Forming station and method for forming glass sheets

Abstract

A glass sheet forming station for forming a glass sheet may include an upper mold, a lower outer mold arrangement, and a lower inner mold arrangement disposed inside the lower outer mold arrangement and movable relative to the lower outer mold arrangement. The lower outer mold arrangement may include first and second outer longitudinal supports and first and second outer lateral supports each configured to contact the glass sheet. The lower inner mold arrangement may include first and second inner longitudinal supports and first and second inner lateral supports each configured to contact the glass sheet. Additionally, each of the lower outer mold arrangement and the lower inner mold arrangement may be operable to press the glass sheet against the upper mold.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 732,785, filed April 29, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. [Technical field]

[0002] SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to forming stations and methods for shaping glass sheets. [Background technology]

[0003] The glass sheets may be formed or shaped using one or more molds. Exemplary apparatus and methods for shaping glass sheets are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 9,981,869 and 10,377,657. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A glass sheet forming station for forming a glass sheet according to the present disclosure may include an upper mold, a lower outer mold arrangement, and a lower inner mold arrangement disposed inside the lower outer mold arrangement and movable relative to the lower outer mold arrangement. The lower outer mold arrangement may include first and second outer longitudinal supports and first and second outer lateral supports each configured to contact the glass sheet. The lower inner mold arrangement may include first and second inner longitudinal supports and first and second inner lateral supports each configured to contact the glass sheet. Additionally, each of the lower outer mold arrangement and the lower inner mold arrangement may be operable to press the glass sheet against the upper mold.

[0005] Further 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 disposed inside the lower outer ring and movable relative to the lower outer ring. The lower outer ring may include first and second outer ends and first and second outer intermediate portions located between the outer ends. Each of the outer ends and the outer intermediate portions may be configured to contact the glass sheet. The lower inner ring may include first and second inner ends and first and second inner intermediate portions located between the inner ends. Each of the inner ends and the inner intermediate portions may be configured to contact the glass sheet. Furthermore, each of the lower outer ring and the lower inner ring may be operable to press the glass sheet against the upper mold.

[0006] A method for shaping a glass sheet according to the present disclosure may include pressing the glass sheet against a mold using an outer mold arrangement having first and second outer edge supports and first and second outer intermediate supports located between the outer edge supports. The method may further include pressing the glass sheet against the mold using an inner mold arrangement disposed inside and movable relative to the outer mold arrangement and having first and second inner edge supports and first and second inner intermediate supports located between the inner edge supports.

[0007] While exemplary embodiments have been illustrated and disclosed, such disclosure should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims, It is understood that various modifications and alternative designs can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation view of a glass sheet forming system or apparatus according to the present disclosure, the apparatus including a heating station, a forming station located downstream in a conveying direction from the heating station, and an additional processing station disposed downstream of the forming station.

[0009] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 at the exit end of the heating station, taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, showing a roll-forming configuration in which the heated glass sheet may be conveyed for initial roll-forming before exiting the heating station in preparation for press-forming at the forming station.

[0010] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view through a forming station of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, showing a conveyor assembly or bed for receiving a heated glass sheet and a forming apparatus for shaping or bending the glass sheet, the forming apparatus including an upper mold and outer and inner mold arrangements according to the present disclosure.

[0011] [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view of the upper mold, showing the downward mold surface where glass forming occurs at the forming station.

[0012] [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an upper mold upside down showing the curvature of the lower mold surface in the lateral directions along and transverse to the conveying direction.

[0013] [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the forming station showing the conveyor bed and the outer and inner mold arrangements mounted on the tool frame.

[0014] [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a top view of the lower portion of the forming station with the conveyor bed removed to clearly show the outer and inner mold configurations of the forming station.

[0015] [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the molding station showing the outer and inner mold configurations and various actuators for moving the mold configurations.

[0016] [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the forming station as viewed in the conveying direction, showing the initially formed glass sheet positioned on a conveyor bed below the upper mould and above the outer and inner mould arrangement.

[0017] [Figure 10] 10 is a schematic view similar to FIG. 9, but showing a later stage in the press-molding cycle after the outer mold arrangement has moved upward to lift the initially formed glass sheet from the conveyor bed adjacent the downward mold surface of the upper mold.

[0018] [Figure 11] 11 is a schematic view similar to FIG. 10, but showing a later stage in the press-forming process after the inner mould arrangement has been raised upwardly relative to the outer mould arrangement, forcing the glass sheet against the upper mould.

[0019] [Figure 12] 12 is a schematic view similar to FIG. 11, but showing a later stage in the press-molding cycle after the outer mold arrangement has been moved upward toward the upper mold, pressing one or more peripheral edges of the glass sheet against the upper mold, and the lower mold arrangement has been lowered away from the glass sheet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] In this specification, detailed embodiments are disclosed as necessary, but it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and various alternative forms are possible. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be enlarged or minimized to show details of specific components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed in this specification should not be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a typical basis for teaching those skilled in the art to variously utilize the embodiments according to the present disclosure.

[0021] 1 shows a glass processing apparatus or system 10 for forming glass sheets according to the present disclosure. System 10 includes, for example, a furnace 12, a forming station 14 according to the present disclosure located downstream from furnace 12 in a conveying direction C, and an additional processing station, for example, a cooling station 16, disposed downstream of forming station 14.

[0022] Furnace 12 has entrance and exit portions or ends 18 and 20, respectively, and includes a heating chamber 22 having heating elements for heating the glass sheet, and a conveyor 24 for conveying the glass sheet along a conveying direction C through furnace 12 from entrance end 18 to exit end 20. Conveyor 24 may be any suitable conveyor, such as, for example, a roller or roll conveyor, for conveying the glass sheet while it is heated from ambient temperature to a temperature sufficiently high to permit shaping, which may also be referred to as bending or forming.

[0023] The furnace 12 may also include an initial forming station, such as, for example, a roll forming station 26, for initial shaping of the glass sheet prior to the forming station 14. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the roll forming station 26 includes horizontally extending conveyor rollers or rolls 28 that are rotationally driven and horizontally spaced apart within the heating chamber 22 along a transversely extending conveying direction C for supporting and conveying the heated glass sheet. The roll forming station 26 also includes a pair of sets 30 of bending rolls 32 that are laterally spaced apart from one another within the heating chamber 22 along the conveying direction C. Each set of bending rolls 32 is supported and rotationally driven by a drive mechanism 33, such as, for example, a motor and / or suitable gears, and the bending rolls have progressively increasing inclinations along the conveying direction, as indicated in Fig. 2 by reference numerals 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d. Conveying each heated glass sheet G in the conveying direction in cooperation with the bending rolls 32 provides an initial shaping of the glass sheet G in a direction transverse to the conveying direction, as shown in Fig. 2. This shaping imparts straight elements to each glass sheet that may be parallel to one another in a cylindrical shape, or angled relative to one another in a conical shape. As each location of the glass sheet along the conveying direction is bent from a flat shape, the bending process bends the previous location further, and the net effect may be a slight conical shape.

[0024] 1 and 3, the forming station 14 is located outside the furnace 12 downstream of the exit end 20 thereof for receiving 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 for receiving the initially formed glass sheet for further press forming by a forming apparatus, such as press forming apparatuses collectively designated 36. With reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 6, the conveyor bed 34 includes a lower base structure or support 38, a plurality of conveyor roller assemblies 40, and a plurality of conveyor wheel assemblies 42. Each roller assembly 40 may include rollers 44 rotatably supported by one or more support members, such as rods or arms, each having an upper end connected to a roller 44 and a lower end including a releasable connection 46 for releasably connecting the roller assembly to the support 38. Similarly, each wheel assembly 42 may include a support member, such as, for example, a rod or arm, having an upper end with a wheel 48 provided thereon and a lower end including a detachable coupling 46 for detachably coupling the wheel assembly to the support 38. A drive mechanism, such as, for example, a motor and / or gears, may provide rotational drive to the rollers 44 of each roller assembly 40 and the wheels 48 of each wheel assembly 42 when the roller assemblies 40 and wheel assemblies 42 are coupled to the support 38. It should be noted, however, that the conveyor bed 34 may have any suitable configuration. For example, the conveyor bed may be provided with only roller assemblies or only wheel assemblies. Additional details of exemplary conveyor beds may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 10,377,657 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011 / 0247367 A1, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

[0025] As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the conveyor bed 34 may have an upwardly curved or convex shape in a direction transverse to the conveying direction in which the conveyor bed receives each heated glass sheet that corresponds to the initial formed shape imparted by the roll forming station 26 shown in Figures 1 and 2. More specifically, the lower base structure 38 of the conveyor bed 34 may include a plurality of rails 50 extending along the conveying direction and having different heights provided by the illustrated adjusters 52 along a direction transverse to the conveying direction to provide the curved or convex shape of the conveyor bed, as shown in Figure 3.

[0026] 1 and 3, the press-forming apparatus 36 includes an upper mold 54 and first and second mold arrangements according to the present disclosure, such as lower outer and inner rings 56 and 58, which may be received by the conveyor bed 34 and are configured to press the heated glass sheet against the upper mold 54 to press the heated glass sheet. The upper mold 54 and rings 56 and 58 are shown in solid lines in an example initial position in FIG. 3 and in dashed lines in an example final position. The forming station 14 also includes a control system 60 configured to control the operation of the components of the press-forming apparatus 36, such as the movement of the upper mold 54 and rings 56 and 58, as well as other components of the forming station 14, such as 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 conveyors 24 and forming station 26, and the cooling station 16.

[0027] 4 and 5, the upper mold 54 is supported on an upper mount 62 and has a forming or mold surface 64 configured to form the glass sheet into a desired shape. The mold surface 64 may have any suitable shape, and in the illustrated embodiment, the mold surface 64 has a downwardly convex shape. Additionally, the mold surface 64 may have a curvature in the transverse direction, as shown in FIG. 5 by the curved dashed lines CC and TC, respectively, which are curved along the conveying direction and transverse to the conveying direction. The mold surface 64 may be provided with an array of holes 66 through which a vacuum may be applied from a vacuum source 68, shown in FIG. 1, to support the glass sheet during and after pressing and 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 the glass sheet against the mold surface 64.

[0028] 6-8, each of the outer and inner rings 56 and 58 is configured to contact a 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 have a generally upwardly convex curved shape. Further, the outer ring 56 is disposed outside the inner ring 58, and both rings 56 and 58 are movable relative to one another.

[0029] The outer ring 56 includes first and second outer end moulds or supports, e.g., first and second outer lateral supports 70 and 72, spaced apart from one another (e.g., generally transverse to the conveying direction), and first and second outer intermediate moulds or supports, e.g., first and second outer longitudinal supports 74 and 76, spaced apart from one another (e.g., in the conveying direction) and located or extending between the outer lateral supports 70 and 72. The inner ring 58 is disposed inside the outer ring and similarly includes first and second inner end moulds or supports, e.g., first and second inner lateral supports 78 and 80, spaced apart from one another (e.g., generally transverse to the conveying direction), and first and second inner intermediate moulds or supports, e.g., first and second inner longitudinal supports 82 and 84, spaced apart from one another (e.g., in the conveying direction) and located or extending between the inner lateral supports 78 and 80. Additionally, each of the supports 70-76 and 78-84 is configured to contact the glass sheet.

[0030] While the outer ring supports 70-76 and the inner ring supports 78-84 may have any suitable shape or configuration, in the illustrated embodiment, each of the supports 70-76 and 78-84 has an upwardly convex curved shape. Further, for each of the rings 56 and 58, the corresponding supports may have any suitable width. For example, each support 70-76 of the outer ring 56 may have a width in the range of 5 mm to 15 mm, or in the range of 8 mm to 12 mm (e.g., 10 mm), and each support 78-84 of the inner ring 58 may have a width in the range of 20 mm to 30 mm, or in the range of 23 mm to 27 mm (e.g., 25 mm). As another example, for the outer ring 56, at least one of the first and second outer longitudinal supports 74 and 76 may have a different width than at least one of the first and second outer lateral supports 70 and 72, and / or for the inner ring 58, at least one of the first and second inner longitudinal supports 82 and 84 may have a different width than at least one of the first and second inner lateral supports 78 and 80. In this regard, for each ring 56 and 58, the corresponding lateral support may be wider than the corresponding longitudinal support.

[0031] Also, each support 70-76 and 78-84 may be made of any suitable material, such as, for example, steel (e.g., low carbon steel, 304 steel, etc.) or other metal alloy, which may form a main structure or base, and the base may be a rigid structure. Each support 70-76 and 78-84 may include one or more top layers located on the base. For example, each support 70-76 and 78-84 may include a thin felt layer (e.g., stainless steel mesh), which may be a flexible layer connected to the base, and / or a contact layer (e.g., stainless steel tape) located on and connected to the thin felt layer or located directly on and connected to the base. Furthermore, each support 70-76 and 78-84 may be provided with one or more heating elements (e.g., resistive heating elements) for heating the contact layer (e.g., top layer) of the support. Such heating elements may be embedded in the contact layer of each support and / or may be located, for example, below the contact layer. Heating the supports 70-76 and 78-84 can be advantageous to reduce or eliminate marking of the glass sheet and / or to reduce residual stresses in the glass sheet during press forming.

[0032] In one embodiment, the supports 70-76 of the outer ring 56 may form a continuous ring and / or the supports 78-84 of the inner ring 58 may form a continuous ring. In another embodiment, one or more of the supports 70-76 of the outer ring 56 may be formed as separate pieces or segments and / or one or more of the supports 78-84 of the inner ring 58 may be formed as separate pieces or segments. According to such a configuration, at least one of the first and second outer longitudinal supports 74 and 76 may be movable relative to at least one of the first and second outer lateral supports 70 and 72, and / or at least one of the first and second outer lateral supports 70 and 72 may be movable relative to at least one of the first and second outer longitudinal supports 74 and 76, and / or at least one of the first and second inner longitudinal supports 82 and 84 may be movable relative to at least one of the first and second inner lateral supports 78 and 80, and / or at least one of the first and second inner lateral supports 78 and 80 may be movable relative to at least one of the first and second inner longitudinal supports 82 and 84.

[0033] In the illustrated embodiment, each of the supports 70-76 of the outer ring 56 are formed as separate pieces or segments, and the supports 70-76 are movable together or independently of one another. Similarly, each of the supports 78-84 of the inner ring 58 are formed as separate pieces or segments, and the supports 78-84 are movable together or independently of one another.

[0034] The rings 56 and 58 may be moved toward and away from the upper die 54 in any suitable manner. For example, with reference to FIG. 1, the control system 60 may include an actuator system 86 having one or more actuators for moving the supports 70-76 of the outer ring 56, either independently or together, and one or more actuators for moving the supports 78-84 of the inner ring 58, either independently or together. For example, the actuators may be electric, hydraulic, and / or pneumatic, such as servo mechanisms or servo motors and associated gears, linkages, and the like. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6-8, the rings 56 and 58 are movably mounted to a tool frame 88, which is supported on a support structure, such as, for example, a support frame 90, and the actuator system 86 includes one or more first actuators for moving the support frame 90 and the tool frame 88 up and down to move the rings 56 and 58 up and down. The actuator system 86 further includes one or more second actuators, e.g., inner ring actuators 94, operative to move the inner ring 58 relative to the outer ring 56 and tool frame 88, and one or more third actuators, e.g., outer ring actuators 96, operative to move the outer ring 56 relative to the inner ring 58 and tool frame 78. For example, the actuator system 86 may include one or more inner ring actuators 94 for each support 78-84 of the inner ring 58 to move the supports 78-84 independently or together, and one or more outer ring actuators 96 for each support 70-76 of the outer ring 56 to move the supports 70-76 independently or together. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner ring actuators 94 are attached to the support frame 90 below the tool frame 88, and the outer ring actuators 96 are attached to the tool frame 88. Also, with reference to FIG. 1, the actuator system 86 may include one or more die actuators 98, e.g., as described above, for moving the upper die 54 up and down.

[0035] The control system 60 described above may include any suitable hardware and / or software for controlling the operation of the forming station 14 (e.g., conveyor 34, press forming device 36) to perform the pressing of the glass sheet (e.g., to perform certain algorithms represented by the functions described herein), as well as for controlling the operation of other components of the system 10, such as, for example, the furnace 12 and associated conveyor 24 and 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 that include computer readable program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the control system 60 may control the operation of the furnace 12, the forming station 14, the cooling station 16, etc. The control system 60 may additionally or alternatively include one or more application specific integrated circuits, programmable gate arrays, programmable logic devices, and / or digital signal processors. Furthermore, the control system 60 may communicate with the above components via wired and / or wireless connections.

[0036] Additional examples of features of the press forming apparatus 36, such as the upper die 54 and actuator system, may be found in US Pat. No. 10,377,657 B2, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0037] 1 and 7-12, an example of a press-forming cycle in the forming station 14 will now be described. The press-forming cycle may begin when the initially formed glass sheet G is transported from the roll forming station 26 onto the conveyor bed 34 into the forming station 14 above the rings 56 and 58 and below the upper die 54, as shown in FIG. 9. The initially formed glass sheet G may then have a top end having a straight element and a middle portion having a straight element, as described above.

[0038] 1, 8, and 10, the control system 60 may operate to move the outer ring 56 upward into contact with the glass sheet G and lift the glass sheet from the conveyor bed 34 toward the upper mold 54. For example, the control system 60 may operate the first actuator 92 to move the support frame 90 and tool frame 88 upward to move the outer and inner rings 56 and 58, respectively, upward, 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. 10. Alternatively or supplementally, 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 tool frame 88 as the tool frame 88 moves upward, such 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 towards 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.

[0039] 8 and 11, once the glass sheet G is moved near the upper mold 54 (e.g., within 0.1-0.5 cm of the upper mold 54), the control system 60 may operate to move the inner ring 58 upward relative to the outer ring 56 into contact with the glass sheet G, lifting the glass sheet from the outer ring 56 and pressing the glass sheet against the upper mold 54, with the outer ring 56 spaced apart from the glass sheet G, as shown in FIG. 11. For example, the control system 60 may stop operation of the first actuator 92 to stop motion 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 operation of the first actuator 92 so that both rings 56 and 58 continue to move toward the upper mold 54, and operate the inner ring actuator 94 to move the inner ring 58 upward relative to the outer ring 56. As a result, the inner ring 58 may press an inner or intermediate portion of the glass sheet G (e.g., a portion of the glass sheet located inward from the periphery of the glass sheet) against the upper mold 54 to form that portion of the glass sheet to the shape of the mold surface 64. The control system 60 may also operate a vacuum source 68 such that a vacuum may be drawn on the mold surface 64 via the vacuum holes 66 to assist in shaping the glass sheet G and / or holding the glass sheet against the mold surface 64.

[0040] 8 and 12, the control system 60 may then operate to move the outer ring 56 upward, or continue the upward movement of the outer ring 50, as shown in FIG. 12, to again contact the glass sheet G and press one or more peripheral edges of the glass sheet G (e.g., at the outer edge of the glass sheet G) against the upper mold 54. For example, the control system 60 may operate the outer ring actuator 96 to move the outer side supports 70 and 72 toward the upper mold 54 into contact with the peripheral edges at opposing ends of the glass sheet G in order to press the peripheral edges of the glass sheet against the mold surface 64 of the upper mold 54. 7 and 8, the outer side supports 70 and 72 may be attached to pivot links or arms 100 that are pivotally connected to a tool frame 88, and the outer mold actuators 96 may be actuated to pivot the outer side supports 70 and 72 relative to the tool frame 88 such that the outer side supports 70 and 72 contact the peripheral edge of the glass sheet G and press the peripheral edge against the mold surface 64. The actuator system 86 of the control system 60 may additionally or alternatively include one or more outer mold actuators for moving the outer longitudinal supports 74 and 76 toward the upper mold 54 to press the longitudinally extending peripheral edge of the glass sheet G against the mold surface 64. During this stage, before or after the outer lateral supports 70 and 72 and / or the outer longitudinal supports 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 the outer ring 56, or only 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 tool frame 88. Alternatively, the inner ring 58 may be maintained pressed against the glass sheet G.

[0041] Then, both rings 56 and 58 may be lowered toward the conveyor bed 34, and the upper mold 54 with the glass sheet G held thereon may be moved upward. For example, the control system 60 may 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 received within the conveyor bed 34, and the control system 60 may operate the mold actuator 98 to move the upper mold 54 upward. The shuttle 102 of the cooling station 16 may then be moved by the actuator 104 to move a support, such as the feed ring 106, toward the left side of FIG. 1 and below the upper mold 54. The vacuum created by the vacuum source 68 on the mold surface 64 may then be stopped, and a supply of pressurized gas may optionally be provided to the mold surface 64 to release the glass sheet G onto the feed ring 106. The shuttle actuator 104 may then be actuated by the control system 60 to move the shuttle 102 rightward to the position shown, and the feed ring 106 and the formed glass sheet thereon may be fed for final processing, such as slow cooling for annealing, or rapid cooling by air quenching for heat strengthening and tempering.

[0042] The apparatus and methods of the present disclosure may achieve complex bent glass shapes with relatively high strain while reducing or eliminating wrinkling and / or bubble formation in the glass sheet. For example, by using an outer and inner mold configuration during a forming operation, stepwise multiple bending (e.g., two-step bending) of the glass sheet against a mold (e.g., an upper mold) may be performed. As a result, bending of the glass sheet may be more efficiently and effectively controlled.

[0043] The apparatus and methods disclosed herein may have particular utility in vehicle windshields where distortions at the edge of the windshield (i.e., glass sheet) that is attached to the windshield support and / or at the upper roof edge of the windshield and / or the lower cowl edge of the windshield may cause optical problems. Similarly, the apparatus and methods may have particular utility in vehicle rear windows (e.g., rear windows) and skylights (e.g., roof glass panels or sunroofs) that may include complex curvatures. The apparatus and methods may also have particular utility in any glass product that has a complex curvature, such as, for example, display glass panels, instrument panel glass, solar reflector glass panels, etc.

[0044] It should be noted that the movement of the rings 56 and 58 may occur in any suitable order and in any suitable manner. For example, the outer ring 56 may be used first to press one or more peripheral portions of the glass sheet against the mold surface 64 of the upper mold 54 with the inner ring 58 spaced from the glass sheet, and then the inner ring 58 may be used to press an inner or middle portion of the glass sheet against the mold surface 64. Additionally, the outer ring 56 may be moved away from the glass sheet before, during, or after the above-described pressing step performed by the inner ring 56. Additionally, the forming station 14 may include any suitable actuator for independently moving each support of each ring 56 and 58 such that each support may selectively press a corresponding portion of the glass sheet against the mold surface.

[0045] The press forming apparatus 36 including the upper die 54, or any other suitable upper die, and rings 56 and 58, or other outer and inner die configurations according to the present disclosure, may be used in any suitable application. For example, the upper die 54, or any other suitable upper die, and rings 56 and 58, or other outer and inner die configurations according to the present disclosure may be used in a system (e.g., a system that does not include a roll forming station 26 or other initial forming station) to bend an initial flat glass sheet. As another example, the upper die 54, or any other suitable upper die, and rings 56 and 58, or other outer and inner die configurations according to the present disclosure may be used in a heated environment, such as, for example, an extension of the furnace 12. Additionally, any of the methods described above may be performed in a heated environment to bend an initial flat glass sheet and / or. An example of press forming in a heated environment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,246,364, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0046] Also, the location or proximity of the inner ring 58 relative to the outer ring 56 may vary depending on the particular application, such as, for example, the complexity of the desired final glass shape. For example, the inner ring 58 may be located directly adjacent to the outer ring 56 when both rings 56 and 58 are located at a generally similar vertical height. In this regard, each of the supports 78-84 of the inner ring 58 may be located directly adjacent (e.g., less than an inch away) to a corresponding support 70-76 of the outer ring 56. As another example, the inner ring 58 or a portion(s) thereof may be spaced inwardly from the outer ring 56 by any suitable distance, such as, for example, a distance ranging from 1 inch to greater than 10 inches. In this regard, one or more of the supports 78-84 of the inner ring 58 may be spaced apart from a corresponding support 70-76 of the outer ring by such a distance when both rings 56 and 58 are located at a generally similar vertical height. It should therefore be understood that the relative locations of the rings 56 and 58 depicted in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only.

[0047] Although exemplary embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to describe all possible forms of the present disclosure. In this regard, it is understood that the words used herein are words of description rather than limitation, and that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Also, features of various embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. A glass sheet forming station for forming a glass sheet, comprising: Upper mold and a lower outer mold arrangement including first and second outer longitudinal supports and first and second outer lateral supports, each configured to contact the glass sheet; a lower inner mold arrangement disposed inwardly of the lower outer mold arrangement and movable relative to the lower outer mold arrangement, the lower inner mold arrangement including first and second inner longitudinal supports and first and second inner lateral supports, each configured to contact the glass sheet; Equipped with A forming station, wherein each of the lower outer mold arrangement and the lower inner mold arrangement is operable to press the glass sheet against the upper mold.

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

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

4. 2. The forming station of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second outer longitudinal supports is movable relative to at least one of the first and second outer lateral supports, or at least one of the first and second outer lateral supports is movable relative to at least one of the first and second outer longitudinal supports.

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

6. 5. The forming station of claim 4, further comprising a control system operable to move the at least one of the first and second outer lateral supports toward the upper mold and relative to the at least one of the first and second outer longitudinal supports to press a peripheral edge of the glass sheet against the upper mold.

7. 2. The forming station of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second inner longitudinal supports is movable relative to at least one of the first and second inner lateral supports, or at least one of the first and second inner lateral supports is movable relative to at least one of the first and second inner longitudinal supports.

8. 2. The forming station of claim 1, further comprising a control system operable to move the outer mold arrangement toward the upper mold with the glass sheet supported by the outer mold arrangement, and thereafter move the inner mold arrangement relative to the upper mold arrangement and toward the upper mold to press the glass sheet against the upper mold.

9. 9. The forming station of claim 8, wherein the control system is operable to move the outer mold arrangement relative to the inner mold arrangement to press a peripheral edge of the glass sheet against the upper mold after the inner mold arrangement has pressed the glass sheet against the upper mold.

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

11. The forming station of claim 10 , wherein the forming station is operable to draw a vacuum on a surface of the upper mold to attract the glass sheet to the upper mold prior to initiation of downward movement of the inner mold arrangement.

12. 2. The forming station of claim 1, further comprising a control system operable to move the outer mold arrangement upwardly toward the upper mold with the glass sheet supported on the upper mold arrangement to press a peripheral edge of the glass sheet against the upper mold, and thereafter move the inner mold arrangement relative to the upper mold arrangement and toward the upper mold to press an inner portion of the glass sheet against the upper mold.

13. 2. The molding station of claim 1, wherein, for the outer mold configuration, at least one of the first and second outer longitudinal supports has a width that is different from a width of at least one of the first and second outer lateral supports, or, for the inner mold configuration, at least one of the first and second inner longitudinal supports has a width that is different from a width of at least one of the first and second inner lateral supports.

14. 1. A glass sheet forming station for forming a glass sheet, comprising: Upper mold and a lower outer ring including first and second outer ends and first and second outer intermediate portions located between the outer ends, each of the outer ends and the outer intermediate portions configured to contact the glass sheet; a lower inner ring disposed inside the lower outer ring and movable relative to the lower outer ring, the lower inner ring including first and second inner ends and first and second inner intermediate portions located between the inner ends, each of the inner ends and the inner intermediate portions configured to contact the glass sheet; Equipped with A glass sheet forming station, wherein each of the lower outer ring and the lower inner ring is operable to press the glass sheet against the upper mold.

15. 1. A method for shaping a glass sheet, comprising: pressing the glass sheet against a mold using an outer mold arrangement having first and second outer edge supports and first and second outer intermediate supports located between the outer edge supports; pressing the glass sheet against the mold using an inner mold arrangement disposed within and movable relative to the outer mold arrangement, the inner mold arrangement having first and second inner end supports and first and second inner middle supports located between the inner end supports; A method for providing the above.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein pressing the glass sheet against the mold with the outer mold arrangement occurs prior to pressing the glass sheet against the mold with the inner mold arrangement.

17. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein pressing the glass sheet against the mold with the inner mold arrangement occurs prior to pressing the glass sheet against the mold with the outer mold arrangement.

18. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second outer end supports and the first and second outer intermediate supports form a continuous outer ring, and / or the first and second inner end supports and the first and second inner intermediate supports form a continuous inner ring.

19. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising contacting the glass sheet with the outer mold arrangement and moving the glass sheet upwardly toward the mold with the outer mold arrangement while the inner mold arrangement is spaced apart from the glass sheet.

20. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising moving the inner mold arrangement upwardly relative to the outer mold arrangement to lift the glass sheet from the outer mold arrangement after the glass sheet has been moved upwardly toward the mold, and wherein pressing the glass sheet against the mold with the inner mold arrangement occurs with the outer mold arrangement spaced apart from the glass sheet.

21. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein pressing the glass sheet against the mold with the outer mold arrangement comprises pressing a peripheral edge of the glass sheet against the mold after the inner mold arrangement presses the glass sheet against the mold.

22. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising moving the inner mold arrangement downward before or after the outer mold arrangement presses the peripheral edge of the glass sheet against the mold.

23. 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising applying a vacuum to a surface of the mold to attract the glass sheet to the mold after the inner mold arrangement begins its downward movement.

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