Corning Incorporated

Marvin William Kemmerer

Naiyue Zhou

James William Brown

Anatoli Anatolyevich Abramov

Zheming Zheng

Jonathan Michael Mis

Dean George Sakona

Yawei Sun

Weiwei Luo

Nicholas Dominic Cavallaro, Iii

Tatyana Vyacheslavovna Brown

Julie A Delia

A glass manufacturing apparatus may be configured to facilitate a process of separating a glass ribbon along a separation path extending across a width of the glass ribbon. In one example, the glass manufacturing apparatus comprises at least one anvil-side vacuum port defined by an elongated nose and an elongated anvil member. The anvil-side vacuum port is configured to remove glass debris during the process of separating the glass ribbon. In another example, the glass manufacturing apparatus comprises a scoring device and a score-side vacuum port configured to remove glass debris generated during the process of separating the glass ribbon.

Apparatus and methods for separating a glass ribbon

Methods of producing a glass sheet each comprise the step of creating a vacuum to force the entire lateral portion of the glass ribbon to engage an anvil portion of a breaking device in the elastic zone. The vacuum is provided by a plurality of pressure zones that are operated independent from one another, wherein each pressure zone is provided with a set of suction cups. In further examples, glass ribbon breaking devices each include a plurality of pressure zones that are configured to be operated independent from one another with each pressure zone being provided with set of suction cups.

Glass ribbon breaking devices and methods of producing glass sheets

A method of cutting glass that prevents uncontrolled crack propagation when high background stress is present, either in the form of thermal residual stress, external mechanical stress or a combination thereof. The method includes masking an edge of the glass by blocking the beam using highly reflective or absorptive material located near the glass surface, or deposited on the surface in a form of a thin film (or highly reflective paint) to prevent uncontrolled crack initiation and propagation starting from the glass edge. The initiation of the laser scoring is located at a predetermined distance from the glass edge. Yet another aspect of the invention embodies stopping propagation of the vent at the exiting end of the score line.

Method for scoring a sheet of brittle material

Methods for separating glass sheets from glass ribbons are disclosed. One method includes forming a glass ribbon having a curvature in a lateral direction. A conformable nosing is engaged with a first surface of the glass ribbon such that the conformable nosing conforms to the curvature of the glass ribbon. The glass ribbon is scored along a scoring line on a second surface of the glass ribbon. The conformable nosing is then at least partially disengaged from the first surface of the glass ribbon by adjusting a bow of the conformable nosing. A bending moment is applied to the glass ribbon to separate a glass sheet from the glass ribbon at the scoring line. Application of the bending moment conforms the curvature of the glass ribbon to the bow of the conformable nosing prior to the glass sheet separating from the glass ribbon.

Methods for separating glass sheets from continuous glass ribbons

Methods of using a laser to separate a glass sheet is presented that employs an elongated and, preferably, asymmetrically-truncated laser beam. The methods allow glass sheets suitable for use in modern display applications to be separated at speeds up to about 200 mm/s with low levels of residual stress, e.g., levels of residual stress which are less than or equal to 100 psi, and preferably less than 50 psi. Glasses with high coefficients of thermal expansion (e.g. greater than about 35&#xd7;10/&#xb0; C.) may be separated at faster speeds. Such low levels of residual stress translate into low levels of distortion during the manufacture of display panels (e.g., LCD panels) as well as in improved properties (geometry, strength, defect-free etc.) of the separated edges. The methods can be used with glasses of various types including glasses having high coefficients of thermal expansion and also with glass sheets of different thickness.

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Odessa, NY, United States of America

Marvin William Kemmerer