Glass Corner Bevelling Assembly with Reference Locator

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing corner bevelling assemblies for glass sheets face challenges in accurately controlling the grinding wheel to prevent chipping or breakage and ensuring identical corner grinding, due to wear of conveyors and errors in sheet positioning.

Innovation Solution

A corner bevelling assembly with a fixed frame, movable frame, grinding wheel, and actuating device, featuring a reference locator, relative-motion means, detecting means, and control means to precisely position the grinding wheel relative to the sheet, minimizing impact and ensuring consistent corner grinding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the grinding wheel is moved quickly into position to maintain productivity, then the production speed is improved, but the impact between the sheet and grinding wheel increases causing chipping or breakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction speedVSAvoidimpact causing chipping or breakage
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary positioning of the grinding wheel using the reference locator and detecting means before the actual grinding operation. The reference locator is positioned against the lateral surface of the sheet in advance, and the detecting means detects the position to pre-adjust the grinding wheel position, ensuring it approaches the sheet at the correct moment and speed to minimize impact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The detecting means continuously monitors the position of the reference locator relative to the supporting arm and provides feedback to the control means. This feedback loop allows the system to dynamically adjust the grinding wheel position and movement speed based on real-time sheet position data, preventing excessive impact while maintaining efficient production.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Device complexity

If conventional positioning methods are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of corner grinding deteriorates due to conveyor wear and positioning errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning system complexityVSAvoidcorner grinding consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The reference locator acts as an intermediary between the sheet and the grinding wheel positioning system. Instead of directly relying on conveyor positioning accuracy, the reference locator is positioned against the lateral surface of the sheet to establish a reliable reference point. This intermediary element compensates for conveyor wear and positioning errors, enabling precise and consistent corner grinding across all sheets.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2246152B1Corner bevelling assembly for bevelling corners of glass sheets
Publication Date: 2013.04.24 BOTTERO SPA
  • EP2246152B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP2246152B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2246152B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c

AI summary

The edges of a sheet (3) of glass travelling in a longitudinal direction (4) are ground by an edge bevelling assembly (7) having a fixed frame (8); a movable frame (16); a grinding wheel (27); a supporting arm (22) supporting the grinding wheel (27) and fitted to the movable frame (16); and an actuating device (9, 10) interposed between the fixed frame (8) and the movable frame (16), and having a first powered guide-slide assembly (9) for moving the movable frame (16) in a direction (11a) parallel to a longitudinal travelling direction (4) of the sheet (3), and a second powered guide-slide assembly (10) for moving the movable frame (16) with respect to the fixed frame (8) in a transverse direction (13a) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (4); the edge bevelling assembly (7) also having a reference locator (50a) which, in use, is positioned against a longitudinal lateral surface (3c), parallel to the longitudinal direction, of the sheet (3); a relative-motion assembly (50) for enabling movement, parallel to the transverse direction (13a), of the reference locator (50a) with respect to the supporting arm (22); and a device (54) for detecting the position of the reference locator (50a) with respect to the supporting arm (22).