Glass bending method and apparatus
AssigneeSunPower Corporation
InventorsZachary S. Judkins, Benjamin C. Bourne, Amine Berrada
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Abstract
A sag-bending glass mold for creating a partial parabolic-curved glass sheet is disclosed. The glass mold comprises a glass-support surface having a cross-sectional profile of varying height. The cross-sectional profile has a first portion with profile of a non-parabolic, linear-square root composite shape. A method for forming a partial parabolic glass sheet is also disclosed. The method comprises positioning a planar glass sheet on a sag-bending mold having a linear-square root composite shape and deforming the glass sheet to follow the linear-square root composite shape of the sag-bending mold.
Claims12
A method for forming a partial parabolic glass sheet, the method comprising:
- positioning a planar glass sheet on a sag-bending mold having a linear-square root composite shape for substantially the entire sag-bending mold;
- and
- deforming substantially all of the glass sheet to follow the linear-square root composite shape of the sag-bending mold.
A method for forming a glass sheet having a partial parabolic shape, the method comprising:
- positioning a planar glass sheet on a sag-bending mold having an upper surface with a non-parabolic linear-square root composite shape for substantially the entire sag-bending mold;
- deforming substantially all of the glass sheet to contact the non-parabolic upper surface of the sag-bending mold;
- and
- separating the glass sheet from the sag-bending mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.