Equipment and methods for manufacturing glass products

Abstract

The glass product manufacturing apparatus 1 includes: a conveying device 5b for conveying the glass product G along a predetermined conveying direction X; and an air knife 14 for blowing gas 13 onto the glass product G. The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes: an anti-contact member 16 to prevent the glass product G from contacting the air knife 14 in the event of abnormal conveying.

Description

Equipment and methods for manufacturing glass products This invention relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing glass articles. For example, in a method for manufacturing a glass plate, such as a glass substrate for a display, the following steps are performed: a processing step of performing end face processing on a glass plate cut from a glass substrate; a cleaning step of cleaning the glass plate after processing; and a drying step of removing the cleaning liquid adhering to the surface of the glass plate during cleaning by using air blown by an air knife (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the manufacturing method, a cleaning step and a drying step are performed simultaneously while the glass plate is being conveyed along a predetermined conveying path. The conveying device for conveying the glass plate is, for example, a roller conveyor (see paragraph 0019 of the aforementioned document). [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-89044 [The problem that the invention aims to solve] In the aforementioned previous glass plate manufacturing method, in order to reliably remove the cleaning fluid adhering to the glass plate during the cleaning step, it is ideal to place the air knife as close as possible to the glass plate being transported by the conveying device during the drying step. However, depending on the state of the conveying device, the glass plate may vibrate during the conveying process, posing a risk of contact between the glass plate and the air knife. If the glass plate comes into contact with the air knife, the metal components of the air knife will adhere to the glass plate, potentially contaminating or damaging the glass plate. The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned situation, and its technical problem lies in preventing glass products such as glass plates from coming into contact with manufacturing-related processing units such as air knives when glass products are being transported abnormally. [Means for Solving the Problem] The present invention addresses the aforementioned problem and provides a glass article manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a conveying device for conveying the glass article along a predetermined conveying direction; and an air knife for blowing gas onto the glass article. The glass article manufacturing apparatus is characterized by including: an anti-contact member to prevent the glass article from contacting the air knife in the event of abnormal conveying, the anti-contact member being disposed at least one upstream and downstream of the air knife in the conveying direction. According to the structure, in the event of abnormal handling of glass products, the contact-prevention component can prevent the glass products from coming into contact with the air knife. The anti-contact component can also function as an indicator to mark the surface of the glass product with a mark signifying abnormal handling in the event of abnormal handling. According to the structure described, by marking glass products with anti-contact components and detecting these markings, abnormalities in the handling of glass products by the conveying device can be detected. By maintaining the conveying device based on these detections, the abnormalities can be resolved in advance. The anti-contact member may also include an elastomer capable of contacting the glass article. According to this structure, when the glass article comes into contact with the elastomer due to abnormal handling, the elastomer is pressed by the glass article and undergoes elastic deformation. This mitigates the impact on the glass article when the anti-contact member contacts it. Furthermore, this elastic deformation significantly ensures the contact area between the elastomer and the glass article. Therefore, when the anti-contact member is used as a marker, the elastomer can be used to maximize the marking on the glass article. In the glass article manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that when the glass article is being normally transported, the distance between the anti-contact member and the glass article is set to be less than the distance between the air knife and the glass article, and when the glass article is being abnormally transported, the anti-contact member contacts the glass article so that the glass article does not contact the air knife. According to the structure, in the event of an abnormality in the conveying of glass products by the conveying device, contact between the glass products and the air knife can be prevented. The glass article manufacturing apparatus of the present invention may include an inspection device for detecting the markings. According to the structure described, conveying abnormalities of the glass article by the conveying device can be detected efficiently and reliably. In the glass article manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the anti-contact member may include a roller. According to this structure, in the event of a conveying abnormality during conveying and the glass article comes into contact with the anti-contact member, excessive frictional force can be prevented from acting on the glass article. The anti-contact components can also be disposed on the upstream and downstream sides of the air knife in the conveying direction. According to the structure, by providing anti-contact components on the upstream and downstream sides of the air knife, contact between the glass product and the air knife can be reliably prevented when an abnormality occurs in the conveying of the glass product. The anti-contact component may also be positioned above the glass article being transported by the conveying device. The present invention addresses the aforementioned problem and provides a glass article manufacturing apparatus, comprising a conveying device for conveying glass articles along a predetermined conveying direction. The glass article manufacturing apparatus is characterized by comprising: a manufacturing-related processing unit disposed spaced apart from the surface of the glass article being normally conveyed by the conveying device; and an anti-contact member that, in the event of abnormal conveying of the glass article, contacts the surface of the glass article to prevent the glass article from contacting the manufacturing-related processing unit. The anti-contact member is disposed on at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the manufacturing-related processing unit in the conveying direction. According to the structure, in the event of abnormal handling of glass products, the anti-contact component can prevent the glass products from coming into contact with the manufacturing-related processing unit. The present invention addresses the aforementioned problem and provides a method for manufacturing a glass article, comprising: a cleaning step in which the glass article is conveyed along a predetermined conveying direction and cleaned by a cleaning device; and a drying step in which, after the cleaning step, the glass article is conveyed along the conveying direction and gas is blown onto the glass article by an air knife. The method for manufacturing the glass article is characterized in that, in the event of abnormal conveying of the glass article, at least one of the upstream and downstream sides of the air knife disposed in the conveying direction is brought into contact with the glass article to prevent contact between the glass article and the air knife. According to the structure, in the event of abnormal handling of glass products, contact between the glass products and the air knife can be prevented by bringing the anti-contact component into contact with the glass products. The present invention addresses the aforementioned problem and provides a method for manufacturing a glass article, comprising: a manufacturing-related processing step, wherein the glass article is conveyed along a predetermined conveying direction, and manufacturing-related processing is performed on the glass article by a manufacturing-related processing unit. The method is characterized in that, in the event of abnormal conveying of the glass article, at least one of the upstream and downstream sides of the manufacturing-related processing unit disposed in the conveying direction is brought into contact with the glass article, thereby preventing the glass article from contacting the manufacturing-related processing unit. According to the structure, in the event of abnormal handling of glass products, contact between the glass products and manufacturing-related processing parts can be prevented by bringing the anti-contact component into contact with the glass products. The present invention addresses the aforementioned problem and provides a glass article manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a conveying device for conveying the glass article along a predetermined conveying direction; and an air knife for blowing gas onto the glass article. The glass article manufacturing apparatus is characterized by including: an anti-contact member disposed upstream of the air knife in the conveying direction, wherein, under normal conveying conditions, the distance between the anti-contact member and the glass article is set to be less than the distance between the air knife and the glass article. According to the described structure, in the event of abnormal handling of the glass product, contact between the glass product and the air knife can be prevented by the contact-prevention component. [Effects of the Invention] By means of the present invention, in the event of abnormal handling of glass products, contact between glass products and manufacturing-related processing units such as air knives that perform manufacturing-related processing can be prevented. Hereinafter, the configuration for implementing the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 7 show one embodiment of the glass article manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method of the present invention. Hereinafter, a rectangular glass plate is shown as the glass article, but the shape of the glass article is not limited to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the glass manufacturing apparatus 1 includes: a cleaning unit 2; a drying unit 3; an inspection unit 4; and conveying devices 5a to 5c, which convey glass plates G along a predetermined conveying direction X. Hereinafter, when describing the positional relationship of these constituent elements in the manufacturing apparatus 1, the terms "upstream side" and "downstream side" will sometimes be used based on the conveying direction X of the glass plate G. The cleaning unit 2 includes a first cleaning device 6 and a second cleaning device 7 disposed downstream of the first cleaning device 6. The first cleaning device 6 includes a device for supplying cleaning fluid to the glass plate G (hereinafter referred to as the "first supply device") 8, and a cleaning appliance 9 disposed downstream of the first supply device 8. The first supply device 8 includes a pair of upper and lower supply devices to supply cleaning fluid 10 to the entire area of ​​the surface of the glass plate G (upper surface Ga and lower surface Gb). The cleaning fluid 10 supplied by the first supply device 8 can be, for example, pure water, or detergents (acidic detergents, alkaline detergents) or surfactants, alkaline deionized water, etc., can be added as needed. The cleaning device 9 consists of a pair of upper and lower cleaning rollers that wipe the surfaces Ga and Gb of the glass plate G to remove foreign matter and other dirt adhering to them. The contact portion of the cleaning roller with the glass plate G can be formed by an elastic material such as sponge, or it can be formed by a brush. In the former case, the cleaning roller is a sponge roller; in the latter case, the cleaning roller is a brush roller. A cleaning disc can also be used instead of the cleaning roller, or the cleaning roller and cleaning disc can be combined. The second cleaning device 7 includes a pair of upper and lower supply devices (hereinafter referred to as "second supply devices") 12, which supply rinsing liquid (rinsing solution) 11 to the glass plate G that has passed through the first cleaning device 6. The rinsing liquid 11 supplied to the glass plate G by the second supply device 12 can be a known type of rinsing liquid such as pure water. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the drying section 3 includes: a pair of upper and lower first air knives 14 for blowing gas 13 onto the glass plate G; a pair of upper and lower second air knives 15 disposed downstream of the first air knives 14; and a first anti-contact member 16 and a second anti-contact member 17 to prevent the glass plate G from contacting the air knives 14 and 15. The first air knife 14 is made of metal, such as stainless steel. The first air knife 14 is a manufacturing-related processing unit that performs prescribed manufacturing-related processing on the glass plate G. Specifically, the first air knife 14 is a gas blowing device for blowing clean, dry air or other gases 13 onto the surfaces Ga and Gb of the glass plate G that have passed through the second cleaning device 7. The first air knife 14 includes an outlet 14a from which the gas 13 is ejected. In the pair of upper and lower first air knives 14, the nozzle 14a of the upper first air knife 14 is the lowest part (lower end) of the first air knife 14. That is, the nozzle 14a of the upper first air knife 14 is located closest to the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G. When the glass plate G is being transported normally, the distance DA1 between the nozzle 14a of the upper first air knife 14 and the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G is preferably 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm. The nozzle 14a of the lower first air knife 14 is the uppermost part (upper end) of the first air knife 14. That is, the nozzle 14a of the lower first air knife 14 is located closest to the lower surface Gb of the glass plate G. When the glass plate G is being transported normally, the distance DA2 between the nozzle 14a of the lower first air knife 14 and the lower surface Gb of the glass plate G is preferably 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm. The second air knife 15 is made of metal, such as stainless steel. The second air knife 15 may have the same shape as the first air knife 14. The second air knife 15 is a manufacturing-related processing unit that performs prescribed manufacturing-related processing on the glass plate G. Specifically, the second air knife 15 is a gas blowing device for blowing clean, dry air or other gases 13 onto the surfaces Ga and Gb of the glass plate G that have passed through the first air knife 14. The second air knife 15 includes an outlet 15a for ejecting the gas 13. In the pair of upper and lower second air knives 15, the nozzle 15a of the upper second air knife 15 is the lowest part (lower end) of the second air knife 15. That is, the nozzle 15a of the upper second air knife 15 is located closest to the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G. When the glass plate G is being normally transported, the distance DA3 between the nozzle 15a of the upper second air knife 15 and the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G is preferably 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm. The nozzle 15a of the lower second air knife 15 is the uppermost part (upper end) of the second air knife 15. That is, the nozzle 15a of the lower second air knife 15 is located closest to the lower surface Gb of the glass plate G. When the glass plate G is being transported normally, the distance DA4 between the nozzle 15a of the lower second air knife 15 and the lower surface Gb of the glass plate G is preferably 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm. Each anti-contact component 16 and 17 prevents the glass plate G from contacting the air knife 14 and air knife 15 by contacting the glass plate G in the event of abnormal handling. Each anti-contact component 16 and 17 also functions as an indicator marking the abnormal handling by indicating contact with the surfaces Ga and Gb of the abnormally handled glass plate G. During normal handling, each anti-contact component 16 and 17 is moved away from the glass plate G and will not contact it. The first anti-contact member 16 includes: a pair of upstream anti-contact members 16a1 and 16a2, located upstream of the first air knife 14; and a pair of downstream anti-contact members 16b1 and 16b2, located downstream of the first air knife 14. The second anti-contact member 17 includes: a pair of upstream anti-contact members 17a1 and 17a2, located upstream of the second air knife 15; and a pair of downstream anti-contact members 17b1 and 17b2, located downstream of the second air knife 15. The upstream anti-contact members 16a1, 16a2, 17a1, and 17a2 of the first anti-contact member 16 and the second anti-contact member 17 include: upper anti-contact members 16a1 and 17a1, located above the glass plate G being transported; and lower anti-contact members 16a2 and 17a2, located below the glass plate G. As shown in Figure 2, when the glass plate G is being transported normally, the distance DB1 between the upper anti-contact member 16a1, the upper anti-contact member 17a1 and the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G is set to be less than the distances DA1 and DA3 between the air knife 14 and the air knife 15 located above the glass plate G and the glass plate G. Similarly, when the glass plate G is being transported normally, the distance DB2 between the lower anti-contact member 16a2, the lower anti-contact member 17a2 and the lower surface Gb of the glass plate G is set to be less than the distances DA2 and DA4 between the air knife 14 and the air knife 15 located below the glass plate G and the lower surface Gb of the glass plate G. The downstream anti-contact members 16b1, 16b2, 17b1, and 17b2 of the first anti-contact member 16 and the second anti-contact member 17 include: upper anti-contact members 16b1 and 17b1, located above the glass plate G being transported; and lower anti-contact members 16b2 and 17b2, located below the glass plate G. The separation distances DB3 and DB4 between the surfaces Ga and Gb of the normally transported glass plate G and the downstream anti-contact members 16b1, 16b2, 17b1, and 17b2 are set to be smaller than the separation distances DA1 to DA4 between the surfaces Ga and Gb of the normally transported glass plate G and the air knives 14 and 15. The distances between the surfaces Ga and Gb of the normally conveyed glass plate G and the anti-contact members 16 and 17, from DB1 to DB4, are preferably 0 mm to 3.0 mm. Furthermore, the distance between the first anti-contact member 16 in the conveying direction X and the nozzle 14a of the first air knife 14 is preferably 0.1 mm to 20 mm. Additionally, the distance between the second anti-contact member 17 in the conveying direction X and the nozzle 15a of the second air knife 15 is preferably 0.1 mm to 20 mm. As shown in Figure 3, the upstream anti-contact members 16a1 and 16a2 of the first anti-contact member 16 include a plurality of anti-contact members arranged at predetermined intervals along the width direction GX of the glass plate G. The downstream anti-contact members 16b1 and 16b2 of the first anti-contact member 16 and the second anti-contact member 17 (upstream anti-contact members 17a1, 17a2, 17b1, and 17b2) can also be configured to include a plurality of anti-contact members along the width direction GX of the glass plate G. Each anti-contact component 16, 17 is, for example, a roller. Specifically, each anti-contact component 16, 17 includes a roller body 18 and a shaft portion 19 supporting the roller body 18 for rotation. The roller body 18 is, for example, made of resin and is cylindrical. The shaft portion 19 extends along a horizontal direction orthogonal to the conveying direction X of the glass plate G. The roller body 18 includes a contact portion 20 on its outer peripheral surface that can contact the glass plate G. The contact portion 20 is provided all around the entire outer peripheral surface of the roller body 18. The contact portion 20 is preferably made of an elastomer. Examples of materials used for the elastomer include rubber. In this embodiment, the elastomer is ring-shaped and can be easily mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 18. Furthermore, the elastomer is preferably colored in a dark color. This allows for the marking of easily detectable conveying abnormalities on the glass plate G, as described later. The inspection unit 4 includes an inspection device 21 for inspecting the glass plate G. The inspection device 21 includes a camera device 22 for capturing images of the surface Ga and surface Gb of the glass plate G, and an image processing device 23. The camera device 22 captures images of the surfaces Ga and Gb of the glass plate G being transported in a prescribed posture, and obtains image data. The camera device 22 can send the acquired image data to the image processing device 23. The image processing device 23 is composed of a computer and can inspect the glass plate G for defects, markings made by the anti-contact components (markers) 16 and 17, etc., based on the image data sent by the camera device 22. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conveying devices 5a to 5c include: a first conveying device 5a, which conveys the glass plate G in the cleaning section 2; a second conveying device 5b, which conveys the glass plate G in the drying section 3; and a third conveying device 5c, which conveys the glass plate G in the inspection section 4. Each conveying device 5a to 5c is, for example, composed of a roller conveyor. Each conveying device 5a to 5c has a plurality of conveying rollers 24 arranged at intervals along the conveying direction X of the glass plate G. The conveying devices 5a to 5c can adjust the positions of the multiple conveying rollers 24 in the vertical and horizontal directions to convey the glass plate G at a specified height and in a specified posture. As shown in Figure 3, the conveying roller 24 is inclined at a predetermined angle θ relative to the horizontal direction orthogonal to the conveying direction X of the glass plate G. The inclination angle θ of the conveying roller 24 is preferably set to 1° to 10°. With this structure, the glass plate G, normally conveyed by the conveying roller 24, is conveyed in an inclined posture. In this case, one end (hereinafter referred to as the "first end") Gc of the glass plate G in the width direction GX is located below the other end (hereinafter referred to as the "second end") Gd of the glass plate G in the width direction GX. The glass plate G can also be conveyed with the first end Gc supported by a roller (not shown). As described above, by using the conveying roller 24 to convey the glass plate G in an inclined position, the cleaning liquid 10 or rinsing liquid 11 supplied to the glass plate G flows from the second end Gd side to the first end Gc side, and flows down from the first end Gc. The following describes a method for manufacturing a glass plate G using a manufacturing apparatus 1 having the aforementioned structure. As shown in FIG4, this method includes a processing step S1, a cleaning step S2, a drying step S3, and an inspection step S4. Processing step S1 is a manufacturing-related processing step, such as a step of processing the end face of the glass plate G with a grinding stone, a step of grinding the surface of the glass plate G, or a step of roughening the surface of the glass plate G. In this method, as a pre-step of processing step S1, a cutting step (manufacturing-related processing step) can also be set to cut a glass plate G of the desired size from the original glass plate. Furthermore, the original glass plate can be, for example, a glass plate cut from a glass strip formed by an overflow method or a float method. As for the glass plate G that has undergone processing step S1, examples include display glass plates with a length and width of 100 mm to 5000 mm and a thickness of 50 μm to 1500 μm. Such glass plates G may sometimes warp in the thickness direction due to forming conditions, etc. Cleaning step S2 is a manufacturing-related processing step that cleans the glass plate G after processing step S1. In cleaning step S2, the glass plate G is conveyed along the conveying direction X by the first conveying device 5a, and cleaning fluid 10 is supplied to the surfaces Ga and Gb of the glass plate G by the first supply device 8 of the first cleaning device 6. Subsequently, the surfaces Ga and Gb of the glass plate G are scrubbed by the cleaning tool 9 of the first cleaning device 6. Subsequently, the glass plate G, conveyed by the first conveying device 5a, arrives at the second cleaning device 7. In the second cleaning device 7, rinsing fluid 11 is supplied to the surfaces Ga and Gb of the conveyed glass plate G by the second supply device 12, thereby rinsing and cleaning the glass plate G. Afterward, the first conveying device 5a conveys the glass plate G to the drying section 3. The drying step S3 is a manufacturing-related processing step that dries the glass plate G after the cleaning step S2. In the drying step S3, the glass plate G is conveyed by the second conveying device 5b, and gas 13 is blown onto the glass plate G from the first air knife 14 (first drying step). This removes the rinsing liquid 11 remaining on the surfaces Ga and Gb of the glass plate G. Subsequently, gas 13 is blown onto the glass plate G that has passed through the first air knife 14 and reached the second air knife 15 (second drying step). This allows the surfaces Ga and Gb of the glass plate G to be dried. In addition to the steps described above, this method may also include a marking step for marking the glass plate G in the event of abnormal transport. Hereinafter, the marking step will be described using the case where the glass plate G is marked by the upstream anti-contact member 16a1 of the first anti-contact member 16. For example, during maintenance work on the second conveying device 5b, the conveying roller 24 is sometimes positioned in an inappropriate location that deviates from the prescribed position. In Figures 5 and 6, solid lines represent conveying rollers 24 in the proper position, and two-dot chain lines represent conveying rollers 24 in the inappropriate position. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the conveyor roller 24 in an inappropriate position (two-point chain line) is located closer to the upper anti-contact member 16a1 of the first anti-contact member 16 than the conveyor roller 24 in an appropriate position (solid line). In this case, when the glass plate G passes through the conveyor roller 24 in the inappropriate position, the glass plate G is lifted by the conveyor roller 24, thereby causing the glass plate G to vibrate. In the marking step, if an abnormality occurs in the conveying of the glass plate G in the second conveying device 5b as described above, the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G comes into contact with the contact portion 20 of the upper anti-contact member 16a1, as shown by the two-point chain line in Figures 5 and 6. At this time, the roller body 18 of the upper anti-contact member 16a1 rotates, and the elastic body of the contact portion 20 undergoes elastic deformation due to the contact. Furthermore, by the elastically deformed contact portion 20 rubbing against the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G, a portion of the rubber constituting the elastic body is transferred to the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G. Thus, a mark (contact mark) is made on the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G. As described above, in the marking step, the upper anti-contact member 16a1 of the first anti-contact member 16 contacts the upper surface Ga of the glass plate G, thereby preventing the glass plate G from contacting the upper first air knife 14. The glass plate G, which has undergone drying step S3 (marking step) in drying section 3, is transferred to inspection section 4 by second conveying device 5b. In inspection step S4, the glass plate G after drying step S3 is inspected for defects and abnormalities during handling. In inspection step S4, the inspection device 21 determines the quality of the glass plate G as a finished product based on the inspection results. As shown in Figure 7, in inspection step S4, if a mark M is marked on the glass plate G, the inspection device 21 will detect the mark M to detect any abnormalities in the transport of the glass plate G. In inspection step S4, when the marking M marked by the contact-protecting members 16 and 17 is inspected, the second conveying device 5b is also inspected. During this inspection, the position of the conveying roller 24 constituting the second conveying device 5b is checked, and if the conveying roller 24 is defective, repairs or position adjustments are performed to eliminate the defect. Furthermore, the glass plate G on which the marking M was detected in inspection step S4 can be cleaned again in step S2 and dried in step S3. This allows the marking M to be removed from the glass plate G. Using the glass product (glass plate G) manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method of this embodiment described above, in the event of an abnormality in the conveying of the glass plate G in the second conveying device 5b, a mark M can be marked on the glass plate G by a marking step (anti-contact member 16, anti-contact member 17). The mark M is then inspected by the inspection step S4 (inspection device 21), thereby enabling rapid detection of any abnormality in the second conveying device 5b. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the structure of the described embodiments, nor to the effects described above. Various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from its spirit. In the described embodiment, an example is shown where the anti-contact members 16 and 17 are composed of rotatable rollers, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. The anti-contact members 16 and 17 may also be configured to contact the glass plate G without rotating. In the described embodiment, an example is shown where the contact portion 20 of the anti-contact member 16 and the anti-contact member 17 uses an elastomer, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. The contact portion 20 of the anti-contact member 16 and the anti-contact member 17 is not limited to an elastomer, and may also be made of a material with a lower hardness than the glass plate G, such as polyamide resin, phenolic resin, or urethane resin. That is, for example, the roller body 18 of the anti-contact member 16 and the anti-contact member 17 may also be made of synthetic resin, and the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 18 may be used as the contact portion 20 with the glass plate G. In the described embodiment, anti-contact members 16 and 17 located above and below the glass plate G being conveyed by conveying devices 5a to 5c are illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to the described structure. For example, the anti-contact members may also be disposed only above the conveyed glass plate G. In the described embodiment, an example of a manufacturing apparatus 1 is shown in which anti-contact members 16 and 17 are arranged on the transport path of the glass plate G transported by the second transport device 5b, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. The anti-contact members can also be arranged on the transport path of the glass plate G transported by the first transport device 5a or the third transport device 5c. Furthermore, when the glass plate G is transported to the first cleaning device 6 after processing step S1, the anti-contact members can also be arranged on the transport path. In the described embodiment, an example of a manufacturing apparatus 1 is shown in which anti-contact members 16 and 17 are disposed on both the upstream and downstream sides of the air knives 14 and 15, but this is not limited to the structure described in the present invention. The manufacturing apparatus 1 may also be configured with anti-contact members 16 and 17 only on the upstream side or only on the downstream side of the air knives 14 and 15. From the viewpoint of reliably preventing glass articles from contacting the air knives 14 and 15, it is preferable to provide anti-contact members 16 and 17 only on the upstream side of the air knives 14 and 15, and more preferably, anti-contact members 16 and 17 are disposed on both the upstream and downstream sides. 1: Glassware manufacturing apparatus (manufacturing device) 2: Cleaning section 3: Drying section 4: Inspection section 5a: First conveying device (conveying device) 5b: Second conveying device (conveying device) 5c: Third conveying device (conveying device) 6: First cleaning device 7: Second cleaning device 8: First supply device (device for supplying cleaning fluid to glass plates) 9: Cleaning equipment 10: Cleaning fluid 11: Rinsing fluid (rinsing fluid) 12: Second supply device 13: Gas 14: First air knife (air knife) 14a: Spray outlet 15: Second air knife (air knife) 15a: Spray outlet 16: First contact protection component (contact protection component, indicator) 16a1: Upstream contact protection component (upper contact protection component) 16a2: Upstream contact protection component (lower contact protection component) 16b1: Downstream contact protection component (upper contact protection component) 16b2: Downstream contact protection component (lower contact protection component) 17: Second anti-contact component (anti-contact component, indicator) 17a1: Upstream anti-contact component (upper anti-contact component) 17a2: Upstream anti-contact component (lower anti-contact component) 17b1: Downstream anti-contact component (upper anti-contact component) 17b2: Downstream anti-contact component (lower anti-contact component) 18: Roller body of the anti-contact component (roller body) 19: Shaft portion 20: Contact portion (elastic body) 21: Inspection device 22: Camera device 23: Image processing device 24: Conveying rollers DA1, DA2, DA3, DA4: Distance between air knife and glass plate (distance) DB1, DB2, DB3, DB4: Distance between anti-contact component and glass plate (distance) G: Glass plate (glass product) Ga: Upper surface of glass plate (surface of glass product, upper surface, surface) Gb: Lower surface of glass plate (surface of glass product, lower surface, surface) Gc: First end (one of the ends) Gd: Second end (the other end) GX: Width direction M: Marking S1: Processing step S2: Cleaning step (manufacturing-related processing step) S3: Drying step (manufacturing-related processing step) S4: Inspection step X: Conveying direction θ: Angle Figure 1 is a side view of the glass manufacturing apparatus. Figure 2 is a side view of the drying section in the glass manufacturing apparatus. Figure 3 is a view along line III-III of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the glass manufacturing method. Figure 5 is a side view illustrating the marking step. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the marking step. Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating the inspection step. 1: Glassware manufacturing apparatus (manufacturing equipment) 2: Cleaning Department 3: Drying section 4: Inspection Department 5a: First conveying device (conveying device) 5b: Second conveying device (conveying device) 5c: Third conveying device (conveying device) 6: First cleaning device 7: Second cleaning device 8: First supply device (device for supplying cleaning fluid to the glass plate) 9: Cleaning equipment 10: Cleaning fluid 11: Rinse solution (rinsing solution) 12: Second supply unit 13: Gas 14: First Air Knife (Air Knife) 14a: Spray outlet 15: Second air knife (air knife) 15a: Spray outlet 16: First anti-contact component (anti-contact component, indicator) 16a1: Upstream side anti-contact component (upper anti-contact component) 16a2: Upstream side anti-contact component (lower anti-contact component) 16b1: Downstream anti-contact component (upper anti-contact component) 16b2: Downstream anti-contact component (lower anti-contact component) 17: Second anti-contact component (anti-contact component, indicator) 17a1: Upstream side anti-contact component (upper anti-contact component) 17a2: Upstream side anti-contact component (lower anti-contact component) 17b1: Downstream anti-contact component (upper anti-contact component) 17b2: Downstream anti-contact component (lower anti-contact component) 21: Inspection device 22: Camera device 23: Image processing device 24:Conveying roller G: Glass plate (glass products) Ga: The upper surface of a glass plate (the surface, upper surface, or surface of a glass product) Gb: Lower surface of the glass plate (surface, lower surface, surface of glass products) X:Conveying direction

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing glass articles, comprising: A conveying device that transports glass products along a specified conveying direction; The apparatus for manufacturing the glass article includes an air knife that blows gas onto the glass article. The air knife is characterized by including an anti-contact member that prevents the glass article from contacting the air knife in the event of abnormal transport. The anti-contact member is disposed on at least one of the upstream and downstream sides of the air knife in the transport direction.

2. The glass article manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anti-contact member is an indicator that marks the surface of the glass article with a mark indicating abnormal handling in the event of abnormal handling of the glass article.

3. The glass article manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the anti-contact member comprises an elastomer capable of contacting the glass article.

4. The glass article manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein when the glass article is being normally transported, the distance between the anti-contact member and the glass article is set to be less than the distance between the air knife and the glass article; and when the glass article is being abnormally transported, the anti-contact member contacts the glass article to prevent the glass article from contacting the air knife.

5. The glass article manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, comprising an inspection device for detecting the mark.

6. The glass article manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the anti-contact member comprises a roller.

7. The glass article manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the anti-contact member is disposed on the upstream and downstream sides of the air knife in the conveying direction.

8. The glass article manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the anti-contact member is disposed above the glass article being conveyed by the conveying device.

9. A glass article manufacturing apparatus, comprising a conveying device for conveying the glass article along a predetermined conveying direction, characterized in that it includes: The manufacturing-related processing unit is arranged separately from the surface of the glass article that is normally conveyed by the conveying device; And an anti-contact member, which, in the event of abnormal transport of the glass article, comes into contact with the surface of the glass article to prevent the glass article from contacting the manufacturing associated processing unit, the anti-contact member being disposed on at least one of the upstream and downstream sides of the manufacturing associated processing unit in the transport direction.

10. A method for manufacturing a glass article, comprising: The cleaning process involves conveying the glass products along a specified conveying direction and cleaning them using a cleaning device. The method of manufacturing the glass article includes a drying step, wherein after the cleaning step, the glass article is conveyed along the conveying direction and gas is blown onto the glass article by an air knife. The method is characterized in that, in the event of abnormal conveying of the glass article, at least one of the upstream and downstream sides of the air knife disposed in the conveying direction is brought into contact with the glass article to prevent the glass article from contacting the air knife.

11. A method for manufacturing a glass article, comprising: The manufacturing-related processing step involves conveying a glass article along a predetermined conveying direction and performing manufacturing-related processing on the glass article by a manufacturing-related processing unit. The manufacturing method for the glass article is characterized in that, in the event of abnormal conveying of the glass article, at least one of the anti-contact members disposed on the upstream and downstream sides of the manufacturing-related processing unit in the conveying direction is brought into contact with the glass article, thereby preventing the glass article from contacting the manufacturing-related processing unit.

12. An apparatus for manufacturing glass articles, comprising: A conveying device that transports glass products along a specified conveying direction; The apparatus for manufacturing the glass product includes an air knife that blows gas onto the glass product. The air knife is positioned upstream of the glass product in the conveying direction, and the distance between the air knife and the glass product is set to be less than the distance between the air knife and the glass product when the glass product is being conveyed normally.

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