US20180319580A1

US20180319580A1 - Accommodation container

Info

Publication number: US20180319580A1
Application number: US15/756,913
Authority: US
Inventors: Dong Keun Shin; Choul Hee Park; Sang Yoon Oh
Original assignee: Corning Precision Materials Co Ltd
Current assignee: Corning Precision Materials Co Ltd
Priority date: 2015-09-02
Filing date: 2016-08-31
Publication date: 2018-11-08
Also published as: CN107949526B; CN107949526A; TWI636926B; KR101823935B1; WO2017039326A1; KR20170027483A; TW201718355A

Abstract

The present invention relates to an accommodation container and, more specifically, to an accommodation container capable of easily and simply winding a flexible glass-bonded substrate and accommodating the same. To this end, the present invention provides the accommodation container comprising: a container body having a slit, formed at one side thereof, for providing a passage such that the flexible glass-bonded substrate having magnetism is inserted or withdrawn; and a core part rotatably formed inside the container body, formed in parallel to the slit, and winding, around the outer peripheral surface thereof, the flexible glass-bonded substrate by rotation in a state in which the end portion of the flexible glass-bonded substrate, inserted into the container body through the slit, is fixed by magnetic adsorption.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to a storage container. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a storage container able to simply and easily accommodate a flexible glass-bonded substrate in a wound state.

BACKGROUND ART

Glass, as a type of material that is optically transparent, hard, and brittle, may be manufactured to have a thickness of several millimeters and is used as the substrates of a variety of industrial products. Recently, in response to the development of various technologies, the thickness of the glass used in such substrates is gradually decreasing. In particular, current developments in the glass-manufacturing technologies used by specialist glass manufacturers for special compositions and surface quality management have arrived at such a level that ultrathin flexible glass substrates can be manufactured to have a thickness of 0.3 mm or less and can be wound as a roll.
At present, ultrathin flexible glass substrates are in the early stages of development, with the possibility thereof of being used in several applications being investigated. It is expected that the use of ultrathin flexible glass substrates will increase to have applications in a variety of fields, such as in healthcare devices, wearable devices, and the like, as well as display substrates, to which ultrathin flexible glass substrates are being applied. Among the variety of applications of ultrathin flexible glass substrates, applications in which ultrathin flexible glass substrates are used as the outer layers (skins) of other substrates have recently increased. Applications or technologies in which ultrathin flexible glass substrates are applied as the outer layers of other substrates, use a variety of bonding techniques in order to bond ultrathin flexible glass substrates to industrial materials having a certain thickness, such as steel, wood, plastic, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Consequently, the advantages of glass, such as a high level of surface hardness, ease of cleaning, a barrier function, or the like, are combined with the properties of the industrial materials, whereby flexible glass bonded substrates having a variety of superior characteristics can be manufactured.
Flexible glass bonded substrates must be packaged and transported in order to be sold or used. In this regard, a storage container dedicated to flexible glass bonded substrates is required. The storage container is required to have certain characteristics, such as a small volume, lightness, and the ability to protect flexible glass bonded substrates accommodated therein. For this, in the related art, a flexible glass bonded substrate is wound around a hollow cylindrical core, and an outer cover is wrapped on the flexible glass bonded substrate in order to protect the flexible glass bonded substrate that would otherwise be exposed to external impacts.
However, when the flexible glass bonded substrate is unwound, it may be difficult to strip the flexible glass bonded substrate from the core, depending on how the proximal end of the flexible glass bonded substrate is fixed to the core. After the flexible glass bonded substrate is unwound, the cover must be stripped from the flexible glass bonded substrate, which may be somewhat difficult. Consequently, the longevity of the cover may be decreased, which is problematic. In brief, in the related art, the method of accommodating flexible glass bonded substrates or the storage container dedicated to the accommodation of flexible glass bonded substrates may be inconvenient for users, which is problematic.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

Various aspects of the present disclosure provide a storage container able to simply and easily accommodate a flexible glass-bonded substrate in a wound state.

Technical Solution

According to an aspect, a storage container includes: a container body having an entrance such as a slit through which a flexible glass-bonded substrate having magnetism is introduced or withdrawn; and a core part rotatably disposed within the container body to extend in parallel to the slit. The core part can magnetically fix the proximal end of the flexible glass-bonded substrate introduced into the container body through the entrance, such that the flexible glass-bonded substrate is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the core part when the core part is rotated.
The core part may include: a core body having both ends opposing each other in the longitudinal direction of the core body, the core body being rotatably coupled to corresponding walls of the container body; and magnet units arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the core body in the longitudinal direction of the core body, thereby magnetically attracting and fixing the proximal end of the flexible glass-bonded substrate to the outer circumferential surface of the core body.
The core part may include: a core body having both ends opposing each other in the longitudinal direction of the core body, the core body being rotatably coupled to corresponding walls of the container body; and magnet units arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the core body in the longitudinal direction of the core body, thereby magnetically attracting and fixing the proximal end of the flexible glass-bonded substrate to the magnet units.
The core body may include: a plurality of disks erected perpendicularly to the bottom surface of the container body, and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the core body while facing each other; and a plurality of connecting bars connecting outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of disks together, and extending in the longitudinal direction of the core body.
Each of the disks may have at least one through hole which is formed through the disk.
The magnet units may be disposed on at least one connecting bar among the plurality of connecting bars.
The magnet units may be disposed on at least two connecting bars adjacent to each other among the plurality of connecting bars.
The plurality of disks may have fitting recesses on the outer circumferential surfaces thereof, each fitting recess having a depth corresponding to the thickness of each connecting bar. The plurality of connecting bars may be fitted into the fitting recesses of the plurality of disks.
The plurality of connecting bars may have recesses on the surfaces thereof, each recess having a depth corresponding to the thickness of each magnet unit. The magnet units may be fitted into the recesses of the plurality of connecting bars.
The storage container may further include a guide part disposed on the bottom surface of the container body, the guide part guiding the flexible glass-bonded substrate introduced into the container body toward the core part.
The guide part may include an inclined surface inclined upwardly toward the core part in a direction in which the flexible glass-bonded substrate is introduced.
The guide part may further include a horizontal surface below the core part and connected to the inclined surface. The storage container may further include at least one roller disposed on the horizontal surface, the at least one roller being in rolling contact with the underside surface of the flexible glass-bonded surface.
The roller may be supported elastically in the top-bottom direction.
The storage container may further include a brush on the upper surface of the entrance, such that the upper surface of the flexible glass-bonded substrate comes into contact with the brush.
The storage container may further include handles connected to the core part and projecting from the outer surfaces of the container body, such that a user can rotate the core part using the handles.
The flexible glass-bonded substrate may include a base substrate and an ultra-thin sheet of glass bonded to the base substrate.
The thickness of the ultra-thin sheet of glass may be 0.3 mm or less.

Advantageous Effects

According to the present disclosure, the core part can wind or unwind a flexible glass bonded substrate while magnetically fixing the proximal end of the flexible glass bonded substrate having magnetism in a fixed position. It is therefore easier and simpler to wind and accommodate the flexible glass bonded substrate or unwind and use the flexible glass bonded substrate in a more reliable manner. Physical force applied to the flexible glass bonded substrate when winding or unwinding the flexible glass bonded substrate is minimized, whereby the flexible glass bonded substrate can be protected from damage.
In addition, according to the present disclosure, the core part is disposed within the container body, whereby the flexible glass bonded substrate wound around the core part is also accommodated within the container body. It is therefore possible to fundamentally prevent the flexible glass bonded substrate from being contaminated by external dust or impurities.
Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, the core part is structured such that the weight thereof is minimized, such that the storage container can be more easily transported.
In addition, according to the present disclosure, the proximal end of the flexible glass bonded substrate is introduced into the container body by being guided to the core part along the inclined surface of the guide part disposed on the bottom surface of the container body. It is therefore possible to magnetically fix the flexible glass bonded substrate in a more reliable manner.
Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, the elastically supported roller disposed on the horizontal surface of the guide part can guide the flexible glass bonded substrate having a range of thicknesses to the core part.
In addition, according to the present disclosure, in the process of winding the flexible glass bonded substrate that has been used as a blackboard or a whiteboard, letters or the like can be conveniently erased from the surface of the flexible glass bonded substrate using the brush disposed on the upper inner surface of the slit of the container body. Impurities can also be removed from the surface of the flexible glass bonded substrate while the flexible glass bonded substrate is being wound. It is therefore possible to prevent a sheet of ultrathin glass forming one surface of the flexible glass bonded substrate from being broken due to impurities when winding the flexible glass bonded substrate.
Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to simply and easily wind or unwind the flexible glass bonded substrate by rotating the core part forwards or backwards using a handle projecting from the outer wall surface of the container body.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a storage container according to a first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the strorage container in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a storage container according to a second exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a top-plan view illustrating the core part illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the storage container in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a storage container according to a third exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a storage container according to a fourth exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are cross-sectional views schematically illustrating the upward and downward movements of the roller according to the thicknesses of flexible glass bonded substrates.

MODE FOR INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to a storage container according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below, so that a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure relates could easily put the present disclosure into practice.
Throughout this document, reference should be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals and symbols will be used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or like components. In the following description, detailed descriptions of known functions and components incorporated herein will be omitted in the case that the subject matter of the present disclosure is rendered unclear by the inclusion thereof.
Hereinafter, a storage container according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the storage container 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment is a container accommodating a flexible glass bonded substrate 10 therein, such that the volume of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is minimized in order to easily store or transport the flexible glass bonded substrate 10. Here, the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 includes a base substrate 11 and an ultrathin glass sheet 12 bonded to the base substrate 11. When flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is used as, for example, a board (a blackboard or a whiteboard), the base substrate 11 may be formed of a magnetic material based on, for example, steel, wood, plastic, or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), such that the base substrate 11 can be freely attached to and detached from a wall formed of metal. The thickness of the base substrate 11 may range from 100 μm to 5,000 μm. The thickness of the ultrathin glass sheet 12 may be 0.3 mm or less. The ultrathin glass sheet 12 is bonded to the base substrate 11 by means of an adhesive layer 13. The ultrathin glass sheet 12 forms the surface of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 to be used as a board, due to advantageous characteristics thereof, such as a high level of surface hardness and ease of cleaning. The use of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 as a board is merely illustrative, and the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 may be applied to a variety of fields.
In order to accommodate the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 as described above, the storage container 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment includes a container body 110 and a core part 120.
The container body 110 forms the outer casing of the storage container 100. The container body 110 has a hollow interior space in which the core part 120 is disposed and in which the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is accommodated. Although the container body 110 is illustrated as being box-shaped, the container body 110 may be cylindrical. The container body 110 has a slit 111 functioning as an entrance through which the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is introduced and withdrawn. It is preferable that the slit 111 be formed in the bottom of the front surface of the container body 110 so that the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 can be easily introduced and withdrawn. When the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is used as the board, letters or the like that have not been erased may be left on or impurities may remain stuck to the upper surface of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 (based on the paper surface of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2), i.e. the surface of the ultrathin glass sheet 12. Thus, a brush 112 is disposed on the upper inner surface of the slit 111 of the container body such that the brush 112 is in contact with the upper surface of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10. For example, the brush 112 may have the form of a curtain extending in the longitudinal direction of the slit 111. When the brush 112 is disposed on the upper inner surface of the slit 111, the letters or impurities may be removed from the surface of the ultrathin glass sheet 12 through contact with the brush 112 while the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is being introduced into the container body 110, i.e. while the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is sliding into the container body 110 through the slit 111. Consequently, there is a comfort for users in that the operation of intentionally removing letters or impurities is not required. In addition, it is possible to prevent the ultrathin glass sheet 11 forming the upper surface of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10, i.e. one surface of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10, from being broken by impurities when the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is wound around the core part 120. In this regard, the brush 112 may also be disposed on the lower inner surface of the slit 111. When the brush 112 is disposed on the lower inner surface of the slit 111, the undersurface of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 (based on the paper surface), i.e. the surface of the base substrate 11, can be prevented from being marked through contact with the lower inner surface of the slit 111 while the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is being introduced into the container body 110. In addition, resistance is minimized, such that the operation of winding the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 can be easily performed with a small amount of force.
Handles 113 connected to the rotary shaft of the core part 120 may project from two outer surfaces of the container body 110, such that a user can simply and easily rotate the core part 120 from outside of the container body 110. The handle 113 may be manipulated to rotate the core part 120 in the forward direction in which the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is wound and in the backward direction in which the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is unwound. In addition, the handles 113 may have a foldable structure in order to prevent an increase in volume. Thus, when the storage container 100 is transported, the handles 113 can be folded onto the outer surfaces of the container body 110. In addition, the handles 113 may be unfolded horizontally, such that the user can rotate the handles 113 by holding the handles 113 with hands when winding or unwinding the flexible glass bonded substrate 10. At this time, since the user manipulates the rotation of the core part 120 within the container body 110 using the handles 113 from outside the container body 110, the user is required to be able to visually recognize the rotation of the core part 120 and/or the state of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 being wound around or unwound from the core part 120. In this regard, the entire surfaces or the upper surface of the container body 110 may be formed of a transparent material such that the user can see into the container body 110. In addition, the container body 110 may be configured such that a portion or the entirety of the upper surface thereof is open. After the operation of winding the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 on the core part 120 using the handles 113 is completed, the handles 113 may accidently be rotated backwards by an external impact, and thereby, the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 may be unwound. In order to prevent this, the handles 113 may be provided with a locking unit (not shown) allowing or stopping the rotation of the handles 113, i.e. setting the handles 113 to a locked position or an unlocked position.
The core part 120 is rotatably disposed within the container body 110. Since the core part 120 is disposed within the container body 110, the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 wound around the core part 120 is accommodated within the container body 110, whereby the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is entirely prevented from being contaminated by external dust or impurities. Here, the core part 120 magnetically fixes the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 introduced into the container body 110 through the slit 111, so that the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 can be wound around the outer circumferential surface of the core part when the core part is rotated. When the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is magnetically fixed to the core part 120, the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 may be accommodated by being wound or may be unwound to be used, more simply and easily in a reliable manner. In addition, when the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is wound or unwound, the amount of physical force applied to the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 may be minimized, thereby preventing the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 from being damaged during a winding or unwinding operation.
The core part 120 according to the first embodiment includes a core body 121 and a magnet unit 122. The core body is in the shape of a cylinder having a hollow interior space. Both longitudinal ends of the core body 121 are rotatably coupled to both side walls of the container body 110. In addition, both longitudinal ends of the core body 121 are connected to the handles 113 projecting from outer surfaces of both the side walls of the container body 110. The hollow space formed within the core body 121 not only provides a space in which the magnet unit 122 is disposed but also allows the storage container 100 to be easily transported, i.e. reduces the weight of the core part 120. It is preferable that the outer diameter of the core body 121 range from 400 mm to 800 mm. When the outer diameter of the core body 121 is less than 400 mm, the curvature of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 wound around the core body 121 is excessively large, whereby the ultrathin glass sheet 12 of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 may be broken during winding. When the outer diameter of the core body 121 exceeds 800 mm, the volume of the container body 110 accommodating the core body 121 is also enlarged by the same amount, whereby the storage container 100 may not pass through an office door of a typical size. In other words, if the outer diameter of the core body 121 is greater than 800 mm, the use of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 as a board is inconvenient, since the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 must be unwound from the core body 121 outside of a workplace office before moving the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 into the workplace. In addition, when the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is manufactured within a room, it may be difficult to move the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 wound around the core body 121 through the door.
The magnet unit 122 is disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the core body 110, extending in the longitudinal direction through the interior space of the core body 110. The magnet unit 122 magnetically attracts the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10, whereby the proximal end 10 a sticks to the outer circumferential surface of the core body 110. The magnet unit 122 may be implemented as a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. For example, when an electromagnet is provided as the magnet unit 122, it is possible to unwind the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 from the outer circumferential surface of the core body 110 by simply blocking the supply of current to the magnet unit 122. The proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 magnetically fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the core body 110 can be released therefrom without the application of physical force, and the strength of the magnetic force is adjustable. It is therefore possible to reduce costs and reduce the weight of the magnetic unit 122.
When the magnet unit 122 fixes the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 in this manner, the operation of winding or unwinding the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 may be reliably performed.
When the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is to be accommodated in the storage container 100 according to the first embodiment, the magnet unit 122 is positioned to be close to the slit 111 by rotating the handles 113. Subsequently, the operation of holding both transverse sides of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 and then, pushing the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 into the container body 110 through the slit 111 is performed. When the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is pushed inwardly by a certain length, the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 formed of a magnetic material is stuck onto the outer circumferential surface of the core body 121 by being attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet unit 122. In the position in which the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the core body 121, when the handles 113 are rotated forwards, the core body 121 connected to the handles 113 rotates forwards. Consequently, the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 having the proximal end 10 a fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the core body 121 is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the core body 121. In this case, letters written on or impurities stuck to the surface of the ultrathin glass sheet 12, i.e. the upper surface of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10, are erased or removed by the brush 112 disposed on the upper inner surface of the slit 111 while the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is being introduced into the core body 121 through the slit 111.
When the operation of winding the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is completed, the locking unit (not shown) disposed on the handles 113 is set to the locked position, thereby preventing the handles 113 from rotating backwards or restraining the rotation of the handles. Consequently, it is possible to reliably store or transport flexible glass bonded substrate 10 accommodated in the storage container 100.
In the case of unwinding the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 wound and accommodated within the storage container 100, the locking unit (not shown) is set to the unlocked position, and subsequently, the handles 113 are rotated backwards. Then, the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 wound around the core part 120 is withdrawn through the slit 111. Finally, when the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is pulled from the container body 110 through slight force being applied thereto, the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is released from the outer circumferential surface of the core body 121 to which the proximal end 10 a has been stuck due to the magnetic force of the magnet unit 122. After simply and easily withdrawing the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 from the storage container 100 in this manner, the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 can now be used.
Hereinafter, a storage container according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the storage container according to the second exemplary embodiment, FIG. 4 is a top-plan view illustrating the core part illustrated in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the storage container illustrated in FIG. 3.
As illustrated in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, the storage container 200 according to the second exemplary embodiment includes the container body 110 and a core part 220.
The second exemplary embodiment is substantially identical to the first exemplary embodiment, except for the structure of the core part. Like reference numerals will be used to denote the same components and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.
The core part 220 according to the second exemplary embodiment includes a core body 221 and magnet units 222. Both longitudinal ends of the core body 221 are rotatably coupled to both side walls of the container body 110, and are connected to handles 113 projecting from outer surfaces of both the side walls of the container body 110. The core body 221 includes a plurality of disks 223 and a plurality of connecting bars 225.
The plurality of disks 223 are erected to be perpendicular to the bottom surface of the container body 110, and are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction (i.e. the direction parallel to the slit 111) such that the plurality of disks 223 face each other. In addition, the plurality of connecting bars 225 are disposed on the outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of disks 223 and extend in the longitudinal direction of the core body 221 formed by the plurality of disks 223 spaced apart from each other, thereby connecting the plurality of disks 223. As illustrated in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, the plurality of connecting bars 225 may include connecting bar sets disposed on the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the plurality of disks 223, each of the connecting bar sets consists of two or more connecting bars 225. For this, each of the plurality of disks 223 has fitting recesses on the outer circumferential surfaces to a depth corresponding to the thickness of the connecting bars 225. Each of the connecting bars 225 is fitted into the corresponding fitting recesses of the plurality of disks 223. Since the connecting bars 225 are fitted to the fitting recesses, the depth of which corresponds to the thickness of the connecting bars 225, the circumferential surfaces of the disks 223 and the surfaces of the connecting bars 225 may be coplanar without any differences in height, whereby the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is provided with winding surfaces equivalent to the winding surface of the cylindrical core body (121 in FIG. 1) according to the first exemplary embodiment. The core body 221 is formed as an assembly of the plurality of disks 223 and the plurality of connecting bars 225 in order to minimize weight, whereby the storage container 200 can be more easily transported. According to the second exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of disks 223 has at least one through hole 224 which is formed through the disk, in order to further reduce the weight of the core body 221, and consequently, the weight of the storage container 220. The size of the holes 224 may be maximized within the range in which the strength of the disks 223 is maintained. Although each of the holes 224 may have the shape of a fan as illustrated in FIG. 3, this is merely illustrative. The holes 224 may have a variety of shapes, such as a hook, a cross, or the like, and the number of the holes is not limited.
The magnet units 222 are disposed on one or more connecting bars 225 among the plurality of connecting bars 225. According to the second exemplary embodiment, the magnet units 222 are disposed on one set of connecting bars 225 on one side of the disks 223. Although the number of the connecting bars 225 on which the magnet units 222 are disposed is not limited, it is preferable that the magnet units 222 be disposed on connecting bars 225 among the plurality of connecting bars 225 disposed adjacent to each other. The magnet units 222 disposed on the connecting bars 225 adjacent to each other has the following effect: In the case in which the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is required to be wound around the core part 220, even if the first magnet unit 222 confronting the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 fails to fix the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 to the surface thereof by magnetically attracting the proximal end 10 a, the following second or third magnet unit 222 can immediately fix the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10. As described above, when the magnet units 222 are disposed on the connecting bars 225 adjacent to each other, the reliability and efficiency of the operation of accommodating the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 in the storage container 220 can be improved.
In addition, each of the connecting bars 225 has a plurality of fitting recesses disposed in the longitudinal direction, the depth of the fitting recesses corresponding to the thickness of the magnet units 222. Thus, one surface of each of the magnet units 222 is exposed externally. Since the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is directly held by the externally-exposed surfaces of the magnet units 222, it is possible to more reliably and securely fix the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 and then, wind the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 around the core body 221. According to the second exemplary embodiment, the connecting bars 225 are fitted into the fitting recesses formed in the circumferential surfaces of the disks 223 to the depth corresponding to the thickness of the connecting bars 225, and the magnet units 222 are fitted into the fitting recesses formed in the surfaces of the connecting bars 225 to the depth corresponding to the thickness of the magnet units 222. Thus, the circumferential surfaces of the disks 223, the outer surfaces of the connecting bars 225, and the outer surfaces of the magnet units 225 form smooth winding surfaces without any differences in height, thereby preventing the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 from being damaged or deformed while the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is being wound.
Hereinafter, a storage container according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 6.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the storage container according to the third exemplary embodiment.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, the storage container 300 includes the container body 110, the core part 220, and a guide part 311.
The third exemplary embodiment is substantially identical to the second exemplary embodiment, except that the guide part is added. Like reference numerals will be used to denote the same components and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.
The guide part 311 according to the third exemplary embodiment is disposed on the bottom of the container body 110. The guide part 311 guides the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 introduced into the container body 110 through the slit 111 toward the core part 220, more particularly, toward the magnet units 222, such that the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 can be easily fixed by the magnet units 222. In this regard, the guide part 311 includes an inclined surface 312 inclined upwardly toward the magnet units 222 of the core part 220 in the direction in which the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is introduced. The inclined surface 312 may be a surface of a block, the cross-section of which is a triangle, but this is not intended to be limiting.
According to the third exemplary embodiment, it is possible to guide the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 introduced into the container body 110 to the magnet units 222 of the core part 220 along the inclined surface of the guide part 311 disposed on the bottom of the container body 110, whereby the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 can be magnetically fixed to the magnet units 222 in a more reliable manner. In addition, the guide part 311 disposed on the bottom of the container body 110 can reduce the volume of the core part 220 by a volume equal to the volume of the guide part 311 and consequently the weight of the core part 220, whereby the storage container 300 can be more easily transported. Referring to FIG. 6, the inclined surface 312 has a height at which the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 can be directly fixed to the magnet units 222, but this is merely for clearly illustrating the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 being guided toward the magnet units 222 by the inclined surface 312. Substantially, the inclined surface 312 must have a height at which the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 can be guided to the region that the magnetic force of the magnet units 222 reaches. That is, even in the case in which the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is introduced on top of the inclined surface 312, a gap must remain between the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 and the magnet units 222, such that the inclined surface 312 does not interfere with the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 when the volume of the core part 220 is increased with the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 being wound around the core part 220.
Although the coupling relationship between the core part 220 according to the second exemplary embodiment and the guide part 311 according to the third exemplary embodiment has been illustrated in this part of the specification, the guide part 311 may be applied as a component guiding the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 to the magnet units 122 of the core part 120 (see FIG. 1) according to the first exemplary embodiment.
Hereinafter, a storage container according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 7 to FIG. 9.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the storage container according to the fourth exemplary embodiment, and FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are cross-sectional views schematically illustrating the upward and downward movements of the roller according to the thicknesses of flexible glass bonded substrates.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the storage container 400 according to the fourth exemplary embodiment includes the container body 110, the core part 220, and a guide part 411.
The fourth exemplary embodiment is substantially identical to the second exemplary embodiment, except that the guide part is added. Like reference numerals will be used to denote the same components and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.
The guide part 411 according to the fourth exemplary embodiment is disposed on the bottom of the container body 110. The guide part 411 performs a guiding function such that the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 introduced into the container body 110 through the slit 111 is guided toward the magnet units 222 of the core part 220. In this manner, the guide part 411 helps the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 to be fixed to the magnet units 222. In this regard, the guide part 411 includes an inclined surface 412, a horizontal surface 413, and a roller 415. The inclined surface 412 is inclined upwardly toward the magnet units 222 of the core part 220 in the direction in which the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 is introduced. The horizontal surface 412 is formed below the core part 220 extending from the inclined surface 412. The magnet units 222 of the core part 220 are positioned above the horizontal surface 413 in the case of winding the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 on the core part 220. At least one roller 415 may be disposed on the horizontal surface 413. The roller 415 comes into rolling contact with the undersurface of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 introduced into the container body 110, i.e. the surface of the base substrate (11 in FIG. 2). Here, the roller 415 is supported elastically in the top-bottom direction (based on the paper surface of FIG. 7 to FIG. 9) by an elastic member (not shown), such as a spring, connected thereto. In the storage container 400 according to the fourth exemplary embodiment, the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 having a variety of thicknesses can be guided to the magnet units 222 of the core part 220 by the roller 415 that is elastically supported in the top-bottom direction on the horizontal surface 413. Referring to FIG. 7, the roller 415 has a height at which the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 can be directly fixed to the magnet units 222, but this is merely for clearly illustrating the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 being guided toward the magnet units 222 by the roller 415. Substantially, the roller 415 must have a height at which the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 can be guided to the region that the magnetic force of the magnet units 222 reaches. With this configuration, the roller 415 does not interfere with the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 when the volume of the core part 220 is increased with the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 being wound around the core part 220.
FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are cross-sectional views schematically illustrating the upward and downward movements of the roller 415 according to the different thicknesses of flexible glass bonded substrates. When a flexible glass bonded substrate 10 having a thickness d2 (FIG. 9) greater than the thickness d1 of a flexible glass bonded substrate 10 (FIG. 8) comes into rolling contact with the roller 415, the roller 415 moves downwardly. In this position, when the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 having the thickness d1 comes into rolling contact with the roller 415, the roller 415 moves upwardly, thereby guiding the proximal end 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrate 10 toward the magnet units 222. The downward and upward movements of the roller 415 illustrated in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are given to only represent the relative movement of the roller 415 depending on the different thicknesses of the flexible glass bonded substrates 10 during the rolling contact of the flexible glass bonded substrates 10 having different thicknesses with the roller 415. That is, the roller 415 initially remains in the position moved to the highest position. When flexible glass bonded substrates 10 having a variety of thicknesses come into rolling contact with the roller 415, the roller 415 moves downwardly by an amount corresponding to an amount of pressure applied thereto, thereby guiding the proximal ends 10 a of the flexible glass bonded substrates 10 having the variety of thicknesses toward the magnet units 222 such that the proximal ends 10 a can be more easily attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet units 222.
The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented with respect to the drawings. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible for a person having ordinary skill in the art in light of the above teachings.
It is intended therefore that the scope of the present disclosure not be limited to the foregoing embodiments, but be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A storage container comprising:

a container body having an entrance through which a flexible glass-bonded substrate is introduced and withdrawn, the flexible glass-bonded substrate having magnetism; and

a core part rotatably disposed within the container body, wherein the core part can magnetically hold a proximal end of the flexible glass-bonded substrate introduced into the container body through the entrance, such that the flexible glass-bonded substrate is wound around an outer circumferential surface of the core part when the core part is rotated.

2. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the entrance comprises a slit, and

the core part is configured to extend in parallel with the slit within the container body.

3. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the core part comprises magnet units which enables the core part to magnetically hold the proximal end of the flexible glass-bonded substrate.

4. The storage container of claim 3, wherein the core part further comprises a core body having both ends opposing each other in a longitudinal direction of the core body, and are rotatably coupled to corresponding walls of the container body.

5. The storage container of claim 4, wherein the core body has a cylindrical shape and has a hollow interior space therein; and

the magnet units are arranged on an inner circumferential surface of the core body in the longitudinal direction of the core body, thereby the proximal end of the flexible glass-bonded substrate sticking to an outer circumferential surface of the core body.

6. The storage container of claim 4,

wherein the magnet units are arranged on an outer circumferential surface of the core body in the longitudinal direction of the core body, thereby the proximal end of the flexible glass-bonded substrate sticking to the magnet units.

7. The storage container of claim 4, wherein the core body comprises:

a plurality of disks erected perpendicularly to a bottom surface of the container body, and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the core body while facing each other; and

a plurality of connecting bars connecting outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of disks together and extending in the longitudinal direction of the core body.

8. The storage container of claim 7, wherein each of the disks has at least one hole extending through a thickness thereof.

9. The storage container of claim 7, wherein the magnet units are disposed on at least one connecting bar among the plurality of connecting bars.

10. The storage container of claim 7, wherein the magnet units are disposed on at least two connecting bars adjacent to each other among the plurality of connecting bars.

11. The storage container of claim 7, wherein the plurality of disks have fitting recesses on the outer circumferential surfaces of the disks, each fitting recess having a depth corresponding to a thickness of each connecting bar, and the plurality of connecting bars are fitted into the fitting recesses of the plurality of disks.

12. The storage container of claim 7, wherein the plurality of connecting bars have recesses on surfaces thereof, each recess having a depth corresponding to a thickness of each magnet unit, and the magnet units are fitted into the recesses of the plurality of connecting bars.

13. The storage container of claim 1, further comprising a guide part disposed on a bottom surface of the container body, the guide part guiding the flexible glass-bonded substrate introduced into the container body toward the core part.

14. The storage container of claim 13, wherein the guide part comprises an inclined surface inclined upwardly toward the core part in a direction in which the flexible glass-bonded substrate is introduced.

15. The storage container of claim 14, wherein the guide part further comprises a horizontal surface below the core part and connected to the inclined surface,

the storage container further comprising at least one roller disposed on the horizontal surface, the at least one roller being in rolling contact with an underside surface of the flexible glass-bonded surface.

16. The storage container of claim 15, wherein the roller is elastically supported in a top-bottom direction.

17. The storage container of claim 1, further comprising a brush on an upper surface of the entrance, such that an upper surface of the flexible glass-bonded substrate comes into contact with the brush.

18. The storage container of claim 1, further comprising handles connected to the core part, and projecting from outer surfaces of the container body, such that a user can rotate the core part using the handles.

19. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the flexible glass-bonded substrate comprises a base substrate and an ultra-thin sheet of glass bonded to the base substrate.

20. The storage container of claim 19, wherein a thickness of the ultra-thin sheet of glass is 0.3 mm or less.

21-23. (canceled)