Method and apparatus for finishing a glass sheet

Abstract

An apparatus for finishing a glass sheet comprising a pair of fluid bearings having bearing surfaces in opposing relation, the bearing surfaces spaced apart to define a channel for receiving the glass sheet, each bearing surface having a plurality of pores through which jets are introduced into the channel, the pores positioned on the bearing surface such that the jets produce a uniform fluid pressure across the bearing surface.

1 . An apparatus for finishing a glass sheet, comprising: 
 a pair of fluid bearings having bearing surfaces in opposing relation, the bearing surfaces spaced apart to define a channel for receiving the glass sheet, each bearing surface having a plurality of pores through which jets are introduced into the channel, the pores positioned on the bearing surface such that the jets produce a uniform fluid pressure across the bearing surface.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pores are positioned such that the jets produced from the pores interact.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the pores is greater than one-half the distance between adjacent pores.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each fluid bearing comprises a flow plate, and a surface of the flow plate provides the bearing surface.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the pores in the bearing surface are provided by perforations in the flow plate.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the flow plate is made of a porous material.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the porous material has an average pore size in a range from 5 μm to 150 μm.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the porous material has an average pore size in a range from 10 μm to 100 μm.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the porous material has an average pore size in a range from 50 μm to 80 μm.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein a thickness of the flow plate is in a range from 10 mm to 50 mm.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein each fluid bearing further comprises an inlet through which fluid can be communicated to the flow plate.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a processing device adjacent the fluid bearings for processing an edge of the glass sheet.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processing device includes a finishing device for processing the edge of the glass sheet and a shroud for containing contaminants generated during the processing.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a mechanism coupled to the processing device for moving the processing device relative to the fluid bearings.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a mechanism configured to engage the glass sheet and move the glass sheet relative to the fluid bearings.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the mechanism comprises a set of edge grippers and a linear slide coupled to the set of edge grippers.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a conveyor for transporting the glass sheet into or out of the channel.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the conveyor is retractable to allow a processing device access to an edge of the glass sheet.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising edge grippers extending into the channel for gripping edges of the glass sheet.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each fluid bearing comprises a plurality of the bearing surfaces in a stack.  
   
   
       21 . A method of finishing a glass sheet, comprising: 
 loading a glass sheet in a channel defined between a pair of fluid bearings having bearing surfaces, wherein each bearing surface has a plurality of pores through which jets are introduced into the channel and the pores are such that the jets produce a uniform fluid pressure across the bearing surface; and    finishing edges of the glass sheet.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein finishing edges of the glass sheet comprises grinding and/or polishing opposite edges of the glass sheet.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein finishing edges of the glass sheet comprises advancing a finishing device to the edges of the glass sheet and moving the finishing device relative to the edges of the glass sheet.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein finishing edges of the glass sheet comprises advancing a finishing device to the edges of the glass sheet and moving the edges of the glass sheet relative to the finishing device.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein finishing edges of the glass sheet comprises finishing opposite edges of the glass sheet simultaneously.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising cutting the glass sheet from a continuous glass sheet prior to loading the glass sheet into the channel.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the continuous glass sheet is produced by a fusion process and cutting the glass sheet is by a travel anvil method.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein cutting the glass sheet is by a thermal shock process.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising removing beads from edges of the glass sheet prior to loading the glass sheet into the channel.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein removing beads is by a thermal shock process.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein finishing edges of the glass sheet comprises finishing a first set of edges of the glass sheet followed by finishing a second set of edges of the glass sheet.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising rotating the glass sheet prior to finishing the second set of edges of the glass sheet.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the glass sheet is removed from the channel prior to rotating the glass sheet and loaded into another channel defined by a pair of fluid bearings prior to finishing the second set of edges of the glass sheet.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising washing the glass sheet.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising drying the glass sheet.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising coating the glass sheet with a protective coating.