阅读说明：本技术 玻璃板的制造装置以及玻璃板的制造方法 (Glass plate manufacturing device and glass plate manufacturing method ) 是由 伊吹真澄 大野和宏 于 2020-04-06 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种玻璃板的制造装置(1),其具备检测玻璃板(G)的位置的位置检测装置(2)。位置检测装置(2)具备：接触件(21),其能够以与玻璃板(G)的前端边(Ga)的端面(Ga1)以及侧边(Gb)的端面(Gb1)接触的方式移动；以及伺服马达(24),其对接触件(21)向端面(Ga1)侧以及端面(Gb1)侧施力,并且检测接触件(21)的位置。(A glass plate manufacturing apparatus (1) is provided with a position detection device (2) for detecting the position of a glass plate (G). A position detection device (2) is provided with: a contact (21) which can move so as to contact an end surface (Ga1) of a front end edge (Ga) and an end surface (Gb1) of a side edge (Gb) of a glass plate (G); and a servomotor (24) that biases the contact (21) toward the end surface (Ga1) and the end surface (Gb1) and detects the position of the contact (21).)

1. A glass plate manufacturing apparatus including a position detection device for detecting a position of an end face of a glass plate,

the position detection device is provided with:

a contact which is movable so as to be in contact with an end surface of a first side of the glass plate and an end surface of a second side intersecting the first side;

a biasing portion that biases the contact toward an end surface side of the first side and an end surface side of the second side; and

and a detection unit that detects a position of the contact.

2. The glass-sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,

the contact is configured to be shifted from an end surface of the first side to an end surface of the second side via a corner portion where the first side and the second side intersect.

3. The glass-sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the contact is capable of swinging in a plane along the major surfaces of the glass sheet.

4. The glass-sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the urging unit and the detection unit are each constituted by a servo motor.

5. The glass-sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the portion of the contact member that contacts the glass sheet is a roller.

6. The glass-sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the glass plate manufacturing apparatus includes a grinding wheel that machines the end surface of the second side based on the positions of the end surface of the first side and the end surface of the second side detected by the position detecting device.

7. A method for manufacturing a glass plate, comprising a position detection step for detecting the position of an end face of the glass plate,

the position detection process includes the following steps:

moving the contact while applying a force to the contact so as to make contact with the end surface of the first side of the glass plate and the end surface of the second side intersecting the first side; and

detecting the position of the contact.

8. The method for producing glass sheet according to claim 7,

the contact is transferred from an end surface of the first side to an end surface of the second side via a corner portion where the first side and the second side intersect.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a glass plate manufacturing apparatus and a glass plate manufacturing method.

Background

In recent years, in response to the demand for improvement in production efficiency of liquid crystal displays and the like, the demand for improvement in production efficiency of glass substrates used for the displays and the like has been increasing. In the production of a glass substrate, an operation of cutting one or a plurality of glass substrates from a large glass original plate (forming original plate) is performed. Thereby, a glass substrate having a desired size can be obtained.

On the other hand, since the end surface of the glass substrate cut out from the glass original plate is generally a cut surface or a broken surface, minute flaws (defects) are often present. If a flaw is present on the end face of the glass substrate, a crack or the like is generated from the flaw. Therefore, in order to prevent such a problem, for example, grinding (rough machining) or polishing (finish machining) is performed on the end face of the glass substrate.

As an end face processing apparatus for a glass plate used for such end face processing, for example, patent document 1 discloses an apparatus for grinding a corner portion (corner portion) of a glass plate with a grinding wheel.

In this document, the position of an end face of the leading edge (corner portion or its vicinity) of a glass plate located on the leading end side is detected by a detection device, and the grinding wheel is positioned based on the position of the end face. The detection device includes an arm that can swing about a shaft disposed in a horizontal direction, and a distance sensor that measures a distance to the arm. When the end face of the leading edge of the glass sheet comes into contact with the arm as the glass sheet is conveyed, the arm swings in a plane perpendicular to the main surface of the glass sheet, and the distance to the arm measured by the distance sensor changes. Therefore, the detection means detects the position of the end face of the front edge of the glass plate based on the change in the distance.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: international publication No. 2012/105306

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the detection device of patent document 1, the position of the end face of the front edge of the glass plate can be detected, but the position of the end face of the side edge located on the side is not directly detected. In other words, since the grinding wheel is positioned based only on the position of the end face of the leading edge of the glass plate without considering the position of the end face of the side edge of the glass plate, there is a possibility that a machining failure may occur due to the grinding wheel when the position of the end face of the side edge is shifted. Therefore, from the viewpoint of preventing a machining failure due to the grinding wheel, it is desirable to detect not only the position of the end face of the leading edge of the glass plate but also the position of the end face of the side edge.

The invention aims to detect the positions of the end face of the front edge and the end face of the side edge of a glass plate.

Means for solving the problems

The present invention made to solve the above problems relates to a glass plate manufacturing apparatus including a position detection device for detecting a position of an end surface of a glass plate, the position detection device including: a contact which is capable of moving so as to contact with an end face of a first side of the glass plate and an end face of a second side intersecting the first side; a biasing portion that biases the contact piece toward the end surface of the first side and the end surface of the second side; and a detection portion that detects a position of the contact.

In this way, the contact moves while being urged by the urging portion, and contacts the end surface of the first side (for example, the front end side) and the end surface of the second side (for example, the side) of the glass plate during the movement. The position of the contact when the contact is in contact with the end surface of the first side and the position of the contact when the contact is in contact with the end surface of the second side are detected by the detection portion, and the positions of the end surface of the first side and the end surface of the second side can be detected.

In the above configuration, it is preferable that the contact is configured to be shifted from the end face of the first side to the end face of the second side via a corner portion where the first side and the second side intersect.

In this way, after the position of the end face of the first side is detected, the position detection of the end face of the second side can be smoothly started.

In the above structure, it is preferable that the contact is swingable in a plane along the main surface of the glass plate.

In this case, the contact can be reliably brought into contact with the end surfaces of the first and second sides of the glass plate with a simple configuration. Further, when the contact receives a reaction force from the glass plate, the load can be easily released by swinging, and therefore, the contact state between the contact and the end face of the glass plate is stabilized, and the detection accuracy of the positions of the end face of the first side and the end face of the second side is improved.

In the above configuration, preferably, the urging portion and the detecting portion are constituted by a servo motor.

In this case, the servo motor can simultaneously perform the functions of both the urging unit and the detection unit, and thus the configuration of the detection device can be simplified.

In the above structure, it is preferable that a portion of the contact member which contacts the glass plate is a roller.

In this case, since the contact is a rotatable roller, the contact is rotated to sequentially change the portion of the contact which is in contact with the end surface of the glass plate, thereby suppressing wear of the contact. Further, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of scratches or glass dust on the end face of the glass plate when the end face of the glass plate comes into contact with the contact.

In the above configuration, it is preferable that the glass plate manufacturing apparatus further includes a grinding wheel that machines the end surface of the second side based on the positions of the end surfaces of the first side and the second side detected by the position detecting device.

In the present invention, since the positions of the end surfaces of the first and second sides that intersect each other are detected, when the end surface of the second side is machined by the grinding wheel, the machining start point of the second side can be known from the position of the end surface of the first side, and the machining amount (necessary cutting amount) of the end surface of the second side can be known from the position of the end surface of the second side. Therefore, if the above configuration is adopted, there is no need to accurately position the glass plate before the end face is machined by the grindstone, and therefore there is an advantage that the positioning device for the glass plate can be omitted or simplified.

The present invention made to solve the above problems relates to a method for manufacturing a glass plate, including a position detection step of detecting a position of an end face of the glass plate, the position detection step including: moving the contact while applying a force to the contact so as to make contact with the end surface of the first side of the glass plate and the end surface of the second side intersecting the first side; and detecting the position of the contact.

In this case, the positions of the end surfaces of the first side and the second side can be accurately detected for the same reason as described in the above-described corresponding configuration.

In the above configuration, it is preferable that the contact is shifted from the end face of the first side to the end face of the second side via a corner portion where the first side and the second side intersect.

In this way, after the position of the end face of the first side is detected, the position detection of the end face of the second side can be smoothly started.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, the positions of the end face of the front edge and the end face of the side edge of the glass plate can be detected.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2A is a plan view showing a position detection device of the glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 2B is a plan view showing the position detection device of the glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 2C is a plan view showing the position detection device of the glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing an end surface processing apparatus of the glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a position detection device of the glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a position detection device of the glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the third embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a position detection device of the glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the second and subsequent embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the other embodiments, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

(first embodiment)

As shown in fig. 1, a glass plate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment includes a position detection device 2 and an end surface processing device 3.

In the present embodiment, the position detection device 2 and the end face machining device 3 can be moved in the X direction in the drawing by a conveyance device (not shown) in a state where the rectangular glass plate G is fixed at a predetermined position. The end surface processing apparatus 3 is also movable in the Y direction in the figure orthogonal to the X direction. Specifically, two position detection devices 2 are disposed at positions facing each other in the Y direction with a glass sheet G interposed therebetween, and at the upstream side in the X direction (the left side in fig. 1), two end surface processing devices 3 are disposed at positions facing each other in the width direction (the Y direction) with a glass sheet G interposed therebetween. In other words, focusing on the position detection devices 2 and the end surface processing devices 3 arranged on one side in the width direction of the glass sheet G, as the glass sheet G moves in the X direction, first one position detection device 2 comes into contact with the glass sheet G, and then the two end surface processing devices 3 come into contact with the glass sheet G in sequence.

Since the upper and lower position detection devices 2 and the end surface machining device 3 in fig. 1 have substantially the same configuration, the upper devices 2 and 3 will be described below as examples.

The position detection device 2 includes a contact 21 that is movable so as to contact an end face Ga1 of a front end edge (first edge) Ga and an end face Gb1 of a side edge (second edge) Gb of the glass sheet G. The edge on the side where the position detection device 2 and the end surface processing device 3 enter the glass sheet G is the leading edge Ga, and the edge on the side where the position detection device 2 and the end surface processing device 3 leave the glass sheet G is the trailing edge Gc. Two sides that intersect the front edge Ga and the rear edge Gc and face each other in the width direction are side sides Gb.

The contact 21 includes: a roller 22 that contacts an end surface Ga1 of the front end edge Ga and an end surface Gb1 of the side edge Gb of the glass sheet G; a lever member 23 that rotatably supports the roller 22; and a servomotor 24 for generating a force with which the roller 22 presses the end faces Ga1, Gb1 of the glass sheet G in the lever member 23.

The roller 22 may be a drive roller including a motor or the like, but in the present embodiment, it is a free roller that rotates in association with contact with the end surfaces Ga1 and Gb 1. The roller 22 may have a shape other than a cylindrical shape (for example, a spherical roller), but in the present embodiment, it has a cylindrical shape. When the roller 22 is cylindrical, the position of the most projecting portion of the end surfaces Gal and Gb1 can be detected at all times, which has the advantage of improving the position detection accuracy.

The servo motor 24 has a motor shaft 24a rotatable in the forward and reverse directions. One end of the lever member 23 supports the roller 22, and the other end of the lever member 23 is fixed to a motor shaft 24a of the servomotor 24. Therefore, the lever member 23 can swing within a plane along the main surfaces (surfaces facing in the thickness direction) of the glass sheet G about the motor shaft 24 a. The swing track of the lever member 23 is provided with a stopper 25 that restricts the swing range of the lever member 23 (or the moving range of the roller 22). The stopper 25 can retreat from the rod member 23 while the roller 22 is in contact with the glass sheet G.

The servomotor 24 includes a control unit 26.

The control unit 26 monitors the detected speed, torque, and position of the motor shaft 24a (the swing angle α in fig. 2A to 2C), and performs feedback control of the speed, torque, and position of the motor shaft 24a so that the force with which the rollers 22 press the end surfaces Ga1, Gb1 is constant. In other words, the servomotor 24 functions as a biasing portion that biases the roller 22 in the direction of pressing the roller against the end surfaces Ga1, Gb 1. The control unit 26 calculates the position of the roller 22 based on the position of the motor shaft 24 a. In other words, the servomotor 24 also functions as a detection unit that detects the position of the roller 22. The position of the end surface Ga1 of the front edge Ga can be detected from the position of the roller 22 when the roller 22 is in contact with the end surface Ga1 of the front edge Ga, and the position of the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb can be detected from the position of the roller 22 when the roller 22 is in contact with the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb.

The end surface processing apparatus 3 adjusts the processing start position of the end surface Gb1 on the side Gb in the X direction and the reference position in the Y direction when processing the end surface Gb1 based on the detection result (the positions of the end surfaces Ga1, Gb1) by the position detection apparatus 2.

The end surface processing device 3 includes: a motor 32 for rotating the grinding wheel 31 as a machining tool; an arm member 33 rotatably supporting the grinding wheel 31; an actuator 34 that generates a driving force (output) for pressing the grindstone 31 against the end face Gb1 of the side Gb of the glass sheet G; and a link mechanism 35 that transmits the driving force of the actuator 34 to the arm member 33.

As the motor 32, a synchronous motor, an induction motor, a servo motor, or the like can be used, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The arm member 33 is rotatably supported by the support shaft member 36 and is capable of swinging about the support shaft member 36. The support shaft member 36 supports the intermediate portion of the arm member 33. One end of the arm member 33 supports the motor 32, and supports the grinding wheel 31 via the motor 32. The other end of the arm member 33 is connected to the link mechanism 35. Although not shown, a stopper for limiting the swing range of the arm member 33 (or the movement range of the grinding wheel 31) is provided on the swing track of the arm member 33. The stopper can be retracted from the arm member 33 while the grinding wheel 31 is in contact with the glass plate G.

In the present embodiment, the actuator 34 is constituted by a servo motor having a rotary shaft 34a rotatable in the forward and reverse directions. The actuator 34 includes a control unit, not shown, and is configured to perform feedback control.

The link mechanism 35 includes a first link member 35a and a second link member 35b that are swingable. One end of the first link member 35a is fixed to the rotating shaft 34a of the actuator 34, and the other end of the first link member 35a is connected to one end of the second link member 35b via a first joint 35c so as to be swingable. In other words, the first link member 35a swings about the rotation shaft 34a by the rotation of the rotation shaft 34 a. The other end of the second link member 35b is connected to the other end of the arm member 33 via a second joint 35d so as to be swingable. In the present embodiment, the center of the second joint 35d, the center of the support shaft member 36, and the center of the rotary shaft 31a of the grinding wheel 31 are aligned on the same straight line. The actuator 34 and the arm member 33 may be directly coupled to each other, and the link mechanism 35 may be omitted.

As shown in fig. 3, when the rotary shaft 34a of the actuator 34 rotates counterclockwise, the arm member 33 also rotates counterclockwise about the support shaft member 36 by the link mechanism 35. Accordingly, the grindstone 31 moves in the direction of pressing against the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb of the glass sheet G, and the force with which the grindstone 31 presses against the end surface Gb1 increases. On the other hand, when the rotary shaft 34a of the actuator 34 is rotated clockwise in the opposite direction to fig. 3, the arm member 33 is also rotated clockwise about the support shaft member 36 by the link mechanism 35. Accordingly, the grindstone 31 moves in a direction away from the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb of the glass sheet G, and the force with which the grindstone 31 presses the end surface Gb1 decreases.

The control unit of the actuator 34 monitors the speed, torque, and position of the rotary shaft 34a of the actuator 34 by feedback control. The position and pressing force of the grinding wheel 31 are controlled by rotating the rotary shaft 34a of the actuator 34 in the forward and reverse directions in accordance with the speed, torque, and position.

The grindstone 31 may be a grindstone mainly intended to chamfer the end surface Gb1, or a grindstone mainly intended to grind fine irregularities on the end surface Gb 1. The abrasive grains in the grinding wheel have the same or larger particle size than the abrasive grains in the grinding wheel. The grain size of the abrasive grains in the grinding wheel can be set to #100 to #1000, for example, and the grain size of the abrasive grains in the grinding wheel can be set to #200 to #1000, for example. The diameter of the grinding wheel 31 is, for example, 100 to 200 mm.

The grindstone 31 of the end surface processing device 3 on the downstream side (the right side in fig. 1) where the end surface Gb1 is processed first may be the same type as or different from the grindstone 31 of the end surface processing device 3 on the upstream side (the left side in fig. 1) where the end surface Gb1 is processed following the grinding wheel 31. Examples of the different types of methods include a case where the grinding wheel 31 of the downstream-side end surface processing device 3 is a grinding wheel, and a case where the grinding wheel 31 of the upstream-side end surface processing device 3 is a grinding wheel. Of course, the number of end surface processing devices 3 arranged corresponding to one side Gb is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

Next, a method for manufacturing a glass plate using the position detection device 2 and the end surface processing device 3 configured as described above will be described.

The manufacturing method of the present embodiment includes a preparation step of preparing the glass sheet G, a position detection step of detecting the positions of the end faces Ga1, Gb1 of the front end edge Ga and the side edges Gb of the glass sheet G, and an end face processing step of processing the end faces Gb1 of the side edges Gb of the glass sheet G. The end face processing step may be followed by steps such as cleaning, inspecting, and bundling the glass sheets G.

In the preparation step, the glass sheet G is fixed by an arbitrary method such as suction on a mounting table (e.g., a platen) disposed at a predetermined position. At this time, the position detection device 2 and the end surface processing device 3 stand by at the upstream side (left side in fig. 1) of the front end edge Ga of the glass sheet G.

The glass plate G was obtained as follows: after a formed plate is obtained by a known forming method, the formed plate is cut out to a predetermined size. As the forming method, for example, a down-draw method such as an overflow down-draw method, a flow hole down-draw method, a redraw method, or a float method can be used. Among them, the overflow downdraw method is preferable because the surfaces on both sides become forged surfaces and high surface quality can be achieved. The glass plate G is used for a glass substrate for a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display.

The glass plate G has a rectangular plate shape. The thickness of the glass plate G is preferably 0.05mm to 10mm, and more preferably 0.2mm to 0.7mm, for example. Of course, the glass sheet G to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to the above embodiment. The present invention can be applied to a glass plate having a shape other than a rectangle (for example, a polygon) and a glass plate having a thickness dimension out of the range of 0.05mm to 10 mm.

The position detection process includes: a moving step of moving the contact 21 while applying a force to the contact 21 so as to contact an end face Ga1 of the front edge Ga and an end face Gb1 of the side edge Gb of the glass sheet G; and a detection step of detecting the position of the contact 21.

As shown in fig. 2A to 2C, in the moving step, the position detection device 2 is moved in the X direction. In this process, first, as shown in fig. 2A, the roller 22 comes into contact with the end face Ga1 of the leading edge Ga of the glass sheet G. When the position detection device 2 is further moved in the X direction from this state, as shown in fig. 2B and 2C, the roller 22 moves toward the corner portion Gd on the end face Ga1 of the front end side Ga of the glass sheet G along with the swinging of the lever member 23, then moves to the end face Gb1 of the side Gb of the glass sheet G via the corner portion Gd, and moves to the rear side on the end face Gb1 of the side Gb. During this time, the motor shaft 24a of the servomotor 24 rotates counterclockwise, and the rollers 22 are biased in the direction of pressing against the end surfaces Gal, Gb1 of the glass sheet G. In this way, the rollers 22 can reliably and constantly contact the end surfaces Ga1 of the leading edge Ga and Gb1 of the side edges Gb of the glass sheet G.

In the detection step, the position of the roller 22 moved as described above is detected. The position of the roller 22 is calculated based on the swing angle α of the motor shaft 24a of the servomotor 24, in other words, the swing angle of the lever member 23. The position of the end face Ga1 is detected from the position of the roller 22 when the roller 22 is in contact with the end face Ga1 of the leading edge Ga of the glass sheet G, and the position of the end face Gb1 is detected from the position of the roller 22 when the roller is in contact with the end face Gb1 of the side edge Gb of the glass sheet G. In the present embodiment, since the rollers 22 are also in contact with the corner portions Gd of the glass plates G, the positions of the corner portions Gd can be detected from the positions of the rollers 22 at this time. Alternatively, the position of the corner Gd may be calculated from the positions of the detected end faces Ga1, Gb 1. In addition, when the roller 22 is brought into contact with the end surface Gb1 over the entire length of the side edge Gb, the position of the corner Ge can be detected from the position of the roller 22 when the roller 22 is brought into contact with the corner Ge.

As shown in fig. 1 and 3, in the end surface processing step, the end surface processing device 3 is moved in the X direction so as to follow the position detection device 2. The end surface processing apparatus 3 determines the processing start position of the end surface Gb1 processed by the end surface processing apparatus 3 based on the position of the end surface Ga1 of the front end edge Ga and/or the position of the corner portion Gd detected by the position detection apparatus 2. Similarly, the reference position in the Y direction of the end surface Gb processing apparatus 3 that processes the end surface Gb1 is determined based on the position of the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb detected by the position detection apparatus 2. In other words, the positional deviation of the end surface Gb1 is corrected by adjusting the reference position of the end surface processing device 3 in the Y direction. Therefore, there is no need to accurately position the glass sheet G before the end surface Gb1 is processed by the grindstone 31, and there is an advantage that a positioning device (positioning process) for the glass sheet G can be omitted or simplified.

In the end surface machining step, the grinding wheel 31 in a rotated state is first arranged at a predetermined reference position by the movement of the entire end surface machining apparatus 3 in the Y direction. In this state, the end surface processing apparatus 3 is moved in the X direction so that the grindstone 31 is brought into contact with the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb of the glass sheet G. At the start of the machining (machining near the corner portion Gd), the grinding wheel 31 attempts to separate from the glass sheet G due to an impact caused by the contact between the grinding wheel 31 and the end face Gb1 of the side Gb of the glass sheet G. To cope with this, the control unit performs feedback control (for example, PID control) of the speed and torque of the rotary shaft 34a of the actuator 34. Specifically, the control unit detects the movement of the arm member 33 that moves together with the grinding wheel 31 based on the speed of the rotary shaft 34a of the actuator 34. In response to the detection result, the control unit controls the speed and torque of the rotary shaft 34a of the actuator 34 so as to suppress the movement of the arm member 33. Thus, the pressing force of the grinding wheel 31 is adjusted so that the grinding wheel 31 does not separate from the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb of the glass sheet G. Therefore, the bounce of the grinding wheel 31 at the start of machining can be prevented.

In addition, feedback control of the speed and torque of the rotating shaft 34a of the actuator 34 is also performed in the processing of the intermediate portion (the portion between the corner portion Gd and the corner portion Ge) of the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb of the glass sheet G. At this time, the ratio of the speed control and the torque control is changed to increase the ratio of the torque control. The ratio can be changed by changing the gain setting. This can maintain the processing amount of the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb of the glass sheet G constant in the conveyance direction.

When the end surface processing is completed, the contact between the grindstone 31 and the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb of the glass sheet G is released, and the torque of the rotary shaft 34a of the actuator 34 is abruptly reduced. Therefore, at the end of machining (machining near the corner Ge), the control unit of the actuator 34 performs feedback control of the speed and torque of the rotating shaft 34a so that the position of the grinding wheel 31 is constant. The above-described control method performed by the control unit of the actuator 34 is an example, and is not limited to this.

As shown in fig. 3, in the end surface processing step, the rotary shaft 34a of the actuator 34 may be rotated counterclockwise to move the grinding wheel 31 in a direction to press the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb of the glass sheet G; and, although not shown, the rotation shaft 34a of the actuator 34 rotates clockwise to move the grinding wheel 31 in a direction away from the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb of the glass sheet G.

(second embodiment)

As shown in fig. 4, the apparatus 1 for manufacturing a glass plate according to the second embodiment is different from the apparatus 1 for manufacturing a glass plate according to the first embodiment in the configuration of a biasing portion for biasing the contact 21 of the position detection device 2 and a detection portion for detecting the position of the biasing portion.

In the second embodiment, the biasing portion includes the extension spring 41 that pulls the lever member 23 in a direction in which the roller 22 is pressed against the end face Ga1 of the front end edge Ga and the end face Gb1 of the side edge Gb. One end of the tension spring 41 is attached to a receiving portion 42 fixed to the lever member 23, and the other end of the tension spring 41 is attached to a base portion 43 of the position detection device 2 or the like. One end of the lever member 23 supports the roller 22, and the other end of the lever member 23 is rotatably supported by the support shaft member 44.

Although not shown, the biasing portion may be a compression spring that presses the rod member 23 in a direction in which the roller 22 is pressed against the end face Ga1 of the distal edge Ga and the end face Gb1 of the side Gb.

The detection unit is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the position of the roller 22, but in the present embodiment, a distance sensor 45 is provided instead of the servomotor 24. The distance sensor 45 is an optical sensor capable of measuring the distance to the reflecting member 46 fixed to the rod member 23. The structure of the distance sensor 45 is not particularly limited, and a known sensor can be used. The detection unit calculates a swing angle of the support shaft member 44 based on the distance measured by the distance sensor 45, for example, and detects the position of the roller 22 from the swing angle.

(third embodiment)

As shown in fig. 5, the apparatus 1 for manufacturing a glass plate according to the third embodiment differs from the apparatus 1 for manufacturing a glass plate according to the second embodiment in the structure of a biasing portion that biases the contact 21 of the position detection device 2.

In the third embodiment, the urging portion includes the cylinder 51 that pulls the rod member 23 in a direction in which the roller 22 is pressed against the end face Ga1 of the front end edge Ga and the end face Gb1 of the side edge Gb.

The cylinder 51 can be, for example, an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder (including a linear servo motor), or the like.

Although not shown, the urging portion may be a cylinder that presses the rod member 23 in a direction in which the roller 22 is pressed against the end face Ga1 of the front edge Ga and the end face Gb1 of the side Gb.

The detecting unit for detecting the position of the contact 21 of the position detecting device 2 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the position of the roller 22, but includes, for example, a distance sensor 45 for measuring the distance to the reflecting member 46 fixed to the front end side of the cylinder 51, as in the second embodiment.

(fourth embodiment)

As shown in fig. 6, the apparatus 1 for manufacturing a glass plate according to the fourth embodiment differs from the apparatus 1 for manufacturing a glass plate according to the first to third embodiments in the structure of the contact 21 of the position detection device 2.

In the first to third embodiments, the description has been given of the case where the contact 21 includes the swinging mechanism (the lever member 23) that swings the roller 22 along the circular-arc track, but in the fourth embodiment, the contact 21 includes the linear mechanism that reciprocates the roller 22 along the linear track so that the roller 22 contacts the end surface Ga1 of the leading edge Ga and the end surface Gb1 of the side edge Gb of the glass sheet G.

In the present embodiment, the linear motion mechanism is a cylinder 61 in which a roller 22 is supported by a rod portion 61a at the tip end. The cylinder 61 is capable of extending and contracting along a linear track inclined (e.g., inclined at 45 °) with respect to both the front end edge Ga and the side edge Gb of the glass sheet G.

The cylinder 61 functions as a biasing portion that biases the roller 22 in the direction toward the end face Ga1 where the front end edge Ga is pressed against the roller 22 and toward the end face Gb1 of the side edge Gb. The set stroke of the cylinder 61 functions as a stopper for limiting the movement range of the roller 22.

The cylinder 61 can be, for example, an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder (including a linear servo motor), or the like.

The detection unit for detecting the position of the contact 21 of the position detection device 2 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the position of the roller 22, but includes, for example, a distance sensor 45 for measuring the distance to the reflecting member 46 as in the second embodiment. In this case, the reflecting member 46 is fixed to, for example, the rod portion 61a of the cylinder 61.

While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is needless to say that the apparatus and method for producing a glass sheet of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments, and various embodiments can be adopted within the scope of the present invention.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the glass sheet G is fixed and the position detection device 2 and the end surface processing device 3 are moved has been described, but the position detection device 2 and the end surface processing device 3 may be fixed by moving the glass sheet G by the conveyance device. In other words, it is sufficient if there is relative movement between the two. When the glass sheet G is moved by the conveying device, for example, the glass sheet G may be conveyed while being sucked on the main surface on the back side by a conveyor or the like, or may be conveyed while being sandwiched between the main surfaces on the front and back sides by conveyors or the like facing each other in the thickness direction.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where a total of two position detection devices 2 are disposed on both sides of the glass sheet G in the width direction has been described, but the position detection devices 2 may be disposed on only one side of the glass sheet G in the width direction. In this case, for example, the processing conditions of the end surface processing apparatuses 3 disposed on both sides in the width direction of the glass sheet G are adjusted based on the positions of the end surface Ga1 detected by the position detection apparatus 2 disposed on one side and the end surface Gb1 disposed on the other side.

In the above-described embodiment, when the rollers 22 of the position detection device 2 move on the end surface Gb1 over the entire length of the side edge Gb, in other words, when the position detection device 2 detects the position of the end surface Gb1 over the entire length of the side edge Gb of the glass sheet G, the position of the grindstone 31 (the reference position in the Y direction of the end surface processing device 3) may be sequentially adjusted (corrected) in accordance with the detected position of the end surface Gb 1. Of course, the roller 22 may be configured to be separated from the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb by the operation of the servo motor or the like at the time when the position of the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb is detected, in other words, in the vicinity of the corner Gd on the end surface Gb1 of the side Gb, for example.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the portion of the contact 21 of the position detection device 2 that contacts the end surfaces Ga1, Gb1 of the glass sheet G is the roller 22 has been described, but the portion may be a non-rotating body (e.g., a needle-like member, a plate-like member, a cylindrical member, etc.) that slides on the end surfaces Ga1, Gb 1.

In the above-described embodiment, the servo motor having the rotation shaft is exemplified as the actuator 34 of the end surface processing apparatus 3, but the actuator 34 may be a known actuator other than the servo motor such as an air pressure actuator, a hydraulic actuator, an electromechanical actuator, or the like.

In the above-described embodiment, the so-called constant pressure type end surface processing method in which the end surface Gb1 is processed while the pressing force of the grindstone 31 against the end surface Gb1 is maintained at a constant magnitude in the end surface processing step is exemplified, but a so-called fixed type end surface processing method in which the end surface Gb1 is processed while the position of the grindstone 31 in the width direction (Y direction) of the glass sheet G is fixed may be adopted. Alternatively, for example, the downstream grindstone 31 may be fixed, and the upstream grindstone 31 may be fixed in pressure, and both may be used.

In the above-described embodiment, the description has been given of the case where the end surface processing step of processing the end surface Gb1 of the glass sheet G by the end surface processing device 3 is performed after the position detection step of detecting the positions of the end surface Ga1 and the end surface Gb1 of the glass sheet G by the position detection device 2 is performed, but the position detection step is not limited to the case where the subsequent step is the end surface processing step. In other words, the position detection step described above can be used as a pre-step of various manufacturing-related process steps (for example, film formation and the like) in which the position of the glass plate G needs to be detected.

In the above embodiment, the servo motor 24, the tension spring 41, and the cylinders 51 and 61 bias the roller 22 in the direction of pressing against the end surfaces Ga1 and Gb 1. In this case, a damping mechanism may be provided to prevent temporary vibration (for example, bouncing of the roller 22) due to the biasing force. In the first embodiment, similarly to the prevention of the bounce of the grindstone 31 at the start of machining, it is preferable to prevent temporary vibrations (for example, the bounce of the roller 22) by controlling the speed and torque of the rotary shaft of the servomotor 24 so as to suppress the movement of the roller 22 (the rod member 23). In this case, the damping mechanism can be omitted, and the position detection device can be prevented from being temporarily vibrated while preventing the structure from being complicated.

Description of reference numerals:

1 manufacturing apparatus

2 position detecting device

3 end face machining device

21 contact element

22 roller

23 Bar component (swinging mechanism)

24 servomotor (urging part and detecting part)

25 position limiter

26 control part

31 grinding wheel

32 motor

33 arm member

34 actuator

35 link mechanism

36 bearing shaft member

41 tension spring (forcing part)

45 distance sensor (detecting part)

51 working cylinder (force application part)

61 working cylinder (direct-acting mechanism)

G glass plate

Ga front end edge (first edge)

Gb side (second side).