Process and apparatus for forming shaped glass articles

摘要

A process using a three-piece mold for making a three-dimensionally shaped glass article having a flat area and a curved/bend area is disclosed. The process includes placing a glass sheet on a mold having a shaping surface with a desired surface profile for the shaped glass article including a flat area and a bend area, moving a flat area plunger toward the glass sheet to compress the glass sheet, heating a portion of the glass sheet corresponding to an area above the bend area of the mold to a temperature above a forming temperature, and moving a bend area plunger toward the heated glass sheet to compress the heated glass sheet. A temperature of the glass sheet in the area above the bend area of the mold is higher than a temperature of the glass sheet in the area above the flat area of the mold when compressing the heated glass sheet with the bend area plunger.

主权项

1. A process for making a three-dimensionally shaped glass article, comprising:
(a) placing a glass sheet in a forming tool, the forming tool comprising:
a mold having a shaping surface with a desired surface profile for the shaped glass article including a flat area and a bend area;a flat area plunger having a shaping surface corresponding to the flat area of the mold; anda bend area plunger having a shaping surface corresponding to the bend area of the mold; (b) compressing the glass sheet between the flat area plunger and the flat area of the mold; (c) heating a portion of the glass sheet corresponding to an area above the bend area of the mold to a temperature above a forming temperature; and (d) moving the bend area plunger toward the heated glass sheet to compress the heated glass sheet between the bend area plunger and the bend area of the mold, thereby forming a shaped glass article having a flat area and a bend area, wherein a temperature of the portion of the glass sheet in the area above the bend area of the mold is higher than a temperature of a portion of the glass sheet in an area above the flat area of the mold when compressing the heated glass sheet with the bend area plunger, and wherein (b) occurs before (d).