Flexible glass and methods of making the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a flexible glass and a manufacturing method thereof. The flexible glass has a first flat portion at one end, a second flat portion at the other end, a groove between the first flat portion and the second flat portion, and a curved connecting portion corresponding to the groove. The curved connecting portion is bent to form the first flat portion and the second flat portion not in the same plane. The flexible glass has a first side and a second side. The groove is concave from the first side to the second side. Thus, the flexible glass has better bending ability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a glass, and more particularly to a flexible glass and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Glass has a wide range of applications, such as in portable electronic devices or automotive electronic displays, and can also be used as a protective film for displays.

[0003] Because flexible or foldable screens offer viewers a better visual experience, electronic products with flexible or foldable screens are gradually being accepted by consumers, which in turn increases the demand for flexible or foldable glass.

[0004] However, while thinner glass has the ability to bend and flex, it is also relatively more prone to breakage, and excessively thin glass also suffers from insufficient strength. Therefore, overcoming these problems is one of the issues that this invention aims to address. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention discloses a flexible glass and its manufacturing method, wherein the glass substrate has a groove and a bending connection portion that can be pre-bent into shape at the corresponding groove position, thereby giving the glass better flexibility and bending ability.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, one embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible glass having a first straight portion at one end and a second straight portion at the other end. A groove and a pre-bent curved connecting portion corresponding to the groove are provided between the first straight portion and the second straight portion, so that the first straight portion and the second straight portion are not normally on the same plane. The flexible glass has a first side surface and a second side surface. The groove is recessed from the first side surface towards the second side surface. The flexible glass also includes a reinforcing layer that fills the groove. The reinforcing layer includes a phenyl polymer or epoxy resin. The monomer carbon chain length of the phenyl polymer is between C6 and C18. The width of the curved connecting portion is smaller than the width of the groove. The width of the groove is between 30 mm and 70 mm, and the width of the curved connecting portion is between 20 mm and 60 mm.

[0007] In another embodiment of the present invention, the groove has a groove bottom and the thickness extending from the groove bottom to the second side is between 0.03 and 0.6 mm; the first straight portion is provided with a first connecting segment connected to one end of the curved connecting portion corresponding to the groove, and the second straight portion is provided with a second connecting segment connected to the other end of the curved connecting portion corresponding to the groove.

[0008] In another embodiment of the present invention, the radius of curvature of the bent connection is between 10 mm and 300 mm; the thickness from the first side to the second side is between 1 mm and 4 mm; and the thickness of the groove bottom extending towards the second side is between 0.05 mm and 0.4 mm.

[0009] In another embodiment of the present invention, the bent connection is pre-bent; the groove is arc-shaped or rectangular.

[0010] In another embodiment of the present invention, a bottom glass, a first bonding glass and a second bonding glass are also included. The first bonding glass and the second bonding glass are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the bottom glass. The curved connecting portion is disposed on the bottom glass. The groove is formed by the bottom glass, the first bonding glass and the second bonding glass.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing flexible glass, comprising the following steps: providing a glass substrate having a first flat portion, a second flat portion, a first side surface, and a second side surface; forming a groove on the first side surface of the glass substrate toward the second side surface; and heating the groove on the glass substrate to bend the corresponding groove position to form a bent connecting portion, such that the first flat portion and the second flat portion are not normally on the same plane, and after the bent connecting portion is formed, forming a reinforcing layer on the first side surface, the reinforcing layer filling the groove, the reinforcing layer comprising a phenyl polymer or epoxy resin; the monomer carbon chain length of the phenyl polymer is between C6 and C18, wherein the width of the bent connecting portion is less than the width of the groove, the width of the groove is between 30 mm and 70 mm, and the width of the bent connecting portion is between 20 mm and 60 mm.

[0012] In another embodiment of the present invention, the groove has a groove bottom and the thickness extending from the groove bottom to the second side is between 0.03 and 0.6 mm; the first straight portion is provided with a first connecting segment connected to one end of the curved connecting portion corresponding to the groove, and the second straight portion is provided with a second connecting segment connected to the other end of the curved connecting portion corresponding to the groove.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, the radius of curvature of the bent connection is between 10 mm and 300 mm; the thickness from the first side to the second side is between 1 mm and 4 mm; and the thickness of the groove bottom extending towards the second side is between 0.05 mm and 0.4 mm.

[0014] In another embodiment of the present invention, after the groove is formed, the glass substrate is chemically strengthened; the groove is arc-shaped or rectangular.

[0015] In another embodiment of the present invention, the glass substrate includes a bottom glass, a first bonding glass and a second bonding glass. The first bonding glass and the second bonding glass are respectively disposed on both sides of the bottom glass. A curved connecting portion is disposed on the bottom glass. The groove is formed by the bottom glass, the first bonding glass and the second bonding glass.

[0016] Therefore, the curved connection portion can be pre-formed at the groove position of the glass substrate of the present invention to improve the bending ability of the glass substrate, preferably increasing the bending ability of the glass substrate by 20 degrees to 40 degrees, so as to be suitable for the corresponding display screen.

[0017] The present invention has the following advantages: 1. The present invention preheats and forms a bent connection portion at the position corresponding to the groove on the glass substrate to increase the bending ability of the glass substrate, preferably increasing the bending ability by 20 degrees to 40 degrees.

[0018] 2. The thickness D1 of the glass substrate corresponding to the groove position of the present invention is between 0.03 and 0.6 mm, so that the glass substrate can maintain a certain structural strength in addition to having the ability to bend.

[0019] 3. The grooves of the glass substrate of the present invention are filled with a reinforcing layer to improve the bonding strength of the grooves, thereby increasing the overall structural strength of the glass and making it less prone to breakage. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the first embodiment of the flexible glass of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a side view of the first embodiment of the flexible glass of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a side view of a second embodiment of the flexible glass of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a side view of the third embodiment of the flexible glass of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a side view of the fourth embodiment of the flexible glass of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of the flexible glass of the present invention.

[0026] In the figure, 100: flexible glass; 10: glass substrate; 10a: bottom glass; 10b: first laminated glass; 10c: second laminated glass; 11: first straight portion; 111: first connecting segment; 12: second straight portion; 121: second connecting segment; 13: groove; 13a: groove; 131: groove bottom; 14: bent connecting portion; 14a: bent connecting portion; 15: first side surface; 16: second side surface; 20: reinforcing layer; 20a: reinforcing layer; D1: thickness; D2: thickness; W1: width; W2: width; S1, S2, S3: steps. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is not intended to limit the technical principles of the present invention to the specific disclosed embodiments, but the scope of the present invention is limited only by the scope of the claims, which cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents.

[0028] Please see Figures 1 to 2 The illustration shows a first embodiment of a flexible glass 100 according to the present invention, comprising a glass substrate 10. One end of the glass substrate 10 has a first straight portion 11, and the other end has a second straight portion 12. A groove 13 and a bent connecting portion 14 corresponding to the groove 13 are provided between the first straight portion 11 and the second straight portion 12. The bent connecting portion 14 can be pre-bent so that the first straight portion 11 and the second straight portion 12 are not normally on the same plane. In this embodiment of the invention, the radius of curvature of the bent connecting portion 14 is between 10 mm and 300 mm; in this embodiment, the groove 13 is rectangular.

[0029] The glass substrate 10 has a first side surface 15 and a second side surface 16. A groove 13 is recessed from the first side surface 15 toward the second side surface 16, and the groove 13 has a groove bottom 131. The thickness D1 extending from the groove bottom 131 toward the second side surface 16 is between 0.03 and 0.6 mm, meaning the glass thickness at the groove 13 location is between 0.03 and 0.6 mm. Thickness D1 is also the thickness of the bending connection 14. Actual measurements show that if thickness D1 is less than 0.03 mm, the glass thickness at the groove 13 is relatively thin, and under a four-point bending test, the strength is significantly insufficient and it is prone to breakage. Conversely, if the glass thickness at the groove 13 is greater than 0.6 mm, it is less prone to bending due to its greater thickness. Therefore, in this embodiment of the invention, to ensure the glass has sufficient strength and flexibility, the thickness D1 is preferably between 0.05 and 0.4 mm. The thickness D2 from the first side surface 15 to the second side surface 16 is between 1 mm and 4 mm.

[0030] The first straight portion 11 has a first connecting segment 111 connected to one end of the curved connecting portion 14 corresponding to the groove 13. The second straight portion 12 has a second connecting segment 121 connected to the other end of the curved connecting portion 14 corresponding to the groove 13. The width W1 of the curved connecting portion 14 is smaller than the width W2 of the groove 13, and the width W1 of the curved connecting portion 14 is between 20mm and 60mm. The bending direction of the flexible glass 100 is towards the groove 13, that is, the first straight portion 11 and the second straight portion 12 are bent towards the groove 13. The dimension W2 is between 30mm and 70mm.

[0031] In another embodiment of the present invention, the glass substrate 10 further includes a reinforcing layer 20, which is wholly or partially filled in the groove 13. However, in other embodiments, the reinforcing layer 20 may also be disposed on all or part of the first side surface 15. The reinforcing layer 20 comprises a phenyl polymer, epoxy resin, or ink. If it is ink, it corresponds to the (Black Matrix, BM) region of the glass and is used to shield electronic circuits. In addition, the monomer carbon chain length of the phenyl polymer is between C6 and C18, which can improve the impact resistance of the glass substrate 10. The epoxy resin can increase the toughness of the reinforcing layer 20 and increase its adhesion to the glass substrate 10, so that the glass substrate 10 does not break due to stress concentration at the groove 13 and the bent connection 14. Therefore, the strength of the groove 13 and the bent connection 14 is improved by the reinforcing layer 20. In other embodiments, the reinforcing layer 20 may also be transparent.

[0032] Therefore, the flexible glass 100 of the present invention not only enhances the overall bending ability of the glass through the groove 13, but also increases the bending angle by an additional 20 to 40 degrees through the pre-bending of the bending connection part 14, thereby increasing the curvature of the bending and making it suitable for the required products.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, this is a second embodiment of the flexible glass 100 of the present invention. The same component reference numerals as in the first embodiment represent the same components, structures and functions, so they will not be described again in this embodiment. The bending direction of the flexible glass 100 is away from the groove 13, that is, the first straight portion 11 and the second straight portion 12 are bent away from the position of the groove 13.

[0034] like Figure 4 As shown, this is a third embodiment of the flexible glass 100 of the present invention. The same component reference numerals as in the first embodiment represent the same components, structures and functions, so they will not be described again in this embodiment. Among them, the groove 13 is arc-shaped.

[0035] Please see Figure 5The diagram shows a fourth embodiment of the flexible glass 100 of the present invention. The same component reference numerals as in the first embodiment represent the same components, structures, and functions, and therefore will not be repeated in this embodiment. The glass substrate 10 includes a bottom glass 10a, a first bonding glass 10b, and a second bonding glass 10c. The first bonding glass 10b and the second bonding glass 10c are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the same side of the bottom glass 10a. A bending connection portion 14a is disposed on the bottom glass 10a. A groove 13a is formed by the bottom glass 10a, the first bonding glass 10b, and the second bonding glass 10c. The groove 13a also has a reinforcing layer 20a, thus possessing the same effects as the embodiments described above.

[0036] Please see Figure 6 and cooperate Figure 2 The method for manufacturing the flexible glass 100 provided in the first embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps: Step S1: A glass substrate 10 is provided. The glass substrate 10 has a first flat portion 11, a second flat portion 12, a first side surface 15, and a second side surface 16. The thickness D2 of the first side surface 15 to the second side surface 16 is between 1 mm and 4 mm.

[0037] In step S2, a groove 13 is formed on the first side 15 of the glass substrate 10 toward the second side 16. The forming method is etching or polishing, and the groove 13 can be arc-shaped or rectangular, etc. The thickness D1 of the groove bottom 131 extending toward the second side 16 is between 0.03 and 0.6 mm, and the further thickness D1 is between 0.05 and 0.4 mm.

[0038] In another embodiment of the present invention, after the groove 13 is formed, the glass substrate 10 is chemically strengthened. For example, the glass substrate 10 is immersed in a potassium nitrate solution to perform chemical ion exchange, thereby improving the surface strength of the glass substrate 10.

[0039] In step S3, the groove 13 of the glass substrate 10 is heated, causing the corresponding groove 13 to bend and form a bent connecting portion 14, so that the first straight portion 11 and the second straight portion 12 are not normally on the same plane. The first straight portion 11 is connected to one end of the bent connecting portion 14 by a first connecting segment 111, and the second straight portion 12 is connected to the other end of the bent connecting portion 14 by a second connecting segment 121. The radius of curvature of the bent connecting portion 14 is between 10 mm and 300 mm, and the width W1 of the bent connecting portion 14 is smaller than the width W2 of the groove 13, with the width W1 being between 20 mm and 60 mm.

[0040] In another embodiment of the present invention, a reinforcing layer 20 is formed on the first side surface 15 after step S3, and the reinforcing layer 20 partially fills the groove 13. The reinforcing layer 20 comprises a phenyl polymer, epoxy resin, or ink; if it is ink, it corresponds to the (Black Matrix, BM) region of the glass and is used to shield electronic circuitry. The monomer carbon chain length of the phenyl polymer is between C6 and C18.

[0041] In another embodiment of the present invention, the groove 13 can be formed by etching, polishing or other methods, or by stacking glass, such as the structure described in the fourth embodiment.

[0042] Therefore, the flexible glass 100 is manufactured using the above-described manufacturing method to be suitable for corresponding products and to meet consumer needs.

[0043] In summary, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. The glass substrate 10 of the present invention is preheated to form a bent connecting portion 14 at the position corresponding to the groove 13, so as to increase the bending ability of the glass substrate 10, preferably increasing the bending ability by 20 degrees to 40 degrees.

[0044] 2. The thickness D1 of the glass substrate 10 corresponding to the groove 13 position is between 0.03 and 0.6 mm, so that the glass substrate 10 can maintain a certain structural strength in addition to having the ability to bend.

[0045] 3. The groove 13 of the glass substrate 10 of the present invention is filled with a reinforcing layer 20 to improve the bonding strength of the groove 13, thereby increasing the overall structural strength of the glass and making it less prone to breakage.

[0046] Although the present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art can make various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit its scope. All modifications or alterations made without departing from the spirit of the invention are within the scope of the patent applications of this invention.

Claims

1. A flexible glass, characterized in that, The flexible glass has a first straight portion at one end and a second straight portion at the other end. A groove and a pre-bent curved connecting portion corresponding to the groove are provided between the first straight portion and the second straight portion, so that the first straight portion and the second straight portion are not normally on the same plane. The flexible glass has a first side surface and a second side surface. The groove is recessed from the first side surface toward the second side surface. The flexible glass also includes a reinforcing layer that completely fills the groove. The reinforcing layer includes a phenyl polymer or epoxy resin. The monomer carbon chain length of the phenyl polymer is between C6 and C18. The width of the curved connecting portion is smaller than the width of the groove. The width of the groove is between 30 mm and 70 mm, and the width of the curved connecting portion is between 20 mm and 60 mm. The first straight portion has a first connecting segment connected to one end of the curved connecting portion corresponding to the groove, and the second straight portion has a second connecting segment connected to the other end of the curved connecting portion corresponding to the groove.

2. The flexible glass as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The groove has a bottom, and the thickness extending from the bottom to the second side is between 0.03 and 0.6 mm.

3. The flexible glass as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The radius of curvature of the curved connection is between 10 mm and 300 mm; the thickness from the first side to the second side is between 1 mm and 4 mm; and the thickness of the groove bottom extending towards the second side is between 0.05 mm and 0.4 mm.

4. The flexible glass as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The curved connection is pre-bent; the groove is arc-shaped or rectangular.

5. The flexible glass as described in claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, It also includes a bottom glass, a first bonding glass and a second bonding glass, the first bonding glass and the second bonding glass are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the bottom glass, the curved connecting part is disposed on the bottom glass, and the groove is formed by the bottom glass, the first bonding glass and the second bonding glass.

6. A method for manufacturing flexible glass, characterized in that, The method for manufacturing this flexible glass includes the following steps: A glass substrate is provided, the glass substrate having a first flat portion, a second flat portion, a first side surface and a second side surface; A groove is formed on the first side of the glass substrate toward the second side; and The groove on the glass substrate is heated to bend the corresponding groove into a curved connecting portion, so that the first straight portion and the second straight portion are not normally on the same plane. After the curved connecting portion is formed, a reinforcing layer is formed on the first side surface, and the reinforcing layer completely fills the groove. The reinforcing layer includes a phenyl polymer or epoxy resin. The monomer carbon chain length of the phenyl polymer is between C6 and C18. The width of the curved connecting portion is smaller than the width of the groove. The width of the groove is between 30 mm and 70 mm, and the width of the curved connecting portion is between 20 mm and 60 mm. The first straight portion has a first connecting segment connected to one end of the curved connecting portion corresponding to the groove, and the second straight portion has a second connecting segment connected to the other end of the curved connecting portion corresponding to the groove.

7. The method for manufacturing flexible glass as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The groove has a bottom, and the thickness extending from the bottom to the second side is between 0.03 and 0.6 mm.

8. The method for manufacturing flexible glass as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The radius of curvature of the curved connection is between 10mm and 300mm; the thickness from the first side to the second side is between 1mm and 4mm; and the thickness of the groove bottom extending towards the second side is between 0.05mm and 0.4mm.

9. The method for manufacturing flexible glass as described in claim 8, characterized in that, After the groove is formed, the glass substrate is chemically strengthened; the groove is arc-shaped or rectangular.

10. The method for manufacturing flexible glass as described in claim 6 or 8, characterized in that, The glass substrate includes a bottom glass, a first bonding glass and a second bonding glass. The first bonding glass and the second bonding glass are respectively disposed on both sides of the bottom glass. The curved connecting portion is disposed on the bottom glass. The groove is formed by the bottom glass, the first bonding glass and the second bonding glass.

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