A method of fabricating an acoustic device includes forming a plurality of holes in a panel, disposing the panel in a support frame, and heating the panel to a temperature such that the panel sags while disposed in the support frame and each hole of the plurality of holes is modified.

There is provided an apparatus for molding a glass substrate, the apparatus including a pre-heating unit, a molding unit, and a cooling unit sequentially arranged, wherein the pre-heating unit includes a pre-heating body and a glass substrate holder, wherein the molding unit includes: a molding body having a vacuum port, a molding support on the molding body, the molding support being configured to support an edge of a glass substrate, and a heating element configured to heat the molding body, and wherein the cooling unit includes a cooling body and a cooling plate.

A method of making a transparent article includes mixing an oxygen source, a nitrogen source, a magnesium source, a silicon source and a calcium source. The oxygen source, the nitrogen source, the magnesium source, the silicon source, and the calcium source are milled and heated to form a molten oxynitride glass modified by calcium and magnesium. The molten oxynitride glass modified by calcium and magnesium is then cooled to form a transparent body having ballistic resistance with a level of performance satisfying Level IV of National Institute of Justice Standard 0108.01. Transparent articles having transparent bodies formed from the oxynitride glass are also described.

A laminated, bent, safety glass panel (30) for architectural or interior uses and a method of manufacturing such panels. The panel comprises a single heat-treated bent glass sheet, fully-tempered or heat-strengthened, forming a substrate (32) encapsulated by at least one thin, chemically-strengthened, glass veneer sheet (38). The veneer sheet (38), an alkali-aluminosilicate or other alkali-containing glass recipe strengthened by ion-exchange treatment, is cold-bent over a polymer interlayer (40) and permanently laminated to form a protective barrier on the heat-treated glass that dampens the explosive release of its internal residual stresses in the event of breakage thereby preventing particles dislodging and subsequent disintegration. The vulnerable perimeter (37) and perforation (45) edges of the veneer sheet (38) are equal in size or inset to the edges of the heat-treated substrate (32) with its deeper robust compressive stresses. Veneers may be laminated to both major substrate surfaces.

The invention relates to a device for bending sheets of glass, comprising an upper bending form and a bending support, the upper bending form and/or the bending support being laterally mobile relative to one another, the bending support comprising a pre-bending mold for the gravity bending of a sheet of glass and a press-bending mold configured for pressing the sheet of glass against the upper form, of these two molds of the bending support one being surrounded by the other when viewed from above, at least one of these two molds of the bending support being able to be given a relative vertical movement with respect to the other.

Methods of making multilayer glass structure are described. The method involves providing first and second glass sheets, and a first enamel composition layer and at least one separation layer between the first and second glass sheets, and firing the glass sheets to sinter the first enamel composition to the first glass sheet. The separation layer is a black pigment separation layer, a refractory material separation layer, or an oxidizer separation layer. The separation layer can improve separation of the first and second glass sheets after the firing.

A glass sheet forming method utilizes first and second upper molds and a lower mold to provide three stage forming. The glass is curved on the upper mold in the first stage but retains straight line elements transverse to the curvature. Transfer of the initially formed glass sheet from the first upper mold to the lower mold then provides the second stage of gravity forming and the glass sheet is then press formed between the second upper mold and the lower mold in the third stage which reduces optical distortion in the central viewing area of the formed glass sheet. In one embodiment the glass sheet is moved horizontally on the lower mold, and in another embodiment the glass sheet is moved horizontally on the first upper mold.

A glass sheet forming method utilizes first and second upper molds and a lower mold to provide three stage forming. The glass is curved on the upper mold in the first stage but retains straight line elements transverse to the curvature. Transfer of the initially formed glass sheet from the first upper mold to the lower mold then provides the second stage of gravity forming and the glass sheet is then press formed between the second upper mold and the lower mold in the third stage which reduces optical distortion in the central viewing area of the formed glass sheet. In one embodiment the glass sheet is moved horizontally on the lower mold, and in another embodiment the glass sheet is moved horizontally on the first upper mold.

There is provided a method for heating a thermoplastic plate to be subjected to bending which is horizontally arranged while holding at least part of a peripheral edge portion of the thermoplastic plate, causing a portion inside the peripheral edge portion to sag under a self-weight, and bending the thermoplastic plate to a desired curvature. The method includes applying tension in a planar direction of the thermoplastic plate at the time of holding at least the part of the peripheral edge portion of the thermoplastic plate in a molding frame defining a peripheral edge shape in a shape as a goal for reshaping. Since the thermoplastic plate is pulled in the planar direction during the heating of the thermoplastic plate, moderate tension acts on the thermoplastic plate to prevent breakage. The degree of curvature of the thermoplastic plate can be adjusted by adjusting the mass of each weight.

There is provided a method for heating a thermoplastic plate to be subjected to bending which is horizontally arranged while holding at least part of a peripheral edge portion of the thermoplastic plate, causing a portion inside the peripheral edge portion to sag under a self-weight, and bending the thermoplastic plate to a desired curvature. The method includes applying tension in a planar direction of the thermoplastic plate at the time of holding at least the part of the peripheral edge portion of the thermoplastic plate in a molding frame defining a peripheral edge shape in a shape as a goal for reshaping. Since the thermoplastic plate is pulled in the planar direction during the heating of the thermoplastic plate, moderate tension acts on the thermoplastic plate to prevent breakage. The degree of curvature of the thermoplastic plate can be adjusted by adjusting the mass of each weight.