Method and apparatus for shaping a glass sheet

Abstract

Methods of shaping a glass sheet are described comprising heating the glass sheet to a temperature for shaping; positioning the glass sheet on a shaping support; shaping the glass sheet on the shaping support, wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet at least one portion of the glass sheet is deliberately cooled. In preferred embodiments, the shaping of the glass sheet involves press bending a heat softened glass sheet between a lower shaping support and an upper shaping member, and wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support only a portion of the major surface of the glass sheet facing the lower shaping support is cooled by directing one or more jet of air onto said portion.

1 .- 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A method of shaping a glass sheet, the glass sheet having a first major surface and a second opposing major surface, the method comprising:
 heating the glass sheet to a temperature for shaping;   positioning the glass sheet on a shaping support such that the first major surface of the glass sheet is in contact with the shaping support;   shaping the glass sheet on the shaping support; and   deliberately cooling at least a first portion of the glass sheet during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support.   
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the shaping support has at least one shaping rail for contacting the first major surface of the glass sheet and/or wherein the shaping support is configured to contact the glass sheet at a peripheral region of the glass sheet. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the shaping support is configured as a ring mould to contact the glass sheet at a peripheral region of the glass sheet. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the first portion of the glass sheet is a portion of the first major surface of the glass sheet and/or wherein the first portion is a peripheral portion of the glass sheet. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the first portion of the glass sheet is deliberately cooled by directing at least a first jet of fluid towards the first portion of the glass sheet. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the first portion of the glass sheet is deliberately cooled by providing a heat exchange device configured to extract heat from the first portion of the glass sheet. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support, the glass sheet is shaped by pressing the glass sheet between the shaping support and a shaping member. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support, the glass sheet is shaped by allowing the heat softened glass sheet to sag under the influence of gravity. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 39 , further comprising deliberately cooling a second portion of the glass sheet during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the deliberate cooling of the first portion of the glass sheet begins at the same time as the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support begins or the deliberate cooling of the first portion of the glass sheet begins after the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support begins but before the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support has ended. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the duration of the deliberate cooling of the first portion of the glass sheet is the same as the duration of the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support and/or wherein the deliberate cooling of the first portion of the glass sheet is continued after the glass has been shaped. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein there is no relative movement between the glass sheet and the shaping support during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support. 
     
     
         51 . The method of shaping a glass sheet, the glass sheet having a first major surface and a second opposing major surface, the method comprising:
 heating the glass sheet to a temperature suitable for shaping;   positioning the glass sheet on a shaping support such that the first major surface of the glass sheet is in contact with the shaping support;   shaping the glass sheet on the shaping support by making shaping contact between the shaping member and the second major surface of the glass sheet, thereby shaping the glass sheet between the shaping support and the shaping member,   deliberately cooling at least one portion of the first major surface of the glass sheet during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support step by directing at least one jet of fluid onto the first portion of the first major surface; and   during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support there is no jet of fluid directed onto the second major surface of the glass sheet when the glass sheet is on the shaping support.   
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein following the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support there is a surface compressive stress in the first portion of less than or equal to CS MPa, where CS is 40. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein following the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support there is a surface compressive stress in the first portion, and the surface compressive stress in the first portion is increased by between 5 MPa and 25 MPa compared to the surface compressive stress in the first portion when there is no deliberate cooling during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support. 
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein following the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support the shaped glass sheet is laminated to at least another glass sheet using an interlayer structure comprising at least one sheet of adhesive interlayer material. 
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the shaped glass sheet is an outer ply in the laminated glazing, such that the first portion of the glass sheet that was deliberately cooled during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support is part of surface  1  of the laminated glazing. 
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the shaped glass sheet has a soda-lime-silica composition and the at least another glass sheet has been chemically strengthened prior to being laminated to the shaped glass sheet. 
     
     
         57 . Apparatus for shaping a glass sheet, the apparatus comprising a shaping support for supporting a glass sheet on the shaping support, a shaping member for shaping the glass sheet by pressing the glass sheet between the shaping member and the shaping support, an assembly of one or more nozzles for directing a fluid against a major surface of the glass sheet when the glass sheet is being pressed between the shaping member and the shaping support, and control means to actuate the flow of fluid to at least one of the one or more nozzles to carry out the method according to  claim 39 . 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus according to  claim 57 , wherein at least one of the nozzles is arranged to direct the fluid towards the major surface of the glass sheet in contact with the shaping support when the glass sheet is pressed between the shaping support and the shaping member.