Station and method for forming glass sheet

Abstract

A glass sheet forming station for forming a glass sheet may include an upper mold, a lower outer mold device, and a lower inner mold device disposed inside the lower outer mold device and movable relative to the lower outer mold device. The lower outboard mold device may include first and second outboard longitudinal support portions and first and second outboard lateral support portions each configured to contact a glass sheet. The lower inboard mold device may include first and second inboard longitudinal support portions and first and second inboard lateral support portions each configured to contact a glass sheet. In addition, the lower outer mold device and the lower inner mold device are each operable to press the glass sheet against the upper mold.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application serial number 17 / 732,785, filed on April 29, 2022, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to forming stations and methods for forming glass sheets. Background Art

[0004] One or more molds may be used to shape or form the glass sheet.U.S. Patent Nos. 9,981,869 and 10,377,657 disclose example apparatus and methods for shaping glass sheets. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to the present invention, a glass sheet forming station for forming a glass sheet may include an upper mold, a lower outer mold device and a lower inner mold device, wherein the lower inner mold device is arranged inside the lower outer mold device and can move relative to the lower outer mold device. The lower outer mold device may include a first outer longitudinal support portion and a second outer longitudinal support portion and a first outer lateral support portion and a second outer lateral support portion, each of which is configured to contact the glass sheet. The lower inner mold device may include a first inner longitudinal support portion and a second inner longitudinal support portion and a first inner lateral support portion and a second inner lateral support portion, each of which is configured to contact the glass sheet. In addition, the lower outer mold device and the lower inner mold device are each operable to press the glass sheet against the upper mold.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, a glass sheet forming station for forming a glass sheet may include an upper mold, a lower outer ring and a lower inner ring, wherein the lower inner ring is disposed inside the lower outer ring and is movable relative to the lower outer ring. The lower outer ring may include a first outer end portion and a second outer end portion and a first outer middle portion and a second outer middle portion between the outer end portions. The outer end portion and the outer middle portion may each be configured to contact the glass sheet. The lower inner ring may include a first inner end portion and a second inner end portion and a first inner middle portion and a second inner middle portion between the inner end portions. The inner end portion and the inner middle portion may each be configured to contact the glass sheet. In addition, the lower outer ring and the lower inner ring may each be operable to press the glass sheet against the upper mold.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a method for forming a glass sheet may include pressing the glass sheet against a mold using an outer mold device, the outer mold device having a first outer end support portion and a second outer end support portion and a first outer middle support portion and a second outer middle support portion located between the outer end support portions. The method may also include pressing the glass sheet against the mold using an inner mold device, the inner mold device being disposed inside the outer mold device and being movable relative to the outer mold device, the inner mold device having a first inner end support portion and a second inner end support portion and a first inner middle support portion and a second inner middle support portion located between the inner end support portions.

[0008] Although exemplary embodiments have been illustrated and disclosed, such disclosure should not be construed as limiting the claims. It is anticipated that various modifications and alternative designs may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation view of a glass sheet forming system or apparatus according to the present disclosure, wherein the apparatus comprises a heating station, a forming station downstream of the heating station in a conveying direction, and an additional processing station disposed downstream of the forming station;

[0010] Figure 2 is along Figure 1 The line 2-2 in the figure is intercepted and observed in the direction of the arrow. Figure 1 a schematic cross-sectional view of an apparatus of claim 1 at the exit end of a heating station showing a roll-forming device over which a heated glass sheet may be conveyed for initial roll forming prior to leaving the heating station in preparation for press forming in a forming station;

[0011] Figure 3 is along Figure 1 Take the line 3-3 in the figure and observe in the direction of the arrow. Figure 1 a schematic cross-sectional view of a forming station of an apparatus of the type shown in Figure 1, showing a conveyor assembly or bed for receiving a heated glass sheet and a forming apparatus for forming or bending the glass sheet, wherein the forming apparatus includes an upper mold and an outer mold assembly and an inner mold assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the upper mold showing its downwardly facing mold surface against which the glass is formed in the forming station;

[0013] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the upper mold in an inverted position to illustrate the curvature of the downwardly facing mold surface in a transverse direction along the conveying direction and transverse to the conveying direction;

[0014] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the forming station showing the conveyor bed and the outer die assembly and the inner die assembly mounted on the tool frame;

[0015] Figure 7 is a top view of a lower portion of a forming station with a conveyor bed removed to more clearly illustrate an outer mold assembly and an inner mold assembly of the forming station;

[0016] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the forming station showing the outer and inner mold assemblies and various actuators for moving these mold assemblies;

[0017] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a forming station viewed in the conveying direction showing an initially formed glass sheet located on a conveyor bed below an upper mold and above an inner mold assembly and an outer mold assembly;

[0018] Fig.10 is similar to Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the press forming cycle, but showing a later stage of the press forming cycle after the outer mold assembly has moved upward to push the initially formed glass sheet upward off the conveyor bed to a position close to the downwardly facing mold surface of the upper mold.

[0019] Fig.11 is similar to Fig.10 but showing a later stage of the press-forming cycle after the inner mold assembly has been raised upwardly relative to the outer mold assembly to press the glass sheet against the upper mold; and

[0020] Fig.12 is similar to Fig.11 , but showing a later stage of the press forming cycle, in which the outer mold assembly has moved upward toward the upper mold to press the peripheral portion or portions of the glass sheet against the upper mold, and the lower mold assembly has been lowered away from the glass sheet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] As required, detailed embodiments are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary and may have various alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale; certain features may be exaggerated or reduced to show the details of a particular component. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to adopt the embodiments according to the present disclosure in various ways.

[0022] Figure 1A glass processing apparatus or system 10 for forming glass sheets according to the present disclosure is shown. The system 10 includes a heating station (e.g., a furnace 12), a forming station 14 according to the present disclosure located downstream of the furnace 12 in a conveying direction C, and an additional processing station (e.g., a cooling station 16) disposed downstream of the forming station 14.

[0023] The furnace 12 has an entrance portion or end 18 and an exit portion or end 20 and includes a heating chamber 22 having heating elements for heating glass sheets and a conveyor 24 for conveying the glass sheets through the furnace 12 in a conveying direction C from the entrance end 18 to the exit end 20. The conveyor 24 may be any suitable conveyor, such as a roller or roll conveyor, for conveying the glass sheets during heating from ambient temperature to a temperature high enough to allow forming (which may also be referred to as bending or forming).

[0024] The furnace 12 may also include an initial forming station, such as a roll forming station 26, for performing initial forming of the glass sheet prior to the forming station 14. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the roll-forming station 26 includes horizontally extending conveyor rollers or rollers 28 that are rotationally driven and horizontally spaced apart within the heating chamber 22 along a conveying direction C extending transversely relative thereto to support and convey the heated glass sheet. The roll-forming station 26 also includes a set 30 of a pair of bending rollers 32 that are laterally spaced apart from each other along the conveying direction C within the heating chamber 22. Each set of bending rollers 32 is supported and rotationally driven by a drive mechanism 33 (e.g., a motor and / or suitable gears), and the inclination of the bending rollers along the conveying direction gradually increases, such as Figure 2 Reference numeral 32 a , 32 b , 32 c and 32 d As shown. Figure 2 As shown, the conveyance of each heated glass sheet G in cooperation with the bending roller 32 along the conveyance direction provides an initial shaping of the glass sheet G in a direction transverse to the conveyance direction. This shaping provides each glass sheet with straight line elements that may be parallel to each other in a cylindrical shape or angled to each other in a tapered shape. Since each position of the glass sheet along the conveyance direction is bent from its straight shape, this bending may also further bend the previous position, so that the net effect may be a slightly tapered shape.

[0025] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 3The forming station 14 is located outside the furnace 12, downstream of the outlet end 20 thereof, to receive the initially formed glass sheet from the roll-forming station 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the forming station 14 is configured as a press-forming station and includes a lower conveyor bed 34 of the conveyor 24 or another conveyor to receive the initially formed glass sheet for further press forming by a forming device (e.g., a press-forming device generally indicated at 36). Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 6 , the conveyor bed 34 includes a lower base structure or support 38 and a plurality of conveyor roller assemblies 40 and a plurality of conveyor wheel assemblies 42. Each roller assembly 40 may include a roller 44 rotatably supported by one or more support members (e.g., rods or arms), each support member having an upper end connected to the roller 44 and a lower end including a removable connection 46 for removably connecting the roller assembly to the support 38. Similarly, each wheel assembly 42 may include a support member, such as a rod or arm, having an upper end provided with a wheel 48 and a lower end including a removable connection 46 for removably connecting the wheel assembly to the support 38. When the roller assemblies 40 and wheel assemblies 42 are connected to the support 38, a drive mechanism (e.g., a motor and / or gears) may provide rotational drive of the rollers 44 of each roller assembly 40 and the wheels 48 of each wheel assembly 42. However, it should be noted that the conveyor bed 34 may have any suitable configuration. For example, the conveyor bed may be provided with only a roller assembly or only a wheel assembly. Further details of example conveyor beds may be found in U.S. Patent No. 10,377,657 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011 / 0247367 Al, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0026] like Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the conveyor bed 34 may have an upwardly curved or concave shape in a direction transverse to the conveying direction along which the conveyor bed receives the corresponding Figure 1 and Figure 2 Each heated glass sheet is provided with an initial formed shape by the roll-forming station 26 shown. More specifically, the lower base structure 38 of the conveyor bed 34 may include a plurality of guide rails 50 extending in the conveying direction and having a plurality of guide rails 50 extending in the direction transverse to the conveying direction. Figure 3 The schematically indicated adjusters 52 shown provide different heights to provide a curved or concave shape to the conveyor bed.

[0027] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 3The press-forming apparatus 36 includes an upper mold 54 and first and second mold devices according to the present disclosure, such as a lower outer ring 56 and a lower inner ring 58, respectively, which can be received in the conveyor bed 34 and are configured to press the heated glass sheet against the upper mold 54 to press-form the heated glass sheet. The upper mold 54 and the rings 56 and 58 are in an exemplary initial position at Figure 3 5 and 58. In addition, the forming station 14 includes a control system 60 that is configured to control the operation of components of the press-forming apparatus 36 (e.g., the movement of the upper die 54 and the rings 56 and 58), as well as other components of the forming station 14 (e.g., the conveyor bed 34). The control system 60 may also be configured to control the operation of other components of the system 10, such as the furnace 12 and associated conveyor 24, as well as the forming station 26 and the cooling station 16.

[0028] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the upper mold 54 is supported on an upper support 62 and has a forming surface or mold surface 64 that is configured to form the glass sheet into a desired shape. Although the mold surface 64 can have any suitable shape, in the illustrated embodiment, the mold surface 64 has a convex shape facing downward. In addition, as shown Figure 5 As shown, the mold surface 64 may have curvature in the transverse direction as shown by the imaginary line CC that curves in the conveying direction and in the transverse direction as shown by the imaginary line TC that curves in the direction transverse to the conveying direction. The mold surface 64 may also be provided with an array of holes 66 at which the mold surface 64 can be formed from Figure 1 The illustrated vacuum source 68 provides a vacuum to support the glass sheet during and after press forming and to ensure that the glass sheet is formed to the shape of the mold surface 64. Additionally, the upper mold 54 may be heated to facilitate bending of the glass sheet against the mold surface 64.

[0029] Reference Figures 6 to 8 , the outer ring 56 and the inner ring 58 are each configured to contact the glass sheet, and each ring may have a shape complementary to the mold surface 64 of the upper mold 54. For example, each ring 56 and 58 may generally have a curved shape that is concave upward. In addition, the outer ring 56 is disposed outside the inner ring 58, and the two rings 56 and 58 are movable relative to each other.

[0030] The outer ring 56 includes a first outer end mold or support portion and a second outer end mold or support portion (e.g., a first outer lateral support portion 70 and a second outer lateral support portion 72, respectively) spaced apart from each other (e.g., generally transversely relative to the conveying direction), and a first outer intermediate mold or support portion and a second outer intermediate mold or support portion (e.g., a first outer longitudinal support portion 74 and a second outer longitudinal support portion 76, respectively) spaced apart from each other (e.g., in the conveying direction) and located between the outer lateral support portions 70 and 72 or extending between the outer lateral support portions 70 and 72. The inner ring 58 is disposed inside the outer ring and also includes first and second inner end molds or support portions (e.g., first inner lateral support portions 78 and second inner lateral support portions 80, respectively) spaced apart from each other (e.g., generally transversely relative to the conveying direction), and first and second inner intermediate molds or support portions (e.g., first inner longitudinal support portions 82 and second inner longitudinal support portions 84, respectively) spaced apart from each other (e.g., in the conveying direction) and located between or extending between the inner support portions 78 and 80. In addition, each support portion 70-76 and 78-84 is configured to contact the glass sheet.

[0031] Although the outer ring support portions 70-76 and the inner ring support portions 78-84 can have any suitable shape or configuration, in the illustrated embodiment, each of the support portions 70-76 and 78-84 has an upwardly concave curved shape. In addition, for each ring 56 and 58, the corresponding support portion can have any suitable width. For example, each support portion 70-76 of the outer ring 56 can have a width in the range of 5 mm to 15 mm, or a width in the range of 8 mm to 12 mm (e.g., 10 mm), and each support portion 78-84 of the inner ring 58 can have a width in the range of 20 mm to 30 mm, or a width in the range of 23 mm to 27 mm (e.g., 25 mm). As another example, for outboard ring 56, at least one of first outboard longitudinal support portion 74 and second outboard longitudinal support portion 76 may have a different width than at least one of first outboard lateral support portion 70 and second outboard lateral support portion 72, and / or, for inboard ring 58, at least one of first inboard longitudinal support portion 82 and second inboard longitudinal support portion 84 may have a different width than at least one of first inboard lateral support portion 78 and second inboard lateral support portion 80. In this regard, for each ring 56 and 58, the corresponding lateral support portion may be wider than the corresponding longitudinal support portion.

[0032] In addition, each support portion 70-76 and 78-84 can be made of any suitable material, such as steel (e.g., mild steel, 304 steel, etc.) or other metal alloys, which can form the main structure or base, and the base can be a rigid structure. Each support portion 70-76 and 78-84 can also include one or more top layers located on the base. For example, each support portion 70-76 and 78-84 can include a thin felt layer (e.g., a stainless steel mesh), and / or a contact layer (e.g., a stainless steel belt) located on top of the thin felt layer and connected to the thin felt layer or directly located on top of the base and connected to the base, and the thin felt layer can be a compliant layer connected to the base. In addition, each support portion 70-76 and 78-84 can be provided with one or more heating elements (e.g., a resistive heating element) for heating the contact surface (e.g., the topmost layer) of the support portion. For example, such a heating element can be embedded in the contact surface of each support portion and / or located below the contact surface. Heating of support portions 70-76 and 78-84 may be beneficial in reducing or eliminating marking of the glass sheet and / or reducing residual stresses in the glass sheet during press forming.

[0033] In one embodiment, the support portions 70-76 of the outer ring 56 may form a continuous ring, and / or the support portions 78-84 of the inner ring 58 may form a continuous ring. In another embodiment, one or more of the support portions 70-76 of the outer ring 56 may be formed as separate portions or segments, and / or one or more of the support portions 78-84 of the inner ring 58 may be formed as separate portions or segments. Through such a construction, at least one of the first outer side longitudinal support portion 74 and the second outer side longitudinal support portion 76 can be moved relative to at least one of the first outer side lateral support portion 70 and the second outer side lateral support portion 72, and / or at least one of the first outer side lateral support portion 70 and the second outer side lateral support portion 72 can be moved relative to at least one of the first outer side longitudinal support portion 74 and the second outer side longitudinal support portion 76, and / or at least one of the first inner side longitudinal support portion 82 and the second inner side longitudinal support portion 84 can be moved relative to at least one of the first inner side lateral support portion 78 and the second inner side lateral support portion 80, and / or at least one of the first inner side lateral support portion 78 and the second inner side lateral support portion 80 can be moved relative to at least one of the first inner side longitudinal support portion 82 and the second inner side longitudinal support portion 84.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, the support portions 70-76 of the outer ring 56 are each formed as a separate portion or segment, and the support portions 70-76 can move together or independently of each other. Similarly, the support portions 78-84 of the inner ring 58 are each formed as a separate portion or segment, and the support portions 78-84 can move together or independently of each other.

[0035] Rings 56 and 58 can be moved toward and away from upper mold 54 in any suitable manner. Figure 1 , the control system 60 may include an actuator system 86 having one or more actuators for moving the support portions 70-76 of the outer ring 56 independently or together, and one or more actuators for moving the support portions 78-84 of the inner ring 58 independently or together. For example, the actuators may be electric actuators, hydraulic actuators, and / or pneumatic actuators, such as servo mechanisms or servo motors and associated gears, connecting rods, etc. Figures 6 to 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the rings 56 and 58 are movably mounted on a tool frame 88, which is supported on a support structure (e.g., support frame 90), and the actuator system 86 includes one or more first actuators 92 for moving the support frame 90 and the tool frame 88 up and down, thereby moving the rings 56 and 58 up and down. The actuator system 86 also includes one or more second actuators (e.g., inner ring actuators 94) operable to move the inner ring 58 relative to the outer ring 56 and the tool frame 88, and one or more third actuators (e.g., outer ring actuators 96) operable to move the outer ring 56 relative to the inner ring 58 and the tool frame 78. For example, the actuator system 86 may include one or more inner ring actuators 94 for each support portion 78-84 of the inner ring 58 for moving the support portions 78-84 independently or together, and one or more outer ring actuators 96 for each support portion 70-76 of the outer ring 56 for moving the support portions 70-76 independently or together. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner ring actuators 94 are mounted on the support frame 90 below the tool frame 88, while the outer ring actuators 96 are mounted on the tool frame 88. In addition, referring to Figure 1 , the actuator system 86 may include one or more mold actuators 98 for moving the upper mold 54 upward and downward, such as those described above.

[0036] The control system 60 mentioned above may include any appropriate hardware and / or software for controlling the operation of the forming station 14 (e.g., the conveyor 34, the press-forming device 36) to perform press forming of the glass sheet (e.g., to execute a specific algorithm represented by the functions described herein), as well as for controlling the operation of other components of the system 10 (e.g., the furnace 12 and the associated conveyor 24 and the forming station 26 and the cooling station 16). For example, the control system 60 may include one or more processors in communication with one or more storage devices or memory units, the storage devices or memory units including computer-readable program instructions executable by the one or more processors, so that the control system 60 can control the operation of the furnace 12, the forming station 14, the cooling station 16, etc. The control system 60 also or alternatively includes one or more application specific integrated circuits, programmable gate arrays, programmable logic devices and / or digital signal processors. In addition, the control system 60 can communicate with the above-mentioned components via wired connections and / or wireless connections.

[0037] Further examples of features of the press-forming apparatus 36 (eg, the upper die 54 and the actuator system) may be found in US Pat. No. 10,377,657 B2, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0038] Reference Figure 1 and Figures 7 to 12 , an exemplary press forming cycle in the forming station 14 will now be described. When the initially formed glass sheet G is transferred from the roll forming station 26 to the forming station 14 on the conveyor bed 34 above the rings 56 and 58 and below the upper mold 54, as shown in FIG. Fig. 9 As shown, the press forming cycle can be started. Then, the initially formed glass sheet G can have an upper end portion with straight line elements and a middle portion also with straight line elements, as described above.

[0039] Next, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 8 and Fig.10 , the control system 60 may be operated to move the outer ring 56 upward to contact the glass sheet G and to push the glass sheet upward toward the upper mold 54 away from the conveyor bed 34. For example, the control system 60 may operate the first actuator 92 to move the support frame 90 and the tool frame 88 upward, thereby causing the outer ring 56 and the inner ring 58 to move upward, respectively, but the inner ring 58 may be offset downward relative to the outer ring 56 so that the inner ring 58 does not contact the glass sheet G, as shown in FIG. Fig.10As shown. Alternatively or in addition, the control system 60 may operate the inner ring actuator 94 to move the inner ring 58 downward relative to the outer ring 56 and the tool frame 88 when the tool frame 88 is moving upward so that the inner ring 58 does not contact the glass sheet G. As a result, the inner ring 58 may also move upward but remain spaced apart from the glass sheet G. The control system 60 may also operate to lower the upper mold 54 toward the rings 56 and 58 to reduce the overall cycle time. For example, the control system 60 may operate the mold actuator 98 to lower the upper mold 54.

[0040] Reference Figure 8 and Fig.11 Once the glass sheet G has moved close to the upper mold 54 (e.g., within a range of 0.1 cm to 0.5 cm of the upper mold 54), the control system 60 may be operated to move the inner ring 58 upward relative to the outer ring 56 to contact the glass sheet G and push the glass sheet upward off the outer ring 56 and press the glass sheet against the upper mold 54, as shown in FIG. Fig.11 As shown, at this time, the outer ring 56 is spaced apart from the glass sheet G. For example, the control system 60 may stop the operation of the first actuator 92 to stop the movement of the tool frame 88, and operate the inner ring actuator 94 to move the inner ring 58 relative to the tool frame 88 and the outer ring 56. As another example, the control system 60 may continue to operate the first actuator 92 so that both rings 56 and 58 continue to move toward the upper mold 54, and also operate the inner ring actuator 94 so that the inner ring 58 moves upward relative to the outer ring 56. As a result, the inner ring 58 can press the inner or middle portion of the glass sheet G (e.g., the portion of the glass sheet disposed inward from the outer periphery) against the upper mold 54 and form the portion of the glass sheet into the shape of the mold surface 64. In addition, the control system 60 may operate the vacuum source 68 so that a vacuum can be drawn at the mold surface 64 through the vacuum hole 66 to help shape the glass sheet G and / or keep the glass sheet against the mold surface 64.

[0041] Then, refer to Figure 8 and Fig.12 , the control system 60 can be operated to move the outer ring 56 upward, or continue to move the outer ring 50 upward, to contact the glass sheet G again and press the peripheral portion or portions of the glass sheet G (for example, at the outer edge of the glass sheet G) against the upper mold 54, as shown in FIG. Fig.12 For example, the control system 60 may operate the outer ring actuator 96 to move the outer lateral support portions 70 and 72 toward the upper mold 54 and contact the peripheral portions of the opposite ends of the glass sheet G, thereby pressing the peripheral portions of the glass sheet against the mold surface 64 of the upper mold 54. More specifically, referring to Figure 7 and Figure 8, the outer lateral support portions 70 and 72 may be mounted on a pivot link or arm 100 pivotally connected to the tool frame 88, and the outer mold actuator 96 may be operated to pivot the outer lateral support portions 70 and 72 relative to the tool frame 88 so that the outer lateral support portions 70 and 72 contact the peripheral portion of the glass sheet G and press the peripheral portion against the mold surface 64. The actuator system 86 of the control system 60 may also or alternatively include one or more outer mold actuators for moving the outer longitudinal support portions 74 and 76 toward the upper mold 54 to press the longitudinally extending peripheral portion of the glass sheet G against the mold surface 64. During this stage, before or after the outer lateral support portions 70 and 72 and / or the outer longitudinal support portions 74 and 76 are pressed against the glass sheet G, the inner ring 58 may also be moved away from the glass sheet G (e.g., downward) so that only the outer ring 56 or a portion thereof contacts the glass sheet G to complete the press forming. For example, the control system 60 may operate the inner ring actuator 94 to move the inner ring 58 downward relative to the outer ring 56 and the tool frame 88. Alternatively, the inner ring 58 may remain pressed against the glass sheet G.

[0042] Next, both rings 56 and 58 can be lowered to the conveyor bed 34, and the upper mold 54 and the glass sheet G held thereon can be moved upward. For example, the control system 60 can operate the first actuator 92 to move the tool frame 88 and the rings 56 and 58 downward so that the rings 56 and 58 are nested within the conveyor bed 34, and the control system 60 can also operate the mold actuator 98 to move the upper mold 54 upward. The shuttle 102 of the cooling station 16 can then be moved by the actuator 104 to move the support member (e.g., the conveyor ring 106) toward the conveyor bed 34. Figure 1 6 and moves to the left in the figure and moves to the bottom of the upper mold 54. The vacuum provided by the vacuum source 68 at the mold surface 64 can then be terminated, and a large amount of pressurized gas can be optionally provided to the mold surface 64 to release the glass sheet G onto the conveyor ring 106. Next, the shuttle actuator 104 can be operated by the control system 60 to move the shuttle 102 rightward back to the illustrated position so that the conveyor ring 106 and the formed glass sheet thereon are sent for final treatment, such as slow cooling for annealing or more rapid air quench cooling for thermal strengthening or tempering.

[0043] Using apparatus and methods according to the present disclosure, complex curved glass shapes with relatively high edge strains can be achieved while reducing or eliminating wrinkle and / or bubble formation in the glass sheet. For example, by using an outer mold device and an inner mold device during a forming operation, a progressive multi-stage bending (e.g., two-stage bending) of the glass sheet against a mold (e.g., an upper mold) can occur. Thus, the bending of the glass sheet can be controlled more efficiently and effectively.

[0044] The apparatus and method disclosed in the present application may be particularly useful for vehicle windshields, in which any deformation of the end portion of the windshield (i.e., glass sheet) mounted on the front windshield pillar and / or the upper roof edge of the windshield and / or the lower cowl edge of the windshield may cause optical problems. Similarly, the apparatus and method may be particularly useful for backlites (e.g., rear windows) and rooflites (e.g., roof glass panels or skylights) of vehicles that may include complex bends. In addition, the apparatus and method are also particularly useful for any glass product with complex bends (e.g., display glass panels, instrument panel glass, solar reflector glass panels, etc.).

[0045] It should be noted that the movement of the rings 56 and 58 can occur in any suitable order and in any suitable manner. For example, the outer ring 56 can be used with the inner ring 58 spaced apart from the glass sheet to first press one or more peripheral portions of the glass sheet against the mold surface 64 of the upper mold 54, and then the inner ring 58 can be used to press the inner or middle portion of the glass sheet against the mold surface 64. In addition, the outer ring 56 can be moved away from the glass sheet before, during, or after the inner ring 56 performs the above-mentioned pressing step. In addition, the forming station 14 can include any suitable actuator for independently moving each support portion of each ring 56 and 58 so that each support portion can selectively press a corresponding portion of the glass sheet against the mold surface.

[0046] The press-forming apparatus 36 including the upper mold 54 or any other suitable upper mold according to the present disclosure and the rings 56 and 58 or other outer mold devices and inner mold devices can also be used in any suitable application. For example, the upper mold 54 or other suitable upper mold according to the present disclosure and the rings 56 and 58 or other outer mold devices and inner mold devices can be used in a system for bending an initially straight glass sheet (e.g., a system that does not include the roll-forming station 26 or other initial forming station). As another example, the upper mold 54 or other suitable upper mold according to the present disclosure and the rings 56 and 58 or other outer mold devices and inner mold devices can be used in a heated environment (e.g., an extension of the furnace 12). In addition, any of the above methods can be implemented to bend an initially straight glass sheet and / or any of the above methods can be implemented in a heated environment. U.S. Patent No. 10,246,364 discloses an example of press-forming in a heated environment, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0047] In addition, the position or proximity of the inner ring 58 relative to the outer ring 56 can vary depending on the particular application, such as the complexity of the desired final glass shape. For example, when the two rings 56 and 58 are approximately located at similar vertical heights, the inner ring 58 can be located in close proximity to the outer ring 56. In this regard, the support portions 78-84 of the inner ring 58 can each be located in close proximity to (e.g., spaced 1 inch or less) the corresponding support portions 70-76 of the outer ring 56. As another example, the inner ring 58 or (one or more) portions thereof can be spaced inwardly from the outer ring 56 by any suitable distance, such as a distance in the range of greater than 1 inch to 10 inches or more. In this regard, when the two rings 56 and 58 are approximately located at similar vertical heights, one or more of the support portions 78-84 of the inner ring 58 can be spaced such a distance from the corresponding support portions 70-76 of the outer ring. Therefore, it should be understood that the relative positions of the rings 56 and 58 shown in the figures are for illustrative purposes only.

[0048] Although exemplary embodiments are described above, these embodiments are not intended to describe all possible forms according to the present disclosure. In this regard, the words used in the specification are descriptive rather than restrictive, and it should be understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the features of the various embodiments of implementation can be combined to form other embodiments according to the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A glass sheet forming station for forming a glass sheet, the forming station comprising: Upper mold; a lower outer mold assembly including first and second outer longitudinal support portions and first and second outer lateral support portions, the first and second outer longitudinal support portions and the first and second outer lateral support portions each being configured to contact the glass sheet; a lower inner mold device disposed inside the lower outer mold device and movable relative to the lower outer mold device, the lower inner mold device comprising first and second inner longitudinal support portions and first and second inner lateral support portions, the first and second inner longitudinal support portions and the first and second inner lateral support portions each being configured to contact the glass sheet; wherein the lower outer mould means and the lower inner mould means are each operable to press the glass sheet against the upper mould.

2. The forming station of claim 1, wherein the first and second outer longitudinal support portions and the first and second outer lateral support portions form a continuous outer ring.

3. The forming station of claim 1, wherein the first and second inner longitudinal support portions and the first and second inner lateral support portions form a continuous inner ring.

4. A forming station according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first outer longitudinal support portion and the second outer longitudinal support portion can be moved relative to at least one of the first outer lateral support portion and the second outer lateral support portion, or at least one of the first outer lateral support portion and the second outer lateral support portion can be moved relative to at least one of the first outer longitudinal support portion and the second outer longitudinal support portion.

5. A forming station according to claim 4, wherein the control system is operable to move at least one of the first outer longitudinal support portion and the second outer longitudinal support portion toward the upper mold and relative to at least one of the first outer lateral support portion and the second outer lateral support portion to press the peripheral portion of the glass sheet against the upper mold.

6. The forming station according to claim 4 further includes a control system, which is operable to move at least one of the first outer lateral support portion and the second outer lateral support portion toward the upper mold and relative to at least one of the first outer longitudinal support portion and the second outer longitudinal support portion to press the peripheral portion of the glass sheet against the upper mold.

7. A forming station according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first inner longitudinal support portion and the second inner longitudinal support portion can be moved relative to at least one of the first inner lateral support portion and the second inner lateral support portion, or at least one of the first inner lateral support portion and the second inner lateral support portion can be moved relative to at least one of the first inner longitudinal support portion and the second inner longitudinal support portion.

8. A forming station according to claim 1, which also includes a control system, which can be operated to move the outer mold device upward toward the upper mold when the glass sheet is supported on the outer mold device, and then move the inner mold device relative to the upper mold device and toward the upper mold to press the glass sheet against the upper mold.

9. A forming station according to claim 8, wherein the control system is operable to move the outer mold device relative to the inner mold device to press the peripheral portion of the glass sheet against the upper mold after the inner mold device has pressed the glass sheet against the upper mold.

10. A forming station according to claim 9, wherein the control system is operable to move the inner mold means downwardly before or after the outer mold means presses the peripheral portion of the glass sheet against the upper mold.

11. A forming station according to claim 10, wherein the forming station is operable to draw a vacuum on the surface of the upper mold to draw the glass sheet onto the upper mold before the inner mold assembly begins to move downward.

12. The forming station according to claim 1 further includes a control system, which is operable to move the outer mold device upward toward the upper mold when the glass sheet is supported on the upper mold device to press the peripheral portion of the glass sheet against the upper mold, and then move the inner mold device relative to the upper mold device and toward the upper mold to press the inner portion of the glass sheet against the upper mold.

13. The forming station of claim 1, wherein: For the outer mold device, the width of at least one of the first outer longitudinal support portion and the second outer longitudinal support portion is different from the width of at least one of the first outer lateral support portion and the second outer lateral support portion, or, for the inner mold device, the width of at least one of the first inner longitudinal support portion and the second inner longitudinal support portion is different from the width of at least one of the first inner lateral support portion and the second inner lateral support portion.

14. A glass sheet forming station for forming a glass sheet, the forming station comprising: Upper mold; a lower outer ring comprising first and second outer end portions and first and second outer intermediate portions located between the outer end portions, wherein the outer end portions and the outer intermediate portions are each configured to contact the glass sheet; and a lower inner ring disposed inside the lower outer ring and movable relative to the lower outer ring, the lower inner ring comprising a first inner end portion and a second inner end portion and a first inner middle portion and a second inner middle portion located between the inner end portions, wherein the inner end portion and the inner middle portion are each configured to contact the glass sheet; Wherein the lower outer ring and the lower inner ring are each operable to press the glass sheet against the upper mold.

15. A method for forming a glass sheet, the method comprising: pressing the glass sheet against the mold using an outer mold assembly having first and second outer end support portions and first and second outer intermediate support portions located between the outer end support portions; as well as The glass sheet is pressed against the mold using an inner mold device, wherein the inner mold device is arranged inside the outer mold device and can move relative to the outer mold device, and the inner mold device has a first inner end support portion and a second inner end support portion and a first inner middle support portion and a second inner middle support portion located between the inner end support portions.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein pressing the glass sheet against the mold using the outer mold means occurs before pressing the glass sheet against the mold using the inner mold means.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein pressing the glass sheet against the mold using the inner mold arrangement occurs before pressing the glass sheet against the mold using the outer mold arrangement.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first outer end support portion and the second outer end support portion and the first outer middle support portion and the second outer middle support portion form a continuous outer ring, and / or the first inner end support portion and the second inner end support portion and the first inner middle support portion and the second inner middle support portion form a continuous inner ring.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising: When the inner mold arrangement is spaced apart from the glass sheet, the glass sheet is brought into contact with the outer mold arrangement and the glass sheet is moved upwardly toward the mold using the outer mold arrangement.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: After the glass sheet has moved upward toward the mold, the inner mold device is moved upward relative to the outer mold device to push the glass sheet away from the outer mold device, wherein pressing the glass sheet against the mold using the inner mold device occurs when the outer mold device is spaced apart from the glass sheet.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein pressing the glass sheet against the mold using the outer mold device comprises: A peripheral portion of the glass sheet is pressed against the mold after the inner mold means has pressed the glass sheet against the mold.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: The inner mold assembly is moved downwardly before or after the outer mold assembly presses the peripheral portion of the glass sheet against the mold.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising: A vacuum is applied to the surface of the mold after the inner mold assembly begins to move downward to draw the glass sheet onto the mold.

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