Glass sheet acquisition and positioning system and associated method for an inline system for measuring the optical characteristics of a glass sheet

An inline apparatus for measuring the optical characteristics of a glass sheet in a system for fabricating glass sheets including one or more processing stations and one or more conveyors for conveying the glass sheet during processing, the apparatus comprising:

• a background screen including contrasting elements arranged in a pre-defined pattern;
• a camera for acquiring an image of the background screen;
• a glass sheet acquisition and positioning mechanism for receiving a glass sheet as it is conveyed on one of the one or more conveyors, momentarily removing the glass sheet from the one conveyor, and positioning the glass sheet in a path between the camera and the background screen so that the camera may capture an image of the pattern transmitted through the glass sheet, the acquisition and positioning mechanism including:
• an exterior frame mountable in proximity to the one conveyor between the camera and the background screen, the exterior frame including first and second vertical rails positionable on each of two sides of the one conveyor;
• and
• a moveable glass sheet support frame including at least first and second rails, the first rail moveably attached to each of the first and second vertical rails of the exterior frame that are positionable on one side of the one conveyor, and the second rail moveably attached to each of the first and second vertical rails of the exterior frame that are positionable on the other side of the one conveyor, so that the glass sheet support frame is moveable from a first generally horizontal orientation in a plane of the glass sheet on the one conveyor to a second, upwardly-tilted orientation in which the glass sheet support frame is elevated from a plane of the one conveyor with the glass sheet retained thereon to position the glass sheet between the camera and the screen, and so that the glass sheet support frame is thereafter re-positionable for releasing the glass sheet from the glass sheet support frame for continued movement on the one conveyor, wherein the first and second rails of the glass sheet support frame are each attached to each of the first and second vertical rails of the exterior frame that are positionable on a respective side of the one conveyor by a connection arrangement including an interconnecting element that is moveable along a respective one of the vertical rails, and wherein, for each of the first and second rails of the glass sheet support frame, one of the interconnecting elements is positionable above the one conveyor and the other interconnecting element is positionable below the one conveyor when the glass sheet support frame is in the upwardly-tilted orientation;
• and
• a computer including at least one processor programmed to execute logic for controlling the glass sheet support frame, and for receiving the captured image data associated with a selected glass sheet and performing one or more processing operations using the captured image data to analyze the optical characteristics of the glass sheet.

An inline apparatus for measuring optical characteristics of a glass sheet in a system for fabricating glass sheets including a heating station for heating the glass sheet to a temperature adequate to soften the glass for forming into a desired shape, a bending station for forming the softened sheet to the desired shape, a cooling station for cooling the formed glass sheet in a controlled manner, and one or more conveyors for conveying the glass sheet during processing, the apparatus including:

• a background screen including contrasting elements arranged in a pre-defined pattern;
• a camera for acquiring an image of the background screen;
• a glass sheet acquisition and positioning mechanism that is controllable to receive the glass sheet as it is conveyed on one of the conveyors, momentarily remove the glass sheet from the conveyor, and position the glass sheet in a path between the camera and the background screen so that the camera may capture an image of the pattern transmitted through the glass sheet, the glass sheet acquisition and positioning mechanism including:
• an exterior frame mountable in proximity to one of the one or more conveyors between the camera and the background screen, the exterior frame including first and second vertical rails positionable on opposite sides of the one conveyor and that each have a guideway that extends from below the one conveyor to above the one conveyor when the vertical rails are positioned on the opposite sides of the one conveyor, and
• a moveable glass sheet support frame including first and second rails, the first rail movably attached to the first vertical rail of the exterior frame by a first connection arrangement, and the second rail movably attached to the second vertical rail of the exterior frame by a second connection arrangement, so that the glass sheet support frame is pivotable with respect to the exterior frame and moveable along the vertical rails so that the glass sheet support frame is moveable from a generally horizontal orientation to an upwardly-tilted orientation in which the glass sheet support frame is elevated from a plane of the one conveyor with the glass sheet retained thereon to position the glass sheet between the camera and the screen, wherein each connection arrangement includes an interconnecting element that is movable along a guideway of a respective vertical rail of the exterior frame so that the interconnecting elements are positioned below the one conveyor when the glass sheet support frame is in the upwardly-tilted orientation;
• and
• a computer including at least one processor programmed to execute logic for receiving the captured image data associated with the glass sheet and performing one or more processing operations using the captured image data to analyze the optical characteristics of the glass sheet.

A system for fabricating glass sheets, the system for fabricating glass sheets comprising:

• one or more processing stations;
• one or more conveyors for conveying a glass sheet during processing;
• and
• an inline apparatus for measuring optical characteristics of the glass sheet, the inline apparatus including:
• a background screen including a pattern of contrasting elements;
• a digital camera for acquiring an image of the background screen with the glass sheet positioned between the camera and the screen;
• and
• a glass sheet acquisition and positioning system including:
• an exterior frame mounted in proximity to one of the one or more conveyors between the camera and the background screen, the exterior frame including first and second stationary vertical rails on each of two sides of the one conveyor, at least one of the first and second vertical rails on each of the two sides of the one conveyor extending from below the one conveyor to above the one conveyor;
• a moveable glass sheet support frame including at least first and second rails, the first rail moveably attached to each of the first and second vertical rails of the exterior frame on one side of the one conveyor, and the second rail moveably attached to each of the first and second vertical rails of the exterior frame on the other side of the one conveyor, so that the glass sheet support frame is moveable from a first generally horizontal orientation in a plane of the glass sheet on the one conveyor to a second, upwardly-tilted orientation in which the glass sheet support frame is elevated from a plane of the one conveyor with the glass sheet retained thereon to position the glass sheet between the camera and the screen, and so that the glass sheet support frame is thereafter re-positionable for releasing the glass sheet from the glass sheet support frame for continued movement on the one conveyor, wherein the first and second rails of the glass sheet support frame are each attached to each of the first and second vertical rails of the exterior frame on a respective side of the one conveyor by a connection arrangement including an interconnecting element that is moveable along a respective one of the vertical rails, and wherein, for each of the first and second rails of the glass sheet support frame, one of the interconnecting elements is positioned above the one conveyor and the other interconnecting element is positioned below the one conveyor when the glass sheet support frame is in the upwardly-tilted orientation;
• a transport mechanism actuable for lifting the glass sheet off of the one conveyor;
• a positioning mechanism actuable for orienting the glass sheet relative to the glass sheet support frame after the glass sheet has been lifted off the one conveyor and while the glass sheet is supported on the transport mechanism;
• a retaining mechanism for securing the glass sheet to the glass sheet support frame after the glass sheet has been oriented with respect to the glass sheet support frame by the positioning mechanism;
• a glass sheet part identifier including a sensor for acquiring data associated with a shape of the glass sheet when the glass sheet is upstream of the background screen;
• and
• a programmable control including at least one processor programmed to execute logic for analyzing the acquired data and identifying the glass sheet as one of a set of known part shapes, and for controlling the positioning mechanism, the transport mechanism, the retaining mechanism, and the glass sheet support frame, and wherein at least one of the positioning mechanism, the retaining mechanism, and the glass sheet support frame is controllable based in part upon the identified part shape.