Apparatus and method for severing a moving ribbon of inorganic material

• US 10,138,155 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Joseph, II, Michael Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Dehghan, Queenie S
• Application Number:
  US15/101,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20160304385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2249/045 Details of suction cups suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 17/064 by the overflow downdraw fusion process; Isopipes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 21/02 by cutting C03B9/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 21/04 by punching out
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 21/06 by flashing-off, burning-off or fusing C03B9/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 33/0215 the ribbon being in a substantially vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 33/04 Cutting or splitting in curves, especially for making spectacle lenses
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 33/08 by fusing , i.e. by melting through the glass

Abstract

A method includes indirectly engaging a surface of a moving ribbon of inorganic material with a non-contacting support unit. The ribbon is severed with a thermal separating unit while the non-contacting support unit is indirectly engaged with the ribbon.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

indirectly engaging a first surface of a ribbon of inorganic material moving in a downward direction with a non-contacting support frame by establishing a positive pressure region and a negative pressure region within a space between the non-contacting support frame and the first surface of the ribbon and urging the non-contacting support frame and the ribbon away from one another in the positive pressure region and toward one another in the negative pressure region, the non-contacting support frame substantially circumscribing a perimeter of a sheet to be separated from the ribbon; and

positioning a thermal separating frame in close proximity to the ribbon and selectively applying heat to the first surface of the ribbon along the perimeter of the sheet to separate the sheet from the ribbon while the non-contacting support frame is indirectly engaged with the ribbon, the thermal separating frame comprising a shape corresponding to the perimeter of the sheet to be separated from the ribbon;

wherein a second surface of the ribbon opposite the first surface remains unengaged by the non-contacting support frame and the thermal separating frame during the indirectly engaging and the positioning.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the ribbon moves in the downward direction at a velocity; and

the method further comprises moving the thermal separating frame in the downward direction at the velocity during the severing to maintain alignment between the thermal separating frame and a target region of the ribbon.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising moving the non-contacting support frame in indirect engagement with the ribbon in the downward direction at the velocity during the severing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the indirectly engaging comprises indirectly engaging a first portion of the first surface of the ribbon disposed outside of a perimeter of a sheet to be separated from the ribbon; and

the method further comprises engaging a second portion of the first surface of the ribbon disposed inside the perimeter of the sheet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the severing comprises forming a thermal gradient across a thickness of the ribbon with the thermal separating frame.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the non-contacting support frame comprises an engaging surface comprising a positive pressure opening and a negative pressure opening;

establishing the positive pressure region comprises introducing a fluid into the space between the non-contacting support frame and the first surface of the ribbon from the positive pressure opening; and

establishing the negative pressure region comprises withdrawing a fluid from the space between the non-contacting support frame and the first surface of the ribbon through the negative pressure opening.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the positive pressure opening comprises a diffusing member comprising a porous material.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the severing comprises contacting the first surface of the ribbon with the thermal separating frame; and

the indirect engagement of the ribbon during the contacting prevents a disturbance caused by the contacting from propagating up the ribbon beyond the non-contacting support frame.

9. A method comprising:

indirectly engaging a first surface of a moving ribbon of strengthened glass with a non-contacting support frame by establishing a positive pressure region and a negative pressure region within a space between the non-contacting support frame and the first surface of the ribbon and urging the non-contacting support frame and the ribbon away from one another in the positive pressure region and toward one another in the negative pressure region, the non-contacting support frame substantially circumscribing a perimeter of a sheet to be separated from the ribbon, the ribbon comprising a core layer disposed between a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer, each of the first cladding layer and the second cladding layer comprising a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the core layer such that each of the first cladding layer and the second cladding layer comprises a compressive stress and the core layer comprises a tensile stress; and

selectively applying heat to the first surface of the ribbon along the perimeter of the sheet to be separated from the ribbon with a thermal separating frame while the non-contacting support frame is indirectly engaged with the ribbon to form a thermal gradient across a thickness of the ribbon to reduce the compressive stress of the first cladding layer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a second surface of the ribbon opposite the first surface remains unengaged by the non-contacting support frame and the thermal separating frame during the indirectly engaging and the selectively applying heat.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising directly engaging the sheet to be separated from the ribbon with a gripping unit prior to the selectively applying heat.