# US 11,299,416 B2 · Gravity bending mould for bending glass panes with curved support surface > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,299,416 B2 - Document ID: US11299416B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/604,057 - Filed: 2018-03-15 - Published: 2020-05-21 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-10 - Assignees: Saint-Gobain Glass France - Applicants: Saint-Gobain Glass France - Inventors: Peter Schillings; Arnaud Borderiou; Arthur Palmantier; Achim Zeichner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299416B2 ## CPC - C03B 23/0252: {by gravity only, e.g. sagging (C03B23/035 takes precedence)} - C03B 23/03: by press-bending between shaping moulds - C03B: MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Gravity bending mould for bending glass panes, comprising 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 an opposite direction to a curvature of the glass pane, and wherein the inner region is more strongly curved than the central region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gravity bending mould according to claim 1, wherein the outer region adjoins the outer edge and the inner region adjoins the inner edge. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gravity bending mould according to claim 1, wherein the curvature of the inner region is selected such that the glass pane does not touch the inner edge. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The gravity bending mould according to claim 1, wherein a radius of curvature in the inner region is at most 200 mm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The gravity bending mould according to claim 4, wherein the radius of curvature in the inner region is from 20 mm to 100 mm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The gravity bending mould according to claim 1, wherein a radius of curvature in the central region is at least 200 mm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The gravity bending mould according to claim 6, wherein the radius of curvature in the central region is at least 400 mm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The gravity bending mould according to claim 1, wherein a radius of curvature of the inner region and/or of the central region decreases, at least in sections, in a direction from the outer edge to the inner edge. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The gravity bending mould according to claim 1, wherein a width of the central region is at least 50% of a width of the support surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The gravity bending mould according to claim 1, wherein a width of the outer region is at least 5 mm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The gravity bending mould according to claim 10, wherein the width of the outer region is from 5 mm to 20 mm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The gravity bending mould according to claim 1, wherein a width of the inner region is at least 2 mm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The gravity bending mould according to claim 12, wherein the width of the inner region is from 2 mm to 10 mm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The gravity bending mould according to claim 1, wherein a width of the support surface is from 3 cm to 20 cm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) Device for bending glass panes, comprising a gravity bending mould according to claim 1, means for heating a glass pane, and means for arranging the glass pane on the gravity bending mould. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The device according to claim 15, further comprising an upper press-bending mould and a lower press-bending mould, wherein the lower press-bending mould and the gravity bending mould are combined in a common tool and are movable relative to one another by vertical displacement such that the glass pane can be transferred from the gravity bending mould onto the lower press-bending mould, and wherein the lower press-bending mould and the upper press-bending mould are suitable for reshaping the glass pane situated therebetween by pressing, wherein a side edge of the glass pane rests on a contact surface of the lower press-bending mould along a first contact line, which contact surface migrates during a pressing operation between the upper press-bending mould and the lower press-bending mould from the first contact line all the way to a pressing line, wherein the contact surface between the first contact line and the pressing line is convexly curved. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) Method for bending glass panes, comprising: (a) heating a glass pane to at least its softening temperature and arranging the glass pane on the support surface of a gravity bending mould according to claim 1, (b) gravity bending the glass pane, (c) cooling the glass pane. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the glass pane does not touch the inner edge of the support surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A method comprising utilizing a gravity bending mould according to claim 1 for bending glass panes for means of transportation for travel on land, in the air, or on water. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, wherein the glass panes are window panes of rail vehicles or motor vehicles.