Cold formed 3D product and processes using vacuum chuck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11993148-B2
Application number	US-202017606490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2020
Priority date	Apr 29, 2019
Publication date	May 28, 2024
Grant date	May 28, 2024

Abstract

The disclosure relates to vacuum forming methods, apparatuses and resulting displays that represent improvements in various key areas. The methods, for example, greatly improve manufacturing throughput through reduced curing times. The methods further facilitate improved control of glass shape to a targeted shape and improved control of bond line thickness, which result in improved survivability and long-term reliability, for example.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for housing a plurality of display modules within a vehicle interior system, comprising:
a frame having a curved central portion, a first wing portion connected to a first side of the curved central portion and defining a first opening configured to receive a first one of the plurality of display modules therein, and a second wing portion connected to an opposing second side of the curved central portion and defining a second opening configured to receive a second one of the plurality of display modules therein;
a glass substrate positioned on the frame and including a curved central portion interfacing with the curved central portion of the frame, a first wing portion interfacing with the first wing portion of the frame and covering the first opening, and a second wing portion interfacing with the second wing portion of the frame and covering the second opening; and
a bonding medium attaching the glass substrate to the frame, wherein the bonding medium has a thickness between the glass substrate and the frame that varies by less than 400 μm, wherein one or more of the first wing portion of the glass substrate, the first wing portion of the frame, the second wing portion of the glass substrate and the second wing portion of the frame each have at least one surface that is substantially flat with a curvature that varies by less than or equal to 0.250 units of Diopter in magnitude.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first wing portion of the glass substrate and the second wing portion of the glass substrate each have at least one major surface that is substantially flat with a curvature that varies by less than or equal to 0.100 Diopter in magnitude.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the curved central portion of the glass substrate has a radius of curvature that is within 100 μm of a radius of curvature of the curved central portion of the frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the curved central portion of the frame and the curved central portion of the glass substrate each have a radius of curvature of at least 20 mm but less than 2000 mm.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bonding medium comprises a structural adhesive.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a spacer positioned between the frame and the glass substrate and positioned adjacent the bonding medium.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the spacer comprises one or more of VHB tape, foam tape, rigid polymer, compliant polymer or fully or partially cured structural adhesive.

8. An apparatus for housing a plurality of display modules within an interior of a vehicle, comprising:
a frame having a curved central portion and configured to house at least one of the plurality of display modules therein;
a glass substrate attached to and positioned on the frame and including a curved central portion interfacing with the curved central portion of the frame, wherein the curved central portion of the glass substrate has a radius of curvature that is within 100 μm of a radius of curvature of the curved central portion of the frame, wherein the frame further comprises:
a first wing portion connected to a first side of the central portion and defining a first opening configured to receive one of the plurality of display modules therein, and
a second wing portion connected to an opposing second side of the central portion and defining a second opening configured to receive another of the plurality of display modules therein,

wherein the glass substrate further comprises:
a first wing portion interfacing with the first wing portion of the frame and covering the first opening, and
a second wing portion interfacing with the second wing portion of the frame and covering the second opening,
wherein the first wing portion of the glass substrate and the second wing portion of the glass substrate each have at least one major surface that is substantially flat with a curvature that varies by less than or equal to 0.150 Diopter in magnitude.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the glass substrate is attached to the frame by a bonding medium, and wherein the bonding medium has a thickness between the glass substrate and the frame that varies by less than 400 μm.

10. A method of forming a display for mounting one or more display modules in a vehicle interior system, the method comprising:
positioning a glass substrate on a forming apparatus, wherein the forming apparatus has a plurality of forming pieces each with a major surface configured to interface with the glass substrate, wherein the major surface of at least one of the plurality of forming pieces has a radius of curvature;
applying an air pressure differential with the forming apparatus to cause the glass substrate to deform and assume a shape along a major surface thereof corresponding to that of each major surface of the forming apparatus, wherein a portion of the major surface of the glass substrate deforms to have a radius of curvature corresponding with the radius of curvature of the major surface at least one of the plurality of forming pieces;
applying a structural adhesive to one or more of a frame and the glass substrate;
positioning the frame on the glass substrate with the structural adhesive positioned therebetween;
applying a desired force to the frame to compress the structural adhesive to a desired thickness; removing the glass substrate from one or more of the plurality of forming pieces of the forming apparatus while maintaining the glass substrate clamped to the at least one of the plurality of forming pieces; and
maintaining applying the desired force to compress the structural adhesive to the desired thickness for a desired duration of time with the glass substrate clamped to the at least one of the plurality of forming pieces and with the glass substrate removed from one or more of the plurality of forming pieces of the forming apparatus.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of forming pieces includes a central forming piece that comprises the at least one of the plurality of forming pieces with the major surface with the radius of curvature.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of forming pieces further includes a first wing piece with the major surface thereof that is substantially flat and a second wing piece with the major surface thereof that is substantially flat.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the applying the desired force to the frame to compress the adhesive to the desired thickness is controlled by a mechanical stop.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein applying the air pressure differential with the forming apparatus includes applying a different amount of the air pressure differential for one or more of the plurality of forming pieces.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the major surface of the forming apparatus defines a plurality of channels that communicate with the glass substrate to allow for applying the air pressure differential.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Knowles Peter
• Schweiger Christopher Mark
• Timmons Christopher Lee
• Weikel Arlin Lee

Classifications

• B60K35/50 Primary

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K2360/1523

  Matrix displays · CPC title

• B60K2360/1526

  Dual-view displays · CPC title

• G01D11/305

  Panel mounting of instruments · CPC title

• B60K37/20 Primary

  Dashboard panels · CPC title