Glass housing jig, glass housing, and method for manufacturing tempered glass

Abstract

To inhibit occurrence of poor appearance of a reinforced glass.SOLUTION: A glass accommodating tool 1 includes a support device 6a that supports an end part of a glass article 2. A wire of the support device 6a includes a first wire 7a and a second wire 7b disposed apart from the first wire 7a in a predetermined separating direction. The first wire 7a and the second wire 7b are held by a frame 8 so as to cross at a predetermined intersection angle α.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a glass storage jig for storing glass articles, a glass storage body obtained by storing a glass article in the glass storage jig, and a method for manufacturing tempered glass.

Background Art

[0002] As a method for improving the mechanical strength of a glass plate, a technique called chemical strengthening has been conventionally used. In this chemical strengthening, the ions on the glass surface are exchanged with the ions in the chemical strengthening liquid by immersing the glass plate in the chemical strengthening liquid. Thereby, the mechanical strength can be improved by generating a compressive stress on the glass surface.

[0003] In this chemical strengthening process, when immersing the glass plate in the chemical strengthening liquid stored in the chemical strengthening tank, a glass storage jig is used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a glass storage jig that stores a plurality of glass plates in a vertically oriented state with a gap in the thickness direction.

[0004] The glass storage jig includes a pair of string-like bodies that support the end portions of the glass plate. The pair of string-like bodies intersect at a predetermined angle to form a V-shaped recess that supports the end portion of the glass plate (see paragraph 0045 of the same document).

[0005] When performing chemical strengthening treatment on a glass plate using the glass storage jig, the glass storage jig containing the glass plate is immersed in the chemical strengthening liquid in the chemical strengthening tank, and chemical strengthening treatment is performed on each glass plate.

[0006] After that, the glass storage jig is taken out from the chemical strengthening liquid, and the glass plate is held for a certain period of time while being stored in the glass storage jig in order to remove the chemical strengthening liquid adhering to the glass plate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Patent Document 1

[0008] In conventional glass holding fixtures like the one described above, the pair of string-like members were in contact at their intersections, causing the chemical strengthening solution to remain at these intersections. Consequently, the remaining chemical strengthening solution continued to come into contact with the edges of the glass plates, and the reaction with the chemical strengthening solution resulted in the formation of marks on the edges of the glass plates. Furthermore, when chemical strengthening treatment was performed on thin glass plates supported in a vertical position, warping of the glass plates sometimes occurred.

[0009] As described above, if marks from the chemical strengthening solution are formed on the edges of the glass plate, or if the glass plate becomes warped, it significantly impairs the appearance of the glass plate and makes it impossible to ensure the quality of the product. Furthermore, this problem becomes more apparent as the thickness of the glass plate decreases.

[0010] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its technical objective is to suppress the occurrence of defects in the appearance of tempered glass. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] (1) The present invention is for solving the above problems and is a glass storage jig for storing a glass article, comprising a support device for supporting the end of the glass article, the support device comprising a wire that contacts the end of the glass article and a frame that holds the wire, the wire comprising a first wire and a second wire that is spaced apart from the first wire in a predetermined direction of separation, the first wire and the second wire are held in the frame such that they intersect at a predetermined intersection angle when viewed in the direction of separation.

[0012] With this configuration, by arranging the first wire and the second wire at a distance from each other, the end of the glass article is supported at two points: the contact point with the first wire and the contact point with the second wire. By supporting the end of the glass article at two separate points in this way, deformation (warping) of the glass article when it is subjected to chemical treatment can be suppressed.

[0013] (2) In a glass housing jig having the configuration of (1) above, the first wire and the second wire may be arranged with a distance of 5 mm or more between them.

[0014] By crossing the first and second wires with a gap of 5 mm or more, it is possible to prevent chemical strengthening solution from remaining at the intersection. This suppresses the formation of marks caused by the chemical strengthening solution on the edges of the glass article. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects in the appearance of tempered glass.

[0015] (3) In a glass storage jig having the configuration of (1) or (2) above, the glass article may include a rectangular glass plate, and when the length of the support side of the glass plate that contacts the wire is L, and the distance between the first wire and the second wire is D, D ≤ L / 3.

[0016] With this configuration, the first wire and the second wire can be positioned at a suitable distance apart to suppress deformation (warping) of the glass article.

[0017] (4) In the glass housing jig described in any of (1) to (3) above, the first wire and the second wire are each held in the frame at multiple locations in a zigzag pattern, and the first wire and the second wire may form multiple intersections when viewed in the direction of separation.

[0018] With this configuration, it becomes possible to support multiple glass articles using the first and second wires that constitute multiple intersections.

[0019] (5) In the glass container fixture according to any one of (1) to (4) above, the crossing angle between the first wire and the second wire may be 60° to 90°. According to such a configuration, the end portion of the glass article can be suitably supported by the first wire and the second wire.

[0020] (6) In the glass container fixture according to any one of (1) to (5) above, the frame includes a holding portion that holds the first wire and / or the second wire, and the holding portion may be configured to be positionally changeable so as to change the crossing angle between the first wire and the second wire.

[0021] According to such a configuration, by changing the position of the holding portion, it becomes possible to adjust the positions and postures of the first wire and the second wire according to the size and thickness of the glass plate.

[0022] (7) In the glass container fixture according to any one of (1) to (6) above, the first wire and the second wire may be fixed to one frame, and in this case, the glass container fixture may include a plurality of the support devices.

[0023] According to such a configuration, the support device can be miniaturized, and it becomes possible to suitably support the glass article by the plurality of support devices.

[0024] (8) In the glass container fixture according to (7) above, the frame may include a first holding portion that holds the first wire and a second holding portion that holds the second wire.

[0025] (9) In the glass container fixture according to any one of (1) to (6) above, the frame may include a first frame that holds the first wire and a second frame that holds the second wire, and in this case, the glass container fixture may include a plurality of the support devices.

[0026] (10) In the glass-containing jig according to any one of (1) to (6) above, the glass article may include a rectangular glass plate, and may be provided with a plurality of the support devices that support the ends related to the four sides of the glass plate.

[0027] According to such a configuration, by supporting each end related to the four sides of the glass plate by a plurality of support devices, deformation of the glass plate can be effectively suppressed.

[0028] (11) In the glass-containing jig according to any one of (1) to (10) above, the wire may include a string-like body with a diameter of 0.3 mm or more in which a plurality of metal fibers are twisted together. Thereby, sufficient strength of the wire can be ensured.

[0029] (12) The glass container according to the present invention is for solving the above problems, and includes the glass-containing jig according to any one of (1) to (11) above and a plurality of the glass articles housed in the glass-containing jig, and the glass article includes a rectangular glass plate.

[0030] According to such a configuration, by housing the glass article in the glass-containing jig, generation of appearance defects of the tempered glass by chemical strengthening treatment can be suppressed.

[0031] (13) In the glass container of (12) above, the thickness of the glass article may be 5 to 100 μm. According to the glass container according to the present invention, generation of appearance defects can be effectively suppressed even for a thin glass article.

[0032] (14) The method for manufacturing tempered glass according to the present invention is for solving the above problems, and is characterized by including an ion exchange step of obtaining the chemically strengthened glass article by immersing the glass container according to (12) or (13) above in a molten salt for ion exchange.

[0033] With this configuration, by housing the glass articles in the glass housing jig, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects in the appearance of the tempered glass even when the glass housing is immersed in an ion-exchange molten salt used as a chemical strengthening solution.

[0034] (15) In the method for manufacturing tempered glass described in (14) above, the thickness of the glass article is 5 to 100 μm, and when the thickness of the glass article is t (μm) and the temperature of the ion exchange molten salt is T (°C), 350 ≤ T ≤ 330 + t × 2 may be used.

[0035] With this configuration, the ion exchange process can be performed at an optimal temperature according to the thickness of the glass article.

[0036] (16) In the method for manufacturing tempered glass described in (14) or (15) above, a preheating step may be provided in which the glass container is preheated to a temperature of 300°C or higher before the ion exchange step.

[0037] With this configuration, the ion exchange process can be carried out efficiently by preheating the glass articles contained in the glass container during the preheating process.

[0038] (17) In the method for manufacturing tempered glass described in any of (14) to (16) above, a de-liquidation step may be provided after the ion exchange step, in which the glass container withdrawn from the ion exchange molten salt is held at a temperature above the melting point of the ion exchange molten salt for 10 minutes or less.

[0039] With this configuration, the molten salt for ion exchange that adheres to the glass article during the ion exchange process can be reliably removed by the dewatering process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0040] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects in the appearance of tempered glass. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0041] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a glass housing jig. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the support device for the glass housing jig. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing the support device for the glass housing jig. [Figure 4] This is a front view showing a part of the support device for the glass housing jig. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing a part of the support device for the glass housing jig. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of the line of sight from arrow VI-VI in Figure 4. [Figure 7] This is a front view showing the intersection of the first wire and the second wire in the support device of the glass housing jig. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart showing the manufacturing method of tempered glass. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing a manufacturing apparatus and method for tempered glass. [Figure 10] This is a plan view of a glass storage jig according to another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0042] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 9 show one embodiment of the glass housing jig, glass housing, and method for manufacturing tempered glass according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the case in which a glass plate is subjected to chemical strengthening treatment as the glass article will be described, but the form of the glass article is not limited to this embodiment.

[0043] The glass plate according to this embodiment is rectangular in shape, but is not limited to this shape. The size of the glass plate is, for example, 1000 mm × 1000 mm or larger, but is not limited to this range. The thickness of the glass plate is preferably 5 to 200 μm, more preferably 5 to 100 μm, but is not limited to this range.

[0044] For the sake of explanation, in this embodiment, the thickness direction of the glass plate 2 in Figure 1 is defined as the front-to-back direction, with the front side of Figure 1 being the front and the back side being the rear. The vertical and horizontal directions are defined as the vertical and horizontal directions of the glass plate 2.

[0045] The glass housing jig 1 is constructed in a frame shape and has a space for housing multiple glass plates 2. The glass housing jig 1 comprises a column section 3, a beam section 4, girder sections 5a to 5c, and support devices 6a to 6d.

[0046] The column sections 3 are positioned at the four corners of the glass housing jig 1, which is rectangular in plan view, and extend vertically. The beam sections 4 extend in the front-to-back direction between the column sections 3, connecting them together. The girder sections 5a to 5c extend in the lateral direction parallel to the glass plates 2 between the column sections 3, connecting them together.

[0047] The girder sections 5a to 5c include a pair of lower girder sections 5a that connect the lower ends of the column section 3 in the vertical direction, a pair of upper girder sections 5b that connect the intermediate parts of the column section 3 in the vertical direction, and a pair of intermediate girder sections 5c that are arranged below the upper girder sections 5b. The pair of lower girder sections 5a, the pair of upper girder sections 5b, and the pair of intermediate girder sections 5c are each arranged at the same height in front of and behind the glass housing jig 1.

[0048] The support devices 6a to 6d are for supporting each end of the four sides (bottom side 2a, top side 2b, and a pair of side sides 2c, 2d) of the glass plate 2. Hereinafter, each side 2a to 2d of the glass plate 2 supported by the support devices 6a to 6d may be referred to as a "support side". The support devices 6a to 6d include a first support device 6a that supports the bottom side 2a of the glass plate 2, a second support device 6b that supports the top side 2b of the glass plate 2, a third support device 6c that supports one side side 2c of the glass plate 2, and a fourth support device 6d that supports the other side side 2d of the glass plate 2.

[0049] The first support device 6a is spanned across a pair of lower girder sections 5a. In this embodiment, three first support devices 6a are provided on the lower girder section 5a. The number of first support devices 6a is not limited to this embodiment and can be appropriately changed depending on the size of the glass plate 2.

[0050] The second support device 6b is spanned across a pair of upper girder sections 5b so as to face the first support device 6a in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, three second support devices 6b are provided on the upper girder section 5b, but the number of second support devices 6b is not limited to this embodiment. Support members SP that support the second support devices 6b are provided on the upper girder section 5b.

[0051] The third support devices 6c and the fourth support devices 6d each include two support devices, but the number of third support devices 6c and fourth support devices 6d is not limited to this embodiment. Of the two third support devices 6c, one is positioned laterally and spanned across a pair of upper girder sections 5b, and the other third support device 6c is positioned laterally and spanned across a pair of intermediate girder sections 5c. The two fourth support devices 6d are positioned laterally opposite the third support devices 6c and spanned across the upper girder sections 5b and intermediate girder sections 5c, respectively.

[0052] As shown in Figures 2 to 6, each support device 6a to 6d comprises wires 7a and 7b that contact the end of the glass plate 2, and a frame 8 that holds the wires 7a and 7b.

[0053] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the wires 7a and 7b include a first wire 7a and a second wire 7b arranged at a distance D from the first wire 7a in a predetermined separation direction. Each wire 7a and 7b is a string-like body formed by twisting together a plurality of metal fibers. The diameter of each wire 7a and 7b is preferably, for example, 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm, more preferably 0.3 mm to 0.9 mm, and most preferably 0.6 mm to 0.8 mm.

[0054] The diameter of the metal fibers constituting wires 7a and 7b is preferably 8 μm to 16 μm, more preferably 9 μm to 15 μm, and most preferably 10 μm to 14 μm. The material of the metal fibers constituting wires 7a and 7b is not particularly limited, as long as it has excellent heat resistance, corrosion resistance to chemical strengthening solutions, and does not leach impurities. Examples of materials used for wires 7a and 7b include stainless steel such as SUS304 and SUS316.

[0055] The separation distance D between the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b is preferably 5 mm or more. Furthermore, the separation distance D between the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b is preferably set within the range D ≤ L / 3, where L is the length of the support sides 2a to 2d of the glass plate 2 that contact each wire 7a and 7b.

[0056] The first wire 7a and the second wire 7b extend in a zigzag pattern along their longitudinal direction when viewed in the direction of separation, that is, in the direction in which the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b are aligned (the direction of the arrow indicated by the symbol Z in Figures 2, 5, and 6). Note that "viewing in the direction of separation" means directing the line of sight in the direction of separation Z and viewing the frame 8 from the front, as shown in Figure 3 or Figure 4.

[0057] In this embodiment, the bending angle of the zigzag shape and the dimensions of the straight portion of the first wire 7a are constant, and the bending angle of the zigzag shape and the dimensions of the straight portion of the second wire 7b are constant. Furthermore, the bending angle of the zigzag shape of the first wire 7a and the bending angle of the zigzag shape of the second wire 7b are the same, and the dimensions of the straight portion of the zigzag shape of the first wire 7a and the dimensions of the straight portion of the zigzag shape of the second wire 7b are the same.

[0058] The first wire 7a and the second wire 7b are held by the frame 8 at multiple locations (multiple vertices) when viewed in the separation direction Z, and constitute multiple intersections IS as shown in Figure 3.

[0059] As shown in Figure 4, the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b are held by the frame 8 so that they intersect at a predetermined intersection angle α at each intersection IS. The intersection angle α between the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b is the intersection angle on the side supporting the end of the glass plate 2, and is, for example, 60° to 90°.

[0060] Frame 8 is a rod-shaped or plate-shaped member having a predetermined length and width. Frame 8 is made of a metal such as stainless steel, but the material of frame 8 is not limited to this embodiment. Hereinafter, the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X of frame 8 will be referred to as the "width direction" and will be denoted by the symbol Y. As shown in Figure 5, the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b are held in frame 8 so as to be parallel or approximately parallel to each other when viewed in the width direction (Y direction) of frame 8. Here, "viewing in the width direction" means directing the line of sight in the width direction Y of frame 8 and viewing frame 8 from one end side in the width direction Y of frame 8, as shown in Figure 5.

[0061] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a plurality of projections 9a are formed at one end of the frame 8 in the width direction Y, projecting outward in the width direction Y. The plurality of projections 9a are formed at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction X of the frame 8.

[0062] Frame 8 has a recess 9b between two adjacent protrusions 9a. As shown in Figure 4, when the support devices 6a to 6d are viewed from the front, the intersection IS of the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b is located inside this recess 9b.

[0063] The frame 8 includes a first holding part 10 for holding the first wire 7a, a second holding part 11 for holding the second wire 7b, and a fixing part 12 for fixing the frame 8 to each girder section 5a to 5c.

[0064] The first retaining portion 10 is provided on one surface 8a side of the frame 8, and the second retaining portion 11 is provided on the other surface 8b side of the frame 8.

[0065] The first retaining section 10 has a plurality of first locking sections 13 and a plurality of second locking sections 14 that lock a portion of the first wire 7a so as to be inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction X or width direction Y of the frame 8. The first locking sections 13 and the second locking sections 14 are arranged alternately at a constant interval in the longitudinal direction X of the frame 8. The first locking sections 13 and the second locking sections 14 are spaced apart in the width direction Y of the frame 8. The first locking sections 13 are provided at one end of the frame 8 in the width direction Y, and the second locking sections 14 are provided at the other end of the frame 8 in the width direction Y.

[0066] The first locking portion 13 is provided at the end of the projection 9a of the frame 8. The first locking portion 13 comprises a contact member 15 that contacts the first wire 7a and a fixing member 16 that fixes the contact member 15 to the projection 9a.

[0067] The contact member 15 is configured in a disc shape, but the shape of the contact member 15 is not limited to this embodiment. The contact member 15 can hold a portion of the first wire 7a in a curved state by bringing a portion of the first wire 7a into contact with its outer circumferential surface. The contact member 15 has a through hole 15a in its center. The contact member 15 is inserted through this through hole 15a into a portion of the fixing member 16.

[0068] For example, a bolt 17 and a nut 18 can be used as the fixing member 16, but the form of the fixing member 16 is not limited to this embodiment. The bolt 17 has a shaft portion 17a having a male threaded portion and a head portion 17b located at one end of the shaft portion 17a.

[0069] As shown in Figure 6, a contact member 15 is inserted through a through hole 15a into the shaft portion 17a of the bolt 17. In this embodiment, two contact members 15 are provided on the shaft portion 17a of the bolt 17, but the number of contact members 15 is not limited to this embodiment. Furthermore, the shaft portion 17a of the bolt 17 is inserted through a through hole 9c formed in the projection 9a of the frame 8. In this state, a nut 18 is fitted onto the shaft portion 17a of the bolt 17.

[0070] The contact member 15 is fixed to the projection 9a on one surface 8a side of the frame 8 by being sandwiched between the head 17b of the bolt 17 and the projection 9a. By changing the thickness of the contact member 15 or changing the number of contact members 15, the position of the first wire 7a held by the contact member 15 can be adjusted in the thickness direction of the contact member 15. This makes it possible to adjust the distance D between the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b.

[0071] A portion of the outer surface of the contact member 15 protrudes from the end of the projection 9a. A portion of the first wire 7a contacts a portion of the outer surface of the contact member 15, and is curved in accordance with the circular shape of this outer surface. This curved portion corresponds to the vertex of the zigzag shape of the first wire 7a.

[0072] As shown in Figure 6, the second locking portion 14 is composed of, for example, a bolt 19 and nuts 20a, 20b, but the configuration of the second locking portion 14 is not limited to this embodiment. The bolt 19 has a shaft portion 19a having a male threaded portion and a head portion 19b located at one end of the shaft portion 19a. The nuts 20a, 20b include a first nut 20a and a second nut 20b.

[0073] The bolt 19 is fixed to the frame 8 with a portion of its shaft 19a and its head 19b protruding from one surface 8a of the frame 8 in the thickness direction of the frame 8. The shaft 19a of the bolt 19 is inserted through a through hole 21a formed in the frame 8.

[0074] As shown in Figure 6, the first nut 20a and the second nut 20b are fitted onto the shaft portion 19a of the bolt 19. The first nut 20a is in contact with one surface 8a of the frame 8, and the second nut 20b is in contact with the other surface 8b of the frame 8. In this way, the bolt 19 is fixed to the frame 8 by sandwiching the frame 8 between the first nut 20a and the second nut 20b fitted onto the shaft portion 19a.

[0075] The shaft portion 19a of the bolt 19 is in contact with the first wire 7a. The first wire 7a is curved in a circular shape according to the shape of the outer surface by contacting the outer surface of the shaft portion 19a of the bolt 19. This curved portion corresponds to the vertex of the zigzag shape of the first wire 7a.

[0076] The first wire 7a is stretched between the first locking portion 13 and the second locking portion 14, and has a zigzag-shaped straight portion between the first locking portion 13 and the second locking portion 14. The straight portion of the first wire 7a is configured to be inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction X or the width direction Y of the frame 8.

[0077] The second retaining portion 11, like the first retaining portion 10, includes a plurality of first locking portions 22 and a plurality of second locking portions 23. The first locking portions 22 and second locking portions 23 of the second retaining portion 11 have the same configuration as the first locking portion 13 and second locking portion 14 of the first retaining portion 10.

[0078] Specifically, the first locking portion 22 has a contact member 15 and a fixing member 16, and the second locking portion 23 has a bolt 19 and nuts 20a, 20b.

[0079] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the first locking portion 22 of the second retaining portion 11 is provided on the projection 9a of the frame 8 so as to be alternately positioned with the first locking portion 13 of the first retaining portion 10 in the longitudinal direction X of the frame 8. Furthermore, the first locking portion 22 of the second retaining portion 11 is arranged in a straight line with the second locking portion 14 of the first retaining portion 10 in the width direction Y of the frame 8.

[0080] The contact member 15 of the first locking portion 22 in the second holding portion 11 is fixed to the projection 9a by being sandwiched between the head 17b of the bolt 17 and the projection 9a on the other surface 8b side of the frame 8.

[0081] The second locking portion 23 of the second retaining portion 11 is fixed to the frame 8 so as to be alternately positioned with the second locking portion 14 of the first retaining portion 10 in the longitudinal direction X of the frame 8.

[0082] The bolt 19 in the second locking portion 23 of the second retaining portion 11 is fixed to the frame 8 with a part of the shaft portion 19a and a part of the head portion 19b protruding from the other surface 8b of the frame 8. The bolt 19 of the second locking portion 23 is fixed to the frame 8 by a pair of nuts 20a, 20b fitted onto the shaft portion 19a.

[0083] As shown in Figure 4, the second wire 7b held by the second holding part 11 is stretched between the first locking part 22 and the second locking part 23, and has a linear portion between the first locking part 22 and the second locking part 23. The linear portion of the second wire 7b is configured to be inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction X or the width direction Y of the frame 8.

[0084] Due to the positional relationship between the first locking portion 13 and the second locking portion 14 of the first holding portion 10 and the first locking portion 22 and the second locking portion 23 of the second holding portion 11, the straight portion and curved portion of the first wire 7a are framed relative to the straight portion and curved portion of the second wire 7b. 8 As a result, when the support devices 6a to 6d are viewed from the front, the straight portion of the first wire 7a and the straight portion of the second wire 7b intersect inside the recess 9b of the frame 8.

[0085] As shown in Figure 4, each end of the glass plate 2, corresponding to each side 2a to 2d, is supported by wires 7a and 7b, with one corner in contact with the first wire 7a and the other corner in contact with the second wire 7b. Hereinafter, the position where the end of the glass plate 2 contacts the first wire 7a will be called the first contact position CP1, and the position where the end of the glass plate 2 contacts the second wire 7b will be called the second contact position CP2. As shown in Figure 5, the first contact position CP1 and the second contact position CP2 are separated by a distance D in the thickness direction of the frame 8 or in the longitudinal direction of each side 2a to 2d of the glass plate 2.

[0086] The frame 8 can change the position in which it holds each wire 7a, 7b so as to change the intersection angle α between the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b. That is, the frame 8 has a structure that allows the position of the second locking parts 14, 23 in each holding part 10, 11 to be changed. The frame 8 has a plurality of through holes 21a to 21c through which the bolts 19 of the second locking parts 14, 23 can be inserted. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the plurality of through holes 21a to 21c are formed to be arranged in a straight line at regular intervals along the width direction Y of the frame 8.

[0087] The multiple through holes 21a to 21c include a first through hole 21a formed at the position furthest from the first locking portions 13 and 22, a second through hole 21b formed at a position closer to the first locking portions 13 and 22 than the first through hole 21a, and a third through hole 21c formed at the position closest to the first locking portions 13 and 22.

[0088] The second locking parts 14 and 23 are configured to be repositionable to a first position corresponding to the first through hole 21a, a second position corresponding to the second through hole 21b, and a third position corresponding to the third through hole 21c.

[0089] In Figure 7, the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b are shown by dotted lines when the second locking parts 14 and 23 are in the first position. Similarly, the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b are shown by dashed lines when the second locking parts 14 and 23 are in the second position, and the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b are shown by double-dashed lines when the second locking parts 14 and 23 are in the third position.

[0090] As shown in Figure 7, the intersection angle α1 between the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b when the second locking parts 14 and 23 are in the first position is smaller than the intersection angle α2 when the second locking parts 14 and 23 are in the second position. Also, the intersection angle α3 between the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b when the second locking parts 14 and 23 are in the third position is larger than the intersection angle α2 when they are in the second position. Thus, the intersection angle α(α1~α3) between the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b is smallest when the second locking parts 14 and 23 are in the first position, which is furthest from the first locking parts 13 and 22, and is largest when the second locking parts 14 and 23 are in the third position, which is closest to the first locking parts 13 and 22.

[0091] As described above, by configuring the intersection angle α between the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b to be adjustable, the support devices 6a to 6d can select the optimal intersection angle α according to the thickness and size of the glass plate 2. For example, it is desirable to make the intersection angle α smaller as the glass plate 2 becomes thicker, and to make the intersection angle α larger as the area of ​​the main surface of the glass plate 2 becomes larger.

[0092] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the fixing portion 12 comprises fixing holes 24 formed at each end of the frame 8 in the longitudinal direction X, and fixing members 25 fixed to the fixing holes 24. The fixing member 25 has a fixing hole 25a at one end thereof.

[0093] The fixing member 25 is used when fixing the frame 8 to the lower girder section 5a or the upper girder section 5b with the frame 8 oriented vertically, as in the first support device 6a and the second support device 6b. The fixing member 25 is fixed to the frame 8 via fixing holes 24 and fasteners 26 such as bolts. The first support device 6a can fix the fixing member 25 to the lower girder section 5a by inserting fasteners such as bolts through the fixing holes 25a of the fixing member 25. The second support device 6b can be fixed to the upper girder section 5b by inserting the support member SP of the upper girder section 5b through the fixing holes 25a of the fixing member 25 and fitting a nut onto the support member SP.

[0094] When fixing the frame 8 to the upper girder section 5b or intermediate girder section 5c with the frame 8 oriented laterally, as in the case of the third support device 6c or the fourth support device 6d, the fixing member 25 is not used. That is, the third support device 6c and the fourth support device 6d can fix the frame 8 to the upper girder section 5b or intermediate girder section 5c by inserting fixing devices such as bolts through fixing holes 24 formed in the frame 8.

[0095] The following describes a method for manufacturing tempered glass (tempered glass sheet) using the glass housing jig 1 described above.

[0096] As shown in Figure 8, the method for manufacturing tempered glass comprises a preparation step S1, a preheating step S2, an ion exchange step S3, a liquid draining step S4, and a cooling step S5.

[0097] In preparation step S1, at room temperature, multiple glass plates 2 are arranged vertically with spacing in the thickness direction inside the glass housing jig 1 with the second support device 6b removed. In this case, the lower edge 2a of each glass plate 2 is supported by the first support device 6a, and the side edges 2c and 2d of each glass plate 2 are supported by the third support device 6c and the fourth support device 6d. Then, the second support device 6b is attached to the upper beam portion 5b of the glass housing jig 1. As a result, the upper edge 2b of the glass plate 2 is supported by the second support device 6b.

[0098] Specifically, each end of the four sides 2a to 2d of the glass plate 2 is supported by the wires 7a and 7b of the support devices 6a to 6d. This constitutes a glass housing in which multiple glass plates 2 are housed in the glass housing jig 1.

[0099] Figure 9 shows the manufacturing apparatus used in this method. The manufacturing apparatus 28 integrally comprises a heating chamber 29 capable of performing a preheating step S2 and a de-liquidation step S4, and a strengthening tank 30 capable of performing an ion exchange step S3. In addition, the manufacturing apparatus 28 is equipped with a lifting device (not shown) for raising and lowering the glass container 27 between the heating chamber 29 and the strengthening tank 30.

[0100] The heating chamber 29 comprises a containment space capable of accommodating the glass containment 27 and a heater (not shown) for heating this containment space to a predetermined temperature. The strengthening tank 30 is located below the heating chamber 29. The strengthening tank 30 contains an ion-exchange molten salt (chemical strengthening solution) 31 for chemically strengthening the glass plate 2 contained in the glass containment 27.

[0101] In the preheating step S2, the glass container 27 is placed in the heating chamber 29, and the glass container 27 is heated in the heating chamber 29 to a temperature of, for example, 300°C or higher. The heating time for the glass container 27 in the preheating step S2 is, for example, 0.5 to 2 hours.

[0102] In the ion exchange process S3, after the preheating process S2 is completed, the glass container 27 is immersed in the ion exchange molten salt 31 contained in the strengthening tank 30. This chemically strengthens the glass plate 2 contained in the glass container 27.

[0103] In the ion exchange process S3, the temperature T (°C) of the molten salt 31 for ion exchange is preferably set within the range of 350 ≤ T ≤ 330 + t × 2, where t (μm) is the thickness of the glass plate 2. The time for immersing the glass container 27 in the molten salt 31 for ion exchange is, for example, 1 to 30 minutes.

[0104] When the ion exchange process S3 is completed, the glass container 27 is lifted out of the strengthening tank 30 and placed in the heating chamber 29. In the dewatering process S4, the glass container 27 placed in the heating chamber 29 is held at a temperature above the melting point of the ion exchange molten salt 31 for 10 minutes or less. This removes the ion exchange molten salt 31 that has adhered to the glass plate 2 by the ion exchange process S3.

[0105] Once the de-liquidation process S4 is complete, the glass container 27 is removed from the heating chamber 29. In the cooling process S5, the glass container 27 is cooled to below 100°C outside the heating chamber 29. The time required for the cooling process S5 is 0.5 to 1.5 hours.

[0106] According to the embodiment described above, the first holding portion 10 and the second holding portion 11 of the support devices 6a to 6d of the glass housing jig 1 hold the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b at a distance D apart. Therefore, the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b can support each end portion relating to each side 2a to 2d of the glass plate 2 at two locations, a first contact position CP1 and a second contact position CP2, which are separated by a distance D.

[0107] This makes it possible to suppress deformation (warping) of the glass plate 2, which is supported in a vertical position, compared to the conventional case where the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b support the edge of the glass plate at one point (the intersection).

[0108] In addition, the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b of By separating them, the molten ion exchange salt 31 adhering to the glass plate 2 in the ion exchange process S3 can be easily dropped downwards via the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b. This makes it possible to suppress the extent of jig marks as much as possible, compared to the conventional method where jig marks are formed on the glass plate 2 due to the molten ion exchange salt 31 remaining at the contact portion (intersection) between the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects in the appearance of tempered glass.

[0109] Figure 10 shows another embodiment of the glass housing jig. In this embodiment, the configuration of the support device in the glass housing jig differs from that of the above embodiment. In the support devices 6a to 6d of the above embodiment, the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b were held in a single frame 8, but in the support devices 6a to 6d of this embodiment, the frame 8 includes a first frame 8A that holds the first wire 7a and a second frame 8B that holds the second wire 7b.

[0110] The first frame 8A includes a first retaining portion 10 for holding the first wire 7a. The first retaining portion 10 includes a first locking portion 13 and a second locking portion 14, similar to the embodiment described above. The second frame 8B includes a second retaining portion 11 for holding the second wire 7b. The second retaining portion 11 includes a first locking portion 22 and a second locking portion 23, similar to the embodiment described above.

[0111] The second frame 8B is positioned away from the first frame 8A such that the second holding portion 11 faces the first holding portion 10 of the first frame 8A. However, the configuration is not limited to this; the second frame 8B may also be positioned away from the first frame 8A such that the second holding portion 11 faces the same direction as the first holding portion 10 of the first frame 8A.

[0112] According to this embodiment, the distance D between the first wire 7a and the second wire 7b can be suitably adjusted by changing the distance between the first frame 8A and the second frame 8B.

[0113] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiments, nor is it limited to the effects described above. The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Examples]

[0114] The following describes examples of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0115] The inventors conducted tests to confirm the effects of the present invention. In these tests, tempered glass plates were manufactured by chemically strengthening glass plates of different thicknesses, and the appearance of the tempered glass plates according to the examples and the tempered glass plates according to the comparative examples were compared.

[0116] The tempered glass plate according to the embodiment was manufactured using a glass housing jig in which the distance between the first and second wires of the support device described above was 10 mm. The tempered glass plate according to the comparative example was manufactured using a glass housing jig in which the first and second wires of the support device described above were in contact at the intersection.

[0117] In this test, the preheating time in the preheating process was set to 30 minutes, with a preheating temperature of 370°C. The temperature of the molten salt for ion exchange in the ion exchange process was set to 390°C or 430°C. The strengthening time in the ion exchange process was set to 5 to 30 minutes. In addition, the holding time of the glass container in the heating chamber during the liquid draining process was set to 3 minutes, with a heating chamber temperature of 370°C. The cooling time in the cooling process was 30 minutes. The molten salt for ion exchange was KNO3, with a melting point of 335°C.

[0118] For chemical strengthening, the glass plate used had a composition of SiO2 66.4%, Al2O3 11.5%, B2O3 0.5%, K2O 1.4%, Na2O 15.2%, Li2O 0.02%, MgO 4.8%, CaO 0.1%, and SnO2 0.1% in molar percentages.

[0119] For each example of tempered glass plate produced, the amount of warpage increase was measured. Specifically, the amount of warpage of the glass sample before ion exchange was measured by placing the glass sample on a flat surface plate. Then, the amount of warpage of the glass sample after ion exchange was measured in the same manner, and the amount of warpage increase was calculated by subtracting the amount of warpage of the glass sample before ion exchange from the amount of warpage of the glass sample after ion exchange.

[0120] Furthermore, for each example of tempered glass plate, a visual inspection was conducted to evaluate "jig marks" as an appearance defect. Jig marks are marks that appear at the edges of each side of the glass plate, at the contact points with the support device's wires. Jig marks tend to appear on the bottom and side edges of glass plates that have undergone chemical strengthening treatment in a vertical position.

[0121] In evaluating the jig marks, a glass plate with almost no jig marks was rated as "Excellent" (○). A glass plate with jig marks that did not affect the product was rated as "Good" (△), while one with jig marks that made the product unsuitable was rated as "Poor" (×).

[0122] The test conditions and test results are shown in Table 1. Of the samples No. 1 to 6 shown in Table 1, No. 1 and 3 are comparative examples, and No. 2, 4 to 6 are examples. [Table 1]

[0123] As shown in Table 1, the tempered glass plates according to the examples (samples No. 2, 4-6) showed a significantly reduced increase in warping compared to the tempered glass plates according to the comparative examples (samples No. 1, 3). Furthermore, the tempered glass plates according to the examples received a better evaluation than the comparative examples in terms of jig marks. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0124] 1. Glass housing jig 2. Glass plates (glassware) 2a Lower edge (support edge) of the glass plate 2b Top edge (support edge) of the glass plate 2c Side (support side) of the glass plate 2D glass plate side (support side) 6a First support device 6b Second support device 6c Third support device 6d Fourth support device 7a First wire 7b Second wire 8 frames 8A First Frame 8B Second Frame 10 First holding part 11 Second holding part 27 Glass container 30 Ion exchange molten salt α Intersection angle between the first and second wires D: Distance between the first and second wires S2 Preheating process S3 Ion exchange process S4 Liquid draining process

Claims

1. A glass storage jig for housing glass articles, The glass article is provided with a support device that supports the end of the glass article, The support device comprises a wire that contacts the end of the glass article and a frame that holds the wire. The wire includes a first wire and a second wire spaced apart from the first wire in a predetermined direction. A glass housing jig characterized in that the first wire and the second wire are held in the frame such that they intersect at a predetermined intersection angle when viewed in the direction of separation.

2. The glass housing jig according to claim 1, wherein the first wire and the second wire are arranged with a separation distance of 5 mm or more.

3. The glass article includes a rectangular glass plate, The glass housing jig according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the length of the support side of the glass plate that contacts the wire is L, and the distance between the first wire and the second wire is D, such that D ≤ L / 3.

4. The first wire and the second wire are each held in place by the frame at multiple locations in a zigzag pattern. The glass housing jig according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first wire and the second wire form a plurality of intersections when viewed in the direction of separation.

5. The glass housing jig according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the intersection angle between the first wire and the second wire is 60° to 90°.

6. The frame includes a holding portion for holding the first wire and / or the second wire, The glass housing jig according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding portion is configured to be repositionable so as to change the intersection angle between the first wire and the second wire.

7. The first wire and the second wire are fixed to one of the frames. A glass housing jig according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a plurality of the support devices.

8. The glass housing jig according to claim 7, wherein the frame comprises a first holding portion for holding the first wire and a second holding portion for holding the second wire.

9. The frame includes a first frame that holds the first wire and a second frame that holds the second wire. A glass housing jig according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a plurality of the support devices.

10. The glass article includes a rectangular glass plate, The glass housing jig according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a plurality of support devices for supporting the ends relating to the four sides of the glass plate.

11. The glass housing jig according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wire includes a string-like body with a diameter of 0.3 mm or more, formed by twisting together a plurality of metal fibers.

12. A glass container comprising a glass container according to claim 1 or 2, and a plurality of glass articles housed in the glass container, The glass container is characterized in that the glass article includes a rectangular glass plate.

13. The glass container according to claim 12, wherein the thickness of the glass article is 5 to 100 μm.

14. A method for producing tempered glass, characterized by comprising an ion exchange step of immersing the glass container described in claim 12 in an ion exchange molten salt to obtain the chemically strengthened glass article.

15. The thickness of the glass article is 5 to 100 μm. The method for manufacturing tempered glass according to claim 14, wherein when the thickness of the glass article is t (μm) and the temperature of the ion-exchange molten salt is T (°C), 350 ≤ T ≤ 330 + t × 2.

16. A method for manufacturing tempered glass according to claim 14, further comprising a preheating step of preheating the glass container to a temperature of 300°C or higher before the ion exchange step.

17. A method for manufacturing tempered glass according to claim 14, further comprising a liquid draining step after the ion exchange step, in which the glass container withdrawn from the ion exchange molten salt is held at a temperature above the melting point of the ion exchange molten salt for 10 minutes or less.

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