Pallet for packing glass plates, glass plate package, and method for manufacturing glass plate package

Abstract

To provide a pallet for glass plate packing, a glass plate package and a manufacturing method of a glass plate package which can reduce gaps between glass plates when loading glass plates.SOLUTION: A pallet for glass plate packing 3 comprises a base part 4 in which a glass plate laminate 2 including a plurality of glass plates G and a protective sheet P is housed upward in a vertical posture, a back support part 5 that supports the back surface of the glass plate laminate 2 and a bottom support part 6 that supports the bottom of the glass plate laminate 2. The bottom support part 6 includes an intervening member 9 and a cover member 10 arranged above the intervening member 9 between the base part 4 and the glass plate laminate 2. The cover member 10 is arranged over the entire length of the bottom of the glass plate G. The intervening member 9 is composed of a laminate including a bottom cushioning material 11 and a spacer 12 and the spacer 12 is arranged only in the middle part of the bottom of the glass plate G.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pallet for packing glass plates, a glass plate package, and a method for manufacturing a glass plate package. [Background technology]

[0002] Pallets for packaging glass plates are used when storing or transporting various glass plates, including glass substrates for flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays.

[0003] The basic structure of this type of pallet comprises a base portion on top of which is housed a glass plate laminate, in which multiple glass plates are stacked in a vertical position with protective sheets (e.g., interleaf paper) interposed between them, a back support portion that supports the back side of the glass plate laminate, and a bottom support portion that supports the bottom side of the glass plate laminate.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that the bottom support portion is provided with a resin sheet material as a cushioning material to prevent the glass plate from being damaged by impact, vibration, etc. The same document also discloses that a low-friction sheet material is placed on the resin sheet material as a cover member to improve the sliding properties of the bottom side of the glass plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-65726 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Patent Document 1 does not disclose the specific arrangement of the resin sheet material as a cushioning material and the low-friction sheet material as a cover member in the direction along the bottom edge of the glass plate, but if the cushioning material and the cover member are each arranged along the entire length of the bottom edge of the glass plate, the following problems may arise.

[0007] In other words, the cover member is supported from below by the buffer material at positions corresponding to the corners formed at both ends of the bottom edge of the glass plate. Therefore, when loading glass plates, gravity pushes the cover member downward, causing the cover member to be easily wedged into the corners of the glass plate due to the reaction force from the buffer material. As a result, the corners of the glass plate get caught on the cover member, preventing the glass plate from moving to the correct position, and gaps are likely to form between the glass plates. Such gaps between the glass plates not only reduce the loading efficiency of the glass plates but also may cause damage such as cracking of the glass plates. While Patent Document 1 discloses the use of a low-friction sheet material as the cover member, the corners of the glass plate getting caught can be primarily caused by structural issues, i.e., the arrangement of the buffer material and the cover member. Therefore, it is considered difficult to reduce the gaps between the glass plates caused by the corners of the glass plate getting caught using a material approach alone.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a pallet for packing glass plates, a glass plate package, and a method for manufacturing a glass plate package, which are capable of reducing gaps between glass plates when the glass plates are loaded. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The pallet for packing glass plates of the present invention, which was invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a pallet for packing glass plates that includes a base portion on which a glass plate laminate including a glass plate and a protective sheet is stored in a vertical position, a back support portion that supports the back of the glass plate laminate, and a bottom support portion that supports the bottom of the glass plate laminate, and is characterized in that the bottom support portion includes an intervening member between the base portion and the glass plate laminate, and a cover member that is arranged above the intervening member, the cover member being arranged over the entire length of the bottom edge of the glass plate, and at least a portion of the intervening member being arranged only in the middle part of the bottom edge of the glass plate.

[0010] In this way, a space where no intervening member is disposed is formed below the cover member at a position corresponding to the corners formed at both ends of the bottom side of the glass plate. Therefore, even if the corners of the bottom side of the glass plate press the cover member downward due to gravity, the cover member can deform to retreat downward by utilizing the space where no intervening member is disposed. Therefore, the corners are less likely to get caught when the glass plates are stacked, and the formation of gaps between the glass plates can be reduced.

[0011] In the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the interposing member is made of a laminate of a plurality of constituent members, and that at least some of the constituent members are disposed only in the middle of the bottom side of the glass plate.

[0012] In this way, even if the intervening member is made up of a stack of multiple constituent members, the corners are less likely to get caught when the glass plates are stacked, and the formation of gaps between the glass plates can be reduced.

[0013] In the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the interposing member includes, as constituent members, a buffer material and a spacer, and that the spacer is disposed only in the middle of the bottom side of the glass plate.

[0014] Glass plates of various sizes may be loaded onto a pallet for packaging glass plates. In this case, it is necessary to prepare multiple types of intervening members, which are placed only in the middle of the bottom sides of the glass plates, according to the dimensions of the bottom sides of the glass plates. However, because cushioning materials are expensive, preparing multiple types of cushioning materials according to the dimensions of the bottom sides of the glass plates increases costs. In contrast, by placing spacers only in the middle of the bottom sides of the glass plates as in the above configuration, it is possible to suppress cost increases by simply preparing multiple types of spacers, which are cheaper than cushioning materials, according to the dimensions of the bottom sides of the glass plates.

[0015] In this case, the spacer preferably comprises a stack of multiple cardboard sheets.

[0016] This further reduces costs because cardboard laminates are inexpensive. Furthermore, cardboard laminates are easy to cut, making them suitable for glass sheets of various sizes. Furthermore, cardboard laminates do not impair the function of the cushioning material.

[0017] In the above configuration, the buffer material preferably includes a foamed resin material and a rubber material.

[0018] In this way, the buffer material can absorb various shocks and vibrations according to the shock and vibration absorption capabilities of the foamed resin material and the rubber material.

[0019] In the above configuration, the cover member is preferably made of cardboard.

[0020] This makes it more difficult to tear than slip paper, etc. Furthermore, due to this advantage, the shape of the support surface of the cover member is stable, and it is possible to further reduce the risk of the corners of the glass plate getting caught.

[0021] The glass plate package of the present invention, which has been invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, is characterized in that it is formed by packaging a glass plate laminate in a glass plate packaging pallet appropriately equipped with the above-mentioned configuration.

[0022] In this way, the same effects as those of the corresponding configuration described above can be obtained.

[0023] The method for manufacturing a glass plate package according to the present invention, which was invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, is characterized by comprising a step of stacking multiple glass plates in a vertical position via a protective sheet on a glass plate packaging pallet having the above-mentioned configuration as appropriate.

[0024] In this way, the same effects as those of the corresponding configuration described above can be obtained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pallet for packing glass plates, a glass plate package, and a method for manufacturing a glass plate package, which are capable of reducing gaps between glass plates when the glass plates are loaded. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a glass plate package according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the glass plate package of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the glass plate package of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a glass plate laminate is fixed in the glass plate package of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] 1 to 4, a glass plate package 1 according to this embodiment includes a glass plate laminate 2 and a glass plate packaging pallet (hereinafter simply referred to as a pallet) 3. For ease of explanation, the X direction in the drawings is defined as the front-rear direction, and the Y direction in the drawings is defined as the width direction.

[0029] The glass plate laminate 2 is formed by alternately stacking a plurality of glass plates G and protective sheets P in a vertical position (in an inclined position in this embodiment). In this embodiment, both the glass plates G and the protective sheets P are rectangular, and the protective sheets P are disposed on the front and rear sides of the glass plate laminate 2.

[0030] The number of glass plates G in the glass plate laminate 2 is, for example, 200 to 400. The size of the glass plates G is, for example, 730 mm×920 mm to 3200×3600 mm, and the thickness of the glass plates G is, for example, 300 μm to 1500 μm. The glass plates G are, for example, glass substrates for flat panel displays.

[0031] The protective sheet P can be, for example, interleaf paper (pure pulp paper) or a foamed resin sheet. The size of the protective sheet P is preferably larger than that of the glass plates G so that the glass plates G do not come into direct contact with each other. In other words, the protective sheet P may extend laterally and / or upward in the width direction of the glass plates G. However, from the viewpoint of preventing operational errors in robots such as those in devices for loading and unloading the glass plates G, it is preferable that the protective sheet P does not extend below the glass plates G.

[0032] The pallet 3 includes a base portion 4 on which the glass plate laminate 2 is stored, a back support portion 5 that supports the back surface of the glass plate laminate 2 in a flat plane, and a bottom support portion 6 that supports the bottom surface of the glass plate laminate 2 in a flat plane.

[0033] The base 4 is made of a metal frame such as stainless steel, carbon steel, or aluminum alloy.

[0034] The back support part 5 includes a back part 7 standing upright from the rear side of the base part 4, and a back cushioning material 8 provided on the front surface of the back part 7. In this embodiment, the back cushioning material 8 is configured to support the entire back surface of the glass plate G included in the glass plate laminate 2. Note that the protruding portion of the protective sheet P protruding from the glass plate G may or may not be supported by the back cushioning material 8.

[0035] The back portion 7 is made of a metal frame such as stainless steel, carbon steel, or aluminum alloy.

[0036] For example, a rubber plate, a foamed resin plate, or a laminate of these can be used as the back cushioning material 8. For example, a foamed resin plate made primarily of polypropylene foam, urethane foam, styrene foam, melamine foam, or the like can be used. In this embodiment, the back cushioning material 8 is a foamed polypropylene plate.

[0037] The bottom support portion 6 includes an interposing member 9 between the base portion 4 and the glass sheet laminate 2, and a cover member 10 disposed above the interposing member 9.

[0038] The cover member 10 is disposed over the entire length of the bottom side of the glass plate G and is in direct contact with the bottom side of the glass plate G.

[0039] The cover member 10 can be made of, for example, cardboard, plastic corrugated cardboard, glass interleaf paper, or foam resin sheet. In this embodiment, it is made of cardboard. The cardboard that makes up the cover member 10 is made of, for example, chipboard or other paperboard, and also includes corrugated cardboard with a multi-layered paperboard structure. Making the cover member 10 out of cardboard in this way has the advantage of being less likely to break. In this embodiment, the cover member 10 is a single plate material that is continuous in the width direction of the glass plate laminate 2. The thickness of the cover member 10 is preferably, for example, 0.5 mm to 2 mm. The cover member 10 may be reused, but in this embodiment, it is discarded after being used once for transportation.

[0040] The interposing member 9 is composed of a laminate of multiple components, and at least some of the components are arranged only in the middle of the bottom edge of the glass sheet G, excluding both ends of the bottom edge. In other words, a space S where no interposing member 9 is arranged is formed below both widthwise ends of the cover member 10 that supports the corners formed at both ends of the bottom edge of the glass sheet G. In this way, even if the corners of the bottom edge of the glass sheet G press the cover member 10 downward due to gravity, the cover member 10 bends slightly downward using the space S where no interposing member 9 is arranged, thereby preventing the corners of the bottom edge of the glass sheet G from getting caught on the cover member 10. Therefore, when the glass sheets G are stacked, the corners of the bottom edge of the glass sheets G are less likely to get caught, and the formation of gaps between the glass sheets G can be reduced.

[0041] 2, the width W of the space S where the intervening member 9 is not arranged (or the portion of the cover member 10 that protrudes from the intervening member 9) can be changed as appropriate depending on the dimensions of the glass plate G, but can be set to, for example, 50 mm to 300 mm, and preferably 100 to 200 mm. Furthermore, the height H of the space S where the intervening member 9 is not arranged (or the thickness of the spacer 12, which will be described later) can be changed as appropriate depending on the dimensions of the glass plate G, but can be set to, for example, 2 mm to 20 mm, and preferably 3 mm to 5 mm.

[0042] It is conceivable to dispose the cover member 10 only in the middle of the bottom edge of the glass plate G, but in this case, the corners of the glass plate G would be free and the resistance to movement of the glass plate G would be too small. As a result, the glass plate G would move on the cover member 10 during transportation, which could cause damage to the glass plate G or the cover member 10, or cause dust to adhere to the glass plate G. Therefore, to prevent such problems from occurring, the cover member 10 is disposed along the entire length of the bottom edge of the glass plate G, as described above.

[0043] In this embodiment, the interposing member 9 is composed of a laminate including a bottom cushioning material 11 and a spacer 12 disposed above the bottom cushioning material 11. The bottom cushioning material 11 is disposed along the entire length of the bottom edge of the glass plate G, and the spacer 12 is disposed only in the middle of the bottom edge of the glass plate G. The components of the interposing member 9 disposed only in the middle of the bottom edge of the glass plate G must be prepared in various sizes according to the dimensions of the bottom edge of the glass plate. However, when the bottom cushioning material 11 is disposed only in the middle of the bottom edge of the glass plate G, the bottom cushioning material 11 is expensive, so preparing multiple types of bottom cushioning material 11 according to the dimensions of the bottom edge of the glass plate G increases costs. In contrast, when the spacer 12 is disposed only in the middle of the bottom edge of the glass plate G, the spacer 12 is less expensive than the bottom cushioning material 11, so preparing multiple types of spacers 12 according to the dimensions of the bottom edge of the glass plate G does not increase costs. Therefore, from the viewpoint of cost, it is preferable to arrange only the spacers 12, out of the bottom cushioning material 11 and the spacers 12, only in the middle part of the bottom side of the glass plate G. If cost is not an issue, both the bottom cushioning material 11 and the spacers 12 may be arranged only in the middle part of the glass plate G, or the bottom cushioning material 11 may be arranged only in the middle part of the bottom side of the glass plate G, and the spacers 12 may be arranged along the entire length of the bottom side of the glass plate G.

[0044] The bottom cushioning material 11 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it comprises a foamed resin plate (foamed resin material) 13 and a rubber plate (rubber material) 14 arranged on the upper surface of the foamed resin plate 13. In this embodiment, the foamed resin plate 13 and the rubber plate 14 are each a single plate material that is continuous in the width direction of the glass plate laminate 2. The bottom cushioning material 11 (particularly the foamed resin plate 13) may be discarded after being used once for transportation, but in this embodiment, it is used multiple times for transportation and is replaced when its cushioning performance (such as thickness recovery ability) decreases.

[0045] The foamed resin plate 13 may be made primarily of, for example, foamed polypropylene, foamed urethane, foamed styrene, or foamed melamine. In this embodiment, the foamed resin plate 13 is a foamed polypropylene plate. The thickness of the foamed resin plate 13 is preferably, for example, 10 mm to 30 mm.

[0046] The expansion ratio of the foamed resin plate 13 is preferably 10 to 40 times. This allows for both adequate cushioning for the glass plate G and good thickness recovery. In other words, if the expansion ratio of the foamed resin plate 13 is less than 10 times, the foamed resin plate 13 tends to be too hard, which may result in the desired cushioning. On the other hand, if the expansion ratio of the foamed resin plate 13 is more than 40 times, the foamed resin plate 13 tends to be too soft, which may cause the glass plate G to bounce during loading operations, making it difficult to handle, or may result in poor thickness recovery, making it difficult to reuse. Therefore, to avoid such problems, the expansion ratio of the foamed resin plate 13 is preferably within the above-mentioned numerical range.

[0047] The rubber plate 14 is preferably made of, for example, natural rubber and has a Type A durometer hardness of 50 to 70. The thickness of the rubber plate 14 is preferably, for example, 2 mm to 10 mm. By including the foamed resin plate 13 and the rubber plate 14 in the bottom cushioning material 11 in this way, a wide range of shocks and vibrations can be absorbed according to the shock and vibration absorption performance of each. In addition, the rubber plate 14 is expected to have the effect of reducing compressive deformation of the foamed resin plate 13. From the viewpoint of efficiently absorbing shocks and vibrations, the thickness of the rubber plate 14 is preferably smaller than the thickness of the foamed resin plate 13. The rubber plate 14 may be omitted.

[0048] The spacer 12 can be made of, for example, cardboard, plastic corrugated cardboard, glass interleaving paper, or a foam resin sheet. In this embodiment, the spacer 12 is made of a laminate of multiple cardboard sheets. Each cardboard sheet constituting the spacer 12 is a single plate material that is continuous in the width direction of the glass plate laminate 2. The thickness of each cardboard sheet constituting the spacer 12 can be, for example, 0.3 to 3 mm, and preferably 0.5 to 1.5 mm. The number of cardboard sheets stacked to form the spacer 12 can be, for example, 1 to 10 sheets (3 sheets in the illustrated example), and preferably 3 to 5 sheets. The cardboard sheets constituting the spacer 12 preferably have the same thickness as the cardboard sheet constituting the cover member 10. In this way, the spacer 12 and the cover member 10 can share the same original cardboard sheet simply by changing the cut size.

[0049] 3, the upper surface of the bottom support part 6, i.e., the upper surface of the cover member 10, is inclined at a predetermined angle θ1 (e.g., 5° to 25°) with respect to the horizontal, in a direction that transitions upward as it moves away from the back support part 5. Furthermore, the front surface of the back support part 5, i.e., the front surface of the back cushioning material 8, is inclined at a predetermined angle θ2 (e.g., 5° to 25°) with respect to the vertical, in a direction that transitions rearward as it moves away from the bottom support part 6. In this case, the front surface of the back support part 5 is, for example, approximately perpendicular to the upper surface of the bottom support part 6.

[0050] The glass sheet package 1 having the above-described configuration is shipped (transported) with the glass sheet laminate 2 fixed to the pallet 3 by, for example, a predetermined fixing means. The fixing means is not particularly limited, but may be one including a belt 15 for restraining the glass sheet laminate 2, a pressing member 16 disposed between the belt 15 and the front surface of the glass sheet laminate 2, and a side stopper 17 disposed between the belt 15 and the side of the glass sheet laminate 2, as shown in FIG. 4. With the glass sheet laminate 2 housed in a predetermined position on the pallet 3 in a vertical orientation, both longitudinal ends of the belt 15 are hooked onto hooks 18 provided on the back support portion 5, and are doubled and fastened by a ratchet or the like (not shown) on the front surface of the pressing member 16. As a result, the glass sheet laminate 2 is fixed to the pallet 3 with its movement in the front-rear and left-right directions restricted.

[0051] 4, a frame plate 19 may be placed on the front side of the glass plate laminate 2, and the frame plate 19, the glass plate laminate 2, and the pressing member 16 may be pressed against the rear surface support part 5 by a belt 15. In order to prevent dust from adhering to the glass plate laminate 2, the glass plate laminate 2 may be covered with a protective bag or wrapped with a protective film.

[0052] The glass plate package 1 having the above-described configuration is manufactured through a manufacturing process that includes a step of stacking glass plates G and protective sheets P alternately in a vertical position on an empty pallet 3. A robot, for example, is used to load the glass plates G and protective sheets P onto the pallet 3.

[0053] 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.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the intervening member 9 is described as being composed of a laminate of multiple components. However, the intervening member 9 may be composed of a single component. In this embodiment, a portion or all of the intervening member 9 is disposed only in the middle of the bottom edge of the glass plate G. More specifically, when the entire intervening member 9 is disposed only in the middle of the bottom edge of the glass plate G, for example, no intervening member 9 is disposed at both ends of the bottom edge of the glass plate G. Furthermore, when a portion of the intervening member 9 is disposed only in the middle of the bottom edge of the glass plate G, for example, the thickness of the intervening member 9 at both ends of the bottom edge of the glass plate G is thinner than the thickness of the intervening member 9 at the middle of the bottom edge of the glass plate G. Alternatively, the intervening member 9 has a gap in the middle of the thickness direction at both ends of the bottom edge of the glass plate G. The intervening member 9 may be formed, for example, from a foam resin plate or a rubber plate.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the components of the rear support portion 5 and / or the bottom support portion 6 may simply be placed separably on each other without an adhesive layer between them. In this way, since no adhesive is used in the rear support portion 5 and / or the bottom support portion 6, contamination of the glass plate G by adhesive can be reliably prevented. Here, since the bottom support portion 6 is prone to contamination caused by adhesive due to vibration, impact, etc., it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which no adhesive is used in the bottom support portion 6. Of course, the components of the rear support portion 5 and / or the bottom support portion 6 may be fixed by adhesive, etc.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the case where rubber plate 14 is placed on the upper surface of foam resin plate 13 as bottom cushioning material 11 has been described, but rubber plate 14 may be placed only on the lower surface of foam resin plate 13, or rubber plates 14 may be placed on both the upper and lower surfaces of foam resin plate 13. When rubber plates 14 are placed on both the upper and lower surfaces of foam resin plate 13, the rubber plate 14 placed on the upper surface side of foam resin plate 13 and the rubber plate 14 placed on the lower surface side of foam resin plate 13 may be different in thickness or material.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the foamed resin plate 13 is described as being composed of a single foamed resin plate 13, but the foamed resin plate 13 may be a laminate of a plurality of foamed resin plates. In this case, the plurality of foamed resin plates 13 may be laminated directly or with a rubber material interposed therebetween.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the case has been described in which each of the components of the cover member 10 and the intervening member 9 is made up of a single plate material that is continuous in the width direction of the glass plate laminate 2. However, in cases where the size of the glass plate G is large, these components may be divided into multiple pieces in the width direction of the glass plate laminate 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 Glass plate package 2. Glass plate laminate 3 Glass plate packaging pallets 4 Base 5 Back support part 6 Bottom support 7 Back part 8 Back cushioning material 9 Intervening member 10 Cover member 11 Bottom cushioning material 12 spacer 13 Foam resin board 14 Rubber Plate G Glass plate P protective sheet S space

Claims

1. A glass plate packaging pallet including: a base portion on which a glass plate laminate including a glass plate and a protective sheet extending laterally in the width direction of the glass plate is accommodated in a vertical position; a back support portion supporting a back surface of the glass plate laminate; and a bottom support portion supporting a bottom surface of the glass plate laminate, the bottom support portion includes an interposition member between the base portion and the glass plate laminate, and a cover member disposed above the interposition member; The cover member is disposed along the entire length of the bottom side of the glass plate, A pallet for packing glass plates, characterized in that at least a portion of the intervening member is positioned only in the middle of the bottom edge of the glass plate, and a space where the intervening member is not positioned is formed below the cover member at a position corresponding to the corners formed at both ends of the bottom edge of the glass plate.

2. the interposing member is formed of a laminate of a plurality of constituent members, 2. The glass plate packaging pallet according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the component members is disposed only at the middle of the bottom side of the glass plate.

3. the intervening member includes a buffer material and a spacer as the constituent members, 3. The glass plate packaging pallet according to claim 2, wherein the spacers are disposed only at the middle portions of the bottom sides of the glass plates.

4. 4. A pallet for packaging glass sheets according to claim 3, wherein the spacer is made of a laminate of a plurality of cardboard sheets.

5. 5. The glass plate packaging pallet according to claim 3, wherein the cushioning material comprises a foamed resin material and a rubber material.

6. The glass plate packaging pallet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cover member is made of cardboard.

7. A glass plate package obtained by packaging the glass plate laminate in the glass plate packaging pallet according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A method for manufacturing a glass plate package, comprising a step of stacking a plurality of the glass plates in a vertical position on the glass plate packaging pallet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, with the protective sheet interposed therebetween.

Images