Laser Edge Processing of Floating Glass Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for chamfering glass plates using laser beams result in uneven heating and significant strain distribution on the glass surface, leading to potential warping or cracking during subsequent processing steps.
Innovation Solution
The method involves floating the glass plate above a base to prevent contact and using a laser beam to shape the edge surface while maintaining contactless heating, ensuring uniform temperature distribution and minimizing strain by controlling the laser beam's parameters such as power density and moving speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the glass plate is placed on a support base and heated during laser chamfering, then the glass plate can be fixed and processed, but heat is released to the support base causing non-uniform heating and increased strain distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful thermal interaction between the glass plate and support base by eliminating direct contact. The glass plate is suspended in the heating chamber using a suspension system, removing the support base from the heating process entirely. This prevents heat release to the support base and ensures uniform heating throughout the glass plate during laser chamfering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a suspension system as an intermediary between the glass plate and the support base. This intermediary maintains the glass plate in a fixed position for processing while preventing thermal contact with any support structure, thereby eliminating the heat release pathway that causes non-uniform heating and strain distribution.
2Reliability
If the glass plate is fixed to a support base for laser chamfering, then processing stability is improved, but heat release to the base causes temperature history variation and strain distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the support base from the heating system entirely, extracting the source of thermal non-uniformity. The glass plate is suspended in mid-air within the heating chamber, eliminating any thermal contact with support structures. This ensures uniform temperature distribution while maintaining processing stability through the suspension system.
Solution Approach 2:
The suspension system serves as an intermediary that provides mechanical stability for processing while preventing thermal interaction. It holds the glass plate in a fixed, stable position for laser chamfering but does not conduct heat, thereby maintaining temperature uniformity throughout the glass plate during heating and processing.
3Use of energy by moving object
If direct contact heating is used during laser chamfering, then heating efficiency is improved, but strain distribution increases causing warping or cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the support base that causes non-uniform heating and strain distribution. The glass plate is suspended without contact during heating, eliminating the pathway for heat release that causes localized cooling and strain. This ensures uniform heating throughout the glass plate while maintaining shape accuracy during laser chamfering.
Solution Approach 2:
The suspension system acts as an intermediary that enables efficient heating by allowing uniform heat distribution throughout the glass plate without contact-induced heat loss. It maintains the glass plate in a stable position for processing while preventing the thermal non-uniformity that would otherwise cause strain distribution, warping, or cracking.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively suppresses in-plane strain distribution on the glass plate, reducing the risk of warping or cracking and enabling precise shape processing with improved surface smoothness and chamfer formation.
Implementation Method 1
processing the edge surface of the glass plate into a target shape by irradiating the edge surface with a laser beam while contactlessly heating the glass plate
Implementation Method 2
floating the disk-shaped glass plate above a base... heat is released from the heated glass member to the support base of the glass member through these contact portions
Data Source
AI summary
When a laser beam is used to perform shape processing on an edge surface of a disk-shaped glass plate, in order to suppress strain (retardation values) in the main surface of the glass plate, the disk-shaped glass plate is floated above a base, and the edge surface of the glass plate is processed into a target shape by irradiating the edge surface with the laser beam while contactlessly heating the glass plate in a state where the glass plate is floated, and moving the laser beam relative to the edge surface in the circumferential direction of the disk-shaped glass plate.