Method and apparatus for forming bent plate glass
AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsKiyoto Matsuzaki, Norimoto Aya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming a bent plate glass using a forming bed, in which a plate glass mounted on the forming bed is locally heated along a heating line whereby the plate glass is locally softened, after first heating the entire flat plate glass. The heating line is positioned offset from a desired bending line and curved outwardly therefrom whereby the heating line becomes coincident with the desired bending line due to transformation of the initial heating line as the plate glass deforms under its own weight as it is heated to softening temperature.
Claims10
A method of forming a bent plate glass, comprising in combination the following steps:
- (a) positioning a flat glass plate upon a forming bed,
- (b) heating said glass plate sufficiently so that said plate softens and conforms to the contour of said forming bed around the periphery thereof and further deforms slightly under its own weight;
- (c) locally heating said glass plate along an initially curved heating line disposed outwardly from a desired bending line of said glass plate;
- and
- (d) bending said glass plate along said initially curved heating line as said plate deforms, resulting in said heating line being transposed from its initial curved position to a position coincident with said desired bending line.
An apparatus for forming a bent plate glass, comprising:
- (a) a fixed frame section;
- (b) a moveable frame section rotatably connected to said fixed frame section;
- and
- (c) an elongate curved heating element connected to said fixed frame section to locally heat a glass plate positioned on said apparatus, said heating element being so positioned to heat said glass plate along an initially curved heating line, which heating line results in a desired transposed bending line due to heat deformation of said glass plate resulting in transposition of said initially curved heating line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.