Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Composite – Of quartz or glass
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-09
2003-01-07
Nakarani, D. S. (Department: 1773)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Composite
Of quartz or glass
C294S064200, C414S800000, C427S154000, C427S155000, C428S036800, C428S421000, C428S423100, C428S447000, C428S492000, C428S522000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06503630
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a glass article, a method for handling a glass article, a handling tool for a glass article and a spacing tool for glass articles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technique used for a glass article provided with an organic functional film, which prevents a component of the organic functional film from adhering to something in contact with the glass article.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a technique in a method for handling glass articles that prevents a component of a surface of a member of a glass-article-handling tool in contact with a glass article from adhering onto the surface of the glass article, or an attachment on the surface of the glass article from re-adhering (transferring) onto the surface of the glass-article-handling tool in contact with the glass article.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a technique used with a glass-article-handling tool and a glass-article-spacing tool that prevents a contaminant adhered onto a surface of the handling tool or the spacing tool in contact with a glass article from adhering to a surface of another glass article.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A glass sheet, which is an example of a glass article, is widely used for a window sash for buildings or as a window glass for automobiles. Such glass sheets are produced in a glass factory and transported to a sash factory so as to be assembled to form a window sash. Alternatively, glass sheets are transported to an automobile factory to be incorporated into an automobile. In these cases, the glass sheets
10
are commonly handled by automatic machines such as robots
7
(see FIG.
4
).
In the case where a robot handles glass sheets, a chuck is commonly used to pick up a glass article. In this operation, the component of the member of the chuck may adhere onto the surface of the glass article. Alternatively, dirt adhered on the surface of the chuck may re-adhere to a surface of another glass sheet. The removal of the dirt may require troublesome work.
In order to provide various properties to a glass sheet, various films may be formed on the surface of the glass sheet. A glass sheet provided with an organic functional film has been under development to provide the surface of the glass sheet with water repellency or hydrophilicity.
When this glass sheet is handled by a glass-article-handling tool, a component of the organic functional film adheres to a surface of the tool. Upon handling of another glass article with this tool, the adhered component of the organic functional film re-adheres to the glass article. In the case where this second glass sheet is an ordinary glass sheet that is not provided with an organic functional film, the following problem is caused. For example, an organic functional film that provides water repellency has high adhesion. Therefore, the removal of the component of the organic functional film re-adhered onto the ordinary glass sheet requires troublesome work.
Generally, on a production line of automobiles, automobiles of a variety of types or specifications are produced. Consequently, various window glass sheets, e.g., glass sheets having water repellency and ordinary glass sheets, are supplied onto the line. Therefore, the above-described problem may be caused.
Furthermore, for example, when glass sheets are stored, transported or packaged, a spacing tool such as a “comb” and a spacer for retaining an interval between glass sheets are in contact with the surfaces of the glass sheets (see FIG.
3
). In this case, a dirt on the surface of the spacing tool may adhere to the glass sheet.
Furthermore, when the stored glass sheets are provided with the organic functional films on the surfaces thereof, the same problem as described above is caused. More specifically, the component of the organic functional film adheres onto the surfaces of the comb or the spacing tool, and then re-adheres to other glass sheets.
One solution to the above-described problem is to change the material of the chuck so as to reduce the component of the organic functional film adhered to the surface of the chuck.
Preliminary Experiment
The re-adhesion of a component of a water-repellent film was investigated with respect to chucks composed of the following materials:
(1) neoprene rubber;
(2) neoprene rubber and tetrafluoroethylene coated material;
(3) fluorine-based rubber;
(4) urethane-based rubber;
(5) foamed nitrile rubber.
The chuck composed of each of the above-listed materials was pressed tightly onto a glass sheet coated with a water-repellent agent that will be described later. Then, each chuck was pressed onto another glass sheet that had been washed. Water was applied to the pressed portion of the glass sheet. Then, the level of the adhesion of the component of the water-repellent agent was evaluated by observing the level of repellency against water.
As a result, repellency against water was observed in all of the chucks regardless of the material. In other words, changing the material of the chuck failed to prevent the re-adhesion of the component of the water-repellent film.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Tokkai-Hei) No. 6-340865 discloses “a substrate whose surface is coated with a water-soluble salt”, which is a glass substrate, and “a method for cleaning a substrate comprising the steps of coating a surface of a substrate with a soluble salt to form a film of the soluble salt, and cleaning a dirt adhered onto the surface of the film with water and/or a surfactant”.
The inventions described in this publication provide “a substrate and a method for cleaning the same that allow an adhered dirt to be removed sufficiently in a simpler manner than conventionally”. More specifically, alkali salts such as sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium sesquicarbonate, sodium hydrogencarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium tetraborate and potassium tetraborate are disclosed as the water-soluble salt. An aqueous solution of these salts is directly applied onto the surface of the glass substrate.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Tokkai-Hei) No. 7-14816 discloses “a method for cleaning a thin film forming tool comprising the steps of forming a film composed of a water-soluble material in a thin film forming tool beforehand, and removing a dirt by washing the dirt-adhered film of the thin film forming tool with water after the tool is used to form a thin film”.
As the water-soluble material, “halogenide, carbonate, bicarbonate, nitride, sulfate, phosphate, silicate, organic salt, double salt of the salts listed above, organic acid, monosaccharide, and polysaccharide” are listed, and it is described that “phosphate (e.g., sodium tripolyphosphate), and borate (e.g., sodium tetraborate) are most preferable”.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Tokkai-Hei) No. 9-104858 discloses “a dirt-adhesion-preventing composition comprising a hydrophilic substance having a film forming ability and glycoside” on a glass or plastic surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, with the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a glass article provided with an organic functional film that prevents the component of the organic functional film from re-adhering to something in contact with the surface of the glass article.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for handling glass articles that prevents an attachment on a surface of a glass article from re-adhering to another glass article via a surface of a glass-article-handling tool in contact with the glass articles.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for handling glass articles that prevents a contaminant adhered onto a surface of a handling tool from re-adhering to another glass article.
Some materials for a surface of a glass-article-handling tool in contact with a glass article may let the contact leave marks on the surface of the glass article.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for handling glass articles that prevents a component of a ma
Doushita Kazuhiro
Hasegawa Jun
Kobayashi Hiroaki
Ogawa Hisashi
Teranishi Toyoyuki
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Nakarani D. S.
Nippon Sheet Glass Co. LTD
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