Flexible glass element and method of making same

Abstract

The invention relates to a glass element (1) having a second part (5) which can be deflected relative to a first part (3), the first part (3) and the second part (5) being connected to each other by a connecting part (7), the first part (3), the second part (5) and the connecting part being integrally formed, and the connecting part (7) being designed to be flexibly deformable, the second part (5) is movable relative to the first part (3) such that the connecting part is bendable, and expandable or compressible, and thus by deformation of the connecting part (7), the second part (5) is movable relative to the first part (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the structuring of glass. In particular, the present invention relates to structuring glass in a manner that locally imparts increased flexibility to the glass. Background Art

[0002] In order to introduce openings or grooves of any desired shape, structuring of glass is known from the prior art, for example from DE 10 2018 100 299 A1 and DE 10 2018 110 211 A1.

[0003] EP 3 936 485 A1 describes a flexible element consisting of an inorganic brittle material and its manufacture. The element has at least three parts, wherein a first part is arranged between two second parts. The first part comprises a series of openings, which form a passage from one side of the element to the opposite side, with the result that the flexibility of the first part is higher than the flexibility of the second part. Therefore, the first part acts as a hinge between the two second parts. However, in some cases, it may be undesirable or disadvantageous for the glass element to have a through opening. For example, this may occur if the glass element is to be airtight and / or provide protection against dust or moisture. In addition, in particular, a series of openings are arranged to be bendable. However, it may also be desirable to be able to simply stretch or compress the flexible part. This occurs in particular when the inner part of the glass element is to provide mechanical damping relative to the surrounding part separated from the inner part by the flexible part. Just because glass is a hard and brittle material, there is an inherent problem that a sudden mechanical impact may cause damage to the glass. In particular, this problem occurs on electrical feedthroughs, for example, impact loads on the feedthrough conductor may cause cracks, thereby causing the feedthrough to leak current. In this regard, WO 2021 / 061481 Al discloses a feedthrough in which the glass insulator has a groove surrounding the feedthrough conductor. The groove is intended to prevent further crack propagation due to mechanical action. A drawback of this document is that, although crack propagation and thus damage are limited, this situation still exists. In view of this, in order to make the feedthrough more resistant to repeated mechanical actions, it is desirable to avoid damage completely. Summary of the invention

[0004] It is therefore a basic object of the invention to provide a glass element having the above-mentioned additional properties. Another object of the invention is to impart local flexibility to an otherwise non-flexible or minimally flexible workpiece by means of structuring, wherein a certain area is deflectable relative to the rest of the element by the surrounding structuring. The structuring should clearly allow deflection, in particular deflection perpendicular to the workpiece surface or at least have a perpendicular component.

[0005] To this end, a glass element is provided which has a second part which is deflectable relative to a first part, wherein the first part and the second part are connected to each other via a connecting part, wherein the first part, the second part and the connecting part are formed integrally, and wherein the connecting part is designed to be flexibly deformable in the following manner: the connecting part is bendable and can be stretched or compressed, so that the second part can move relative to the first part through deformation of the connecting part.

[0006] In particular, the structuring of the connecting portion may be such that the structuring does not open a volume hermetically sealed from each other by the workpieces, and thus the structuring remains hermetic.Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting portion may form a hermetic connection between the first part and the second part.

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment, described glass element adopts plate-shaped design, and wherein described first part surrounds described second part.In this case, described second part for example can form button, and this button can be actuated, particularly pressed, with respect to surrounding glass plate or surrounding first part.

[0008] In order to facilitate deformation of the connecting portion, it is also preferred that, at least in one or some regions, the thickness of the connecting portion is reduced relative to the first and / or second portion.

[0009] If the connecting portion has at least one surface offset, so that the connecting portion has at least two regions, the surfaces of which are at different levels in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first or second portion, deformability, in particular stretching or compression, can be achieved in a particularly effective manner. This shaping enables the stretching or compression of the material between the two regions to be converted into a bending. The bending enables the two regions to move away from each other or towards each other. In particular, the connecting portion can have at least one loop or a labyrinth. This enables the connecting portion to have a cross-sectional shape similar to that of a bellows, in particular, such as a corrugated or curled bellows.

[0010] The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same or corresponding elements respectively. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 A plan view of a plate-shaped glass element is shown.

[0012] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the plate-shaped glass element.

[0013] Figure 3A tubular glass element is shown.

[0014] Figure 4 A plate-like glass element is shown in cross-section.

[0015] Figure 5 Shows Figure 4 A variation of the example shown in .

[0016] Figure 6 Four examples of glass elements having connecting portions of different shapes are shown.

[0017] Figure 7 Diagram showing the stresses occurring on the connecting element and the deflection of a portion of a glass element under various forces.

[0018] Figure 8 The glass element is shown wherein the second portion has been deflected under the effect of a force.

[0019] Fig. 9 Graphs showing stresses and forces generated at specific deflections for various embodiments of glass elements are shown.

[0020] Figures 10 to 12 The method steps for producing a glass element are shown.

[0021] Fig.13 A variation of a glass element with obliquely offset strips is shown.

[0022] Fig.14 A button with a glass element is shown.

[0023] Fig.15 Variations of buttons are shown.

[0024] Fig.16 An operating cover of a smartphone or tablet is shown.

[0025] Fig.17 A sensor with a glass element is shown.

[0026] Fig.18 An electrical feedthrough is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic plan view of a glass element 1 is shown. According to one embodiment, the embodiment also constitutes Figure 1On the basis of the example shown, the glass element 1 is of plate-like or disk-like design. The glass element 1 is subdivided into a first part 3, a second part 5 and a connecting part 7 connecting the two parts 3, 5. The three parts 3, 5 and 7 are formed integrally or monolithically. In particular, this means that the three parts 3, 5 and 7 are formed from the same glass. In general, without being limited to the example shown, in the case of a plate-like or disk-like glass element 1, it is preferred that the first part 3 surrounds the second part 5, so that the second part 5 is preferably completely surrounded by the first part 3. Therefore, here, the connecting part 7 is in the form of a closed ring or surrounding ring, which surrounds and annularly surrounds the second part 5. In the purely schematic example shown, the connecting part 7 has a plurality of sharp corners. In practice, in contrast to the example shown, in order to make deformation easier, it may be advantageous if the connecting part 7 generally has rounded corners.

[0028] The connecting part 7 is of flexible design and can be stretched or compressed in particular. In the example shown, stretchability is particularly important. Since the connecting part 7 can be stretched, the second part 5 can be deflected relative to the first part 3 in a direction perpendicular to the surface. Therefore, in general, without being limited to a specific exemplary embodiment, as an improvement of the present invention, the connecting part 7 is arranged to realize the movement of the second part 5 relative to the first part 3 in a direction having a component perpendicular to the surface of the second part 5. In particular, the movement can also be precisely perpendicular to the surface of the second part, or along the surface normal of the second part 5. In some cases, a substantially vertical movement may also be required. In the sense of the present disclosure, this is understood to mean a movement in which the absolute value of the movement component perpendicular to the surface of the second part 5 is greater than the absolute value of the movement component along (i.e. parallel to) the surface of the second part.

[0029] This is Figure 2 This is shown more precisely in FIG. 1 by a schematic cross-sectional view of a plate-shaped glass element 1. The glass element 1 has two opposite side faces 10, 11. The second portion 5 can be deflected in a direction perpendicular to the side faces 10, 11 under the action of a force (for example, by pressure with a finger). Figure 2 In FIG. 5 , the second part 5 is shown in a deflected position, wherein the direction of deflection is indicated by an arrow. Figure 2 It can be seen that the deflection of the second portion 5 requires, on the one hand, bending of the connecting portion 7 and, on the other hand, also stretching of the connecting portion 7 .

[0030] exist Figure 3. In this embodiment, the glass element 1 is designed as a tube. Here, the sections 3, 5 and 7 are longitudinal sections of the tube, wherein the two sections 3, 5 are connected to each other via a connecting section 7. Since the connecting section 7 is not only bendable, but also stretchable and compressible, this arrangement enables the two sections 3, 5 to be angled relative to each other.

[0031] The shaping of the connecting portion 7 (which is only in the case of a portion of the connecting portion 7) in order to achieve this deformation will be explained in more detail below with reference to various embodiments. Figures 1 to 3 In this regard, Figure 4 A detail of a glazed element 1 is shown in cross-section. The glazed element 1 has a first portion 3 and a second portion 5, which are connected to one another by a connecting portion 7, wherein the connecting portion 7 has a certain flexibility, which allows stretching or compression and bending, so that the two portions 3, 5 can be tilted relative to one another and also deflected transversely to the sides 10, 11 of the portions.

[0032] In order to achieve such flexibility, as in the example shown, at least in one or some areas, the thickness of the connecting portion 7 is reduced relative to the first portion 3 or the second portion 5. This alone is sufficient to make the connecting portion 7 of the glass element 1 easier to bend. The glass element 1 is preferably structured in such a way that at least in one or some areas, the value of the reduced thickness relative to the first portion 3 or the second portion 5 is in the range of 10 μm to 200 μm, preferably in the range of 20 μm to 100 μm.

[0033] In order to achieve the stretchability or compressibility of the connecting portion 7, in general and not limited to the examples shown, a preferred embodiment provides that the connecting portion 7 has at least one step or surface offset 8, so that the connecting portion 7 has at least two strips 70, 71, the surfaces of which are at different levels in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first part 3 or the second part 5. These offset strips 70, 71 can be connected to each other, in particular via another strip of the connecting portion 7. Such a strip is referred to below as an offset web. Likewise, as in Figure 4 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the offset web 9 is preferably inclined in its orientation by 90° relative to the orientation of the side faces of the parts 3, 5. Thus, if the side faces 10, 11 of the parts 3, 5 are horizontal, the offset web 9 is oriented vertically. The inclination does not have to be exactly 90°: in general, the offset web 9 can be oriented relative to one of the side faces 10, 11 of one of the parts 3, 5 such that the angle between the side face 10, 11 and the surface of the offset web 9 is in the range of 60° to 120°, preferably in the range of 80° to 100°.

[0034] Generally speaking, the stretchability and compressibility of the connecting portion 7 is achieved by making the connecting portion 7 have areas with mutually inclined surfaces or surfaces with different surface normals. This makes it simple to convert the stretch or compression into a small change in the angle between the surfaces. Figure 4 As can be seen, the surface of the connecting portion 7 is shaped in such a way that at least one groove or groove 13 is formed. This feature is not limited to this particular example. The connecting portion 7 can then be stretched or compressed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the groove 13. As a particularly preferred example, a plurality of grooves 13 are formed so that adjacent grooves open towards different sides 10, 11 of the glass element 1. If the connecting portion 7 extends in a ring shape, this also applies to one or more grooves 13. Not limited to the example shown, a modification of this embodiment envisages that the connecting portion has at least 3 grooves 13, and according to another modification, the connecting portion has at least 5 grooves 13. Given the groove width, the total width of the connecting portion also increases with the number of grooves. Therefore, on the other hand, it is advantageous that the connecting portion 7 has at most 200 grooves, preferably at most 100 grooves. However, it is preferred to limit the number of grooves 13 to at most 50, in particular at most 20, in order to reduce the manufacturing effort. Generally speaking and typically preferably, the grooves 13 extend concentrically.

[0035] exist Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 1 , there is only one offset web 9, which forms the side walls of two adjacent grooves 13. If there are multiple such offset webs 9, a higher tensile or compressive property can be achieved. In this regard, Figure 5 An example of a general embodiment is shown in which the connecting portion 7 has a groove 13 which is at a distance from the transition from the connecting portion 7 to the adjacent first portion 3 and second portion 5. As shown, the groove 13 can be bounded by two such offset webs 9. The shape of the connecting portion 7 can also be described by the connecting portion 7 having at least one loop or labyrinth. One groove 13 or a series of grooves 13 opening to the opposite sides 10, 11 of the glass element 1 constitutes part of the loop or labyrinth.

[0036] from Figure 5 and Figure 6As can be clearly seen in the embodiment in FIG. 1 , the connecting portion 7 is designed as a continuous connection without openings. Therefore, in general, without being limited to specific examples, in a particularly preferred embodiment, it is provided that the connecting portion 7 forms a fluid-tight connection, in particular a gas-tight connection, between the first part 3 and the second part 5. This is a simple way to enable the glass element 1 to be used for applications in which the glass element 1 is also intended to form a barrier against gases or liquids. This is advantageous, for example, for the glass element to be used as a cover for a display. Therefore, the glass element 1 according to the present disclosure can also be designed as a flexible, in particular hinged or foldable display.

[0037] In terms of its shape, Figure 5 A groove 13 of the type shown can now be modified in various ways. Figure 6 Four different embodiments of the groove 13 of the connecting part 7 are shown. In example a), the central groove 13 is designed to be narrow and shallow. In example b), the groove 13 is likewise shallow but also wide. In example c), a narrow and deep groove 13 is provided. Finally, the groove in example d) is wide and deep. The following description will explore how the various groove shapes influence the deformability of the connecting part 7. For this purpose, a glass element 1 with a thickness of 1 mm was used. Here, the glass thickness in the connecting part 7 was reduced by a factor of 20 to 0.05 mm. In contrast to what is shown in the figure, the transition between the strips 70, 71 and the offset web 9 is slightly rounded, with an edge radius of 0.025 mm at all edges. In the case of wide strips 70, 71 and wide offset webs, their width is respectively 0.9 mm. In the case of short strips 70, 71 and short offset webs 9, for example, Figure 6 As shown in example a), the width is one quarter of this value, i.e. about 0.225 mm. Figure 6 The illustration in is not drawn to scale at this point, since the narrow strips and narrow webs in the calculation example are significantly narrower relative to the wide strips and wide webs than shown in the schematic diagram.

[0038] Figure 7 The diagram shows the stresses generated on the connecting elements of different shapes and the deflections generated under the action of various forces. The connecting part 7 is schematically shown below the figure and is indicated by letters a) to d). These letters represent Figure 6 The calculation applies to the deflection of the second part 5 relative to the first part 3 under the action of a force perpendicular to one of the sides 10 or 11, and to the resulting deflection perpendicular to the side 10 or 11. Figure 7In the figure, four embodiments are arranged in ascending order from left to right with respect to the maximum stress generated during deflection. In addition, under the action of tensile stress, the maximum stress occurs at the inner edge. As can be seen from the figure, the various embodiments differ greatly in terms of maximum stress and deflection. Here, the embodiments with narrow grooves (embodiments a) and c)) are characterized by a smaller deflection and a lower maximum principal stress. In contrast, for a given force, the embodiments with wide grooves 13 show a relatively large deflection and a higher maximum stress. As mentioned above, the maximum tensile stress generated depends on the shape and size of the connecting part. In general, the connecting part 7 can be designed in such a way that when subjected to load, a maximum stress of less than 400 MPa, preferably less than 200 MPa, in particular less than 100 MPa and very particularly preferably less than 80 MPa occurs in the connecting part 7. The maximum stress particularly refers to the maximum deflection caused by the corresponding application. For example, in the case of a switch, there may be a stopper that limits the deflection. The above-mentioned maximum stress then refers to the maximum deflection limited by the stopper.

[0039] For the sake of clarity, Figure 8 Therefore, it is shown that under the action of force F, Figure 6 Embodiment of b). The force F deflects the second portion 5 perpendicularly to the surface (eg the side surfaces 10, 11). Figure 8 , it is shown that the region of maximum tensile stress 15 occurs at the inner edge at the transition from the connecting portion 7 to the first portion 3 .

[0040] Fig. 9 The glass element 1 is also shown as Figure 7 Schematic diagram of stresses and forces generated by the same embodiment based on the schematic diagram in FIG. The values ​​obtained by simulation calculation refer to a deflection of 0.03 mm. The values ​​connected by solid lines represent the maximum stress occurring at a deflection of 0.03 mm. The values ​​connected by dotted lines are the corresponding forces required for the deflection.

[0041] For the same deflection, Figure 6 b) (on the left side of the figure) the required force (dashed curve) is greater than Figure 6 The embodiment shown in c) requires 10 times less force. In contrast, the coefficient of variation of the stress is only about 4. Figure 6 The value of the coefficient of variation of stress is the largest in the variant "narrow and short" in a).

[0042] Depending on the application, all the embodiments shown here have advantages and disadvantages. Thus, a more rigid or more flexible connection may be required. However, in certain applications, large deflections and as low stresses as possible are particularly advantageous. In particular, these properties are achieved by wide horizontal webs or wide strips 70, 71. In contrast, long vertical webs, i.e. long offset webs 9, tend to make the connecting element more rigid. Therefore, in order to obtain a relatively easy to deform connection part 7, it is advantageous if the sum of the widths of at least two strips 70, 71 located at different levels is greater than the width of the offset web 9 connecting the two strips 70, 71. In this case, the width of the offset web 9 is measured along its surface, just like the width of the strips 70, 71. In order to be able to determine the width of the strips 70, 71 and the offset web 9 accurately, the widths on the opposite sides can be averaged. Therefore, in Figure 5 In the case of the strip 70 in the example shown, the average width dimension terminates at the centerline of the offset strip 9. For ease of illustration, Figure 5 The average width dimension B is entered in . The sum of the widths of the two strips 70, 71 is preferably at least 3 times greater than the width of the offset web 9. For example, Figure 6 This is the case with the example in b).

[0043] Regardless of the specific shape, in a further development of the glass element, portion 7 is structured in such a way that the stress in the material of the element (i.e. the glass) caused by the movement of the second portion 5 relative to the first portion 3 is reduced by at least 50%, preferably at least 90%, and particularly preferably at least 99%, compared to a movement (e.g. bending) of a non-structured portion, in particular a non-structured portion whose thickness has not been reduced.

[0044] In general, the relative deflectability of the two parts 3, 5 also depends on the width of the connecting part 7. In general, the easier the connecting part 7 is to deform, the wider the part is. For this purpose, it is advantageous if the width of the connecting part 7 is at least 10% of the thickness of the glass element 7. In the case of different thicknesses of the glass in the areas 3, 5, the above-mentioned condition for the greater thickness applies. More preferably, the width of the connecting part 7 is at least 20% of the thickness of the glass element 1. It is particularly preferred if the width of the connecting part 7 is at least 50% of the thickness of the glass. However, if the width is too large, the stability of the glass element 1 is also reduced. Therefore, it is also generally preferred that the width of the connecting part is at most 150% of the thickness of the glass element 1.

[0045] A glass element 1 of the type described herein can be manufactured by the following method, wherein a preform of the glass element 1 is first prepared, and subsequently, material is selectively removed from the preform to produce a connecting portion 7, which connects adjacent portions (i.e., the first portion 3 and the second portion 5), and the connecting portion 7 is bendable, stretchable or compressible, so that the first portion 3 and the second portion 5 can move relative to each other. In order to remove material, several methods can be used, and these methods can also be combined. These methods can include structured laser ablation, selective laser etching, ablation plus etching, etching plus masking, in particular photolithography, sandblasting and ultrasonic vibration grinding. Another method that can be used for structuring as described herein is described in DE 10 2018110211.9, and the content of this document related to making grooves in glass is also fully incorporated into the subject matter of the present disclosure. The method described in this document is based on forming a cavity in a substrate made of a hard and brittle material, preferably glass, by directing a laser beam of an ultrashort pulse laser toward one of the side faces of the substrate, in this case toward the preform of the glass element 1 to be manufactured, and concentrating the laser beam of the ultrashort pulse laser with the aid of focusing optics to form an extended focus on the substrate. The energy introduced by the laser beam generates filamentary damage regions in the volume of the substrate, which extend to a predetermined depth in the volume and do not pass through the substrate. After the introduction of at least two filamentary damage regions, the substrate is exposed to an etching medium, which removes material from the substrate and widens the at least two filamentary damage regions into filaments, wherein the at least two filaments are connected to form a cavity. Such a cavity can then form a groove 13 in the connecting portion 7.

[0046] Thus, generally speaking, the material removal may be performed by etching, in particular after the previous creation of the filamentary damage region, or alternatively by ablation or by grinding as described above.

[0047] For the sake of clarity, Figures 10 to 12 1 shows the steps of a method for producing a glass element 1 according to another embodiment. The method is based on the selective removal of material by masking. First, a mask 17 in the form of a structured coating is applied to the glass element 1. Fig.10 The mask 17 is structured in such a way that it has openings 19. Fig.11 As shown, the glass in the area of ​​the opening 19 is then removed, thereby locally reducing the glass thickness and creating a groove. Finally, the mask 17 can be removed and the Fig.12As shown, a glass element 1 is obtained, wherein the groove forms a groove 13 in the flexible connecting part 7, said groove being open towards the opposite side. The glass may be removed by abrasion, for example by sandblasting or alternatively by etching.

[0048] After structuring and thus manufacturing the connection 7, the glass element 1 can also be further treated. Among the options, it is considered here to treat the surface on one or both sides of the glass element 1. This treatment can include coating on one or both sides. However, prestressing is also an option that needs special consideration. In this case, chemical prestressing is particularly preferred. According to a further improvement, the glass element 1 is chemically prestressed accordingly. In this case, it is convenient to perform prestressing after structuring, that is, after manufacturing the connection 7. In this case, the glass element including the connection 7 is prestressed accordingly, in particular chemically prestressed. The prestressing produces compressive stress areas on both sides of the glass element, including the opposite surfaces of the connection 7. The compressive stress is caused by the exchange layer produced by the prestressing. In the exchange layer, the ions of the glass are at least partially replaced by larger ions. A common practice is to replace sodium ions with potassium ions. In this case, the potassium concentration of the exchange layer on both sides is higher than that of the glass in the glass element.

[0049] Fig.13 A variant of the glass element 1 is shown, in which at least one deflection strip 9 extends obliquely to the surface of the glass element 1, i.e. to at least one of the side surfaces 10, 11. As a preferred option, also as in the example shown, a plurality of deflection strips 9 are arranged obliquely. In other words, the angle of the surface of at least one of the deflection strips 9 deviates from the angle of 90° relative to the side surfaces 10, 11. By such an arrangement, the groove 13 is also arranged obliquely when viewed in cross section. Correspondingly, the center plane 14 of the groove 13 is also inclined relative to the side surfaces 10, 11. By such an arrangement, it can be ensured that the force required for deflection depends on the direction of deflection, that is to say, for example, the force for deflection in the direction from the side surface 10 towards the side surface 11 is different from the force for deflection in the opposite direction. Thus, without being limited to a specific embodiment, according to another further development, generally, the connecting portion 7 is shaped in such a way that the deflection forces of the portions 3, 5 relative to each other are different when these deflections occur in opposite directions. This asymmetry of the deflection force can also be achieved by a shape different from the shape of the obliquely extending groove 13 described above.

[0050] Glass elements 1 of the type described herein have many applications. In this regard, Fig.14An operating element, more specifically a manually operable button 21, is shown. According to the present disclosure, the operating surface of the button 21 is formed by a glass element 1. For example, the glass element 1 can be used to actuate an electrical switch covered by said element. Fig.14 In the example of FIG. 4 , the second part 5 forms an operating element, by means of which a button 21 located therebelow can be actuated.

[0051] Fig.15 A variant is shown in which the glass element 1 itself is part of an electrical switch. For this purpose, a switch contact 24, for example in the form of a conductive coating, is arranged on the glass element 1. By pressing the second part 5, said part can be moved in the direction of the other switch contact 22, so that the two switch contacts 22, 24 come into contact and establish an electrical contact or a closed circuit. Thus, without being limited to the example shown, according to one embodiment, the glass element 1 or more specifically the second part 5 is used as part of an electrical switch.

[0052] The deflection capability of the second part 5 relative to the first part 3 can be used in particular to provide tactile feedback to the operator. In this case, one possible use is as a screen cover for a display screen, such as the display screen of a smartphone or tablet. Thus, by means of the movable second part 5, the screen cover can be provided with an integrated operating switch. Fig.16 The mobile electronic device 20 shown in FIG. 1 is such an example. As described above, the mobile electronic device 20 may be a smartphone or a tablet computer and has a display screen 27 protected by a transparent screen cover 20. The screen cover 20 is formed by a glass element 1 according to the present disclosure. In this case, the first portion 3 of the glass element 1 covers the display screen 27. The second portion 5 is, for example, Fig.14 or Fig.15 Button of the type shown. This operating element can be used as a "home button", for example.

[0053] Another application in Fig.17 . The glass element 1 can be used as a component of a sensor 29. In this case, the sensor 29 can be designed in particular to detect a deflection of the second part 5, for example to measure a force or a pressure. For pressure measurement, it is particularly advantageous if the connecting part 7 is flexible and can be designed to be fluid-tight at the same time. Fig.17One possibility is also implemented in the example shown, namely the optical detection of the deflection of the second part 5. In this example, a laser diode 31 is provided, the laser beam 32 of which is directed to the second part 5. The laser beam 5 reflected from the surface of the glass element 1 or the second part 5 is detected by a detector 33. Here, the deflection of the second part 5 leads to a change in the position of the impact point of the laser beam 32 on this detector. Another possibility is, for example, capacitive detection. In this case, the second part can be provided with an electrode, for example a conductive coating. Then, the change in position of the second part 5 can be detected based on the change in distance relative to the second electrode and the associated change in capacitance.

[0054] Conversely, the glass element 1 can also be a component of the actuator 30 . In the example shown, the second part 5 can be actively moved for this purpose in order to deflect the laser beam 32 .

[0055] Another particularly advantageous application is the use of the glass element 1 as an insulator for an electrical feedthrough. Fig.18 In general, without being limited to the example shown, an electrical feedthrough 35 having a glass element 1 according to the present disclosure is provided, wherein a feedthrough conductor 41 passes through a second portion 5 of the glass element 1 and is connected to the glass of the glass element 1 in a sealed manner, and wherein a first portion 3 of the glass element 1 is connected to a flange or bracket 37 such that the feedthrough conductor 41 is held at a distance from the bracket and the glass element 1 provides electrical insulation for the feedthrough conductor 41 relative to the bracket, and wherein a connecting portion 7 extends between the bracket 37 and the feedthrough conductor 41 and extends annularly around the feedthrough conductor 41.

[0056] This arrangement ensures that the feedthrough conductor 41 can move relative to the support. The special design of the connection area 7, which is stretchable and compressible and thus also tiltable, allows lateral impacts and axial impacts on the feedthrough conductor to be absorbed without damaging the electrical feedthrough 35.

[0057] According to one embodiment (which is also Fig.18 ), the glass element 1 is connected to the support 37 by means of glass solder 39. Likewise, the feedthrough conductor 41 can also be fixed by means of glass solder in a matching opening on the second part 5 of the glass element 1. This embodiment makes it possible to pre-manufacture the glass element 1 while structuring the connecting part 7, and then the electrical feedthrough 35 can be completed by assembling the feedthrough conductor 41 and the support 37, and preferably by connecting these components in a gas-tight manner by means of glass solder 39.

[0058] According to another embodiment, the electrical feedthrough can also be manufactured by first embedding the feedthrough conductor 41 in the support 37 with glass, and then manufacturing the connecting part 7 by removing the glass to structure the glass. During the embedding process, the feedthrough conductor 41 and the support 37 are kept in the mold and the gap is filled with glass material. The device is then heated until the glass material melts to form a glass element or glass preform.

[0059] It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the various embodiments described in the present disclosure may also be modified and combined in various ways. Thus, in particular, the present disclosure is not limited to glass elements having a single second portion 5. Instead, the glass element 1 may have a plurality of such second portions 5, which are movable relative to the first portion 3 by means of a connecting portion 7. Depending on the application, the shape of these second portions may also be different.

[0060] Reference numerals list

[0061] 1 Glass elements 2 Glass element preforms 3 Part I 5 Part 2 7 Connection part 8 Surface offset 9 Offset web 10、11 1 side 13 Grooves 14 13 center plane 15 Maximum tensile stress area 17 Mask 19 Opening on 17 20 Screen cover 21 Button 22、24 Switch contacts 23 Electrical switches 25 Portable Electronic Devices 27 Display area 29 sensor 30 Actuator 31 Laser Diode 32 Laser beam 35 Electrical Feedthroughs 37 Bracket, flange 39 Glass solder 41 Feedthrough conductor 70、71 7 strips B Average width dimension.

Claims

1. A glass element (1) having a second part (5) which is deflectable relative to a first part (3), wherein the first part (3) and the second part (5) are connected to each other via a connecting part (7), wherein the first part (3), the second part (5) and the connecting part are formed integrally, and wherein the connecting part (7) is designed to be flexibly deformable in the following manner: the connecting part is bendable and can be stretched or compressed, so that the second part (5) can move relative to the first part (3) by deformation of the connecting part (7).

2. Glass element (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that The connecting portion (7) enables the second portion (5) to move relative to the first portion (3) in a direction having a component perpendicular to the surface of the second portion (5).

3. Glass element (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that At least in certain areas or regions, the connecting portion (7) has a reduced thickness relative to the first portion (3) or the second portion (5).

4. Glass element (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that At least in certain areas or regions, the reduced thickness relative to the first portion (3) or the second portion (5) has a value in the range of 10 μm to 200 μm, preferably in the range of 20 μm to 100 μm.

5. The glass element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the glass element (1) is of plate-like design and the first portion (3) surrounds the second portion (5).

6. The glass element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The connecting portion (7) is in the form of a closed ring or a surrounding ring, in particular it surrounds the second portion (5) in an annular shape, in particular the connecting portion (7) surrounds the second portion (5) in an annular shape.

7. Glass element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that At least one of the following characteristics: the connecting portion (7) has at least one surface offset (8), so that the connecting portion (7) has at least two strips (70, 71) whose surfaces are at different levels in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first portion (3) or the second portion (5), - the surface of the connecting portion (7) is shaped in such a way as to form at least one groove (13), the connecting portion (7) is structured in such a way that the stresses in the glass caused by the movement of the second portion (5) relative to the first portion (3) are reduced by at least 50%, preferably by at least 90%, particularly preferably by at least 99%, compared to the movement of an unstructured portion, in particular an unstructured portion without a reduction in thickness, - the glass element (1) including the connecting portion (7) is chemically prestressed, The connecting part (7) is designed in such a way that, under load, a maximum stress of less than 400 MPa, preferably less than 200 MPa, occurs in the connecting part (7).

8. Glass element (1) according to the preceding claim, characterised in that At least one of the following characteristics: - the connecting portion (7) has a plurality of grooves (13), such that adjacent grooves (13) open toward different sides (10, 11) of the glass element (1), The sum of the widths of the at least two strips (70, 71) located at different levels is greater than the width of the offset web (9) connecting the two strips (70, 71).

9. Glass element (1) according to any one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that At least one offset strip (9) extends obliquely to at least one of the side surfaces (10, 11) of the glass element (1).

10. The glass element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The connecting portion (7) has at least one loop or labyrinth (70).

11. The glass element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The connecting portion (7) forms a gas-tight connection between the first portion (3) and the second portion (5).

12. The glass element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The width of the connecting portion (7) is at least 10%, preferably at least 20%, of the thickness of the glass element (7).

13. A method for producing a glass element (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a preform of the glass element (1) is prepared and material is selectively removed from the preform, the material being removed to produce a connecting portion (7), the connecting portion connecting a first portion (3) and a second portion (5) and being bendable, stretchable or compressible so that the first portion (3) and the second portion (5) are movable relative to each other.

14. The method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that The material is removed by at least one of the following methods: etching, in particular after previous creation of the filamentary damage region; ablation; grinding removal.

15. An electrical feedthrough (35) comprising a glass element (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, The electrical feedthrough comprises a feedthrough conductor (41) which passes through the second portion (5) of the glass element (1) and is connected to the glass of the glass element (1) in a sealed manner, in, The glass element (1) is connected to a support (37) in the first portion (3) such that the feed-through conductor (41) is held at a distance from the support (37), and The glass element (1) provides electrical insulation for the feedthrough conductor (41) relative to the support, and wherein The connecting portion (7) extends between the support (37) and the feed-through conductor (41), and extends annularly around the feed-through conductor (41).

16. Use of a glass element (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11 as: - a part of an electrical switch, - a screen cover (20) for a display (27), in particular for a smartphone, - a component of the sensor (29), -Components of the actuator, - Insulator of the electrical feedthrough (35).

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