Method and apparatus for making contact-tempered glass sheets with reinforced edge stresses
AssigneeSaint-Gobain Vitrage "Les Miroirs"
InventorsBenoit d'Iribarne, Paul Houang
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Abstract
The invention relates to the tempering of sheets of glass and optionally their bending by the so-called contact process. It proposes a process in which the edge stresses of the glass sheets are reinforced by cooling the edges of the glass sheets in relation to their central zone, particularly by blowing on these edges with a cooling gas. It also proposes a device to perform this preferred cooling of the edges, as well as glass sheets thus tempered. The invention applies to the production of glazings having nonfragile edges, particularly for the automobile.
Claims12
A process of contact tempering and bending a glass sheet which is heated to a tempering temperature, comprising the steps of:
- contacting surfaces of said glass sheet with cooling plates and thereby cooling said surfaces;
- bending said glass sheet;
- using cooling means for cooling edges of said glass sheets by blowing compressed air on said edges at a time before or during said contacting step, whereby control of edge stresses is increased.
An apparatus for tempering and bending of glass sheets, comprising:
- means for holding a glass sheet;
- two cooling and bending plates positionable on opposite sides of the glass sheet to be tempered for tempering and bending said glass sheet;
- and
- nozzles positioned for blowing cooling gas on at least one edge of a glass sheet being tempered by said cooling and bending plates, whereby said at least one edge is tempered with increased tempering control.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.