TWI713903B - Method for manufacturing glass substrate and glass substrate manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the present invention is to prevent damage to the temperature adjustment device caused by falling objects from the glass plate on the conveying path. The manufacturing method of the glass substrate of the present invention includes a cooling step in which the glass plate is conveyed and cooled in a space surrounded by a furnace wall in a downward direction. A partition member is provided in the space, and the partition member partitions the space into a plurality of spaces and forms a slit through which the glass plate passes. In the cooling step, while conveying the glass plate through the slit, cooling the glass plate is performed using a temperature adjustment device that controls the temperature of the glass plate. The temperature adjusting device is arranged at a position opposite to the glass plate, and controls the temperature of the partitioned space to control the temperature of the glass plate. The said partition member has a front-end part, and this front-end part is extended to the said glass plate obliquely downward with respect to a horizontal direction so that it may face the said glass plate from the upper side of the said temperature adjustment device.

Description

Manufacturing method of glass substrate and glass substrate manufacturing device

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a glass substrate and a glass substrate manufacturing device.

A method of manufacturing a glass plate (sheet glass) using the down-draw method is known. The sheet glass formed by the down-draw method has a central area in the width direction with a substantially constant plate thickness, and an end (ear portion) that is located outside the central area in the width direction and whose plate thickness is thicker than the central area. The central area is the product area. In the down-draw method, in order to stably convey the formed sheet glass in the downward direction, a conveying roller clamps the area (nip area) between the central area and the edge of the sheet glass.

Furthermore, the sheet glass is cooled (slow cooling) in such a way that the warpage and strain meet certain quality standards. Therefore, the temperature distribution (temperature curve) in the width direction is pre-designed along the flow direction of the sheet glass, and the temperature profile is realized in the sheet glass by using a cooling device or a temperature adjustment device (heater), etc. Temperature management (Patent Document 1). In order to perform such temperature management of the sheet glass, there are cases where a partition member is used in the vicinity of the sheet glass to block heat transfer from the upper space to the lower space. The partition members are, for example, arranged one by one between a plurality of heaters arranged along the conveying direction, and the heaters adjust the temperature of the sheet glass by realizing a temperature profile in the facing sheet glass. [Prior Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-212987

[The problem to be solved by the invention]

The sheet glass may crack during transportation. Furthermore, sometimes glass flakes or glass chips may drop downward from the sheet glass where the cracks have occurred. Such falling objects from the sheet glass may, for example, collide with the partition member and bounce up to contact the heater or directly collide with the heater to damage the heater. In addition, falling objects from the sheet glass may accumulate on the upper surface of the partition member to shield the radiant heat from the temperature adjustment device toward the sheet glass.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a glass substrate manufacturing method and a glass substrate manufacturing device that can prevent damage to the temperature adjustment device caused by falling objects from the glass plate. More specifically, the purpose is to provide a method for manufacturing a glass substrate capable of appropriately using a temperature adjusting device for temperature control, protecting the temperature adjusting device from falling objects, and preventing falling objects from accumulating on the partition member, and glass Substrate manufacturing equipment. [Technical means to solve the problem]

One aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a glass substrate, which is characterized by comprising: A forming step, which uses an overflow down-draw method to shape the molten glass to form a glass sheet; and The cooling step is in the space surrounded by the furnace wall, while the two sides of the width direction of the glass plate are clamped by a plurality of conveying roller pairs arranged along the conveying direction of the glass plate, and the glass plate is turned downward Transport and cool; In the space, a partition member is provided, which partitions the space into a plurality of spaces along the conveying direction, and forms a slit through which the glass plate passes, In the cooling step, while conveying the glass plate through the slit, cooling the glass plate is performed using a temperature adjustment device that controls the temperature of the glass plate. The temperature adjustment device is arranged at a position opposite to the glass plate, and controls the temperature of the spaced space to control the temperature of the glass plate along the width direction, and The said partition member has a front-end part, and this front-end part is extended to the said glass plate obliquely downward with respect to a horizontal direction so that it may face the said glass plate from the upper side of the said temperature adjustment device.

Preferably, the front end position of the front end portion is located within the height range of the conveying direction where the temperature adjustment device is located.

Preferably, the partition member further has a rear end portion connected to the front end portion and extending away from the glass plate, and above the temperature adjustment device, the temperature adjustment device is relative to the conveyance The space on the upstream side of the direction is separated.

Preferably, the front end portion extends in the width direction of the glass plate so as to face the two side regions of the width direction of the glass plate and the region between the two side areas, and The inclination angle of the front end portion is smaller in the portion of the front end portion facing the two side areas than the portion of the front end portion facing the area between the two side areas.

Preferably, when the temperature adjustment device is referred to as a first temperature adjustment device, the partition member is referred to as a first partition member, and the tip portion is referred to as a first tip portion, In the cooling step, a temperature adjustment device row that is arranged along the conveying direction of the glass plate and includes at least the first temperature adjustment device and a second temperature adjustment device arranged below the first temperature adjustment device is used to Cooling of the glass plate is performed in such a way that the temperature of the glass plate is sequentially reduced along the conveying direction, The second temperature adjusting device is separated from the space on the upstream side of the conveying direction by a second partition member extending at least between the second temperature adjusting device and the glass plate in the horizontal direction, and The second partition member has a second front end portion that extends toward the glass plate obliquely with respect to the horizontal so as to face the glass plate from above the second temperature adjustment device, and The length in the extending direction of the first tip portion is longer than the length in the extending direction of the second tip portion.

Preferably, the position of the center of the rotation axis of the roller of the transport roller pair is located above or below the height range where the temperature adjusting device is located in the direction along the transport direction.

Preferably, at least a part of the conveying roller pair in the conveying roller pair is arranged such that the center of the rotation axis is located between the adjacent temperature adjusting devices in the conveying direction, and the conveyer is located on the downstream side of the conveying direction. For the roller pair, the distance between the roller of the conveying roller pair and the temperature adjusting device arranged closest to the roller above the roller along the conveying direction is smaller.

Another aspect of the present invention is a glass substrate manufacturing device characterized by having a forming device for forming a glass plate by forming molten glass using an overflow down-draw method, The aforementioned forming device includes: A plurality of conveying roller pairs are arranged at intervals along the conveying direction of the glass plate in the space enclosed by the furnace wall, while holding the two sides of the glass plate in the width direction while holding the glass plate downward Direction transport A partition member that partitions the space into a plurality of spaces along the conveying direction, and forms a slit through which the glass plate passes; and A temperature adjustment device that controls the temperature of the glass plate conveyed through the slit to cool the glass plate; and The temperature adjusting device is arranged at a position opposite to the glass plate to control the temperature of the spaced space to control the temperature of the glass plate along the width direction; The said partition member has the front-end part, and this front-end part extends toward the said glass plate obliquely downward so that it may face the said glass plate with respect to a horizontal direction from the upper part of the said temperature adjustment device. [Effects of Invention]

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent damage to the temperature adjustment device caused by falling objects from the glass plate.

Using the manufacturing method of the glass substrate of this embodiment, for example, a glass substrate for a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) display is manufactured. The glass plate is manufactured using the overflow down-draw method. Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the glass substrate of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

(1) Outline of manufacturing method of glass substrate First, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of steps included in a method of manufacturing a glass substrate and a glass substrate manufacturing apparatus 100 used in the plurality of steps will be described. The manufacturing method of a glass substrate is shown in FIG. 1, and mainly includes a melting step S1, a clarification step S2, a forming step S3, a cooling step S4, and a cutting step S5.

The melting step S1 is a step of melting glass raw materials. After the glass raw material is prepared so as to have a desired composition, it is put into the melting device 11 arranged upstream. The glass raw material is composed of, for example, SiO2, Al2O3, B2O3, CaO, SrO, BaO, and the like. Specifically, a glass raw material having a strain point of 660°C or higher is used. The glass raw material is melted in the melting device 11 to become molten glass FG (refer to FIGS. 3 and 4). The melting temperature is adjusted according to the type of glass. In this embodiment, the glass raw material is melted at 1500°C to 1650°C. The molten glass FG is sent to the clarification device 12 through the upstream pipe 23.

The clarification step S2 is a step of removing bubbles in the molten glass FG. The molten glass FG after the bubbles are removed in the clarification device 12 is sent to the forming device 40 through the downstream pipe 24.

The forming step S3 is a step of forming molten glass FG into sheet glass (sheet glass) SG. Specifically, after the molten glass FG is continuously supplied to the molded body 41 (refer to FIGS. 3 and 4) included in the molding device 40, it overflows from the molded body 41. The overflowing molten glass FG flows down along the surface of the formed body 41. Then, molten glass FG merges with the lower end part 41a (refer FIG. 3 and FIG. 4) of the molded object 41, and is shape|molded into sheet glass SG. The sheet glass SG has side parts (ear parts, end parts) located at the ends in the width direction, and a central area in the width direction sandwiched between the side parts. The thickness of the side part of the sheet glass SG is formed to be thicker than the thickness of the central area. The central area of the sheet glass SG is an area that is formed by a fixed plate thickness and becomes a product of the glass substrate. The plate thickness of the central area of the sheet glass SG is formed into a thin plate of 0.4 mm or less, for example. In addition, the width direction of sheet glass SG is a direction orthogonal to the direction (flow direction, conveyance direction) in which sheet glass SG flows down, and the thickness direction of sheet glass SG.

The cooling step S4 is in a space surrounded by a furnace wall not shown in the figure, while the following down-down rollers arranged along the conveying direction of the sheet glass SG are used to clamp the two sides of the width direction of the sheet glass SG, and the sheet The glass SG is conveyed downward and is cooled (slowly cooled). The area clamped by the pull-down roller is the clamping area located at the boundary between the central area and the side. The sheet glass SG is cooled to a temperature close to room temperature through the cooling step S4. Furthermore, the thickness (plate thickness) of the glass substrate, the amount of warpage of the glass substrate, and the amount of strain of the glass substrate are determined according to the cooling state in the cooling step S4.

The cutting step S5 is a step of cutting the sheet glass SG whose temperature is close to room temperature into a specific size.

Furthermore, after cutting into the sheet glass SG of a specific size, it becomes a glass substrate through steps, such as an end surface processing.

Next, referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the configuration of the molding apparatus 40 included in the glass substrate manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described.

(2) The composition of the forming device The schematic configuration of the forming apparatus 40 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the forming device 40. FIG. 4 is a side view of the forming device 40.

The forming device 40 has a passage through which the sheet glass SG passes and a space surrounding the passage. The space surrounding the passage is the space surrounded by the furnace wall, including the overflow chamber 20, the forming chamber 30 and the cooling chamber 80.

The overflow chamber 20 is a space in which the molten glass FG sent from the clarification device 12 is formed into sheet glass SG. The molten glass FG flows down along the surface of the formed body 41, merges at the lower end 41a of the formed body 41, and is formed into sheet glass SG.

The forming chamber 30 is disposed below the overflow chamber 20 to adjust the thickness and warpage of the sheet glass SG. In the forming chamber 30, a part of the cooling step ST4 is performed. The temperature of the sheet glass SG gradually decreases downstream of the lower end 41a of the formed body 41.

The cooling chamber 80 is arranged below the overflow chamber 20 to adjust the space of the strain amount of the sheet glass SG. Specifically, in the cooling chamber 80, the sheet glass SG that has passed through the forming chamber 30 passes through a slow cooling point and a strain point, and is cooled to a temperature near room temperature. Furthermore, the inside of the cooling chamber 80 is divided (partitioned) into a plurality of spaces by a plurality of partition members 83 arranged at intervals along the conveying direction of the sheet glass SG. The details of the partition member 83 will be described below.

In addition, the molding device 40 mainly includes a molded body 41, a heat insulating member 50, a cooling roll 51, a cooling unit 60, pull-down rolls (conveying rolls) 81a to 81g, heaters (temperature adjustment devices) 82a to 82g, partition members 83, and cutting断装置90。 Breaking device 90. Furthermore, the molding device 40 includes a control device 500 (see FIG. 5). The control device 500 controls the driving parts of the respective components included in the molding device 40.

Hereinafter, each configuration included in the molding device 40 will be described in detail.

(2-1) Formed body The formed body 41 is provided in the overflow chamber 20. The molded body 41 shapes the molten glass FG into sheet glass SG by overflowing the molten glass FG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the formed body 41 has a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional shape (like a wedge shape). The front end of the substantially pentagonal shape corresponds to the lower end 41 a of the molded body 41.

In addition, the molded body 41 has an inflow port 42 at the first end (see FIG. 4). The inflow port 42 is connected to the downstream pipe 24 described above, and the molten glass FG flowing out of the clarification device 12 flows into the molded body 41 from the inflow port 42. A groove 43 is formed in the molded body 41. The groove 43 extends in the longitudinal direction of the molded body 41 (the left-right direction in FIG. 4). Specifically, the groove 43 extends from the first end to the second end on the opposite side of the first end. The groove 43 is formed to be the deepest near the inflow port 42, and gradually becomes shallower as it approaches the second end. The molten glass FG flowing into the molded body 41 overflows from a pair of top portions 41b, 41b of the molded body 41, and flows down along a pair of side surfaces (surfaces) 41c, 41c of the molded body 41. Then, the molten glass FG merges with the lower end 41a of the molded body 41 to become sheet glass SG.

At this time, the liquidus temperature of the sheet glass SG at the lower end 41a of the molded body 41 is 1100°C or higher, and the liquid phase viscosity is 2.5×10 ⁵ poise or higher, and more preferably the liquidus temperature is 1160°C or higher, and the liquid The phase viscosity is 1.2×10 ⁵ poise or more. In addition, the viscosity of the side portion (ear portion, end portion) of the sheet glass SG at the lower end portion 41a of the molded body 41 did not reach 10 ^5.7 poise.

(2-2) Thermal insulation components The heat insulating member 50 is a member that blocks the heat transfer from the overflow chamber 20 to the forming chamber 30. The heat insulation member 50 is arrange|positioned in the vicinity of the junction point of molten glass FG. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3, the heat insulation member 50 is arrange|positioned at the thickness direction both sides of the molten glass FG (sheet glass SG) which merges at a junction point. The heat insulation member 50 blocks the heat transfer from the upper side to the lower side of the heat insulation member 50 by separating the upper environment and the lower environment of the confluence point of the molten glass FG.

(2-3) Cooling roll The cooling roll 51 is installed in the forming chamber 30. More specifically, the cooling roll 51 is arranged directly below the heat insulating member 50. Moreover, the cooling roller 51 is arrange|positioned on the both sides of the thickness direction of sheet glass SG, and the width direction both sides of sheet glass SG. The cooling rollers 51 arranged on both sides of the thickness direction of the sheet glass SG operate in pairs. That is, the nip areas in the both side areas of the sheet glass SG are nipped by two pairs of cooling rollers 51, 51, ....

The cooling roller 51 is air-cooled by an air-cooling tube passing through the inside. The cooling roller 51 contacts the sides (ears, ends) R and L of the sheet glass SG, and rapidly cools the sides (ears, ends) R and L of the sheet glass SG by heat conduction (rapid cooling step) ). The viscosity of the side parts R and L of the sheet glass SG contacting the cooling roller 51 is a specific value (specifically, 10 ^9.0 poise) or more.

The cooling roller 51 is rotationally driven by a cooling roller drive motor 390 (refer to FIG. 5). The cooling roller 51 cools the side portions R and L of the sheet glass SG, and also has a function of pulling the sheet glass SG downward.

(2-4) Cooling unit The cooling unit 60 is a unit that is installed in the overflow chamber 20 and the forming chamber 30, and cools the sheet glass SG to the vicinity of the slow cooling point. The cooling unit 60 has a plurality of cooling elements 61-65. In FIG. 4, the cooling unit 60 is only shown in the forming chamber 30. The plurality of cooling elements 61 to 65 are arranged along the width direction of the sheet glass SG and the flow direction of the sheet glass SG. Specifically, the plurality of cooling elements 61 to 65 include the central area cooling elements 61 to 63 and the side cooling elements 64 and 65. The central area cooling elements 61 to 63 perform air cooling to cool the central area CA of the sheet glass SG. Here, the central area of the sheet glass SG refers to the central portion in the width direction of the sheet glass SG, and is the area including the effective width of the sheet glass SG and its vicinity. In other words, the central area of the sheet glass SG is the area between the two sides (two ears, both ends) of the sheet glass SG. The central area cooling elements 61 to 63 are arranged along the flow direction at positions opposite to the surface of the central area CA of the sheet glass SG. The units included in the central area cooling elements 61 to 63 can be independently controlled. In addition, the side cooling elements 64 and 65 perform water cooling to cool the side parts (ear parts, end parts) R and L of the sheet glass SG. The side cooling elements 64 and 65 are arranged at positions opposite to the surface of the side parts R and L (both ends in the width direction) of the sheet glass SG along the flow direction. Each unit included in the side cooling elements 64, 65 can be independently controlled.

(2-5) Pull-down rolls Pull-down rolls 81a to 81g are installed in the cooling chamber 80, and pull the sheet glass SG that has passed through the forming chamber 30 in the flow direction of the sheet glass SG, and convey the sheet glass SG. The pull-down rollers 81a to 81g are arranged inside the cooling chamber 80 at intervals along the flow direction. In the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pull-down rollers 81 a to 81 g are arranged in each space partitioned by the partition member 83. In addition, the pull-down rollers 81a to 81g are arranged in the area in the cooling chamber 80 where the temperature of the sheet glass SG is below the slow cooling point. The area where the temperature of the sheet glass SG becomes below the slow cooling point refers to the area where the temperature of the central area of the sheet glass SG becomes below the slow cooling point, which means that the sheet glass SG is cooled to around room temperature after the slow cooling point and the strain point The area of temperature. The slow cooling point is the temperature at which the viscosity becomes 10 ¹³ poise, where it is 715.0°C. In the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the position where the temperature of the sheet glass SG becomes the slow cooling point is between the partition member 83 located on the most upstream side of the conveying direction and the conveying direction of the pull-down roller 81a. The down rolls 81a to 81g are arranged on both sides in the thickness direction of sheet glass SG (refer to FIG. 3) and both sides in the width direction (refer to FIG. 4) of sheet glass SG. Thereby, the pull-down rollers 81a-81g are in contact with the two sides of the sheet glass SG in the width direction (both ears, both ends) R and L on the two sides of the thickness direction of the sheet glass SG. The sheet glass SG is pulled downward. The pull-down rollers 81a to 81g arranged on both sides of the thickness direction of the sheet glass SG operate in pairs, and the paired pull-down rollers (pairs of conveying rollers) 81a, 81a, ... pull the sheet glass SG downward. The pull-down rollers 81a to 81g are driven by a pull-down roller drive motor 391 (refer to FIG. 5). In addition, the pull-down rollers 81a to 81g respectively rotate in the direction in which the upstream portion approaches the sheet glass SG. The peripheral speed of the pull-down rollers 81a to 81g is greater the lower the pull-down roller is located on the downstream side. That is, among the plurality of pull-down rollers 81a to 81g, the peripheral speed of the pull-down roller 81a is the smallest, and the peripheral speed of the pull-down roll 81g is the largest.

(2-6) Heater (temperature adjustment device) The heater 82 (82a-82g) is installed inside the cooling chamber 80 to adjust the temperature of the internal space of the cooling chamber 80. Specifically, plural heaters 82a to 82g are arranged in the flow direction of sheet glass SG and the width direction of sheet glass SG. In the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, seven heaters 82a to 82g are arranged at intervals in the flow direction of the sheet glass SG, and are arranged in each space partitioned (divided) by the partition member 83 Inside. The heaters arranged in each space are configured by arranging, for example, seven heater elements (not shown) in a row along the width direction of the sheet glass. The heaters arranged in each space control the temperature of the partitioned space to control the temperature of the sheet glass SG along the width direction. The heater element is composed of, for example, a metal member with good heat conduction such as pure nickel, or a ceramic material. The heater element is arranged at a position opposite to the area between the two sides of the sheet glass SG and the area between the two sides. The heater 82 is arranged farther from the sheet glass SG than the pull-down rollers 81a to 81g.

The heaters 82a to 82g are output controlled by the control device 500 described below. Thereby, the ambient temperature near the sheet glass SG passing through the inside of the cooling chamber 80 is controlled, and the temperature of the sheet glass SG is controlled. Thereby, the temperature of the sheet glass SG is reduced in order along the conveyance direction, and the sheet glass SG is cooled. By this temperature control, the self-adhesive region of the sheet glass SG shifts to the elastic region through the viscoelastic region. In the cooling chamber 80, the temperature of the sheet glass SG is cooled from the temperature near the slow cooling point to the temperature near the room temperature by the control of the heaters 82a-82g.

The output of the heater element is independently controlled by the control device 500 to adjust the ambient temperature near the sheet glass SG by implementing a pre-designed temperature profile in the sheet glass SG. Specifically, the temperature profile is designed in such a way that the temperature of the sheet glass SG becomes uniform in the width direction. Here, temperature uniformity means that at least the temperature forming the temperature distribution in the width direction of the clamping area and the central area is within a range of ±20°C relative to the average temperature of the clamping area and the central area. By cooling in such a way that the temperature of the sheet glass SG becomes uniform in the width direction, it is possible to suppress the generation of strain in the clamping area of the sheet glass SG and the area adjacent to the clamping area.

In the vicinity of each heater 82a-82g, for example, a thermocouple 380 is provided as a mechanism for detecting the ambient temperature. Specifically, plural thermocouples 380 are arranged at intervals in the flow direction of sheet glass SG and the width direction of sheet glass SG. The thermocouple 380 detects the temperature of the central part C of the sheet glass SG and the temperature of the side parts R and L of the sheet glass SG respectively. The output of the heaters 82a-82g is controlled based on the ambient temperature detected by the thermocouple 380.

(2-7) Partition member The partition member 83 is a plate-shaped heat insulating member. The partition member 83 partitions the cooling chamber 80 into a plurality of spaces along the conveying direction of the sheet glass SG, and forms a slit S through which the sheet glass SG passes. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the slits S are arranged on both sides of the sheet glass SG in the thickness direction and formed in the gap between the two partition members 83 facing each other. The slit S extends along the width direction of the sheet glass SG. The partition member 83 extends at least between the heater 82 and the sheet glass SG in the horizontal direction, and at least between the heater 82 and the sheet glass SG, and blocks heat movement from the upper space to the lower space of the partition member 83. Since the heat transfer from the upper space to the lower space is particularly large around the sheet glass SG, the temperature control of the sheet glass SG based on the temperature profile can be appropriately performed. The partition member 83 has a front end 83a which extends obliquely with respect to the horizontal direction toward the sheet glass SG from above the heater 82 so that the upper surface thereof faces the sheet glass SG. The sheet glass SG may crack during transportation, and glass pieces or glass chips may drop from the sheet glass SG. The cracks of the sheet glass SG are sometimes caused by, for example, the following reasons, that is, the sheet glass SG is deformed in a flexural manner due to changes in the air flow rising along the both sides of the sheet glass SG, and is separated from the The contact of the member 83 deepens the scratches generated on the sheet glass SG. In addition, for example, it may occur due to abrasion of the pull-down rollers 81a to 81g and a change in the position where the sheet glass SG is sandwiched. In this embodiment, the front end 83a of the partition member 83 extends downward from above the heater 82 toward the sheet glass SG, and is arranged to shield the heater 82 from falling objects, thereby preventing glass Falling objects such as pieces directly collide with the heater 82 or collide with the tip portion 83a and bounce up to come into contact with the heater 82. Therefore, damage to the heater 82 can be prevented. In addition, since the upper surface of the front end portion 83a is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so as to face the sheet glass SG, the objects dropped onto the front end portion 83a can slide down along the upper surface of the front end portion 83a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent fallen objects from remaining and accumulating on the tip portion 83a. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent the radiant heat from the heater 82 from being shielded by accumulated falling objects and failing to properly control the temperature of the sheet glass SG. That is, according to the present embodiment, by the partition function of the partition member 83, the temperature control by the heater 82 can be appropriately performed, and when the sheet glass SG is cracked, the heater 82 can be protected from falling objects. It destroys and prevents falling objects from accumulating on the partition member 83.

The inclination angle of the tip portion 83a is preferably 20 to 50°, for example, 30 to 40°, from the horizontal direction toward the side of the upper surface of the tip portion 83a facing the sheet glass SG. If the inclination angle is less than 20°, it may be difficult for the fallen objects to slide off and accumulate on the tip portion 83a. If the inclination angle exceeds 50°, the radiant heat from the heater 82 is shielded by the front end portion 83a, and the temperature control of the sheet glass SG may not be performed properly. In addition, the inclination angle of the front end 83a along the thickness direction of the sheet glass SG (the left-right direction in FIG. 3) is fixed in the example shown in FIG. 3, but it can also be changed while extending toward the sheet glass SG For example, the front end 83a may be bent or bent when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the extension direction of the front end 83a (the direction from the side away from the sheet glass SG to the side close to the sheet glass SG) and the thickness direction. .

Fig. 6 shows an enlarged part of the forming device of Fig. 3. As shown in FIG. 6, the length L1 of the extending direction of the front end 83a is preferably greater than 50% of the horizontal distance L2 between the heater 82 and the sheet glass SG. If the length L1 in the extending direction of the tip portion 83a is less than 50% of the length L2 between the heater 82 and the sheet glass SG in the horizontal direction, there are cases where the heater 82 cannot be sufficiently protected from falling objects In addition, the partition member 83 cannot sufficiently block the heat movement, and the partition function is reduced. On the other hand, the above-mentioned length L1 of the front end portion 83a is preferably smaller than the interval L3, which is the upper end of the heater 82 facing the sheet glass SG and the pull-down roller located below the upper end. The interval between the pull-down rollers (for example, the pull-down roller 81e positioned closest to the bottom of the upper end of the heater 82e) closest to the heater 82. Since the front end 83a reflects the radiant heat from the sheet glass SG, if the length L1 of the front end 83a is longer than the interval L3, there will be a pull-down roller located above the front end 83a and closest to the front end 83a. (For example, the pull-down roller 81e arranged closest to the front end 83a of the lower partition member 83 of the two partition members 83 shown in FIG. 6) is heated and damaged.

In each partition member 83, the position of the end of the front end 83a (front end position) closest to the sheet glass SG is preferably a range (height) in the conveying direction where the heater 82 is located as shown in FIG. Range) within H. In other words, the front end of the front end portion 83a is preferably located in front of the heater 82 (from the heater 82 to the side of the sheet glass SG in the horizontal direction). As the front end of the front end 83a is located in front of the heater 82, the function of protecting the heater 82 from falling objects is enhanced.

The partition member 83 is preferably as shown in FIG. 3, and further has a rear end 83b, which is connected to the front end 83a and extends away from the sheet glass SG. The rear end 83b has a function of partitioning the space above the heater 82 on the upstream side of the heater 82 with respect to the conveying direction. With the partition member 83 having the rear end portion 83b, the aforementioned partition function is enhanced. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the rear end 83b extends in the horizontal direction, but it may be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction such that the upper surface of the rear end 83b faces the sheet glass SG. In this case, the inclination angles of the front end 83a and the rear end 83b may also be equal (refer to FIG. 8). Moreover, the partition member 83 may not have a rear end part.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the front end 83a faces the two side regions in the width direction of the sheet glass SG and the region (central region) between the two side regions, and runs along the edge of the sheet glass SG. Extend in the width direction. In this case, the inclination angle of the front end portion 83a is preferably smaller than the portion facing the two side areas, and smaller than the portion facing the central area. The reason is that if the glass chips and the like that fall to the part of the front end 83a facing the two side areas of the sheet glass SG slip off, they may adhere to the surface of the lower pull-down rollers 81a to 81g, making the sheet The glass SG has scratches, and the scratches become the starting point of cracks. For the same reason, the length of the front end 83a in the extending direction is also preferably greater than the part of the front end 83a facing the both sides of the sheet glass SG in the width direction, rather than facing the central area. The tip portion 83a is short.

Figs. 7 and 8 show modified examples of the partition member. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modification example of the partition member 83. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another modification example of the partition member 83. The partition member 83 may also be configured such that the front end portion 83a rotates relative to the rear end portion 83b like the modification shown in FIG. 7. In this modification, the front end 83a is connected to the rear end 83b by a hinge, and can be rotated as shown by the broken line in FIG. 7. In the modification shown in FIG. 7, only the front end portion 83a is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. Therefore, it is easier to increase the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction compared with the case where the entire partition member 83 is rotated and inclined.

In addition, the partition member 83 can also be constructed in such a way that the entirety of the partition member 83 rotates relative to the furnace wall like the modified example shown in FIG. 8. The furnace wall is a structure that surrounds the overflow chamber 20, the forming chamber 30, and the cooling chamber 80 and is composed of a heat insulating member. The modification shown in FIG. 8 is an example in which the inclination angles of the front end portion 83a and the rear end portion 83b are equal. In this modified example, the partition member 83 is constructed such that the end (rear end) of the rear end 83b farthest from the sheet glass SG rotates around the rotation shaft provided on the furnace wall. The partition member 83 can be rotated as shown by the broken line in FIG. 8.

If the front end 83a is located in front of the heater 82, the radiation of heat from the heater 82 will be shielded according to its inclination angle. In the above-described modification example, the partition member 83 is used, and the front end 83a or the entire partition member 83 is rotated during operation, and the upper surface of the front end 83a extends in the horizontal direction or changes the inclination angle relative to the horizontal direction. Rotate in a small way. Thereby, the heat radiated from the heater 82 can be adjusted, and the temperature of the sheet glass SG can be adjusted. In addition, in the case where the glass sheet or the like that is broken and dropped from the sheet glass SG is present on the tip portion 83a, for example, the partition member 83 of the modified example described above can be used. In operation, from FIGS. 7 and 8 Starting from the state shown by the solid line, the entire front end portion 83a or the partition member 83 is rotated to increase the inclination angle. Thereby, the glass piece etc. which exist on the front-end|tip part 83a can slide and fall downward. The change of the inclination angle can be performed manually or automatically using a method such as applying a mechanical force generated by a spring or a cylinder to the front end portion 83a or the partition member 83.

9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of rotating the modification of the partition member 83 shown in FIG. 8 using the driving device 70 provided with the cylinder 71. FIG. Specifically, the driving device 70 includes a cylinder 71 and a shaft 72 that reciprocates with respect to the cylinder 71. The cylinder 71 is arranged to rotate relative to the furnace wall. The shaft 72 is connected to the partition member 83. In this modified example, as the shaft 72 moves relative to the cylinder 71, the inclination angle of the partition member 83 changes. For example, the partition member 83 rotates between the state shown in FIG. 9(a) extending in the horizontal direction and the state shown in FIG. 9(b) inclined with respect to the horizontal direction.

The working method for rotating the front end portion 83a or the partition member 83 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 9, and is appropriately selected according to the structure in the furnace or the temperature in the furnace where the partition member 83 is provided. The modified example of the partition member 83 described above can be appropriately adopted for the purpose of removing a glass piece or the like.

According to one embodiment, it is preferable that among the plurality of partition members 83, the length of the front end 83a (first front end) of the upstream partition member 83 in the extending direction is longer than the front end 83a (second end) of the downstream partition member 83 The front end) has a long length in the extending direction. The heat of the radiant heat from the heater 82 is greater as the heater 82 is located on the upstream side. Therefore, it is preferable to increase the length in the extending direction of the first front end portion 83a to improve the partition function of the partition member 83. In this case, it is preferable that the length of the extending direction of the partition member 83 be continuously or stepwisely shortened from the upstream side to the downstream side. Furthermore, according to one embodiment, it is preferable that among the plurality of partition members 83, the inclination angle of the front end 83a (first front end) of the upstream partition member 83 with respect to the horizontal direction is lower than that of the downstream partition member 83 The inclination angle of the tip portion 83a (second tip portion) with respect to the horizontal direction is small. As described above, the heat of the radiant heat from the heater 82 is greater as the heater 82 is located on the upstream side. Therefore, it is preferable to reduce the inclination angle of the first tip portion 83a so that the radiant heat from the heater 82 is shielded The resulting influence on the temperature adjustment of the sheet glass SG is reduced. In this case, it is preferable that the inclination angle of the partition member 83 increases continuously or stepwise from the upstream side to the downstream side.

The position of the rotation axis center O of the pull-down rollers 81a-81g is preferably located above or below the height range H (refer to FIG. 6) where the heater 82 is located in the direction along the conveying direction as shown in FIG. For example, the position of the rotation axis center O of the pull-down roller 81a is below the lower end of the heater 82a and above the upper end of the heater 82b. In this way, the position of the rotation axis center O of the pull-down rollers 81a-81g and the height range H of the heater 82 do not overlap (deviate) in the conveying direction, so the radiant heat from the heater 82 is not easily shielded by the pull-down rollers 81a-81g , Can suppress the temperature drop on both sides of the sheet glass SG. Therefore, the uniform temperature distribution in the width direction in the sheet glass SG can be effectively realized.

In this case, it is preferable that the position of the rotation axis center O of the pull-down rollers 81a to 81f and the two heaters 82 arranged near the upper and lower sides of the conveying direction have a distance between the heater 82 arranged closer to the upper side and the heater 82 arranged closer to the lower part. The heater 82 has a long interval. The sheet glass SG is cooled so that the temperature decreases sequentially along the conveying direction, and therefore, the heater 82 located on the upstream side is controlled so that the radiant heat becomes larger. The pull-down rollers 81a-81f and the lower heater 82 are separated by the partition member 83. Therefore, even if the distance between the pull-down rollers 81a-81f and the lower heater 82 is shorter than the distance between the pull-down rollers 81a-81f and the upper heater 82, The heat received from the heater 82 by the pull-down rollers 81a to 81f can be suppressed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the pull-down rollers 81a to 81f from being overheated by the heater 82.

(2-8) Cutting device The cutting device 90 cuts the sheet glass SG cooled to a temperature near room temperature in the cooling chamber 80 into a specific size. The cutting device 90 cuts the sheet glass SG at specific time intervals. Thereby, sheet glass SG becomes a plurality of glass plates. The cutting device 90 is driven by a cutting device drive motor 392 (refer to FIG. 5).

(2-9) Control device The control device 500 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit, central processing unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), hard disk, etc. The glass substrate manufacturing device 100 Control of various machines included in it. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of the control device 500 of an embodiment.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the control device 500 receives signals from various sensors (e.g., thermocouple 380) or switches (e.g., main power switch 381) included in the glass substrate manufacturing apparatus 100, and performs a cooling unit 60. Control of heaters 82a to 82g, cooling roll drive motor 390, pull-down roll drive motor 391, cutting device drive motor 392, etc.

According to this embodiment, with the partition function of the partition member 83, the temperature control based on the heater 82 can be appropriately performed, and when the sheet glass SG is cracked, the heater 82 can be protected from falling objects and prevented The fallen objects are accumulated on the partition member 83.

As mentioned above, the present embodiment has been described based on the drawings, but the specific structure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the pull-down rollers 81a to 81g may be arranged at equal intervals in the conveying direction, or may be arranged at different intervals in the conveying direction. For example, regarding the interval between the pull-down rollers 81a to 81g adjacent in the conveying direction, the interval may be larger toward the downstream side. In addition, the pull-down rollers 81a to 81g may not be arranged in each space partitioned by the partition member 83.

11‧‧‧Dissolving device 12‧‧‧Clarification device 20‧‧‧Overflow Chamber 23‧‧‧Upstream pipeline 24‧‧‧Downstream pipeline 30‧‧‧Forming room 40‧‧‧Forming device 41‧‧‧Form 41a‧‧‧Lower end 41b‧‧‧Top 41c‧‧‧Side 42‧‧‧Inlet 43‧‧‧Slot 50‧‧‧Insulation component 51‧‧‧Cooling Roll 60‧‧‧Cooling unit 61～63‧‧‧Central area cooling element 64、65‧‧‧Side cooling element 70‧‧‧Drive device 71‧‧‧Cylinder 72‧‧‧Axis 80‧‧‧Cooling room 81a～81g‧‧‧Down roller 82a～82g‧‧‧Heater (temperature adjustment device) 83‧‧‧Partition member 83a‧‧‧Front end 83b‧‧‧Back end 90‧‧‧Cutting device 100‧‧‧Glass substrate manufacturing equipment 380‧‧‧thermocouple 381‧‧‧Main power switch 390‧‧‧Cooling roller drive motor 391‧‧‧Down roller drive motor 392‧‧‧Cutting device drive motor 500‧‧‧Control device CA‧‧‧Central area FG‧‧‧Molten glass H‧‧‧Height range L1‧‧‧Length L2‧‧‧Interval L3‧‧‧Interval O‧‧‧Rotation axis center R, L‧‧‧ side S‧‧‧Slit S1‧‧‧Melting step S2‧‧‧Clarification steps S3‧‧‧Forming steps S4‧‧‧Cooling step S5‧‧‧Cut off step SG‧‧‧Sheet Glass

Fig. 1 is a flowchart of the glass plate manufacturing method of this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a glass plate manufacturing device used in a glass plate manufacturing method. Fig. 3 is a schematic view (cross-sectional view) of the forming apparatus. Figure 4 is a schematic view (side view) of the forming device. Figure 5 is a control block diagram of the control device. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a part of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a modified example of the partition member. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a modified example of the partition member. Figures 9 (a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating the operation of the modification of Figure 8;

S1‧‧‧Melting step

S2‧‧‧Clarification steps

S3‧‧‧Forming steps

S4‧‧‧Cooling step

S5‧‧‧Cut off step

Claims (10)

A method for manufacturing a glass substrate, characterized by comprising: a forming step, which uses an overflow down-draw method to shape molten glass to form a glass plate; and a cooling step, which is in a space surrounded by a furnace wall, and one side uses the glass A plurality of conveying roller pairs arranged in the conveying direction of the plate clamp the two sides of the width direction of the glass plate, while conveying and cooling the glass plate in the downward direction; a plurality of partitioning members are arranged in the above space, the partition The members are arranged at intervals in the conveying direction, and the space is divided into a plurality of spaces along the conveying direction, and slits for passing the glass plate are formed. In the cooling step, one side passes through one of the slits. The glass plate is conveyed by the method, while cooling the glass plate using a temperature adjusting device that controls the temperature of the glass plate, the temperature adjusting device is installed at a position opposite to the glass plate to control the temperature of the partitioned space, In order to control the temperature of the glass plate along the width direction, the partition member has a front end portion that extends obliquely downward to the glass plate from above the temperature adjusting device so as to face the glass plate. , And the front end portion is disposed at an interval with respect to other partition members disposed closest to the bottom of the front end portion. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 1, wherein the partition member further has a rear end portion connected to the front end portion and extending away from the glass plate, and above the temperature adjustment device, The above-mentioned temperature adjustment device is upstream of the above-mentioned conveying direction The space on the side is separated. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 1, wherein the front end portion is along the width direction of the glass plate so as to face the two sides of the glass plate in the width direction and the area between the two sides. Extend, and the inclination angle of the front end portion is smaller than the portion of the front end portion facing the area between the two side areas. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 2, wherein the front end portion is along the width direction of the glass plate so as to face the two sides of the glass plate in the width direction and the area between the two sides. Extend, and the inclination angle of the front end portion is smaller than the portion of the front end portion facing the area between the two side areas. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the temperature adjustment device is referred to as a first temperature adjustment device, the partition member is referred to as a first partition member, and the tip portion is referred to as a first 1. In the case of the tip, in the cooling step, use the temperature of the second temperature adjusting device arranged along the conveying direction of the glass plate and including at least the first temperature adjusting device and the second temperature adjusting device arranged below the first temperature adjusting device The adjusting device row cools the glass plate in such a way that the temperature of the glass plate is successively lowered along the conveying direction, and the second temperature adjusting device extends at least between the second temperature adjusting device and the horizontal direction of the glass plate The second partition member, the space on the upstream side with respect to the above conveying direction The second partition member has a second front end portion that extends obliquely from the horizontal direction toward the glass plate from above the second temperature adjustment device so as to face the glass plate, and The length in the extending direction of the first tip portion is longer than the length in the extending direction of the second tip portion. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the position of the center of the rotation axis of the roller of the conveying roller pair is within the height range where the temperature adjusting device is located in the direction along the conveying direction Above or below. The method of manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 5, wherein the position of the center of the rotation axis of the roller of the conveying roller pair is above or below the height range where the temperature adjusting device is located in the direction along the conveying direction. The method of manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 6, wherein at least a part of the pair of conveying rollers in the pair of conveying rollers are arranged such that the center of the rotation axis is located between the temperature adjusting devices adjacent in the conveying direction, and the more located in the conveying direction The conveying roller pair on the downstream side of the direction, the smaller the distance between the roller of the conveying roller pair and the temperature adjusting device arranged closest to the roller above the roller along the conveying direction. The method of manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 7, wherein at least a part of the pair of transfer rollers in the pair of transfer rollers are located at the center of the rotation axis and the temperature adjustment device adjacent to the transfer direction The distance between the pair of conveying rollers located on the downstream side of the conveying direction, the distance between the roller of the pair of conveying rollers and the temperature adjusting device arranged closest to the roller above the rollers along the conveying direction small. A glass substrate manufacturing device, characterized by being equipped with a forming device for forming a glass sheet by forming molten glass using an overflow down-draw method. The forming device includes a plurality of pairs of conveying rollers, etc., along the space enclosed by the furnace wall. The conveying direction of the glass plate is arranged at intervals, while the two sides of the width direction of the glass plate are clamped, and the glass plate is conveyed downward; a plurality of partition members are spaced apart in the conveying direction Arrange and divide the space into a plurality of spaces along the conveying direction, and form slits through which the glass plate passes; and a temperature adjustment device that controls the temperature of the glass plate conveyed by passing through the slits , Cooling the glass plate; and the temperature adjusting device is installed at a position opposite to the glass plate to control the temperature of the partitioned space to control the temperature of the glass plate along the width direction; the partition member has A front end portion extending from above the temperature adjusting device to the glass plate obliquely downwards relative to the horizontal direction so as to face the glass plate, and the front end portion relative to the other disposed below the front end portion The partition members are arranged at intervals.

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