Methods of manufacturing a thin glass pane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10035724-B2
Application number	US-201414185254-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2014
Priority date	Feb 25, 2013
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

Methods of manufacturing a glass pane comprise the steps of providing a glass sheet with a thickness of less than about 1.6 mm between a first major surface and a second major surface of the glass sheet. The methods include scoring the first major surface of the glass sheet to provide a boundary score line and a relief score line. In some examples, the method provides a relief score depth that is greater than a boundary score depth. In another example, the method includes the step of placing the glass sheet on a conveyor belt including a Shore A hardness of greater than or equal to 70. In further examples, methods of breaking a glass sheet with an oversized template are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for automated scoring and breaking of a glass pane comprising the steps of:
(I) providing a glass sheet with a thickness of less than about 1.6 mm between a first major surface and a second major surface of the glass sheet;
(II) scoring the first major surface of the glass sheet to provide a boundary score line with a pre-determined boundary score depth ranging from about 10% to about 20% of the thickness of the glass sheet, wherein the boundary score line at least partially circumscribes a central target area of the glass sheet to define a separation line between the central target area and an outer peripheral area of the glass sheet, and wherein the outer peripheral area at least partially circumscribes the central target area of the glass sheet;
(III) scoring the first major surface of the glass sheet to provide at least one relief score line with a pre-determined relief score depth ranging from about 20% to about 50% of the thickness of the glass sheet, wherein the relief score line is defined in the outer peripheral area and extends toward boundary score line, and wherein the relief score depth is greater than the boundary score depth; and
(IV) breaking away the outer peripheral area of the glass sheet from the central target area of the glass sheet along the separation line.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (III) provides the at least one relief score line as a plurality of relief score lines that are radially spaced about the central target area and each extend in a direction towards the central target area.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (IV) includes applying a breaking force along a force application path positioned within the outer peripheral area and circumscribing the central target area.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein step (IV) includes applying the breaking force with a force applicator that travels along the force application path.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein step (IV) provides the force application path spaced a distance from the separation line of from about 6 mm to about 18 mm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (III) scores the first major surface such that the at least one relief score line extends toward the boundary score line to an end point located within the outer peripheral area and spaced by a gap from the boundary score line.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the boundary score line entirely circumscribes the central target area of the glass sheet.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer peripheral area entirely circumscribes the central target area of the glass sheet.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one relief score line is scored before scoring the boundary line or the at least one score line and the boundary line are scored at the same time.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Cleary Thomas Michael
• Smith Larry Gene
• Wilcox Chad M
• Zhang Chunhe

Classifications

• Y02P40/57

  Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates · CPC title

• C03B33/03

  Glass cutting tables; Apparatus for transporting or handling sheet glass during the cutting or breaking operations · CPC title

• Y10T225/12

  With preliminary weakening · CPC title

• C03B33/033

  Apparatus for opening score lines in glass sheets · CPC title

• C03B33/04 Primary

  Cutting or splitting in curves, especially for making spectacle lenses · CPC title