JP7557718B2 - Glass film manufacturing method and manufacturing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a glass film manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus in which a glass film ribbon unwound from a glass roll is cut in the width direction at a bending stress applying section.

As is well known, in the field of glass sheet manufacturing, a glass film ribbon wound on a glass roll is cut along the width direction at predetermined intervals to produce multiple glass sheets (glass films). In this case, in order to maintain the quality of the obtained glass film, it is known that when cutting the glass film ribbon, the glass film ribbon is processed in a state in which it is superimposed on a protective sheet ribbon such as a resin sheet ribbon.

A specific example is the manufacturing technology disclosed in Patent Document 1. The manufacturing technology disclosed in this document involves transporting a glass film ribbon layered on a protective sheet ribbon horizontally by a belt conveyor, transferring it onto a plate-like body for transport, and then changing direction at the front end of the plate-like body to cut it. When cutting, this document forms a cutting start point in the glass film ribbon during transport on the plate-like body, and changes direction in the area where the cutting start point is formed, thereby applying the bending stress required for cutting to that area.

JP 2017-214263 A

However, the manufacturing technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the following problems that arise during the process of transporting the glass film ribbon to the bending stress imparting section (the section where the direction is changed) and cutting it.

In other words, in the manufacturing technique disclosed in the document, if a glass roll were placed upstream (rear) of a belt conveyor, waste would be generated in the path for transporting the glass film ribbon unwound from the glass roll to the bending stress applying section, and the path would become unnecessarily complicated. As a result, it would be difficult to efficiently cut the glass film ribbon.

In view of the above, the object of the present invention is to enable efficient cutting of the glass film ribbon by simplifying the path for transporting the glass film ribbon unwound from the glass roll to the bending stress application section.

The first aspect of the present invention, which has been invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a method for manufacturing a glass film having a length corresponding to the predetermined length by unwinding the glass film ribbon overlapping the protective sheet ribbon from a glass roll in which a glass film ribbon and a protective sheet ribbon are overlapped and wound, and cutting the glass film ribbon along the width direction by the bending stress applied to the glass film ribbon by the bending stress applying section after the leading end of the glass film ribbon has passed through a bending stress applying section and traveled a predetermined length beyond the bending stress applying section, characterized in that the bending stress applying section is positioned at a position higher than the unwinding start portion of the glass film ribbon and the protective sheet ribbon on the glass roll, and the glass film ribbon reaches the bending stress applying section from the glass roll side in a state of being inclined upward toward the front side in the unwinding direction.

According to this method, the direction from the start of unwinding the glass roll toward the bending stress applying part and the direction of the glass film ribbon when it reaches the bending stress applying part from the glass roll side are both inclined upward toward the front side of the unwinding direction. This makes it difficult for waste to occur in the path along which the glass film ribbon unwound from the glass roll is transported to the bending stress applying part, and the path can be simplified. As a result, it becomes possible to cut the glass film ribbon efficiently.

In this method, the glass film ribbon and the protective sheet ribbon may be stretched from the unwinding start portion of the glass roll to the bending stress applying portion.

In this way, a path for transporting the glass film ribbon can be formed simply by stretching the glass film ribbon from the unwinding start portion of the glass roll to the bending stress applying portion. This further simplifies the path and also simplifies the configuration of the device for forming the path.

In this method, the glass film ribbon may be hung in a state where it is not subjected to tension and where sagging may occur due to its own weight, and the protective sheet ribbon may be hung in a state where it is subjected to tension and where it can accommodate the sagging of the glass film ribbon.

In this way, the sagging that inevitably occurs when an untensioned glass film ribbon is hung as described above is received by the tensioned protective sheet ribbon, thereby preventing breakage or damage caused by the sagging glass film ribbon.

In the above method, the protective sheet ribbon may be pulled from the unwinding start portion of the glass roll toward the bending stress application portion, thereby unwinding the protective sheet ribbon and the glass film ribbon from the glass roll, and cutting the glass film ribbon when unwinding is stopped.

In this way, the glass film ribbon and the protective sheet ribbon can be unwound simply by pulling the protective sheet ribbon from the unwinding start part of the glass roll toward the bending stress applying part, so that the unwinding work can be easily performed and the configuration of the device required for unwinding them can be simplified. Moreover, by pulling the protective sheet ribbon as described above, it is possible to bring the path for transporting the glass film ribbon closer to the virtual plane connecting the unwinding start part of the glass roll and the bending stress applying part. This reduces the sagging caused by the glass film ribbon being hung as described above, and the transport distance of the glass film ribbon can be shortened. In addition, since the glass film ribbon is cut when unwinding is stopped, the glass film ribbon can be cut appropriately at an accurate position compared to, for example, cutting the glass film ribbon in the middle of unwinding (in the middle of transporting).

In the above method, a downwardly inclined table that slopes downward toward the front side of the unwinding direction may be arranged in front of the bending stress applying section in the unwinding direction, and when the glass film ribbon is cut, the glass film ribbon may be held along the downwardly inclined table.

In this way, the glass film ribbon can be cut on the bending stress applying section while the area of the glass film ribbon that has passed through the bending stress applying section is held along the downward inclination table. This allows the tip of the glass film ribbon to be properly positioned on the downward inclination table during cutting, making it possible to cut out glass film of an accurate length.

In the above method, an upwardly inclined table that inclines upward toward the front in the unwinding direction may be disposed between the glass roll and the bending stress applying section, and after the glass film ribbon is cut, the upwardly inclined table may receive and support the glass film ribbon after the cut.

In this way, the sagging of the glass film ribbon due to separation after cutting can be appropriately received and supported. In detail, the glass film ribbon after cutting is received and supported on the protective sheet ribbon, but there are cases where the protective sheet ribbon alone cannot adequately receive and support it. According to the configuration here, the glass film ribbon after cutting is reliably received and supported by the upward inclination table. In addition, since the upward inclination table is inclined upward toward the front side in the unwinding direction, the direction of the glass film ribbon received and supported on the upward inclination table matches the direction of the path along which the glass film ribbon is transported from the glass roll side to the bending stress applying section. This allows the operation of transporting the glass film ribbon again after cutting to be performed easily and quickly.

In the above method, after the glass film ribbon is cut, a slack prevention treatment may be performed to prevent the glass film ribbon of the outermost layer of the glass roll from slackening.

In this way, the glass film ribbon a2 after cutting is pulled back to the glass roll side, and the winding force of the outer periphery of the glass roll is weakened, and the situation of slackening is avoided. In detail, as shown in FIG. 13, the glass film ribbon a2 (shown by a chain line in the figure) after cutting at the bending stress applying portion a1 moves so as to be pulled back to the glass roll a4 side on the protective sheet ribbon a3 by its own weight. This movement of the glass film ribbon a2 weakens the winding force of the outer periphery of the glass roll a4. This causes the glass film ribbon a2 of the outermost layer of the glass roll a4 to swell and separate from the glass roll on the inner layer side, as shown by the symbol C, and to slacken. This slackness is a factor that causes breakage, damage, etc. to the glass film ribbon a2. Note that the form of the glass film ribbon a2 shown in the figure is only one example, but slackness occurs in the same way even in other forms that satisfy the requirements of the present invention. According to the configuration here, the occurrence of slackness is suppressed by the glass roll being subjected to a slack prevention treatment. As a result, breakage or damage to the glass film ribbon caused by slack is prevented.

In this method, the anti-slack treatment may be a process of fastening the tip region of the glass film ribbon after cutting to the protective sheet ribbon with a tape-like body.

In this way, even if the glass film ribbon is cut along the width direction, the protective sheet ribbon is not cut and passes through the bending stress applying section. Therefore, even if the cut glass film ribbon tries to be pulled back toward the glass roll, the tension of the protective sheet ribbon attached to the glass film ribbon via the tape-shaped body makes it difficult for the glass film ribbon to be pulled back. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which slack occurs in the glass film ribbon on the outermost layer of the glass roll.

Alternatively, the anti-slack treatment may be a treatment in which an anti-slack member is abutted against the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll.

In this way, even if the cut glass film ribbon is pulled back toward the glass roll, the tightening force of the outer periphery of the glass roll is not weakened because the slack prevention member is in contact with the outer periphery of the glass roll. Therefore, even in this case, it is possible to avoid a situation in which slack occurs in the glass film ribbon in the outermost layer of the glass roll after the glass film ribbon is cut.

In this case, the anti-slack member may be a cone whose contact portion that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll is made of resin.

In this way, it is possible to deal with a new problem that may occur when the slack of the glass film ribbon of the outermost layer of the glass roll is prevented by the cone. That is, when the glass film ribbon is unwound from the glass roll, a new problem of friction between the cone and the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll (the glass film ribbon of the outermost layer) may occur. However, according to the configuration here, the resin forming the contact portion of the cone is made of a material suitable for friction, so that defects such as scratches on the outer peripheral surface due to friction between the cone and the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll are suppressed.

Alternatively, the anti-slack member may be a one-way clutch having an outer ring that abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll.

In this way, when the glass film ribbon is unwound from the glass roll, the operation of the one-way clutch allows the outer ring to roll along the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll. This makes it difficult for the outer ring to rub against the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll, and more reliably prevents defects such as scratches on the outer peripheral surface. On the other hand, even if the glass film ribbon is to be pulled back to the glass roll side after the glass film ribbon is cut, the operation of the one-way clutch prevents the outer ring from rolling along the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll. In other words, even if the glass film ribbon after the cut moves to the glass roll side to weaken the winding force of the outer peripheral portion of the glass roll, such movement of the glass film ribbon is prevented by the one-way clutch. This makes it possible to efficiently avoid a situation in which slack occurs in the glass film ribbon of the outermost layer of the glass roll after the glass film ribbon is cut. Therefore, in this case, it is possible to achieve both prevention of slack and prevention of rubbing of the glass film ribbon.

In this case, the outer ring may have a contact portion that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll formed from a foamed resin.

In this way, the foamed resin that forms the contact portion of the outer ring is made of a material that is suitable for abrasion, so that an appropriate frictional force can be applied to the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll while further preventing defects such as scratches on the outer peripheral surface.

In the above method, the roll shaft of the glass roll may further be provided with a brake device.

In this way, it is possible to effectively deal with the problem of stopping the unwinding of the glass film ribbon when cutting the glass film ribbon. That is, if a predetermined length of the glass film ribbon is unwound from the glass roll and then the unwinding is stopped to cut the glass film ribbon, the glass roll rotates by inertia. Therefore, slack occurs in the glass film ribbon between the glass roll and the bending stress applying section, and in some cases, the glass film may be broken or damaged. However, according to the configuration here, the brake device can prevent the glass roll from rotating by inertia. This makes it possible to prevent slack in the glass film ribbon between the glass roll and the bending stress applying section when cutting the glass film ribbon.

The second aspect of the present invention, which has been invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, is an apparatus configured to manufacture a glass film having a length corresponding to the predetermined length by unwinding the glass film ribbon overlapping the protective sheet ribbon from a glass roll in which a glass film ribbon and a protective sheet ribbon are overlapped and wound, and cutting the glass film ribbon along the width direction by the bending stress applied to the glass film ribbon by the bending stress applying section after the leading end of the glass film ribbon has passed through a bending stress applying section and traveled a predetermined length beyond the bending stress applying section, characterized in that the bending stress applying section is positioned at a position higher than the unwinding start portion of the glass film ribbon and the protective sheet ribbon in the glass roll, and the glass film ribbon reaches the bending stress applying section from the glass roll side in a state of being inclined upward toward the front side in the unwinding direction.

This makes it possible to obtain substantially the same effect as the previously described method, which has substantially the same configuration as this device.

According to the present invention, the path for transporting the glass film ribbon unwound from the glass roll to the bending stress application section is simplified, making it possible to cut the glass film ribbon efficiently.

1 is a schematic front view showing a basic configuration of a glass film manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional front view of a main portion showing a basic configuration of a glass film manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part of a basic configuration of a glass film manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part for explaining a basic implementation state of a method for producing a glass film according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part for explaining a basic implementation state of a method for producing a glass film according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion for explaining a first example of a configuration in which a requirement relating to prevention of loosening is added to the basic configuration of a glass film manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic front view for explaining a second example of a configuration in which a requirement relating to prevention of loosening is added to the basic configuration of a glass film manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic front view for explaining the action and effect of a second example of a configuration in which a requirement relating to prevention of loosening is added to the basic configuration of a glass film manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic front view for explaining a third example of a configuration in which a requirement relating to prevention of loosening is added to the basic configuration of the glass film manufacturing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic front view for explaining a modified example of a third example of a configuration in which a requirement relating to prevention of loosening is added to the basic configuration of the glass film manufacturing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view for explaining a configuration in which additional factors are added to the basic configuration of the glass film manufacturing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view for illustrating a configuration in which a requirement related to length adjustment is added to the basic configuration of the glass film manufacturing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view for explaining problems that may occur in the basic configuration of the glass film manufacturing device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Below, the glass film manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention are described with reference to the attached drawings.

1 is a schematic front view showing the basic configuration of a glass film manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a glass roll 2 and a cutting device 5 that cuts only the glass film ribbon 3 out of the glass film ribbon 3 and protective sheet ribbon 4 unwound from the glass roll 2. The glass roll 2 is mounted on a dolly 2v that can be moved by casters (not shown), and the cutting device 5 is arranged on a base 5v that can be moved by casters (not shown). In the figure, for convenience, the glass film ribbon 3 is drawn with a solid line and the protective sheet ribbon 4 is drawn with a dashed line.

Here, the glass film ribbon 3 has a thickness of 300 μm or less or 200 μm or less, and a width dimension of 100 mm to 2000 mm or 500 mm to 1000 mm. The protective sheet ribbon 4 is made of resin or foamed resin, has a thickness of 200 μm or less, and both ends in the width direction protrude from both ends in the width direction of the glass film ribbon 3.

The cutting device 5 has a columnar or cylindrical cleavage bar 6 as a bending stress applying part. The cleavage bar 6 is fixed to the upper end of the support member 5x fixed on the base 5v using a frame member 5w. In this case, the cleavage bar 6 is arranged at a position higher than the unwinding start part 2z of the glass film ribbon 3 and the protective sheet ribbon 4 in the glass roll 2. In detail, the cleavage bar 6 is arranged at a position higher than the unwinding start part 2z (the upper end of the outermost layer of the glass roll 2 in that state) when both ribbons 3 and 4 are not unwound at all. Both ribbons 3 and 4 are hung from the unwinding start part 2z of the glass roll 2 to the cleavage bar 6. In this case, the glass film ribbon 3 is hung in a state where it may sag due to its own weight. In addition, the protective sheet ribbon 4 is hung in a state where it receives the sagging of the glass film ribbon 3.

Furthermore, the cutting device 5 has an upwardly inclined table 7 (hereinafter referred to as the first table 7) arranged behind the folding bar 6, and a downwardly inclined table 8 (hereinafter referred to as the second table 8) arranged in front of the folding bar 6. In the explanation of this embodiment, the "front side" means the front side in the transport direction (unwinding direction) of the unwound ribbons 3, 4, and is the right side on the page. The "rear side" means the rear side in the unwinding direction of the unwound ribbons 3, 4, and is the left side on the page.

2 and 3, the first table 7 is inclined upward toward the front, and the second table 8 is inclined downward toward the front. In the illustrated example, the first and second tables 7, 8 are slightly separated from the breaking bar 6, but may be in contact with the breaking bar 6. The second table 8 is rotatable on the base 5v from the position shown by the solid line in Fig. 2 to the position shown by the dashed line, with the end on the breaking bar 6 side as a fulcrum.

The glass film ribbon 3 is unwound from the glass roll 2 in a state where it is superimposed on the protective sheet ribbon 4. The unwound ribbons 3 and 4 are basically transported along the first transport surface 7a, which is the upper surface of the first table 7, and the second transport surface 8a, which is the upper surface of the second table 8. Note that "along the first and second transport surfaces 7a and 8a" does not necessarily mean along the entire region in the transport direction of the first and second transport surfaces 7a and 8a, but also includes along a partial region in the transport direction of the first and second transport surfaces 7a and 8a. FIG. 2 illustrates a state before the glass film ribbon 3 is cut (similar to FIG. 1), and in the illustrated example, both ribbons 3 and 4 are along only the front region of the first transport surface 7a. In addition, for the second transport surface 8a, the protective sheet ribbon 4 is along the entire region in the transport direction, and the glass film ribbon 3 is along only the rear region. Note that, although not shown, the glass film 11 obtained by cutting (details will be described later) is along the front region of the second transport surface 8a. In the description of this embodiment, the protective sheet ribbon 4 being along the first and second transport surfaces 7a, 8a is synonymous with the protective sheet ribbon 4 being in contact with the first and second transport surfaces 7a, 8a.

The first conveying surface 7a is a surface that slopes upward toward the front side, and the second conveying surface 8a is a surface that slopes downward toward the front side. The inclination angle α1 of the first conveying surface 7a with respect to the horizontal plane is 20° to 60°, and the inclination angle α2 of the second conveying surface 8a with respect to the horizontal plane is 20° to 60°. The second table 8 is held on the base 5v so that the inclination angle α2 of the second conveying surface 8a can be set to any angle within the above angle range. In this embodiment, the first table 7 is fixedly installed on the base 5v, but may be held on the base 5v so that the inclination angle α1 of the first conveying surface 7a can be set to any angle within the above angle range. The angle β between the first conveying surface 7a and the second conveying surface 8a is 60° to 120°.

The glass film ribbon 3 is cut when the transport of both ribbons 3 and 4 is stopped. Here, the first transport surface 7a also serves as a receiving surface that receives and supports the glass film ribbon 3 after cutting, which will be described later. The second transport surface 8a also serves to hold the ribbons 3 and 4 together when the transport of both ribbons 3 and 4 is stopped. Furthermore, the second transport surface 8a also serves to transport the glass film 11 after cutting, which will be described later. The upper end 7x of the first transport surface 7a and the upper end 8x of the second transport surface 8a are both located at a position lower than the upper end of the breaking bar 6 and higher than the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass roll 2.

In this embodiment, both ribbons 3 and 4 are unwound from the glass roll 2 by pulling the protective sheet ribbon 4 at a position forward of the folding bar 6. Therefore, when both ribbons 3 and 4 are being transported, tension is applied to the protective sheet ribbon 4. At this time, no tension is applied to the glass film ribbon 3. Furthermore, when the transport of both ribbons 3 and 4 stops, the protective sheet ribbon 4 is held in a fixed position on the second transport surface 8a, and tension is applied to the protective sheet ribbon 4 located behind the folding bar 6 to accommodate the sagging of the glass film ribbon 3. At this time, no tension is applied to the glass film ribbon 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 5 is provided with a sheet roll 10 for winding up the protective sheet ribbon 4 that has passed through the second conveying surface 8a.

Next, we will explain how to manufacture glass film using the basic configuration of the manufacturing device 1 described above.

In the process of unwinding the glass film ribbon 3 and the protective sheet ribbon 4 from the glass roll 2, the two ribbons 3 and 4 are transported along the first transport surface 7a, so that the tip 3a of the glass film ribbon 3 passes the folding bar 6. After that, the two ribbons 3 and 4 are transported along the second transport surface 8a, and as shown in FIG. 4, when the tip 3a of the glass film ribbon 3 passes the folding bar 6 by a predetermined length L1, the transport of the two ribbons 3 and 4 stops. In this embodiment, the transport of the two ribbons 3 and 4 is performed by the worker pulling the protective sheet ribbon 4 at a position forward of the folding bar 6. Specifically, the worker pulls the protective sheet ribbon 4 along the second transport surface 8a as shown in the figure, so that the glass film ribbon 3 reaches a position past the predetermined length L1. The predetermined length L1 can be visually confirmed by the worker by a mark (not shown) attached to the second transport surface 8a. Therefore, the worker performs an operation for positioning the tip 3a of the glass film ribbon 3 on the above mark, and stops pulling the protective sheet ribbon 4 when the positioning is completed. This stops the transport of both ribbons 3 and 4. The worker may pull the protective sheet ribbon 4 away from the second transport surface 8a, but when performing the above positioning operation, it is necessary to pull it along the second transport surface 8a. Here, when the glass film 11 of the same length is repeatedly cut out from the glass film ribbon 3, the above mark may be attached to one position on the second transport surface 8a. However, when there are multiple lengths of glass film 11 to be cut out from the glass film ribbon 3, the above mark is attached to multiple positions in the transport direction on the second transport surface 8a.

At the time when the transfer of both ribbons 3 and 4 is stopped in this way, the glass film ribbon 3 is given a sufficient bending stress by the breaking bar 6. At this time, in order to reliably give a sufficient bending stress to the glass film ribbon 3, an operation such as pressing both ribbons 3 and 4 against the first and second transfer surfaces 7a and 8a around the breaking bar 6 may be performed. Under such a condition, a scratch (initial crack) is made by using a scratching means on one side edge portion of the glass film ribbon 3 (the portion indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 4) from above the breaking bar 6 (preferably above the central axis of the breaking bar 6). In this embodiment, the work of making the scratch is also performed by an operator. As a result, the scratch progresses in a straight line along the width direction of the glass film ribbon 3 to the other side edge portion as shown by the chain line. That is, the scratch made at one point on one side edge portion of the glass film ribbon 3 progresses over the entire width direction and the entire thickness direction of the glass film ribbon 3 due to the action of the bending stress. As a result, the folding (cutting) of the glass film ribbon 3 is completed. The glass film ribbon 3 after cutting is received and supported by the second transport surface 8a via the protective sheet ribbon 4. If the tension applied to the protective sheet ribbon 4 at this time is large, the glass film ribbon 3 after cutting can be received and supported by the protective sheet ribbon 4 without the second transport surface 8a. Thereafter, the protective sheet ribbon 4 is pulled again to start transporting both ribbons 3 and 4, and at the same time, the following is also performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the glass film 11 obtained by cutting is transported on the protective sheet ribbon 4 along the second transport surface 8a. After this transport, if the second table 8 is placed in the position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2, the glass film 11 can be easily loaded in a vertical position, for example, on a packaging pallet or the like.

The effects of the basic configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 1 described above are as follows:

According to the above basic configuration, the direction from the unwinding start point 2z of the glass roll 2 toward the break bar 6 and the direction of the glass film ribbon 3 when it reaches the break bar 6 from the glass roll 2 side are both inclined upward toward the front. This makes it less likely that waste will occur in the path along which the glass film ribbon 3 unwound from the glass roll 2 is transported to the break bar 6, and simplifies the path. As a result, it becomes possible to cut the glass film ribbon 3 efficiently.

According to the above basic configuration, a path for transporting the glass film ribbon 3 can be formed simply by hanging both ribbons 3, 4 from the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass roll 2 to the folding bar 6. This further simplifies the path, and the device for forming the path only requires the provision of the first table 7, simplifying the configuration of the device.

According to the above basic configuration, the sagging that inevitably occurs when untensioned glass film ribbon 3 is hung as described above is received by tensioned protective sheet ribbon 4, thereby preventing breakage or damage caused by sagging of the glass film ribbon 3.

According to the above basic configuration, both ribbons 3 and 4 can be unwound simply by pulling the protective sheet ribbon 4 from the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass roll 2 toward the folding bar 6 at a position forward of the folding bar 6. Therefore, the unwinding operation can be easily performed, and the configuration of the device required for unwinding is simplified. Moreover, by pulling the protective sheet ribbon 4 as described above, it is possible to move the path for transporting the glass film ribbon 3 closer to the virtual plane connecting the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass roll 2 and the folding bar 6. This reduces the sagging caused by the glass film ribbon 3 being hung as described above, and the transport distance of the glass film ribbon 3 can be shortened. In addition, since the glass film ribbon 3 is cut at the point when the unwinding (transport) of both ribbons 3 and 4 stops, the glass film ribbon 3 can be cut appropriately at an accurate position, compared to, for example, the case where the glass film ribbon 3 is cut while being transported.

According to the above basic configuration, the glass film ribbon 3 can be cut on the breaking bar 6 while the portion of the glass film ribbon 3 in front of the breaking bar 6 is held along the second transport surface 8a of the second table 8. This allows the tip 3a of the glass film ribbon 3 to be appropriately positioned on the second transport surface 8a, so that a glass film 11 of an accurate length can be obtained.

According to the above basic configuration, the sagging of the glass film ribbon 3 after cutting due to separation is reliably received and supported by the first transport surface 7a of the first table 7, avoiding the problem of the protective sheet ribbon 4 alone being unable to adequately receive and support it. In addition, since the first transport surface 7a of the first table 7 is inclined upward toward the front, the orientation of the glass film ribbon 3 received and supported on the first transport surface 7a matches the orientation of the path along which the glass film ribbon 3 is transported to the breaking bar 6. This allows the operation of transporting the glass film ribbon 3 again after cutting to be easily and quickly performed.

In addition to the basic configuration described above, the manufacturing device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided with a loosening prevention process to prevent loosening as shown by the symbol C in the above-mentioned Figure 13. Below, first to third examples of this loosening prevention process will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Example]
6 is a perspective view showing a slack prevention process according to the first example. As shown in the figure, the slack prevention process is a process in which the tip side region 3A of the glass film ribbon 3 after cutting and the protective sheet ribbon 4 are fastened with a tape-shaped body 12 such as an adhesive tape. In the illustrated example, the ribbons 3 and 4 are fastened at two points in the width direction, but one point or three or more points in the width direction may be fastened. Specifically, before and after the glass film ribbon 3 is cut along the width direction, tension (unwinding force) is applied to the protective sheet ribbon 4. Therefore, the glass film ribbon 3 after cutting is received and supported by the first conveying surface 7a of the first table 7 via the protective sheet ribbon 4. In this case, since the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass roll 2 is located at a position lower than the folding bar 6, the glass film ribbon 3 after cutting is likely to be pulled back toward the glass roll 2 side. To cope with this, immediately after cutting the glass film ribbon 3, for example, an operator fastens the tip end region 3A of the cut glass film ribbon 3 and the protective sheet ribbon 4 to which tension is applied with a tape-shaped body 12. In this way, even if the cut glass film ribbon 3 is pulled back toward the glass roll 2, it is possible to avoid a situation in which slack occurs in the glass film ribbon 3 of the outermost layer of the glass roll 2 due to the tension of the protective sheet ribbon 4. In other words, a situation in which the tightening force of the outer periphery of the glass roll 2 is weakened due to the tension of the protective sheet ribbon 4 is unlikely to occur, and the occurrence of the above-mentioned slack can be avoided.

[Second Example]
7 is a schematic front view showing the slack prevention process according to the second example. As shown in the figure, this slack prevention process is a process in which a weight 13 is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface 2b of the glass roll 2 (the surface above the central axis of the roll shaft 2a in this embodiment). The weight 13 is made of resin at the contact portion with the outer peripheral surface 2b of the glass roll 2. The weight 13 may be made of resin, metal or other materials other than the contact portion. Furthermore, the weight 13 is attached to the tip of an arm 14 that is inclined downward toward the glass roll 2 when the glass film ribbon 3 is not unwound at all, and the rear end of the arm 14 is rotatably connected to a support 16 fixed to a base portion 15 of the dolly 2v via a hinge 17. Therefore, the weight 13 is placed on the glass roll 2 by its own weight, and is movable up and down in accordance with the change in the outer diameter of the glass roll 2.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the region including the tip region 3A of the glass film ribbon 3 after cutting is received and supported by the first conveying surface (receiving surface) 7a of the first table 7, and sagging caused by the cutting of the region is reliably prevented. In this state, even if the glass film ribbon 3 after cutting is pulled back to the glass roll 2 side by its own weight, the friction between the weight body 13 and the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll 2 can suppress the situation in which the winding force of the outer periphery of the glass roll 2 is weakened. As a result, slack is unlikely to occur in the glass film ribbon 3 of the outermost layer of the glass roll 2, and breakage or damage to the glass film ribbon 3 after cutting due to the slack is prevented in advance. However, in this case, friction occurs between the weight body 13 and the outer peripheral surface 2b of the glass roll 2 while the glass film ribbon 3 is being unwound. However, since the contact portion of the weight body 13 with the outer peripheral surface 2b is formed of resin, defects such as scratches on the outer peripheral surface 2b of the glass roll 2 due to the above-mentioned friction are suppressed.

[Third Example]
9 is a schematic front view showing a slack prevention process according to a third example. As shown in the figure, this slack prevention process is a process in which an outer ring 18a of a one-way clutch 18 is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface 2b of the glass roll 2 (in this embodiment, the surface above the central axis of the roll shaft 2a). The outer ring 18a has a contact portion with the outer peripheral surface 2b of the glass roll 2 formed of a foamed resin. Furthermore, this one-way clutch 18 is attached to the tip of an arm 19 that is inclined downward toward the glass roll 2 side when the glass film ribbon 3 is not unwound at all, and the rear end of this arm 19 is rotatably connected to a support 21 fixed to a base portion 20 of the dolly 2v via a hinge 22. Therefore, this one-way clutch 18 is placed on the glass roll 2 by its own weight, and is capable of moving up and down following the change in the outer diameter of the glass roll 2.

In this case, while the glass film ribbon 3 is being unwound from the glass roll 2, the outer ring 18a is allowed to roll along the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll 2 by the operation of the one-way clutch 18. This makes it difficult for the outer ring 18a to rub against the outer peripheral surface 2b of the glass roll 2, and more reliably prevents defects such as scratches on the outer peripheral surface 2b. On the other hand, even if the glass film ribbon 3 after being cut is pulled back to the glass roll 2 side after the glass film ribbon 3 is cut, the outer ring 18a is prevented from rolling along the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll 2 by the operation of the one-way clutch 18. In other words, even if the glass film ribbon 3 after being cut is moved so as to be pulled back to the glass roll 2 side to weaken the winding force of the outer peripheral portion of the glass roll 2, such movement of the glass film ribbon 3 is prevented by the one-way clutch. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of slack in the outermost glass film ribbon 3 of the glass roll 2 after the glass film ribbon 3 is cut, in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 described above. Therefore, in this case, it is possible to appropriately prevent both the slackness and the friction of the glass film ribbon 3 .

Furthermore, the outer ring 18a of the one-way clutch 18 has a contact portion that contacts the outer peripheral surface 2b of the glass roll 2, which is made of foamed resin. This provides an appropriate frictional force to the outer peripheral surface 2b of the glass roll 2, while further reliably preventing defects such as scratches on the outer peripheral surface 2b.

The slack prevention process according to the third example may involve abutting the outer ring 18a of the one-way clutch 18 against the upper surface of the glass film ribbon 3 on the first transport surface 7a of the first table 7, as shown in Fig. 10. In this case, the tension applied to the protective sheet ribbon 4 may be made sufficiently large so that the protective sheet ribbon 4 is moved upwardly away from the first transport surface 7a at the contact position of the outer ring 18a against the glass film ribbon 3. Alternatively, the protective sheet ribbon 4 may be brought into contact with the first transport surface 7a at the contact position.

Furthermore, the manufacturing device 1 according to this embodiment may have a configuration as shown in FIG. 11 added thereto after the above-mentioned slack prevention process has been performed. That is, as shown in the figure. The roll shaft 2a of the glass roll 2 may be provided with a brake device 23. In detail, the brake shoe 23a of the brake device 23 mounted on the dolly 2v may be abutted against the roll shaft 2a of the glass roll 2. In this way, when cutting the glass film ribbon 3, it is possible to effectively deal with stopping the unwinding (transportation) of the glass film ribbon 3. That is, after a predetermined length of the glass film ribbon 3 is unwound from the glass roll 2, when the unwinding is stopped to cut the glass film ribbon 3, the glass roll 2 rotates by inertia. Due to this, there is a risk that the glass film ribbon 3 may become loose between the glass roll 2 and the folding bar 6, and in some cases, the glass film ribbon 3 may be broken or damaged. However, according to the configuration here, the brake device 23 can prevent the glass roll 2 from rotating by inertia. This makes it possible to effectively prevent a situation in which slack occurs in the glass film ribbon 3 between the glass roll 2 and the breaking bar 6 when the glass film ribbon 3 is cut.

In addition to the above configuration, the manufacturing device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a length adjustment mechanism 24 as shown in FIG. 12. In the illustrated example, the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass roll 2 is located at the lower end of the glass roll 2. In addition, the glass roll 2 in the illustrated example has the protective sheet ribbon 4 wound around the outer periphery of the glass film ribbon 3, but the glass film ribbon 3 is unwound in a state where it is superimposed on the protective sheet ribbon 4, as in the case described above. In addition, the breaking bar 6 is located at a higher position than the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass roll 2 (strictly speaking, the unwinding start portion 2z when the glass roll 2 has a minimum diameter), as in the case described above. Therefore, the configuration and the effect of the main parts of the manufacturing device 1 in the illustrated example are the same as in the case described above. In addition, the length adjustment mechanism 24 in the illustrated example can be similarly applied to the case where the unwinding start portion 2z of the glass roll 2 is located at the upper end of the glass roll 2, as described above.

As shown in the figure, the length adjustment mechanism 24 adjusts the unwinding length of the glass film ribbon 3 on the second conveying surface 8a of the second table 8 when the protective sheet ribbon 4 and the glass film ribbon 3 are unwound from the glass roll 2. In detail, the length adjustment mechanism 24 finely adjusts the unwinding length in order to accurately position the tip 3a of the glass film ribbon 3 on the mark on the second conveying surface 8a when the tip 3a of the glass film ribbon 3 passes the folding bar 6. Specifically, the length adjustment mechanism 24 has a large diameter gear 25 arranged coaxially with the roll shaft 2a of the glass roll 2 so as to be rotatable together with the roll shaft 2a, a small diameter gear 26 meshing with the large diameter gear 25, a worm wheel 27 arranged coaxially with the small diameter gear 26 so as to be rotatable together with the small diameter gear 26, and a worm 28 meshing with the worm wheel 27. The small diameter gear 26, the worm wheel 27, and the worm 28 are held on a lifting platform 30 that can be raised and lowered by a fluid pressure cylinder 29 such as an air cylinder. An operating shaft 32 is attached to the worm 28, extending forward and having a handle 31 at its front end. The rear end of the operating shaft 32 is rotatably supported by a support 30a of the lifting platform 30, and the front end of the operating shaft 32 is rotatably supported by a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) support wall members 33 fixed to the base 5v. The operating shaft 32 is connected between the support 30a and the support wall members 33 by a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) universal joints 34. The handle 31 is disposed below the second table 8. A switch 35 that issues a signal for raising and lowering the lifting platform 30 is attached to a peripheral portion of the handle 31 (the front support wall member 33 in the illustrated example).

The length adjustment mechanism 24 is operated by the worker as follows. First, the worker pulls the protective sheet ribbon 4 along the second conveying surface 8a to position the tip 3a of the glass film ribbon 3 near the mark. In this state, the worker operates the switch 35 to move the lifting platform 30 up to the upper end position shown in the figure. At this point, if there is a predetermined length of space between the tip 3a of the glass film ribbon 3 and the mark, the worker rotates the handle 31 forward. As a result, the glass roll 2 rotates in the direction of the arrow W1, and both ribbons 3 and 4 are unwound. Conversely, if the tip 3a of the glass film ribbon 3 has passed the mark by a predetermined length, the worker reverses the handle 31. As a result, the glass roll 2 rotates in the direction of the arrow W2, and both ribbons 3 and 4 are wound up. While the worker is operating the handle 31 in this way, tension is applied to the protective sheet ribbon 4. In this case, the operator performs the operation to position the tip 3a of the glass film ribbon 3 on the mark by rotating the handle 31 forward or backward only once, or by repeatedly rotating it forward and backward. When this positioning is completed, the operator stops operating the handle 31. In this state, the glass film ribbon 3 is cut as described above, and then the operator operates the switch 35 to lower the lifting platform 30 from the illustrated state. As a result, the meshing between the large diameter gear 25 and the small diameter gear 26 is released, and power is no longer transmitted from the handle 31 to the large diameter gear 25 and thus to the glass roll 2. The cutting of the glass film ribbon 3 and the lowering of the lifting platform 30 may be performed in the reverse order to the above case. After this, the protective sheet ribbon 4 is pulled again by the operator, and the same operation as in the above case is performed.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various variations are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the bending stress applying portion is a bending bar having a cylindrical or columnar shape, but the cross section may be elliptical or have other curved shapes, and further, only the upper part may have such a curved shape, or may not have a curved shape. Furthermore, the number of bending bars is not limited to one, and may be composed of multiple bars. In addition, the bending stress applying portion may be configured without a bending bar (for example, a configuration consisting of only the first and second tables), and in any case, the bending stress applying portion may be capable of applying the bending stress necessary to cut the glass film ribbon.

The anti-slackening member that is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, but may be, for example, a weight whose contact portion is made of rubber or the like, or may even be one whose contact portion is made of other materials.

In the above embodiment, the glass film ribbon is scratched above the folding bar, but the glass film ribbon may be scratched behind the folding bar, i.e., before it is cut. Furthermore, in addition to scratching, a scribe line may be added, but it is preferable to add a scribe line to the glass film ribbon before it is cut.

In the above embodiment, the first and second tables are flat members, but they may be members in which a plurality of crosspieces are arranged in parallel in the transport direction, in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, or in a lattice shape, or may be tables other than these members. In addition, one of the first and second transport surfaces may be a surface without a slope. Furthermore, the first and second transport surfaces may be a conveying surface such as a conveyor. In this case, the worker does not have to pull the protective sheet ribbon. Furthermore, in order to pull the protective sheet ribbon without the help of a worker or a conveyor, a tension roller may be provided in front of the bending stress applying section, or the protective sheet ribbon may be pulled by an existing sheet roll 10 (see FIG. 1).

In the above embodiment, when the glass film ribbon and the protective sheet ribbon are unwound from the upper end of the glass roll, as shown in FIG. 1, both ribbons are unwound in a horizontal or approximately horizontal direction immediately after unwinding, but may be unwound so as to incline upward toward the front side or to incline downward toward the front side. Also, when the glass film ribbon and the protective sheet ribbon are unwound from the lower end of the glass roll, as shown in FIG. 12, both ribbons are unwound in a horizontal or approximately horizontal direction immediately after unwinding, but may be unwound so as to incline upward toward the front side.

In the above embodiment, the glass film ribbon and protective sheet ribbon are treated to prevent slack when unwound from the upper end of the glass roll, but a similar treatment may be performed to prevent slack when unwound from the lower end of the glass roll. In this case, the contact of the slack prevention member with the glass roll may be performed using a counterweight system.

1 Manufacturing device 2 Glass roll 2a Roll shaft 2b Outer circumferential surface of glass roll 3 Glass film ribbon 3A Tip side region 3a of glass film ribbon Tip of glass film ribbon 4 Protective sheet ribbon 6 Bending bar (bending stress applying part)
7a: First conveying surface 8a; Second conveying surface 11: Glass film 12; Tape-shaped body 13: Weight 18; One-way clutch 18a; Outer ring 23; Brake device 24; Length adjustment mechanism 25; Large diameter gear 26; Small diameter gear 27; Worm wheel 28; Worm 29; Fluid pressure cylinder 30; Lifting platform

Claims (15)

A method for manufacturing a glass film having a length corresponding to the predetermined length, comprising: unwinding the glass film ribbon in a state in which the glass film ribbon is overlapped on the protective sheet ribbon from a glass roll in which a glass film ribbon and a protective sheet ribbon are overlapped and wound; and cutting the glass film ribbon in a width direction by a bending stress applied to the glass film ribbon by the bending stress applying section after a leading end of the glass film ribbon passes through a bending stress applying section and goes beyond the predetermined length, the method comprising the steps of:
The bending stress applying portion is disposed at a position higher than a winding start portion of the glass film ribbon and the protective sheet ribbon in the glass roll,
The method for producing a glass film, wherein the glass film ribbon reaches the bending stress applying portion from the glass roll side in a state of being inclined upward toward a front side in a winding direction. The method for manufacturing a glass film as described in claim 1, characterized in that the glass film ribbon and the protective sheet ribbon are stretched from the unwinding start point of the glass roll to the bending stress applying section. The method for manufacturing a glass film according to claim 2, characterized in that the glass film ribbon is hung without tension and in a state in which sagging due to its own weight may occur, and the protective sheet ribbon is hung with tension and in a state in which the protective sheet ribbon is supported by the sagging of the glass film ribbon. A method for manufacturing a glass film as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the protective sheet ribbon is pulled from the unwinding start portion of the glass roll toward the bending stress applying portion, thereby unwinding the protective sheet ribbon and the glass film ribbon from the glass roll, and when the unwinding is stopped, the glass film ribbon is cut. a downward inclination table inclined downward toward the front side in the unwinding direction is disposed on the front side of the bending stress applying unit in the unwinding direction,
The method for manufacturing a glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the glass film ribbon is cut, the glass film ribbon is held along the downward inclination table. an upwardly inclined table inclined upward toward the front side in the unwinding direction is disposed between the glass roll and the bending stress applying section;
The method for manufacturing a glass film according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, after the glass film ribbon is cut, the upward inclination table receives and supports the glass film ribbon after the cutting. A method for manufacturing a glass film as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that after the glass film ribbon is cut, a slack prevention treatment is performed to prevent the glass film ribbon of the outermost layer of the glass roll from slackening. The method for manufacturing a glass film as described in claim 7, characterized in that the anti-slack treatment is a process of fastening the tip region of the glass film ribbon after cutting and the protective sheet ribbon with a tape-shaped body. The method for manufacturing a glass film as described in claim 7, characterized in that the anti-slack treatment is a process in which an anti-slack member is abutted against the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll. The method for manufacturing a glass film as described in claim 9, characterized in that the slack prevention member is a cone whose abutment portion that abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll is formed of resin. The method for manufacturing a glass film as described in claim 9, characterized in that the slack prevention member is a one-way clutch having an outer ring that abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll. The method for manufacturing a glass film as described in claim 11, characterized in that the outer ring has a contact portion that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the glass roll and is formed from a foamed resin. A method for manufacturing a glass film as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the roll shaft of the glass roll is equipped with a brake device. A method for manufacturing a glass film as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it is provided with a length adjustment mechanism for adjusting the unwinding length of the glass film ribbon unwound from the glass roll. The device is configured to: unwind the glass film ribbon from a glass roll in which a glass film ribbon and a protective sheet ribbon are wound in an overlapping state on the protective sheet ribbon; and, after a leading end of the glass film ribbon passes through a bending stress applying section and goes beyond the predetermined length, cut the glass film ribbon along a width direction by a bending stress applied to the glass film ribbon by the bending stress applying section, thereby manufacturing a glass film having a length corresponding to the predetermined length;
The bending stress applying portion is disposed at a position higher than a winding start portion of the glass film ribbon and the protective sheet ribbon in the glass roll,
A glass film manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that the glass film ribbon reaches the bending stress applying section from the glass roll side in a state of being inclined upward toward the front side in the unwinding direction.

Images