Inspection equipment

Abstract

To provide an inspection device with which it is possible to estimate, with good accuracy, foreign matter that is included in interposing materials used in glass plates and that causes defects such as contamination or flaws on the surface of the glass plates.SOLUTION: The inspection device comprises: a first inspection unit 11 that acquires first information composed of surface state information regarding the surface, or the surface and reverse side, of an interposing material 1; a pressure unit 13 that brings the interposing material 1 for which the first information was acquired by the first inspection unit 11 into contact with a glass plate 3; a second inspection unit 19 that acquires second information composed of surface state information regarding the principle surface of the glass plate 3 having been brought into contact with the surface of the interposing material 1; and a determination unit 23 that estimates foreign matter that exists in the interposing material 1 and that has caused a defect on the principle surface of the glass plate 3, on the basis of first position information in the first information acquired by the first inspection unit 11 that represents the position of foreign matter existing in the interposing material 1, and second position information in the second information acquired by the second inspection unit 19 that represents the position of the defect existing on the principal surface of the glass plate 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection device capable of estimating foreign matters contained in an interposer material that cause scratches and contamination on the surface of a glass plate among foreign matters contained in the interposer material.

Background Art

[0002] For example, glass plates used for flat panel displays (FPDs) such as LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays) and OLEDs (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes) are transported in a stacked state of multiple sheets for the purpose of improving transportation efficiency. At this time, an interposer material such as glass plate interleaving paper (hereinafter also referred to as "interleaving paper"), a resin sheet, or a resin cushion is interposed between the glass plates to prevent scratches or the like on the surface of the glass plate during transportation.

[0003] However, since the glass plates are laminated with their surfaces in pressure contact with the interposer material, there is a risk that sticky foreign matters present in the interposer material adhere to the surface of the glass plate or the surface is scratched by the foreign matters. Therefore, there is a need for an interposer material that makes it difficult for foreign matters to adhere to the surface of the glass plate and can suppress scratches generated on the main surface of the glass plate.

[0004] In particular, for a glass plate (glass substrate) for FPD, since elements such as fine electrical wirings, electrodes, electrical circuits, and partition walls are formed on the surface, even a slight scratch or contamination on the surface may cause defects such as disconnection. Therefore, high surface cleanliness is required for the glass plates used for these applications.

[0005] As an interposer material used for such applications interposed between glass plates, some interleaving papers that suppress cracking of the glass plate, scratching of the surface of the glass plate, and contamination of the surface of the glass plate have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a glass interleaving paper in which the number of foreign matters having a Mohs hardness of 4 or more present on the surface is less than a predetermined number. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses an interleaving paper that satisfies the following conditions. 2 An interleaving paper that satisfies the following conditions is disclosed. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6127319 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4924982 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, in the case of intervening materials, not all foreign matter with a Mohs hardness of 4 or higher causes scratches on the glass plate; some foreign matter with a Mohs hardness of 4 or higher does not cause problems. In other words, the reality was that it was not clear what kind of foreign matter caused scratches or contamination on the glass plate. Therefore, intervening materials were developed by comparing the properties of the intervening material, such as the number of foreign matter present and the smoothness of the intervening material, with information on scratches and contamination of the glass plate when the intervening material was used, in order to predict the properties of the intervening material that would be desirable.

[0008] Therefore, it is not possible to completely prevent scratches or contamination on the surface of glass plates, and in some cases, scratches or contamination may occur on the surface of the glass plate due to various reasons. For this reason, accurately estimating foreign matter in the interlining material that causes scratches or contamination on the surface of the glass plate is a major challenge.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an inspection device that can accurately estimate foreign matter contained in interposing materials used in glass plates that causes defects such as contamination or scratches on the surface of the glass plate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention consists of the following configuration. An inspection device for inspecting interposing materials placed between stacked glass plates, A first inspection unit that acquires first information consisting of information on the surface condition of the front, or both the front and back surfaces of the aforementioned interfacing material, A pressing section that brings the intervening material and the glass plate into contact with the first information acquired in the first inspection section, A second inspection unit acquires second information consisting of information on the surface condition of the main surface of the glass plate that is in contact with the surface of the interfacing material, A determination unit that estimates the foreign matter present in the interfacing material that caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate, based on first position information, which is the position information of a foreign matter present in the interfacing material in the first information acquired by the first inspection unit, and second position information, which is the position information of a defect present on the main surface of the glass plate in the second information acquired by the second inspection unit, Equipped with, Inspection device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately estimate foreign matter contained in interposing materials used in glass plates that causes defects such as contamination and scratches on the surface of the glass plate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the inspection apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for estimating foreign matter using the inspection device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating how to extract location information of defects in a glass plate. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the inspection apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for estimating foreign matter using the inspection device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified example equipped with a fourth inspection unit.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) First, an inspection apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an inspection apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment is an inspection apparatus for estimating foreign matter contained in the interposing material 1. The interposing material 1 is, for example, a sheet-like interposing object interposed between glass plates 3 when a plurality of glass plates 3 are stacked during transportation or storage. Examples of this interposing material 1 include Japanese paper, a resin sheet, or a resin cushion. In this example, Japanese paper is illustrated.

[0015] As the Japanese paper serving as the interposing material 1, for example, the smoothness is 20 seconds or less (JIS P 8119, 1998), the density is 0.8 g / cm 3 , the resin content is 0.05 mass% or less (JIS P 8224, 2002), and it has excellent cushioning properties and is selected to have less transfer of the resin content. Note that the resin content of the Japanese paper is preferably 0.05 mass% or less (JIS P 8224, 2002), and a paper quality that does not adversely affect the quality of the glass plate 3 itself due to the combined effect with the above-mentioned paper surface roughness is selected.

[0016] The interposing material 1 is a long interposing material 1L wound into a roll to form an interposing material roll 1R, which is pulled out from the interposing material roll 1R and continuously and efficiently inspected by the inspection apparatus 100. In this example, the lower surface (front surface) of the interposing material 1 is inspected.

[0017] The glass plate 3 in which the intervening material 1 is interposed is made of an alkali-free glass-based material used for flat panel displays (FPDs) such as LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays) and OLEDs (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes). The main surface of the glass plate 3 on which wiring and elements are formed is the usable surface, and the inspection device 100 inspects the glass plate 3 by bringing the intervening material 1 into contact with the main surface of the glass plate 3, which is the usable surface. The main surface on which the intervening material 1 is brought into contact may be the main surface of the glass plate 3 opposite to the usable surface. In other words, the main surface on which the intervening material 1 is brought into contact may be the main surface of the glass plate 3 opposite to the main surface on which wiring and elements are formed.

[0018] The inspection device 100 comprises a first inspection unit 11, a pressing unit 13, a sampling unit 15, a washing unit 17, and a second inspection unit 19. The inspection device 100 also includes a control unit 21, which comprises a determination unit 23 and a learning model creation unit 25.

[0019] The first inspection section 11, the pressing section 13, and the sampling section 15 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. The interfacing material 1, which consists of a long interfacing material 1L wound into a roll-shaped interfacing material roll 1R, is fed out by a transport mechanism such as a feed roller 31 provided between the pressing section 13 and the sampling section 15. As a result, the interfacing material 1, consisting of a long interfacing material 1L, is fed out from the interfacing material roll 1R and transported sequentially to the first inspection section 11, the pressing section 13, and the sampling section 15 while being guided by a guide roller 33.

[0020] The first inspection unit 11 images the lower surface of the interfacing material 1 and acquires the image data as first information, which is information about the surface state of the interfacing material 1. This first inspection unit 11 includes, for example, a reflective sensor 41 and a transmissive sensor 42. The reflective sensor 41 has a light-emitting unit 41a that irradiates light onto the interfacing material 1 and a light-receiving unit 41b that receives the light from the light-emitting unit 41a reflected by the interfacing material 1 and acquires an image of the interfacing material 1. The transmissive sensor 42 has a light-emitting unit 42a that irradiates light onto the interfacing material 1 and a light-receiving unit 42b that receives the light from the light-emitting unit 42a that passes through the interfacing material 1 and acquires an image of the interfacing material 1. Multiple reflective sensors 41 and transmissive sensors 42 are provided and arranged in parallel in the width direction of the interfacing material 1. Note that the first inspection unit 11 only needs to include at least one of the reflective sensor 41 and the transmissive sensor 42. The type of sensor suitable for the first inspection unit 11 varies depending on the type, shape, and mode of existence of the foreign object, in terms of detection sensitivity and identification performance. For example, exposed foreign objects have relatively high light scattering properties, so a reflective sensor 41 is preferable. On the other hand, foreign objects that are mostly embedded in the interfacing material have low light scattering properties but low light transmittance, so a transmissive sensor 42 is preferable. Thus, the first inspection unit 11 should have an appropriate configuration and arrangement for the foreign objects to be detected. Furthermore, in order to detect multiple types of foreign objects or unknown foreign objects, for the reasons mentioned above, it is even more desirable for the first inspection unit 11 to be equipped with both a transmissive sensor 42 and a reflective sensor 41. In addition, since foreign objects on the upper surface (back surface) of the interfacing material 1 may scratch the main surface of the glass plate 3 (the surface in contact with the lower surface of the interfacing material 1) through the interfacing material 1, it is even more preferable to have a sensor that inspects the upper surface in addition to the lower surface of the interfacing material 1.

[0021] Furthermore, the light sources for the light-emitting units 41a and 42a may include not only visible light but also infrared light, ultraviolet light, or radiation, and the light-receiving units 41b and 42b only need to be sensors capable of detecting these. By using infrared or ultraviolet light, their absorption or scattering may be stronger than that of the background interfacing material 1 itself, allowing for good contrast in detecting defects or determining that a defect is not the intended one. By using radiation, it is possible to determine whether the defect contains metal and whether the defect is located on the surface or inside. The light-receiving units 41b and 42b may be monochrome or color. In the case of color, more information can be obtained, contributing to improved defect detection accuracy. A detector capable of identifying constituent elements at atmospheric pressure, such as a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy detector, may also be provided. This allows for highly accurate determination of whether the foreign matter in the interfacing material 1 is of a type that causes defects in the glass plate 3.

[0022] The pressing unit 13 is positioned downstream of the first inspection unit 11 in the transport direction of the intervening material 1. The pressing unit 13 brings the glass plate 3 into contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the intervening material 1 from which the first information has been acquired by the first inspection unit 11. The pressing unit 13 is equipped with a pair of pressing plates 45 positioned on the front and back sides of the intervening material 1, and the glass plate 3 is held by these pressing plates 45. These pressing plates 45 are movable toward and toward each other, and when the pressing plates 45 are brought toward each other, the glass plate 3 held by each pressing plate 45 comes into contact with the intervening material 1. In the pressing unit 13, the glass plate 3 held by the lower pressing plate 45 is the glass plate for evaluation, and the main surface of the glass plate 3 that contacts the lower surface of the intervening material 1 is the evaluation surface.

[0023] The pressing section 13 brings the glass plate 3 into contact with the intervening material 1 with a preset contact force. This contact force is, for example, the contact force applied to the intervening material 1 and the glass plate 3 when multiple glass plates 3 are stacked with the intervening material 1 in a packaged state. This contact force is set to 3 kPa or more, which corresponds to the pressure applied near the bottom of the stack when 200 or more glass plates 3 are stacked flat.

[0024] The intervening material 1, consisting of a long intervening material 1L, is conveyed intermittently, and the glass plate 3 is intermittently brought into contact with the intervening material 1 at the pressing section 13. In other words, when the glass plate 3 comes into contact with the intervening material 1 at the pressing section 13, the area including the area that came into contact is sent to the sampling section 15. Then, the uncontacted portion of the intervening material 1 is sent to the pressing section 13, where it comes into contact with the glass plate 3. As a result, the intervening material 1, consisting of a long intervening material 1L, is sent to the sampling section 15 in order of the areas that have come into contact with the glass plate 3 at the pressing section 13.

[0025] The sampling unit 15 is positioned downstream of the pressing unit 13 in the transport direction of the intervening material 1. The sampling unit 15 includes a marker 47, a cutter 48, and a tray 49. The intervening material 1, with the glass plate 3 in contact with it by the pressing unit 13, is fed into the sampling unit 15 by the transport mechanism. In the sampling unit 15, the marker 47 marks each area of ​​the fed intervening material 1 that has come into contact with the glass plate 3, and the cutter 48 cuts it into rectangular short intervening material pieces 1S (intervening material samples), which are then stacked and stored in the tray 49.

[0026] The cleaning unit 17 cleans the main surface of the glass plate 3 that is in contact with the interposing material 1 by the pressing unit 13. This cleaning unit 17 is equipped with a roller brush 51, a disc brush 52, and a cleaning water spray unit 53. Cleaning fluid is supplied to the roller brush 51 and the disc brush 52 from cleaning fluid nozzles 51a and 52a, respectively. The roller brush 51 rotates around an axis along the main surface of the glass plate 3 and cleans the main surface of the glass plate 3. The disc brush 52 rotates around an axis perpendicular to the main surface of the glass plate 3 and cleans the main surface of the glass plate 3. The cleaning water spray unit 53 sprays cleaning fluid onto the main surface of the glass plate 3 to wash away the water. Note that the cleaning unit 17 may be equipped with either the roller brush 51 or the disc brush 52, or it may be equipped with only the cleaning water spray unit 53 without the roller brush 51 and disc brush 52. The cleaning unit 17 removes, for example, foreign matter adhering to the main surface of the glass plate 3 that can be removed by normal cleaning and does not pose a major problem. For example, it removes foreign matter that can be removed in the cleaning process before forming circuits on the main surface of the glass plate 3 as a substrate.

[0027] The second inspection unit 19 captures an image of the main surface of the glass plate 3 that is in contact with the intervening material 1 by the pressing unit 13, and acquires the image data as second information, which is information about the surface state of the main surface of the glass plate 3. This second inspection unit 19 includes, for example, a reflective sensor 55 and a transmissive sensor 56. The reflective sensor 55 has a light-emitting unit 55a that irradiates light onto the main surface of the glass plate 3, and a light-receiving unit 55b that receives the light from the light-emitting unit 55a reflected from the main surface of the glass plate 3 and acquires an image of the main surface of the glass plate 3. The transmissive sensor 56 has a light-emitting unit 56a that irradiates light onto the glass plate 3, and a light-receiving unit 56b that receives the light from the light-emitting unit 56a that passes through the glass plate 3 and acquires an image of the glass plate 3. Multiple reflective sensors 55 and transmissive sensors 56 are provided and arranged in parallel in the width direction of the glass plate 3. The second inspection unit 19 only needs to be equipped with at least one of the reflective sensor 55 and the transmissive sensor 56. Similar to the first inspection unit 11, the second inspection unit 19 only needs to have an appropriate configuration and arrangement for detecting foreign objects.

[0028] The control unit 21 controls the transport mechanism, including the first inspection unit 11, the pressing unit 13, the sampling unit 15, the washing unit 17, the second inspection unit 19, and the feed roller 31. The control unit 21 also receives first information acquired by the first inspection unit 11 and second information acquired by the second inspection unit 19.

[0029] The determination unit 23, located in the control unit 21, extracts first position information, which is the location information of foreign matter present in the interfacing material 1, from the first information acquired by the first inspection unit 11. The determination unit 23 also extracts second position information, which is the location information of defects present on the main surface of the glass plate 3, from the second information acquired by the second inspection unit 19. Based on the first position information and the second position information, the determination unit 23 estimates which foreign matter present in the interfacing material 1 caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3.

[0030] The learning model creation unit 25, located in the control unit 21, creates a learning model by machine learning using a combination of first information acquired by the first inspection unit 11 and the estimation result of whether or not a defect occurred on the main surface of the glass plate 3, obtained by the determination unit 23, as training data.

[0031] Next, the procedure for estimating foreign matter using the inspection device 100 with the above configuration will be described. Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for estimating foreign matter using the inspection device 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0032] The control unit 21 activates the transport mechanism, such as the feed roller 31, and the supply and transport of the interfacing material 1 begins (step S11). As a result, the long interfacing material 1L is fed out from the interfacing material roll 1R.

[0033] In the first inspection unit 11, the lower surface of the intervening material 1 is photographed, and the image data is acquired as first information, which is information about the surface state of the intervening material 11 (step S12). This first information is then transmitted to the determination unit 23 of the control unit 21.

[0034] When the inspection area from which the first information has been acquired in the interfacing material 11 is transported to the pressing unit 13, the pressing plates 45 move in a direction that brings them closer together in the pressing unit 13. As a result, the glass plates 3 come into contact with the inspection area of ​​the interfacing material 11 from both sides (step S13).

[0035] When the inspection area in which the glass plate 3 is in contact with the pressing portion 13 of the intervening material 11 is transported to the sampling portion 15, the intervening material 1 is marked with a marker 47 for each inspection area, and then cut with a cutter 48 to form a rectangular short intervening material 1S (intervening material sample) having an inspection area, which is then placed in a tray 49 (step S14).

[0036] When the number of times the glass plate 3 comes into contact with the interposing material 1 reaches a predetermined number of contacts (for example, 10 times or more), the glass plate 3 is removed from the pressing unit 13 and cleaned by the cleaning unit 17 (step S15). This removes, for example, foreign matter adhering to the main surface of the glass plate 3 that can be removed by normal cleaning and does not pose a major problem.

[0037] In the second inspection unit 19, the main surface, which is the evaluation surface of the glass plate 3, is photographed, and the image data is acquired as second information, which is information about the surface condition of the main surface of the glass plate 3 (step S16). This second information is then transmitted to the determination unit 23 of the control unit 21.

[0038] The determination unit 23 of the control unit 21 compares the first information acquired by the first inspection unit 11 with the second information acquired by the second inspection unit 19 (step S17). Specifically, the determination unit 23 extracts first position information, which is the position information of foreign matter present in the interfacing material 1, from the first information, and extracts second position information, which is the position information of defects present on the main surface of the glass plate 3, from the second information. At this time, the determination unit 23 identifies the foreign matter present in the interfacing material 1 based on the size and shape of the foreign matter in the first information, and extracts the position information of that foreign matter as the first position information. Similarly, the determination unit 23 identifies the defect present in the glass plate 3 based on the size and shape of the defect in the second information, and extracts the position information of that defect as the second position information. The defect position information in the first and second information can be extracted, for example, by binarizing an 8-bit gray image at a predetermined threshold, considering a collection of adjacent pixels whose brightness exceeds the threshold as a defect, and obtaining its position and various feature quantities. Furthermore, the first and second positional information can be extracted using, for example, the center point of the circumscribing rectangle of the defect or the centroid of the luminance. Here, the size of the defect is a parameter that expresses the size of the defect, such as the Ferret diameter, Martin diameter, major and minor axes of the defect itself, area, perimeter, equivalent diameter, distribution of luminance values ​​within the defect, integrated luminance value, and maximum luminance value. The shape of the defect is a parameter that expresses the roundness, angularity, and contour irregularities of the defect, such as the aspect ratio, circularity, elongation rate, envelope, principal axis angle, and luminance centroid. It is also possible to use information obtained by calculation from these defect features, such as the average luminance value and the standard deviation of luminance.

[0039] The determination unit 23 determines, based on the first position information, which is the position information of foreign matter present in the interfacing material 1, and the second position information, which is the position information of defects present on the main surface of the glass plate 3, whether there are foreign matter in the interfacing material 1 that are located at a position corresponding to the defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 (step S18). Note that position information matching is considered to occur when they are within a certain range from the same coordinate. For example, defects can be defined as being within an area of ​​±1 mm in the upper, lower, left, and right directions from the same point within the plane. A narrower range improves the accuracy of defect detection, but on the other hand, if the feeding accuracy or position accuracy of the interfacing material 1 or glass plate 3 is poor, the defect matching rate may decrease. A wider range increases the defect detection rate, but there is a risk of increased inspection load due to the presence of multiple points within the same area. The area can be appropriately determined depending on the number of foreign matter in the interfacing material 1, and preferably a range of ±0.1 mm to ±2 mm, more preferably ±0.25 mm to ±1 mm can be used. Furthermore, if multiple defects exist within the area of ​​the intervening material 1 corresponding to a defect in the glass plate 3, it is desirable to obtain multiple pieces of defect information and compare them with each other.

[0040] If the determination unit 23 determines that there is a foreign object in the intervening material 1 located at a position corresponding to the defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 (Step S18: Yes), it presumes that the foreign object is the one that caused the defect in the glass plate 3. If the determination unit 23 determines that there is no foreign object in the intervening material 1 located at a position corresponding to the defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 (Step S18: No), it presumes that there is no foreign object in the intervening material 1 that could cause a defect in the glass plate 3.

[0041] One estimation method by the determination unit 23 is to calculate the location information of a defect-causing foreign object that may have caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 based on the second location information, which is the location information of a defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3, and to estimate that a foreign object that matches the location information of the defect-causing foreign object among the first location information, which is the location information of a foreign object in the interfacing material 1, is the foreign object that caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3.

[0042] Furthermore, the estimation method by the determination unit 23 may be, for example, to calculate foreign object contact position information where the foreign object on the interfacing material 1 contacts the glass plate 3 from the first position information, which is the position information of the foreign object on the interfacing material 1. If this foreign object contact position information matches the second position information, which is the position information of the defect in the glass plate 3, the foreign object is estimated to be the foreign object that caused the defect. If they do not match, the foreign object is estimated to be a foreign object that did not cause the defect.

[0043] If the determination unit 23 determines that there is foreign matter on the intervening material 1 that could cause a defect in the glass plate 3 (step S18: Yes), the intervening material sample consisting of a short intervening material 1S contained in the tray 49 of the sampling unit 15 is removed by referring to the mark made by the marker 47, and the foreign matter adhering to this intervening material sample is investigated (step S19).

[0044] Furthermore, the determination unit 23 transmits a combination of the first information acquired by the first inspection unit 11 and the estimation result of whether or not a defect has occurred on the main surface of the glass plate 3 to the learning model creation unit 25. The learning model creation unit 25 creates a learning model that uses the combination of the first information and the estimation result as training data. This makes it possible to create a learning model that can accurately determine, based on the first information, whether or not there is a high risk that the foreign matter in the interfacing material 1 will cause a defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3. The learning model creation unit 25 can use the methods described in steps S17 and S18 above.

[0045] Furthermore, the learning model creation unit 25 may create a learning model by machine learning using a combination of the first information and information on the types of foreign matter present in the interfacing material 1 as training data. This makes it possible to create a learning model that can accurately estimate the type of foreign matter in the interfacing material 1 based on the first information. The type of foreign matter in the training data is determined, for example, by an inspector. Examples of foreign matter types include hard inorganic foreign matter such as iron-based materials and sand, soft inorganic foreign matter such as talc, and organic foreign matter. In addition, the training data may also include the estimation result of whether or not a defect occurred on the main surface of the glass plate 3. That is, a learning model may be created by machine learning using a combination of the first information, information on the types of foreign matter present in the interfacing material 1, and the estimation result of whether or not a defect occurred on the main surface of the glass plate 3 as training data. This makes it possible to estimate the degree of influence on causing defects in the glass plate 3 from the type of foreign matter in the interfacing material 1. In other words, it becomes possible to estimate the type of foreign matter in the interfacing material 1 and the degree of influence on the glass plate 3 from the first information.

[0046] Furthermore, the determination unit 23 may transmit the second information acquired by the second inspection unit 19 to the learning model creation unit 25. The learning model creation unit 25 may create a learning model that has been machine-learned using a combination of the second information and information on the types of defects present on the main surface of the glass plate 3 as training data. This makes it possible to create a learning model that can accurately determine the type of defect that has occurred on the main surface of the glass plate 3 based on the second information. The types of defects included in the training data are determined, for example, by an inspector.

[0047] The aforementioned learning model creation unit 25 can use, for example, linear and nonlinear multiple regression equations, neural networks, support vector machines, decision trees, random forests, gradient boosting trees, multilayer perceptrons, or ensemble models that combine these machine learning models.

[0048] As described above, the inspection apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment can accurately estimate foreign matter that causes defects on the main surface of the glass plate 3 when the intervening material 1 is laid in the glass plate 3. This makes it particularly suitable for inspecting the intervening material 1 used in glass plates 3 for FPDs, where even slight scratches or contamination on the surface can cause defects.

[0049] In the inspection device 100, the second information acquisition process (step S16) for the glass plate 3 by the second inspection unit 19 was performed after the intervening material 1 was brought into contact with the glass plate 3 a predetermined number of times (for example, 10 times or more). However, the second information acquisition process for the glass plate 3 may be performed after each contact with the intervening material 1. In this case, the inspection area of ​​the intervening material 1 and the glass plate 3 can be compared one-to-one, and foreign matter in the intervening material 1 that causes defects in the glass plate 3 can be estimated with high accuracy. On the other hand, when the second information acquisition process (step S16) for the glass plate 3 is performed after the intervening material 1 has been brought into contact with the glass plate 3 a predetermined number of times, the inspection work can be performed efficiently. The timing of the execution of the second information acquisition process (step S16) may include both cases: performing it after each contact with one inspection area of ​​the intervening material 1, and performing it after the intervening material 1 has been brought into contact with the glass plate 3 a predetermined number of times.

[0050] Here, we will explain how to extract defect location information when the intervening material 1 is brought into contact with the glass plate 3 for a predetermined number of contacts, and then the second information acquisition process is performed on the glass plate 3. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating how to extract location information of defects in the glass plate 3.

[0051] As shown in Figure 3, the long interfacing material 1L is divided into multiple inspection areas A1, A2, A3, A4… along its longitudinal direction, and these inspection areas A1, A2, A3, A4… are sequentially brought into contact with the main surface of the glass plate 3 at the pressing portion 13. As a result, defects D1, D2, D3, D4… are generated on the main surface of the glass plate 3 by foreign matter G1, G2, G3, G4… in each inspection area A1, A2, A3, A4… of the long interfacing material 1L. In this case, since there is no foreign matter G2 in inspection area A2, the glass plate 3 does not have the defect D2 that occurs when inspection area A2 is brought into contact with it.

[0052] In such cases, the determination unit 23 of the inspection device 100 sets an origin O3 on the glass plate 3, and sets the position that coincides with the origin O3 of the glass plate 3 when the glass plate 3 is brought into contact with each inspection area A1, A2, A3, A4... as the origin O1. The determination unit 23 also sets the transport direction of the long interfacing material 1L as the X direction and the width direction of the long interfacing material 1L as the Y direction.

[0053] Based on the first information, the determination unit 23 determines the positions of foreign objects G1, G2, G3, G4, etc. in each inspection area A1, A2, A3, A4, etc., using XY coordinates with respect to the origin O1, and extracts these XY coordinates as the first position information. Furthermore, based on the second information, the determination unit 23 determines the positions of defects D1, D2, D3, D4, etc. in the glass plate 3 using XY coordinates with respect to the origin O3, and extracts these XY coordinates as the second position information.

[0054] The determination unit 23 then compares the XY coordinates of the foreign objects G1, G2, G3, G4… in the first position information with the XY coordinates of the defects D1, D2, D3, D4… in the second position information to determine whether the defects D1, D2, D3, D4… in the glass plate 3 correspond to any of the foreign objects G1, G2, G3, G4… in the inspection areas A1, A2, A3, A4….

[0055] (Second Embodiment) Next, an inspection apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described. Note that components identical to those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the inspection device 200 according to the second embodiment.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4, the inspection apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment includes a third inspection unit 61. The third inspection unit 61 images the main surface of the glass plate 3 before it comes into contact with the intervening material 1 by the pressing unit 13, and acquires the image data as third information, which is information about the surface state of the main surface of the glass plate 3. This third inspection unit 61 is also controlled by the control unit 21, and the third information acquired by this third inspection unit 61 is also transmitted to the control unit 21.

[0057] The third inspection unit 61 includes, for example, a reflective sensor 62 and a transmissive sensor 63. The reflective sensor 62 has a light-emitting unit 62a that irradiates light onto the main surface of the glass plate 3, and a light-receiving unit 62b that receives the light from the light-emitting unit 62a reflected from the main surface of the glass plate 3 to acquire an image of the main surface of the glass plate 3. The transmissive sensor 63 has a light-emitting unit 63a that irradiates light onto the glass plate 3, and a light-receiving unit 63b that receives the light from the light-emitting unit 63a that passes through the glass plate 3 to acquire an image of the glass plate 3. Multiple reflective sensors 62 and transmissive sensors 63 are provided and arranged in parallel in the width direction of the glass plate 3. Note that the third inspection unit 61 only needs to include at least one of the reflective sensor 62 and the transmissive sensor 63.

[0058] Next, the procedure for estimating foreign matter in the interfacing material 1 using the inspection device 200 with the above configuration will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for estimating foreign matter using the inspection device 200 according to the second embodiment.

[0059] In the inspection device 200, first, the main surface of the glass plate 3 is photographed in the third inspection unit 61 before it is set in the pressing unit 13, and this image data is acquired as third information, which is information about the surface condition of the main surface of the glass plate 3 (step S21). Then, this third information is transmitted to the determination unit 23 of the control unit 21. The glass plate 3 for which the third information has been acquired in the third inspection unit 61 is then set in the pressing unit 13.

[0060] The control unit 21 activates the transport mechanism, such as the feed roller 31, and the supply and transport of the interfacing material 1 begins (step S22). As a result, the long interfacing material 1L is fed out from the interfacing material roll 1R.

[0061] In the first inspection unit 11, the lower surface of the intervening material 1 is photographed, and the image data is acquired as first information, which is information about the surface state of the intervening material 11 (step S23), and transmitted to the determination unit 23 of the control unit 21.

[0062] The inspection area from which the first information has been acquired in the intervening material 11 is transported to the pressing unit 13, and the glass plate 3 is brought into contact with the inspection area of ​​the intervening material 11 from both sides (step S24).

[0063] The inspection area in which the glass plate 3 is in contact with the pressing portion 13 of the intervening material 11 is transported to the sampling portion 15, where it is marked by the marker 47 and cut by the cutter 48, and then placed in the tray 49 in the form of a rectangular short intervening material 1S (intervening material sample) having the inspection area (step S25).

[0064] The glass plate 3 removed from the pressing section 13 is cleaned by the cleaning section 17 (step S26), and for example, foreign matter adhering to the main surface of the glass plate 3 that can be removed by normal cleaning and does not pose a major problem is removed.

[0065] In the second inspection unit 19, the main surface, which is the evaluation surface of the glass plate 3, is photographed, and the image data is acquired as second information, which is information about the surface condition of the main surface of the glass plate 3 (step S27), and transmitted to the determination unit 23 of the control unit 21.

[0066] The determination unit 23 of the control unit 21 compares the second information acquired by the second inspection unit 19 with the third information acquired by the third inspection unit 61 (step S28). Specifically, the determination unit 23 extracts second position information, which is the location information of defects on the main surface of the glass plate 3, from the second information, which is the surface information after contact with the intervening material 1, and extracts third position information, which is the location information of defects on the main surface of the glass plate 3, from the third information, which is the surface information before contact with the intervening material 1.

[0067] The determination unit 23 determines, based on the second position information, which is the position information of the defect after contact with the intervening material 1, and the third position information, which is the position information of the defect before contact with the intervening material 1, whether there is a defect that matches the position of the defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 before and after contact with the intervening material 1 (step S29).

[0068] If the determination unit 23 determines that there is a position between the second position information and the third position information that matches the position of a defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 before and after contact with the intervening material 1 (step S29: Yes), it calculates and creates a fifth piece of information that includes the position information obtained by subtracting the position information that matches the third position information from the second position information (step S30).

[0069] The determination unit 23 of the control unit 21 compares the first information acquired by the first inspection unit 11 with the created fifth information (step S31).

[0070] The determination unit 23 extracts first position information, which is the position information of foreign matter present in the interfacing material 1, from the first information, and fifth position information, which is the position information of defects present on the main surface of the glass plate 3, from the fifth information. Then, based on the first position information, which is the position information of foreign matter present in the interfacing material 1, and the fifth position information, which is the position information of defects present on the main surface of the glass plate 3, the determination unit 23 determines whether there is any foreign matter in the interfacing material 1 that is located at a position that matches the position of a defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 (step S33).

[0071] If the determination unit 23 determines that there is a foreign object in the interfacing material 1 located at a position corresponding to the defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 (step S33: Yes), it presumes that the foreign object is the one that caused the defect in the glass plate 3. If the determination unit 23 determines that there is no foreign object in the interfacing material 1 located at a position corresponding to the defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 (step S33: No), it presumes that there is no foreign object in the interfacing material 1 that caused the defect in the glass plate 3.

[0072] In the comparison process between the second position information and the third position information (step S29), if it is determined that there is no position between the second position information and the third position information that matches the position of the defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 before and after contact with the intervening material 1 (step S29: No), the determination unit 23 compares the first information acquired by the first inspection unit 11 with the second information acquired by the second inspection unit 19 (step S32).

[0073] The determination unit 23 extracts first position information, which is the position information of foreign matter present in the interfacing material 1, from the first information, and second position information, which is the position information of defects present on the main surface of the glass plate 3, from the second information. Then, based on the first position information, which is the position information of foreign matter present in the interfacing material 1, and the second position information, which is the position information of defects present on the main surface of the glass plate 3, the determination unit 23 determines whether there is any foreign matter in the interfacing material 1 that is located at a position that matches the position of a defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 (step S33).

[0074] If the determination unit 23 determines that there is a foreign object in the interfacing material 1 located at a position corresponding to the defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 (step S33: Yes), it presumes that the foreign object is the one that caused the defect in the glass plate 3. If the determination unit 23 determines that there is no foreign object in the interfacing material 1 located at a position corresponding to the defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3 (step S33: No), it presumes that there is no foreign object in the interfacing material 1 that caused the defect in the glass plate 3.

[0075] If the determination unit 23 determines that there is foreign matter on the intervening material 1 that could cause a defect in the glass plate 3 (step S33: Yes), the intervening material sample consisting of a short intervening material 1S contained in the tray 49 of the sampling unit 15 is taken out, and the foreign matter adhering to this intervening material sample is examined (step S34).

[0076] Furthermore, the determination unit 23 transmits a combination of the first information acquired by the first inspection unit 11 and the estimation result of whether or not a defect has occurred on the main surface of the glass plate 3 to the learning model creation unit 25. The learning model creation unit 25 creates a learning model that uses the combination of the first information and the estimation result as training data. This makes it possible to create a learning model that can accurately determine, based on the first information, whether or not there is a high risk that the foreign matter in the interfacing material 1 will cause a defect on the main surface of the glass plate 3.

[0077] Furthermore, the determination unit 23 may transmit the second information acquired by the second inspection unit 19 to the learning model creation unit 25. The learning model creation unit 25 may create a machine learning model using the combination of the second information and information on the types of defects present on the main surface of the glass plate 3 as training data. This makes it possible to create a learning model that can accurately determine the type of defect that has occurred on the main surface of the glass plate 3 based on the second information.

[0078] In the second embodiment, the determination unit 23 may also transmit third information about the glass plate 3 to the learning model creation unit 25. The learning model creation unit 25 may create a machine learning model using a combination of the third information and information about the types of defects present on the main surface of the glass plate 3 as training data. This makes it possible to create a learning model that can accurately estimate the types of defects present on the main surface of the glass plate 3 based on the third information.

[0079] Thus, in the case of the inspection apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment described above, foreign matter that causes defects on the main surface of the glass plate 3 can be accurately estimated for the intervening material 1 interposed when the glass plates 3 are laminated. As a result, it can be suitably used in the inspection of intervening material 1 used in glass plates 3 for FPDs, where even slight scratches or contamination on the surface can cause defects.

[0080] In particular, the inspection device 200 according to the second embodiment can improve the accuracy of identifying foreign objects that cause defects on the main surface of the glass plate 3 in the intervening material 1 by pre-extracting information on the location of defects on the main surface of the glass plate 3 that exist before contact with the intervening material 1.

[0081] In the inspection devices 100 and 200 according to the first and second embodiments described above, an example was given in which a cleaning unit 17 is provided to clean the main surface of the glass plate 3 before the second inspection unit 19 acquires the second information. However, this cleaning unit 17 is not necessarily required.

[0082] Furthermore, in the inspection devices 100 and 200 according to the first and second embodiments described above, the surface condition of the lower surface of the interfacing material 1 and the surface condition of the main surface of the lower evaluation glass plate 3 that is in contact with the lower surface of the interfacing material 1 are acquired, and an estimation inspection of foreign matter in the interfacing material 1 is performed from these surface conditions. However, the information for performing the estimation inspection is not limited to the surface conditions of the lower surface of the interfacing material 1 and the main surface of the lower glass plate 3. For example, the surface conditions of both the lower and upper surfaces of the interfacing material 1 and the surface condition of the main surface of the lower evaluation glass plate 3 may be acquired, and an estimation inspection of foreign matter in the interfacing material 1 may be performed from these surface conditions. In this way, by acquiring information on the surface condition of the upper surface in addition to the lower surface of the interfacing material 1, estimation can be performed with even higher accuracy. Furthermore, the surface conditions of both the lower and upper surfaces of the intervening material 1 and the surface conditions of the main surface of the upper glass plate 3 that contacts the upper surface of the intervening material 1 may be obtained, and an inspection to estimate foreign matter on the intervening material 1 may be performed based on these surface conditions. Alternatively, the surface conditions of both the lower and upper surfaces of the intervening material 1 and the respective surface conditions of the main surfaces of the lower and upper glass plates 3 may be obtained, and an inspection to estimate foreign matter on the intervening material 1 may be performed based on these surface conditions.

[0083] Furthermore, in the inspection apparatus 100 and 200 according to the first and second embodiments described above, a long interposing material 1L is used, and in the sampling unit 15, the long interposing material 1L is cut with a cutter 48 for each inspection area to form short interposing materials 1S. However, short interposing materials 1S that are formed in a rectangular shape in advance may also be used. In this case, multiple short interposing materials 1S are brought into contact with the glass plate 3 one by one using the pressing unit 13 and stored in the tray 49 of the sampling unit 15.

[0084] Furthermore, in the inspection devices 100 and 200 according to the first and second embodiments, a coating section may be provided for staining the interfacing material 1 with a water-soluble liquid containing a colorant, for example, in order to perform other inspections on the interfacing material 1 after the first information has been acquired by the first inspection section 11.

[0085] Furthermore, the inspection devices 100 and 200 according to the first and second embodiments may also be provided with a fourth inspection unit that acquires information on the surface condition of the lower surface of the intervening material 1 after it has come into contact with the glass plate 3 by the pressing unit 13.

[0086] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified example equipped with a fourth inspection unit 71. In the configuration example shown in Figure 6, a fourth inspection unit 71 is provided between the pressing unit 13 and the sampling unit 15. This unit images the lower surface of the intervening material 1 and acquires the image data as fourth information, which is information about the surface state of the intervening material 11. This fourth inspection unit 71 is also controlled by the control unit 21, and the fourth information acquired by this fourth inspection unit 71 is also transmitted to the control unit 21.

[0087] The fourth inspection unit 71 includes, for example, a reflective sensor 72 and a transmissive sensor 73. The reflective sensor 72 has a light-emitting unit 72a that irradiates light onto the lower surface of the interfacing material 1, and a light-receiving unit 72b that receives the light from the light-emitting unit 72a reflected from the lower surface of the interfacing material 1 to acquire an image of the interfacing material 1. The transmissive sensor 73 has a light-emitting unit 73a that irradiates light onto the interfacing material 1, and a light-receiving unit 73b that receives the light from the light-emitting unit 73a that passes through the interfacing material 1 to acquire an image of the interfacing material 1. Multiple reflective sensors 72 and transmissive sensors 73 are provided and arranged in parallel in the width direction of the interfacing material 1. Note that the fourth inspection unit 71 only needs to include at least one of the reflective sensor 72 and the transmissive sensor 73.

[0088] In this configuration example equipped with the fourth inspection unit 71, the determination unit 23 can estimate the foreign matter attached to the main surface of the glass plate 3 based on the first position information, which is the position information of the foreign matter present on the interfacing material 1 in the first information acquired before contact with the glass plate 3, and the fourth position information, which is the position information of the foreign matter present on the interfacing material 1 in the fourth information acquired after contact with the glass plate 3.

[0089] By comparing the first location information obtained from the first piece of information with the fourth location information obtained from the fourth piece of information, the following can be inferred. 1) Foreign objects whose first and fourth position information match are highly likely to be foreign objects that did not adhere to the glass plate 3. 2) The foreign object detected in the first inspection unit 11 but not in the fourth inspection unit 71 is highly likely to have been attached to the glass plate 3. 3) Foreign substances that were not detected in the first inspection unit 11 but were detected in the fourth inspection unit 71 are highly likely to be disturbances introduced from the surrounding environment.

[0090] In particular, foreign matter that is not detected in the first inspection unit 11 but is detected in the fourth inspection unit 71 can be presumed to be disturbances introduced from the surrounding environment, thus allowing for the exclusion of foreign matter that has adhered due to disturbances with little impact on the glass plate 3.

[0091] Thus, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. It is also intended and within the scope of protection to be provided for the combination of each configuration of the embodiments, as well as for modifications and applications by those skilled in the art based on the description in the specification and well-known technology.

[0092] As described above, the following matters are disclosed in this specification: (1) An inspection device for inspecting interposing materials placed between stacked glass plates, A first inspection unit that acquires first information consisting of information on the surface condition of the front, or both the front and back surfaces of the aforementioned interfacing material, A pressing section that brings the intervening material and the glass plate into contact with the first information acquired in the first inspection section, A second inspection unit acquires second information consisting of information on the surface condition of the main surface of the glass plate that is in contact with the surface of the interfacing material, A determination unit that estimates the foreign matter present in the interfacing material that caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate, based on first position information, which is the position information of a foreign matter present in the interfacing material in the first information acquired by the first inspection unit, and second position information, which is the position information of a defect present on the main surface of the glass plate in the second information acquired by the second inspection unit, An inspection device equipped with the following features. This inspection device allows for the accurate detection of foreign matter that could cause defects on the main surface of glass plates, such as interlining paper used when laminating glass plates. This makes it particularly suitable for inspecting interlining materials used in FPD glass plates, where even minor surface defects like scratches or contamination can cause malfunctions.

[0093] (2) The determination unit further determines the size of the foreign object in the first information and the size of the defect in the second information, and the shape of the foreign object in the first information and the shape of the foreign object in the second information defect The inspection apparatus according to (1), which estimates a foreign object that caused a defect on the main surface of the glass plate based on the shape of at least one of the following. According to this inspection device configuration, foreign objects in the interfacing material that caused defects on the main surface of the glass plate can be estimated by considering at least one of their size and shape, thereby improving estimation accuracy.

[0094] (3) The determination unit, Based on the second position information, the position information of the defect-causing foreign matter that may have caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate is calculated. The inspection apparatus according to (1) or (2), wherein a foreign object among the first position information that matches the position information of the foreign object causing the defect is estimated to be the foreign object that caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate. According to this inspection device configuration, foreign objects that match the position information of the defect-causing foreign object among the first position information of the interfacing material are estimated to be the foreign objects that caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate. Therefore, the foreign objects that caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate in the interfacing material can be estimated with greater accuracy.

[0095] (4) The pressing unit further comprises a third inspection unit that acquires third information consisting of information on the surface condition of the main surface of the glass plate before bringing the interposing material and the glass plate into contact with each other, The determination unit, The third position information, which is the position information of a defect present on the main surface of the glass plate in the third information obtained by the third inspection unit, is obtained. A fifth location is calculated by subtracting the location information that matches the third location information from the second location information. An inspection apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3), which estimates, among the foreign matter present in the interfacing material, a foreign matter that has caused a defect on the main surface of the glass plate, based on the first position information and the fifth position information. According to this inspection device configuration, the accuracy of identifying foreign objects that caused defects on the main surface of the glass plate in the intervening material is improved by pre-removing location information of defects on the main surface of the glass plate that exist before contact with the intervening material.

[0096] (5) The determination unit, Based on the fifth position information, the position information of the defect-causing foreign matter that may have caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate is calculated. The inspection apparatus according to (4), wherein a foreign object among the first position information that matches the position information of the foreign object causing the defect is estimated to be the foreign object that caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate. According to this inspection device configuration, foreign objects that match the position information of the defect-causing foreign object among the first position information of the interfacing material are estimated to be the foreign objects that caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate. Therefore, foreign objects that cause defects on the main surface of the glass plate in the interfacing material can be estimated with greater accuracy.

[0097] (6) The inspection apparatus according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the intervening material is a long intervening material fed out from an intervening material roll wound in a roll shape. This inspection device configuration allows for the continuous and efficient inspection of foreign objects in long pieces of insert material being fed out from the insert material roll.

[0098] (7) The inspection apparatus according to any one of (1) to (6), further comprising a cleaning unit for cleaning the main surface of the glass plate that is in contact with the interposing material before inspection by the second inspection unit. This inspection device allows for accurate estimation of the amount of foreign matter in the interlining material that actually causes defects, by removing foreign matter adhering to the main surface of the glass plate that can be removed by normal cleaning and does not pose a major problem.

[0099] (8) Further comprising a fourth inspection unit that acquires fourth information consisting of information on the surface state of the intervening material after it has come into contact with the glass plate, The determination unit, An inspection apparatus according to any one of (1) to (7), which estimates foreign matter adhering to the main surface of the glass plate based on the first position information and the fourth position information, which is the position information of foreign matter present in the interfacing material in the fourth information. According to this inspection device configuration, foreign matter adhering to the main surface of the glass plate is estimated by considering the fourth position information, which is the position information of the foreign matter in the fourth information consisting of information on the surface state of the intervening material after contact with the glass plate. Therefore, it is possible to estimate foreign matter that has little impact on the glass plate, such as foreign matter that adheres to the intervening material due to disturbances introduced from the surrounding environment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1. Assistive devices 1L Long-length assistive device (assistive device) 1R Roll of assistive device (assistive device) 1S Short-length assistive device (assistive device) 3 glass plate 11. First Inspection Department 13 Pressing part 17 Cleaning section 19. Second Inspection Department 23 Judgment section 61 Third Inspection Department 71. Fourth Inspection Department 100,200 inspection devices

Claims

1. An inspection device for inspecting interposing materials placed between stacked glass plates, A first inspection unit that acquires first information consisting of information on the surface condition of the front, or both the front and back surfaces of the aforementioned interfacing material, A pressing section that brings the intervening material and the glass plate into contact with the first information acquired in the first inspection section, A second inspection unit acquires second information consisting of information on the surface state of the main surface of the glass plate that is in contact with the surface of the interfacing material, A determination unit that estimates the foreign matter present in the interfacing material that caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate, based on first position information, which is the position information of a foreign matter present in the interfacing material in the first information acquired by the first inspection unit, and second position information, which is the position information of a defect present on the main surface of the glass plate in the second information acquired by the second inspection unit, Equipped with, Inspection device.

2. The determination unit further estimates the foreign object that caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate based on at least one of the size of the foreign object in the first information and the size of the defect in the second information, and the shape of the foreign object in the first information and the shape of the defect in the second information. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The determination unit, Based on the second position information, the position information of the defect-causing foreign object that may have caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate is calculated. Among the first position information, the foreign object that matches the position information of the foreign object causing the defect is presumed to be the foreign object that caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate. The inspection apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The system further includes a third inspection unit that acquires third information consisting of information about the surface condition of the main surface of the glass plate before the pressing unit brings the intervening material and the glass plate into contact, The determination unit, The third position information, which is the position information of a defect present on the main surface of the glass plate in the third information acquired by the third inspection unit, is obtained. A fifth location is calculated by subtracting the location information that matches the third location information from the second location information. Based on the first position information and the fifth position information, the foreign matter present in the interfacing material that caused a defect on the main surface of the glass plate is estimated. The inspection apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The determination unit, Based on the fifth position information, the position information of the defect-causing foreign matter that may have caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate is calculated. Among the first position information, the foreign object that matches the position information of the foreign object causing the defect is presumed to be the foreign object that caused the defect on the main surface of the glass plate. The inspection apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The aforementioned assistive material is a long assistive material that is fed out from an assistive material roll wound in a roll shape. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The system further includes a cleaning unit for cleaning the main surface of the glass plate that is in contact with the interposing material before inspection by the second inspection unit. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. The system further includes a fourth inspection unit that acquires fourth information consisting of information on the surface state of the intervening material after it has come into contact with the glass plate. The determination unit, Based on the first position information and the fourth position information, which is the position information of the foreign matter present in the intervening material in the fourth information, the foreign matter adhering to the main surface of the glass plate is estimated. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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