1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to apparatuses for breaking a glass panel unified with a process table, which break the glass panel formed with scribing lines along the scribing lines by irradiating laser beams, and more specifically, to apparatuses for breaking a glass panel unified with a process table to conduct breaking operations of the glass panel after scribing work of the glass panel as one body with the process table, where the apparatuses are installed on either side of the process table in a cutting head transfer-type laser cutting device.
2. Background
In order to cut a glass panel, a glass panel cutting device having a laser is typically used. A glass panel cutting device using a laser forms scribing lines by irradiating laser beams on both sides of a glass panel to be cut, and employs a method of cutting the glass panel formed with the scribing lines with the use of separate breaking apparatuses.
One prior art glass panel cutting device using a laser used a transfer type of process table, in which a process table in which a glass panel is located moves while a laser cutting head is fixed thereto.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an overall configuration of a prior art transfer-type process table laser cutting device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the prior art transfer-type process table laser cutting device comprises laser cutting heads(10) for generating laser beams and irradiating the laser beams, a process table(20) for receiving a glass panel thereon and moving the panel in an X-axis direction in order to form scribing lines on both sides of the glass panel by moving the glass panel, and breaking apparatuses(30) for cutting the glass panel formed with the scribing lines.
The transfer-type process table laser cutting device adjusts a cutting width of the glass panel when the laser cutting heads(10) installed on right and left sides of the laser cutting device move in a Y-axis direction along the cutting width of the glass panel before irradiating the laser beams. After the cutting width of the glass panel is adjusted through movement of the laser cutting heads(10) in the Y-axis direction, the process table(20) where the glass panel is placed moves in the X-axis direction to form the scribing lines in the X-axis direction on both sides of the glass panel.
After the process table(20) moves to form the scribing lines on the glass panel, the process table(20) is located on a front side of the laser cutting device. On a front side of the transfer-type process table laser cutting device, the breaking apparatuses(30) are installed in an upper part so as to cut the glass panel formed with the scribing lines on both sides thereof.
FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b) show front views illustrating a figure before and after operation of each breaking apparatus used for the prior art transfer-type process table laser cutting device.
Referring to FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b), each breaking apparatus used for the transfer-type process table laser cutting device comprises a frame(32) for fixing the breaking apparatuses to an upper part of a front side of the laser cutting device, clampers(34) configured to move vertically and disposed on right and left sides of a lower part of the frame(32), and breaking bars(36).
When a process table(20) on which a glass panel(5) formed with scribing lines is located is positioned in the lower parts of the breaking apparatuses(30), the clampers(34) and the breaking bars(36) located under the frame(32) move in a Y-axis direction using a Y-axis linear motor in order to adjust the cutting width of the glass panel(5) along the scribing lines.
As a result of the Y-axis movement of the clampers(34) and the breaking bars(36), the clampers(34) are located on the insides of the scribing lines formed on the right and left sides of the glass panel(5), and the breaking bars(36) are positioned on the outsides of the scribing lines formed on the right and left sides of the glass panel(5).
After adjusting the cutting width of the glass panel(5) by the Y-axis movement of the clampers(34) and the breaking bars(36), the clampers(34) and the breaking bars(36) move to the lower part via cylinders. The clampers(34) fix the glass panel(5) to the process table(20) by falling to a surface in contact with an upper side of the glass panel(5), and the breaking bars(36) fall further than the clampers(34) thereby cutting the cutting sections of the glass panel(5) along the scribing lines.
According to the aforementioned transfer-type process table laser cutting device, the breaking apparatuses of the glass panel conduct breaking operations by being installed at separate positions from the laser cutting heads. This can cause an overall layout space occupied by the laser cutting device of the glass panel to be quite large.
A transfer-type cutting head laser cutting device has been introduced to reduce the layout space required for the transfer-type process table laser cutting device and to increase productivity by reducing the cycle time of a glass panel cutting process. However, the transfer-type cutting head laser cutting device is equipped with a gantry structure for moving laser oscillators and laser irradiation heads in an X-axis direction in an upper part of a process table, which prevent prior breaking apparatuses that apply pressure to a lower part from being installed in upper parts.