film supplied from the unwinding device.

4. The drive mechanism includes a bearing that rotatably supports both axial ends of the conveying roller, a motor having a rotating shaft, and a connecting portion that connects the bearing and the motor, The method for manufacturing a glass roll according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation axis of the motor coincides with the second axis.

5. A method for manufacturing a glass roll described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a bearing that rotatably supports both axial ends of the conveying roller, and a linear motor that supports the bearing that supports one axial end of the conveying roller.

6. The method for manufacturing a glass roll according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the upstream adjusting device includes a conveying roller that comes into contact with the glass film supplied from the unwinding device at a wrap angle.

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