Glass plate manufacturing method

Abstract

To inhibit glass powder from adhering to an original material of a protective sheet.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a glass sheet includes: a loading step of loading a glass sheet G and a protective sheet S on a pallet T in a first packing chamber 3; and a carrying-out step of carrying-out the pallet T on which a glass sheet G and a protective sheet S are loaded to a second packing chamber 4 from the first packing chamber 3. The loading step further includes the steps of: supplying a belt-like sheet Sw unwound from a protective sheet roll Sr disposed in a protective sheet supply chamber 5 from the protective sheet supply chamber 5 to the first packing chamber 3; and cutting the belt-like sheet Sw supplied into the first packing chamber 3 at a predetermined length to obtain a protective sheet S. An atmospheric pressure of the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is substantially equalized to an atmospheric pressure of the first packing chamber 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a glass sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART As is well known, glass plates are used in a variety of fields, including as substrates for displays such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays.

[0003] In this type of glass sheet manufacturing process, first, a band-shaped glass ribbon is continuously formed by a known method such as the overflow downdraw method or the float method. Next, the glass ribbon is cut widthwise at predetermined lengths, and glass sheets are cut out from the glass ribbon. The cut glass sheets are then transported along a transport path by a transport device. On this transport path, processes such as removing edge portions of the glass sheets and inspecting the glass sheets for defects are performed as needed. After these various processes, the glass sheets and protective sheets are loaded onto a pallet by a loading device at the downstream end of the transport path of the transport device. Then, a glass sheet package is produced by attaching, for example, a glass sheet misalignment prevention member to the pallet on which the glass sheets and protective sheets are loaded. The produced glass sheet package is stored or transported (shipped) (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-30744 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-89674 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] If a glass plate breaks in a packing room for loading the glass plate and the protective sheet onto a pallet, the glass powder may adhere to the original material of the protective sheet.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to prevent glass powder from adhering to the base material of a protective sheet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The present invention, which was invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a method for manufacturing glass plates, comprising a loading step of loading glass plates and protective sheets onto a pallet in a first packing chamber, and a transport step of transporting the pallet on which the glass plates and protective sheets are loaded from the first packing chamber to a second packing chamber, wherein the loading step further comprises a step of supplying a strip-shaped sheet drawn from a protective sheet roll arranged in a protective sheet supply chamber from the protective sheet supply chamber to the first packing chamber, and a step of cutting the strip-shaped sheet supplied to the first packing chamber to a predetermined length to obtain a protective sheet, and wherein the air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber is made approximately the same as the air pressure in the first packing chamber.

[0008] (2) In the configuration of (1) above, the difference P3-P1 between the air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber and the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber is preferably -1 Pa to 1 Pa.

[0009] (3) In the configuration of (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber is higher than atmospheric pressure.

[0010] (4) In any of the above configurations (1) to (3), the protective sheet supply chamber is preferably located above the first packing chamber.

[0011] (5) In any of the above configurations (1) to (4), it is preferable that the gas in the first packing chamber and / or the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber be circulated through an air conditioner equipped with a filter unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent glass powder from adhering to the protective sheet roll or strip-shaped sheet that is the base material for the protective sheet. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that corresponding components in each embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. When only a portion of a configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of another previously described embodiment may be applied to the remaining portions of the configuration. Furthermore, in addition to the combinations of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments may be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, provided that there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0015] (First embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, a glass sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment is an apparatus for manufacturing a glass sheet G by an overflow downdraw method, and constitutes part of a building.

[0016] The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a cutting chamber 2, a first packing chamber 3, a second packing chamber 4, a protective sheet supply chamber 5, and a spare chamber 6. Each of the chambers 2 to 6 is a chamber (e.g., a clean room) that defines a space that can block out external contaminants to some extent.

[0017] In this embodiment, the cutting chamber 2, the first packing chamber 3, and the second packing chamber 4 are located on the same floor of the building, and the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the spare chamber 6 are located on the same floor of the building. The floor on which the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the spare chamber 6 are located is above the floor on which the cutting chamber 2, the first packing chamber 3, and the second packing chamber 4 are located, and of these, the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is located directly above the first packing chamber 3.

[0018] The cutting chamber 2 and the first packing chamber 3, the first packing chamber 3 and the second packing chamber 4, and the protection sheet supply chamber 5 and the spare chamber 6 are separated by openable and closable doors 7, 8, and 9 serving as partition members.

[0019] In the cutting chamber 2, first, a first cutting device (not shown) cuts the band-shaped glass ribbon produced by the overflow downdraw method into predetermined lengths to obtain sheet-shaped glass sheets G. Next, in the cutting chamber 2, a second cutting device (not shown) cuts both widthwise ends of the glass sheet G, including the edge portions (thick portions).

[0020] In the first packing chamber 3, a loading device (not shown) loads a vertically oriented glass sheet G and a vertically oriented protective sheet S onto a pallet T. As a result, a glass sheet laminate L including the glass sheet G and the protective sheet S is placed on the pallet T. Note that an inspection chamber may be provided between the cutting chamber 2 and the first packing chamber 3, and the glass sheet G may be inspected by an inspection device (not shown) in the inspection chamber before being loaded onto the pallet T. The inspection device measures, for example, the thickness deviation (sheet thickness), streaks (striae), type of defect (e.g., bubbles, foreign matter), position (coordinates), size, etc. of the glass sheet G.

[0021] An air supply device 10a is provided on the ceiling of the first packing chamber 3, and an exhaust device 11a is provided on the floor. The air pressure in the first packing chamber 3 is adjusted by adjusting the amount of air supplied by the air supply device 10a and the amount of air exhausted by the exhaust device 11a. The air pressure in the first packing chamber 3 is measured by a pressure sensor 12a.

[0022] The pallet T on which the glass sheet laminate L is placed in the first packing chamber 3 is carried into the second packing chamber 4. In the second packing chamber 4, a final packing step is carried out, and the final glass sheet package X is obtained from the pallet T on which the glass sheet laminate L is placed. The final packing step includes, for example, a step of attaching a position restricting member (not shown) that restricts the positional deviation of the glass sheet G with respect to the pallet T, and a step of covering the glass sheet laminate L with a protective member C to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the glass sheet laminate L. The position restricting member includes, for example, a pressing plate that is placed on the forefront of the glass sheet laminate L and a belt that presses this pressing plate toward the pallet T. The protective member C can be, for example, a protective bag that is placed on the glass sheet laminate L or a protective film that is wrapped around the glass sheet laminate L. The glass sheet package X and empty pallets T are stored in the second packing chamber 4.

[0023] The second packing chamber 4 is provided with an air supply device 10b on the ceiling and an exhaust device 11b on the floor. The air pressure in the second packing chamber 4 is adjusted by adjusting the amount of air supplied by the air supply device 10b and the amount of air exhausted by the exhaust device 11b. The air pressure in the second packing chamber 4 is measured by a pressure sensor 12b. The air supply device 10b and the exhaust device 11b in the second packing chamber 4 may be omitted.

[0024] A protective sheet roll Sr is disposed in the protective sheet supply chamber 5. The protective sheet roll Sr is formed by winding a strip-shaped sheet Sw, which is the source of the protective sheet S, around a core R in a roll shape. Examples of materials that can be used as the strip-shaped sheet Sw (protective sheet S) include a foamed resin sheet and interleaf paper. The strip-shaped sheet Sw drawn from the protective sheet roll Sr is supplied from the protective sheet supply chamber 5 to the first packing chamber 3 through a through-hole 13 provided in the floor of the protective sheet supply chamber 5 so as to connect the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the first packing chamber 3. In the first packing chamber 3, a cutting device (not shown) cuts the strip-shaped sheet Sw to a predetermined length to obtain single protective sheets S. The protective sheets S obtained in this manner are loaded onto a pallet T by a loading device.

[0025] An air supply device 10c is provided on the ceiling of the protective sheet supply chamber 5, and an exhaust device 11c is provided on the floor. The air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is adjusted by adjusting the amount of air supplied by the air supply device 10c and the amount of air exhausted by the exhaust device 11c. The air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is measured by a pressure sensor 12c.

[0026] The spare room 6 is used, for example, when a new protective sheet roll Sr is carried into the protective sheet supply room 5. The spare room 6 is provided with an elevator.

[0027] The air pressure in the preliminary chamber 6 is measured by a pressure sensor 12d. In this embodiment, the preliminary chamber 6 is not provided with an air supply device or an exhaust device for adjusting the air pressure, but may be provided with an air supply device and an exhaust device, similar to the first packing chamber 3, etc.

[0028] The air supply devices 10a to 10c are preferably provided with a filter unit (not shown) on the gas flow path. This allows clean gas to be supplied into the room. Similarly, the exhaust devices 11a to 11c are preferably provided with a filter unit on the gas flow path. This allows clean gas to be exhausted outside the room. The filter unit of the air supply devices 10a to 10c can be, for example, a coarse dust filter, a medium-performance filter (e.g., MEPA filter, etc.), or a high-performance filter (e.g., HEPA filter, ULPA filter, etc.).

[0029] Next, a method for manufacturing a glass sheet according to this embodiment will be described. This manufacturing method is a method for manufacturing a glass sheet G using the manufacturing apparatus 1 described above.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, this manufacturing method includes a loading process in which a glass plate G and a protective sheet S are loaded onto a pallet T in a first packing chamber 3; a carrying-out process in which the pallet T loaded with the glass plate G and the protective sheet S, i.e., the pallet T on which the glass plate laminate L is placed, is carried out from the first packing chamber 3 to a second packing chamber 4; and a final packing process in which a final glass plate package X is obtained from the pallet T on which the glass plate laminate L is placed in the second packing chamber 4.

[0031] The lamination process further includes a supply process in which a strip sheet Sw drawn from a protective sheet roll Sr arranged in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is supplied from the protective sheet supply chamber 5 to the first packaging chamber 3 through the through hole 13, and a cutting process in which the strip sheet Sw supplied to the first packaging chamber 3 is cut to a predetermined length to obtain a protective sheet S.

[0032] During the course of these steps, that is, during the manufacturing process of the glass sheet G, the air pressures in the first packing chamber 3, the second packing chamber 4 and the protective sheet supply chamber 5 are managed as follows.

[0033] That is, the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3 is set higher than the air pressure P2 in the second packing chamber 4.

[0034] Specifically, the pressure difference (P1-P2) between the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3 and the air pressure P2 in the second packing chamber 4 is, for example, preferably 3 to 10 Pa, and more preferably 5 to 8 Pa. The pressure difference (P1-P2) is controlled, for example, by the air supply devices 10a and 10b and the exhaust devices 11a and 11b.

[0035] In this way, the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3, in which the glass plate G and the protective sheet S are loaded onto the pallet T, is set higher than the air pressure P2 in the second packing chamber 4. This prevents the gas in the second packing chamber 4 and foreign matter contained in the gas from flowing into the first packing chamber 3. In other words, the first packing chamber 3 can be kept cleaner than the second packing chamber 4. This reliably prevents foreign matter from being introduced to the contact surface between the glass plate G and the protective sheet S when the glass plate G and the protective sheet S are loaded onto the pallet T in the first packing chamber 3. Note that after the glass plate G and the protective sheet S are stacked on the pallet T, the glass plate G and the protective sheet S are in contact with each other, making it difficult for foreign matter to be introduced from outside to the contact surface between the glass plate G and the protective sheet S.

[0036] The air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is set higher than the air pressure P4 in the spare chamber 6. In this embodiment, the spare chamber 6 is not equipped with a device for controlling the air pressure, but is instead equipped with an elevator or the like that communicates with the outside air, so the air pressure P4 in the spare chamber 6 is atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the air pressure P4 in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is set higher than atmospheric pressure.

[0037] Specifically, the pressure difference (P3-P4) between the air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the air pressure P4 (atmospheric pressure) in the preliminary chamber 6 is, for example, preferably 1 to 10 Pa, and more preferably 2 to 7 Pa. The pressure difference (P3-P4) is managed, for example, by the air supply device 10c and the exhaust device 11c.

[0038] This prevents outdoor gases and foreign matter from entering the protective sheet supply chamber 5 through the auxiliary chamber 6. In other words, preventing the inflow of foreign matter from outside makes it easier to ensure the cleanliness of the protective sheet supply chamber 5. Furthermore, preventing the inflow of gases from outside also makes it easier to manage the air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber 5.

[0039] The air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is set to be approximately the same as the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3.

[0040] Specifically, the pressure difference (P3-P1) between the air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3 is, for example, preferably -1 to 1 Pa, more preferably -0.2 to 0.2 Pa, and most preferably 0 to 0.2 Pa. The pressure difference (P3-P1) is managed, for example, by air supply devices 10a and 10c and exhaust devices 11a and 11c.

[0041] This prevents air currents (e.g., ascending air currents) caused by the pressure difference from forming near the through-holes 13 between the first packing chamber 3 and the protective sheet supply chamber 5. This prevents the strip sheet Sw from being shaken by the air current, resulting in poor supply or cutting of the strip sheet Sw. Note that poor supply or cutting of the strip sheet Sw is more likely to occur when ascending air currents form near the through-holes 13, so it is preferable that the pressure difference (P3-P1) between the air pressure P3 in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3 be 0 Pa or greater.

[0042] The air pressure P2 in the second packing chamber 4 is set higher than atmospheric pressure.

[0043] Specifically, the pressure difference (P2-PA) between the air pressure P2 in the second packing chamber 4 and the atmospheric pressure PA is, for example, preferably 0.5 to 10 Pa, and more preferably 2 to 6 Pa. The pressure difference (P2-PA) is controlled, for example, by the air supply device 10b and the exhaust device 11b.

[0044] This makes it possible to prevent gases and foreign matter from entering the second packing chamber 4 from the outside. In other words, since the inflow of foreign matter from the outside is prevented, it becomes easier to ensure the cleanliness of the second packing chamber 4. Furthermore, since the inflow of gases from the outside is prevented, it becomes easier to manage the air pressure in the second packing chamber 4.

[0045] The atmospheric pressures of the chambers 3 to 6 and / or the differential pressures of the chambers 3 to 6 are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate. The differential pressures are determined based on the measurement results of the pressure sensors 12a to 12d, but may also be measured directly with a differential pressure gauge.

[0046] Second Embodiment As shown in FIG. 2, the glass plate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the gas in the first packing chamber 3 and the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 are circulated by an air conditioner (air handling unit) 21.

[0047] More specifically, in this embodiment, a common air conditioner 21 is connected to the first packing chamber 3 and the protective sheet supply chamber 5. The air conditioner 21 includes a blower 22 for sending gas (air) toward the first packing chamber 3 and the protective sheet supply chamber 5, and a filter unit 23 for removing foreign matter from the gas sent out by the blower 22. The filter unit 23 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it includes, in order from the gas intake side (blower 22 side), a coarse dust filter 23a, a medium-performance filter (e.g., MEPA filter, etc.) 23b, and a high-performance filter (e.g., HEPA filter, ULPA filter, etc.) 23c. Although not shown, the air conditioner 21 may further include a temperature and humidity adjustment unit (e.g., a hot water coil, a cooling coil, a humidifying nozzle, an eliminator, etc.) for adjusting the temperature and / or humidity of the gas to be supplied.

[0048] An outside air duct 24 for taking in outside air and return air ducts 25 and 26 for taking in the gas in the first packing chamber 3 and the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 from exhaust devices (exhaust ports) 11a and 11c are connected to the gas intake side of the air conditioner 21. In addition, air supply ducts 27 and 28 for supplying clean gas from air intake devices (air intake ports) 10a and 10c into the first packing chamber 3 and the protective sheet supply chamber 5 are connected to the gas intake side of the air conditioner 21.

[0049] Providing the air conditioner 21 in this manner has the advantage of circulating the gas in the first packing chamber 3 and the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and improving the cleanliness of these gases. In other words, it is possible to more reliably prevent foreign matter from adhering to the glass sheet laminate L and its package X.

[0050] (Third embodiment) As shown in Figure 3, the glass plate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that a first air conditioner 31 that circulates the gas in the first packing chamber 3 and a second air conditioner 32 that circulates the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 are provided separately.

[0051] The internal structures of the first air conditioner 31 and the second air conditioner 32 are the same as the internal structure of the air conditioner 21 of the second embodiment.

[0052] An outside air duct 33 for taking in outside air and a return air duct 34 for taking in gas from the first packing chamber 3 through an exhaust device (exhaust port) 11a are connected to the gas intake side of the first air conditioner 31. In addition, an intake air duct 35 for supplying clean gas into the first packing chamber 3 from an intake device (intake port) 10a is connected to the gas supply side of the first air conditioner 31.

[0053] Similarly, an outside air duct 36 for taking in outside air and a return air duct 37 for taking in gas from the protective sheet supply chamber 5 through the exhaust device (exhaust port) 11c are connected to the gas intake side of the second air conditioner 32. Furthermore, an air supply duct 38 for supplying clean gas into the protective sheet supply chamber 5 from the air supply device (air supply port) 10c is connected to the gas supply side of the second air conditioner 32.

[0054] By providing the first air conditioner 31 and the second air conditioner 32 in this manner, the gas in the first packing chamber 3 and the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 can be managed separately. The foreign matter generated primarily in the first packing chamber 3 is powder from packing materials such as the protective sheet S and glass powder. On the other hand, the foreign matter generated primarily in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is powder from packing materials such as the protective sheet S, with almost no glass powder. Therefore, because the foreign matter generated in the first packing chamber 3 and the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is different, it is preferable to manage them separately as described above. Furthermore, by providing separate air conditioners 31 and 32, the individual air conditioners can be made smaller than when a common air conditioner is used. Furthermore, the duct piping structure for each air conditioner 31 and 32 can be simplified. This also has an advantage in terms of equipment costs.

[0055] 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.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the air pressure in each of the chambers 3 to 5 is controlled by the air supply devices 10a to 10c installed on the ceiling and the exhaust devices 11a to 11c installed on the floor, but the air pressure control mechanism that controls the air pressure in each of the chambers 3 to 5 is not limited to this. For example, the air pressure control mechanism may be configured to include only an air supply device. Furthermore, the location of the air pressure control mechanism is not limited to the ceiling or floor, and can be changed as appropriate.

[0057] In the above embodiment, an example is given of a case in which a vertically oriented glass plate G and a vertically oriented protective sheet S are loaded on a pallet T for vertical placement in the first packing chamber 3, but a horizontally oriented glass plate G and a horizontally oriented protective sheet S may also be loaded on a pallet for horizontal placement (flat placement).

[0058] In the above embodiment, the protective sheet supply chamber 5 is located above the first packing chamber 3, but the positional relationship between the protective sheet supply chamber 5 and the first packing chamber 3 is not limited to this. For example, the protective sheet supply chamber 5 may be located below the first packing chamber 3. Alternatively, the protective sheet supply chamber 5 may be omitted, and the protective sheet roll Sr may be placed in the first packing chamber 3.

[0059] In the above embodiment, a loading process is performed in the first packing chamber 3, in which glass sheets G and protective sheets S are loaded onto a pallet T to obtain a pallet T on which a glass sheet laminate L is placed. Then, a final packing process is performed in the second packing chamber 4, in which a positioning member is attached to the pallet T on which the glass sheet laminate L is placed, or the glass sheet laminate L is covered with a protective member C to obtain a glass sheet package X. However, the contents of the packing work in each chamber 3, 4 are not limited to this. For example, if there is sufficient space in the first packing chamber 3, the loading process and the final packing process may be performed in the first packing chamber 3. In this case, the glass sheet packages X before collection are stored in the second packing chamber 4. Note that, typically, there is no extra space in the first packing chamber 3 other than the workspace of the loading device. Therefore, considering production efficiency, it is preferable that, after the loading process for one pallet T is completed, the pallet T on which the glass sheet laminate L is placed is transported to the second packing chamber 4 and an empty pallet T is immediately placed in the workspace of the loading device in the first packing chamber 3.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the protective sheets S are obtained by cutting the strip-shaped sheet Sw to a predetermined length, but the protective sheets S may be prepared in advance in a sheet-by-sheet format. In this case, the laminating step includes, instead of the aforementioned feeding step and cutting step, a step of feeding the protective sheets S from the protective sheet feeding chamber 5 to the first packaging chamber 3 through the through holes 13.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the air pressure P1 in the first packing chamber 3 is preferably set higher than the air pressure P0 in the cutting chamber 2. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter such as glass powder generated in the cutting chamber 2 from flowing into the first packing chamber 3.

[0062] In the second and third embodiments described above, the gas in the first packing chamber 3 and the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber 5 are circulated by air conditioners 21, 31, and 32. However, the configuration for circulating gas by an air conditioner may be provided only in the first packing chamber 3 or only in the protective sheet supply chamber 5, or may be applied to other locations such as the second packing chamber 4, the spare chamber 6, and the inspection chamber. The positions and numbers of the air inlets and exhaust ports in each chamber are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate depending on the size of each chamber, the required cleanliness of the gas, etc.

[0063] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a glass ribbon is formed by the overflow downdraw method. However, the glass ribbon may be formed by other known forming methods such as a slot downdraw method, a redraw method, or a float method.

[0064] The present invention also includes the following problems and inventions.

[0065] A packing chamber for loading glass plates and protective sheets onto a pallet needs to be a clean space to prevent foreign matter (particles) from adhering to the glass plates. However, if the air pressure in the packing chamber is not properly controlled, outdoor gas (air) and foreign matter contained in the gas may flow into the packing chamber, causing the foreign matter to adhere to the glass plates and / or protective sheets. When glass plates or protective sheets with foreign matter attached are loaded onto a pallet, the foreign matter may be brought into the contact surface between the glass plates and the protective sheet, causing problems such as the foreign matter being pressed against the glass plates or causing scratches.

[0066] An object of the present invention is to reliably prevent foreign matter from being introduced onto the contact surface between a glass plate and a protective sheet when the glass plate and the protective sheet are loaded onto a pallet.

[0067] (1) The present invention, which was invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a method for manufacturing glass plates, which includes a loading step of loading glass plates and protective sheets onto a pallet in a first packing chamber, and a transport step of transporting the pallet on which the glass plates and protective sheets are loaded from the first packing chamber to a second packing chamber, and is characterized in that the air pressure in the first packing chamber is higher than the air pressure in the second packing chamber.

[0068] In this way, the packing chamber is divided into a first packing chamber and a second packing chamber. The air pressure in the first packing chamber, in which the glass plate and the protective sheet are loaded onto the pallet, is set higher than the air pressure in the second packing chamber. This prevents gas from the second packing chamber and foreign matter contained in the gas from flowing into the first packing chamber. In other words, the first packing chamber can be kept cleaner than the second packing chamber. This reliably prevents foreign matter from being introduced onto the contact surface between the glass plate and the protective sheet when the glass plate and the protective sheet are loaded onto the pallet in the first packing chamber.

[0069] (2) In the configuration of (1) above, it is preferable that the air pressure in the second packing chamber is higher than atmospheric pressure.

[0070] This arrangement prevents gases and foreign matter from entering the second packing chamber from the outside (e.g., outdoors). This prevents foreign matter from entering the second packing chamber from the outside, making it easier to ensure the cleanliness of the second packing chamber. Furthermore, preventing gases from entering the second packing chamber from the outside also makes it easier to manage the air pressure in the second packing chamber.

[0071] (3) In the configuration of (1) or (2) above, the loading process may further include a step of supplying a strip sheet drawn from a protective sheet roll arranged in the protective sheet supply chamber from the protective sheet supply chamber to the first packing chamber, and a step of cutting the strip sheet supplied to the first packing chamber to a predetermined length to obtain a protective sheet.

[0072] In this way, the protective sheet supply chamber in which the protective sheet roll is placed can be separated from the first packing chamber, so that even if a glass plate breaks in the first packing chamber, the glass powder is less likely to adhere to the protective sheet roll or the strip sheet in the protective sheet supply chamber.

[0073] (4) In the configuration of (3) above, it is preferable that the pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber is higher than atmospheric pressure.

[0074] This prevents gases and foreign matter from entering the protective sheet supply chamber from the outside (e.g., outdoors). This prevents foreign matter from entering from the outside, making it easier to ensure the cleanliness of the protective sheet supply chamber. Furthermore, preventing gases from entering from the outside also makes it easier to manage the air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber.

[0075] (5) In the configuration of (3) or (4) above, it is preferable that the air pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber is set to be approximately the same as the air pressure in the first packing chamber.

[0076] This arrangement prevents air currents (e.g., ascending air currents) from forming between the first packing chamber and the protective sheet supply chamber due to a difference in air pressure, thereby preventing the strip sheet from being shaken by the air current and causing poor supply or cutting of the strip sheet.

[0077] (6) In any of the above configurations (3) to (5), the protective sheet supply chamber is preferably located above the first packing chamber.

[0078] Particles (minuscule foreign matter) such as glass powder floating in space tend to move from top to bottom due to gravity. Therefore, by positioning the protective sheet supply chamber above the first packing chamber as described above, particles from the first packing chamber are less likely to flow into the protective sheet supply chamber, making it easier to maintain the protective sheet roll and strip sheet in the protective sheet supply chamber in a clean state.

[0079] (7) In any of the above configurations (3) to (6), it is preferable that the gas in the first packing chamber and / or the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber be circulated through an air conditioner equipped with a filter unit.

[0080] In this way, the gas in the first packing chamber and / or the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber can be circulated and the cleanliness thereof can be improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1. Glass plate manufacturing equipment 2 Cutting chamber 3. First Packaging Room 4. Second Packaging Room 5. Protective sheet supply room 6 Spare Room 10a~10c Air supply device 11a~11c Exhaust system 12a~12d Pressure sensors 13 Through hole 21, 31, 32 Air conditioner (air handling unit) G Glass plate C. Protective material S Protective Sheet T Palette X Glass plate packaging

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a glass sheet, comprising: a loading step of loading the glass plate and the protective sheet onto a pallet in the first packing chamber; a carrying-out step of carrying out the pallet on which the glass plate and the protective sheet are loaded from the first packing chamber to a second packing chamber, the loading step further includes a step of supplying a strip sheet drawn from a protective sheet roll arranged in a protective sheet supply chamber from the protective sheet supply chamber to the first packing chamber, and a step of cutting the strip sheet supplied to the first packing chamber to a predetermined length to obtain the protective sheet, a difference (P3-P1) between the air pressure (P3) in the protective sheet supply chamber and the air pressure (P1) in the first packing chamber is −1 Pa to 1 Pa; The method for manufacturing a glass plate, wherein the protective sheet supply chamber is located above the first packing chamber.

2. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 1, wherein the pressure in the protective sheet supply chamber is higher than atmospheric pressure.

3. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas in the first packing chamber and / or the gas in the protective sheet supply chamber is circulated through an air conditioner equipped with a filter unit.

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