Versatile glass forming conveyor with 3-D vacuum forming capability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12448313-B2
Application number	US-202117916454-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

Various aspects of methods and systems are provided, which detail: a method, comprising: depositing a hot, flexible glass-containing ribbon along a plurality of sequentially conveyed molds; rolling a pinch roller over the surface of the glass-containing ribbon, such that at least one pinch region is actuated in the glass ribbon as the glass ribbon is pinched between a pinch edge of the pinch roller and the surface of the mold; and cooling the glass ribbon, separating the glass ribbon along the pinch region into discrete glass parts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
depositing a hot flexible glass-containing ribbon along a plurality of sequentially conveyed molds;
rolling a pressure roller over a surface of the glass-containing ribbon, such that at least one pinch region is actuated in the glass-containing ribbon as the glass-containing ribbon is pinched between a protruding pinch edge of the pressure roller and a surface of the mold, wherein the at least one pinch region has a cross-sectional thickness that is not greater than 75% of a cross-sectional thickness of the glass-containing ribbon;
cooling the glass-containing ribbon; and
separating the glass-containing ribbon along the at least one pinch region into discrete glass parts.

2. The method of claim 1 , further wherein a perimetrical edge of each of the discrete glass parts is defined by the at least one pinch region.

3. The method of claim 2 , further wherein the at least one pinch region is at least one of the edges of the glass-containing ribbon.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rolling of the pressure roller over the surface of the glass-containing ribbon is performed such that the pressure roller is actuated in the glass-containing ribbon as the glass-containing ribbon is pressed between a first three-dimensional surface pattern of the mold comprising a cavity and the pressure roller, and wherein the cooling of the glass-containing ribbon forms a three-dimensional patterned surface glass-containing ribbon, wherein each mold is configured with a first three-dimensional surface pattern.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the pressure roller has a surface defined with a second three-dimensional pattern.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each mold comprises a three-dimensional part shape in the surface of each mold with vacuum engaging portions, wherein the method further comprises negatively pressurizing a cavity defined between the glass-containing ribbon and the mold surface via the vacuum engaging portions, thereby forming the glass-containing ribbon to the surface of the three-dimensional part shape, wherein the rolling of the pressure roller over the surface of the glass-containing ribbon is performed such that the pressure roller engages the glass-containing ribbon towards the mold, and wherein the cooling of the glass-containing ribbon forms a three-dimensional glass part.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Bressler Douglas Dale
• Deneka David Alan
• Lock William Edward
• Maccormack Phillip Richard
• Sonner Thomas Matthew

Classifications

• C03B35/142

  by travelling transporting tables · CPC title

• C03B33/0235

  Ribbons · CPC title

• C03B33/033

  Apparatus for opening score lines in glass sheets · CPC title

• C03B13/183

  Receiving tables or roller beds for the rolled plateglass · CPC title

• C03B13/08 Primary

  Rolling patterned sheets {, e.g. sheets having a surface pattern} · CPC title