Glass article production apparatus

Abstract

This apparatus 11 for producing a glass article comprises first and second cutting devices 12 and 13 for cutting out a glass film 5 from a glass ribbon 1 being conveyed in a flat orientation, and a wrinkle removal means 15 for removing wrinkles 7 from the glass ribbon 1 before being conveyed through the first cutting device 12, the apparatus 11 being configured such that a wrinkle removal roller 14 provided in the wrinkle removal means 15 lifts up the glass ribbon 1 passing thereover to stretch out and remove the wrinkles 7, an inclined conveyor 16 for supporting the glass ribbon 1 from below before reaching the roller 14 is further arranged adjacently to the wrinkle removal roller 14 on the upstream side, and conveying surfaces 40 and 41 of the inclined conveyor 16 are formed on a sloped surface gradually rising toward a top part of the wrinkle removal roller 14.

Description

Glass article manufacturing equipment

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for manufacturing glass articles.

[0002] Glass products such as glass films and glass rolls are often manufactured from ultra-thin glass ribbons (e.g., having a thickness of 200 μm or less). Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a method for manufacturing a glass roll from a glass ribbon.

[0003] In this method, an ultra-thin glass ribbon is first formed using the down-draw method. The glass ribbon has a useful portion (the portion that will later become the product) located in the center of its width direction, and unnecessary portions (portions that will later be discarded) located at both ends of the width direction, sandwiching the useful portion. Next, the conveying direction of the formed glass ribbon is changed from vertical to horizontal. Accordingly, the orientation of the glass ribbon is changed from vertical to flat. After that, the glass ribbon is cut by irradiating it with a laser while being conveyed in the flat orientation, and the unnecessary portions are separated and removed from the glass ribbon. Finally, the glass ribbon consisting only of the useful portion is wound into a roll to form a glass roll.

[0004] Ultrathin glass ribbons are prone to wrinkles during transport. If these wrinkles reach the laser irradiation position as the glass ribbon is transported, there is a drawback in that cutting of the glass ribbon becomes unstable. Specifically, the wrinkles cause the laser irradiation position on the glass ribbon to undulate, which inevitably makes the laser irradiation conditions unstable. As a result, cutting of the glass ribbon becomes unstable, causing problems such as cracks occurring in the glass ribbon. Therefore, in the embodiment disclosed in Patent Document 1, measures are taken to remove wrinkles from the glass ribbon as much as possible before the wrinkles reach the laser irradiation position.

[0005] As a countermeasure against the above, in the embodiment disclosed in Patent Document 1, a means for smoothing out wrinkles that have occurred in the glass ribbon (wrinkle-smoothing means 14) is disposed in a conveying section in which the glass ribbon is conveyed in a flat position. The means includes a wrinkle-smoothing member (orthogonal rod-shaped body 15) that extends in the width direction on the underside of the glass ribbon, located upstream of the laser irradiation position in the conveying section. With this configuration, as the glass ribbon passes over the wrinkle-smoothing member, the glass ribbon is lifted by the wrinkle-smoothing member to smooth out wrinkles.

[0006] JP 2015-63450 A

[0007] As described above, when the glass ribbon is lifted by the wrinkle-smoothing member (the orthogonal rod-shaped body 15) to smooth out wrinkles, there is a problem in that wrinkles tend to accumulate on the upstream side of the wrinkle-smoothing member. Specifically, among the portions of the glass ribbon upstream of the wrinkle-smoothing member, wrinkles tend to tend to occur in a portion of the glass ribbon that is rising toward the top of the wrinkle-smoothing member (a portion that has started to rise toward the top but has not yet reached the top). This is because the rising portion is not supported from below and is in an unstable state, making it difficult for wrinkles present in that portion to reach the top of the wrinkle-smoothing member.

[0008] Of course, the problem of wrinkle formation described above does not only occur when the glass ribbon is lifted by a wrinkle-smoothing member to smooth out wrinkles before a process of cutting and removing unnecessary portions from the glass ribbon, but can also occur when the glass ribbon is lifted by a member to smooth out wrinkles before other processes.

[0009] In view of the above circumstances, the technical problem to be solved is to prevent the formation of wrinkles on the upstream side of a member when processing an ultrathin glass ribbon to manufacture a glass article, and when the glass ribbon being transported in a flat position is lifted by a member to smooth out wrinkles before processing.

[0010] A glass article manufacturing apparatus for solving the above technical problems comprises: a processing means disposed within a conveying section in which a glass ribbon is conveyed in a flat position, and which processes the glass ribbon during conveyance; and a wrinkle removing means disposed within the conveying section upstream of the processing means, and which removes wrinkles from the glass ribbon before it is conveyed to the processing means; wherein the wrinkle removing means further comprises a wrinkle smoothing member extending in the width direction on the underside of the glass ribbon, and which deforms the glass ribbon into an upward convex shape to smooth out wrinkles; and a support member disposed adjacent to the upstream side of the wrinkle smoothing member, and which supports the glass ribbon with a support surface that rises toward the wrinkle smoothing member.

[0011] In this glass article manufacturing apparatus, a portion of the glass ribbon rising toward the top of the wrinkle-smoothing member (hereinafter simply referred to as the rising portion) is supported by a support member disposed adjacent to the upstream side of the wrinkle-smoothing member. The support surface of the support member rises toward the wrinkle-smoothing member. This allows wrinkles present in the rising portion to reach the top of the wrinkle-smoothing member as the glass ribbon is conveyed without stagnation while being supported by the support surface (the inclined surface rising toward the wrinkle-smoothing member). This makes it possible to prevent wrinkle accumulation upstream of the wrinkle-smoothing member. Furthermore, the glass ribbon on the support surface (inclined surface) is subjected to a force acting due to gravity in a downward direction from the inclined surface (opposite to the conveying direction) and a force acting in the conveying direction from the conveying device, making it easier to smooth out wrinkles.

[0012] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the support surface has a central support surface that supports the widthwise central portion of the glass ribbon and an edge support surface that supports the widthwise end portion of the glass ribbon that protrudes from the central support surface, the edge support surface being located lower than the central support surface, and both the central support surface and the edge support surface being formed as flat, inclined surfaces that gradually rise toward the top of the wrinkle-smoothing member.

[0013] The widthwise end portions of the glass ribbon may have ears that are thicker than other portions (when the separation of the ears from the glass ribbon is incomplete). Deformations that cause the surface of the glass ribbon to undulate constantly occur near the ears. It is advantageous to release the deformation to the outside in the width direction of the glass ribbon before the glass ribbon is processed by the processing device. This is because the widthwise central portion of the glass ribbon often includes a useful portion that will later become a product, and it is preferable that the deformation does not affect the useful portion during processing. Therefore, as in the present configuration, the support surface has a central support surface and an edge support surface, and the edge support surface is positioned lower than the central support surface. Furthermore, both the central support surface and the edge support surface are flat, inclined surfaces that gradually rise toward the top of the wrinkle-smoothing member. This allows the ears of the glass ribbon to droop more than other portions when the glass ribbon passes over the support surface. This makes it easier to release the deformation near the ears to the outside in the width direction of the glass ribbon before the glass ribbon is processed by the processing device.

[0014] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the difference in height between the central support surface and the edge support surface is 10 mm to 50 mm.

[0015] In this way, since the difference in height between the central support surface and the edge support surface is within the above range, the ear portions of the glass ribbon can be effectively caused to hang down.

[0016] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the height position of the edge support surface is adjustable.

[0017] In this way, it is possible to appropriately respond depending on the thickness of the glass ribbon. Specifically, if the thickness of the glass ribbon differs, the preferable amount of sagging of the edge portions also differs. Therefore, if the height position of the edge support surface can be adjusted, it is advantageous in optimizing the amount of sagging of the edge portions depending on the thickness of the glass ribbon.

[0018] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the support member is a conveyor and the support surface is a transport surface of the conveyor.

[0019] In this way, the rising portion of the glass ribbon can be sent toward the top of the wrinkle-smoothing member by the conveyor serving as the support member. This allows wrinkles present in the rising portion to easily reach the wrinkle-smoothing member. As a result, this is more advantageous in preventing wrinkle accumulation upstream of the wrinkle-smoothing member. Furthermore, since the support member is a conveyor, relative movement between the rising portion and the support surface (transport surface of the conveyor) of the support member is unlikely. As a result, the risk of new wrinkles being generated due to friction acting on the rising portion during relative movement can be eliminated.

[0020] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the inclination angle of the support surface relative to the horizontal plane is 5° to 20°.

[0021] If the inclination angle of the support surface relative to the horizontal plane is too large, it may be difficult to smoothly raise the rising portion of the glass ribbon along the support surface of the support member. On the other hand, if the inclination angle is too small, the length of the support surface (inclined surface) along the longitudinal direction of the glass ribbon may become too long, which may result in an unreasonable increase in the size of the glass article manufacturing apparatus. However, if the inclination angle is within the above range, it is possible to accurately eliminate the above-mentioned risk.

[0022] In the above configuration, when viewed from a direction in which the glass ribbon is viewed in plan, the wrinkle-smoothing member is divided along the boundary line between the central support surface and the edge support surface, and the divided wrinkle-smoothing member preferably has a central member located downstream of the central support surface and an outer member located downstream of the edge support surface, and the top of the outer member is preferably located lower than the top of the central member.

[0023] In this way, when the glass ribbon passes over the wrinkle-smoothing member, the ear portions of the glass ribbon can be made to hang down more than other portions, which is more advantageous in releasing deformation near the ear portions outward in the width direction of the glass ribbon before the glass ribbon is processed by the processing means.

[0024] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the wrinkle-smoothing member has a central roller as a central member and an outer roller as an outer member, and the wrinkle-removing means includes a gas injector that injects gas onto the upper surface of the glass ribbon near the central roller.

[0025] In this way, the central portion of the glass ribbon in the width direction passing over the central roller can be easily pressed along the circumferential surface of the central roller by the gas pressure from the gas injector, which makes it easier to smooth out and remove wrinkles present in the central portion of the glass ribbon in the width direction.

[0026] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the gas injector includes at least one of a first injector that injects gas onto the upper surface of the glass ribbon while being directed toward the upstream end of the central roller, and a second injector that injects gas onto the upper surface of the glass ribbon while being directed toward the downstream end of the central roller.

[0027] This is advantageous for smoothing and removing wrinkles present in the widthwise central portion of the glass ribbon by the central roller. More specifically, in this configuration, the gas injector includes at least one of a first injector and a second injector. When the first injector is included, the widthwise central portion of the glass ribbon that has reached the upstream end of the central roller can be pressed along the circumferential surface of the central roller by the gas pressure from the first injector. When the second injector is included, the widthwise central portion of the glass ribbon that has reached the downstream end of the central roller can be pressed along the circumferential surface of the central roller by the gas pressure from the second injector. This is advantageous for smoothing and removing wrinkles present in the widthwise central portion of the glass ribbon.

[0028] In the above configuration, the gas injector preferably includes both the first injector and the second injector.

[0029] In this way, the first injector directed toward the upstream end of the central roller and the second injector directed toward the downstream end work together, which is extremely advantageous in pressing the widthwise central portion of the glass ribbon passing over the central roller along the circumferential surface of the central roller, which is further advantageous in smoothing and removing wrinkles present in the widthwise central portion of the glass ribbon.

[0030] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the gas injector is configured to inject gas onto a target area on the upper surface of the glass ribbon that is set along the axial direction of the central roller and is longer than the entire axial length of the central roller.

[0031] In this way, since the target jet area is set longer than the entire axial length of the central roller, the entire width of the central portion of the width direction of the glass ribbon passing over the central roller can be pressed along the circumferential surface of the central roller. Accordingly, wrinkles present in the central portion of the width direction of the glass ribbon can be more effectively smoothed and removed. Furthermore, this configuration can also achieve the following effects. That is, a glass ribbon passing over a wrinkle-smoothing member having a central roller may develop wrinkles that extend downstream and inward in the width direction from positions corresponding to both axial ends of the central roller. However, since the target jet area is longer than the entire axial length of the central roller, the pressure of the gas from the gas injector can prevent the development of such wrinkles.

[0032] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the processing means is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the wrinkle-smoothing member.

[0033] In this way, since the processing means is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the wrinkle-smoothing member, it is possible to process the glass ribbon by the processing means immediately after the wrinkle-smoothing member has smoothed and removed wrinkles from the glass ribbon, thereby eliminating the risk of wrinkles re-occurring in the glass ribbon after it has passed over the wrinkle-smoothing member and before it is transported to the processing means.

[0034] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the difference in height between the top of the central member and the top of the outer member is 10 mm to 50 mm.

[0035] In this way, since the height difference between the top of the central member and the top of the outer member is within the above range, the ear portions of the glass ribbon can be effectively caused to hang down.

[0036] In the above configuration, the central roller and the outer rollers are preferably free rollers.

[0037] In this way, because the central roller and the outer roller are free rollers, as the glass ribbon passes over both rollers, both rollers rotate at a peripheral speed substantially equal to the conveying speed of the glass ribbon, even without driving both rollers. Therefore, it is possible to omit the effort of connecting both rollers to a drive source and then aligning the peripheral speed of both rollers with the conveying speed of the glass ribbon. Note that if the peripheral speeds of both rollers and the conveying speed of the glass ribbon are not aligned, the peripheral surfaces of both rollers and the glass ribbon move relative to each other, which may result in the generation of new wrinkles due to friction acting on the glass ribbon during the relative movement. However, this configuration makes it possible to accurately eliminate the above-mentioned risk.

[0038] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the wrinkle removal means further includes a conveying section arranged upstream of the support member at a distance from the support member and conveying the glass ribbon, and that the conveying section and the support member support the glass ribbon so as to curve the glass ribbon convexly downward as it passes between the conveying section and the support member.

[0039] In this way, when the glass ribbon has ears, the glass ribbon passing between the conveying section and the support member is curved downwardly convexly, thereby making the ears of the glass ribbon warped upward. In other words, the ears of the glass ribbon can be positioned higher than the widthwise center. This is because, compared between the widthwise center and the ears of the glass ribbon, the widthwise center has relatively low rigidity and is easily deformed so as to droop downward, whereas the ears have relatively high rigidity and are less likely to deform. Furthermore, as described above, making the ears of the glass ribbon warped upward makes it easier to release wrinkles that have occurred in the glass ribbon toward the widthwise end portions. As a result, it is easier to remove wrinkles from the effective portion located at the widthwise center of the glass ribbon.

[0040] In the above configuration, the conveying section is a conveyor having a conveying surface that conveys the glass ribbon in a horizontal position, and it is preferable that the conveyor and the support member support the glass ribbon so that the lower end of the glass ribbon passing between the conveyor and the support member is positioned below the conveying surface.

[0041] In this way, it is possible to accurately obtain the effect of curling up the ear portions of the glass ribbon as described above while the glass ribbon is passing between the conveying section (conveyor) and the support member, and the effect of displacing wrinkles that have occurred in the glass ribbon toward the widthwise end portions.

[0042] In the above configuration, the processing means may be configured to perform at least one of the following processes (1) to (3): (1) a process of cutting the glass ribbon along its longitudinal direction by irradiating it with a laser to thereby separate an unnecessary portion from the glass ribbon, (2) a process of cutting the glass ribbon along its width direction to thereby cut out a glass film from the glass ribbon, and (3) a process of winding the glass ribbon into a roll to produce a glass roll.

[0043] The above-described glass article manufacturing apparatus can be used to carry out a glass article manufacturing method, which includes a processing step of processing a glass ribbon and a wrinkle removal step of removing wrinkles from the glass ribbon before it is fed into the processing step.

[0044] According to this manufacturing method, it is possible to obtain the same functions and effects as those of the above-mentioned glass article manufacturing apparatus.

[0045] According to the glass article manufacturing apparatus of the present disclosure, when processing an ultra-thin glass ribbon to manufacture a glass article, when the glass ribbon being transported in a flat position is lifted by a member to remove wrinkles before processing, it is possible to prevent wrinkles from accumulating upstream of the member.

[0046] 5 is a plan view showing an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a glass article. A cross-sectional view showing the A-A section in FIG. 1. A cross-sectional view showing the B-B section in FIG. 1. A cross-sectional view showing the CC section in FIG. 1. A cross-sectional view showing a modified apparatus and method for manufacturing a glass article. A cross-sectional view showing the D-D section in FIG. 5. A cross-sectional view showing a modified apparatus and method for manufacturing a glass article.

[0047] An embodiment of a glass article manufacturing apparatus will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the X, Y, and Z directions shown in each drawing are orthogonal to one another.

[0048] First, the glass ribbon to be processed by the glass article manufacturing apparatus will be described.

[0049] <Glass Ribbon> Please refer to Figures 1 to 4. The glass ribbon 1 shown in these figures is a long glass that has been continuously formed by a known method such as a downdraw method typified by an overflow downdraw method or a slot downdraw method, or a float method.

[0050] The glass ribbon 1 has a useful portion 2 located in the center in the width direction thereof and unnecessary portions 3, 3 located at both ends in the width direction, sandwiching the useful portion 2. In FIG. 1 , boundary lines 4, 4 between the useful portion 2 and the unnecessary portions 3, 3 are indicated by two-dot chain lines. The useful portion 2 is a portion that will later become a product (a glass film 5 described below), and the unnecessary portion 3 is a portion that will later be discarded. Each of the unnecessary portions 3, 3 includes an edge portion 6 that is thicker than other portions of the glass ribbon 1 at a location corresponding to the width direction edge of the glass ribbon 1. The thickness of the portion of the glass ribbon 1 excluding the edge portion 6 is, for example, 200 μm or less, 100 μm or less, or 50 μm or less.

[0051] Because the glass ribbon 1 is an ultra-thin glass, wrinkles 7 (shown only in FIG. 1 ) are likely to occur during transport in a flat position. The wrinkles 7 may occur in the useful portion 2 of the glass ribbon 1, in the unnecessary portion 3, or across the useful portion 2 and the unnecessary portion 3. The manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method for a glass article described below are configured to remove the wrinkles 7 from at least the useful portion 2.

[0052] In the unnecessary portion 3 of the glass ribbon 1, a deformation 8 (shown only in FIG. 1 ) that causes the surface of the glass ribbon 1 to undulate constantly occurs near the edge portion 6. The manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method for a glass article described below are configured to release the deformation 8 to the outside in the width direction of the glass ribbon 1.

[0053] Except when passing over a support table 9 described below, the glass ribbon 1 is transported while being superimposed on a strip-shaped protective sheet 10 for protecting the glass ribbon 1. The strip-shaped protective sheet 10 is wider than the glass ribbon 1. As the strip-shaped protective sheet 10, for example, a foamed resin sheet (PFS sheet) is used.

[0054] First Embodiment Hereinafter, a glass article manufacturing apparatus will be described.

[0055] <Glass article manufacturing apparatus> See Figures 1 and 2. Both figures show a glass article manufacturing apparatus 11 (hereinafter simply referred to as manufacturing apparatus 11). This manufacturing apparatus 11 is an apparatus for removing wrinkles 7 from a glass ribbon 1 being transported in a flat position in the direction of arrow F shown in Figure 1, and then cutting out a glass film 5 as a glass article from the glass ribbon 1.

[0056] The manufacturing apparatus 11 includes, as its main components, a first cutting device 12 and a second cutting device 13 for cutting out a glass film 5 from the glass ribbon 1 being transported, a wrinkle removal roller 14 for removing wrinkles 7 from the glass ribbon 1 before it is transported to the first cutting device 12, and a wrinkle removal means 15 equipped with an inclined conveyor 16 for supporting the glass ribbon 1 from below before it reaches the wrinkle removal roller 14, and a conveyor 17 for transporting the glass ribbon 1 horizontally before it reaches the inclined conveyor 16.

[0057] All of the components 12 to 17 of the manufacturing apparatus 11 are disposed within a conveying section in which the glass ribbon 1 is conveyed in a flat position. Here, the "flat position" includes not only a case in which the glass ribbon 1 is in a horizontal position, but also a case in which the glass ribbon 1 is inclined at an angle of less than 45° with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0058] Each of the first cutting device 12 and the second cutting device 13 is an example of a processing means that processes the glass ribbon 1 during transportation. The first cutting device 12 is a device that performs a process of separating the unnecessary portion 3 from the glass ribbon 1 (useful portion 2) by cutting the glass ribbon 1 along the longitudinal direction by irradiating it with a laser 18. The second cutting device 13 is a device that performs a process of cutting out the glass film 5 from the glass ribbon 1 by cutting the glass ribbon 1 consisting only of the useful portion 2 after cutting by the first cutting device 12 along the width direction.

[0059] The first cutting device 12 is a device for cutting the glass ribbon 1 by a known method such as a laser fusing method or a laser cleaving method.

[0060] The first cutting device 12 includes a laser irradiator 19 for irradiating the glass ribbon 1 with a laser 18 from above, a support table 9 for supporting the glass ribbon 1 from below as it passes through the irradiation position of the laser 18, and a plurality of guide rollers 20 for separating the strip-shaped protective sheet 10 from the glass ribbon 1 upstream of the support table 9 and then reuniting them downstream of the support table 9.

[0061] The laser irradiator 19 irradiates the laser 18 along the boundary line 4 between the useful portion 2 and the unnecessary portion 3 of the glass ribbon 1. Since there are two boundary lines 4, two laser irradiators 19 are provided: one for irradiating the laser 18 along one of the two boundary lines 4, and the other for irradiating the laser 18 along the other boundary line 4.

[0062] The support table 9 has a conveying surface 21 (supporting surface) for conveying the glass ribbon 1. The glass ribbon 1 before being separated into the useful portion 2 and the unnecessary portion 3 is conveyed from the upstream side to the support table 9. Then, the glass ribbon 1 consisting of only the useful portion 2 and the unnecessary portion 3 after being separated from the useful portion 2 are conveyed from the support table 9 to the downstream side.

[0063] A total of four guide rollers 20 are arranged. The four guide rollers 20 guide the movement of the strip-shaped protective sheet 10 so that the strip-shaped protective sheet 10 separated from the glass ribbon 1 passes under the support table 9 and then rejoins the glass ribbon 1.

[0064] The second cutting device 13 includes a conveyor 22 for transporting the glass ribbon 1 consisting only of the useful portion 2 and the unnecessary portion 3 after it has been separated from the useful portion 2, and a forming device 23 for forming a cutting starting point on the glass ribbon 1 that has reached the downstream end of the conveyor 22.

[0065] The conveyor 22 has a conveying surface 24 (support surface) for conveying the glass ribbon 1 consisting only of the useful portions 2, and the unwanted portions 3. The unwanted portions 3 that have reached the downstream end of the conveyor 22 are guided downward from the conveying surface 24 of the conveyor 22 and then discarded. The strip-shaped protective sheet 10 that has reached the downstream end of the conveyor 22 is guided downward from the conveying surface 24 of the conveyor 22 by a guide roller (not shown) and separated from the glass ribbon 1.

[0066] The forming device 23 is, for example, a wheel cutter that rolls in the width direction on the upper surface of the glass ribbon 1 (useful portion 2) to form a scribe line as a cutting starting point. The wheel cutter may form a scribe line across the entire width of the glass ribbon 1, or may form a scribe line across only a portion of the entire width (for example, only the widthwise end portion of the glass ribbon 1). After the scribe line is formed, the glass ribbon 1 is cleaved along the scribe line by a known cleaving device (not shown) or by an operator. Accordingly, the glass film 5 is cut out from the glass ribbon 1.

[0067] The wrinkle-removing means 15 is disposed upstream of the first cutting device 12. In addition to the wrinkle-removing rollers 14 and inclined conveyor 16 described above, the wrinkle-removing means 15 includes a gas injector that injects gas onto the upper surface of the glass ribbon 1. More specifically, the wrinkle-removing means 15 includes a first injector 27 and a second injector 28 that inject gases 25, 26, respectively, onto the upper surface of the glass ribbon 1. As the first injector 27 and the second injector 28, for example, air knives are employed.

[0068] The wrinkle-smoothing roller 14 is an example of a wrinkle-smoothing member for smoothing out wrinkles 7 in the glass ribbon 1. The wrinkle-smoothing roller 14 is disposed adjacent to the upstream side of the first cutting device 12 and is disposed so as to extend in the width direction on the underside of the glass ribbon 1. The wrinkle-smoothing roller 14 deforms the glass ribbon 1 into an upward convex shape at its apex to smooth out wrinkles. More specifically, the wrinkle-smoothing roller 14 smooths out and removes wrinkles while lifting the glass ribbon 1 as the glass ribbon 1 passes over the roller 14. Here, "lifting the glass ribbon 1" means that the portion of the glass ribbon 1 located above the wrinkle-smoothing roller 14 is at a higher position than the portion of the glass ribbon 1 located at the upstream end of the inclined conveyor 16. On the wrinkle-removing roller 14, the glass ribbon 1 is pressed against the outer periphery of the top of the wrinkle-removing roller 14 by its own weight and external forces such as the pressure of the gases 25 and 26, and is deformed to conform to the outer periphery of the wrinkle-removing roller 14. As the glass ribbon 1 is deformed, wrinkles are smoothed out.

[0069] When viewed from the direction in which the glass ribbon 1 is viewed in plan (Z direction), the wrinkle-removing roller 14 is divided into three members along two boundary lines 29, 29 extending in the Y direction. The divided wrinkle-removing roller 14 has a central roller 30 as a central member and two outer rollers 31, 31 as outer members (in FIG. 2 , the position of the outer roller 31 is indicated by a two-dot chain line).

[0070] The central roller 30 is a member that exhibits the function of removing wrinkles 7 in the wrinkle-removing roller 14 that is divided into three members. Specifically, the central roller 30 smooths and removes the wrinkles 7 by guiding the lifted glass ribbon 1 along the peripheral surface of the central roller 30.

[0071] The top 32 of the central roller 30 is at the same height as the conveying surface 21 of the support base 9 or slightly higher than the conveying surface 21 (higher than the conveying surface 21 in the illustrated example). The overall axial length of the central roller 30 is longer than the width dimension of the effective portion 2 of the glass ribbon 1 and shorter than the overall width of the glass ribbon 1. The central roller 30 is arranged so that both axial ends thereof are located widthwise outward of the effective portion 2. The configuration of this central roller 30 makes it possible to remove wrinkles 7 from the widthwise central portion (a region with a width corresponding to the overall axial length of the central roller 30) of the glass ribbon 1 passing over the wrinkle-removing roller 14, including the effective portion 2 of the glass ribbon 1.

[0072] Each of the two outer rollers 31, 31 is a component of the wrinkle removal roller 14, which is divided into three components, that does not have the function of removing wrinkles 7, but rather has the function of releasing deformations 8 near the ear portions 6 to the outside in the width direction of the glass ribbon 1.

[0073] Refer to Figure 3. As shown in the figure, the apex 33 of each of the two outer rollers 31, 31 is located lower than the apex 32 of the central roller 30. Each outer roller 31 supports, among the unnecessary portion 3 of the glass ribbon 1, the ear portions 6 that protrude from both axial ends of the central roller 30 in a state in which they hang down. The configuration of this outer roller 31 makes it possible to release deformation 8 near the ear portions 6 to the outside in the width direction of the glass ribbon 1 (outside the central roller 30 in the width direction) as much as possible.

[0074] The height difference H1 between the top 32 of the central roller 30 and the top 33 of the outer roller 31 is set to be within a range of 10 mm to 50 mm. The height difference H1 is adjusted to obtain an optimum amount of sagging of the edge portions 6 depending on the thickness of the glass ribbon 1. For this adjustment, each of the outer rollers 31, 31 is attached to, for example, a slide mechanism (not shown), allowing it to be moved up and down.

[0075] The central roller 30 and the outer rollers 31 are free rollers. The central roller 30 and both outer rollers 31, 31 are attached to different shafts (not shown) and can rotate independently of each other. With this configuration, as the glass ribbon 1 passes over the wrinkle-removing roller 14, each of the central roller 30 and both outer rollers 31, 31 rotates at a peripheral speed substantially the same as the conveying speed of the glass ribbon 1 due to friction with the strip-shaped protective sheet 10 directly below the glass ribbon 1.

[0076] As a modification of the present embodiment, the central roller 30 and the outer roller 31 may not be free rollers, but may be drive rollers connected to a drive source such as a motor. In this case, the central roller 30 and the outer roller 31 preferably rotate so that their circumferential speed is the same as the conveying speed of the glass ribbon 1. This is because if the circumferential surfaces of the central roller 30 and the outer roller 31 and the glass ribbon 1 move relative to each other, friction acting on the glass ribbon 1 at this time may cause new wrinkles 7 to form. For this reason, when this modification is adopted, it is preferable to set the circumferential speed of the central roller 30 and the outer roller 31 to the same speed as the feed speed of the glass ribbon 1 by the inclined conveyor 16.

[0077] As another variation of this embodiment, the central roller 30 and the outer roller 31 may be attached to a common shaft. In this case, the height difference H1 can be achieved by making the diameter of the outer roller 31 smaller than that of the central roller 30. However, if there is a difference in diameter between the two rollers 30, 31 attached to a common shaft, it is preferable that both rollers 30, 31 be free rollers. This is because, if both rollers 30, 31 are driven rollers and rotated on a common shaft (at the same angular velocity), a difference in diameter will result in a difference in peripheral speed between the two rollers 30, 31.

[0078] As yet another modified example of the present embodiment, a cylindrical bar, a circular pipe, or the like extending in the width direction of the glass ribbon 1 may be used as the wrinkle-smoothing member instead of the wrinkle-smoothing roller 14. In this case, the bar, the pipe, or the like may be divided into three members along the two boundary lines 29, 29, and each of the divided members may be used as a substitute for the central roller 30 and the outer roller 31.

[0079] 1 and 2 , the first injector 27 and the second injector 28 have the function of assisting the central roller 30 in removing the wrinkles 7. Specifically, in order to make the glass ribbon 1 conform to the circumferential surface of the central roller 30, the pressure of the gases 25 and 26 is used to press the glass ribbon 1 against the circumferential surface of the central roller 30.

[0080] The first injector 27 is directed toward the upstream end 34 of the central roller 30. The direction in which the first injector 27 sprays the gas 25 is vertically downward. However, this is not limited thereto, and as long as the first injector 27 is directed toward the upstream end 34, the direction in which the first injector 27 sprays the gas 25 may be inclined toward the upstream side or downstream side relative to the vertically downward direction.

[0081] Of the upper surface of the glass ribbon 1, a first injection target area A1 (a region indicated by diagonal lines in FIG. 1 ) that receives the injection of the gas 25 from the first injector 27 is elongated in the width direction of the glass ribbon 1. The first injector 27 injects the gas 25 so that the width dimension of the first injection target area A1 is longer than the overall axial length of the central roller 30. Both ends of the first injection target area A1 are located outward in the width direction from both ends of the axial length of the central roller 30. Meanwhile, the first injector 27 injects the gas 25 so that both ends of the first injection target area A1 do not overlap with the edge portions 6 of the glass ribbon 1 and the deformations 8 near the edge portions 6. This is to avoid a problem such as the generation of new wrinkles 7 widthwise inward of the deformations 8 by pressing the deformations 8 near the edge portions 6 with the gas 25.

[0082] Due to the configuration of the first injector 27 described above, the portion of the glass ribbon 1 that has reached the upstream end 34 of the central roller 30 (a portion having a width corresponding to the entire axial length of the central roller 30 and wider than the effective portion 2) can be pressed along the peripheral surface of the central roller 30 by the pressure of the gas 25 from the first injector 27.

[0083] The second injector 28 has the same configuration as the first injector 27, except that it is directed toward the downstream end 35 of the central roller 30. Furthermore, a second injection target area A2 (the area indicated by diagonal lines in FIG. 1 ) that receives the injection of gas 26 from the second injector 28 is formed in the same manner as the first injection target area A1, except that the position where the area A2 is formed is different.

[0084] Due to the configuration of the second injector 28 described above, the second injector 28 cooperates with the first injector 27 to press a portion of the glass ribbon 1 passing over the central roller 30 (a portion having a width corresponding to the entire axial length of the central roller 30 and wider than the effective portion 2) along the circumferential surface of the central roller 30 with the pressure of the gases 25, 26 from the first injector 27 and the second injector 28. Furthermore, the pressure of the gas 26 from the second injector 28 makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of wrinkles 36 (shown by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 1 ) extending downstream from positions corresponding to both axial ends of the central roller 30 and inward in the width direction.

[0085] It is preferable that the distance d (see FIG. 2 ) from the second injection target area A2 to the irradiation position of the laser 18 be as short as possible. This is to prevent wrinkles 7 from re-occurring in the glass ribbon 1 after it has passed over the wrinkle-removing roller 14 and before it reaches the irradiation position of the laser 18. From this viewpoint, the distance d is preferably 150 mm or less, more preferably 100 mm or less, and most preferably 50 mm or less.

[0086] Here, "the first injector 27 is directed toward the upstream end 34 of the central roller 30" includes not only a case where the first jet target area A1 and the upstream end 34 overlap when viewed from the direction in which the glass ribbon 1 is viewed in plan (the Z direction), but also a case where the first jet target area A1 is located within a range from 10 mm upstream of the upstream end 34 to the top 32 of the central roller 30. Similarly, "the second injector 28 is directed toward the downstream end 35 of the central roller 30" includes not only a case where the second jet target area A2 and the downstream end 35 overlap when viewed from the direction in which the glass ribbon 1 is viewed in plan (the Z direction), but also a case where the second jet target area A2 is separated upstream or downstream from the downstream end 35 within a range of 50 mm or less.

[0087] As a modification of the present embodiment, in addition to the first injector 27 and the second injector 28, one or more new injectors having the same configuration as both injectors 27, 28 may be provided. As an example, a new injector may be provided that injects gas onto the upper surface of the glass ribbon 1 while pointing toward the top 32 of the central roller 30. Furthermore, as another modification of the present embodiment, a configuration may be provided that includes only one of the first injector 27 and the second injector 28, or a configuration may be provided that includes only the injector pointing toward the top 32 of the central roller 30.

[0088] The inclined conveyor 16 is an example of a support member that supports, from below, a portion 37 (a portion that exists on the inclined conveyor 16; hereinafter referred to as the ascending portion 37) of the glass ribbon 1 that is rising toward the tops of the wrinkle-removing rollers 14 (tops 32 of the central rollers 30, tops 33 of the outer rollers 31). The inclined conveyor 16 is disposed adjacent to the upstream side of the wrinkle-removing rollers 14. That is, the glass ribbon 1 is supported by the inclined conveyor 16 in an ascending inclined position until just before it reaches the wrinkle-removing rollers 14. With this configuration, wrinkles are less likely to accumulate in the glass ribbon 1 near the wrinkle-removing rollers 14, making it easier to remove wrinkles 7. In addition, the glass ribbon 1 on the conveying surfaces 40, 41 (inclined surfaces rising toward the wrinkle-removing roller 14) of the inclined conveyor 16, which will be described later, is subjected to a force due to gravity acting in a downward direction on the inclined surface (opposite to the conveying direction) and a force in the conveying direction received from the inclined conveyor 16, making it easier for wrinkles 7 to be stretched out.

[0089] When viewed from the direction in which the glass ribbon 1 is viewed from above (Z direction), the inclined conveyor 16 is divided into three conveyors along the two boundary lines 29, 29. The divided inclined conveyor 16 has a central conveyor 38 disposed in the center in the width direction, and two outer conveyors 39, 39 disposed on both sides of the central conveyor 38 (the position of the outer conveyor 39 is indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 ). The central conveyor 38 is located upstream of the central roller 30. The two outer conveyors 39, 39 are each located upstream of the two outer rollers 31, 31.

[0090] The conveying surfaces 40, 41 of the central conveyor 38 and the outer conveyor 39 each function as a support surface that supports the glass ribbon 1. Both conveying surfaces 40, 41 are formed as inclined surfaces that gradually rise toward the tops of the wrinkle-removing rollers 14 (the tops 32 of the central roller 30 and the tops 33 of the outer rollers 31). The conveying surfaces 40, 41 are typically flat surfaces. As will be described in detail later, while there is a height difference between the two conveying surfaces 40, 41, the two conveying surfaces 40, 41 are substantially parallel. The downstream ends of the conveying surfaces 40 and 41 are located slightly lower than the tops 32 of the central roller 30 and the tops 33 of the outer rollers 31, respectively. The inclination angle θ (see FIG. 2 ) of both conveying surfaces 40, 41 with respect to the horizontal plane is within a range of 5° to 20°.

[0091] The conveying surface 40 of the central conveyor 38 has a width dimension larger than that of the useful portion 2 of the glass ribbon 1 and smaller than the overall width of the glass ribbon 1. Furthermore, both widthwise end edges of the conveying surface 40 (both widthwise end edges extending in the Y direction when viewed from the Z direction) are each located widthwise outward of the useful portion 2. As a result, the conveying surface 40 of the central conveyor 38 functions as a central support surface that supports the widthwise central portion of the glass ribbon 1, including the useful portion 2.

[0092] Due to the configuration of the central conveyor 38 described above, it is possible for wrinkles 7 present in the rising section 37 to be supported by the conveying surface 40 and to reach the tops of the wrinkle removal rollers 14 (tops 32 of the central roller 30, tops 33 of the outer rollers 31) as the glass ribbon 1 is conveyed without being retained.

[0093] 4 , as shown in the figure, the conveying surface 41 of the outer conveyor 39 is located at a lower position than the conveying surface 40 of the central conveyor 38. As a result, the conveying surface 41 of the outer conveyor 39 functions as an edge support surface that supports, in a downwardly hanging state, the edge portions 6 of the unnecessary portion 3 of the glass ribbon 1 that protrude from the conveying surface 40 of the central conveyor 38.

[0094] The above-described configuration of the outer conveyor 39 makes it possible to release the deformation 8 near the edge portion 6 to the outer side in the width direction of the glass ribbon 1 (outside the central conveyor 38 in the width direction) as much as possible.

[0095] The height difference H2 between the conveying surface 40 of the central conveyor 38 and the conveying surface 41 of the outer conveyor 39 is set within a range of 10 mm to 50 mm. Similar to the height difference H1 described above, the height difference H2 is adjusted to provide an optimal amount of sagging of the edge portions 6 depending on the thickness of the glass ribbon 1. For this adjustment, each of the outer conveyors 39, 39 is attached to, for example, a slide mechanism (not shown) so that it can be moved up and down.

[0096] A method for manufacturing a glass article using the manufacturing apparatus 11 described above will be described below.

[0097] <Method for manufacturing glass article> This manufacturing method includes a wrinkle removal process P1 for removing wrinkles 7 from the glass ribbon 1, and a cutting process P2 for cutting out the glass film 5 from the glass ribbon 1 after the wrinkle removal process P1. The cutting process P2 is an example of a treatment process for treating the glass ribbon 1.

[0098] In the wrinkle-removing step P1, first, the glass ribbon 1 is transported downstream by the inclined conveyor 16. This causes wrinkles 7 present in the rising portion 37 to reach the wrinkle-removing rollers 14. Thereafter, the glass ribbon 1 is made to pass over the wrinkle-removing rollers 14. At this time, the central rollers 30 remove the wrinkles 7 from the widthwise central portion of the glass ribbon 1, including the effective portion 2. As a result, of the various portions of the glass ribbon 1, the wrinkles 7 are removed from at least the effective portion 2. This completes the wrinkle-removing step P1.

[0099] In the cutting process P2, first, the glass ribbon 1 after the wrinkles 7 have been removed from the useful portions 2 is cut in the longitudinal direction along the boundary line 4 between the useful portions 2 and the unnecessary portions 3 by the first cutting device 12. In this way, the unnecessary portions 3 are separated from the glass ribbon 1. Thereafter, the glass ribbon 1 consisting only of the useful portions 2 is cut in the width direction by the second cutting device 13. In this way, the glass film 5 is cut out from the glass ribbon 1. This completes the cutting process P2.

[0100] Second Embodiment A second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG.

[0101] In the second embodiment, as an additional element to the above-described first embodiment, the conveyor 17 and the inclined conveyor 16 support the glass ribbon 1 so as to curve the glass ribbon 1 convexly downward while passing between the two conveyors 17 and 16.

[0102] Below both conveyors 17, 16, a plurality of guide rollers 20a (two in the illustrated example) are arranged to temporarily separate the strip-shaped protective sheet 10 from the glass ribbon 1 conveyed from the conveyor 17, and then reunite the strip-shaped protective sheet 10 with the glass ribbon 1 conveyed into the inclined conveyor 16. As a result, the glass ribbon 1 passing between both conveyors 17, 16 is not supported from below by the strip-shaped protective sheet 10, and is in a state where it can deform due to its own weight (gravity).

[0103] The conveyor 17 is an example of a conveying section that conveys the glass ribbon 1, and is a conveyor having a conveying surface 17a that conveys the glass ribbon 1 in a horizontal position. The conveyor 17 is provided in the wrinkle removing means 15, similar to the inclined conveyor 16. The conveyor 17 is disposed upstream of the inclined conveyor 16 at a distance from the inclined conveyor 16 in order to curve the glass ribbon 1 into a downward convex shape by its own weight.

[0104] The manner in which the conveyors 17 and 16 support the glass ribbon 1 and the deformation of the glass ribbon 1 while passing between the conveyors 17 and 16 will be described in detail below.

[0105] Both conveyors 17, 16 support the glass ribbon 1 so that the lower end 1 a of the glass ribbon 1 between both conveyors 17, 16 is located below the conveying surface 17 a of the conveyor 17. Note that in Fig. 5 , the height position of the conveying surface 17 a is indicated by a two-dot chain line. Furthermore, both conveyors 17, 16 support the glass ribbon 1 so that the lower end 1 a of the glass ribbon 1 is located below the upstream end of the conveying surface 40 of the central conveyor 38.

[0106] The glass ribbon 1 passing between the two conveyors 17, 16 is curved in the width direction such that the outermost portions in the width direction are positioned higher, as shown in Fig. 6 , due to the difference in rigidity between the edge portions 6 and portions other than the edge portions 6. In other words, the edge portions 6 of the glass ribbon 1 are in a warped-up state. Therefore, the lower end 1a of the glass ribbon 1 is positioned approximately in the middle in the width direction of the glass ribbon 1.

[0107] As described above, by the ear portion 6 being warped up, wrinkles 7 that occur in the glass ribbon 1 can be more easily displaced toward the widthwise end portion, making it easier to remove the wrinkles 7 from the effective portion 2 located in the widthwise center of the glass ribbon 1.

[0108] In the present embodiment, the glass ribbon 1 passing between the two conveyors 17, 16 is curved downward convexly by its own weight. However, this is not limited to this, and a gas injector may be disposed on the upper surface side of the glass ribbon 1, and the glass ribbon 1 may be curved downward convexly by the pressure of the gas injected by the gas injector. Furthermore, a member such as a roller or a brush may be disposed on the upper surface side of the glass ribbon 1, and the glass ribbon 1 may be curved downward convexly by contact with the member.

[0109] Here, the following modifications can also be applied to the above embodiment.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the first cutting device 12 and the second cutting device 13 are employed as processing means for processing the glass ribbon 1 during transport, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in Fig. 7 , in addition to the two cutting devices 12 and 13, a winding device for winding the glass ribbon 1 into a roll to produce a glass roll 42 may be employed as processing means. In this case, the second cutting device 13 is used not to cut out the glass film 5 but to cut the glass ribbon 1 in the width direction to form the leading and trailing ends of the glass ribbon 1 that constitute the glass roll 42.

[0111] When the winding device is employed as the processing means, a winding step P3 for winding the glass ribbon 1 into a roll is executed instead of the cutting step P2 in the above-described method for manufacturing a glass article. The winding step P3 is an example of a processing step for performing a process on the glass ribbon 1. In the winding step P3, a strip-shaped protective sheet (e.g., a foamed resin sheet) supplied from a sheet roll 43 is superimposed on the glass ribbon 1 and then wound into a roll.

[0112] In the above embodiment, the conveying surface 40 of the central conveyor 38 and the conveying surface 41 of the outer conveyor 39 are substantially parallel, but this is not limited to this. The conveying surfaces 40, 41 do not have to be parallel, and the inclination angle θ of the conveying surfaces 40, 41 relative to the horizontal plane may differ. In this case, the height difference H2 between the conveying surfaces 40, 41 may increase or decrease as the glass ribbon 1 moves downstream of the inclined conveyor 16. However, it is preferable that the amount of sagging of the edge portions 6 does not change when the glass ribbon 1 passes over the inclined conveyor 16. Therefore, it is preferable that the conveying surfaces 40, 41 are substantially parallel, as in the above embodiment.

[0113] In the above embodiment, the inclined conveyor 16 is used as a support member that supports the rising portion 37 of the glass ribbon 1 from below, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an inclined platform provided with a support surface (inclined surface) inclined with respect to the horizontal plane may be used as the support member instead of the inclined conveyor 16. In this case, the inclined platform may be divided into three members along the two boundary lines 29, 29, and each of the divided members may be used as a substitute for the central conveyor 38 and the outer conveyor 39.

[0114] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 glass ribbon 1a lower end 3 unnecessary portion 5 glass film 7 wrinkle 11 glass article manufacturing apparatus 12 first cutting device 13 second cutting device 14 wrinkle removal roller 15 wrinkle removal means 16 inclined conveyor 17 conveyor 17a conveying surface 18 laser 25 gas 26 gas 27 first injector 28 second injector 29 boundary line 30 central roller 31 outer roller 32 top of central roller 33 top of outer roller 34 upstream end of central roller 35 downstream end of central roller 40 conveying surface 41 conveying surface 42 glass roll A1 first spray target area A2 second spray target area H1 height difference H2 height difference P1 wrinkle removal process P2 cutting process P3 winding process θ tilt angle

Claims

1. A glass article manufacturing apparatus comprising: a processing means, which is disposed in a conveying section where a glass ribbon is conveyed in a flat position, and which applies processing to the glass ribbon during conveyance; and a wrinkle removing means, which is disposed upstream of the processing means within the conveying section, and which removes wrinkles from the glass ribbon before it is brought into the processing means, wherein the wrinkle removing means further comprises: a wrinkle smoothing member extending in the width direction on the underside of the glass ribbon and which deforms the glass ribbon into an upward convex shape to smooth out the wrinkles; and a support member, which is disposed adjacent to the upstream side of the wrinkle smoothing member, and which supports the glass ribbon with a support surface that rises toward the wrinkle smoothing member.

2. The glass article manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that the support surfaces include a central support surface that supports a widthwise central portion of the glass ribbon, and edge support surfaces that support widthwise ends of the glass ribbon protruding from the central support surface, the edge support surfaces being positioned lower than the central support surface, and the central support surface and the edge support surface are both formed as flat, sloping surfaces that gradually rise toward the top of the wrinkle-smoothing member.

3. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass article according to claim 2, characterized in that the difference in height between the central support surface and the edge support surface is 10 mm to 50 mm.

4. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass article according to claim 3, characterized in that the height position of said edge support surface is adjustable.

5. The glass article manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the support member is a conveyor, and the support surface is a transport surface of the conveyor.

6. An apparatus for manufacturing a glass article as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the inclination angle of said support surface with respect to the horizontal plane is 5° to 20°.

7. A glass article manufacturing apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, when viewed in a direction in which the glass ribbon is viewed in a plane, the wrinkle-smoothing member is divided along a boundary line between the central support surface and the edge support surface, the divided wrinkle-smoothing member has a central member located downstream of the central support surface and an outer member located downstream of the edge support surface, and the top of the outer member is located lower than the top of the central member.

8. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass article as described in claim 7, characterized in that the wrinkle-smoothing member has a central roller as the central member and an outer roller as the outer member, and the wrinkle removal means includes a gas injector that injects gas onto the upper surface of the glass ribbon in the vicinity of the central roller.

9. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass article as described in claim 8, characterized in that the gas injector comprises at least one of: a first injector that injects gas onto the upper surface of the glass ribbon while being pointed toward the upstream end of the central roller; and a second injector that injects gas onto the upper surface of the glass ribbon while being pointed toward the downstream end of the central roller.

10. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass article according to claim 9, wherein the gas injector comprises both the first injector and the second injector.

11. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass article as described in any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the gas injector is configured to inject the gas toward a target area on the upper surface of the glass ribbon, the target area being set along the axial direction of the central roller and longer than the entire axial length of the central roller.

12. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass article according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the processing means is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the wrinkle-smoothing member.

13. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass article according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the central roller and the outer rollers are free rollers.

14. A glass article manufacturing apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 4 and 7 to 10, characterized in that the wrinkle removing means further comprises a conveying section disposed upstream of the support member at a distance from the support member and conveying the glass ribbon, and the conveying section and the support member support the glass ribbon so as to curve the glass ribbon convexly downward as it passes between the conveying section and the support member.

15. A glass article manufacturing apparatus as described in claim 14, characterized in that the conveying section is a conveyor having a conveying surface that conveys the glass ribbon in a horizontal position, and the conveyor and the support member support the glass ribbon so that a lower end of the glass ribbon passing between the conveyor and the support member is positioned below the conveying surface.

16. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass article as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 4 and 7 to 10, characterized in that the processing means is configured to execute at least one of the processes (1) to (3) below. (1) A process for cutting the glass ribbon along a longitudinal direction by irradiating a laser, thereby separating an unnecessary portion from the glass ribbon. (2) A process for cutting the glass ribbon along a width direction, thereby cutting out a glass film from the glass ribbon. (3) A process for winding the glass ribbon into a roll to produce a glass roll.