Disclosed are apparatuses for shaping a glass structure, the apparatuses having a plurality of rib members, each rib member comprising at least one void and at least one shaping edge; and at least one support member. The apparatuses can further comprise a shaping member and/or a guide member and/or a shaping groove. Also disclosed herein are methods for shaping a glass structure, the methods comprising positioning the glass structure on a shaping apparatus and heating the glass structure to shape the glass structure.

A frame for supporting a sheet of glass, referred to as a suction frame, includes a contact path for receiving the periphery of the underside face of the sheet of glass, and includes a suction system able to apply suction to the underside face of the sheet in order to enhance the retention of the sheet by the frame. This frame may form part of a device for the hot-bending of the sheet and convey the sheet with high acceleration or deceleration through a heating enclosure for the purposes of the hot-bending of the sheet.

A bending station for a bending device, includes two bending molds, a pressing frame arranged to adapt to the glass sheet and to press it against an upper mold, the upper mold including a molding face, the area of which, defined by projecting the contour of the upper mold onto a horizontal plane, is greater than the area defined by projecting the outer contour of the pressing frame and the glass sheet onto the same horizontal plane, the pressing frame including a pressing ring having a continuous surface, the upper mold including a flexible sheet associated with an upper series of translational elements, wherein the upper mold is able to deform under the effect of the translational elements of the upper series in order to obtain a deflection value varying by at least 5 mm.

A cover for a radar sensor for motor vehicles, which has a wall provided with a three-dimensional relief structure, in which the wall including the relief structure is made of deep-drawn glass.

Disclosed are apparatuses for shaping a glass structure, the apparatuses having a plurality of rib members, each rib member comprising at least one void and at least one shaping edge; and at least one support member. The apparatuses can further comprise a shaping member and/or a guide member and/or a shaping groove. Also disclosed herein are methods for shaping a glass structure, the methods comprising positioning the glass structure on a shaping apparatus and heating the glass structure to shape the glass structure.

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.

With conventional bent glass plates and fabricating method thereof, it has been difficult to fabricate bent glass plates with high productivity while achieving both high shape precision and high surface smoothness. According to the present invention directed to a glass plate with 2 mm or less thickness, a bent glass plate for optical use with a shape precision PV value of 50 m or less and a surface roughness Ra value of 5 nm or less was achieved by appropriately controlling the temperature of the glass plate, the temperatures of upper and lower press dies, and the press pressure; and quickly and uniformly cooling the glass plate to a predetermined temperature.

A shaping tool includes a membrane made of a polymer material, the membrane having a shaping surface, and a thermalization system inserted into the membrane. Moreover, a method for constructing a membrane of a shaping tool includes providing a mold with a shape of the membrane to be made and a polymer material that constitutes the membrane; pouring the material into the mold; cross-linking the material; providing a thermalization device and providing a device for increasing thermal conductivity.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for modifying the shape of a hollow structure. The method may comprise steps of providing a hollow structure having a cross-section with first and second diameters defining a first aspect ratio; heating at least a part of the hollow structure to at least its glass transition temperature, forming a malleable hollow structure; maintaining a positive pressure inside the malleable hollow structure to form a pressurized hollow structure; and pressing against a first side and an opposed second side of a heated part of the pressurized hollow structure, forming a hollow tabular structure having first and second opposed generally flat faces and a second aspect ratio greater than the first aspect ratio.

The heat resistant separation fabric for use as tool cover in glass processing comprises heat resistant yarns (100). The heat resistant yarns comprise a core (110) and at least one wrap yarn (123, 125). The core is a core yarn. The core yarn is a multifilament glass yarn. The at least one wrap yarns (123, 125) comprises stainless steel fibers. The core yarn is present in the heat resistant yarn without crimp. The at least one wrap yarn is wrapped around the core yarn.