Laminating thin strengthened glass to curved formed plastic surfaces for decorative and display cover applications

Abstract

A process includes cold-forming a flat glass substrate into a non-planar shape using a mold. The cold-formed glass substrate is bonded to a non-planar rigid support structure at a plurality of non-planar points using the mold. Bonding methods include injection molding and direct bonding of the non-planar rigid support structure. An article is also provided that includes a cold-formed glass substrate having opposing major surfaces and a curved shape, the opposing major surfaces including different surface stresses from one another. The cold-formed glass substrate is attached to a rigid support structure having the curved shape. The cold-formed glass substrate includes an open area that is not directly in contact with the non-planar rigid support structure, and the open area has the curved shape maintained by the non-planar rigid support structure.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application is a divisional application of Chinese National Phase Application No. 201780040354.0, which was filed on June 28, 2017, entitled "Laminating Thin Reinforced Glass onto a Curved Molded Plastic Surface for Decorative and Display Cover Applications".

[0003] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 444,470, filed January 10, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 355,542, filed June 28, 2016, pursuant to 35 U.S. SC § 119, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Background Technology

[0004] This disclosure relates to curved cold-formed glass substrates, articles including such glass substrates, and related processes.

[0005] Curved glass substrates are desired in many applications. One such application is as cover glass for curved displays that can be integrated into electrical appliances, architectural components (e.g., walls, windows, modular furniture, shower doors, mirrors, etc.), and transportation vehicles (e.g., automobiles, airplanes, ships, etc.). Existing methods for forming such curved glass substrates, such as thermoforming, have drawbacks, including optical distortion and surface markings. Therefore, there is a need for curved glass substrates that do not exhibit the optical distortions and surface markings common in thermoformed curved glass substrates. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention relates to an article comprising a cold-formed glass substrate bonded to a nonplanar rigid support structure, and a method for manufacturing such an article.

[0007] A first aspect of this disclosure relates to a process for forming the article described herein. In one or more embodiments, the process includes cold-forming a substantially flat glass substrate into a non-planar shape using a mold.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, the process includes coupling a cold-formed glass substrate to a non-planar rigid support structure. In one or more embodiments, coupling the cold-formed glass substrate to the non-planar rigid support structure includes bonding the cold-formed glass to the non-planar rigid support structure. In some cases, the cold-formed glass may be coupled or bonded to the non-planar rigid support structure at multiple non-planar points. This coupling or bonding can be achieved using a mold. In one or more embodiments, the process may include simultaneously cold-forming a substantially flat glass substrate and coupling the cold-formed glass substrate to the non-planar rigid support structure.

[0009] In some embodiments, a process includes cold-forming a flat glass substrate into a non-planar shape using a die. In some embodiments, bonding is accomplished by injection molding a non-planar rigid support structure onto the cold-formed glass substrate while the die holds the cold-formed glass substrate in a non-planar shape.

[0010] In some embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate has opposing main surfaces, and only one of the non-planar rigid support structures is incorporated into the main surfaces.

[0011] In some embodiments, the process further includes applying an adhesive to the edge of the interface between the cold-formed glass substrate and the nonplanar rigid support structure after bonding. In some embodiments, the interface is between the edge of the cold-formed glass substrate (or a sub-surface orthogonal to the main surface) and the nonplanar rigid support structure. In one or more embodiments, the process includes applying an adhesive at the interface to at least a portion of the nonplanar rigid support structure or the edge.

[0012] In some embodiments, the process includes cold-forming a glass substrate into a non-planar shape. In some embodiments, the process includes directly bonding the cold-formed glass substrate to a non-planar rigid support structure using a mold. In one or more embodiments, the non-planar rigid support structure is formed prior to bonding.

[0013] In some embodiments, the mold includes a groove, and a non-planar rigid support structure is placed into the groove prior to assembly.

[0014] In some embodiments, the process further includes applying a coating or surface treatment to the surface of a substantially flat glass substrate prior to cold forming. In one or more embodiments, the process further includes applying one or both of the coating and surface treatment to the surface of the substantially flat glass substrate after cold forming. In any case, the surface may include any one or more of an opposing main surface and sub-surfaces orthogonal to the main surface (forming edges). In one or more embodiments, the coating may be an ink coating, an anti-reflective coating, an anti-glare coating, and / or any other suitable coating. In one or more embodiments, the surface treatment may include an anti-glare surface, a tactile surface providing haptic feedback, recesses and / or protrusions providing markings, etc.

[0015] In some embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate includes an open region. When the cold-formed glass substrate is coupled to a non-planar rigid support structure, the open region does not directly contact the non-planar rigid support structure. In one or more embodiments, the open region has a curved surface shape held by the non-planar rigid support structure. A display may be attached to at least one of the cold-formed glass substrate and the non-planar rigid support structure such that the display is at least partially visible through the open region of the cold-formed glass substrate.

[0016] In some embodiments, the temperature of the glass substrate does not exceed its glass transition temperature during and after cold forming. In one or more embodiments, the temperature of the glass substrate does not exceed 800℉ (or about 427°C).

[0017] In some embodiments, the process includes strengthening a substantially flat glass substrate. In one or more embodiments, the process includes chemically strengthening a substantially flat glass substrate, thermally strengthening a substantially flat glass substrate, mechanically strengthening a substantially flat glass substrate, or using any one or more of chemical strengthening, thermal strengthening, and mechanical strengthening to strengthen a substantially flat glass substrate.

[0018] In some embodiments, the article is formed by any of the methods described herein.

[0019] A second aspect of this disclosure relates to an article of manufacture comprising a cold-formed glass substrate having opposing main surfaces and a curved or non-planar shape, the opposing main surfaces having different surface stresses from each other. In one or more embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate is coupled to a rigid support structure having a curved or non-planar shape (i.e., the same curved or non-planar shape as the cold-formed glass substrate). In one or more embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate is incorporated into a non-planar rigid support structure. In some embodiments, the rigid support structure is incorporated into only one of the main surfaces.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate includes an open area that does not directly contact the rigid support structure, and the open area has a curved shape maintained by the rigid support structure.

[0021] In some embodiments, the rigid support structure has a developable surface. In one or more embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate has a developable surface. In some embodiments, both the rigid support structure and the cold-formed glass substrate have developable surfaces.

[0022] In some embodiments, the display is attached to at least one of a cold-formed glass substrate and a non-planar rigid support structure. In one or more embodiments, the display is at least partially or completely visible through an open area of ​​the cold-formed glass substrate. In one or more embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate may not have an open area (i.e., the glass substrate may be a continuous plate), and the display is visible through the cold-formed glass substrate.

[0023] In some embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate includes one or both of a coating and a surface treatment on at least one of its main surfaces. The coating may be an ink coating, an anti-reflective coating, an anti-glare coating, and / or any other suitable coating. Surface treatments may include anti-glare surfaces, tactile surfaces providing haptic feedback, raised and / or recessed portions providing markings, etc.

[0024] In some embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate is a reinforced glass substrate. Reinforced glass may include chemically strengthened glass, thermally strengthened glass, mechanically strengthened glass, or glass strengthened using any one or more of chemical, thermal, and mechanical strengthening methods.

[0025] The implementation methods described in the preceding paragraphs can be combined in any substitution manner. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure. Together with the embodiments, the drawings further serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments and to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the disclosed embodiments. The drawings are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Although the present disclosure is generally described in the context of these embodiments, it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope of the disclosure of these particular embodiments. In the drawings, the same element symbols denote the same or similarly functional elements.

[0027] Figure 1 An injection molding die with an exemplary curved surface shape and a substantially flat glass substrate are shown according to one or more embodiments.

[0028] Figure 2This illustrates the cold forming of a glass substrate into a non-planar shape. Figure 1 The mold.

[0029] Figure 3 This illustrates the process of injection molding material into a groove in a mold to form a non-planar rigid support structure bonded to the back side of a cold-formed glass substrate. Figure 2 The mold.

[0030] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 The mold and the resulting article after the mold is removed. The resulting article is a cold-formed glass substrate bonded to a non-planar rigid support structure. Due to the rigidity of the non-planar rigid structure coupled to the main surface of the cold-formed glass substrate, the cold-formed cover glass substrate maintains the designed curvature.

[0031] Figure 5 It shows bonding with adhesive Figure 4 Cold-formed glass substrates with non-planar rigid support structures.

[0032] Figure 6 A perspective view of a cold-formed glass substrate incorporated into a non-planar rigid support structure according to one or more embodiments is shown.

[0033] Figure 7 A top view of a cold-formed glass substrate incorporated into a non-planar rigid support structure is shown. According to one or more embodiments, the curvature is not visible from the viewing angle.

[0034] Figure 8 This illustrates a nonplanar rigid support structure in a groove of a mold, a flat glass substrate, and an insertion mold, designed with a specific desired curved surface shape, according to one or more embodiments.

[0035] Figure 9 This illustrates the process of cold-forming a glass substrate into a non-planar shape and incorporating a non-planar rigid support structure into the cold-formed glass substrate. Figure 8 The mold.

[0036] Figure 10 It shows Figure 9 The mold and the resulting article after the mold is removed. The resulting article is a cold-formed glass substrate bonded to a non-planar rigid support structure. Due to the rigidity of the non-rigid support structure coupled to the main surface of the cold-formed glass substrate, the cold-formed cover glass substrate maintains the designed curvature.

[0037] Figure 11 It shows bonding with adhesive Figure 10 Cold-formed glass substrates with non-planar rigid support structures.

[0038] Figure 12 It shows the corresponding Figures 1 to 5 The process flow diagram shown is for the process shown.

[0039] Figure 13 It shows the corresponding Figures 8 to 10 The process flow diagram shown is for the process shown.

[0040] Figure 14 A mold with a ridge is shown according to one or more embodiments, the ridge positioning a glass substrate within the mold.

[0041] Figure 15 An automotive interior display according to one or more embodiments is shown, the automotive interior display including a cold-formed glass substrate bonded to a non-planar rigid support structure.

[0042] Figure 16 A top view of a cold-formed glass substrate bonded to a non-planar rigid support structure according to one or more embodiments is shown, with a display bonded to the cold-formed glass substrate. The curvature is not visible due to the viewing angle.

[0043] Figure 17 A side view is shown of a glass substrate according to one or more embodiments being applied to a rigid support structure using a single roll, the rigid support structure having a developable surface. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Transportation manufacturers are creating interiors that better connect, protect, and safely inform today's drivers and passengers. As the industry moves towards autonomous driving, there is a need for attractive, large-format displays. Many OEMs have trended towards larger displays, including touchscreens, in newer models. This trend is also evident in electrical appliances, building components (e.g., walls, windows, modular furniture, shower doors, mirrors, etc.), and other transportation equipment (e.g., aircraft, ships, etc.). However, most displays consist of two-dimensional plastic-covered lenses.

[0045] Due to emerging trends in the automotive interiors industry and related sectors, there is a need to develop low-cost technologies for fabricating three-dimensional transparent surfaces. There is a particular demand for the use of strengthened glass materials (e.g., chemically strengthened, thermally strengthened, and / or mechanically strengthened glass materials) as surfaces, especially in cases where glass substrates are used as curved cover glass for displays.

[0046] However, many methods for forming curved glass surfaces involve subjecting the glass substrate to thermoforming processes (including thermoforming processes that involve heating the glass substrate to temperatures above the glass transition temperature). This process is energy-intensive due to the high temperatures involved, and it significantly increases product costs. Furthermore, thermoforming processes can reduce strength or damage any coatings present on the glass substrate, such as anti-reflective (AR) coatings or ink coatings. In addition, thermoforming processes can impart undesirable properties to the glass itself, such as distortion and markings.

[0047] Various aspects of this disclosure relate to an article of manufacture comprising a cold-formed glass substrate capable of presenting and maintaining a curved shape. As used herein, “cold forming” refers to bending a glass substrate at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the glass to achieve a curved or non-planar shape. In one or more embodiments, this temperature is below about 800℉ (or 427°C). The resulting curved or non-planar glass substrate is a cold-formed glass substrate.

[0048] In some embodiments, a portion of the main surface of the cold-formed glass substrate may include a "developable" surface. A developable surface is a surface with zero Gaussian curvature. In one or more embodiments, a developable surface means that all points on the surface of the cold-formed glass substrate have a Gaussian curvature (GC) equal to zero (where GC equals Kmax * Kmin, where Kmax and Kmin are principal curvatures and defined as Kmax = 1 / R', Kmin = 1 / R”), where one of Kmax and Kmin is not zero. R' is the maximum radius of curvature, and R” is the minimum radius of curvature. In one or more embodiments, the surface of the cold-formed glass substrate can be flattened into a plane without stretching or compression within its surface plane.

[0049] Examples of developable surfaces include conical, cylindrical, oloid, tangential developable surfaces and portions thereof. A surface projected onto a single curve is a developable surface.

[0050] In one or more embodiments, the article includes a cold-formed glass substrate having a non-planar shape, a first main surface, and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, and the cold-formed glass substrate is coupled to a non-planar rigid support structure. In one or more embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate is coupled to the non-planar rigid support structure by an adhesive. In one or more embodiments, an adhesive is used to bond the cold-formed glass substrate to the non-planar rigid support structure. In one or more embodiments, the non-planar rigid support structure is injection molded onto the cold-formed glass substrate.

[0051] In one or more embodiments, a nonplanar rigid support structure is coupled to a first main surface of a cold-formed glass substrate at one or more points, where the one or more points may be nonplanar. In some embodiments, the nonplanar rigid support structure is coupled to the first main surface at multiple nonplanar points.

[0052] In one or more embodiments, the first primary surface and the opposing second primary surface each exhibit different surface stresses. This stress difference is generated through cold forming. The stresses can include surface compressive stresses generated by the cold forming process, as well as any surface stresses that may be present during the strengthening process applied to the glass substrate. These stresses are not thermally relaxed because the glass substrate is held at a temperature well below the glass transition temperature. In some embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate exhibits surface compressive stresses on the first and second primary surfaces, which differ from each other at, near, or adjacent to one or more non-planar points. Figure 4 As shown, the first main surface 121 and the second main surface 122 are in a stretched or compressed state depending on the direction of curvature. The first main surface 121 at a first position 121A adjacent to the non-planar rigid support structure 130 is in a stretched state, while the second main surface 122 at a second position 122A adjacent to the same non-planar rigid support structure 130 is in a compressed state. Therefore, the second main surface 122 at the second position 122A exhibits a greater surface compressive stress than the first main surface 121 at the first position 121A. Even when the glass substrate 120 is strengthened as described herein before cold forming and exhibits surface compressive stress, it exhibits asymmetrical surface compressive stress. In one or more embodiments, the first positions 121A and the second positions 122A of the corresponding first main surface 121 and the second main surface 122 are adjacent to the same non-planar rigid support, such that either or both of the first and second positions are located at a distance of 5 cm or less from the non-planar rigid support structure 130. In one or more embodiments, one or both of the first and second positions are located at a distance of 4 cm or less, 3 cm or less, 2 cm or less, 1 cm or less, or 0.5 cm or less from the nonplanar rigid support structure 130. The distances of the first and second positions relative to the nonplanar rigid support structure 130 are measured from the center 131 of the nonplanar rigid support structure 130 to the corresponding first and second positions. In some embodiments, the first position 121A and the second position 122A are positioned directly opposite each other and exhibit the asymmetric surface compressive stresses described herein, such as... Figure 5 As shown.

[0053] In some embodiments, either or both of the first and second main surfaces of the glass substrate may include a coating or surface treatment. In one or more embodiments, the coating may be an ink coating, an anti-reflective coating, an anti-glare coating, and / or any other suitable coating. In one or more embodiments, the surface treatment may include an anti-glare surface, a tactile surface providing haptic feedback, recesses and / or protrusions providing markings, etc.

[0054] In some cases, the article may include an adhesive applied to the interface between the cold-formed glass substrate and the non-planar rigid support structure. In one or more embodiments, the interface is between one or more sub-surfaces of the cold-formed glass substrate and the non-planar rigid support structure. In one or more embodiments, the interface may be substantially free of adhesive or other materials, leaving one or more sub-surfaces exposed.

[0055] In some cases, the cold-formed glass substrate includes an open area that does not directly contact the non-planar rigid support structure, and the open area has a curved shape held by the non-planar rigid support structure. In some cases, the article of manufacture includes a display disposed on at least one of the glass substrate and the non-planar rigid support structure, wherein the display is at least partially or completely visible through the cold-formed glass substrate. In some cases, the display is disposed between the glass substrate and the non-planar rigid support structure. In some cases, the display may be attached to at least one of the glass substrate and the non-planar rigid support structure.

[0056] In some embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate has a developable surface, as described herein. In some cases, the cold-formed glass substrate may include a complex developable surface, which is a combination of two or more developable surfaces (such as conical, cylindrical, Europical, planar, and tangential developable surfaces). For example, a complex developable surface may be a combination of at least a planar surface and at least a concave surface, or at least a planar surface and at least a convex surface, or at least a concave surface and at least a convex surface.

[0057] In some embodiments, complex developable surfaces may also be formed from combinations of planar, conical, cylindrical, and other developable surfaces, and involve inward curvature and outward bending. In some embodiments, combinations of planar, conical, cylindrical, and other developable surfaces may result in no sharp edges being formed when transitioning from one developable surface to another.

[0058] In some implementations, a complex developable surface or complex developable surface may include one or more planar portions, one or more tapered portions, one or more cylindrical portions and / or one or more other developable surface portions.

[0059] In the illustrated embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate has a thickness (t), which is substantially constant and defined as the distance between opposing main surfaces. As used herein, the thickness (t) refers to the maximum thickness of the glass substrate. In one or more embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate has a thickness (t) of about 1.5 mm or less. For example, the thickness can be in the range of: about 0.1 mm to about 1.5 mm, about 0.15 mm to about 1.5 mm, about 0.2 mm to about 1.5 mm, about 0.25 mm to about 1.5 mm, and about 0.3 mm. Approximately 1.5mm, approximately 0.35mm to approximately 1.5mm, approximately 0.4mm to approximately 1.5mm, approximately 0.45mm to approximately 1.5mm, approximately 0.5mm to approximately 1.5mm, approximately 0.55mm to approximately 1.5mm, approximately 0.6mm to approximately 1.5mm, approximately 0.65mm to approximately 1.5mm, approximately 0.7mm to approximately 1.5mm, approximately 0.1mm to approximately 1.4mm, approximately 0.1mm to approximately 1.3mm, approximately 0.1mm to approximately 1.2mm, approximately 0.1mm to approximately 1.1mm, approximately 0.1mm to approximately 1.0mm. 5mm, about 0.1mm to about 1mm, about 0.1mm to about 0.95mm, about 0.1mm to about 0.9mm, about 0.1mm to about 0.85mm, about 0.1mm to about 0.8mm, about 0.1mm to about 0.75mm, about 0.1mm to about 0.7mm, about 0.1mm to about 0.65mm, about 0.1mm to about 0.6mm, about 0.1mm to about 0.55mm, about 0.1mm to about 0.5mm, about 0.1mm to about 0.4mm, or about 0.3mm to about 0.7mm.

[0060] In one or more embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate has a width ranging from: about 5 cm to about 250 cm, about 10 cm to about 250 cm, about 15 cm to about 250 cm, about 20 cm to about 250 cm, about 25 cm to about 250 cm, about 30 cm to about 250 cm, about 35 cm to about 250 cm, about 40 cm to about 250 cm, about 45 cm to about 250 cm, about 50 cm to about 250 cm, about 55 cm to about 250 cm, about 60 cm to about 250 cm, about 65 cm to... Approximately 250cm, approximately 70cm to approximately 250cm, approximately 75cm to approximately 250cm, approximately 80cm to approximately 250cm, approximately 85cm to approximately 250cm, approximately 90cm to approximately 250cm, approximately 95cm to approximately 250cm, approximately 100cm to approximately 250cm, approximately 110cm to approximately 250cm, approximately 120cm to approximately 250cm, approximately 130cm to approximately 250cm, approximately 140cm to approximately 250cm, approximately 150cm to approximately 250cm, approximately 5cm to approximately 240cm, from approximately 5cm to approximately 5cmt 230cm, about 5cm to about 220cm, about 5cm to about 210cm, about 5cm to about 200cm, about 5cm to about 190cm, about 5cm to about 180cm, about 5cm to about 170cm, about 5cm to about 160cm, about 5cm to about 150cm, about 5cm to about 140cm, about 5cm to about 130cm, about 5cm to about 120cm, about 5cm to about 110cm, about 5cm to about 110cm, about 5cm to about 100cm, about 5cm to about 90cm, about 5cm to about 80cm, or about 5cm to about 75cm.

[0061] In one or more embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate has a length ranging from: about 5 cm to about 250 cm, about 10 cm to about 250 cm, about 15 cm to about 250 cm, about 20 cm to about 250 cm, about 25 cm to about 250 cm, about 30 cm to about 250 cm, about 35 cm to about 250 cm, about 40 cm to about 250 cm, about 45 cm to about 250 cm, about 50 cm to about 250 cm, about 55 cm to about 250 cm, about 60 cm to about 250 cm, about 65 cm to about 250 cm, about 70 cm to about 250 cm, about 75 cm to about 250 cm, about 80 cm to about 250 cm, about 85 cm to about 250 cm, about 90 cm to about 250 cm, about 95 cm to about 250 cm, about 100 cm to about 250 cm, about 110cm to about 250cm, about 120cm to about 250cm, about 130cm to about 250cm, about 140cm to about 250cm, about 150cm to about 250cm, about 5cm to about 240cm, from about 5cm to about 230cm, about 5cm to about 220cm, about 5cm to about 210cm, about 5cm to about 200cm, about 5cm to about 190cm, about 5cm to about 180cm, about 5cm to about 170cm, about 5cm to about 160cm, about 5cm to about 150cm, about 5cm to about 140cm, about 5cm to about 130cm, about 5cm to about 5cm120cm, about 5cm to about 110cm, about 5cm to about 110cm, about 5cm to about 100cm, about 5cm to about 90cm, about 5cm to about 80cm, or about 5cm to about 75cm.

[0062] In one or more embodiments, a portion of one or both main surfaces includes a convex shape, and the radius of curvature (R') of the convex shape ranges from about 37.5 mm to about 500 mm. In some embodiments having a convex surface, the substrate thickness may be 0.4 mm, and R' may be in the following ranges: about 100 mm to about 200 mm, about 125 mm to about 200 mm, about 150 mm to about 200 mm, about 175 mm to about 200 mm, about 100 mm to about 175 mm, about 100 mm to about 150 mm, or about 100 mm to about 125 mm. In some embodiments having a convex surface, the substrate thickness may be 0.55 mm, and R' may be in the following ranges: about 150 mm to about 250 mm, about 175 mm to about 250 mm, about 200 mm to about 250 mm, about 225 mm to about 250 mm, about 150 mm to about 225 mm, about 150 mm to about 200 mm, or about 150 mm to about 175 mm. In some embodiments with a convex surface, the substrate thickness may be 0.7 mm, and R' may be in the following ranges: about 200 mm to about 300 mm, about 225 mm to about 300 mm, about 250 mm to about 300 mm, about 275 mm to about 300 mm, about 200 mm to about 275 mm, about 200 mm to about 250 mm, or about 200 mm to about 225 mm. In some embodiments with a convex surface, the substrate thickness may be 1.1 mm, and R' may be in the following ranges: about 350 mm to about 450 mm, about 375 mm to about 450 mm, about 300 mm to about 450 mm, about 325 mm to about 450 mm, about 350 mm to about 425 mm, about 350 mm to about 400 mm, or about 350 mm to about 375 mm. In some embodiments having a convex surface, the thickness of the substrate may be 1.3 mm, and R' may be in the following ranges: about 450 mm to about 550 mm, about 475 mm to about 550 mm, about 400 mm to about 550 mm, about 425 mm to about 550 mm, about 450 mm to about 525 mm, about 450 mm to about 500 mm, or about 450 mm to about 475 mm.

[0063] In one or more embodiments, a portion of one or both main surfaces includes a concave shape, and the radius of curvature R' of the concave shape is in the range of about 20 mm to about 500 mm. In some embodiments having a concave surface, the substrate thickness may be 0.4 mm, and R' may be in the range of: about 15 mm to about 100 mm, about 30 mm to about 100 mm, about 50 mm to about 100 mm, about 75 mm to about 100 mm, about 15 mm to about 75 mm, about 15 mm to about 50 mm, or about 15 mm to about 30 mm. In some embodiments having a concave surface, the substrate thickness may be 0.55 mm, and R' may be in the range of: about 20 mm to about 150 mm, about 40 mm to about 150 mm, about 50 mm to about 150 mm, about 75 mm to about 150 mm, about 20 mm to about 125 mm, about 20 mm to about 100 mm, or about 20 mm to about 75 mm. In some embodiments with a concave surface, the substrate thickness may be 0.7 mm, and R' may be in the following ranges: about 25 mm to about 175 mm, about 50 mm to about 175 mm, about 75 mm to about 175 mm, about 100 mm to about 175 mm, about 150 mm to about 175 mm, about 25 mm to about 150 mm, about 25 mm to about 125 mm, about 25 mm to about 100 mm, or about 25 mm to about 75 mm. In some embodiments with a concave surface, the substrate thickness may be 1.1 mm, and R' may be in the following ranges: about 40 mm to about 225 mm, about 50 mm to about 225 mm, about 75 mm to about 225 mm, about 100 mm to about 225 mm, about 150 mm to about 225 mm, about 40 mm to about 200 mm, about 40 mm to about 175 mm, about 40 mm to about 150 mm, or about 40 mm to about 100 mm. In some embodiments having a concave surface, the thickness of the substrate can be 1.3 mm, and R' can be in the following ranges: about 150 mm to about 250 mm, about 175 mm to about 250 mm, about 200 mm to about 250 mm, about 225 mm to about 250 mm, about 150 mm to about 225 mm, about 150 mm to about 200 mm, or about 150 mm to about 175 mm.

[0064] In some embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate is strengthened (before being cold-formed). For example, the substrate can be strengthened by any one or more of thermal strengthening, chemical strengthening, and mechanical strengthening, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the strengthened glass substrate has a compressive stress (CS) layer that extends from the substrate surface to a compressive stress depth (or compressive stress layer depth or DOL). The compressive depth is the depth at which compressive stress is converted into tensile stress. The region within the glass substrate exhibiting tensile stress is commonly referred to as the center tension or CT layer.

[0065] As used herein, "thermal strengthening" refers to the heat treatment of a glass substrate to increase its strength. In thermally strengthened glass substrates, the CS layer is formed by heating the substrate to a temperature above the glass transition temperature (i.e., close to or near the glass softening point), followed by cooling the surface region of the glass much faster than the interior region. This difference in cooling rates between the surface and interior regions results in a residual CS layer on the surface.

[0066] Factors influencing the degree of surface compression resulting from thermal strengthening processes include air quenching temperature, volume, and other variables that contribute to at least 10,000 psi of surface compression. In chemically strengthened glass substrates, the substitution of smaller ions by larger ions at temperatures below which the glass network can relax can create an ion distribution across the glass surface, resulting in a stress profile. A large influx of ions produces a CS layer extending from the surface and a CT layer at the center of the glass.

[0067] Chemical strengthening can be achieved by an ion exchange process, which involves immersing a glass substrate in a molten salt bath for a predetermined time, allowing ions on or near the surface of the glass substrate to exchange with larger metal ions emerging from the salt bath. In some embodiments, the temperature of the molten salt bath is from about 375°C to about 450°C, and the predetermined time is from about 4 to about 8 hours. In one example, sodium ions in the glass substrate are replaced by potassium ions emerging from the molten bath, such as a potassium nitrate bath; however, other alkali metal ions with larger atomic radii can also replace smaller alkali metal ions in the glass, such as rubidium or cesium. In another example, lithium ions in the glass substrate are replaced by potassium and / or sodium ions emerging from the molten bath, which may include potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, or combinations thereof; however, other alkali metal ions with larger atomic radii can also replace smaller alkali metal ions in the glass, such as rubidium or cesium. In some embodiments, smaller alkali metal ions in the glass substrate are replaced by Ag... + Ion substitution. Similarly, other alkali metal salts can be used in ion exchange processes, such as, but not limited to, sulfates, phosphates, halides, etc. The glass substrate can be immersed in a single bath or multiple consecutive baths having the same or different compositions and / or temperatures. In some embodiments, the immersion times in the multiple baths may be different.

[0068] In mechanically strengthened glass substrates, the CS layer is generated due to the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients between some glass substrates.

[0069] In tempered glass substrates, the relationship between DOL and CT values ​​can be expressed by the following approximate equation (Equation 1):

[0070]

[0071] The thickness refers to the total thickness of the reinforced glass substrate, and the DOL layer depth (DOL) is the compressive stress depth. Unless otherwise specified, the center tension CT and compressive stress CS are expressed in megapascals (MPa), and the thickness and layer depth DOL are expressed in millimeters or micrometers. Unless otherwise stated, the CS value is a surface measurement, and the CT value is a tensile stress value (determined by Equation 1).

[0072] In some embodiments, the surface CS of the tempered glass substrate is 300 MPa or higher, such as 400 MPa or higher, 450 MPa or higher, 500 MPa or higher, 550 MPa or higher, 600 MPa or higher, 650 MPa or higher, 700 MPa or higher, 750 MPa or higher, or 800 MPa or higher. In some embodiments, the surface CS is the maximum CS of the glass substrate. The DOL of the tempered glass substrate is 15 μm or higher, 20 μm or higher (e.g., 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 μm or higher), and / or the maximum CT value is 10 MPa or higher, 20 MPa or higher, 30 MPa or higher, 40 MPa or higher (e.g., 42 MPa, 45 MPa or 50 MPa or higher), but less than 100 MPa (e.g., 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55 MPa or less). In one or more specific embodiments, the reinforced glass substrate has one or more of the following: surface CS greater than 500 MPa, DOL greater than 15 μm, and maximum CT greater than 18 MPa.

[0073] CS and DOL can be measured using surface stress meters, such as the commercially available FSM-6000 instrument manufactured by Orihara Industrial Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan). Surface stress measurement relies on the accurate measurement of the stress optical coefficient (SOC), which is related to the birefringence of the glass. SOC is then measured using methods known in the field, such as the fiber optic method and the four-point surface method, both described in ASTM standard C770-98 (2013) entitled "Standard Test Method for Measurement of Glass Stress-Optical Coefficient," the full text of which is incorporated herein by reference, and the bulk cylinder method.

[0074] The materials used for glass substrates are diverse. The glass substrate used to form the article can be amorphous or crystalline. In this regard, the term "glass" is a general term and does not only cover amorphous materials. According to some embodiments, the amorphous glass substrate may be selected from soda lime glass, alkali aluminosilicate glass, alkali borosilicate glass, and alkali aluminosilicate glass. Examples of crystalline glass substrates include glass ceramics, sapphire, or spinel. Examples of glass ceramics include Li₂O-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ system (i.e., LAS system) glass ceramics, MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ system (i.e., MAS system) glass ceramics, and glass ceramics comprising any one or more mullite, spinel, α-quartz, β-quartz solid solutions, feldspar, lithium disilicate, β-spodumene, nepheline, and alumina crystalline phases.

[0075] Glass substrates can be provided using various different processes. For example, exemplary glass substrate formation methods include float glass processes and pull processes, such as fusion drawing and slot drawing. Glass substrates prepared by float glass processes are characterized by a smooth surface and uniform thickness, and are made of molten glass floated on a bed of molten metal (typically tin). In an exemplary process, molten glass is supplied to the surface of the molten tin bed to form a float glass ribbon. As the glass ribbon flows along the tin bath, the temperature gradually decreases until the glass ribbon hardens into a solid glass substrate, which can then be lifted from the tin onto rolls. Once removed from the bath, the glass substrate undergoes further cooling and annealing to reduce internal stress.

[0076] The pull-down process manufactures glass substrates with uniform thickness and a relatively pristine surface. Since the average flexural strength of the glass substrate is controlled by the number and size of surface cracks, the pristine surface with minimal contact has greater initial strength. Pull-down glass substrates can be drawn into sheets with a thickness of less than approximately 2 mm. Furthermore, pull-down glass substrates have a very flat and smooth surface, eliminating the need for expensive grinding and polishing for final applications.

[0077] Fusion drawing processes, for example, use drawing channels that hold molten glass raw materials. These channels have weirs, with the tops of the weirs opening along the length of the channel on both sides. When the channel is filled with molten material, the molten glass overflows the weirs. Due to gravity, the molten glass flows downwards along the outer surface of the drawing channel, forming two flowing glass films. The outer surface of the drawing channel extends downwards and inwards, joining at the lower edge of the channel. The two flowing glass films fuse at this edge, forming a single flowing glass sheet. The advantage of fusion drawing is that, because the two glass films flowing through the channel fuse together, the outer surface of the resulting glass sheet does not come into contact with any parts of the equipment. Therefore, the surface properties of the fusion-drawn glass sheet are unaffected by contact.

[0078] The slotted drawing process differs from the fusion drawing process. In the slow drawing process, molten glass is fed into a drawing trough. The bottom of the drawing trough has a slot and a nozzle that extends the length of the slot. The molten glass flows through the slot / nozzle and is drawn downwards to form a continuous sheet that enters the annealing zone.

[0079] In one or more embodiments, the article comprises a single glass substrate. In one or more embodiments, the article may include a second glass substrate. In such embodiments, the second glass substrate forms a laminate with a cold-formed glass substrate. In one or more embodiments, the second glass substrate is cold-formed to have the same curved or non-planar shape as the cold-formed glass substrate. In some embodiments, the glass substrates may be separated by an interlayer, thus the laminate according to some embodiments comprises at least two glass substrates bonded together by an interlayer. In such embodiments, one main surface of the cold-formed glass substrate is coupled to a non-planar rigid support structure, and the opposing main surfaces of the cold-formed glass substrate are in contact with an interlayer disposed between the cold-formed glass substrate and the second glass substrate. Examples of suitable interlayers include poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ionomers, and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). As described above, the second glass substrate may be reinforced (chemically, thermally, and / or mechanically).

[0080] The second glass substrate faces the user, while the cold-formed glass substrate can face the opposite direction. For example, when the article is used in the interior of a vehicle, electrical appliance, or building component, the second glass substrate can form a user interface. In vehicle applications such as automotive windows, the cold-formed glass substrate can be exposed to the vehicle or car interior, and the second glass substrate can face the external environment of the vehicle, or vice versa. In automotive interiors, the cold-formed glass substrate is not exposed and faces (and is rigidly non-planar support structure) the supporting components below (e.g., displays, dashboards, center consoles, instrument panels, seat backs, front seats, floors, door panels, pillars, armrests, etc.), and the second glass substrate is exposed to the vehicle or car interior and therefore to the user. In building applications, the second glass substrate is exposed to the interior of a building, room, or furniture, and the first layer faces the external environment of the building, room, or furniture.

[0081] Some embodiments of the article disclosed herein can be used in automotive interiors because such an article provides a curved cover compatible with curved displays. For compatibility with curved displays, the cover should closely match the shape of the curved display to ensure optimal fit and achieve high-quality viewing. It is also desirable to provide a cover with high optical quality and cost-effectiveness. Thermoforming the cover into a precise shape presents challenges in achieving the desired shape. Additionally, when using glass, minimizing the effects on the underside of heating the cover to its softening point (e.g., deformation and marking) is a challenge. The concept of cold forming addresses these issues and allows the use of glass, but it introduces new challenges in providing sufficient support to maintain the cold-formed shape and providing rigidity. The ability to cold-form thin glass substrates into a specified shape offers an opportunity for high-quality, low-cost solutions.

[0082] The embodiments of the article described herein include a cold-formed glass substrate supported by a non-planar rigid support structure, such that the cold-formed glass substrate maintains a curved shape while minimizing the stress generated during cold forming. In embodiments where a display is incorporated into the article, the surface of the cold-formed glass substrate conforms to the shape of the display.

[0083] Regarding high quality, the articles described herein achieve excellent fit with curved displays and exhibit high optical quality. Cold-formed glass substrates can possess flexible properties capable of adapting to curved displays. Cold forming maintains the high quality of flat glass substrates that might be reduced in thermoforming processes. This concept also allows for excellent stress management, thereby minimizing cold stress by providing support over large areas.

[0084] Furthermore, the articles described herein are compatible with commonly desired coatings and surface treatments. More specifically, the articles described herein can readily integrate high-quality coatings and surface treatments onto curved substrate surfaces, where such coatings are typically limited to flat parts. For example, AR and AG coatings and AG surfaces can improve display visibility under a variety of challenging ambient lighting conditions; however, high-quality multilayer AR coating processes are typically applied using vapor deposition or sputtering coating techniques. Due to the nature of these processes, these techniques are generally limited to deposition on flat surfaces. Providing these coatings on curved three-dimensional surfaces is challenging and further increases the cost of the process. According to one or more embodiments, coatings and / or surface treatments can be applied to a glass substrate prior to cold forming, and the cold-formed coated and / or treated glass substrate avoids the problems associated with thermoforming (i.e., damage to coatings and / or surface treatments caused by processing and / or high processing temperatures). In one or more embodiments, the coating can be an ink coating, an anti-reflective coating, an anti-glare coating, and / or any other suitable coating. In one or more embodiments, the surface treatment can include an anti-glare surface, a tactile surface providing haptic feedback, recesses and / or protrusions providing markings, etc. Decorative inks and coatings can be applied to a variety of shaped / curved surfaces; however, applying these coatings to flat surfaces is simpler, easier to establish, and more cost-effective. Furthermore, surface treatments (typically formed by etching) are also commonly applied to flat surfaces. Therefore, the articles described herein allow for the application of coatings and / or surface treatments to a substantially flat glass substrate, followed by cold forming into a curved shape. Cold forming processes do not degrade the performance of coatings or surface treatments as some heat treatments do.

[0085] Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a method of forming the article described herein. In one or more embodiments, the method transforms a substantially flat glass substrate (such as the glass substrate described herein) into a cold-formed glass substrate, the glass substrate optionally including the coating or surface treatment described above, the glass substrate being sufficient to support presentation and maintain a desired shape. In one or more embodiments, the method includes cold-forming the substantially flat glass substrate into a shape that matches or approximates the shape of a curved display.

[0086] In some embodiments, a mold is used to cold-form a glass substrate into a desired shape. As used herein, a mold includes structures for imparting the desired shape to the glass substrate and for attaching a non-planar rigid support structure to the glass substrate. The mold itself is not part of the finished product but can be repeatedly used to manufacture multiple finished products. In one or more embodiments, the term "mold" refers to a tool for imparting a desired shape to an object. In such embodiments, a "mold" has at least two parts, namely a first part and a second part, which can be pressed together to impart the desired shape to a flexible object disposed between the first part and the second part. In one or more embodiments, the mold is also used to bond a non-planar rigid support structure to the cold-formed substrate while the mold imparts the desired shape. Once the non-planar rigid support structure is bonded to the cold-formed glass substrate, the mold can be removed, and the non-planar rigid support structure retains the desired shape of the cold-formed glass substrate. The mold can be reused multiple times to reproduce and accurately form the same shape for multiple articles, said multiple articles including a non-planar rigid support structure bonded to the cold-formed glass substrate.

[0087] In some embodiments, the injection molding process is used to deform the substantially flat glass substrate described herein into a cold-formed glass substrate having a curved shape. In one or more embodiments, a support structure is injection molded onto the main surface of the glass substrate. In one or more embodiments, the glass substrate may be cold-formed prior to injection molding the support structure. The injection-molded support structure forms a non-planar rigid support structure that holds the cold-formed glass substrate in a prescribed shape. In some embodiments, injection molding is used to form a non-planar rigid support structure bonded to the surface of the cold-formed glass substrate. Any suitable injection molding method and material can be used. For example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) are two commonly used materials for injection molding non-planar rigid support structures. In some embodiments, reaction injection molding (RIM) can be used. Common materials used in RIM include polyurethane polyurea, polyisocyanurate, polyester, polyphenols, polyepoxides, and nylon 6. Different materials may have different operating parameters. For different materials, the machine, operating parameters (e.g., pressure, flow rate, temperature), and mold design may be different. Typical injection molding temperatures range from 300℉ to 450℉, and typical process pressures range from 200psi to over 1000psi; however, any suitable process parameters can be used.

[0088] In some implementations, a generally flat glass substrate is cold-formed and bonded to a non-planar rigid support structure using a direct bonding process, wherein the non-planar rigid support structure provides rigidity to the cold-formed glass substrate and holds the cold-formed glass substrate in the desired curved or non-planar shape.

[0089] Various techniques, other than direct bonding or injection molding, can be used to produce the articles described herein.

[0090] The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of these processes, which are not necessarily drawn to scale. Different parts of each figure may have portions that are not drawn to scale relative to other parts in order to better illustrate the concepts.

[0091] Figure 1 An injection molding die 110 with a specific desired surface shape and a flat glass substrate 120 having opposing main surfaces 121, 122 are shown. The injection molding die 110 includes two parts, a first die part 111 and a second die part 112. The first die part 111 and the second die part 112 have a desired surface shape corresponding to the cold-formed glass substrate. The first die part 111 includes a groove 113 adapted to receive molten material as part of the injection molding process. The flat glass substrate 120 is disposed between the first die part 111 and the second die part 112, but has not yet been cold-formed.

[0092] Figure 2 This illustrates the cold forming of a glass substrate 120 into a non-planar shape. Figure 1 The mold 110. Cold forming is accomplished by placing the glass substrate 120 between the first mold part 111 and the second mold part 112 while pressing them together. Figure 2 In the middle, groove 113 is still empty.

[0093] Figure 3 This illustrates the process after material is injection molded into the groove 113 to form a non-planar rigid support structure 130 bonded to the back side of the cold-formed glass substrate 120. Figure 2 The mold.

[0094] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 The mold and the resulting article after the first mold part 111 and the second mold part 112 are extracted. The resulting article is a cold-formed glass substrate 120 bonded to a non-planar rigid support structure 130. Due to the rigidity of the non-planar rigid support structure 130, the cold-formed glass substrate 120 retains the curvature imparted by the first mold part 111 and the second mold part 112. The opposing main surfaces (first main surface 121 and second main surface 122) are each subjected to tension or compression depending on the direction of curvature. Figure 4In this configuration, the first main surface 121 is subjected to tension at a first position 121A adjacent to the nonplanar rigid support structure 130, and the second main surface 122 is subjected to compression at a second position 122A adjacent to the nonplanar rigid support structure 130. Therefore, the surface compressive stress of the second main surface 122 at the second position 122A is greater than the surface compressive stress of the first main surface 121 at the first position 121A. This is true even if the substrate 120 is strengthened as described herein and exhibits surface compressive stress before being cold-formed.

[0095] Figure 5 It is shown that it is bonded to with additional adhesive 140. Figure 4 For the cold-formed glass substrate 120 of the non-planar rigid support structure 130, adhesive is added along the interface between the cold-formed glass substrate 120 and the non-planar rigid support structure 130. Additional adhesive 140 is not necessary and helps improve the bonding between the cold-formed glass substrate 120 and the non-planar rigid support structure 130. Although additional adhesive 140 can be applied without using a mold, the overall structure still benefits from the precision obtained by using a mold to bond the cold-formed glass substrate 120 to the non-planar rigid support structure 130.

[0096] Figure 6 A perspective view of a cold-formed glass substrate 120 incorporated into a non-planar rigid support structure 130 is shown.

[0097] Figure 7 A top view of a cold-formed glass substrate 120 incorporated into a non-planar rigid support structure 130 is shown. The curvature is not visible due to the viewing angle. Line 7-7' shows... Figures 1 to 5 The cross-section shown. Figures 8 to 11 A similar cross-section is shown.

[0098] Figure 8A direct bonding mold 810 and a flat glass substrate 820, designed with specific desired surface shapes, are shown. The direct bonding mold 810 includes two parts, a first mold part 811 and a second mold part 812. The first mold part 811 and the second mold part 812 have surface shapes corresponding to the desired curved shapes of the cold-formed glass substrate. The first mold part 811 includes a groove 813 adapted to receive a non-planar rigid support structure 830 formed by a separate process. The non-planar rigid support structure 830 can be formed by any suitable process, such as injection molding. The non-planar rigid support structure 830 has been inserted into the groove 813 of the first mold part 811. Depending on the circumstances, an adhesive layer 831 can be applied to the non-planar rigid support structure 830 by any suitable process before or after the non-planar rigid support structure 830 is inserted into the groove 813. The flat glass substrate 820 is disposed between the first mold part 811 and the second mold part 812, but has not yet been cold-formed.

[0099] Figure 9 This illustrates the process of cold-forming a glass substrate 820 into a non-planar shape and incorporating a non-planar rigid support structure into the cold-formed glass substrate. Figure 8 The mold 810. Cold forming is accomplished by placing the glass substrate 820 between the first mold part 811 and the second mold part 812 while pressing them together. Pressing the first mold part 811 and the second mold part 812 together also brings the non-planar rigid support structure 830 into contact with the glass substrate 820 and directly bonds the non-planar rigid support structure 830 to the glass substrate 820. The groove 813 ensures precise positioning of the non-planar rigid support structure 830 relative to the glass substrate 820.

[0100] Figure 10 It shows in Figure 9 The mold 810 is then removed, resulting in the obtained article. The obtained article is a cold-formed glass substrate 820 bonded to a non-planar rigid support structure 830. Depending on the circumstances, an adhesive layer 831 may facilitate bonding. Due to the rigidity of the non-planar rigid support structure 830, the cold-formed glass substrate 820 retains the curvature imparted by the first mold part 811 and the second mold part 812.

[0101] Figure 11 It shows bonding with additional adhesive 840. Figure 10For the cold-formed glass substrate 820 of the non-planar rigid support structure 830, adhesive is added along the interface between the cold-formed glass substrate 820 and the non-planar rigid support structure 830. Additional adhesive 840 is not necessary and helps improve the bonding between the cold-formed glass substrate 820 and the non-planar rigid support structure 830. Although additional adhesive 840 can be applied without using a mold, the overall structure still benefits from the precision obtained by using a mold to bond the cold-formed glass substrate 820 to the non-planar rigid support structure 830.

[0102] Figure 12 It shows the corresponding Figures 1 to 5 The process flow diagram is shown. The following steps are performed in sequence:

[0103] Step 1210 - Use mold 110 to cold-form glass substrate 120 into the desired shape.

[0104] Step 1220 - Form a rigid support structure 130 in the groove 113 by injection molding and attach it to the cold-formed glass substrate 120.

[0105] Step 1230 - Remove mold 110.

[0106] Step 1240 - Selectively apply additional adhesive 140.

[0107] Figure 13 It shows the corresponding Figures 8 to 10 The process flow diagram is shown. The following steps are performed in sequence:

[0108] Step 1310 - Place the rigid support structure 830 into the groove 813.

[0109] Step 1320 - Use mold 810 to cold-form glass substrate 820 into the desired shape, while directly attaching rigid support structure 830 to the cold-formed glass substrate 820.

[0110] Step 1330 - Remove mold 810.

[0111] Step 1340 - Selectively apply additional adhesive 840.

[0112] Figure 14A mold 1410 is shown, having a first mold part 1411 and a second mold part 1412. The first mold part 1411 includes a groove 1413. As shown, the first mold part 1411 and the second mold part 1412 include ridges 1414 for precisely positioning a glass substrate 1420 relative to the first mold part 1411 and the second mold part 1412. This allows for precise placement of a rigid support structure relative to the glass substrate 1420, regardless of injection molding, direct bonding, or other mold application processes. In some embodiments, the ridge is present only on one of the first mold part 1411 and the second mold part 1412. In some embodiments, there is no ridge 1414.

[0113] Figure 15 Examples of portions and sections of automotive interior displays are shown, including but not limited to instrument clusters, console displays, or centrally stacked displays, and in some embodiments, a manufacturable monitor. A cold-formed glass substrate is bonded to a rigid support structure 1530. The cold-formed glass substrate 1510 includes an open area 1550 that does not directly contact the non-planar rigid support structure 1530. The open area 1550 has a curved shape held by the non-planar rigid support structure 1530. A monitor or display may be laminated to the open area 1550. The rigid support structure 1530 may be designed to attach to other automotive parts 1520 (such as dashboards, center consoles, instrument panels, seat backs, front seats, floors, door panels, pillars, armrests, etc.) or architectural applications (such as walls, windows, wall panels, furniture, electrical appliances, doors, etc.). Figure 15 The implementation method may be formed by any of the various processes described herein, including Figure 12 Implementation methods and Figure 13 The implementation method.

[0114] Figure 16 A top view of a cold-formed glass substrate 120 incorporated into a non-planar rigid support structure 130 is shown. The curvature is not visible due to the viewing angle. The interior of the non-planar rigid support structure 130 defines an open region 1610 of the cold-formed glass substrate, which does not directly contact the non-planar rigid support structure. The open region 1610 has a curved shape maintained by the non-planar rigid support structure. A display 1620 is attached to the cold-formed glass substrate 120. The display 1620 is visible through the open region 1610 of the cold-formed glass substrate 120.

[0115] In some embodiments, the glass substrate is cold-formed into a curved shape, which may include a developable surface or a complex developable surface. Forces are applied and held to maintain the cold-formed glass substrate in this shape at different portions or the entirety of the main surface of the cold-formed glass, coupled to a non-planar rigid support structure. In one or more embodiments, forces are applied and held at multiple non-planar points until the coupling is sufficient to maintain the shape. For example, in Figures 1 to 5 In this embodiment, the injection molding mold 110 can be held in Figure 3 At the position shown, the material of the non-planar rigid support structure 130 is fully solidified and bonded to the glass substrate 120 to maintain the cold-formed shape of the glass substrate 120 without the injection molding mold 110. Figures 8 to 10 As shown, directly combining mold 810 can maintain Figure 9 At the position shown, until the adhesive layer 831 is fully cured and the glass substrate 820 is fully bonded to the rigid support structure 830, so as to maintain the cold-formed shape of the glass substrate 820 without directly bonding the mold 810.

[0116] A force can be "held" in a region by applying force in the spaced or periodic portions of the region. For example, the mold 810 can directly contact any part of the glass substrate 820, except where a rigid support structure 830 exists. Figure 9 As shown. Alternatively, gaps may exist in such a contact, where contact is maintained at sufficient points to hold the glass substrate 820 in place until the adhesive layer 830 can cure.

[0117] Problems arise if forces are not applied and held in different areas of a complex, developable surface. For example, if a single roll is used instead of a die process or other process for applying and holding forces, it may be difficult to bond a glass substrate to a rigid support structure with a complex, developable surface. At the very least, production volume is expected to be affected. Cold-formed glass, without theoretical constraints, contains internal stresses. Without external constraints, these stresses will cause the glass to move toward its initial shape.

[0118] For example, such as Figure 17As shown, a single roll 1790 is used to press an initial planar glass substrate 1720 against a rigid support structure 1730 having a complex developable surface (three adjacent cylindrical surfaces), wherein the middle surface has two concave surfaces opposite to the outer surface. An adhesive layer 1731 is present on the rigid support structure 1730. As the roll 1790 passes from left to right, the stress in the cold-formed glass substrate 1720 on the left side of the roll 1790 will be oriented to return the glass substrate 1720 to a planar shape, as indicated by arrow 1780. These stresses can lead to delamination or low yield. For simple shapes, this phenomenon may not exist (e.g., in a plane) or can be addressed in other ways (e.g., when glass is adhered to the inside of a cylinder with adhesive, slight compressive forces on the glass plane can push the glass against the adhesive wherever it is applied as the adhesive cures). However, for complex developable surfaces, especially surfaces with different areas of varying concavity, it is preferable to apply and maintain forces.

[0119] On the other hand, a vehicle interior system is disclosed, comprising: a base including a non-planar support structure; and a cold-formed glass substrate (or a laminate including a cold-formed substrate as described herein) disposed on the non-planar support structure. In one or more embodiments, the base includes a display disposed between the non-planar support structure and the cold-formed substrate (or a laminate including a cold-formed substrate). The display may be curved. In one or more embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate has a thickness of 1.5 mm or less (or about 0.4 mm to about 1.3 mm).

[0120] In one or more embodiments, the cold-formed glass substrate used in such a vehicle interior system includes a glass surface, wherein the glass surface has a Gaussian curvature (GC) equal to zero at all points (GC = Kmax * Kmin, where Kmax and Kmin are defined as principal curvatures Kmax = I / R' and Kmin = I / R”, and where one of Kmax and Kmin is non-zero, R' is the maximum radius of curvature, and R” is the minimum radius of curvature. The glass surface may be one or both of the opposing principal surfaces of the cold-formed glass substrate.

[0121] In one or more embodiments, the base includes any one of a center console, dashboard, armrest, pillar, seat back, floor, headrest, door panel, and steering wheel. The vehicle can be any of an automobile, a ship, and an aircraft.

[0122] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same element symbols are used to denote elements that are the same or have similar functions. References herein to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "in some embodiments," etc., indicate that the said embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but each embodiment may not necessarily include the said particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, whether explicitly described or not, it is considered to affect the inclusion of such features, structures, or characteristics in combination with other embodiments within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0123] As used in this article, the word "including" is an open-ended transitional phrase. The list of elements following the transitional phrase "including" is a non-exclusive list, and therefore may include elements other than those specifically indicated in the list.

[0124] The following examples are illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other suitable modifications and adjustments to various conditions and parameters commonly found in this field will be apparent to those skilled in the art and fall within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0125] Aspect (1) of this disclosure relates to a process comprising: cold-forming a flat glass substrate into a nonplanar shape using a mold; and bonding the cold-formed glass substrate to a nonplanar rigid support structure at a plurality of nonplanar points using a mold.

[0126] Aspect (2) of this disclosure relates to the process of aspect (1), wherein the mold is an injection molding mold, and the bonding is accomplished by injection molding a non-planar rigid support structure onto the cold-formed glass substrate while the mold holds the cold-formed glass substrate in a non-planar shape.

[0127] Aspect (3) of this disclosure relates to the process of aspect (1), wherein the nonplanar rigid support structure is formed prior to bonding, and bonding includes directly bonding a cold-formed glass substrate to the nonplanar rigid support structure using a mold.

[0128] Aspect (4) of this disclosure relates to the process of aspect (3), further comprising placing a non-planar rigid support structure into a groove in the mold prior to bonding.

[0129] Aspect (5) of this disclosure relates to the process of aspect (3) or aspect (4), further comprising applying an adhesive to at least one of the nonplanar rigid support structure and the flat glass substrate prior to bonding.

[0130] Aspect (6) of this disclosure relates to the process of any one of aspects (1) to (5), further comprising, after bonding, applying an adhesive to the edge of the interface between the cold-formed glass substrate and the non-planar rigid support structure.

[0131] Aspect (7) of this disclosure relates to the process of any one of aspects (1) to (6), further comprising applying a coating to a flat glass substrate prior to cold forming.

[0132] Aspect (8) of this disclosure relates to the process of aspect (7), wherein the coating is an ink coating.

[0133] Aspect (9) of this disclosure relates to the process of aspect (7), wherein the coating is an anti-reflective coating.

[0134] Aspect (10) of this disclosure relates to a process of any of aspects (7) to (9), wherein, after being incorporated into a nonplanar rigid support structure, the cold-formed glass substrate includes an open area that does not directly contact the nonplanar rigid support structure, the open area having a curved shape maintained by the nonplanar rigid support structure.

[0135] Aspect (11) of this disclosure relates to the process of aspect (10), further comprising attaching the display to at least one of a cold-formed glass substrate and a non-planar rigid support structure, such that the display is visible through an open area of ​​the cold-formed glass substrate.

[0136] Aspect (12) of this disclosure relates to the process of any one of aspects (1) to (11), wherein the temperature of the glass substrate does not exceed 800℉ during and after cold forming.

[0137] Aspect (13) of this disclosure relates to the process of any one of aspects (1) to (12), wherein the glass substrate comprises reinforced glass.

[0138] Aspect (14) of this disclosure relates to a process of any one of aspects (1) to (13), wherein the cold-formed glass substrate has opposing main surfaces, one of which does not contain a non-planar rigid support structure.

[0139] Aspect (15) relates to an article comprising: a cold-formed glass substrate including a non-planar shape and a first main surface and an opposing second main surface, the first main surface and the second main surface including different surface compressive stresses from each other; and a non-planar rigid support structure bonded to the first main surface at a plurality of non-planar points.

[0140] Aspect (16) relates to the article of aspect (15), wherein when the cold-formed glass substrate includes a non-planar shape, a non-planar rigid support structure is injection molded onto the cold-formed glass substrate.

[0141] Aspect (17) relates to the article of aspect (15), wherein the cold-formed glass substrate includes a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, the second main surface including a coating or surface treatment.

[0142] Aspect (18) of this disclosure relates to an article of any of aspects (15) to (17), further comprising an edge adhesive applied to the edge of the interface between a cold-formed glass substrate and a non-planar rigid support structure.

[0143] Aspect (19) of this disclosure relates to an article of any of aspects (15) to (18), wherein the cold-formed glass substrate includes an open area that does not directly contact a non-planar rigid support structure, and the open area has a curved shape held by the non-planar rigid support structure.

[0144] Aspect (20) relates to the article of aspect (19), further comprising a display attached to at least one of a cold-formed glass substrate and a non-planar rigid support structure, wherein the display is visible through the cold-formed glass substrate.

[0145] Aspect (21) of this disclosure relates to articles of any of aspects (15) to (20), further comprising a coating disposed on a cold-formed glass substrate.

[0146] Aspect (22) of this disclosure relates to the article of aspect (21), wherein the coating is an ink coating.

[0147] Aspect (23) of this disclosure relates to the article of aspect (21), wherein the coating is an anti-reflective coating.

[0148] Aspect (24) of this disclosure relates to articles comprising glass substrates having opposing main surfaces and curved shapes, the opposing main surfaces having different surface stresses from each other, wherein the glass substrates are attached to a rigid support structure having a curved shape, wherein the glass substrates include open areas that do not directly contact the nonplanar rigid support structure, and the open areas have a curved shape held by the nonplanar rigid support structure.

[0149] Aspect (25) of this disclosure relates to articles comprising: a nonplanar rigid support structure having a complex developable surface; and a cold-formed glass substrate bonded to the nonplanar rigid support structure having a complex developable surface.

[0150] Aspect (26) of this disclosure relates to articles of aspect (25) or aspect (24), further comprising a display attached to at least one of a glass substrate and a nonplanar rigid support structure, wherein the display is visible through an open area of ​​the glass substrate.

[0151] Aspect (27) of this disclosure relates to an article of any one of aspects (24) to (26), further comprising a coating disposed on a glass substrate.

[0152] Aspect (28) of this disclosure relates to the article of aspect (27), wherein the coating is an ink coating.

[0153] Aspect (29) of this disclosure relates to the article of aspect (27), wherein the coating is an anti-reflective coating.

[0154] Aspect (30) of this disclosure relates to articles of any of aspects (24) to (29), wherein the glass substrate is a chemically strengthened glass substrate.

[0155] Aspect (31) of this disclosure relates to an article of any of aspects (24) to (30), wherein a main surface does not contain a non-planar rigid support structure.

[0156] Aspect (32) of this disclosure relates to articles of any of aspects (24) to (31), wherein the cold-formed glass substrate has a complex developable surface.

[0157] Aspect (33) of this disclosure relates to an internal system of a transport vehicle, comprising: a base having a curved surface; and an article comprising a cold-formed glass substrate disposed on the curved surface, wherein the glass substrate comprises a surface having all points of the surface having a Gaussian curvature (GC) equal to zero, (GC = Kmax * Kmin, where Kmax and Kmin are principal curvatures and defined as Kmax = 1 / R', Kmin = 1 / R”), wherein one of Kmax and Kmin is not zero, R' is the maximum radius of curvature, and R” is the minimum radius of curvature.

[0158] Aspect (34) relates to the internal system of the vehicle of aspect (33), wherein the glass substrate has a thickness of about 1.5 mm or less.

[0159] Aspect (35) relates to the internal system of the vehicle of aspect (33) or aspect (34), wherein a portion of the surface includes a concave shape, the concave shape having an R' of about 37.5 mm to about 500 mm.

[0160] Aspect (36) relates to the internal system of the vehicle of aspect (33) or aspect (34), wherein a portion of the surface includes a convex shape, wherein the R' of the convex shape is about 20 mm to about 500 mm.

[0161] Aspect (37) relates to the internal system of the vehicle of any of aspects (33) to (36), and further includes a display.

[0162] Aspect (38) relates to the internal system of the transport vehicle of aspect (37), wherein the display is disposed between the base and the article.

[0163] Aspect (39) relates to the internal system of the vehicle of aspect (37) or aspect (38), wherein the display is curved.

[0164] Aspect (40) relates to the internal system of a vehicle of any of aspects (33) to (39), wherein the glass substrate is reinforced.

[0165] While various embodiments have been described herein, these are merely illustrative and not intended to be limiting. It should be understood that adjustments and modifications based on the teachings and guidelines described herein fall within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the described embodiments. Therefore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes in form and detail can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the elements of the embodiments described herein are not necessarily mutually exclusive but can be interchanged to meet different requirements.

[0166] The implementation methods described herein can be combined in any substitution manner.

[0167] It should be understood that the wording or terminology used herein is descriptive and not restrictive. The breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited to any of the exemplary embodiments described above, but should be defined solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An article comprising: A cold-formed glass substrate includes a first main surface, a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, a thickness extending between the first main surface and the second main surface, and a non-planar shape, wherein the thickness is greater than or equal to 0.4 mm and less than or equal to 1.3 mm. A nonplanar rigid support structure is incorporated into the glass substrate and configured to hold the cold-formed glass substrate in the nonplanar shape, wherein: The non-planar rigid support structure is integrated into the first main surface of the cold-formed glass substrate such that, despite the different surface stresses arising from bending on the first and second main surfaces, the non-planar rigid support maintains the cold-formed glass substrate in its non-planar shape. The cold-formed glass substrate is composed of single glass sheets, and The non-planar rigid support structure is a component of the base plate of the automotive interior, wherein the base plate of the automotive interior includes the dashboard, center console, seat back, front seat, floor, door panel, pillar, or armrest.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein, The cold-formed glass substrate consists of a single sheet of chemically strengthened glass and includes one or more optical surface treatments.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein, The cold-formed glass substrate consists of a single sheet of chemically strengthened glass and optically includes one or more coatings.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein, When viewed from the second main surface, the cold-formed glass substrate completely covers the non-planar rigid support.

5. The article of any one of claims 1-4, further comprising a decorative ink coating on at least one of the first main surface and the second main surface.

6. The article of manufacture according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The non-planar shape includes a curved shape, such that at least one of the first main surface and the second main surface includes a concave shape or a convex shape.

7. The article of claim 6, characterized in that, The concave or convex shape includes a radius of curvature greater than or equal to 20 mm and less than or equal to 500 mm.

8. The article of claim 1-4, wherein, The cold-formed glass substrate has a Gaussian curvature of zero.

9. The article of claim 1-4, wherein the nonplanar rigid support structure is coupled to the first main surface at one or more nonplanar points on the first main surface, the nonplanar points being offset from a subsurface of the cold-formed glass substrate extending between the first main surface and the second main surface.

10. The article of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the nonplanar rigid support structure is formed on or bonded to the first main surface by injection molding without the use of an adhesive.

11. The article of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the outer edge of the non-planar rigid support structure is disposed inside the subsurface of the cold-formed glass substrate extending between the first main surface and the second main surface.

12. An article comprising: A cold-formed glass substrate includes a first main surface, a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, and a non-planar shape; A non-planar rigid support structure is incorporated into the first main surface of the glass substrate, such that when the cold-formed glass substrate has an asymmetrical surface compressive stress distribution, the non-planar rigid support structure maintains the cold-formed glass substrate in a non-planar shape, wherein: The cold-formed glass substrate is the only glass sheet in the article, and The non-planar rigid support structure is formed on and bonded to the first main surface by injection molding without the use of adhesives. The non-planar shape includes curved shapes, such that at least one of the first main surface and the second main surface includes a concave shape or a convex shape. The concave shape or the convex shape includes a radius of curvature greater than or equal to 20 mm and less than or equal to 500 mm, and The cold-formed glass substrate has a thickness of 0.4 mm or more and 1.3 mm or less.

13. The article of manufacture according to claim 12, wherein: The cold-formed glass substrate includes a secondary surface extending between the first primary surface and the second primary surface, and There is no adhesive at the edge interface on the subsurface.

14. The article of manufacture according to any one of claims 12-13, wherein, The entire contact area between the non-planar rigid support structure and the cold-formed glass substrate is located on the first main surface.

15. The article of manufacture according to any one of claims 12-13, wherein, The non-planar rigid support structure is configured as a component attached to the automotive interior.

16. The article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein, The components include displays, dashboards, center consoles, seat backs, front seats, floors, door panels, pillars, or armrests.

17. The article of manufacture according to any one of claims 12-13, wherein, When viewed from the second main surface, the cold-formed glass substrate completely covers the non-planar rigid support structure.

18. The article of claim 17, further comprising a decorative ink coating on at least one of the first main surface and the second main surface.

19. The article of manufacture according to any one of claims 12-13, wherein, The outer edge of the non-planar rigid support structure is disposed inside the secondary surface of the cold-formed glass substrate that extends between the first main surface and the second main surface.

20. The article of any one of claims 12-13, wherein the cold-formed glass substrate includes a surface compressive stress of 300 MPa or greater at the first main surface or the second main surface.

21. The article of manufacture according to any one of claims 12-13, wherein, The nonplanar rigid support structure is attached to the first main surface at one or more nonplanar points, the nonplanar points being offset from the subsurface of the cold-formed glass substrate extending between the first main surface and the second main surface.

22. An internal system of a transportation vehicle, comprising: Rigid support structure with curved surface; A cold-formed glass substrate is disposed on the curved surface. The cold-formed glass substrate includes a first main surface, a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, and a secondary surface connecting the first main surface and the second main surface. The thickness is defined as the distance between the first main surface and the second main surface, wherein the thickness is 1.5 mm or less. The cold-formed glass substrate includes a width in the range of 5 cm to 250 cm and a length in the range of 5 cm to 250 cm. The second main surface includes a first curvature having a radius of curvature of 15 mm or greater. as well as The display is attached to at least one of the second main surface of the rigid support structure or the cold-formed glass substrate; One of the first main surface or the second main surface is in a stretched state at the first curvature, and the other of the first main surface or the second main surface is in a compressed state at the first curvature.

23. The internal system of a transport vehicle according to claim 22, wherein, The display has a second curvature, wherein the first curvature of the cold-formed glass substrate matches or approximates the second curvature of the display surface.

24. The internal system of a transport vehicle according to claim 22, wherein, The secondary surface of the cold-formed glass substrate is not surrounded by the rigid support structure.

25. The internal system of a transport vehicle according to claim 22, wherein, One or both of the first main surface and the second main surface include a surface treatment, which includes any one of an anti-glare surface, an anti-reflective surface, a tactile surface, and a decorative surface.

26. The internal system of a transport vehicle according to any one of claims 22-25, wherein, The rigid support structure is configured to be attached to at least one of the dashboard, center console, instrument panel, seat back, front seat, floor, door panel, pillar, or armrest.

27. The internal system of a transport vehicle according to any one of claims 22-25, wherein, The display is directly laminated onto the cold-formed glass substrate.

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