A method of forming a glass article includes providing a first glass sheet. The first glass sheet is heated to a temperature suitable for shaping. The first glass sheet is deposited on a first bending tool. An edge portion of the first glass sheet is disposed over a shaping surface of the first bending tool. The shaping surface of the first bending tool is configured to provide in the first glass sheet a compression area and a tension area. The first glass sheet is shaped on the first bending tool and the compression area is formed in the edge portion of the first glass sheet. The compression area includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a width which is greater than a width of a second portion.

An opaque gahnite-spinel glass ceramic is provided. The glass ceramic includes a first crystal phase including (Mg.sub.xZn.sub.1-x)Al.sub.2O.sub.4 where x is less than 1 and a second crystal phase includes at least one of tetragonal ZrO.sub.2, MgTa.sub.2O.sub.6, mullite, and cordierite. The glass ceramic has a Young's modulus greater than or equal to 90 GPa, and has a hardness greater than or equal to 7.5 GPa. The glass ceramic may be ion exchanged. Methods for producing the glass ceramic are also provided.

A device for manufacturing curved glass, includes a bending station that has a solid concave bending upper mold and a complementary lower countermold, the upper mold being placed above the lower countermold, a conveyor to convey the glass to a final holder placed under the bending upper mold, the final holder being circumscribed, seen from above, by the lower countermold, the final holder forming a surface for receiving the glass, the glass being in an optimal bending position when on this surface, the lower countermold being of the frame type and being able to move vertically in order to pass below or above the surface for receiving the glass, the bending upper mold and the lower countermold being able to move with a relative vertical movement that allows them to be brought together, in order to clamp therebetween the periphery of the glass, and to move apart from each other.

A device for manufacturing curved glass, includes a bending station that has a solid concave bending upper mold and a complementary lower countermold, the upper mold being placed above the lower countermold, a conveyor to convey the glass to a final holder placed under the bending upper mold, the final holder being circumscribed, seen from above, by the lower countermold, the final holder forming a surface for receiving the glass, the glass being in an optimal bending position when on this surface, the lower countermold being of the frame type and being able to move vertically in order to pass below or above the surface for receiving the glass, the bending upper mold and the lower countermold being able to move with a relative vertical movement that allows them to be brought together, in order to clamp therebetween the periphery of the glass, and to move apart from each other.

In some embodiments, a process comprises fixing a first portion of a flexible glass substrate into a first fixed shape with a first rigid support structure and attaching a first display to the first portion of the flexible glass substrate or to the first rigid support structure. After fixing the first portion and attaching the first display, and while maintaining the first fixed shape of the first portion of the flexible glass substrate and the attached first display, cold-forming a second portion of the flexible glass substrate to a second fixed shape and fixing the second portion of the flexible glass substrate into the second fixed shape with a second rigid support structure.

A gravity bending mould for bending glass panes, includes a frame-like support surface that is suitable for arranging a glass pane thereon and that has an outer edge and an inner edge, wherein the support surface has an outer region facing the outer edge, an inner region facing the inner edge, and a central region between the outer region and the inner region, and wherein the outer region is planar and horizontal, the central region is inclined toward the inner edge and is planar or curved, and the inner region has a curvature in the opposite direction to the curvature of the glass pane, and wherein the inner region is more strongly curved than the central region.

A gravity bending mould for bending glass panes, includes a frame-like support surface that is suitable for arranging a glass pane thereon and that has an outer edge and an inner edge, wherein the support surface has an outer region facing the outer edge, an inner region facing the inner edge, and a central region between the outer region and the inner region, and wherein the outer region is planar and horizontal, the central region is inclined toward the inner edge and is planar or curved, and the inner region has a curvature in the opposite direction to the curvature of the glass pane, and wherein the inner region is more strongly curved than the central region.

A method of molding a window for a display device includes: forming curved side surfaces and curved corners of the window, by pressing a heated preliminary window glass to a mold. The mold includes: a flat portion corresponding to a flat display portion of the display device; a window side surface bending portion corresponding to the side surfaces of the display device; and a window corner bending portion corresponding to the corners of the display device. The forming the curved side surfaces of the window includes pressing the heated preliminary window glass against the window side surface bending portion of the mold; and after the forming of the curved side surfaces, forming the curved corners and a flat portion of the window by further pressing the heated preliminary window glass respectively against the window corner bending portion and the flat portion of the mold.

Plate glasses of the same material are stacked each other to form a hollow portion between the plate glasses. The stacked plate glasses are heated to a temperature which is a softening point thereof or below and is a temperature or above at which the material can be diffusion-bonded at a predetermined pressure or higher. The heated and stacked plate glasses are pressed to a predetermined pressure or higher using a die. Together with or subsequent to the pressing, a gas pressure is applied into the hollow portion by feeding gas into the hollow portion. Next, the stacked plate glasses, in which the gas pressure is applied to the hollow portion, are cooled to the strain point while being held with the die.

Plate glasses of the same material are stacked each other to form a hollow portion between the plate glasses. The stacked plate glasses are heated to a temperature which is a softening point thereof or below and is a temperature or above at which the material can be diffusion-bonded at a predetermined pressure or higher. The heated and stacked plate glasses are pressed to a predetermined pressure or higher using a die. Together with or subsequent to the pressing, a gas pressure is applied into the hollow portion by feeding gas into the hollow portion. Next, the stacked plate glasses, in which the gas pressure is applied to the hollow portion, are cooled to the strain point while being held with the die.