Surface protection coating for glass sheets

• US 20050053768A1
• Filed: 09/04/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Friedman, Thomas J., Nolet, Teresa C., Kim, Hongkyu
• Application Number:
  US10/656,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20050053768A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/167
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/06 comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10018 comprising only one glass sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10577 Surface roughness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2439/00 Containers; Receptacles closures therefor B32B2435/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/48 for glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/069 Means for avoiding damage to stacked plate glass, e.g. by interposing paper or powder spacers in the stack maculation per se B65H39/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/328 Polyolefins
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/42 at least one coating of an organic material and at least one non-metal coating
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2204/08 Glass having a rough surface
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/355 Temporary coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2457 Parallel ribs and/or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31616 Next to polyester [e.g., alkyd]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31649 Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer

Abstract

A method is described herein for packaging a plurality of glass sheets by: (1) coating a top surface of each glass sheet with a removable top protective film; (2) coating a bottom surface of each glass sheet with a removable bottom protective film; and (3) stacking the coated glass sheets next to one another such that the top protective film of one glass sheet is adjacent to the bottom protective film of another glass sheet. The top protective film and/or bottom protective film on each glass sheet has embossed features (e.g., rough features) formed therein which make it easier to separate one glass sheet from one another glass sheet because of the presence of air pockets caused by the embossed features located between the stacked glass sheets. The coated glass sheet and a container that can store a plurality of the coated glass sheets are also described herein.

Claims

1. A glass sheet comprising:

a top surface coated with a removable top protective film; and

a bottom surface coated with a removable bottom protective film, wherein at least one of the top protective film and bottom protective film has embossed features formed therein.

2. The glass sheet of claim 1, wherein said top protective film has embossed features and said bottom protective film does not have embossed features.

3. The glass sheet of claim 2, wherein said top protective film is a multi-layer structure that has a smooth layer and a rough layer.

4. The glass sheet of claim 3, wherein said smooth layer is a polymer film and said rough layer is a layer of fabric or paper.

5. The glass sheet of claim 3, wherein said smooth layer has a modulus of stiffness that is lower than a modulus of stiffness of said rough layer.

6. The glass sheet of claim 1, wherein said top protective film has embossed features and said bottom protective film has embossed features.

7. The glass sheet of claim 6, wherein the embossed features on said top protective film have a different shape or are located in a different position than the embossed features on said bottom protective film.

8. The glass sheet of claim 6, wherein at least one of said top protective film and said bottom protective film is a multi-layer structure that has a smooth layer and a rough layer.

9. The glass sheet of claim 8, wherein said smooth layer is a polymer film and said rough layer is a layer of fabric or paper.

10. The glass sheet of claim 8, wherein said smooth layer has a modulus of stiffness that is lower than a modulus of stiffness of said rough layer.

11. A method for packaging a plurality of glass substrates, said method comprising the steps of:

coating a top surface of each glass substrate with a removable top protective film;

coating a bottom surface of each glass substrate with a removable bottom protective film; and

stacking the glass substrates next to one another such that the top protective film of one glass substrate is adjacent to the bottom protective film of another glass substrate, wherein at least one of the top protective film and bottom protective film on each glass substrate has designed-in features which make it easier to separate one glass substrate from another glass substrate because of the presence of air pockets caused by the designed-in features located between said stacked glass substrates.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said glass substrates are stacked next to one another in a vertical position within a container.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said glass substrates are stacked next to one another in a horizontal position within a container.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said glass substrates are stacked next to one another in a predetermined angle from a vertical position within a container.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said top protective film has designed-in features and said bottom protective film does not have designed-in features.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said top protective film has one type of designed-in features and said bottom protective film has a second type of designed-in features.

17. A container for holding a plurality of glass sheets, said container comprising:

a first side;

an opposing second side;

two additional sides;

a top; and

a bottom all of which enclose said glass sheets, each glass sheet includes;

a top surface coated with a removable top protective film; and

a bottom surface coated with a removable bottom protective film, wherein the glass sheets are stacked next to one another such that the top protective film of one glass sheet is adjacent to the bottom protective film of another glass sheet, wherein at least one of the top protective film and bottom protective film on each glass sheet has embossed features therein which make it easier to separate one glass sheet from another glass sheet because of the presence of air pockets caused by the embossed features located between said stacked glass sheets.

18. The container of claim 17, wherein said top protective film has embossed features and said bottom protective film does not have embossed features.

19. The container of claim 17, wherein said top protective film has one type of embossed features and said bottom protective film has a second type of embossed features.

20. The container of claim 17, wherein said top protective film is made from a high density polyethylene film other flexible polymer film and said bottom protective film is made from a low density polyethylene film other polyolefin film.

21. The container of claim 17, wherein said glass sheet is used in a liquid crystal display.

22. A material comprising:

a top surface coated with a removable top protective film; and

a bottom surface coated with a removable bottom protective film, wherein at least one of the top protective film and bottom protective film has embossed features therein which make it easier to separate said material that is stacked on another piece of material because of the presence of air pockets caused by the embossed features located between said stacked materials.

23. The material of claim 22, wherein said top protective film has embossed features and said bottom protective film does not have embossed features.

24. The material of claim 22, wherein said top protective film has one type of embossed features and said bottom protective film has a second type of embossed features.