Glass sheet manufacturing method and support device

Abstract

A glass sheet manufacturing method includes a take-out step S for taking out protective sheets 3 on the frontmost surface side, one by one, from a laminate 1 of glass sheets 2 and the protective sheets 3 loaded on a pallet 4, by using a take-out device 6 for holding a protruding part 3a of each of the protective sheets 3 protruding relative to the glass sheets 2. In the take-out step S, support members 7 are each positioned between protruding parts 3a, 3a of a plurality of protective sheets 3 arranged in the front-rear direction in the laminate 1, and a protruding part 3a positioned at the front side of the corresponding support member 7 is supported from the rear side. Accordingly, the protruding part 3a is prevented from falling toward the rear side, and failure in holding said protruding part can be prevented. Further, since an increase in the distance that the take-out device 6 needs to move to hold the protruding part 3a can be avoided, the tact time of the take-out step S can also be shortened.

Description

Method for manufacturing glass plate and support device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a glass plate including a step of sequentially removing a protective sheet from a laminate of a glass plate stacked on a pallet and the protective sheet by a removal device, and a support device used in the removal step.

[0002] In the manufacturing process of a glass plate, there are often cases where a plurality of glass plates are transported and stored together. When performing this process, for example, a glass plate package is used. The glass plate package is formed by laminating a plurality of glass plates with a protective sheet interposed therebetween to form a laminate, and stacking and packaging the laminate on a pallet.

[0003] When unpacking the glass plate package after transportation or storage, a step of sequentially removing the glass plate and the protective sheet from the laminate on the pallet is performed. An example of a form for performing this step is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a form in which the protective sheet on the frontmost side and the glass plate on the frontmost side are simultaneously removed from a laminate in an inclined posture stacked on a pallet with the rear surface supported. In this form, when removing the protective sheet on the frontmost side, a protruding portion protruding from the glass plate in the protective sheet is held by the removal device. Specifically, the protruding portion protruding from the upper side of the glass plate is adsorbed and held from the front by a suction pad provided in the removal device.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-78689

[0006] In the above-described removal form, due to the fact that the protruding portions of each protective sheet included in the laminate are likely to fall backward, there are problems such that the tact time of the removal process becomes unduly long, or the holding of the protruding portion fails. More specifically, regarding the protruding portion of the protective sheet on the frontmost side to be held by the removal device, if the protruding portion has fallen backward, the distance in the front-rear direction that the removal device (suction pad) has to move to hold the protruding portion increases accordingly. As a result, the tact time has become unduly long, or the removal device (suction pad) has failed to hold the protruding portion.

[0007] In light of the circumstances described above, the issue to be resolved is to eliminate problems in the process of manufacturing glass plates, when the process involves sequentially removing protective sheets from a laminate of glass plates and protective sheets stacked on a pallet using a removal device.

[0008] A first method for manufacturing a glass plate to solve the above problems is a manufacturing method that includes a glass plate and a protective sheet having an overhang portion from the glass plate, and includes a removal step in which the protective sheet on the front side is sequentially removed as the sheet to be removed from a stacked body which is stacked with its rear surface supported on a pallet, wherein in the removal step a support member is positioned between the overhang portions of a plurality of protective sheets arranged in the front-to-back direction in the stacked body, and the overhang portions in front of the support member are supported from the rear side.

[0009] In the first method for manufacturing glass plates, during the removal process, a support member is positioned between the protruding portions of multiple protective sheets, supporting the protruding portions in front of the support member from the rear. This prevents the protruding portions in front of the support member, including the protruding portion of the sheet to be removed (the frontmost protective sheet) to be held by the removal device, from falling backward. Therefore, it is possible to avoid increasing the front-to-back distance that the removal device must move to hold the protruding portion of the sheet to be removed. As a result, the cycle time of the removal process can be shortened. In addition, it is possible to prevent the removal device from failing to hold the protruding portion.

[0010] The second method for manufacturing a glass plate is the same as the first method for manufacturing a glass plate described above, but in the removal step, multiple support members are used, and the multiple support members are arranged with a gap between them in the front-to-back direction, and each is positioned between the cut-out portions of multiple protective sheets, and as the removal step progresses, the multiple support members are moved away from the laminate in order from the front.

[0011] In the second method for manufacturing glass plates, since multiple support members are arranged with spacing in the front-to-back direction, even when the number of protective sheets included in the laminate is large (for example, several hundred or more), it is possible to prevent the cut-off portion of the sheet to be removed from falling backward. Here, since each support member is located between the cut-off portions of multiple protective sheets, it is desirable to retract them from the laminate at a timing that does not interfere with holding the cut-off portion of the sheet to be removed in the removal device. In the second method for manufacturing glass plates, since the multiple support members are retracted from the laminate in order from the front as the removal process progresses, it is possible to retract each support member at the timing that does not interfere as described above.

[0012] The third method for manufacturing a glass plate is the second method for manufacturing a glass plate described above, wherein, as the removal process progresses, the support member is retracted from the laminate when the support member becomes exposed in front of the sheet to be removed.

[0013] In the third method for manufacturing glass plates, the support member that retracts from the laminate retracts only after all the protective sheets that were supported by the support member at the cut-out portion have been removed from the laminate. This makes it possible to maximize the function of the support member in preventing the cut-out portion from tipping backward while preventing the support member from interfering with the removal of the protective sheets.

[0014] The fourth method for manufacturing a glass plate is the same as the third method for manufacturing a glass plate described above, but with the protective sheet and the support member having different colors, and a detection device capable of distinguishing colors is used to detect the support member exposed in front of the sheet to be removed.

[0015] In the fourth method for manufacturing glass plates, when the support member is exposed in front of the sheet to be removed, it becomes possible to reliably detect the exposed support member based on the difference in color between the protective sheet (sheet to be removed) and the support member.

[0016] The fifth method for manufacturing a glass plate is a method for manufacturing a glass plate according to any of the second to fourth methods described above, wherein the dispensing portion is held from the front by a dispensing device, and the portion of the dispensing portion held by the dispensing device is supported from the rear by a support member.

[0017] In the fifth method for manufacturing glass plates, the support member supports the portion of the dispensing section that is held by the removal device from the rear, thereby effectively preventing the held portion from tipping backward. This increases the reliability of avoiding an increase in the distance the removal device must move to hold the dispensing section. Furthermore, since the removal device holds the dispensing section from the front and the support member supports the held portion from the rear, interference between the removal device and the support member can also be prevented.

[0018] The sixth method for manufacturing glass plates is the fifth method for manufacturing glass plates described above, wherein the laminate is stacked on a pallet in a vertical or inclined position, and a removal device holds the portion corresponding to the upper corner of the protective sheet in the cut-out section.

[0019] In the sixth method for manufacturing glass plates, the removal device holds the portion corresponding to the upper corner of the protective sheet, enabling stable removal of the sheet to be removed from the laminate.

[0020] The seventh method for manufacturing a glass plate is the sixth method for manufacturing a glass plate described above, wherein the support member is moved laterally away from the laminate.

[0021] For example, if the support member is moved upward from the laminate, there is a risk that the removal device and the support member will interfere with each other. In the seventh method for manufacturing glass plates, the support member is moved laterally from the laminate, which is advantageous in preventing interference between the removal device and the support member.

[0022] A first support device for solving the above problems is a device for supporting the protruding portions of protective sheets included in a laminate, which includes a glass plate and a protective sheet having a protruding portion from the glass plate, and is used when the protective sheet on the front side is sequentially removed as the sheet to be removed by a removal device that holds the protruding portion from a laminate, with the rear side of the laminate being supported, and comprises a support member and a moving mechanism for moving the support member, wherein the support member supports the protruding portions in front of the support member from the rear side when it is positioned between the protruding portions of a plurality of protective sheets arranged in the front-to-back direction in the laminate, and the moving mechanism is capable of moving the support member from a support position located between the protruding portions to a retracted position that is retracted from the laminate.

[0023] In the first support device, when the support member is positioned between the protruding portions of multiple protective sheets, it supports the protruding portions in front of the support member from the rear. This prevents the protruding portions in front of the support member, including the protruding portion of the sheet to be removed (the frontmost protective sheet) to be held by the removal device, from falling backward. Therefore, it is possible to avoid increasing the front-to-back distance that the removal device must move to hold the protruding portion of the sheet to be removed. As a result, it is possible to shorten the cycle time when sequentially removing the frontmost protective sheet from the stack. In addition, it is possible to prevent the removal device from failing to hold the protruding portion. Furthermore, in the first support device, the support member can be moved from the support position to the retracted position by a movement mechanism. Therefore, it is possible to retract the support member from the stack at a timing that does not interfere with the removal device holding the protruding portion of the sheet to be removed.

[0024] The second support device is a form of the first support device described above that can be attached to and detached from the pallet.

[0025] The second support device is detachable from the pallet. This allows the support device to be attached to the pallet only immediately before the start of sequentially removing the frontmost protective sheet from the stack on the pallet. After the removal is complete, the support device can be removed from the pallet. In this way, the support device only needs to be attached to the pallet when it is needed. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the waste of transporting the support device, which is not needed during transportation, along with the pallet.

[0026] The glass plate manufacturing method and support device of this disclosure make it possible to eliminate the problems in the process of sequentially removing protective sheets from a laminate of glass plates and protective sheets stacked on a pallet using a removal device.

[0027] This is a schematic side view showing a stacked mass loaded on a pallet. This is a plan view showing a support device attached to the pallet. This is a side view showing a support device attached to the pallet. This is a front view showing the area around the support member provided on the support device. This is a plan view showing the removal process in the glass plate manufacturing method. This is a plan view showing the removal process in the glass plate manufacturing method.

[0028] The following describes embodiments of a glass plate manufacturing method and support device with reference to the attached drawings. The X, Y, and Z directions shown in each drawing referenced in the description of the embodiments are mutually orthogonal directions.

[0029] In the glass plate manufacturing method of this embodiment, a laminate of glass plates and protective sheets stacked on a pallet is handled. Therefore, before describing the glass plate manufacturing method, the laminate will be described with reference to Figure 1. In Figure 1, the right side of the figure is the front side of the laminate, and the left side is the rear side of the laminate.

[0030] As schematically shown in Figure 1, the laminate 1 includes a plurality of glass plates 2 and a plurality of protective sheets 3. An example of the number of glass plates 2 and protective sheets 3 is 50 to 400 sheets each. Both the glass plates 2 and protective sheets 3 are rectangular in shape. The glass plates 2 and protective sheets 3 are laminated in the front-to-back direction (Z direction), and the glass plates 2 and protective sheets 3 are arranged alternately. The protective sheets 3 have a larger area than the glass plates 2, and the protective sheets 3 have an overhang portion 3a that extends beyond the glass plates 2.

[0031] The protective sheet 3 has an upper protrusion portion 3aa that protrudes from the upper edge 2x extending in the X direction of the glass plate 2, and a lateral protrusion portion 3ab (see Figure 4) that protrudes from the side edge 2y extending in the Y direction of the glass plate 2. The protrusion dimension of the upper protrusion portion 3aa is, for example, 20 mm to 150 mm. On the other hand, the protrusion dimension of the lateral protrusion portion 3ab is, for example, 20 mm to 100 mm.

[0032] The protective sheet 3 is made of resin, paper, or the like. If the protective sheet 3 is made of resin, it may be foamed resin or non-foamed resin. If a foamed resin sheet is used as the protective sheet 3, for example, the material may be polyethylene and the thickness may be 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm. The color of the protective sheet 3 is not particularly limited, but the protective sheet 3 in this embodiment is white.

[0033] The stacked body 1 is loaded onto a pallet 4 with its lower end and rear surface supported. The stacked body 1 is in an inclined position on the pallet 4, with its front and rear surfaces tilted relative to the vertical. The pallet 4 has a base portion 4a that supports the lower end of the stacked body 1 and a backrest portion 4b that supports the rear surface. The lower end of the stacked body 1 is supported by the upper surface of the base portion 4a, and the rear surface of the stacked body 1 is supported by the front surface of the backrest portion 4b. The support device 5, described later, can be attached to and removed from the rear surface of the backrest portion 4b.

[0034] The following describes the method for manufacturing glass plates. This manufacturing method includes an extraction step S (see Figures 5 and 6) in which the protective sheet 3 on the front side of the laminate 1 is sequentially extracted as the sheet to be extracted 3T. In the extraction step S, the upper protruding portion 3aa of the protective sheet 3 contained in the laminate 1 is supported by a support device 5 described later, and the upper protruding portion 3aa of the sheet to be extracted 3T is held by an extraction device 6 described later. First, the support device 5 and the extraction device 6 used in the extraction step S will be described.

[0035] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the support device 5 is a device for supporting the upper protruding portion 3aa of the protective sheet 3 contained in the laminate 1 during the removal process S. The support device 5 comprises a plurality of support members 7 (three in this embodiment) that directly support the upper protruding portion 3aa, and a movement mechanism 8 for moving each of the three support members 7. The movement mechanism 8 allows each of the three support members 7 to move (retract) from the support position P1 shown by the solid line in Figure 2 to the retracted position P2 shown by the dashed line. At the start of the removal process S, all three support members 7 are in the support position P1. Figures 3 and 4, which will be referenced later, show the support members 7 when they are in the support position P1.

[0036] The three support members 7 are arranged with a gap between them in the front-to-back direction (Z direction). Each support member 7 is formed in a plate shape. The thickness direction of each plate-shaped support member 7 substantially coincides with the front-to-back direction. In the following description, when distinguishing between the three support members 7, they will be referred to in order from the front support member 7 as the first support member 71, the second support member 72, and the third support member 73.

[0037] When in the support position P1, each support member 7 is positioned between the upper protrusions 3aa, 3aa of multiple protective sheets 3 arranged in the front-to-back direction. When in the support position P1, each support member 7 prevents the upper protrusions 3aa from tipping backward by supporting the upper protrusions 3aa in front of the support member 7 from the rear. For the upper protrusions 3aa behind the third support member 73, the backrest portion 4b supports them from the rear, preventing them from tipping backward. Note that in Figures 2 and 3, gaps are shown between adjacent upper protrusions 3aa, 3aa, but in reality, adjacent upper protrusions 3aa, 3aa overlap.

[0038] The front-to-back spacing between (1) the first support member 71 and the second support member 72, (2) the second support member 72 and the third support member 73, and (3) the third support member 73 and the backrest portion 4b is the same. As a result, the number of protective sheets 3 (number of upward protrusions 3aa) in each of the ranges (1) to (3) is not significantly different from each other. The upper limit of the number of protective sheets 3 that can be present in each of the ranges (1) to (3) is the number of sheets that prevents the foremost upward protrusion 3aa in each range from falling backward. Taking this upper limit into consideration, the number of support members 7 can be appropriately set according to the number of protective sheets 3 included in the laminate 1, for example, so that (number of protective sheets 3 / number of support members 7) is 30 to 120 sheets / member. In addition, the above spacing between (1) to (3) does not have to be the same.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, when the support member 7 is in the support position P1, it is located above the upper edge 2x of the glass plate 2 and below the upper edge 3x of the protective sheet 3. The support member 7 has an upper edge portion 7a and a lower edge portion 7b that extend in the X direction. The upper edge portion 7a protrudes inward in the width direction (X direction) of the protective sheet 3 compared to the lower edge portion 7b. As a result, when viewed from the front (Z direction), the tip portion 7c of the support member 7 tapers. Note that the shape of the support member 7 is not limited to the shape in this embodiment, and it may be any shape (for example, a rectangle) as long as it is formed in a plate shape.

[0040] For example, resin can be used as the material for the support member 7. On the other hand, in order to avoid the glass plate 2 being scratched when it unintentionally comes into contact with the support member 7, it is preferable that the material of the support member 7 be nonmetallic, and more preferably engineering plastic. The color of the support member 7 is not particularly limited as long as it is different from the color of the protective sheet 3 (white in this embodiment). However, it is preferable that the color of the support member 7 be a color that is easily distinguishable from the color of the protective sheet 3 by the color sensor 9 described later, and in this embodiment, the support member 7 is black.

[0041] Each suction area A1 shown in Figure 4 is an area located on the front surface of the upper protrusion portion 3aa of the sheet to be removed 3T, and represents the location where the suction pad 10 provided in the removal device 6 (described later) adheres when it holds the upper protrusion portion 3aa. When viewed from the front (Z direction), all three suction areas A1 are located such that they overlap with the support member 7 when it is in the support position P1, preferably being included by the support member 7 (the entire suction area A1 overlaps with the support member 7). As a result, when the support member 7 is in the support position P1, it supports the entire portion of the upper protrusion portion 3aa that is adhered to by the suction pad 10 from the rear. The three suction areas A1 are located in the upper corner portions of the protective sheet 3 of the upper protrusion portion 3aa.

[0042] When the support member 7 is in the support position P1, the length L inserted inward in the width direction (X direction) from the side edge 3y of the protective sheet 3 is preferably longer than the distance from the side edge 3y to the innermost suction area A1 in the width direction.

[0043] The identification area A2 shown in Figure 4 represents the location where the color sensor 9, provided in the removal device 6 described later, performs color identification. The color sensor 9 observes the identification area A2 from the front. When viewed from the front (Z direction), the identification area A2 overlaps with both the upper protruding portion 3aa of the protective sheet 3 and the support member 7 when it is in the support position P1. As a result, during the removal process S, either the white color of the protective sheet 3 (upper protruding portion 3aa) or the black color of the support member 7 is detected in the identification area A2.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, when the support member 7 is at the retracted position P2, the entire support member 7 is in a state of being retracted from the laminate 1. The retracted position P2 is located on the side of the laminate 1.

[0045] The moving mechanism 8 includes three arms 11 respectively connected to the three support members 7, and a drive unit 12 that independently moves the three arms 11 in the X direction. As the drive unit 12 moves the arms 11 connected to each support member 7, each support member 7 retracts from the support position P1 to the retracted position P2.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, when viewed from the side (X direction), the three arms 11 are arranged such that their positions in the Y direction are offset from each other. The arrangement of the three arms 11 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, among the three arms 11, the arm 11 connected to the support member 7 arranged on the front side is arranged lower. That is, the arm 11 connected to the first support member 71 is arranged lowest among the three, and the arm 11 connected to the third support member 73 is arranged highest among the three.

[0047] The drive unit 12 is controlled based on the color detection result in the above-described identification area A2. During the progress of the taking-out process S, while the white color of the protective sheet 3 (upper protruding portion 3aa) is continuously detected in the identification area A2, the drive unit 12 keeps the support member 7 at the support position P1 without moving the arm 11. On the other hand, when the black color of the support member 7 is detected in the identification area A2, the drive unit 12 moves the arm 11 to retract the support member 7 to the retracted position P2. Thereby, as the taking-out process S progresses, when the support member 7 is exposed in front of the sheet 3T to be taken out, it is possible to retract the support member 7 from the laminate 1.

[0048] The drive unit 12 can be configured, for example, by arranging a plurality (three in this embodiment) of actuators side by side in the Y direction. As the actuator, an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or the like can be used. The three actuators are configured to be able to independently move each of the three support members 7.

[0049] The removal device 6 shown in Figures 5 and 6 is a device for sequentially removing the sheets to be removed 3T (the protective sheet 3 on the front side) from the laminate 1. The removal device 6 includes three suction pads 10 that adsorb and hold the upper protruding portion 3aa of the sheets to be removed 3T from the front, and a color sensor 9 that performs color identification in the identification area A2.

[0050] The extraction device 6 in this embodiment is a robot that extracts not only the sheet 3T to be extracted, but also the frontmost glass plate 2 (hereinafter referred to as the glass plate 2T to be extracted) together with the sheet 3T to be extracted. However, instead of the extraction device 6 in this embodiment, an extraction device 6 that extracts only the sheet 3T to be extracted may be used, and this extraction device 6 may be used in combination with a device that extracts only the glass plate 2T to be extracted.

[0051] The three suction pads 10 are arranged along the width direction (X direction) of the sheet 3T to be removed. The positions of the suction surfaces that contact the upper protrusion portion 3aa are aligned in the front-to-back direction (Z direction) between the three suction pads 10. This makes it possible for the three suction pads 10 to simultaneously adsorb the upper protrusion portion 3aa. Note that the number of suction pads 10 is not limited to three; it may be one or more, or even multiple pads.

[0052] The color sensor 9 identifies the color of the identification area A2 by observing it from the front during the removal process S. In this embodiment, the color sensor 9 detects either the white color of the protective sheet 3 (upper protruding portion 3aa) or the black color of the support member 7. The detection of white means that the sheet to be removed 3T is in front of the support member 7 when it is in the support position P1. On the other hand, the detection of black means that the support member 7 is exposed in front of the sheet to be removed 3T.

[0053] Here, the color sensor 9 is an example of a detection device capable of distinguishing colors. As another detection device, for example, a detection device comprising a camera that captures an image of the identification area A2 and an image processing device that processes the image captured by the camera may be employed.

[0054] The following describes an embodiment in which the removal process S in the glass plate manufacturing method is performed using the support device 5 and the removal device 6 described above.

[0055] First, before executing the removal process S, a preparation process is performed to prepare for the start of the removal process S. In the preparation process, a support device 5 is attached to the backrest portion 4b of the pallet 4 on which the stacked stack 1 is loaded. Furthermore, in order to position the three support members 7 at their respective support positions P1 at the start of the removal process S, each support member 7 is inserted from the side of the stack 1 between the upper protruding portions 3aa, 3aa of the multiple protective sheets 3. At this time, since the tip portion 7c of the support member 7 is tapered, it becomes easier to insert each support member 7 between the upper protruding portions 3aa, 3aa. With this, the preparation process is completed.

[0056] As described above, once the preparation process is complete, the removal process S is started. In the removal process S, as shown in Figure 5, when the color sensor 9 detects the white color of the protective sheet 3 (upper protrusion portion 3aa), the three suction pads 10 adsorb and hold the upper protrusion portion 3aa of the sheet to be removed 3T. Then, the removal device 6 removes the sheet to be removed 3T together with the glass plate to be removed 2T from the laminate 1. This removal process is repeated as long as the color sensor 9 continuously detects white color. At this time, each of the three support members 7 supports the upper protrusion portion 3aa in front of the support member 7 from the rear side, preventing the upper protrusion portion 3aa from tipping backward.

[0057] As the removal process S progresses, the first support member 71 is exposed in front of the sheet 3T to be removed, as shown in Figure 6. At this time, the color sensor 9 detects the black color of the first support member 71, causing the drive unit 12 in the support device 5 to move the arm 11 connected to the first support member 71. This causes the first support member 71 to move to the side of the laminate 1, from the support position P1 shown by the dashed line in Figure 6 to the retracted position P2 shown by the solid line.

[0058] After the first support member 71 is retracted, the color sensor 9 detects the white color of the protective sheet 3 (upper protruding portion 3aa) again. While the white color is continuously detected, the removal of the sheet 3T and glass plate 2T to be removed is repeated. Subsequently, the second support member 72 is exposed in front of the sheet 3T to be removed, and when the color sensor 9 detects the black color of the second support member 72, the drive unit 12 moves the arm 11 connected to the second support member 72, retracting the second support member 72 to the side of the laminate 1.

[0059] As the removal process S proceeds as described above, the third support member 73 will eventually be moved to the side of the laminate 1 in the same manner. After the third support member 73 has been moved to the side, the removal process S is completed when all the protective sheets 3 and all the glass plates 2 contained in the laminate 1 have been removed.

[0060] The manufacturing method of this embodiment may include, as a post-processing step of the removal step S, a cutting step of cutting the glass plate 2 to a desired size, an end-face processing step of grinding and polishing the end face of the glass plate 2 after the cutting step, a cleaning step of cleaning the glass plate 2 after the end-face processing step, an inspection step of inspecting the cleaned glass plate 2, and a packaging step of packaging the glass plate 2 after the inspection step. The glass plate 2 obtained in this way can be suitably used as a substrate for liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays. Such a glass plate 2 is also called a display glass substrate.

[0061] Herein, the following modifications can also be applied to the above embodiment.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the removal device 6 (suction pad 10) holds the upper protruding portion 3aa of the sheet to be removed 3T, and the support device 5 (support member 7) supports the upper protruding portion 3aa of the protective sheet 3 included in the laminate 1. However, this is not limited to this configuration, and the removal device 6 may hold the lateral protruding portion 3ab of the sheet to be removed 3T, and the support device 5 may support the lateral protruding portion 3ab of the protective sheet 3 included in the laminate 1.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the support member 7 is retracted to the side of the laminate 1, but this is not limited to this. The direction in which the support member 7 is retracted from the laminate 1 may be upward, but it is preferable to retract it to the side. Also, when retracting the support member 7 from the laminate 1, it may be retracted to the side first, and then further upward or downward. In other words, the support member 7 may be retracted along an L-shaped path when viewed from the front (Z direction).

[0064] In the above embodiment, the laminate 1 is in an inclined position, but the laminate 1 may be in a vertical or horizontal position. When the laminate 1 is stacked on a pallet in a horizontal position, the upper side is the front side of the laminate 1, and the lower side is the rear side of the laminate 1.

[0065] 1. Laminate 2. Glass plate 3. Protective sheet 3a. Cutting section 3aa. Upper cutting section 3ab. Side cutting section 3T. Sheet to be removed 4. Pallet 5. Support device 6. Removal device 7. Support member 71. First support member 72. Second support member 73. Third support member 8. Moving mechanism 9. Color sensor (detection device) A1. Adsorption area A2. Identification area P1. Support position P2. Retracted position S. Removal process

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a glass plate, comprising a stack including a glass plate and protective sheets having protruding portions from the glass plate, and including a removal step of sequentially removing the protective sheets on the front side as the sheets to be removed from a stack stacked with its rear surface supported on a pallet, wherein in the removal step, a support member is positioned between the protruding portions of a plurality of protective sheets arranged in the front-to-back direction in the stack, and the protruding portions in front of the support member are supported from the rear side.

2. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the removal step, a plurality of support members are used, the plurality of support members are arranged with a gap between them in the front-to-back direction, and each is positioned between the cut-out portions of the plurality of protective sheets, and as the removal step progresses, the plurality of support members are moved away from the laminate in order from the front.

3. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 2, characterized in that, as the removal process progresses, when the support member is exposed in front of the sheet to be removed, the support member is retracted from the laminate.

4. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 3, characterized in that the protective sheet and the support member are of different colors, and the support member exposed in front of the sheet to be removed is detected by a detection device capable of distinguishing colors.

5. A method for manufacturing a glass plate according to any one of 2 to 4, characterized in that the dispensing portion is held from the front by the dispensing device, and the portion of the dispensing portion held by the dispensing device is supported from the rear by the support member.

6. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 5, characterized in that the laminate is stacked on the pallet in a vertical or inclined position, and the removal device holds a portion of the cut-out section corresponding to the upper corner portion of the protective sheet.

7. The method for manufacturing a glass plate according to claim 6, characterized in that the support member is moved laterally away from the laminate.

8. A support device for supporting the protruding portions of protective sheets included in a laminate, which includes glass plates and protective sheets having protruding portions from the glass plates, and which is stacked with its rear surface supported on a pallet, when the protective sheets on the front side are sequentially removed as the sheets to be removed by a removal device that holds the protruding portions, comprising: a support member and a moving mechanism for moving the support member, wherein the support member, when positioned between the protruding portions of a plurality of protective sheets arranged in the front-to-back direction in the laminate, supports the protruding portions in front of the support member from the rear side, and the moving mechanism is capable of moving the support member from a support position located between the protruding portions to a retracted position retracted from the laminate.

9. The support device according to claim 8, characterized in that it is detachable from the pallet.

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