Method and apparatus for shaping a glass sheet
AssigneePilkington Group Limited
InventorsMichael Hurst, John George Lee, Joachim Pilz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of shaping a glass sheet includes heating the glass sheet to a temperature for shaping, positioning the glass sheet on a shaping support, and shaping the glass sheet on the shaping support, wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet at least one portion of the glass sheet is deliberately cooled. The shaping of the glass sheet involves press bending a heat softened glass sheet between a lower shaping support and an upper shaping member, wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support only a portion of the major surface of the glass sheet facing the lower shaping support is cooled by directing one or more jets of air onto said portion.
Claims19
A method of shaping a glass sheet, the glass sheet having a first major surface and a second opposing major surface, the method comprising:
- heating the glass sheet to a temperature for shaping;
- positioning the glass sheet on a shaping support such that the first major surface of the glass sheet is in contact with the shaping support, the shaping support being configured as a ring mold to contact the glass sheet at a peripheral region of the glass sheet;
- shaping the glass sheet on the shaping support by pressing the glass sheet between the shaping support and a shaping member;
- and
- deliberately cooling at least a first portion of the glass sheet during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support;
- wherein the first portion of the glass sheet is deliberately cooled by directing at least a first jet of fluid towards the first major surface of the sheet of glass to directly strike the first portion of the glass sheet without directly striking the peripheral region of the first major surface when the glass sheet is being shaped on the shaping support by pressing the glass sheet between the shaping support and the shaping member;
- wherein the shaping support has at least one shaping rail configured to contact the peripheral region of the first major surface of the glass sheet;
- and
- wherein the first portion of the glass sheet is inward of the peripheral region of the glass sheet.
A method of shaping a glass sheet, the glass sheet having a first major surface and a second opposing major surface, the method comprising:
- heating the glass sheet to a temperature suitable for shaping;
- positioning the glass sheet on a shaping support such that the first major surface of the glass sheet is in contact with the shaping support, the shaping support being configured as a ring mold to contact the glass sheet at a peripheral region of the glass sheet;
- shaping the glass sheet on the shaping support by making shaping contact between a shaping member and the second major surface of the glass sheet, thereby shaping the glass sheet between the shaping support and the shaping member,
- wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support when the glass sheet is being shaped by shaping contact between the shaping member and the second major surface of the glass sheet, a first portion of the first major surface of the glass sheet is deliberately cooled by directing at least one jet of fluid onto the first portion of the first major surface without being directed onto a peripheral region of the first major surface;
- and
- during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support when the glass sheet is being shaped by shaping contact between the shaping member and the second major surface of the glass sheet, there is no jet of fluid directed onto the second major surface of the glass sheet when the glass sheet is on the shaping support;
- wherein the shaping support has at least one shaping rail configured to contact the peripheral region of the first major surface of the glass sheet;
- and
- wherein the first portion of the glass sheet is inward of the peripheral region of the glass sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.