APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INSPECTING A FLEXIBLE GLASS RIBBON

• US 20150160140A1
• Filed: 05/23/2013
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Kang, Kiat Chyai, Priestley, Richard Sean
• Granted Patent: US 9,683,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/24 by measuring variations of optical properties of material when it is stressed, e.g. by photoelastic stress analysis using infrared, visible light, ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8914 characterised by the material examined
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/896 Optical defects in or on transparent materials, e.g. distortion, surface flaws in conveyed flat sheet or rod for other objects G01N21/958

Abstract

An apparatus (10) is provided for inspecting a flexible glass ribbon. In one example, the apparatus includes at least one storage roll (16) for storing a length of the flexible glass ribbon (12). In another example, the apparatus further includes an inspection device (50). In yet another example, the inspection device can inspect a characteristic of an unrolled portion (28) of the flexible glass ribbon (12) spanning along a travel path (14) of the flexible glass ribbon.

Claims

1. An apparatus for inspecting a flexible glass ribbon, the apparatus comprising:

at least one storage roll configured to store a length of the flexible glass ribbon; and

an inspection device configured to inspect a characteristic of an unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon spanning along a travel path of the flexible glass ribbon.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a plurality of rollers configured to guide the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon along the travel path, the plurality of rollers being configured to create a predetermined tension in the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of rollers are configured to stabilize an inspection region of the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon, wherein the inspection device is configured to inspect the characteristic within the inspection region of the flexible glass ribbon.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inspection device is configured to measure the characteristic comprising a stress characteristic, thickness, or warp, of the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inspection device includes an optical device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the optical device includes at least one camera configured to inspect the characteristic of the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one camera comprises a camera array configured to inspect the characteristic along a width of the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon extending transverse to the travel path.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a polarized light source configured to operate with the at least one camera to inspect the characteristic comprising a stress characteristic of the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a measurement device configured to be observed by the camera to inspect the characteristic comprising a warp characteristic along a width of the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon extending transverse to the travel path.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage roll includes a first storage roll configured to store a first length of the flexible glass ribbon and a second storage roll configured to store a second length of the flexible glass ribbon.

11. A method of inspecting a characteristic of a flexible glass ribbon, the method comprising the steps of:

(I) providing a first storage roll storing a first length of the flexible glass ribbon; and

(II) inspecting a characteristic of an unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon spanning along a travel path of the flexible glass ribbon.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

stabilizing an inspection region of the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon with a plurality of rollers while inspecting the characteristic within the inspection region of the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon; and

adjusting at least one of the plurality of rollers to place the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon under a predetermined tension in the inspection region.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein step (II) includes inspecting the characteristic comprising a stress characteristic, thickness, or warp, of the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein step (II) includes operating an optical device to inspect the characteristic of the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein step (II) includes exposing the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon with polarized light while at least one camera inspects the characteristic comprising a stress characteristic of the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein step (II) includes inspecting a measurement device relative to the unrolled portion of the flexible glass ribbon with at least one camera to inspect a warpage of the flexible glass ribbon.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein step (I) further provides a second storage roll storing a second length of the flexible glass ribbon, and wherein step (II) is carried out while the unrolled portion travels along the travel path from the first storage roll to the second storage roll.