JP2021084846A - Method for manufacturing belt-like glass film - Google Patents

Abstract

To enhance workability and reliability when scrapping some sections in the longitudinal direction of a belt-like glass film as a scrap glass part and to early complete switching to such scrap work.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a belt-like glass film comprises: a division step of dividing a scrap glass part 1x from a belt-like glass film 1 by pressing a bending stress applying member on the belt-like glass film 1 to apply bending stress to the belt-like glass film 1 when scrapping some sections in the longitudinal direction from the belt-like glass film 1 as the scrap glass part 1x; and a scrap step of separating the divided scrap glass part 1x downward from a horizontal conveyance passage R2 to scrap the divided scrap glass part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing a strip-shaped glass film.

Since mobile terminals such as smartphones and tablet PCs are required to be thin and lightweight, there is an increasing demand for thinning glass substrates incorporated in these terminals. Under such circumstances, a glass film, which is a glass substrate thinned to a film shape (for example, a thickness of 300 μm or less), has been developed and manufactured.

By the way, the manufacturing process of the glass film usually includes a step of manufacturing a strip-shaped glass film which is the basis of the glass film manufacturing process. Then, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a method for producing a strip-shaped glass film by using a down draw method typified by an overflow down draw method, a redraw method, a slot down draw method, and the like.

The method disclosed in the same document is a molding process in which a strip-shaped glass film is pulled out vertically downward by a molding apparatus and a roller conveyor arranged vertically below the molding apparatus to bend the strip-shaped glass film after molding. By transporting along the transport path, the transport direction changing step of changing the transport direction from the lower side in the vertical direction to the horizontal direction, and the strip-shaped glass film whose transport direction is changed are transported in the horizontal direction along the horizontal transport path. A horizontal transfer step, a cutting and removing step of cutting and removing ineffective parts (parts including thick ears) existing at both ends in the width direction from the strip-shaped glass film being transported in the lateral direction by a laser cutting device, and an ineffective part. Includes a winding step of winding the strip-shaped glass film cut and removed around the winding core into a glass roll.

Here, during the production of the strip-shaped glass film using the above method, it may be necessary to divide a part of the strip-shaped glass film formed in the molding step along the longitudinal direction and dispose of it as a waste glass portion. There is. For example, (A) a glass roll obtained by winding a strip-shaped glass film of a desired length is completed, and the core is replaced with a new one in order to produce the next glass roll, or (B) the strip-shaped glass film. For example, the laser cutting device for cutting and removing the ineffective portion is adjusted.

More specifically, in the case of (A) above, since the winding of the strip-shaped glass film cannot be started until the replacement of the winding core is completed, a part of the section formed during the replacement of the winding core is discarded glass. Discard as a part. On the other hand, in the case of (B) above, the strip-shaped glass film from which the ineffective portion has been removed cannot be obtained until the adjustment of the laser cutting device is completed. That is, since a strip-shaped glass film that should be wound as a glass roll cannot be obtained, a part of the section formed during the adjustment of the laser cutting device is discarded as a waste glass portion.

In order not to generate a waste glass portion, it is conceivable to take measures to temporarily stop the molding of the strip-shaped glass film during the replacement of the winding core or the adjustment of the laser cutting device. However, if such measures are taken, it is very difficult to restore the molding conditions of the strip-shaped glass film to the original state when the molding is started again. For this reason, even during the replacement of the winding core and the adjustment of the laser cutting device, the molding of the strip-shaped glass film is continued, and a part of the section is discarded as a waste glass portion.

As an example of the mode of discarding the waste glass portion, the waste glass portion is cut out as a large number of waste glass films from the strip-shaped glass film by repeatedly cutting the strip-shaped glass film being conveyed downward in the vertical direction in the width direction after molding. , The mode in which each waste glass film is dropped vertically downward and discarded can be mentioned. In this aspect, before starting the disposal of the waste glass portion, the roller conveyor is temporarily retracted from vertically below the molding apparatus, and the execution of the transfer direction changing step is temporarily stopped. Then, when the replacement of the winding core and the adjustment of the laser cutting device are completed, the disposal of the waste glass part is completed, the roller conveyor is returned to the vertical lower side of the molding device, and the strip-shaped glass film following the waste glass part is covered with the roller conveyor. By passing the upper part (on the curved transfer path) and pulling the strip-shaped glass film into the lateral transfer path, the execution of the transfer direction changing step is restarted.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-44709

However, when the waste glass portion is discarded in the above manner, the following problems to be solved occur.

That is, in the above aspect, as the waste glass portion is discarded, the roller conveyor is retracted and returned from vertically below the molding apparatus, and the strip-shaped glass film is passed over the roller conveyor and passed laterally. There is a problem that it is necessary to pull it into the transport path, and the work becomes extremely complicated. In addition, the difficulty of the pull-in work itself is high, and there is also a problem that the strip-shaped glass film during the work is likely to be cracked. Then, when a crack occurs, the crack extends to a portion being molded along the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped glass film, and the molding of the strip-shaped glass film has to be interrupted. There was a case.

It should be noted that these problems do not occur only when the waste glass portion is discarded in the above manner during the production of the strip-shaped glass film using the above method. In addition to this, when the strip-shaped glass film is manufactured in a form in which the transport direction is changed from the vertical direction downward to the horizontal direction after molding by the down draw method, the same occurs when the waste glass portion is discarded in the above mode. It's a problem to get.

In addition to the factors (A) and (B) already mentioned, the behavior of the glass film in the (C) molding process is disturbed, or (D) the equipment installed in the curved transport path or the lateral transport path fails. If a sudden trouble such as a problem occurs, it is necessary to take recovery measures when the occurrence of these troubles is found. It is necessary to dispose of the strip-shaped glass film formed while taking such recovery measures as a waste glass part, and in this case, it is necessary to switch to the disposal work of the waste glass part at an early stage. The above-mentioned existing disposal method is insufficient.

The present invention made in view of the above circumstances enhances workability and certainty when disposing of a part of the strip-shaped glass film along the longitudinal direction as a waste glass portion, and switches to such disposal work. The technical issue is to be able to complete it at an early stage.

The present invention, which was devised to solve the above problems, is a molding step of forming a strip-shaped glass film while pulling it downward in the vertical direction, and transporting the molded strip-shaped glass film along a curved curved transport path. , The transport direction changing step of changing the transport direction of the strip-shaped glass film from the lower side in the vertical direction to the horizontal direction, and the strip-shaped glass film whose transport direction is changed by the curved transport path are horizontally transported along the lateral transport path. It is a method of manufacturing a strip-shaped glass film including a transverse transfer step, and when a part of a section along the longitudinal direction from the strip-shaped glass film is discarded as a waste glass portion, a bending stress applying member is attached to the strip-shaped glass film. A dividing step of separating the waste glass portion from the strip-shaped glass film by applying bending stress to the strip-shaped glass film by pressing the glass portion, and a disposal in which the separated waste glass portion is separated downward from the lateral transport path and discarded. Characterized by performing the steps.

In this method, since the bending stress applying member is pressed against the strip-shaped glass film in the breaking step, it is possible to reliably break the strip-shaped glass film by applying a large bending stress to the strip-shaped glass film. At that time, since only the operation of pressing the bending stress applying member against the strip-shaped glass film is required, the division work by a mechanical means that can be remotely controlled becomes possible. Therefore, the division process and the disposal process can be started immediately by operating the switch or the like, and the switching to the disposal process can be performed quickly.

In this method, it is preferable to form the bending stress applying member with a rotatable roller.

Since the band-shaped glass film is moving during the contact between the bending stress applying member and the band-shaped glass film, a sliding resistance acts between the bending stress-applying member and the band-shaped glass film. If the bending stress applying member is formed by a rotatable roller, the sliding resistance can be absorbed by the driven rotation of the roller. Therefore, it is possible to prevent problems such as the strip-shaped glass film being irregularly bent due to sliding resistance and being caught in the bending stress applying member.

In this method, it is preferable to press the bending stress applying member against the ineffective portion of the strip-shaped glass film.

When the bending stress applying member is pressed against the effective portion of the strip-shaped glass film, the cracks in the effective portion do not propagate to the non-effective portion having a thicker wall than the effective portion at the divided portion, which may lead to poor division. By pressing the bending stress applying member against the ineffective portion of the strip-shaped glass film, such a defect can be prevented.

In this method, it is preferable to attach the two bending stress applying members to a common shaft.

As a result, the two bending stress applying members can be moved in conjunction with each other, and even bending stress can be applied to the ineffective portions at both ends of the strip-shaped glass film.

In this method, it is preferable to perform a scratching step of forming scratches on the waste glass portion to assist cutting of the strip-shaped glass film on the upstream side of the bending stress applying member.

By scratching the strip-shaped glass film in advance by the scratching process in this way, the scratch becomes the cutting starting point when bending stress is applied by the bending stress applying member, so that the cutting operation can be performed stably. ..

In this method, it is preferable to form scratches on the surface of the strip-shaped glass film on the contact side with the bending stress applying member in the scratching step. As a result, when the bending stress is applied by the bending stress applying member, the bending stress acts in the direction in which the scratch is opened on the upstream side of the bending stress applying member, so that the strip-shaped glass film is surely divided with the scratch as the cutting starting point. It becomes possible.

In this method, the lateral transport step is provided with a cut / remove step of cutting and removing ineffective portions at both ends in the width direction of the strip-shaped glass film, and the lateral transport step is described on the upstream side of the cut / remove step. It is preferable to carry out a dividing step and a disposal step.

If the cutting step and the disposal step are performed on the downstream side of the cutting / removing step, it becomes difficult to adjust the cutting / removing device in the cutting / removing step. If the dividing step and the disposal step are performed on the upstream side of the cutting / removing step, such a problem can be avoided.

In this method, it is preferable to provide a dividing device having an opening arranged below the lateral transport path, an opening / closing member for opening / closing the opening, and the bending stress applying member in the lateral transport step. ..

As a result, it is possible to switch between the execution of the disposal process and the execution of the lateral transfer process by opening and closing the opening with the opening / closing member. Therefore, it is possible to further simplify the work when disposing of the waste glass portion.

In this method, in a state where the opening is closed by the opening / closing member, the central portion of the strip-shaped glass film in the width direction is floated from the lateral transport path by ejecting gas from the opening / closing member to transport the strip-shaped glass film. It is preferable to do so.

As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the effective portion of the strip-shaped glass film comes into contact with the opening / closing member and is damaged when the lateral transport process is executed. It is possible to prevent deterioration of quality.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve workability and certainty when disposing of a part of the strip-shaped glass film along the longitudinal direction as a waste glass portion, and to complete the switching to such disposal work at an early stage. Is possible.

It is a longitudinal side view which shows the outline of the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the lateral transport process in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional front view showing a cross section taken along the line AA in FIG. It is a side view which shows the lateral transport process in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which conceptually shows the cutting process and the disposal process in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the scratching process in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the dividing apparatus in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the cutting process and the disposal process in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (A) is a side view showing a dividing step and a disposal step in the method for producing a glass film according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a side view showing an enlarged region A in (a). Is. It is a side view which shows the cutting process and the disposal process in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the lateral transport process in the manufacturing method of the glass film which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, a method for producing a glass film according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present embodiment is preferably applied when the thickness of the strip-shaped glass film to be molded is less than 50 μm.

As shown in FIG. 1, the glass film manufacturing method according to the present embodiment includes a molding step of forming a strip glass film 1 while pulling it downward in the vertical direction by a down draw method, for example, an overflow down draw method, and a molded strip glass. By transporting the film 1 along the curved transport path R1, the transport direction is changed from the lower vertical direction to the horizontal direction, and the strip-shaped glass film 1 whose transport direction is changed is transferred to the lateral transport path. A lateral transport step of laterally transporting along R2, a cutting and removing step of cutting and removing the ineffective portion 1a (see FIGS. 2 and 3) from the strip-shaped glass film 1 being transported in the lateral direction, and a non-effective portion 1a. This includes a winding step of winding the strip-shaped glass film 1 having only the effective portion 1b removed in a roll shape around the winding core 2 to form a glass roll 3.

[A. Molding process]
To execute the molding process, mainly, a molded body 4 formed in a wedge shape and a pair of rollers 6 arranged in a plurality of upper and lower stages capable of sandwiching the glass ribbon 5 flowing down from the molded body 4 from both the front and back sides are used. Use.

The molded body 4 includes an overflow groove 4a formed at the top for flowing the molten glass 7, and a pair of side surface portions 4b and 4b for allowing the molten glass 7 overflowing from the overflow groove 4a to flow down on both sides, respectively. It has a lower end portion 4c for fusing and integrating the molten glass 7 that has flowed down along the side surface portions 4b and 4b. The molded body 4 can continuously generate the glass ribbon 5 from the molten glass 7 fused and integrated at the lower end portion 4c.

The roller pairs 6 arranged in the upper and lower stages include a cooling roller pair 6a, an annealing roller pair 6b, and a support roller pair 6c in order from the upper stage side. Each of these roller pairs 6 can sandwich a portion that will later become an ineffective portion 1a of the strip-shaped glass film 1 between one side and the other side in the width direction of the glass ribbon 5.

The cooling roller pair 6a is a roller pair for suppressing the shrinkage of the glass ribbon 5 in the width direction by sandwiching the glass ribbon 5 directly under the molded body 4. The annealing roller pair 6b is a roller pair for guiding the glass ribbon 5 that is slowly cooled to a temperature below the strain point in the slow cooling furnace 8 downward. The Annealer roller pair 6b may sandwich the glass ribbon 5, or may merely regulate the swing of the glass ribbon 5 along the thickness direction without sandwiching the glass ribbon 5. The support roller pair 6c supports the glass ribbon 5 whose temperature has dropped to near room temperature in a cooling chamber (not shown) arranged below the slow cooling furnace 8 and pulls the glass ribbon 5 downward (plate pulling speed). A pair of rollers to determine.

The glass ribbon 5 that has passed through the roller pairs 6 arranged in the upper and lower plurality of stages is formed as the strip-shaped glass film 1. Here, the strip-shaped glass film 1 is formed so as to have a thickness sufficient to impart flexibility. The strip-shaped glass film 1 has an effective portion 1b that exists in the center in the width direction (in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1) and later becomes a product, and an effective portion 1b that exists outside in the width direction with respect to the effective portion 1b. A pair of ineffective portions 1a to be removed are included. Further, in the non-effective portion 1a, an ear portion 1aa having a thickness larger than that of the other portions is formed at a portion located at the end portion in the width direction of the strip-shaped glass film 1.

In the present embodiment, the strip-shaped glass film 1 is formed by using the overflow down-draw method, but of course, the strip-shaped glass is formed by using other down-draw methods such as the slot down-draw method and the redraw method. The film 1 may be molded.

[B. Transport direction change process]
A roller conveyor 9 composed of a plurality of rollers 9a arranged in parallel is used to execute the transfer direction changing step. The roller conveyor 9 supports the strip-shaped glass film 1 from the back surface 1c side and transports the strip-shaped glass film 1 along the curved transport path R1 so that the surface 1d of the strip-shaped glass film 1 after passing through the curved transport path R1 faces upward. Change the transport direction.

[C. Horizontal transport process]
In order to execute the horizontal transfer process, the belt conveyors 10 are arranged in order from the upstream side along the horizontal transfer path R2, the plate-shaped bodies 11, 12, 13 as the transfer bodies divided into three bodies, the belt conveyor 14, and the belt conveyor 14. And, the belt conveyor 15 is used.

The belt conveyor 10 can inject gas G (for example, air) onto the back surface 1c of the strip-shaped glass film 1, and the strip-shaped glass film 1 is centered on the belt conveyor 10 in the width direction (mainly effective). Only part 1b) is transported in a floating state. The belt conveyor 10 is arranged on the inner peripheral side of the endless belt 10a for transporting the non-floating upper portion (mainly the non-effective portion 1a) of the strip-shaped glass film 1 and the belt 10a, and pushes the gas G upward. It is equipped with a gas injector (not shown) for injecting. A large number of fine through holes (not shown) are formed in the belt 10a, and the gas G injected from the gas injector reaches the back surface 1c of the strip-shaped glass film 1 through the through holes. The gas injector arranged on the inner peripheral side of the belt 10a is arranged along the center in the width direction of the belt 10a.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the three plate-shaped bodies 11, 12, and 13 has a transport surface portion 16 facing the back surface 1c of the strip-shaped glass film 1. The transport surface portion 16 is formed with a large number of injection ports 16a for injecting gas G (for example, air) toward the effective portion 1b of the strip-shaped glass film 1 that passes over the transport surface portion 16. Further, the transport surface portion 16 is provided with a plurality of ball rollers 16b as support members for supporting the ineffective portion 1a of the strip-shaped glass film 1 from below. As a result, during the execution of the lateral transfer step, the effective portion 1b is lifted from the transfer surface portion 16 by the pressure of the gas G, and the non-effective portion 1a is supported by the ball roller 16b, and the strip-shaped glass film is formed. 1 is conveyed so as to sequentially pass over the plate-shaped bodies 11, 12, and 13.

The transport surface portion 16 is formed in a rectangular shape wider than the entire width of the strip-shaped glass film 1. Each of the large number of injection ports 16a is connected to the space 17 formed inside each of the plate-shaped bodies 11, 12, and 13. Then, each injection port 16a can inject the gas G supplied to the space 17 from the fluid compressor (for example, an air compressor). The plurality of ball rollers 16b are arranged in two rows along the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped glass film 1. Each ball roller 16b has a spherical load ball 16ba that directly supports the ineffective portion 1a, a hole portion 16bb into which the load ball 16ba is inserted, and a support that rotatably supports the load ball 16ba in the hole portion 16bb. It is equipped with a ball 16bc.

As shown in FIG. 4, of the plate-shaped bodies 11, 12, and 13 divided into three bodies, the plate-shaped body 12 has an opening 18 formed between the plate-shaped body 11 and the plate-shaped body 13. It has a function as an opening / closing member for opening / closing. The opening 18 is wider than the entire width of the strip-shaped glass film below the lateral transport path R2. The plate-shaped body 12 is connected to the plate-shaped body 12 via a member (plate-shaped body 11) on the upstream side of the lateral transport path R2 and a connecting member 19 such as a hinge. The connecting member 19 holds the first plate 19a fixed to the plate-shaped body 11, the second plate 19b fixed to the plate-shaped body 12, and both plates 19a and 19b, and the connecting members 19 of both plates 19a and 19b. It is provided with a shaft portion 19c that serves as a swivel shaft. The shaft portion 19c extends along the width direction of the strip-shaped glass film 1.

As a result, the plate-shaped body 12 rotates around the shaft portion 19c of the connecting member 19 so that the initial position (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4) and the turning position (the position shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 4) It is possible to move between the two, and the opening 18 is opened and closed with the movement. In the method for producing a glass film according to the present embodiment, by opening and closing the opening 18 with the plate-shaped body 12, it is possible to switch between the execution of the lateral transfer step and the execution of the division step and the disposal step described later. ing.

When the plate-shaped body 12 is located at the initial position and the opening 18 is closed, the effective portion 1b is floated by the gas G and the ineffective portion 1a is supported by the ball roller 16b as described above. , The strip-shaped glass film 1 is passed over the plate-shaped body 12 to execute the lateral transfer step. On the other hand, when it becomes necessary to execute the dividing step and the disposal step due to the various factors already described, the plate-shaped body 12 is positioned at the turning position to open the opening 18. While the plate-shaped body 12 is located at the turning position, the injection of the gas G by the plate-shaped body 12 is canceled.

[Outline of C-1 cutting process and disposal process]
Hereinafter, the outline of the dividing step and the disposal step will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (d). The details of both steps will be described later.

In the open opening 18, the waste glass portion 1x shown in FIG. 5A is the rearmost portion G1a of the strip-shaped glass film 1 (G1) preceding the leading portion 1xa as shown in FIG. 5B. First separate from. This is the start of the dividing process. After that, as shown in FIG. 5C, the waste glass portion 1x is continuously divided into a plurality of waste glass films 1xx, and each waste glass film 1xx is laterally conveyed along with the start of the disposal process. The glass is sequentially separated from R2 by its own weight, and is discarded from the opening 18 through a chute (not shown). Finally, as shown in FIG. 5D, the rearmost portion 1xb of the waste glass portion 1x is separated from the leading portion G2a of the subsequent strip-shaped glass film 1 (G2). With this, the entire length of the waste glass portion 1x is divided from the strip-shaped glass film 1 to complete the dividing step. Further, the disposal process is completed by discarding the waste glass film 1xx including the rearmost portion 1xb of the waste glass portion 1x. After the completion of the dividing step and the disposal step, the plate-shaped body 12 returns to the initial position, closes the opening 18, and shifts to the normal lateral transport step.

[C-2 cutting and removing step]
As shown in FIG. 1, in the cutting / removing step, the strip-shaped glass film 1 is used by the laser cutting method on the lateral transport path R2 and at a position downstream of the position where the cutting step and the disposal step are executed. The ineffective portion 1a is cut and removed from the surface. A laser irradiator 21 and a refrigerant injector 22 fixed at a fixed point above the belt conveyor 14 are used to execute the cutting removal step. The laser irradiator 21 continuously irradiates the laser 21a along the boundary between the effective portion 1b and the ineffective portion 1a of the strip-shaped glass film 1 passing below the laser irradiator 21. The refrigerant injector 22 continuously injects the refrigerant 22a (for example, mist-like water) onto the portion of the strip-shaped glass film 1 irradiated with the laser 21a.

As a result, thermal stress is generated in the strip-shaped glass film 1 due to the temperature difference between the portion heated by the laser 21a and the portion cooled by the refrigerant 22a, and the thermal stress causes the effective portion 1b and the effective portion 1b. A split portion (a portion where the effective portion 1b and the ineffective portion 1a are separated) is continuously formed along the boundary with the non-effective portion 1a. In this way, the strip-shaped glass film 1 is continuously cut along the longitudinal direction. In the present embodiment, the strip-shaped glass film 1 is cut by the laser cutting method, but the strip-shaped glass film 1 may be cut by the laser cutting method.

The strip-shaped glass film 1 from which the non-effective portion 1a has been cut and removed (the strip-shaped glass film 1 having only the effective portion 1b) is transferred from the belt conveyor 14 to the belt conveyor 15. On the other hand, the ineffective portion 1a removed from the strip-shaped glass film 1 is separated from the transport path of the strip-shaped glass film 1 downward without being transferred to the belt conveyor 15 and then discarded.

[D. Winding process]
The winding core 2 and the sheet roll 23 are mainly used for executing the winding step. In the winding process, the strip-shaped glass film 1 carried out from the belt conveyor 15 is superposed on the protective sheet 23a continuously pulled out from the sheet roll 23, and then wound into a roll around the winding core 2 to form a glass roll. Let it be 3. As described above, all the steps of the glass film manufacturing method according to the present embodiment are completed.

[E. Details of the division process and disposal process]
Next, the details of the dividing step and the disposal step will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11.

As a preparation for executing the cutting step and the disposal step, the scratch 20 for assisting the cutting on the surface 1d of the strip-shaped glass film 1 (the surface on the contact side with the bending stress applying member 41 described later) (see FIG. 6). The wounding process is performed to form. The scratching step is performed at a position upstream of the plate-shaped body 12 on the transport path of the strip-shaped glass film 1. The position where the scratch 20 is formed may be on the lateral transport path R2 or on the curved transport path R1. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a case where a scratching device 30 for forming a scratch 20 is installed above the plate-shaped body 11 adjacent to the upstream side of the plate-shaped body 12 is illustrated. .. The scratch 20 may be, for example, a scribing line formed along the width direction of the strip-shaped glass film 1 using a wheel cutter or the like, or may be provided along the width direction of the strip-shaped glass film 1 using a grindstone or the like. It may be a scratch.

As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of scratches 20 are provided on the non-effective portions 1a at both ends of the strip-shaped glass film 1 in the width direction at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped glass film 1. In the non-effective portions 1a on both sides in the width direction, each scratch 20 is positioned on the same straight line extending in the width direction of the strip-shaped glass film 1. In addition to forming scratches 20 on both ineffective portions 1a located at both ends in the width direction in this way, it is also possible to form scratches 20 on only one of the ineffective portions 1a.

Next, the dividing device 40 for executing the dividing step will be described with reference to FIG. 7.
As shown in FIG. 7, the bending stress applying member 41 located above the plate-shaped body 12 in the initial state is arranged. As the bending stress applying member 41, for example, two rollers rotatably attached to a shaft 42 extending in the width direction of the strip-shaped glass film 1 can be used. The shaft 42 is attached to the tip of an arm 43 rotatably supported around a shaft core O on a frame (not shown). A set of arms 43 is arranged so as to be separated from each other in the width direction of the strip-shaped glass film 1, and one end and the other end of the shaft 42 are attached to each of the set of arms 43. The rotation of the arm 43 is guided by a guide mechanism including an arc-shaped guide hole 45 centered on the shaft core O and a guide pin 46 fitted in the guide hole 45. The guide hole 45 is provided in either the frame or the arm 43, and the guide pin 46 is provided in the other. In this embodiment, a case where the guide hole 45 is provided in the frame and the guide pin 46 is provided in the arm is illustrated.

The arm 43 is driven by a cylinder (for example, an air cylinder) (not shown), and is swung in the forward and reverse directions about the shaft core O by the driving force of the cylinder. The swing range of the arm 43 is set at a position where the lower end of the roller 41 reaches the opening 18 to bend the strip-shaped glass film 1, and the lower end of the roller 41 reaches above the strip-shaped glass film 1 being conveyed. The upper limit is the position (initial state). The two rollers 41 are positioned and attached to the shaft 42 so that they can come into contact with the ineffective portions 1a at both ends of the strip-shaped glass film 1 in the width direction.

In addition to the rollers 41 described above, the dividing device 40 is composed of the opening 18 and the plate-shaped body 12 that opens and closes the opening 18. Each drive source of the dividing device 40 (cylinder driving the arm 43, rotational drive source of the plate-shaped body 12, etc.) and the scratching device 30 are electrically connected to a control device (not shown), and are controlled by the control device. Based on the signal, each operation described below is performed.

Next, the details of the dividing process using the dividing device 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10.

Part of the strip-shaped glass film 1 due to the reasons (A) to (D) already described (replacement of glass roll, adjustment of laser cutting device, disturbance of glass behavior in molding process, occurrence of trouble in transport system, etc.) When it becomes necessary to dispose of the section as the waste glass portion 1x, the operator who has confirmed the occurrence of the event operates the switch. By this switch operation, the scratching device 30 is activated, and a plurality of scratches 20 are sequentially formed on the ineffective portion 1a of each row of the strip-shaped glass film 1 as the strip-shaped glass film 1 is conveyed.

As shown in FIG. 8, immediately before any of the scratches 20 provided on the strip-shaped glass film 1 (for example, the scratches 20a located on the most downstream side on the lateral transport path R2) reach the opening 18, from the control device. The plate-shaped body 12 moves from the initial position to the turning position by the signal, and opens the opening 18. Further, the cylinder of the dividing device 40 is activated by the signal from the control device to rotate the arm 43 in the counterclockwise direction of FIG. 7, and as shown in FIG. 9A, the roller 41 is moved from the upper limit position to the lower limit position. Let me. When the roller 41 reaches the lower limit position, the cylinder start timing and the roller so that the scratch 20a separates from the transport body (plate-shaped body 11) on the upstream side and reaches the end on the upstream side of the opening 18. The rotation speed (revolution speed) of 41 is adjusted.

By pressing the roller 41 against the strip-shaped glass film 1, the strip-shaped glass film 1 is curved so as to be convex downward in the opening 18. Further, by bending the strip-shaped glass film 1 so as to be convex downward in the opening 18, the strip-shaped glass films 1 on the upstream side and the downstream side sandwiching the curved apex by the roller 41 are formed in the opening 18. On the contrary, it is curved so as to be convex upward. Since the scratches 20a exist in the curved region that is convex upward, as shown in FIG. 9B, the bending stress in the direction in which the scratches 20a are opened acts by the pressing of the rollers 41, and the strip-shaped glass film. 1 is cut (divided) in the width direction starting from the scratch 20a. Then, as the strip-shaped glass film 1 is cut, the leading portion 1xa of the waste glass portion 1x is separated from the rearmost portion G1a of the preceding strip-shaped glass film 1 (G1). In the above description, the strip-shaped glass film 1 is divided starting from the first scratch 20a, but the strip-shaped glass film 1 can also be divided starting from any of the subsequent scratches 20.

After the strip-shaped glass film 1 is divided starting from the scratch 20 (20a), the arm 43 rotates clockwise to return the roller 41 to the upper limit position. When the strip-shaped glass film 1 is divided starting from the scratch 20 (20a), the waste glass portion 1x following the divided portion hangs down while bending due to its own weight. Therefore, each time each of the plurality of scratches 20 following the first scratch 20a reaches the opened opening 18, the waste glass portion 1x is repeatedly cut in the width direction from each scratch 20 as a starting point. Along with this, as shown in FIG. 10, the waste glass portion 1x is divided into a plurality of waste glass films 1xx, and each waste glass film 1xx is dropped from the lateral transport path R2 and passed through the opening 18 for disposal. To do. Then, the disposal of the waste glass film 1xx is continued until the waste glass film 1xx including the rearmost portion 1xx of the waste glass portion 1x is discarded. With the above, the division process and the disposal process are completed.

Since the strip-shaped glass film 1 moves after the roller 41 comes into contact with the strip-shaped glass film 1 until the rearmost portion G1a of the preceding strip-shaped glass film G1 separates from the roller 41 after the strip-shaped glass film 1 is divided. , Sliding resistance acts between the roller 41 and the strip-shaped glass film 1. This sliding resistance is absorbed by the driven rotation (rotation) of the roller 41 rotatably attached to the shaft 42. Therefore, it is possible to prevent problems such as the strip-shaped glass film 1 in contact with the roller 41 being irregularly bent due to sliding resistance and being caught by the roller 41.

After the dividing step and the disposal step are completed, as shown in FIG. 11, when the leading portion G2a of the strip-shaped glass film 1 (G2) following the rearmost portion 1xb of the waste glass portion 1x reaches the plate-shaped body 12. Then, the plate-shaped body 12 is moved to return from the swivel position to the initial position, and the opening 18 is started to be closed. Then, when the plate-shaped body 12 returns to the initial position, the opening 18 is closed by the plate-shaped body 12, and as shown in FIG. 12, the strip-shaped glass film 1 (G2) following the waste glass portion 1x. Is executed along the lateral transport path R2. During the execution of the lateral transfer step with the opening 18 closed, the scratch device 40 is not activated and the scratch 20 is not formed on the strip-shaped glass film 1.

In the manufacturing method described above, the dividing step of dividing the waste glass portion 1x from the strip-shaped glass film 1 is executed on the lateral transport path R2. From this, when the dividing step is executed and the waste glass portion 1x is separated from the strip glass film 1, the leading portion of the strip glass film 1 following the waste glass portion 1x is already on the lateral transport path R2. It will be located. That is, the subsequent strip-shaped glass film 1 (G2) is already drawn into the lateral transport path R2. Then, in this method, the disposal step is executed on the lateral transport path R2 in the same manner as the division step, and the waste glass portion 1x separated from the strip-shaped glass film 1 is discarded. Therefore, according to this method, as the waste glass portion 1x is discarded, it is not necessary to pull the strip-shaped glass film 1 (G2) following the waste glass portion 1x into the lateral transport path R2. As a result, the work associated with discarding the waste glass portion 1x can be simplified. Further, since the work is difficult and the work of pulling the strip-shaped glass film 1 into the lateral transport path R2, which is liable to crack during the work, is not required, it is possible to prevent the strip-shaped glass film 1 from cracking. It becomes. Further, according to this method, the following effects can be obtained as a side effect. That is, since the waste glass portion 1x is detached downward from the lateral transport path R2, for example, as in the case where the waste glass portion 1x is detached upward, the waste glass portion 1x once detached from the lateral transport path R2 falls due to its own weight and is laterally transported. It is possible to accurately eliminate the risk of remaining on the route R2.

Further, since the waste glass portion 1x is dropped from the lateral transport path R2, the moving speed of the waste glass portion 1x is accelerated as the waste glass portion 1x is dropped, and the waste glass portion 1x is faster than the subsequent strip-shaped glass film 1 (G2). Will move with. Therefore, the distance between the rearmost portion 1xb of the waste glass portion 1x and the leading portion G2a of the subsequent strip-shaped glass film 1 (G2) can be expanded, and the state in which both portions are close to each other can be eliminated. .. As a result, it is possible to reliably divide the paths of the waste glass portion 1x and the subsequent strip-shaped glass film 1 (G2).

In particular, in the present manufacturing method, in the dividing step, the roller 41 as a bending stress applying member is pressed against the strip-shaped glass film 1 to bend the strip-shaped glass film 1, so that a large bending stress is applied to the strip-shaped glass film 1 to ensure the strip-shaped shape. The glass film 1 can be divided. On the other hand, when the bending stress applying member 41 is omitted, the strip-shaped glass film 1 that has reached the opening 18 only bends downward due to its own weight. Even if it is formed in, the first division of the waste glass portion 1x does not always occur, and the certainty of division and disposal of the waste glass portion 1x is reduced.

Further, since the first division of the strip glass film 1 can be performed only by pressing the roller 41 against the strip glass film 1, the division work can be performed by using a mechanical means that can be remotely controlled. Therefore, even in a situation where a large number of personnel cannot be assigned to the production line, when a sudden event such as a disorder of the strip-shaped glass film 1 in the molding process or a trouble in the transport system occurs, it is recognized. By operating the switch of the operator, it is possible to immediately switch to the execution mode of the division process and the disposal process. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unexpected damage to the equipment and the strip-shaped glass film due to the delay in the start of the dividing process and the disposal process.

Here, the method for producing a glass film according to the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in each of the above embodiments. For example, in the above description, the roller conveyor 9 is used when executing the transfer direction changing step, but the present invention is not limited to this. The transfer direction changing step may be executed by directly carrying the strip-shaped glass film being conveyed downward in the vertical direction onto the belt conveyor 10 (horizontal transfer path R2) without using the roller conveyor 9. In this case, the strip-shaped glass film on the curved transport path R1 is in a curved state following the curved transport path R1 under a state where it is not supported by any external object.

Further, in the above embodiment, the division process is started by the operator's switch operation, but the occurrence of a phenomenon that requires switching to the execution mode of the division process and the disposal process is arranged in the production line. It can also be configured to monitor with various sensors and automatically start the dividing process and the disposal process when the occurrence of the phenomenon is detected by the sensors.

1 Band-shaped glass film 1a Non-effective part 1b Effective part 1x Waste glass part 1xx Waste glass film 12 Plate-shaped body (opening / closing member)
18 Opening 20 Scratch 30 Scratch device 40 Dividing device 41 Roller (bending stress applying member)
R1 Curved transport path R2 Horizontal transport path

Claims (9)

By molding the strip-shaped glass film while pulling it downward in the vertical direction and transporting the molded strip-shaped glass film along a curved curved transport path, the transport direction of the strip-shaped glass film is changed from the lower vertical direction to the horizontal direction. A method for producing a strip-shaped glass film, which includes a transport direction changing step of converting to, and a lateral transport step of transporting the strip-shaped glass film whose transport direction is changed by the curved transport path in the lateral direction along the lateral transport path. ,
When a part of the section along the longitudinal direction from the strip-shaped glass film is discarded as a waste glass portion, a bending stress applying member is pressed against the strip-shaped glass film to apply bending stress to the strip-shaped glass film. A method for producing a strip-shaped glass film, which comprises a dividing step of separating the waste glass portion from the strip-shaped glass film and a disposal step of separating the divided waste glass portion downward from the lateral transport path and discarding the waste glass portion. The method for producing a strip-shaped glass film according to claim 1, wherein the bending stress applying member is formed by a rotatable roller. The method for producing a strip-shaped glass film according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bending stress applying member is pressed against an ineffective portion of the strip-shaped glass film. The method for manufacturing a strip-shaped glass film according to claim 3, wherein the two bending stress applying members are attached to a common shaft. The strip-shaped glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a scratching step is performed on the waste glass portion on the upstream side of the bending stress applying member to form a scratch that assists in cutting the strip-shaped glass film. Production method. The method for producing a strip-shaped glass film according to claim 5, wherein scratches are formed on the surface of the strip-shaped glass film on the contact side with the bending stress applying member in the scratching step. The lateral transportation step is provided with a cutting / removing step of cutting and removing ineffective portions at both ends in the width direction of the strip-shaped glass film, and the dividing step and the disposal step of the lateral transporting steps are upstream of the cutting / removing step. The method for producing a strip-shaped glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lateral transport step is provided with a dividing device having an opening arranged below the lateral transport path, an opening / closing member for opening / closing the opening, and the bending stress applying member. The method for producing a strip-shaped glass film according to item 1. The eighth aspect of the present invention, wherein the opening and closing member closes the opening, and the central portion of the strip-shaped glass film in the width direction is floated from the lateral transport path by ejecting gas from the opening and closing member to transport the strip-shaped glass film. The method for producing a strip-shaped glass film according to the above.

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