US 7,125,319 B2Granted

Apparatus and method for grinding and/or polishing an edge of a glass sheet

AssigneeCorning Incorporated

InventorsJames W. Brown, Clive D. Gierbolini, Toshihiko Ono, Babak R. Raj, Robert G. Schaeffler

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Abstract

An apparatus and method are described herein which help prevent particles and other contaminants that are generated when an edge of a glass sheet is processed from contaminating or damaging the glass sheet. The apparatus includes an encapsulation device and a processing device. The encapsulation device is capable of supporting two surfaces of a glass sheet. And, the processing device is capable of processing (e.g., cutting, scribing, grinding or polishing) the edge that is adjacent to the supported two surfaces of the glass sheet which are located on a first side of the encapsulation device. The encapsulation device is also capable of substantially preventing particles and other contaminants that are generated when the processing device processes the edge of the glass sheet from reaching the two surfaces of the glass sheet which are located on a second side of the encapsulation device.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An apparatus for processing an edge of a sheet of material, said apparatus comprising:

an encapsulation device for supporting two surfaces of the material;
a processing device for processing the edge adjacent to the supported two surfaces of the material that is located on a first side of said encapsulation device;
and
said encapsulation device substantially prevents particles and other contaminants generated when said processing device processes the edge of the material from reaching the two surfaces of the material located on a second side of said encapsulation device, wherein said encapsulation device includes:
a support plate;
a pair of porous plates supported by said support plate and pressurized by air received from said support plate which flows through the porous plates and supports the two surfaces of the material within a gap between the porous plates, wherein the pressurized air emitted from the porous plates substantially prevents particles and other contaminants generated when said processing device processes the edge of the material from reaching the two surfaces of the material located on the second side of said encapsulation device;
and wherein said encapsulation device further includes a pair of guide wheels for guiding the two surfaces of the material within the gap between the porous plates.

4 more elements

A method for processing an edge of a sheet of material, said method comprising the steps of:

supporting two surfaces of the material within an encapsulation device;
processing the edge adjacent to the supported two surfaces of the material that is located on a first side of said encapsulation device;
preventing particles and other contaminants generated during the processing step from reaching the two surfaces of the material located on a second side of said encapsulation device,
wherein said encapsulation device includes:
a support plate;
a pair of porous plates supported by said support plate and pressurized by air received from said support plate which flows through the porous plates and supports the two surfaces of the material within a gap between the porous plates, wherein the pressurized air emitted from the porous-plates substantially prevents particles and other contaminants generated when a processing device processes the edge of the material from reaching the two surfaces of the material located on the second side of said encapsulation device;
and
wherein said encapsulation device further includes a pair of guide wheels for guiding the two surfaces of the material within the gap between the porous plates.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.