Method and apparatus for finishing glass sheets
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsTing-Wei Chu, Hsueh-Hung Fu, Kai Yu Hsiao, Chi-Cheng Hsu, Tzu-Hen Hsu, Yuyin Tang
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for finishing an edge of a glass sheet are described. The edge of the glass sheet is finished using a grinding wheel mounted on one end of a spindle, the grinding wheel having a peripheral edge that contacts the edge of the glass sheet during the grinding. The edge of the glass sheet is further finished by polishing the edge of the glass sheet with a polishing wheel mounted on one end of a spindle, the polishing wheel having an end face which contacts the glass edge during polishing.
Claims23
An apparatus for finishing an edge of a glass sheet comprising:
- a worktable which supports the glass sheet while the edges are subjected to grinding and polishing, wherein an X-axis is a direction of lateral movement on a plane of a glass sheet on the worktable, a Y-axis is a direction of longitudinal movement on the plane which is perpendicular to the X-axis, and a Z-axis is a direction of vertical movement with respect to the plane;
- a rotary table movable along the X-axis and the Y-axis, the rotary table having a rotary table axis of rotation;
- a first spindle and a second spindle mounted to the rotary table having a common spindle axis of rotation about which the first spindle and the second spindle rotate, the common spindle axis of rotation orthogonal to the rotary table axis of rotation;
- and
- a grinding wheel mounted on the first spindle and a polishing wheel mounted on the second spindle, the grinding wheel configured to grind an edge of the glass sheet with the common spindle axis of rotation parallel to the Z-axis and the polishing wheel configured to polish an edge of the glass sheet with the common spindle axis of rotation parallel to the X-axis.
A method of grinding and polishing an edge of a glass sheet comprising:
- supporting a glass sheet on a surface, wherein an X-axis is a direction of lateral movement on a plane of a glass sheet on the surface, a Y-axis is a direction of longitudinal movement on the plane which is perpendicular to the X-axis, and a Z-axis is a direction of movement orthogonal to the plane;
- grinding the edge of the glass sheet with a grinding wheel mounted on one end of a first spindle, the first spindle oriented along the Z-axis during grinding and the grinding wheel comprising a peripheral edge that contacts the edge of the glass sheet during the grinding;
- and
- polishing the edge of the glass sheet with an end face of a polishing wheel mounted on one end of a second spindle, the second spindle positioned parallel to the plane during polishing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.