The present invention relates to a device and method for bending at least one glass pane. The device includes: a gravity bending mould with a supporting surface, which is suitable for arranging at least one glass pane thereon; an upper shaping tool arranged opposite the supporting surface, the upper shaping tool being suitable for producing an overpressure on a surface of the at least one glass pane arranged on the supporting surface, and the surface of the at least one glass pane faces away from the supporting surface. The shaping tool has a cover that forms a hollow space open in the direction of the gravity bending mould and is equipped with a sealing lip arranged on an edge section of the cover for making contact with the surface of the at least one glass pane, and the shaping tool is equipped with means for introducing a gas into the hollow space in order to produce the overpressure.

A device and method for bending a glass pane. The device includes a gravity bending mould with a supporting surface, which is suitable for arranging a glass pane thereon; and an upper shaping tool arranged opposite the supporting surface. The upper shaping tool is suitable for producing an overpressure on the top surface of the glass pane arranged on the supporting surface. The top surface faces away from the supporting surface. The shaping tool has a cover that forms a hollow space open in the direction of the gravity bending mould and is equipped with means for introducing a gas into the hollow space in order to produce the overpressure. The hollow space is divided by a separating wall into two subspaces such that a different pressure can be produced in two regions of the surface. The shaping tool is equipped with a common gas feed line, and the separating wall extends to the common gas feed line.

A glass sheet forming system (10) has two parallel forming lines (12) that can utilize any two of three forming stations (18) to provide versatility in use for forming different glass sheet jobs of different sizes and shapes while reducing switchover time from one job to the next.

A support structure for supporting a heated glass sheet in connection with a bending operation includes a frame, a support ring adjustably supported on the frame for supporting a peripheral portion of the glass sheet, and multiple rib assemblies associated with the frame. Each rib assembly includes a laterally extending rib supported on the frame and multiple spaced apart support members connected to the rib and configured such that at least a portion of each support member is adjustable with respect to the rib. Furthermore, each support member is configured to contact a respective inner portion of the glass sheet to support the respective inner portion of the glass sheet until the glass sheet has been sufficiently cooled.

According to an embodiment, a method for manufacturing a spring structure (glass spring structure) comprises: providing a mold substrate and a cover substrate comprising a glass material, said mold substrate and said cover substrate being connected, wherein a surface area of the mold substrate and/or of the cover substrate is structured to form a closed (or enclosed or sealed) surrounding cavity between the cover substrate and the mold substrate, tempering the cover substrate and the mold substrate to decrease the viscosity of the glass material of the cover substrate, and providing an overpressure in the closed surrounding cavity with respect to the ambient atmosphere, to cause, based on the decreased viscosity of the glass material of the cover substrate and the overpressure in the closed surrounding cavity with respect to the ambient atmosphere, bulging of the glass material of the cover substrate starting from the closed surrounding cavity to obtain a cover substrate provided with a surrounding glass bulge, and(subsequently) removing the mold substrate from the cover substrate to obtain the spring structure with the surrounding glass bulge.

A lift device for lifting a glass sheet in a glass processing system includes a lift jet array having peripheral lift jet outlets and inner lift jet outlets disposed inwardly of the peripheral lift jet outlets. Furthermore, each lift jet outlet is operable to allow gas to flow toward the glass sheet. The lift device also includes a control unit for controlling operation of the lift jet outlets, and the control unit is configured to commence operation of at least one of the inner lift jet outlets prior to commencing operation of at least one of the peripheral lift jet outlets.

A method of shaping a glass-based substrate including placing a glass-based substrate on a mold having a mold surface with a 3D surface profile, heating the glass-based substrate to a shaping temperature, creating a sealed environment above the glass-based substrate, and adjusting the pressure in the sealed environment with a pressurized gas to conform the glass-based substrate to the profile of the mold surface to create a shaped glass-based article. The shaped glass-based article may be free of distortions having a height to width ratio greater than 210.sup.4.

A glass sheet forming system (10) has two parallel forming lines (12) that can utilize any two of three forming stations (18) to provide versatility in use for forming different glass sheet jobs of different sizes and shapes while reducing switchover time from one job to the next.

A lift device for lifting a glass sheet in a glass processing system includes a lift jet array having peripheral lift jet outlets and inner lift jet outlets disposed inwardly of the peripheral lift jet outlets. Furthermore, each lift jet outlet is operable to allow gas to flow toward the glass sheet. The lift device also includes a control unit for controlling operation of the lift jet outlets, and the control unit is configured to commence operation of at least one of the inner lift jet outlets prior to commencing operation of at least one of the peripheral lift jet outlets.

A method of making a shaped laminated glass article, including: a first heating to a first temperature of at least a first area of a laminated glass sheet having a core and at least one clad layer on the core, the first heating is above the softening point of the first area; a second heating to a second temperature of at least a second area of the laminated glass sheet, the second heating is above the softening point of the second area; and deforming at least a portion of the second softened area of the laminated glass sheet to form the shaped laminated glass article, wherein the first temperature is different from the second temperature, the first area is greater than the second area, and the first area encompasses the second area.

Also disclosed is shaped laminated glass article that can be made by the disclosed method.