Method of manufacturing lightweight glazing by multilayer glass/plastic sheets

A method of manufacturing a curved shape multi-layer laminated glazing sheet useful for automotive applications, the method comprising:

• providing a flat laminate of two layers of very thin glass containing between the glass layers a thermoplastic layer with specific weight less than that of the glass, each glass layer being approximately ⅕ or less of total laminate thickness, with each glass layer being bonded to the adjacent thermoplastic layer by a film of adhesive or with the glass layers joined to the thermoplastic layer by melting of the thermoplastic layer;
• and
• heating the flat laminate to the plasticity temperature of the thermoplastic layer and bending the heated flat laminate into a curved shape wherein the bending of the laminate involves plastic transverse shear deforming of the plastic layer due to thermal deflection and elastic bending in the glass layers without plastic deformation of the glass layers.