By Sagging By Gravity On Mold Surface Patents (Class 65/107)
  • Patent number: 11597672
    Abstract: The principles and embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to complexly curved glass articles and methods of cold forming complexly curved glass articles, such as complexly curved glass articles having a first bend region with a set of first bend line segments, and a second bend region with a set of second bend line segments, wherein the first bend line segments and the second bend line segments are independent, are not parallel, and do not intersect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: James Gregory Couillard, Atul Kumar, Yawei Sun, Wendell Porter Weeks
  • Patent number: 11513080
    Abstract: An inspection system for an additive manufacturing machine can include a housing configured to be mounted to an internal construction of the additive manufacturing machine, wherein the housing defines a laser inlet configured to allow a laser beam from a laser of the additive manufacturing machine to enter into the housing, wherein the housing defines a laser outlet configured to allow the laser beam to exit from the housing and to allow reflected light to enter into the housing. One or more detectors is disposed within the housing and configured to receive the reflected light. The system includes one or more optical elements configured to allow the laser beam to pass through the housing from the laser inlet to the laser outlet toward a build area of the additive manufacturing machine and to direct reflected light from the laser outlet to the one or more detectors within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Eric Karlen
  • Patent number: 11434161
    Abstract: A method of forming a glass article includes providing a first glass sheet. The first glass sheet is heated to a temperature suitable for shaping. The first glass sheet is deposited on a first bending tool. An edge portion of the first glass sheet is disposed over a shaping surface of the first bending tool. The shaping surface of the first bending tool is configured to provide in the first glass sheet a compression area and a tension area. The first glass sheet is shaped on the first bending tool and the compression area is formed in the edge portion of the first glass sheet. The compression area includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a width which is greater than a width of a second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Pilkington Group Limited
    Inventors: Charles E. Ash, Robert J. Boisselle
  • Patent number: 11332402
    Abstract: A tempering frame for thermal tempering of glass panes, includes a carrier frame and a support frame that is joined to the carrier frame via a plurality of connection elements and is arranged completely within the carrier frame, wherein the support frame has an upper primary surface for placing a glass pane, a lower primary surface, a front edge, and a rear edge, and wherein the support frame has recesses introduced in the rear edge, which are arranged between adjacent connection elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
    Inventors: Achim Zeichner, Peter Schillings, Romain Debailleul, Christophe Machura, Patrick Procureur
  • Patent number: 11299416
    Abstract: A gravity bending mould for bending glass panes, includes a frame-like support surface that is suitable for arranging a glass pane thereon and that has an outer edge and an inner edge, wherein the support surface has an outer region facing the outer edge, an inner region facing the inner edge, and a central region between the outer region and the inner region, and wherein the outer region is planar and horizontal, the central region is inclined toward the inner edge and is planar or curved, and the inner region has a curvature in the opposite direction to the curvature of the glass pane, and wherein the inner region is more strongly curved than the central region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
    Inventors: Peter Schillings, Arnaud Borderiou, Arthur Palmantier, Achim Zeichner
  • Patent number: 11180406
    Abstract: A glass bending apparatus configured to at least partially bend glass in a first direction includes a first mold and guide blocks. The first mold includes guide block insert holes. The guide blocks are respectively inserted into the guide block insert holes. The guide blocks are spaced apart from each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Byoung Yul Shim
  • Patent number: 11123904
    Abstract: A heating apparatus includes an emitter that emits light to a thermal expansion sheet that expands according to a heating amount absorbed, the light being converted into heat by the thermal expansion sheet; a relative mover that causes the thermal expansion sheet to move relative to the emitter in a predetermined direction or that causes the emitter to move relative to the thermal expansion sheet in the predetermined direction; and a controller that gradually changes an amount of the light emitted by the emitter according to a rise in temperature in the emitter, the rise in temperature being caused by the emission of light by the emitter, when the relative mover causes the thermal expansion sheet to move relative to the emitter in the predetermined direction or causes the emitter to move relative to the thermal expansion sheet in the predetermined direction while the light is being emitted by the emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshimune Motoyanagi
  • Patent number: 10575449
    Abstract: A device including a controller, an EMI shield and heater assembly, and an electrically conducting chassis. The EMI shield and heater assembly has a conductive layer and a plurality of conductive input lines. The conductive layer is divided into a plurality of cells, which are connected to adjacent cells via conductive layer material and have a cut in the conductive layer material between adjacent cells. The plurality of conductive input lines are connected to respective of the voltage outputs and electrically contact only a first group of cells. The controller is configured to provide respective voltages to the first group of cells to heat regions of the conductive layer. The electrically conducting chassis is electrically connected to a second group of cells, and electrically isolated from the first group of cells. None of the cells in the first group of cells are adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: ROCKWELL COLLINS, INC.
    Inventor: John G. Kraemer
  • Patent number: 10526232
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for automated shaping of a glass sheet. The methods comprise preheating the glass, bending the glass through selective, and focused beam heating through the use of an ultra-high frequency, high-power electromagnetic wave, and computer implemented processes utilizing thermal and shape (positional) data obtained in real-time, and cooling the glass sheet to produce a glass sheet suitable for use in air and space vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Jiao, Russell W. Schrier, Chao Yu
  • Patent number: 10351458
    Abstract: The invention relates to the mold (1) for manufacturing a multi-curved bent glass panels comprising a stationary lower load-bearing structure (2) having defined longitudinal (2a), a transversal (2b) directions and vertical direction (2c) and provided with a supporting frame (4) and a number of contoured supports (5) mounted in the supporting frame (4) in the vertical and parallel arrangement to each other and having its upper edges shaped in waves; wherein the supports (5) are arranged in such an order, that their upper edges form a predetermined bending surface, curved along at least one of the longitudinal (2a) and transversal (2b) directions and alternately upwards and downwards in the vertical direction (2c), having variable curvature and the depth of the curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: PRESS GLASS SPÓŁKA AKCYJNA
    Inventors: Bogusław Szarejko, Eugeniusz Ziółkowski
  • Patent number: 10351073
    Abstract: The photographing apparatus for vehicle includes image pickup device which is disposed inside of a window part provided in a vehicle and receives photographing luminous flux passing through a light transmissive portion, a heater, composed of heated wire, generates heat when being supplied electrical power from electric power source, a heated portion, fixed to the heater, faces an inner surface of the light transmissive portion and gives radiant heat to the light transmissive portion when receiving heat from the heater. The heated portion is a plate having a polygonal shape. Both ends of the heater are positioned at two different corner portions of the heated portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki Usami, Kunihiko Toyofuku, Ryuichi Shinkai
  • Patent number: 9981869
    Abstract: A device for the gravity-bending of a glass sheet, includes a longitudinal roughing mold including two longitudinal roughing supports, and a finishing frame including two lateral finishing supports and two longitudinal finishing supports, the supports forming shaping rails. The distance between middles of the longitudinal finishing supports is shorter than that between middles of the lateral finishing supports. The roughing mold and finishing frame are movable vertically relative to each other during bending to switch from a rough-bending to a final-bending configuration. In the rough-bending configuration, the shaping rails of the longitudinal roughing supports are higher up than those of the longitudinal finishing support. In the final-bending configuration, the shaping rails of the longitudinal finishing supports are higher up than those of the longitudinal roughing supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
    Inventors: Thierry Olivier, Udayan Paramban
  • Patent number: 9975800
    Abstract: A glass sheet is formed on a mold into a glass article having a three-dimensional shape. The mold, with the glass article thereon, is arranged within an interior space of a radiation shield such that the mold is between a leading end barrier and a trailing end barrier of the radiation shield. The mold, glass article, and radiation shield are translated through a sequence of cooling stations while maintaining the mold between the leading and trailing end barriers, wherein the leading and trailing end barriers inhibit radiation heat transfer at leading and trailing ends of the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: CORNING INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Thierry Luc Alain Dannoux, Raymond Chih Chung Hsiao, Nikolaos Pantelis Kladias, Rohit Rai, John Richard Ridge, John Robert Saltzer, Jr., Ljerka Ukrainczyk
  • Patent number: 9950944
    Abstract: A curved bullet-proof composite comprising: a glass or glass-ceramic external strike-face layer having been subjected to an ion exchange process and which is mechanically curved; at least one glass or glass-ceramic intermediate layer; an internal plastic layer; and an adhesive material between the strike-face layer, the at least one intermediate layer and the internal plastic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: AGP AMERICA S.A.
    Inventors: Mario Arturo Benjamin Mannheim Astete, Juan Pablo Suarez Cuervo, Juvenal Tobias Benitez Palmeth, Juan Carlos Espinosa Rojas, Maria Carolina Montaño Forero
  • Patent number: 9676653
    Abstract: A method for bending a sheet of material into a shaped article includes providing the sheet of material. A reformable area and a non-reformable area of the sheet of material are heated to a first temperature range corresponding to a first viscosity range. The reformable area of the sheet of material is subsequently heated to a second temperature range corresponding to a second viscosity range. The reformable area of the sheet of material is reformed into a selected shape by at least one of sagging the reformable area of the sheet of material and applying a force to the sheet of material outside of or near a boundary of the reformable area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: CORNING INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Thierry Luc Alain Dannoux, Arnaud Dominique Dejean, Allan Mark Fredholm, Patrick Jean Pierre Herve, Laurent Joubaud, Sophie Peschiera, Stephane Poissy
  • Patent number: 9676654
    Abstract: A method for creating a glass ceramic component having at least one angle is provided, where the angle is formed as a transition between two legs. The angle is made with a bending radius in the range between 30 mm and 200 mm during conversion of the glass plate in a green glass state to the glass ceramic plate under the effects of a deformation tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: SCHOTT AG
    Inventors: Falk Gabel, Oliver Muehlke
  • Patent number: 9650279
    Abstract: A device for bending panes is described. The device has a pre-bending ring, a movable bending ring holder, a final bending ring, a preheating region for preheating at least one pane, a pre-bending region for a further bending of the at least one pane, a heating region for a final bending of an edge of the at least one pane and for a surface pre-bending of the at least one pane, a second bending region for a further surface bending of the at least one pane and a cooling region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
    Inventors: Michael Balduin, Benno Dunkmann, Jean-Marie Le Ny, Lothar Schmidt, Herbert Radermacher
  • Patent number: 9578759
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a front glass cover forming a front face of the electronic device, a rear glass cover forming a rear face of the electronic device, a metal bezel encapsulating a space formed by the front glass cover and the rear glass cover, and a display device disposed in the space and that includes a screen region exposed through the front glass cover. At least one glass cover of the front glass cover and the rear glass cover includes a surface that includes a first edge, a second edge extending at an opposite side to the first edge, a third edge interconnecting a first end of the first edge and a first end of the second edge, and a fourth edge interconnecting a second end of the first edge and a second end of the second edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jaeil Seo, Gyeongtae Kim, Kyungpil Kim, Heecheul Moon, Sangin Baek, Kwonho Son, Minsung Lee, Bongsuk Choi, Nayoung Chu
  • Patent number: 9227867
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for preparing a sheet of curved glass comprising an opening involving bending followed by cooling, the periphery of the sheet and the periphery of the opening being supported, at least at the start of cooling, by a skeleton.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
    Inventors: Thierry Olivier, Frédéric Berthe, Michael Labrot
  • Patent number: 9193618
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for alignment of a glass member for high temperature processing are disclosed. The high temperature processing can, for example, pertain to a slumping process to mold glass into a predetermined shape (e.g., a three-dimensional shape). In one embodiment, a glass slumping system can have a mold and an alignment system that support a glass member to be slumped relative to the mold. The alignment system may have a plurality of alignment members being configured to move away from the glass member as the temperature increases during the slumping process to allow the glass member to bend around the mold without interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Ross, Adam Stagnaro, Matthew Theobald, Andrew Davidson, Michael Kane Pilliod
  • Patent number: 9038421
    Abstract: A sag-bending glass sheet mold is disclosed. The sheet mold comprises a plurality of lateral support members, a plurality of longitudinal support members arranged perpendicular to the lateral support members, each of the plurality of lateral support members extending between two of the plurality of longitudinal support members, each of the plurality of longitudinal support members having an upper surface, and the upper surfaces of each of the plurality of longitudinal support members combined to form a mold support surface. The sheet mold can also comprise a glass-bearing support sheet disposed atop the mold support surface, the glass-bearing support sheet extending across the plurality of longitudinal support members and above the lateral support members, the glass-bearing support sheet having a curved upper surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: SUNPOWER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Amine Berrada Sounni, Brian S. Wares
  • Patent number: 9010153
    Abstract: In a method of making shaped glass articles, a glass sheet is placed on a mold having a shaping surface with a desired surface profile of a shaped glass article. The glass sheet is preferentially and rapidly heated by radiation while in the vicinity of the mold so that the mold remains substantially cooler than the glass sheet during the heating. The glass sheet is sagged onto the shaping surface of the mold so that at least a portion of the sagged sheet assumes the desired surface profile of the shaped glass article. After sagging and shaping, the sagged and shaped glass sheet is removed from the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Ljerka Ukrainczyk, John Robert Saltzer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8978420
    Abstract: A sheet bending device includes a sheet shaping rail having a stationary shaping rail portion mounted on a support member and an articulating shaping rail portion pivotally mounted on the support member for movement from a non-shaping position to a shaping position. A retention member limits movement of a sheet to be shaped relative to the stationary shaping rail portion when the articulating shaping rail portion moves to the shaping position. A “cut-to-size” method is also disclosed to shape a sheet for use in making an aircraft transparency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. DeAngelis, Yu Jiao, Dennis D. Warren, Chao Yu
  • Patent number: 8980402
    Abstract: The invention relates to a curved glass pane, made of float glass, the area of a main face of which is greater than 1.5 m2 and the product of its two depths of bending is greater than 3000 mm2, and such that its point located on the normal to its surface passing through its center of gravity has a radius of curvature of less than 3 m in any direction, the variation in its thickness in the longitudinal float direction being less than 10 ?m over 500 mm. This pane may be assembled into laminated glazing of the automobile windshield type. Such a windshield has a very small amount of double imaging even when it is fitted into the vehicle so as to be close to the horizontal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France
    Inventors: Corinne Payen, Herve Thellier, Jean-Luc Lesage
  • Patent number: 8978418
    Abstract: A method for bending a sheet is described. The method includes the following steps: a) at least one sheet is inserted into a pre-bending ring with a movable bending ring holder, the movable bending ring holder is moved into a furnace and the at least one sheet is heated to softening temperature and is pre-bent to 5% to 50% of a final edge bending, b) the at least one sheet is lifted by means of a suction device and is bent further, beyond the bending obtained in the pre-bending ring, c) the at least one sheet is laid down by means of the suction device in a final-bending ring on the movable bending ring holder and is bent to the final edge bending, and an area pre-bending of the at least one sheet is performed by means of thermal irradiation, d) the at least one sheet is lifted out of the final-bending ring by means of a second suction device, pressed against an opposing mould and bent, and the at least one sheet is laid down on the final-bending ring and the at least one sheet is cooled down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France
    Inventors: Michael Balduin, Benno Dunkmann, Jean-Marie Le Ny, Lothar Schmidt, Herbert Radermacher
  • Publication number: 20150059410
    Abstract: A process for gravity bending of a glass sheet on a support including a chassis, a first frame and a second frame, the second frame being articulated and including a mobile lateral part that passes from an open position to a closed position by an articulation during the bending procedure, the bending of the sheet beginning on the first frame while the second frame is in the open position, and finishing on the second frame in the closed position, the sheet passing from the first frame to the second frame during the bending procedure as a result of the relative vertical movement of the first and second frame and of the raising of the mobile part of the second frame, the contact area of the first frame with the glass sheet located in a vertical line with the articulation being above the articulation at the instant the latter is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Thierry Olivier, Christophe Machura
  • Publication number: 20150052951
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for preparing a sheet of curved glass comprising an opening involving bending followed by cooling, the periphery of the sheet and the periphery of the opening being supported, at least at the start of cooling, by a skeleton.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Saint-Gobain Glass France
    Inventors: Thierry Olivier, Frédéric Berthe, Michael Labrot
  • Publication number: 20150040612
    Abstract: A method of making a shaped glass article includes placing a glass sheet on top of a mold. A heat exchanger is arranged relative to the mold such that a heat exchange surface of the heat exchanger is in opposing relation to a back surface of the mold and separated from the back surface of the mold by a gap containing a layer of gas. The height of the gap is selected such that the dominant heat transfer between the heat exchange surface and the back surface of the mold is by conduction through the layer of gas. The glass sheet is heated and formed into a shaped glass article with the mold. The heat exchanger is operated to remove heat from at least part of the mold during at least one of heating the glass sheet, forming the shaped glass article, and cooling the shaped glass article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Bushra Afzal, Keith Raymond Gaylo, Elias Panides, Kevin Lee Wasson
  • Patent number: 8833106
    Abstract: A reformable area and a non-reformable area of a sheet of glass material are heated to a first temperature corresponding to a first viscosity. The reformable area is subsequently locally heated to a second temperature corresponding to a second viscosity, where the second viscosity is lower than the first viscosity. A bend is formed in the reformable area during the local heating of the reformable area by contacting a first pusher with the non-reformable area and translating the first pusher along a linear path to apply a pushing force to the non-reformable area that results in the bend in the reformable area or by contacting a second pusher with an edge area of the reformable area and rotating the pusher along a circular path to apply a pushing force to the edge area of the reformable area that results in the bend in the reformable area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Thierry Luc Alain Dannoux, Arnaud Dejean, Paul Louis Florent Delautre, Allan Mark Fredholm, Laurent Joubaud, Stephane Poissy
  • Patent number: 8800321
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for preparing a sheet of curved glass comprising an opening involving bending followed by cooling, the periphery of the sheet and the periphery of the opening being supported, at least at the start of cooling, by a skeleton.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France
    Inventors: Thierry Olivier, Frederic Berthe, Michael Labrot
  • Patent number: 8783065
    Abstract: A method for bending radiation shielding glass which has a heavy metal oxide content of at least 50% by weight is provided, wherein first a mold is provided, a glass plate comprising a radiation shielding glass is then provided, the mold is preheated to a temperature of 300 to 400° C., the glass plate is placed on the mold, the glass plate and the mold are heated in a furnace to a temperature of 370 to 430° C., then heated together to a temperature of 400° C. to 500° C., preferably to 440 to 500° C., the total heating time being at least 30 minutes, preferably at least 60 minutes, the glass plate is then molded and finally the molded glass is cooled by means of a cooling program over a period of at least 60 minutes. For thermal prestressing, the glass body is supported at least at its outer periphery at a number of support points, introduced into a preheated furnace, heated to 400 to 500° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Schott AG
    Inventors: Horst Schillert, Dirk Roessler, Detlef Mevers
  • Patent number: 8783066
    Abstract: A glass molding system and a method of making glass articles using the glass molding system are disclosed. The glass molding system includes an indexing table, a plurality of enclosures arranged along the indexing table, and a plurality of stations defined on the indexing table such that each of the stations is selectively indexable with any one of the enclosures. At least one radiant heater is arranged in at least one of the enclosures. A radiation reflector surface and a radiation emitter body are arranged in the at least one of the enclosures. The radiation emitter body is between the at least one radiant heater and the radiation reflector surface and has a first surface in opposing relation to the at least one radiant heater and a second surface in opposing relation to the radiation reflector surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Darrel P Bailey, John Harold Brennan, Michael Joseph Dailey, Jr., Scott Winfield Deming, Karl David Ehemann, Keith Raymond Gaylo, David Joseph Kuhn, Brian Christopher Sheehan, Ljerka Ukrainczyk, Kevin Lee Wasson, Yuriy Yurkovsky
  • Patent number: 8677784
    Abstract: A gravity bending mold for bending glass sheets is disclosed. The gravity bending mold comprises an intermediate mold having an intermediate movable mold section and a final mold having a final movable mold section. Each movable mold section is movable between an operable position and an inoperable position respectively. The intermediate and final movable mold sections are adapted successively to engage a glass sheet during a gravity bending operation. There is a mechanical connection between the intermediate and final movable mold sections, the mechanical connection being selectively disposable in a first configuration, at which the intermediate and final movable mold sections are in the operable and inoperable positions respectively, and in a second configuration, at which the final and intermediate movable mold sections are in the operable position and inoperable positions respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Pilkington Group Limited
    Inventors: Ian Nicholas Tetlow, Ian Michael Mackley, Colin Michael Bennett
  • Publication number: 20140075996
    Abstract: A reformable area and a non-reformable area of a sheet of glass material are heated to a first temperature corresponding to a first viscosity. The reformable area is subsequently locally heated to a second temperature corresponding to a second viscosity, where the second viscosity is lower than the first viscosity. A bend is formed in the reformable area during the local heating of the reformable area by contacting a first pusher with the non-reformable area and translating the first pusher along a linear path to apply a pushing force to the non-reformable area that results in the bend in the reformable area or by contacting a second pusher with an edge area of the reformable area and rotating the pusher along a circular path to apply a pushing force to the edge area of the reformable area that results in the bend in the reformable area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Inventors: Thierry Luc Alain Dannoux, Arnaud Dejean, Paul Louis Florent Delautre, Allan Mark Fredholm, Laurent Joubaud, Stephane Poissy
  • Publication number: 20140053607
    Abstract: Glass reflectors for concentrating sunlight in a solar energy system are disclosed. A concave mold is used to shape the glass reflectors in which the surface of the mold that contacts the float glass has a grooved surface profile comprising a plurality of cusps. The surface of the mold also has a plurality of concave valleys. Glass reflectors are preferably manufactured by heating a sheet of float glass positioned over the mold until the sheet of glass sags to contact the mold. If necessary, the glass may also stretch to conform to the shape of the mold. In the case of large monolithic glass reflectors, the edges of the dish-shaped glass are rolled around the periphery of the mold. The glass reflector is then silvered to create a dish-shaped mirror that reflects solar radiation to a focus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of University of Arizona
    Inventors: Roger P Angel, Blain H Olbert
  • Patent number: 8650907
    Abstract: The method produces a reshaped glass-ceramic article by forced reshaping of a flat green glass part during a ceramicizing process with temporarily lowered viscosity due to crystallization heat. To perform the forced reshaping economically the forced reshaping takes place in a continuous oven for ceramicizing and in an oven section in which the viscosity of the green glass part is temporarily lowered as a result of crystallization heat. An apparatus for performing the process is provided in the continuous oven including different active reshaping devices and/or a hollow mold. The method produces glass-ceramic articles with undamaged surfaces corresponding to surfaces produced during the making of the green glass part (smooth or structured, e.g. knobbed).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Schott AG
    Inventors: Martin Taplan, Herwig Scheidler, Ioannis Kosmas, Friedrich-Georg Schroeder, Wolfgang Schmidbauer, Torsten Gabelmann, Dieter Schoenig
  • Patent number: 8641937
    Abstract: A method for producing a mold for molding a lens wherein the upper surface of a glass material to be molded is molded by a thermal sag method using a continuous heating furnace. A mold having a curvature distribution on the molding surface is used, the highest temperature direction from the geometric center of the molding surface to the highest temperature point in the furnace is determined in one or more regions by measuring the temperature at a plurality of measuring points on the molding surface and the mold is rotated during the forming of the mold in which an eyeglass lens is subsequently molded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Noriaki Taguchi, Shigeru Takizawa
  • Publication number: 20130313852
    Abstract: A method for bending a sheet is described. The method includes the following steps: a) at least one sheet is inserted into a pre-bending ring with a movable bending ring holder, the movable bending ring holder is moved into a furnace and the at least one sheet is heated to softening temperature and is pre-bent to 5% to 50% of a final edge bending, b) the at least one sheet is lifted by means of a suction device and is bent further, beyond the bending obtained in the pre-bending ring, c) the at least one sheet is laid down by means of the suction device in a final-bending ring on the movable bending ring holder and is bent to the final edge bending, and an area pre-bending of the at least one sheet is performed by means of thermal irradiation, d) the at least one sheet is lifted out of the final-bending ring by means of a second suction device, pressed against an opposing mould and bent, and the at least one sheet is laid down on the final-bending ring and the at least one sheet is cooled down.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Inventors: Michael Balduin, Benno Dunkmann, Jean-Marie Le Ny, Lothar Schmidt, Herbert Radermacher
  • Publication number: 20130307286
    Abstract: A method for bending a sheet is described. The method includes the following steps: a) at least one sheet is inserted into a pre-bending ring with a movable bending ring holder, the at least one sheet is heated at least to an approximately softening temperature, and the at least one sheet is prebent in the pre-bending ring to 5% to 50% of a final edge bending, b) the pre-bent sheet is lifted out of the pre-bending ring by means of a suction device and is bent further, beyond a bending obtained in the pre-bending ring, c) the at least one sheet is laid down by means of the suction device in a final-bending ring on the movable bending ring holder and the at least one sheet is bent to a final bending, and d) the at least one sheet is cooled down in the final-bending ring and the at least one sheet is bent by means of the suction device to 100% to 130% of an overall final edge bending.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Inventors: Michael Balduin, Benno Dunkmann, Jean-Marie Le Ny
  • Publication number: 20130305787
    Abstract: A sag-bending system is disclosed. The sag-bending system comprises a sag-bending glass support mold and a perimeter thermal manager. The sag-bending glass support mold has a quadrilateral shape, a collective upper surface, and a periphery. The support mold comprises a plurality of rib members extending in a first direction, each of the plurality of rib members having a curved upper surface shaped to form the collective upper surface having a position and shape to support a quadrilateral-shaped sag-bent glass sheet into a desired contour, each of the rib members further having a lower surface, and a plurality of support members extending in a second direction between at least two of the plurality of rib members, the second direction traverse to the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: SunPower Corporation
    Inventors: Amine Berrada Sounni, Ryan J. Linderman
  • Publication number: 20130298608
    Abstract: Processes for producing shaped glass articles with a defined geometry are provided. In some embodiment, the process includes arranging a glass pane on a mould, heating the glass pane by infrared radiation, deforming the heated glass pane over the mould by gravity, negative pressure, and/or positive pressure, and cooling the shaped glass pane to obtain the shaped glass article with a defined geometry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: SCHOTT AG
    Inventors: Andreas Langsdorf, Bernd Hoppe, Ulrich Lange
  • Patent number: 8549882
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for forming complex edges on a glass member through the use of a glass slumping process are disclosed. According to one aspect of the invention, a method of forming a complex edge in a glass forming process includes grinding an edge of a glass member and polishing the edge of the glass member. Grinding the edge of the glass member causes the edge of the glass member to have a first level of complexity. The method also includes performing a slumping process on the glass member. Performing the slumping process causes the edge of the glass member to have a second level of complexity that is more complex than the first level of complexity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Davidson, Michael Kane Pilliod, Donald Ross
  • Patent number: 8459061
    Abstract: A gravity bending mold includes an intermediate mold and a final mold. The final mold comprises a final movable mold section mounted at an end of the mold and the intermediate mold comprises an intermediate movable mold section mounted at the end of the mold adjacent to the final movable section. The final movable mold section is connected via a mechanical linkage to the intermediate mold such that upon moving one of the intermediate mold and the final mold vertically with respect to the other, and at the same time at least one of the intermediate mold and the final mold moves with respect to the mechanical linkage, the gravity bending mold is caused to move between a first arrangement and a second arrangement. There is also provided a method of bending glass sheets using such a mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Pilkington Group Limited
    Inventor: Ian Nicholas Tetlow
  • Patent number: 8459060
    Abstract: A gravity bending mold for bending glass sheets is disclosed. The mold comprises a final mold having a final peripheral shaping rim and an intermediate mold having an intermediate peripheral shaping rim. The final mold has a final articulated end portion having a final movable shaping rail and is mounted at an end of the mold. The intermediate mold has an intermediate articulated end portion having an intermediate movable shaping rail and is mounted at the end of the mold adjacent to the final articulated end portion. The final articulated end portion and the intermediate articulated end portion are arranged so that at least a portion of the final movable shaping rail is alignable with at least a portion of the intermediate movable shaping rail to form part of the intermediate peripheral shaping rim. There is also provided a method of bending glass sheets using such a mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Pilkington Group Limited
    Inventors: Ian Nicholas Tetlow, Colin Michael Bennett
  • Patent number: 8429937
    Abstract: A flat glass sheet and a mold having a mold cavity defined by a shaping surface are provided. The shaping surface has a surface profile of a shaped glass article. At least one edge alignment pin is provided on the mold at an edge of the shaping surface. The glass sheet is leaned against the edge of the shaping surface such that an edge of the glass sheet abuts the edge alignment pin. The glass sheet is then heated. The glass sheet is sagged onto the shaping surface of the mold so that the glass assumes the surface profile of the shaped glass article and thereby form the shaped glass article. The edge alignment pin aligns the edge of the glass sheet with the mold cavity as the glass sheet sags onto the shaping of the mold. The shaped glass article is removed from the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph D Malach, Alexander Lamar Robinson, John Robert Saltzer, Jr., Ljerka Ukrainczyk
  • Patent number: 8387415
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for bending a glass sheet and a method for bending a glass sheet including an apparatus and a method for conveying a glass sheet, and it aims at producing with good efficiency a glass sheet of high quality, having complicated configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masao Fukami, Taisei Mori, Yutaka Kitajima, Koji Izumi
  • Patent number: 8387414
    Abstract: A method for bending a glass sheet is provided wherein the glass sheet is put on a bending surface of a frame unit to be preliminarily bent by gravity before the glass sheet is pressed by an upper mold and frame unit. The method is utilized for controlling the amount of preliminary bending so as to control deformation of the glass sheet caused by the preliminary bending and pressing occurs on the preliminary bent glass sheet by the upper mold and the frame unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masao Fukami, Shinya Oota, Tatsuo Yajima, Tomio Kajikawa, Mikinao Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20130000356
    Abstract: A sag-bending glass mold for creating a partial parabolic-curved glass sheet is disclosed. The glass mold comprises a glass-support surface having a cross-sectional profile of varying height. The cross-sectional profile has a first portion with profile of a non-parabolic, linear-square root composite shape. A method for forming a partial parabolic glass sheet is also disclosed. The method comprises positioning a planar glass sheet on a sag-bending mold having a linear-square root composite shape and deforming the glass sheet to follow the linear-square root composite shape of the sag-bending mold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: SUNPOWER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zachary S. Judkins, Benjamin C. Bourne, Amine Berrada
  • Publication number: 20130000357
    Abstract: A sag-bending glass sheet mold is disclosed. The sheet mold comprises a plurality of lateral support members, a plurality of longitudinal support members arranged perpendicular to the lateral support members, each of the plurality of lateral support members extending between two of the plurality of longitudinal support members, each of the plurality of longitudinal support members having an upper surface, and the upper surfaces of each of the plurality of longitudinal support members combined to form a mold support surface. The sheet mold can also comprise a glass-bearing support sheet disposed atop the mold support surface, the glass-bearing support sheet extending across the plurality of longitudinal support members and above the lateral support members, the glass-bearing support sheet having a curved upper surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: SUNPOWER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Amine Berrada Sounni, Brian S. Wares
  • Patent number: 8336334
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for alignment of a glass member for high temperature processing are disclosed. The high temperature processing can, for example, pertain to a slumping process to mold glass into a predetermined shape (e.g., a three-dimensional shape). In one embodiment, a glass slumping system can have a mold and an alignment system that support a glass member to be slumped relative to the mold. The alignment system may have a plurality of alignment members being configured to move away from the glass member as the temperature increases during the slumping process to allow the glass member to bend around the mold without interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Ross, Adam Stagnaro, Matthew Theobald, Andrew Davidson, Michael Kane Pilliod