Automotive glass structures having curves and feature lines and methods for forming the same are provided. An example method includes applying localized heat (e.g., via a laser, heating element) to a location of a substantially planar glass structure and bending the glass structure at that location (e.g., along a line of the planar glass structure) to form a feature line in the glass structure. The bending can be formed to have a radius of curvature of between 2 mm and 5 cm. Additional layers of curved or joined glass layers may further be included to form a curved multi-layer glass structure for automotive use.

A windshield for a vehicle and a method for manufacturing the windshield are provided in the disclosure. The windshield includes an outer glass panel, an inner glass panel, and an intermediate adhesive layer. An opaque masking layer is disposed on at least one surface of the windshield. The opaque masking layer includes a dark ceramic-ink layer and an ultraviolet-drying ink layer. The dark ceramic-ink layer has a first no-ink region, the ultraviolet-drying ink layer is located in the first no-ink region, the ultraviolet-drying ink layer has a light transmitting region. According to the disclosure, an optical quality of the light transmitting region can be ensured, a diopter of the light transmitting region is less than or equal to 200 mdpt.

Glass laminates, comprising more than one glass composition, are becoming increasingly common as the industry moves towards lighter and stronger glazing. Bending dissimilar glass compositions can present problems. A mismatch in the glass viscosity curves, especially in the viscoelastic region of the compositions can result in one layer becoming softer than one of the other layers during the thermal bending process. As a result, economical processes, such as gravity or press bending in which multiple glass layers are simultaneously bent, may not be practical to use forcing the use of more expensive single glass layer bending processes. By thermal treatment processes the fictive temperature of at least one of the glass compositions prior to bending can be shifted to better match the other compositions allowing the glass layers to be simultaneously bent.

Glass laminates, comprising more than one glass composition, are becoming increasingly common as the industry moves towards lighter and stronger glazing. Bending dissimilar glass compositions can present problems. A mismatch in the glass viscosity curves, especially in the viscoelastic region of the compositions can result in one layer becoming softer than one of the other layers during the thermal bending process. As a result, economical processes, such as gravity or press bending in which multiple glass layers are simultaneously bent, may not be practical to use forcing the use of more expensive single glass layer bending processes. By thermal treatment processes the fictive temperature of at least one of the glass compositions prior to bending can be shifted to better match the other compositions allowing the glass layers to be simultaneously bent.

An article includes an optical transforming layer and a guide region positioned inside and adjacent to at least a portion of a perimeter of the optical transforming layer. The guide region comprises an inlet end positioned adjacent to a first surface of the optical transforming layer and an outlet end positioned adjacent a second surface of the optical transforming layer. The guide region propagates light from the inlet end to the outlet end such that the light is directed from the first surface to the second surface. The guide region includes a phase-separated glass comprising a continuous network phase and a discontinuous phase. A relative difference in index of refraction between the continuous network phase and the discontinuous phase is greater than or equal to 0.3%. The discontinuous phase comprises elongated shaped regions aligned along a common axis and having an aspect ratio greater than or equal to 10:1.

An article includes an optical transforming layer and a guide region positioned inside and adjacent to at least a portion of a perimeter of the optical transforming layer. The guide region comprises an inlet end positioned adjacent to a first surface of the optical transforming layer and an outlet end positioned adjacent a second surface of the optical transforming layer. The guide region propagates light from the inlet end to the outlet end such that the light is directed from the first surface to the second surface. The guide region includes a phase-separated glass comprising a continuous network phase and a discontinuous phase. A relative difference in index of refraction between the continuous network phase and the discontinuous phase is greater than or equal to 0.3%. The discontinuous phase comprises elongated shaped regions aligned along a common axis and having an aspect ratio greater than or equal to 10:1.

A tooling for forming a sheet of glass includes a forming die made of electrically conductive material and a heating unit, distant from the forming die. The forming die includes a molding surface, a support to hold a sheet of glass away from and opposite the molding surface, and an induction circuit having an inductor extending in a cavity in the forming die. The heating unit includes a surface configured to produce thermal radiation opposite the molding surface, and an induction circuit having an inductor extending in a cavity of the heating unit. A connector connects the induction circuits to a high-frequency current generator.

Articles and methods related to the cold-forming of glass laminate articles utilizing stress prediction analysis are provided. A cold-forming estimator (CFE) value that is related to the stress experienced by a glass sheet of a glass laminate during cold-forming is calculated based on a plurality of geometric parameters of glass layer(s) of a glass laminate article. The calculated CFE value is compared to a cold-forming threshold related to the probability that defects are formed in the complexly curved glass laminate article during cold-forming. Cold-formed glass laminate articles are also provided having geometric parameters such that the CFE value is below the cold-forming threshold.

Articles and methods related to the cold-forming of glass laminate articles utilizing stress prediction analysis are provided. A cold-forming estimator (CFE) value that is related to the stress experienced by a glass sheet of a glass laminate during cold-forming is calculated based on a plurality of geometric parameters of glass layer(s) of a glass laminate article. The calculated CFE value is compared to a cold-forming threshold related to the probability that defects are formed in the complexly curved glass laminate article during cold-forming. Cold-formed glass laminate articles are also provided having geometric parameters such that the CFE value is below the cold-forming threshold.

A curved glass manufacturing method includes: successively stacking a lower mold, flat glass, and an upper mold, thereby forming a mold assembly; moving the mold assembly to a first chamber and then heating the same; moving the mold assembly from the first chamber to a second chamber and then pressurizing the upper mold so as to move the upper mold downward, thereby molding the flat glass in a curved shape; moving the mold assembly from the second chamber to a third chamber and then slowly cooling the molded glass; and moving the mold assembly from the third chamber to a fourth chamber and then cooling the molded glass. An elastic member is arranged between the lower mold and the upper mold and configured to define a space between the upper mold and the flat glass, and the elastic member is compressed when the upper mold is pressurized.