A laminated includes two bent glass substrates, a polymer interlayer between the glass substrates, and a notch or orifice cut in an entire thickness of the glazing. The glazing includes a border of compressive edge stresses obtained by general controlled cooling of the substrates in a paired state so that compressive stresses are generated at the border, and a local compression zone, different from the border, and obtained by local controlled cooling of a local area of a main surface of the glazing so that compressive stresses are generated in theid local compression zone. The notch or orifice is located in the local compression zone and made in the substrates in a paired state after forming the local compression zone so that cut contours of the substrates in the notch or orifice have a perfect superposition. The compressive edge stresses of the cut contours are greater than 4 MPa.

A method for fabricating three-dimensional microstructures is presented. The method includes: disposing a substantially planar reflow material between two molds; heating the reflow material while the reflow material is disposed between the two molds; and reflowing the reflow material towards the bottom surface of one of the molds by creating a pressure gradient across the reflow material. At least one of molds includes geometrics features that help to shape the reflow material and thereby form a complex three-dimensional microstructure.

A process and system for forming a curved glass article from a sheet of glass material is provided. The process and system includes supporting a glass sheet on a shaping frame and then heating the sheet of glass material while supported by the shaping frame such that the central region of the sheet of glass material deforms into an open central cavity of the bending frame. The process and/or system are configured such that an aspect of the heating experienced by an outer region of the sheet of glass material is less than an aspect of the heating experienced by the central region of the sheet of glass material. The aspect of heating may be the average temperature, the maximum temperature and/or the heating rate, which Applicant believes may reduce certain defects during the shaping operation.

A device for bending sheets of glass, includes conveying rollers that convey the sheets one after another in a longitudinal direction, carrying them under an upper bending die and onto a receiving surface formed by the upper level of the rollers under the die. The device includes an intermediate support including a contact path for supporting the sheet of glass to be pressed lying under the die. The contact path has, parallel to the edge of the sheet to be pressed, a curvature that is less accentuated than the curvature that is to be imparted by the upper die. The intermediate support can rise above the receiving surface and support the sheet to be pressed until the sheet breaks contact with the rollers. The intermediate support can be lowered down below the receiving surface. A sheet-pressing system can press the periphery of the sheet against the upper bending die.

A method of forming a 3D glass article from a glass sheet includes locating the glass sheet on a mold assembly including a mold surface with a 3D surface profile corresponding to that of the 3D glass article. The glass sheet is heated to a forming temperature. The forming temperature is greater than a temperature of the mold surface. The heated glass sheet is forced onto the mold surface by applying a pressurized gas to a first surface of the glass sheet opposite the mold surface to conform the glass sheet to the mold surface with the glass sheet at the forming temperature that is greater than the temperature of the mold surface.

A glass forming furnace includes a forming zone, a cleaning zone, a plurality of sealing doors, and a conveying channel. The forming zone includes a pressure device. The pressure device includes a servo motor, a push rod, and a mold pressurizing mechanism. The push rod is connected with the servo motor. The push rod includes an end notch and an embedded structure. The mold pressurizing mechanism includes an inlet notch. The inlet notch is connected with the embedded structure. Wherein, the end notch is in contact with the inlet notch. The cleaning zone includes an active brush mechanism. The sealing doors are disposed at an inlet and an outlet of the forming zone, respectively. The sealing doors each include a valve. The valve has a cross-sectional thickness that is gradually decreased from top to bottom. The conveying channel passes through the forming zone and the cleaning zone. The conveying channel is configured to convey a plurality of glass forming molds. The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the heating zone can be sealed and the molds can be cleaned more effectively.

A non-contact shaping device includes a first fixture including a fixing section structured to alternately blow out and suck in gas. The fixing section may fix, through suction of gas, a glass plate thereon. An optic heat source processing device is selectively set above predetermined portions of the glass plate to heat, in a non-contact manner, and thus soften, in a temperature-controlled manner, the portions for curving and suspending downward along an edge of the fixing section. The curved glass plate is then lifted up through blowing gas from the first fixture. The second fixture selectively covers the curved glass plate and blow gas therefrom to flow, in collaborative combination with the gas blown from the first fixture, around surfaces of the curved glass plate for cooling and fixing a shape of the curved glass plate in a non-contact manner to form a three-dimensional curve-surfaced glass product.

A method of forming a 3D glass article from a glass sheet includes locating the glass sheet on a mold assembly including a mold surface with a 3D surface profile corresponding to that of the 3D glass article. The glass sheet is heated to a forming temperature. The forming temperature is greater than a temperature of the mold surface. The heated glass sheet is forced onto the mold surface by applying a pressurized gas to a first surface of the glass sheet opposite the mold surface to conform the glass sheet to the mold surface with the glass sheet at the forming temperature that is greater than the temperature of the mold surface.

A glass article including a first main surface, a second main surface, and an end face, in which: the glass article includes an antiglare layer on the first main surface side; the antiglare layer has a glass transition point Tg of equal to or less than a glass transition point Tg.sub.0 of the glass article at a center portion in a cross section along a thickness direction; and the first main surface has a protrusion diameter y (m) that satisfies the relation (1) with respect to a 60 specular gloss (gloss value) x (%) of the first main surface,

y>0.0245x+3.65(1).

A system for levitating a softened, viscous or viscoelastic material by near field acoustic levitation. The system includes a support structure having a rigid surface, and a vibration generator operatively connected to the rigid surface. The vibration generator transmits acoustic waves to the rigid surface at a frequency and an amplitude sufficient to vibrate the rigid surface and create a gas squeeze film between the material and the rigid surface. The gas squeeze film has a pressure greater than ambient air pressure and sufficient to levitate the material. The system is particularly suited for transporting, forming, or casting heated glass. Also disclosed are methods for transporting, forming, and casting heated glass using near field acoustic levitation.