Methods are provided for laser processing arbitrary shapes of molded 3D thin transparent brittle parts from substrates with particular interest in substrates formed from strengthened or non-strengthened Corning Gorilla® glass (all codes). The developed laser methods can be tailored for manual separation of the parts from the panel or full laser separation by thermal stressing the desired profile. Methods can be used to form 3D surfaces with small radii of curvature. The method involves the utilization of an ultra-short pulse laser that may be optionally followed by a CO.sub.2 laser for fully automated separation.

Methods of shaping a glass sheet are described comprising heating the glass sheet to a temperature for shaping; positioning the glass sheet on a shaping support; shaping the glass sheet on the shaping support, wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet at least one portion of the glass sheet is deliberately cooled. In preferred embodiments, the shaping of the glass sheet involves press bending a heat softened glass sheet between a lower shaping support and an upper shaping member, and wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support only a portion of the major surface of the glass sheet facing the lower shaping support is cooled by directing one or more jet of air onto said portion.

A device for bending glass panes, includes a lower press-bending mould with a frame-shaped contact surface, an upper press-bending mould arranged opposite the contact surface, wherein the lower press-bending mould and the upper press-bending mould are suitable for reshaping a glass pane situated therebetween by pressing, wherein the side edge of the glass pane rests on the contact surface along a contact line, wherein during pressing, the contact line migrates from a first contact line all the way to a pressing line, and wherein the contact surface between the first contact line and the pressing line is convexly curved.

A curved cover glass includes a plate-like glass body having a first surface, a second surface facing the first surface and at least one end face. The plate-like glass body has an average thickness of 5 mm or less. Among tangential directions on the first surface at an arbitrary point, when an X-axis is assumed to be a direction in which a first curvature radius R.sub.1 in cross-section of the first surface in an XZ plane is minimum, the first surface has a curvature part in which the surface is bent in the X-axis direction at least at one point on the first surface. The first curvature radius R.sub.1 is 10,000 mm or less. The curvature part includes at least one opening or concave part extending from the first surface to the second surface.

A method for manufacturing a bent substrate, which forms a bent part in at least a part of a substrate, in which the substrate includes a second region and a first region, the method for manufacturing including: supporting the first region of the substrate on a substrate support surface of a support member including a mold surface having a same curved surface shape as that of the bent part and the substrate support surface that supports the first region, in a state of facing the second region of the substrate to the mold surface; heating the second region of the substrate to soften the second region of the substrate by the heating; placing the second region along the mold surface of the support member by an own weight of the second region; and transferring the curved surface shape of the mold surface to the second region by an external force.

A device for conveying sheets of glass running one after another, includes at least one roller including a conveying zone for the sheets of glass, the device including actuators situated on either side of the conveying zone that are able to curve the roller in its range of elastic deformation while leaving it able to be driven in rotation about fixed centers of the sections thereof, the actuators being able to give the roller, on either side of the conveying zone, a level and a direction that give it an asymmetric shape with respect to the plane that is orthogonal thereto and situated equidistantly from the actuators.

The insulated glass unit (IGU) that replicates a historic glass window includes a single simulated divided light glass pane, a low-e glass layer, and spacer grills disposed therebetween. True divided light glass window panes are scanned to obtain surface characteristic data, subsequently used to design a pane that includes slumped areas corresponding to the unique topological characteristics of antique glass, separated by flat areas. The flat surfaces provide for sealing the IGU with the spacer grills, while the optics of the original historic glass are preserved via the slumped areas. A mold of the designed pane is then 3D printed in furan resin sand, and a glass layer is melted over the mold to create a one-piece pane that includes the antique features. Accurate replication of these windows enables historic building renovation with modern insulated windows with less sealing while retaining the original appearance, providing improvements in longevity and efficiency.

The insulated glass unit (IGU) that replicates a historic glass window includes a single simulated divided light glass pane, a low-e glass layer, and spacer grills disposed therebetween. True divided light glass window panes are scanned to obtain surface characteristic data, subsequently used to design a pane that includes slumped areas corresponding to the unique topological characteristics of antique glass, separated by flat areas. The flat surfaces provide for sealing the IGU with the spacer grills, while the optics of the original historic glass are preserved via the slumped areas. A mold of the designed pane is then 3D printed in furan resin sand, and a glass layer is melted over the mold to create a one-piece pane that includes the antique features. Accurate replication of these windows enables historic building renovation with modern insulated windows with less sealing while retaining the original appearance, providing improvements in longevity and efficiency.

Method for manufacturing a flush vehicle glazing that allows to achieve a perfect alignment between the adjacent sections of the glazing vehicle area in the final assembled product by providing a vehicle glass panel which comprise at least two adjacent sections of the vehicle glazing area in one single panel, followed by bending the vehicle glass panel and LASER cutting before cooling thereof.

A glass-based preform for a mirror of a heads-up display (HUD) system, including a glass-based substrate having a first major surface, a second major surface opposite to the first major surface, and a minor surface connecting the first and second major surfaces; a first chamfer at an edge of the first major surface, the first chamfer having a first end at an intersection of the first chamfer and the first major surface and having a second end at an intersection of the first chamfer and the minor surface; and a second chamfer at an edge of the second major surface, the second chamfer having a first end at an intersection of the second chamfer and the second major surface and having a second end at an intersection of the second chamfer and the minor surface. The first chamfer has a different size or shape from the second chamfer.