Apparatus and method for aligning scoring needles and for scoring glass substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10669185-B2
Application number	US-201715423010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2017
Priority date	Feb 2, 2016
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A method is provided for aligning scoring tools and for scoring glass, in particular thin glass, along predetermined scoring lines in preparation for breaking along the score. Glass substrates, in particular thin glass substrates, produced by such method are also provided. The method includes the determination of the actual orientation of the cutting edge of the scoring tool and aligning of the cutting edge to a target orientation of the cutting edge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for aligning a mechanical scoring tool and for scoring a thin or ultra-thin glass substrate along a scoring line, comprising the steps of:
providing the glass substrate with a planar surface;
moving the mechanical scoring tool to the glass substrate so that the scoring tool does not yet touch the glass substrate;
pre-aligning a cutting edge of the scoring tool in an advancement direction, wherein the cutting edge has a shape selected from the group consisting of acute truncated shape, a truncated pyramid shape, a truncated tetrahedron shape, and a truncated octahedron shape;
determining, without the scoring tool touching the glass, an actual orientation of the cutting edge by an automatic position detection method;
aligning the scoring tool by changing the actual orientation of the cutting edge by rotating the cutting edge in a plane perpendicular to the planar surface and/or tilting the cutting edge to change an inclination so as to arrange the cutting edge in a desired orientation relative to the advancement direction; and
moving the cutting edge onto the planar surface in an area of the scoring line once the cutting edge of the scoring tool has been aligned in the desired orientation.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: subjecting the cutting edge to a predetermined cutting force.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising moving the cutting edge along the scoring line relative to the planar surface to produce a score.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the cutting force deviates at most 0.05 N when moving the cutting edge along the scoring line.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the cutting force is not more than 1 N.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the cutting force is not more than 0.5 N.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the actual orientation comprises using a beam source for emitting electromagnetic radiation.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of determining the actual orientation comprises using a photodetector configured to receive electromagnetic radiation reflected at the scoring tool.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the photodetector is arranged and adapted for detecting at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation reflected at the cutting edge.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the beam source comprises a point light source.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the beam source is arranged in the advancement direction and is adapted for irradiating the cutting edge to detect the actual orientation of the cutting edge relative to the scoring line and to the planar surface.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scoring tool comprises a scoring needle.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the scoring needle comprises a scoring diamond.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glass substrate comprises thin glass or ultra-thin glass (UTG).

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the glass substrate has a thickness selected from the group consisting of not more than 400 μm, not more than 150 μm, not more than 100 μm, not more than 50 μm, not more than 30 μm, not more than 20 μm, and not more than 10 μm.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a fine adjustment device for aligning the scoring tool.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the actual orientation of the cutting edge comprises determining the actual orientation based on planar ground surfaces of the scoring tool.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of aligning the scoring tool comprises changing the actual orientation of the cutting edge by rotating the cutting edge in the plane perpendicular to the planar surface and tilting the cutting edge to change the inclination.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of aligning the scoring tool comprises aligning to a deviation of less than ±2° from a target orientation.

20. A method for aligning a mechanical scoring tool and for scoring a thin or ultra-thin glass substrate along a scoring line, comprising the steps of:
providing the glass substrate with a planar surface;
moving, without the scoring tool touching the glass substrate, the mechanical scoring tool to the glass substrate so that the scoring tool does not yet touch the glass substrate;
pre-aligning, without the scoring tool touching the glass substrate, a cutting edge of the scoring tool in an advancement direction;
determining, without the scoring tool touching the glass, an actual orientation of the cutting edge by an automatic position detection method;
aligning, without the scoring tool touching the glass substrate, the scoring tool by changing the actual orientation of the cutting edge by tilting the cutting edge to change an inclination so as to arrange the cutting edge in a desired orientation relative to the advancement direction; and
bringing the cutting edge into contact with the planar surface at the scoring line only after the cutting edge has been aligned to the desired orientation.

Assignees

• Schott Ag

Inventors

• Jotz Matthias
• Plapper Volker
• Vogt Juergen

Classifications

• C03B33/105

  Details of cutting or scoring means, e.g. tips · CPC title

• C03B33/037 Primary

  Controlling or regulating · CPC title

• C03B33/033 Primary

  Apparatus for opening score lines in glass sheets · CPC title

• C03B33/0235

  Ribbons · CPC title

• C03B33/023 Primary

  the sheet {or ribbon} being in a horizontal position · CPC title