KR102445028B1 - Ultra-thin glass tempered heat treatment system - Google Patents

Abstract

The transfer moving unit of the present invention horizontally moves the transfer using the rack and pinion gear method, without shaking the rack loaded with ultra-thin glass, and sequentially moves horizontally from the loader through a plurality of chambers to the unloader to strengthen the ultra-thin glass It can be heat treated. In addition, the pinion gear is driven by a servomotor that can control acceleration and deceleration and speed. In addition, the transfer moving unit is provided with a guide roller and a guide roller rail, thereby holding backlash between the rack gear and the pinion gear, and maintaining a constant contact position.

Description

Ultra-Thin Glass Tempering Heat Treatment System {Heat Treatment System For Tempering Ultra-Thin Glass}

The present invention relates to an ultra-thin glass-reinforced heat treatment system.

Recently, a smart phone equipped with a foldable display has been released. In order to protect the foldable display, a transparent polyimide film is attached to the upper surface of the foldable display.

Although the transparent polyimide film has a hard surface and is not scratched even after being folded and unfolded hundreds of thousands of times, it has the disadvantage of being vulnerable to scratches. In order to replace the transparent polyimide film, recently bendable ultra-thin tempered glass (UTG, Ultra Thin Glass) has been developed.

Ultra-thin tempered glass has a thickness of 20 to 100 μm, so it is easy to bend, and it has durability during the strengthening process, so there is no scratch.

The step of strengthening the ultra-thin tempered glass is made by immersing the ultra-thin glass in a potassium nitrate melt solution at about 500° C. to replace sodium ions contained in the ultra-thin glass and potassium ions in the potassium nitrate melt. The strengthening process of this ultra-thin glass proceeds in a glass-reinforced heat treatment system.

However, it is difficult to move the ultra-thin glass from the loader to the plurality of chambers and the unloader without shaking with the transfer and the transfer moving unit provided in the conventional glass-reinforced heat treatment system.

Because, the transfer and transfer moving unit provided in the conventional glass-reinforced heat treatment system is focused on moving the glass having a thickness of 1 mm or more, so even if the rack on which the glass is loaded is slightly shaken, the problem of glass breaking does not occur, This is because, when moving ultra-thin glass of 100 μm or less with such a transfer and transfer unit, the ultra-thin glass is broken even by minute shaking or vibration.

Korean Patent (10-0659558)

It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultra-thin glass-reinforced heat treatment system that can solve the above problems.

Ultra-thin glass-reinforced heat treatment system for achieving the above object,

A loader in which a rack loaded with ultra-thin glass is supplied and waiting; A plurality of chambers that are spaced apart from each other in a line and heat-treat the ultra-thin glass through preheating, strengthening, slow cooling, and hot water processes; an unloader waiting to take out the rack loaded with the ultra-thin glass after heat treatment; a transfer for elevating and storing the rack on which the ultra-thin glass is loaded; And in the ultra-thin glass-reinforced heat treatment system comprising a main frame in which the loader, the plurality of chambers, and the unloader are sequentially arranged in a line at a lower portion,

In order to horizontally move the transfer, a rail part installed in parallel on both upper left and right sides of the main frame, and a horizontal moving part installed on both left and right sides of the transfer corresponding to the rail part to horizontally move the transfer along the rail part Includes a transfer mobile unit consisting of,

The rail part includes a support connected to the main frame, an LM rail connected to the support, a rack gear arranged parallel to one side of the LM rail and connected to the support and having teeth formed on the side thereof, and the LM Consists of a guide roller rail arranged parallel to the other side of the rail,

The horizontal moving unit includes a pedestal connected to the transfer, an LM block attached to a lower surface of the pedestal to be coupled to the LM rail, a pinion gear engaged with the rack gear, and a pedestal attached to the pedestal to rotate the pinion gear It is characterized in that it consists of a servomotor and a guide roller attached to the pedestal to move along the guide roller rail.

The transfer moving unit of the present invention horizontally moves the transfer using the rack and pinion gear method, without shaking the rack loaded with ultra-thin glass, and sequentially moves horizontally from the loader through a plurality of chambers to the unloader to strengthen the ultra-thin glass It can be heat treated. In addition, the pinion gear is driven by a servomotor that can control acceleration and deceleration and speed. In addition, the transfer moving unit is provided with a guide roller and a guide roller rail, thereby holding backlash between the rack gear and the pinion gear, and maintaining a constant contact position.

In addition, the transfer of the present invention can raise and lower the rack loaded with ultra-thin glass without shaking. To this end, the lifting unit constituting the transfer is raised and lowered by a ball screw, and is guided in the vertical direction by linear guides provided at each of the four corners. In addition, the ball screw is driven by a servo motor that can control acceleration and deceleration and speed.

In addition, the present invention is provided with a pusher for pushing the rack loaded with ultra-thin glass stored in the rack storage unit of the transfer from front to back, left and right, and not to shake. Due to this pusher, it is prevented that the rack loaded with ultra-thin glass is shaken and broken when the transfer is horizontally moved.

In addition, the door part of the transfer of the present invention is provided with a solution receiving plate. The solution receiving plate collects the potassium nitrate melt that falls from the ultra-thin glass. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the potassium nitrate melt from falling into the slow cooling chamber or the hot water chamber instead of the strengthening chamber, and contaminating the slow cooling chamber or the hot water chamber. Such a solution receiving plate can be pulled out from the outside, and can be mounted by pushing from the outside, so that potassium nitrate hardened in a solid state can be quickly removed by removing the solution receiving plate. In addition, by embedding a heater in the solution receiving plate, the ultra-thin glass makes it possible to maintain an appropriate temperature in the rack storage unit.

1 is a view showing an ultra-thin glass-reinforced heat treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a view showing the transfer of the ultra-thin glass-reinforced heat treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an excerpt of the elevating unit of the transfer shown in FIG. 2 .
Figure 4 is a view for explaining the operation of the transfer shown in Figure 2, Figure 4 (a) is a view showing a state in which a rack loaded with ultra-thin glass is placed in the rack storage unit, Figure 4 (b) is a door It is a view showing a state in which the unit is opened and the rack coupling unit lowers the rack.
FIG. 5 is a view showing a door part of the transfer shown in FIG. 2 .
6 is a view for explaining the structure of the solution receiving plate shown in FIG.
7 is a view showing a state in which the rail portion and the horizontal movement unit of the transfer moving unit of the ultra-thin glass-reinforced heat treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention are installed in the main frame and the transfer.
8 and 9 are views showing the transfer unit of the ultra-thin glass-reinforced heat treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an ultra-thin glass-reinforced heat treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

As shown in Figure 1, the ultra-thin glass-reinforced heat treatment system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mainframe 100, the loader 200, the chambers 300, the unloader 400, the transfer 500 , and a transfer moving unit 600 .

[Mainframe]

The main frame 100 is a structure made of a metal material. A loader 200 , a plurality of chambers 300 , and an unloader 400 are arranged in a line at a predetermined interval at a lower portion of the main frame 100 . The transfer 500 is disposed on the main frame 100 .

[Loader]

The loader 200 is located in the lower first stage of the main frame 100, and is a place where the rack (R) loaded with ultra-thin glass is supplied from the outside to the inside. The rack (R) is loaded with ultra-thin glass at regular intervals. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4 (b), the ultra-thin glasses are first loaded onto the cassette at regular intervals, and then the cassette is loaded on the rack (R). Of course, there will be various ways in which the ultra-thin glass is loaded into the rack (R).

[Chambers]

A plurality of chambers 300 are spaced apart from each other in a line between the loader 200 and the unloader 400 in the lower part of the main frame 100, preheating, strengthening, slow cooling the ultra-thin glass loaded in the rack (R) , heat treatment for strengthening through hydrothermal process. Each of the chambers 300 has a box-shaped structure with an open top, and a door for opening and closing the opening is installed at the top. In addition, a heater is built inside.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the plurality of chambers 300 includes a preheating chamber 310 , a strengthening chamber 320 , a slow cooling chamber 330 , and a hot water chamber 340 .

The preheating chamber 310 is preheated to prevent thermal deformation and cracks before strengthening the ultra-thin glass. Preheating is carried out at about 300°C.

The strengthening chamber 320 strengthens the ultra-thin glass. The strengthening chamber 320 contains the potassium nitrate melt heated to about 500 ℃. When the ultra-thin glass is immersed in the potassium nitrate melt, the sodium ions contained in the ultra-thin glass and the potassium ions in the potassium nitrate melt are replaced with each other, and the ultra-thin glass is strengthened.

Slow cooling chamber 330 is to remove the stress by slowly cooling the ultra-thin glass strengthened at a high temperature to about 200 ℃.

The hot water chamber 340 washes the potassium nitrate melt remaining in the ultra-thin glass and cools the ultra-thin glass to 100° C. or less.

[Unloader]

The unloader 400 is located at the lower end of the main frame 100, and is a waiting place to take out the rack (R) loaded with the ultra-thin glass that has been strengthened and heat treated to the outside.

[transfer]

The transfer 500 is located on the upper portion of the main frame 100, and elevates the rack (R) on which the ultra-thin glass is loaded.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the transfer 500 includes a transfer frame 510 , a lifting unit 520 , a rack storage unit 540 , and a door unit 550 .

transfer frame

The transfer frame 510 is a structure made of a metal material. The transfer frame 510 is provided with a lifting unit 520 , a rack storage unit 540 , and a door unit 550 .

elevator

The lifting unit 520 is located on the inner upper portion of the transfer frame 510 . The lifting unit 520 raises and lowers the rack (R) and stores it.

3 and 4, the lifting unit 520 includes a lifting plate 521, a rack coupling unit 522, a ball screw 523, a servo motor 524, and a linear guide 525. .

The lifting plate 521 is connected to the rack coupling part 522 .

The rack coupling part 522 is composed of four, and a hanger 522a capable of holding the rack (R) is provided at the lower end. The rack coupling portion 522 may open or narrow the hanger 522a to pinch or not pick up the rack (R). The hanger 522a is operated by the air cylinder 522b.

The rack coupling unit 522 is formed in a bar shape, not a wire or chain shape, so that the coupled rack (R) is not shaken.

A ball screw 523 is installed on the lifting plate 521 . The ball nut 523a of the ball screw 523 is coupled to the center of the lifting plate 521 , and the screw shaft 523b of the ball screw 523 is connected to the center upper and lower portions of the transfer frame 510 . The ball nut 523a moves in the vertical direction along the screw shaft 523b to raise and lower the lifting plate 521 . By adopting the ball screw 523 method, the rack (R) on which the ultra-thin glass is loaded can be raised and lowered without shaking.

The ball screw 523 is driven by a servo motor 524 . The servo motor 524 is connected to the lower end of the screw shaft 523b of the ball screw 523 .

The lifting plate 521 is guided in the vertical direction by the linear guides 525 coupled to the four corners. The linear guide 525 includes a linear bush 525a and a shaft 525b. The linear bush 525a is coupled to the four corners of the lifting plate 521, and the shafts 525b are connected to the upper and lower portions of the four corners of the transfer frame 510 to move the lifting plate 521 in the vertical direction along the shaft 525b. guide to By adopting the linear guide 525, the rack R on which the ultra-thin glass is loaded can be raised and lowered without shaking.

rack storage

The rack storage unit 540 is located at the lower inner portion of the transfer frame 510 . The rack storage unit 540 has a rectangular box shape with an open bottom. The rack (R) on which the ultra-thin glass is loaded is stored inside the rack storage unit 540 . The rack coupling unit 522 extends downward through the upper surface of the rack storage unit 540 in the elevating plate 521 . As shown in FIG. 4(b), when the rack coupling part 522 is lowered by the lowering of the elevating plate 521 and is combined with the rack (R) and then rises again, the rack (R) is a rack storage part (540). is located inside of The rack storage unit 540 is provided with a pusher 542 for pushing the rack (R) from front to back, left and right, and not to shake. The pusher 542 is composed of an air cylinder. Due to the pusher 542, when the transfer 500 is moved in the horizontal direction, it is possible to prevent the rack (R) on which the ultra-thin glass is loaded from shaking.

The rack storage unit 540 has a built-in heater 541 that allows the ultra-thin glass to maintain an appropriate temperature. Due to the heater 541, the breakage of the ultra-thin glass, which can be broken even with a slight temperature change, is prevented.

door part

The door part 550 is connected to the lower part of the transfer frame 510 and opens and closes the lower part of the opened rack storage part 540 . The door unit 550 is configured as a pair, and opens and closes by moving in both directions. 5 and 6 , each door part 550 includes a body part 551 , a solution receiving plate 552 , a connection part 553 , and a driving part 554 .

The body portion 551 has a long rectangular shape, and a depression portion 551a of a predetermined depth is formed inside the body portion 551 so that the solution receiving plate 552 can be fitted therein. Locking portions 551b for guiding the solution receiving plate 552 and limiting movement are formed on both outer walls of the recessed portion 551a.

The solution receiving plate 552 is inserted into the recessed portion 551a formed inside the body portion 551 . The solution receiving plate 552 is composed of three, each of which is inserted into the recessed portion 551a of the body portion 551 in a line. The solution receiving plate 552 can be pulled out after being inserted into the recessed part 551a of the body part 551 in the same manner as a drawer. The solution receiving plate 552 is a bottom plate 552a where the potassium nitrate melt falling from the ultra-thin glass is collected, an outer wall portion 552b extending to a predetermined height from one surface of the bottom plate 552a, and the outer wall portion 552b. It is composed of a handle 552c. A heater 541 may be built in the solution receiving plate 552 to enable the ultra-thin glass to maintain an appropriate temperature in the rack storage unit 540 .

The connection part 553 is formed at both ends of the body part 551 . The connection part 553 is connected to the driving part 554 . As shown in FIG. 4( b ), the driving unit 554 moves the connecting unit 553 left and right to open and close the lower portion of the opened rack storage unit 540 .

The solution receiving plate 552 prevents the potassium nitrate melt remaining in the rack (R) from falling into the slow cooling chamber 330 or the hot water chamber 340 rather than the strengthening chamber 320 . Since the solution receiving plate 552 is detachably installed in the door part 550 , cleaning of the solution receiving plate 552 is facilitated. The cleaning of the solution receiving plate 552 proceeds after the potassium nitrate is solidified into a solid state. After removing the solution receiving plate 552 to remove the solidified potassium nitrate, the solution receiving plate 552 is mounted on the body portion 551 .

[Transfer mobile unit]

The transfer moving unit 600 sequentially horizontally moves the transfer 500 in which the rack R on which the ultra-thin glass is loaded is stored, from the loader 200 through the plurality of chambers 300 to the unloader 400 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , the transfer moving unit 600 includes a pair of rail units 610 and a pair of horizontal moving units 620 . One rail part 610 and one horizontal moving part 620 are respectively positioned on the upper left and right sides of the main frame 100 to correspond to each other.

rail

The rail unit 610 is installed parallel to the upper left and right sides of the main frame 100 . The rail unit 610 extends from the first end of the main frame 100 in which the loader 200 is positioned to the end of the main frame 100 in which the unloader 400 is positioned.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the rail unit 610 includes a support 611 , an LM rail 612 , a rack gear 613 , and a guide roller rail 614 .

The support 611 is connected to the main frame 100 . An LM rail 612 is connected on the support 611 . The rack gear 613 is disposed parallel to one side of the LM rail 612 and is connected to the support 611 . The rack gear 613 is formed with teeth on the side. The rack gear 613 is preferably a helical gear type. A guide roller rail 614 is disposed parallel to the other side of the LM rail 612 , and the guide roller rail 614 is connected to the main frame 100 .

horizontal moving part

The horizontal moving unit 620 is installed on both left and right sides of the transfer to correspond to the rail unit 610 to horizontally move the transfer along the rail unit 610 .

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the horizontal moving unit 620 includes a pedestal 621 , an LM block 622 , a pinion gear 623 , a guide roller 624 , and a servo motor 625 .

The pedestal 621 is connected to the transfer. An LM block 622 coupled to the LM rail 612 is attached to the lower surface of the pedestal 621 . A pinion gear 623 meshing with the rack gear 613 is located on one side of the LM block 622 . The pinion gear 623 is preferably a helical gear type corresponding to the rack gear 613 . The servomotor 625 is attached on the pedestal 621 and rotates the pinion gear 623 .

The transfer moving unit 600 adopts the rack gear 613 and pinion gear 623 method and includes an LM guide, so that the rack R loaded with ultra-thin glass can be horizontally moved without shaking. In addition, since the rack gear 613 and the pinion gear 623 are formed in a helical gear type, smoother driving is possible and torque transmission is facilitated.

On the other side of the LM block 622 , a guide roller 624 for absorbing shaking or vibration of the horizontal moving part 620 is positioned. The guide roller 624 is attached to the pedestal 621 and moves along the guide roller rail 614 . The guide roller 624 is preferably formed of an elastic material.

The guide roller 624 includes a first guide roller 624a and a second guide roller 624b. The first guide roller 624a is supported on the upper surface of the pedestal 621 and is in contact with the upper surface of the guide roller rail 614 positioned below the pedestal 621 through an opening formed in the pedestal 621 . The first guide roller 624a moves along the upper surface of the guide roller rail 614 .

The second guide roller 624b is located on the lower surface of the pedestal 621 and contacts the inner surface of the guide roller rail 614 . The second guide roller 624b moves along the inner surface of the guide roller rail 614 .

The transfer moving unit 600 includes a guide roller 624 and a guide roller rail 614, thereby holding backlash between the rack gear 613 and the pinion gear 623 and maintaining a constant contact position. .

Hereinafter, the operation of the ultra-thin glass-reinforced heat treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Reference is made basically to FIGS. 1 to 3 .

A rack (R) is placed on the loader 200 is loaded with ultra-thin glass. The door part 550 of the transfer 500 shown in Fig. 4(a) is opened as shown in Fig. 4(b). As shown in Fig. 4 (b), the lifting unit 520 of the transfer 500 is lowered and combined with the rack (R). The rack (R) is raised by the operation of the lifting unit (520), as shown in Figure 4 (a), is located inside the rack storage unit (540).

The horizontal moving part 620 of the transfer moving unit 600 moves horizontally along the rail part 610, and the transfer in which the rack (R) loaded with ultra-thin glass is combined is a preheating process that is the first process of the glass-reinforced heat treatment process. is horizontally moved to the upper part of the preheating chamber 310 to perform .

When the transfer 500 moves to the upper portion of the preheating chamber 310 , the door that has closed the preheating chamber 310 is opened. In this state, the elevating plate 521 descends along the ball screw 523 and the linear guide 525 , and the rack R on which the ultra-thin glass connected to the lower portion of the elevating plate 521 is loaded is placed inside the preheating chamber 310 . will be located in When the rack R loaded with the ultra-thin glass is seated by descending into the preheating chamber 310 , the rack R loaded with the ultra-thin glass is separated from the transfer 500 . The door positioned above the preheating chamber 310 is closed and a preheating process is performed.

When the preheating process is completed inside the preheating chamber 310, the door is opened and the rack R loaded with ultra-thin glass is pulled up from the preheating chamber 310 by the operation of the elevating part 520 of the transfer 500, and the rack is stored. Located inside portion 540 .

In order to prevent temperature change and heat transfer to the surroundings, the door part 550 is closed, and the transfer 500 moves along the rail part 610 by the operation of the horizontal moving part 620 to the upper part of the reinforcement chamber 320 . is moved Thereafter, since the operations of the transfer 500 and the transfer moving unit 600 in the strengthening chamber 320 , the slow cooling chamber 330 , and the hot water chamber 340 are the same, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. After the hydrothermal process in the hot water chamber 340, the rack R loaded with ultra-thin glass is moved to the unloader 400 and waits for the next process.

100: mainframe 200: loader
300: chamber 400: unloader
500: transfer 510: transfer frame
520: lifting unit 540: rack storage unit
550: door 600: transfer moving unit
610: rail unit 620: horizontal moving unit

Claims (5)

A loader in which a rack loaded with ultra-thin glass is supplied and waiting; A plurality of chambers that are spaced apart from each other in a line and heat-treat the ultra-thin glass through preheating, strengthening, slow cooling, and hot water processes; an unloader waiting to take out the rack loaded with the ultra-thin glass after heat treatment; A transfer comprising: an elevating unit for elevating the rack on which the ultra-thin glass is loaded; and a mainframe in which the loader, the plurality of chambers, and the unloader are sequentially arranged in a line at a lower portion,
In order to horizontally move the transfer, a rail part installed in parallel on both upper left and right sides of the main frame, and a horizontal moving part installed on both left and right sides of the transfer corresponding to the rail part to horizontally move the transfer along the rail part Includes a transfer mobile unit consisting of,
The rail unit includes a support connected to the main frame, an LM rail connected to the support, a rack gear disposed parallel to one side of the LM rail and connected to the support and formed with teeth on the side, and the other of the LM rail. Consists of a guide roller rail arranged parallel to one side,
The horizontal moving unit includes a pedestal connected to the transfer, an LM block attached to a lower surface of the pedestal to be coupled to the LM rail, a pinion gear engaged with the rack gear, and a pedestal attached to the pedestal to rotate the pinion gear It consists of a servo motor and a guide roller that is attached to the pedestal and moves along the guide roller rail,

The ultra-thin glass has a thickness of 100 μm or less, which can be broken even with minute shaking and minute temperature difference,

When the rack on which the ultra-thin glass is loaded is stored in the rack storage unit, when it is horizontally moved by the transfer moving unit, shake due to backlash between the rack gear and the pinion gear does not occur,
The guide roller is installed on the upper surface of the pedestal and moves along the upper surface of the guide roller rail while in contact with the upper surface of the guide roller rail positioned under the pedestal through an opening formed in the pedestal. Wow,
It is installed on the lower surface of the pedestal and consists of a second guide roller that moves along the inner surface of the guide roller rail while in contact with the inner surface of the guide roller rail,

In a state in which the rack on which the ultra-thin glass is loaded is stored in the rack storage unit, there is no shaking during horizontal movement by the transfer moving unit,
The rack storage unit is provided with a pusher for fixing the rack loaded with the ultra-thin glass from front to back, left and right, and not to shake,

In a state in which the rack loaded with the ultra-thin glass is stored in the rack storage unit, the set temperature can be maintained while horizontally moved by the transfer moving unit,
The ultra-thin glass-reinforced heat treatment system, characterized in that the rack storage unit is provided with a heater for applying heat to the ultra-thin glass loaded on the rack. delete delete delete delete

Images