Patent ID: 8726695

Claim:
A manufacturing apparatus for a thin glass sheet, the manufacturing apparatus comprising a forming member comprising: a forming member main body comprising an overflow trough formed in a top portion thereof, the forming member main body being configured to form the thin glass sheet by fusing together, at a lower end portion of the forming member main body, streams of molten glass, which have overflown from the overflow trough to both sides of the forming member main body, under a state in which the streams of the molten glass are caused to flow down along outer surface portions of the forming member main body having a substantially wedge shape; and a pair of covering members, each of the covering members having a fitting depression into which a respective widthwise end portion of the forming member main body is fitted, and each of the pair of covering members including restricting wall portions and an extending portion, wherein the restricting wall portions restrict widthwise spread of the streams of the molten glass flowing down along the outer surface portions of the forming member main body, wherein each of the extending portions extends toward a widthwise central portion of the forming member main body and extends over a lower region of the forming member main body, including a part of the lower end portion of the forming member main body, with a clearance between the extending portion and the forming member main body, and wherein a distal end portion of each of the extending portions extends downstream beyond the lower end portion of the forming member main body.