A noncontact support platform includes pressure ports distributed on a surface of a table, each connected to a pressure source. Vacuum ports are distributed on the surface of the table, each connected to a vacuum source. Outward flow through the pressure ports and inward flow through the vacuum ports form a fluid cushion to support a workpiece at a nonzero distance from the table. A plurality of channels each connect at least two of the vacuum ports to enable flow of fluid between the connected vacuum ports. When one of the connected vacuum ports is covered by an edge of the workpiece and the other is not, a suction force that is exerted by the connected vacuum ports on the edge is weaker than the suction force that is exerted on a part of the workpiece where both of the connected vacuum ports are covered.

A laser irradiation apparatus (1) according to one embodiment includes a laser generating device (14) that generates a laser beam, a flotation unit (10) that causes a workpiece (16) that is to be irradiated with the laser beam to float, and a conveying unit (11) that conveys the floating workpiece (16). The conveying unit (11) conveys the workpiece (16) with the conveying unit (11) holding the workpiece (16) at a position where the conveying unit (11) does not overlap an irradiation position (15) of the laser beam. The laser irradiation apparatus (1) according to one embodiment makes it possible to suppress uneven irradiation with a laser beam.

The present invention provides a pick-and-place apparatus for display panels and a pick-and-place method thereof. The pick-and-place apparatus for display panels comprises: an air injection unit for injecting air; and a supporting unit for extending under the display panel to support the display panel, which has a top side for supporting the display panel and an inserting side for firstly extending under the display panel, and comprises a plurality of first openings disposed at the inserting side and being communicated with the air injection unit, and a plurality of second openings disposed at the top side and being communicated with the air injection unit. With the pick-and-place apparatus for display panels of the invention, the problem of damages on display panels in the prior technology of picking and placing display panels would be solved.

A cutting method and cutting stage of toughened glass with which a piece of toughened glass is divided into unit pieces of toughened glass. The cutting method cuts a piece of toughened glass which is strengthened by forming a compressive stress in the surface of a raw glass plate. The method includes the steps of reducing the central tension inside a cutting portion of the piece of toughened glass that is to be cut by concavely bending the cutting portion; and cutting the piece of toughened glass by forming a median crack in the cutting portion.

A device for lifting and transporting sheet material includes a base portion; wheels on which the base portion is supported; a mast that extends upwardly from the base portion; a boom that extends from a first end outwardly from the mast to a second end; a supporting head that is configured to support sheet material; and a pivot coupling at the second end of the boom. The pivot coupling is arranged to couple the supporting head to the boom, and enable the supporting head to be rotated about a pivot axis between a first position in which sheet material supported by the supporting head is in a generally transverse orientation relative to the boom, and a second position in which the angle between sheet material supported by the supporting head and the boom is reduced.

A conveying device (14) for a glass film (G) includes: a first support (21) configured to support a first portion (Gc) of the glass film (G) having been cut; a second support (22) configured to support a second portion (Gd) of the glass film (G) having been cut; and an opening (23) formed at a position between the first support (21) and the second support (22) and below a laser irradiation apparatus (19). A cutting step for the glass film (G) includes deforming the glass film (G) so as to be convex downward through the opening (23), and radiating a laser beam (LB) from the laser irradiation apparatus (19) to a position which is within a range of the opening (23), and which is prevented from coinciding with a top (GT) of the glass film (G).

In a laser irradiation apparatus 1 according to one embodiment, each of first and second flotation units 30a, 30b includes a base 31, and a porous plate 32 bonded to an upper surface of the base 31 by an adhesive layer 34, the base 31 includes a rising portion 312 protruding upward at an outer periphery facing at least the gap, and the porous plate 32 includes a cutout portion 321 configured to fit to the rising portion 312, and the adhesive layer 34 is formed along an inner wall of the rising portion 312 having fitted to the cutout portion 321.

An automatic identification and classification production line for mobile terminal liquid crystal display (LCD) screens includes a size and posture identification adjustment part, a model identification part, and a classification storage device. The size and posture identification adjustment part can transport a mobile terminal LCD screen, identify front and back surfaces of the mobile terminal LCD screen, size of the mobile terminal LCD screen, and orientation of the mobile terminal LCD screen, and adjust the front surface of the mobile terminal LCD screen to face up and the orientation of the mobile terminal LCD screen to be the same as the transportation direction during transportation. The model identification part transports the mobile terminal LCD screen after adjustment of the posture, and identifies model of the mobile terminal LCD screen according to the size during transportation. The classification storage device classifies and stores mobile terminal LCD screens according to different models.

A heat chamfering apparatus. A support unit supports a glass panel. A heat chamfering unit heat-chamfers an edge of the glass panel by applying thermal shock thereto. The support unit includes a contact support portion supporting the glass panel while in contact with the glass panel and a base portion configured to support the contact support portion. The contact support portion is formed from a first material. The base portion is formed from a second material. The first material has a smaller change in temperature due to lower thermal conductivity and a smaller change in size at high temperature due to a smaller coefficient of thermal expansion while being more ductile due to lower hardness, compared to the second material. In a heat chamfering method, a glass panel is located on a support unit, and an edge of the glass panel is heat-chamfered by applying thermal shock thereto.

A device for conveying and holding a sheet of glass, includes a conveyor and a holder configured to hold a sheet of glass in position, in particular in a horizontal position, wherein the device includes two spaced-apart and parallel lateral conveying systems, and a plurality of holding elements which are connected to each conveying system and are intended to support and locally clamp one or both faces of the sheet of glass.