Sheet Material Forming with Sealing Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming a glass sheet into a three-dimensional shape at low temperatures or complex shapes often require assistance with force, but may not fully form the shape or do so with difficulty, especially when using vacuum forming, press molding, or pressure forming alone.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that combines vacuum forming and pressure forming in a single process using a mold and plenum with sealing profiles to create direct seals on both sides of the sheet material, allowing simultaneous vacuum and pressure application to shape the material effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If vacuum forming is used to pull the glass sheet to a mold surface, then the glass sheet can be formed into a 3D shape, but the forming may be incomplete or difficult for complex shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines vacuum forming and pressure forming into a single integrated process. The mold creates a vacuum forming area to pull the glass sheet onto the mold surface, while the plenum provides pressure forming to push the glass sheet into complex 3D shapes. This merging of two forming methods resolves the contradiction by achieving both complete forming and ease of operation for complex geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between vacuum and pressure application during the forming process. The mold and plenum can independently control vacuum and pressure levels, allowing the process to adapt to different stages of forming and different regions of the glass sheet, thereby achieving complete and easy forming of complex shapes.
2Manufacturing precision
If press molding is used to press the glass sheet to a mold surface, then the glass sheet can be formed into a 3D shape, but the forming may be incomplete or difficult for complex shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges press molding with vacuum forming in a single process. The mold provides press molding force to push the glass sheet onto the mold surface, while simultaneously creating vacuum zones to pull and conform the glass sheet to complex 3D shapes. This combination achieves both complete forming and reduced forming difficulty for complex geometries.
3Manufacturing precision
If pressure forming is used to force the glass sheet against a mold surface, then the glass sheet can be formed into a 3D shape, but the forming may be incomplete or difficult for complex shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines pressure forming with vacuum forming in an integrated system. The plenum delivers pressure forming to push the glass sheet into complex 3D shapes, while the mold simultaneously creates vacuum zones to pull and conform the material. This merging achieves both complete forming and ease of operation for complex geometries.
4Manufacturing precision
If higher pressures and deeper vacuums are applied to improve forming, then the forming quality improves, but material breakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses counterbalancing forces where vacuum pulls the glass sheet onto the mold surface while pressure pushes from the opposite side. These opposing forces work synergistically to distribute stress evenly across the glass sheet, preventing localized stress concentrations that could cause breakage, while still achieving high forming quality through controlled pressure and vacuum levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold and plenum independently and dynamically control vacuum and pressure levels, allowing real-time adjustment of forces applied to the glass sheet. This dynamic control enables the system to apply higher pressures and deeper vacuums when needed for forming quality while preventing material breakage by adjusting force distribution during the forming process.
5Manufacturing precision
If sealing profiles are designed to prevent leakage, then forming quality improves, but the complexity of the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sealing functions of the mold and plenum into a coordinated system. Both components have integrated sealing profiles that work together to create effective seals, preventing leakage while maintaining a relatively simple apparatus design through functional integration rather than adding separate sealing mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the formation of complex three-dimensional shapes in glass or glass-ceramic sheets with improved sealing, reduced leakage, and faster cycle times, preventing material breakage by maintaining desired pressure and vacuum levels, and allowing for higher pressures and deeper vacuums.
Implementation Method 1
If vacuum is provided in the first forming area and pressure is provided in the second forming area, the sheet material can be formed into a desired shape
Implementation Method 2
vacuum forming to pull the glass sheet to a mold surface
Implementation Method 3
pressure forming to force the glass sheet against a mold surface
Implementation Method 4
pressure is provided in the second forming area
Implementation Method 5
a direct seal is formed between the mold and sheet material, thereby creating a first forming area on one side of the sheet material
Data Source
AI summary
A mold has a sealing surface bearing a sealing profile. A plenum has a sealing surface bearing a sealing profile. The mold and plenum together form an apparatus for reforming a sheet material. In the closed position of the apparatus, the sealing profile of the mold is in opposing relation to the sealing profile of the plenum and the sealing profiles of the mold and plenum together define a profiled sealing gap. When the sheet material is wedged into the profiled sealing gap, a direct seal will be formed between the sheet material and each of the mold and plenum, resulting in two forming areas within the apparatus.