A stress-engineered frangible structure includes multiple discrete glass members interconnected by inter-structure bonds to form a complex structural shape. Each glass member includes strengthened (i.e., by way of stress-engineering) glass material portions that are configured to transmit propagating fracture forces throughout the glass member. Each inter-structure bond includes a bonding member (e.g., glass-frit or adhesive) connected to weaker (e.g., untreated, unstrengthened, etched, or thinner) glass member region(s) disposed on one or both interconnected glass members that function to reliably transfer propagating fracture forces from one glass member to other glass member. An optional trigger mechanism generates an initial fracture force in a first (most-upstream) glass member, and the resulting propagating fracture forces are transferred by way of inter-structure bonds to all downstream glass members. One-way crack propagation is achieved by providing a weaker member region only on the downstream side of each inter-structure bond.

Disclosed herein are methods for making asymmetric laminate structures and methods for reducing bow in asymmetric laminate structures, the methods comprising differentially heating the laminate structures during lamination or differentially cooling the laminate structures after lamination. Also disclosed herein are methods for reducing bow in asymmetric laminate structures, the methods comprising subjecting at least one substrate in the laminate structure to asymmetric tempering or annealing prior to lamination. Further disclosed herein are laminate structures made according to such methods.

Apparatus, systems and methods for improving strength of a thin glass member for an electronic device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the glass member can have improved strength by using multi-bath chemical processing. The multi-bath chemical processing allows greater levels of strengthening to be achieved for glass member. In one embodiment, the glass member can pertain to a glass cover for a housing of an electronic device.

A stress-engineered frangible structure includes multiple discrete glass members interconnected by inter-structure bonds to form a complex structural shape. Each glass member includes strengthened (i.e., by way of stress-engineering) glass material portions that are configured to transmit propagating fracture forces throughout the glass member. Each inter-structure bond includes a bonding member (e.g., glass-frit or adhesive) connected to weaker (e.g., untreated, unstrengthened, etched, or thinner) glass member region(s) disposed on one or both interconnected glass members that function to reliably transfer propagating fracture forces from one glass member to other glass member. An optional trigger mechanism generates an initial fracture force in a first (most-upstream) glass member, and the resulting propagating fracture forces are transferred by way of inter-structure bonds to all downstream glass members. One-way crack propagation is achieved by providing a weaker member region only on the downstream side of each inter-structure bond.

A glass plate includes a main surface, and a microscopic asperity surface disposed on the main surface, the microscopic asperity surface forming peaks and valleys. When a reference plane is defined as a plane at a center, in a direction of height, of an interval of highest frequency in a histogram of height of shape data of a square region having 2 m per side in the microscopic asperity surface, the number of peaks that are higher than the reference plane by 20% or more of a maximum height difference in the square region is in a range between 1 or more and 300 or less.

The present invention provides a cover glass and a glass laminate which are reduced in warpage, and have excellent scratch resistance, low reflecting properties and excellent optical properties. According to the present invention, a cover glass and a glass laminate which are reduced in glass warpage, retain the effect of scratch resistance, and have low reflecting properties and excellent optical properties can be provided by alternately superposing a film including a high-refractive-index material and a film including a low-refractive-index material, in given amounts.

A transparent glass sheet is disclosed that includes at least one anti-glare surface having a plurality of discrete surface features with an average size equal to or less than 20 microns and one or more flat regions. At least a portion of the discrete surface features are spaced apart from one another, and each of the plurality of discrete surface features may be bounded by the flat regions. The discrete surface features may be spaced apart and separated by the flat regions. The transparent glass sheet may have a sparkle value of equal to or less than 3% as evaluated by an SMS bench tester using a display light source of 141 ppi. A method for making the anti-glare surface on the transparent glass sheet is also disclosed that includes introducing the transparent glass sheet to a roughening solution and acid polishing the anti-glare surface.

A stress-engineered frangible structure includes multiple discrete glass members interconnected by inter-structure bonds to form a complex structural shape. Each glass member includes strengthened (i.e., by way of stress-engineering) glass material portions that are configured to transmit propagating fracture forces throughout the glass member. Each inter-structure bond includes a bonding member (e.g., glass-frit or adhesive) connected to weaker (e.g., untreated, unstrengthened, etched, or thinner) glass member region(s) disposed on one or both interconnected glass members that function to reliably transfer propagating fracture forces from one glass member to other glass member. An optional trigger mechanism generates an initial fracture force in a first (most-upstream) glass member, and the resulting propagating fracture forces are transferred by way of inter-structure bonds to all downstream glass members. One-way crack propagation is achieved by providing a weaker member region only on the downstream side of each inter-structure bond.

According to one embodiment, a floating conveyor is configured to convey a substrate while floating the substrate. The floating conveyor includes a lower floating section and an upper floating section with a conveying path of the substrate therebetween. A plurality of floating blocks that constitute at least one of the lower floating section and the upper floating section are arranged to be separated by a space, and a floating block that constitutes the other is arranged to face the space.

A compressed skins-tensioned core structure includes a first surface region; a second surface region; a core between the first surface region and the second surface region; a first transition region continuous with the first surface region at a side, and continuous with the core at another side; and a second transition region continuous with the core at a side, and continuous with the second surface region at another side, wherein each of the first surface region, the second surface region, the core, the first transition region and the second transition region is formed of a substantially homogeneous amorphous material; each of the first surface region and the second surface region exhibits an internal compressive stress, the core exhibits an internal tensile stress, and each of the first transition region and the second transition region exhibits a stress gradient from the internal compressive stress to the internal tensile stress.