Methods and apparatus for fabricating respective sections from a glass web

Abstract

Methods and apparatus provide for: conveying a glass web from a source toward a destination in a transport direction; scoring the glass web in a width direction thereof to product a score line having a plurality of separated score segments, thereby defining a section of the glass web between the score line and leading edge of the glass web; supporting the glass web such that an increasing portion of the section of the glass web becomes cantilevered as the glass web is conveyed such that the portion of the section of the glass web is sufficiently large to generate stress in the respective score segments and drive respective cracks through the thickness of the glass web; and permitting the section of the glass web to separate from the glass web along the score line.

1 . A method of separating a glass web, the glass web having a length, a width that is transverse to the length, and a thickness, the method comprising:
 (a) scoring the glass web in a direction of the width thereof to produce a score line having a plurality of separated score segments, thereby defining a section of the glass web between the score line and a leading edge of the glass web;   (b) conveying the glass web from the scoring toward a destination in a transport direction parallel to the length of the glass web to a bending zone;   (c) supporting the glass web, at the bending zone, such that an increasing portion of the section of the glass web becomes cantilevered as the glass web is conveyed and the portion of the section of the glass web is permitted to droop under gravity, and continuing the conveying such that the portion of the section of the glass web is sufficiently large to generate stress in the respective separated score segments and drive respective cracks through the thickness of the glass web;   (d) permitting the section of the glass web to separate from the glass web along the score line; and   (e) repeating steps (a) through (e) to produce a plurality of sections of glass web.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the step of conveying the glass web includes continuously conveying the glass web; and   the step of scoring the glass web includes producing the score line simultaneously with the conveyance of the glass web.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 lengths of one or more of the plurality of separated score segments of the score line are one of:
 (i) from about 1 to about 30 inches; 
 (ii) from about 2 to about 20 inches; 
 (iii) from about 3 to about 10 inches; and 
 (iv) from about 4-8 inches; and 
   lengths of one or more intervals between the respective separated score segments of the score line are one of:
 (i) from about 1 to about 30 inches; 
 (ii) from about 2 to about 20 inches; 
 (iii) from about 3 to about 10 inches; and 
 (iv) from about 4-8 inches. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein depths of one or more of the plurality of separated score segments of the score line are one of:
 (i) from about 2 to about 20 um;   (ii) from about 5 to about 15 um;   (iii) about 10 um; and   (iv) from about 2 to about 40% of the thickness of the glass web.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the glass web is one of:
 (i) about 50 um or greater;   (ii) from about 100 um to about 500 um;   (iii) from about 100 um to about 350 um;   (iv) about 100 um; and   (v) from about 50 um to about 100 um.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the glass web is a fusion formed glass web. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the glass web includes at least one of:
 a first undesired lateral edge and associated lateral zone along one edge of the glass web;   a second undesired lateral edge and associated lateral zone along an opposing edge of the glass web; and   a central zone disposed adjacent to at least one of the first and second undesired lateral edges and associated lateral zones.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the glass web includes the first and second undesired lateral edges and associated lateral zones, and the central zone disposed between the first and second undesired lateral edges;   the step of scoring includes scoring each of the first and second undesired lateral edges and associated lateral zones, and the central zone such that the section of the glass web between the score line and the leading edge of the glass web is an integral section having:
 (i) a section of the first undesired lateral edge and associated lateral zone; 
 (ii) a section of the second undesired lateral edge and associated lateral zone; and 
 (iii) a section of the central zone therebetween; and 
   the step of separating the section of the glass web from the glass web along the score line results in the separation of the integral section from the glass web.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the method further comprises, prior to the step of scoring, separating the respective first and second undesired lateral edges and associated lateral zones, from the central zone of the glass web;   the step of scoring includes scoring each of the first and second undesired lateral edges and associated lateral zones, and the central zone, such that the section of the glass web between the score line and the leading edge of the glass web includes three separate sub-sections having:
 (i) a sub-section of the first undesired lateral edge and associated lateral zone; 
 (ii) a sub-section of the second undesired lateral edge and associated lateral zone; and 
 (iii) a sub-section of the central zone; 
   the step of conveying the glass web includes conveying all three separate sub-sections of the glass web simultaneously to the bending zone; and   the step of separating the three sub-sections of the glass web from the glass web along the score line results in the separation of the three separated sub-sections from the glass web.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the method further comprises, prior to the step of scoring, separating the respective first and second undesired lateral edges and associated lateral zones, from the central zone of the glass web;   the step of scoring includes scoring each of the first and second undesired lateral edges and associated lateral zones, but not the central zone, such that the section of the glass web between the score line and the leading edge of the glass web includes two separate sub-sections having:
 (i) a sub-section of the first undesired lateral edge and associated lateral zone; 
 (ii) a sub-section of the second undesired lateral edge and associated lateral zone; and 
 (iii) no sub-section of the central zone; 
   the step of conveying the glass web includes conveying the two separate sub-sections and the central zone of the glass web simultaneously to the bending zone; and   the step of separating includes separation of only the two sub-sections from the glass web along the score line, and a continuous sheet of the central zone remaining connected to the glass web.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the scoring produces, for at least one of the plurality of separated score segments, a path through the glass web comprising a first slope relative to a surface of the glass web and a second slope relative to the surface of the glass web wherein a magnitude of the first slope is different from a magnitude of the second slope. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein lengths of one or more intervals between respective separated score segments of the score line are from about 1 to about 30 inches. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein lengths of one or more intervals between respective separated score segments of the score line are from about 4-8 inches. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein lengths of one or more of the plurality of separated score segments of the score line are from about 1 to about 30 inches. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of scoring steps, wherein at least one of the scoring steps scores the glass web in the direction of the width thereof to produce the score line defining the section of the glass web between the score line and the leading edge of the glass web. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of scoring steps comprises three independent scoring mechanisms. 
     
     
         17 . A method for processing a glass web, the glass web having a length, a width that is transverse to the length, and a thickness, the apparatus comprising:
 conveying, by a transport mechanism, the glass web from a glass web source toward a destination in a transport direction parallel to the length of the glass web;   scoring, by a scoring mechanism, the glass web in a direction of the width thereof to produce a score line having a plurality of separated score segments, thereby defining a section of the glass web between the score line and a leading edge of the glass web;   supporting the glass web, at a bending zone, such that an increasing portion of the section of the glass web becomes cantilevered as the glass web is conveyed by the transport mechanism and the portion of the section of the glass web is permitted to droop under gravity, and continuing the conveying such that the portion of the section of the glass web is sufficiently large to generate stress in the respective separated score segments and drive respective cracks through the thickness of the glass web;   separating, at a separating zone, the section of the glass web from the glass web along the score line; and   controlling, by a controller, the transport mechanism, scoring mechanism, and separating zone to produce a plurality of sections of glass web;   wherein the scoring mechanism is configured to produce, for at least one of the plurality of separated score segments, a path through the glass web comprising a first slope relative to a surface of the glass web and a second slope relative to the surface of the glass web wherein a magnitude of the first slope is different from a magnitude of the second slope.   
     
     
         18 . A method for processing a glass web, the glass web having a length, a width that is transverse to the length, and a thickness, the apparatus comprising:
 conveying, by a transport mechanism, the glass web from a glass web source toward a destination in a transport direction parallel to the length of the glass web;   scoring, by a scoring mechanism, the glass web in a direction of the width thereof to produce a score line having a plurality of separated score segments, thereby defining a section of the glass web between the score line and a leading edge of the glass web;   supporting the glass web, at a bending zone, such that an increasing portion of the section of the glass web becomes cantilevered as the glass web is conveyed by the transport mechanism and the portion of the section of the glass web is permitted to droop under gravity, and continuing the conveying such that the portion of the section of the glass web is sufficiently large to generate stress in the respective separated score segments and drive respective cracks through the thickness of the glass web;   separating, at a separating zone, the section of the glass web from the glass web along the score line; and   controlling, by a controller, the transport mechanism, scoring mechanism, and separating zone to produce a plurality of sections of glass web;   wherein the scoring mechanism is configured such that lengths of one or more intervals between respective separated score segments of the score line are from about 1 to about 30 inches.