The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for continuous processing of flexible glass ribbon and, in particular, methods for continuous processing of flexible glass ribbon with reduced mechanical stress.
Glass processing apparatus are commonly used to form various glass products such as LCD sheet glass. Glass substrates in flexible electronic applications are becoming thinner and lighter. Glass substrates having thicknesses lower than 0.5 mm, such as less than 0.35 mm, such as 0.1 mm or even thinner can be desirable for certain display applications, especially portable electronic devices such as laptop computers, handheld devices and the like.
Flexible glass substrates, such as glass substrates used in the manufacture of display devices, are often processed in sheet form. Such processing can include, for example, the deposition of thin film electronics onto the substrate. Sheet form handling has relatively slow processing speeds compared to continuous processes, since sheets must be individually transported, fixtured, processed and removed. Continuous processing of flexible glass substrates in ribbon form can provide relatively faster manufacturing rates. One benefit for a thin glass substrate is that the flexibility afforded by the thin ribbon allows it to be used in processes utilizing rolls of the material.
The present concept involves continuous processing of flexible glass ribbon. Continuous processing of flexible glass ribbon can include connections among a number of process steps, such as forming, cutting, spooling, etc. Presented herein is a process of improved laser edge/bead removal that maintains robust edge separation by reducing the magnitude of disturbance from mechanical stresses due to conveyance geometry and web motion relative to the driving stresses of the laser separation device.
Important considerations in manipulating the conveyance path and geometry to minimize mechanical stresses and stress variation at the crack tip (at which point portions of the glass web are separated from one another) include (i) stiffness of beaded section of web, (ii) residual stress and shape of web entering laser separation area, and (iii) bead trim conveyance path. Inherent to forming processes are non-uniformities in the incoming web that generate mechanical stresses in the ribbon itself. The beaded section of the incoming web can be significantly thicker than the product section (up to 12×, for example). The incoming web can have cross web residual stress and shape. To minimize the effects of mechanical stress at the crack tip, air bearing curvature is manipulated to balance residual stress and bead stiffness contributions to crack tip stress. If the web is forced to follow a radius that is too small, the beaded section of the web will not conform to the air bearing support with the same curvature as the body of the web, causing a web rotation that drives stress to the crack tip. If the web is forced to follow a radius that is too large, the shape induced by residual stress will not be accommodated and will result in additional stress at the crack tip. In the limit of a flat support, the residual stress will have no preferential direction for mechanical relief and will result in random distortion in the web surface which will drive stress variation at the crack tip. Additionally the conveyance of the bead trim away from the cut zone must maintain separation of the newly formed edges while minimizing additional mechanical stresses. This can be achieved through a combination of vertical separation and a horizontal separation. In addition to providing an advantageous conveyance path geometry, stabilization is added to minimize stress variance. For example, processes used to separate the beaded web into sections tend to drive motion into the bead which can translate to the separation zone and increase mechanical stress at the crack tip. This vertical and horizontal web noise can be mechanically dampened in and around the cutting zone through application of devices such as nips, stiff air bearings or belts, for example.
According to a first aspect, a method of continuous processing of flexible glass ribbon having a thickness of no more than 0.35 mm using a glass processing apparatus is provided. The method includes continuously feeding the flexible glass ribbon through the glass processing apparatus, the glass processing apparatus including a first processing zone, a second processing zone and a third processing zone. Feed rate of the flexible glass ribbon is controlled through each of the first processing zone, the second processing zone and the third processing zone using a global control device. The second processing zone has a conveyance path for the flexible glass ribbon through a cutting zone having a radius of curvature of from about 100 inches to about 400 inches (254 cm to 1016 cm).
According to a second aspect, there is provided the method of aspect 1, wherein the radius of curvature is about 250 inches (635 cm).
According to a third aspect, there is provided the method of aspect 1 or aspect 2, further comprising separating an edge of the flexible glass ribbon as the flexible glass ribbon moves by a cutting device within the cutting zone forming a continuous strip of edge trim connected to an upstream portion of the flexible glass ribbon.
According to a fourth aspect, there is provided the method of aspect 3, wherein the edge trim has a conveyance path that is different from the conveyance path of a central portion of the flexible glass ribbon.
According to a fifth aspect, there is provided the method of any one of aspects 1-4, wherein the conveyance path has an upstream portion that is upstream of the cutting zone, the upstream portion having a radius of curvature that is different than the radius of curvature of the cutting zone.
According to a sixth aspect, there is provided the method of aspect 5, wherein the radius of curvature of the upstream portion is at least about 72 inches (83 cm).
According to a seventh aspect, there is provided the method of any one of aspects 1-6, wherein the conveyance path has a downstream portion that is downstream of the cutting zone, the downstream portion having a radius of curvature that is different than the radius of curvature of the cutting zone.
According to an eighth aspect, there is provided the method of aspect 7, wherein the radius of curvature of the downstream portion is at least about 72 inches (83 cm).
According to a ninth aspect, there is provided the method of any one of aspects 1-8, further comprising stabilizing the flexible glass ribbon within the cutting zone using at least one drive roller pair.
According to a tenth aspect, there is provided the method of any one of aspects 1-9, wherein the flexible glass ribbon further comprises an overhang portion that extends freely beyond an outermost air bearing in the cutting zone.
According to an eleventh aspect, the overhang portion extends freely beyond the outermost air bearing in the cutting zone by a distance of about 1 inch to about 4 inches.
According to a twelfth aspect, a glass processing apparatus that processes a flexible glass ribbon having a thickness of no more than 0.35 mm includes a forming apparatus in a first processing zone. The forming apparatus is configured to form the flexible glass ribbon in the first processing zone. An edge trimming apparatus is provided in a cutting zone of a second processing zone. The edge trimming apparatus is configured to separate an edge of the flexible glass ribbon as the flexible glass ribbon moves by a cutting device within the cutting zone forming a continuous strip of edge trim connected to a central portion of the flexible glass ribbon. The second processing zone has a conveyance path for the flexible glass ribbon through the cutting zone, the conveyance path having a radius of curvature of from about 100 inches to about 400 inches (from 254 cm to about 1016 cm).
According to a thirteenth aspect, there is provided the method of aspect 12, wherein the radius of curvature is about 250 inches (635 cm).
According to a fourteenth aspect, there is provided the method of aspect 12 or aspect 13, wherein a central portion of the flexible glass ribbon has the conveyance path, the continuous strip of edge trim having a different conveyance path downstream of the edge trimming apparatus.
According to a fifteenth aspect, there is provided the method of any one of aspects 12-14, wherein the conveyance path has an upstream portion that is upstream of the cutting zone, the upstream portion having a radius of curvature that is different than the radius of curvature of the conveyance path through the cutting zone.
According to a sixteenth aspect, there is provided the method of aspect 15, wherein the radius of curvature of the upstream portion is at least about 72 inches (183 cm).
According to a seventeenth aspect, there is provided the method of any one of aspects 12-16, wherein the conveyance path has a downstream portion that is downstream of the cutting zone, the downstream portion having a radius of curvature that is different than the radius of curvature of the conveyance path through the cutting zone.
According to an eighteenth aspect, there is provided the method of aspect 17, wherein the radius of curvature of the downstream portion is at least about 72 inches (183 cm).
According to a nineteenth aspect, there is provided the apparatus of any one of aspects 12-18, further comprising at least one drive roller pair configured to stabilize the flexible glass ribbon within the cutting zone.
According to a twentieth aspect, there is provided the apparatus of any one of aspects 1-19, wherein the cutting device comprises a laser.
According to a twenty-first aspect, there is provided the method or apparatus of any one of aspects 1-20, further comprising stabilizing the flexible glass ribbon through the cutting zone using a high stiffness air bearing.
According to a twenty-second aspect, there is provided the method or apparatus of any one of aspects 1-21, wherein the lateral separation between web portions, at a position of 725 mm downstream from the crack tip, is controlled to be 0.2 mm or less.
Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description or recognized by practicing the invention as exemplified in the written description and the appended drawings and as defined in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview or framework to understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of principles of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more embodiment(s), and together with the description serve to explain, by way of example, principles and operation of the invention. It is to be understood that various features of the invention disclosed in this specification and in the drawings can be used in any and all combinations.
In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, example embodiments disclosing specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of various principles of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art, having had the benefit of the present disclosure, that the present disclosure may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from the specific details disclosed herein. Moreover, descriptions of well-known devices, methods and materials may be omitted so as not to obscure the description of various principles of the present disclosure. Finally, wherever applicable, like reference numerals refer to like elements.
Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.
Directional terms as used herein—for example up, down, right, left, front, back, top, bottom—are made only with reference to the figures as drawn and are not intended to imply absolute orientation.
Unless otherwise expressly stated, it is in no way intended that any method set forth herein be construed as requiring that its steps be performed in a specific order. Accordingly, where a method claim does not actually recite an order to be followed by its steps or it is not otherwise specifically stated in the claims or descriptions that the steps are to be limited to a specific order, it is in no way intended that an order be inferred, in any respect. This holds for any possible non-express basis for interpretation, including: matters of logic with respect to arrangement of steps or operational flow; plain meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation; the number or type of embodiments described in the specification.
As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a “component” includes aspects having two or more such components, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Embodiments described herein generally relate to continuous processing of flexible glass ribbon that includes continuous separation of beaded edges of a flexible glass web. To maintain continuous controlled crack propagation, it can be important to minimize mechanical stresses magnitude and variance so that the laser can control the crack velocity to match the web velocity. Disclosed herein is a laser separation process that reduces mechanical stress and stress variation in the flexible glass web at the cutting zone to improve controlled crack propagation process capability of flexible glass web.
While glass is generally known as a brittle material, inflexible and prone to scratching, chipping and fracture, glass having a thin cross section can in fact be quite flexible. Glass in long thin sheets or ribbons can be wound and un-wound from rolls, much like paper or plastic film.
Maintaining lateral alignment of the glass ribbon as the glass ribbon travels through glass manufacturing equipment may be complicated by misalignment of components of the glass manufacturing equipment. Further, instabilities, perturbations, vibrations, and transient effects that may exist in manufacturing environments or in processing and handling equipment may cause intermittent or extended misalignment of the glass ribbon to occur. Lack of alignment can cause the high stiffness glass web to tilt cross-web and oscillate laterally. In extreme cases, the instabilities, perturbations, vibrations, and transient effects of the glass ribbon may lead to fracture.
Some glass ribbons are processed by continuously separating thickened edge beads from the glass ribbon. During the bead removal process, the thickened edge beads are separated from the glass ribbon and are conveyed down an alternate path than the product glass ribbon. The thickened beads impart stress on the glass ribbon at the separation point where the glass ribbon is separated from the thickened edge beads. The relative angle between the glass ribbon and the separated thickened edge beads affects the stress at the separation point. Misalignment causing lateral variation of the glass ribbon in the bead separation process can cause stress variance at the crack tip or separation point (point where a crack is being propagated through the glass to separate one portion from another), potentially causing ribbon breakage or poor edge separation attributes, such as inferior edge strength and edge damage. In some embodiments, an edge strength of at least about 100 MPA, such as at least about 200 MPa may be maintained at the cut edge after separation of the bead.
The apparatus and methods described herein introduce web stability and mechanical isolation of the laser separation process, so that mechanically induced stresses do not adversely affect the desired stress intended to be induced by the laser to propagate the crack tip. First, multiple sets of pinch drives, and high stiffness pressure/vacuum air bearings may be used throughout conveyance of the flexible glass ribbon to manage web tension, lateral position, and vertical position in the crack tip zone. By pressure/vacuum air bearings, it is meant that the air bearing can apply pressure, apply vacuum, or apply both pressure and vacuum at the same time. Second, advantageously a separate conveyance path may be provided for bead/cullet management to isolate vibrations due to cullet creation from reaching the laser separation zone. For example, a second free loop downstream may be added as well as an increased overall conveyance path radius (which can have the effect of reducing the transmission of perturbations back to the crack tip). Third, an overhang distance of the flexible glass ribbon on each side of the bead removal hardware can be selected to reduce bending stresses due to bead cantilever. Each of these features will be described in greater detail below.
Referring to
In operation, batch materials for forming glass are introduced into the melting vessel 14 as indicated by arrow 26 and are melted to form molten glass 28. The molten glass 28 flows into the fining vessel 16, wherein gas bubbles are removed from the molten glass. From the fining vessel 16, the molten glass 28 flows into the mixing vessel 18, where the molten glass 28 undergoes a mixing process to homogenize the molten glass 28. The molten glass 28 flows from the mixing vessel 18 to the delivery vessel 20, which delivers the molten glass 28 through a downcomer 30 to an inlet 32 and into the forming apparatus 22.
The forming apparatus 22 depicted in
As shown in
Operation of the plurality of stub roller pairs 50, 52 may be controlled by a global control device 70 (e.g., a programmable logic controller or PLC) for a variety of conditions including, for example and without limitation, torque applied to the flexible glass ribbon 46 and rate of rotation of the stub rollers 54, 56. The draw forces applied to the flexible glass ribbon 46 by the plurality of stub roller pairs 50, 52 while the flexible glass ribbon 46 is still in a visco-elastic state cause the flexible glass ribbon 46 to pull or stretch, thereby controlling the dimensions of the flexible glass ribbon 46 by controlling the tension applied to the flexible glass ribbon 46 in one or both the draw and cross-draw directions as the flexible glass ribbon 46 translates along the draw apparatus 24, while also imparting motion to the flexible glass ribbon 46.
The global control device 70 may include computer readable instructions stored in memory 72 and executed by a processor 74 that can determine, among other things, draw tension and speed of the flexible glass ribbon 46 provided by the stub roller pairs 50 and 52, for example, using any suitable sensors that provide feedback to the global control device 70. Further, the computer readable instructions can allow modification of parameters, such as torque and velocity of the stub roller pairs 50, 52 in light of feedback from the sensors. As one example, a stub roller 76 may be provided that communicates with the global control device 70 to indicate rate of rotation. The rate of rotation of the stub roller 76 with the flexible glass ribbon 46 can be used by the global control device 70 to determine the extrinsic linear feed rate of the flexible glass ribbon 46 as the flexible glass ribbon 46 moves thereby.
As the flexible glass ribbon 46 is drawn through the draw apparatus 24, the glass has an opportunity to cool, whereupon stresses may be formed in the glass. The glass manufacturing apparatus 100 having the plurality of stub roller pairs 50, 52 may improve the control and consistency of the cross-draw tension and/or down-drawn tension in the area in which the glass ribbon 46 goes through a visco-elastic transformation. This area may be defined as the “setting zone” in which the stress and flatness are set into the glass ribbon 46. Glass manufacturing apparatus 100 that includes the plurality of actively driven stub roller pairs 50, 52 may provide improvements in the manufacturing of flexible glass ribbon 46 as compared to conventionally designed manufacturing apparatus that incorporate rollers that extend along the entire width of the flexible glass ribbon 46. However, in certain situations, manufacturing apparatus that utilize rollers that extend along the entire width of the flexible glass ribbon 46 may be used.
The global control device 70 may use the draw apparatus 24 to set a global master speed for the glass processing apparatus 100 (
In embodiments where the flexible glass ribbon 46 is formed using a down draw fusion process, the first and second edges 102 and 104 may include beads 114 and 116 with a thickness T1 that is greater than a thickness T2 within the central portion 106. The central portion 106 may be “ultra-thin” having a thickness T2 of about 0.35 mm or less including but not limited to thicknesses of, for example, about 0.01-0.05 mm, about 0.05-0.1 mm, about 0.1-0.15 mm and about 0.15-0.35 mm, although flexible glass ribbons 46 with other thicknesses may be formed in other examples.
The flexible glass ribbon 46 is transported through the apparatus 100 using a ribbon conveyance system 120 that is controlled by the global control device 70. Lateral guides 122 and 124 may be provided to orient the flexible glass ribbon 46 in the correct lateral position relative to the machine or travel direction 126 of the flexible glass ribbon 46. For example, as schematically shown, the lateral guides 122 and 124 may include rollers 128 that engage the first and second edges 102 and 104. Opposed forces 130 and 132 may be applied to the first and second edges 102 and 104 using the lateral guides 122 and 124 that help to shift and align the flexible glass ribbon 46 in the desired lateral orientation in the travel direction 126.
The glass processing apparatus 100 can further include a cutting zone 140 downstream from a bend axis 142 about which the flexible glass ribbon 46 may be bent. In one example, the apparatus 100 may include a cutting support member configured to bend the flexible glass ribbon 46 in the cutting zone 140 to provide a bent target segment 144 with a bent orientation. Bending the target segment 144 within the cutting zone 140 can help maximize conformance of the flexible glass ribbon 46 to the support thereby minimizing mechanical stresses of the flexible glass ribbon 46 during the cutting procedure. Such bending of the flexible glass ribbon 46 to the support can help prevent buckling or disturbing the flexible glass ribbon profile during the procedure of separating at least one of the first and second edges 102 and 104 from the central portion 106 of the flexible glass ribbon 46.
Providing the bent target segment 144 in the cutting zone 140 can increase the cross-direction rigidity of the flexible glass ribbon 46 throughout the cutting zone 140. As such, as shown in
As set forth above, providing the bent target segment 144 in a bent orientation within the cutting zone 140 can help maximize web conformance to the support thereby assisting in minimizing mechanical stress in the flexible glass ribbon 46 during the cutting procedure. Such conformation can help prevent buckling or disturbing the glass ribbon profile during the procedure of separating at least one of the first and second edges 102 and 104. Moreover, the bent orientation of the bent target segment 144 can increase the rigidity of the bent target segment 144 to allow optional fine tune adjustment of the lateral orientation of the bent target segment 144. As such, the flexible glass ribbon 46 can be effectively properly laterally oriented without contacting the first and second broad surfaces of the central portion 106 during the procedure of separating at least one of the first and second edges 102 and 104.
The apparatus 100 can further include a wide range of edge trimming apparatus configured to separate the first and second edges 102 and 104 from the central portion 106 of the flexible glass ribbon 46 in a continuous fashion. In one example, as shown in
The optical delivery apparatus 172 may further comprise optical elements for redirecting a beam of radiation (e.g., laser beam 182) from the radiation source (e.g., laser 174), such as mirrors 184, 186 and 188. The radiation source can comprise the illustrated laser 174 configured to emit a laser beam having a wavelength and a power suitable for heating the flexible glass ribbon 46 at a location where the beam is incident on the flexible glass ribbon 46. In one embodiment, laser 174 can comprise a CO2 laser although other laser types may be used in further examples.
As further shown in
In one example, a coolant jet 200 comprises water, but may be any suitable cooling fluid (e.g., liquid jet, gas jet or a combination thereof) that does not stain, contaminate or damage the upwardly facing surface of the bent target segment 144 of the flexible glass ribbon 46. The coolant jet 200 can be delivered to a surface of the flexible glass ribbon 46 to form a cooling zone 202. As shown, the cooling zone 202 can trail behind a radiation zone 204 to propagate an initial crack (
The combination of heating and cooling with the optical delivery apparatus 172 and the coolant fluid delivery apparatus 192 can effectively separate the first and second edges 102 and 104 from the central portion 106 while minimizing or eliminating undesired residual stress, microcracks or other irregularities in the opposed edges 206, 208 of the central portion 106 that may be formed by other separating techniques. Moreover, due to the bent orientation of the bent target segment 144 within the cutting zone 140, the flexible glass ribbon 46 can be positioned and stabilized to facilitate precise separating of the first and second edges 102 and 104 during the separating process, thereby assisting in minimizing some forms of mechanically induced stresses. Still further, due to the convex surface topography of the upwardly facing convex support surface, the continuous strips of edge trim 210 and 212 can immediately travel away from the central portion 106, thereby reducing the probability that the first and second edges 102 and 104 will subsequently engage (and therefore damage) the first and second broad surfaces and/or the high quality opposed edges 206, 208 of the central portion 106. The central portion 106 may then be wound into a roll 270 using a winding apparatus. In some embodiments, instead of being wound onto a roll, the edge trim 210, 212 may be conveyed to an appropriate area (for example a cullet chute) for disposal.
Referring to
A buffer zone B21 may be provided between processing zone A and processing zone B for process isolation between the processing zones A and B. Within the buffer zone B21, the flexible glass ribbon 46 may be held in a free loop 215 and may hang in a catenary between entrance and exit positions 217 and 219, respectively. For example, positions 217 and 219 may be from about 1.5 meters to about 7.5 meters apart to allow use of a number of cullet chutes, and/or loop out mitigation devices, for example. Between these two positions 217, 219, the flexible glass ribbon 46 is not pulled tight, but hangs under its own weight. For example, the tension in the flexible glass ribbon 46 is determined by the weight of the flexible glass ribbon 46 and can be no more than about 0.02 N/mm (about 0.1 pound per linear inch (“pli”)), such as from about 0.002 N/mm to about 0.02 N/mm (0.01 pli to about 0.1 pli) within the free loop B21.
The free loop shape can self-adjust depending on the amount of pull force and gravitational force within the buffer zone. The free loop 215 can accommodate more or less flexible glass ribbon 46 by adjusting the free loop shape. The buffer zone B21 can serve as an accumulator of error between processing zones A and B. The buffer zone B21 can accommodate errors such as path length differences due to velocity, twist or shape variance due to strain mismatch and machine misalignment errors. In some embodiments, a loop sensor 247 (see
Another buffer zone B22 may be provided between processing zone B and processing zone C for process isolation between the processing zones B and C. Within the buffer zone B22, the flexible glass ribbon 46 may be held in a free loop 221 and may hang in a catenary between entrance and exit positions 223 and 225. For example, positions 223 and 225 may be from about four meters to about 12 meters apart to allow use of a number of cullet chutes, and/or loop out mitigation devices, for example. Between these two positions 223 and 225, the flexible glass ribbon 46 is not pulled tight, but hangs under its own weight. For example, the tension in the flexible glass ribbon 46 is determined by weight of the flexible glass ribbon 46 and can be no more than about 0.02 N/mm (about 0.1 pli), such as from about 0.002 N/mm to about 0.02 N/mm (0.01 pli to about 0.1 pli) within the free loop 221.
The free loop 221 shape can self-adjust depending on the amount of pull force and gravitational force within the buffer zone B22. The free loop 221 can accommodate more or less flexible glass ribbon 46 by adjusting the free loop shape. The buffer zone B22 can serve as an accumulator of error between processing zones B and C. The buffer zone B22 can accommodate errors such as path length differences due to velocity, twist or shape variance due to strain mismatch and machine misalignment errors. In some embodiments, a loop sensor 266 (see
Referring to
High stiffness air bearing assemblies 280 and 282 (one of which, 282, is shown close-up in
Referring now to
Referring to
On the other hand, however, bending the glass ribbon at too tight a radius also has adverse effects, particularly when separating a bead portion from the quality area of the glass ribbon due to the difference in stiffnesses of each portion. More specifically, the bead portion has a much greater thickness (and thus stiffness) than does the quality area of the glass ribbon. Accordingly, when the thicker bead portion is separated from the thinner quality portion and the separation point is located on a support having too tight a radius of curvature, the thicker (stiffer) bead portion wants to straighten (due to its stiffness) to a larger radius of curvature. This mechanical movement of the bead portion, toward a larger radius of curvature, can induce stress back at the crack tip 314. Because the bead portion is typically not uniform along its entire length (due to variations in knurl caused by the rollers pulling the glass ribbon as it is formed), the amount of difference in stiffness is largely unpredictable whereby it is difficult to be able to compensate for the differences in stiffness when attempting to control the separated bead from moving to a larger radius. For example,
Referring back to
Referring to
As indicated above, the conveyance path P of the central portion 106 of the flexible glass ribbon 46 may be different from a conveyance path P′ of the beaded edges 102 and 104 (shown by the broken line) separated from the central portion 106 (see, also,
In some embodiments, the edge trim 210, 212 may be manipulated in additional or alternative manners (with respect to those described above) to reduce disadvantageous rubbing against the central portion 106. Referring to
In some embodiments, the lateral (horizontal) positions of the edges 102, 104 (and/or the edge trim 210, 212) relative to the central portion 106 may be controlled by controlling the position of the edge trim 210, 212 on belt 1600. Referring to
Referring to
Embodiments described herein can provide a lower baseline of mechanically induced flexible glass ribbon stress in the laser cutting zone and, therefore, increase the signal to noise ratio of laser induced stress to mechanical induced stress. That is, it is desirable to have the laser induced stress propagate the crack tip to separate the edges 102, 104 from the central portion 106. When the laser induced stress is disturbed by mechanical induced stresses, the crack propagation produces lower strength edges. Accordingly, it is desirable to minimize, to the extent possible, the amount of mechanically induced stresses that act on the crack tip as it propagates. Manipulation of overall flexible glass ribbon stability (to minimize mechanical induced stress) is provided through various tools that control the positions of the central (product) portion of the flexible glass ribbon and of the beaded edges. Conveyance path geometries are provided that can reduce or minimize contact between newly created edges and the central portion of the flexible glass ribbon downstream of the laser cutting process, which leads to higher maintained strength in the edges of the desired central portion of the glass ribbon; and this is done in a manner that minimizes mechanical induced stress at the crack tip.
It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present invention, particularly any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of various principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the invention without departing substantially from the spirit and various principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/163035 filed on May 18, 2015, the content of which is relied upon and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US16/32808 | 5/17/2016 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62163035 | May 2015 | US |