Laser waveguides, methods and systems for forming a laser waveguide are provided. The waveguide includes an inner cladding layer surrounding a central axis and a glass core surrounding and located outside of the inner cladding layer. The glass core includes a laser-active material. The waveguide includes an outer cladding layer surrounding and located outside of the glass core. The inner cladding, outer cladding and/or core may surround a hollow central channel or bore and may be annular in shape.

A method for bending a glass pane in a furnace, wherein the furnace has an inlet and an outlet, includes providing a glass pane on a mounting, wherein the mounting is preheated, introducing the mounted glass pane into the inlet of the furnace for bending, discharging the bent, mounted glass pane out of the outlet of the furnace, withdrawing the bent, mounted glass pane from the mounting, installing thermal insulation on the mounting, returning the mounting and the thermal insulation using a transport device, removing the thermal insulation prior to renewed mounting, wherein the aforementioned steps are carried out again in a cyclical manner.

Methods are provided for laser processing arbitrary shapes of molded 3D thin transparent brittle parts from substrates with particular interest in substrates formed from strengthened or non-strengthened Corning Gorilla® glass (all codes). The developed laser methods can be tailored for manual separation of the parts from the panel or full laser separation by thermal stressing the desired profile. Methods can be used to form 3D surfaces with small radii of curvature. The method involves the utilization of an ultra-short pulse laser that may be optionally followed by a CO.sub.2 laser for fully automated separation.

Methods are provided for laser processing arbitrary shapes of molded 3D thin transparent brittle parts from substrates with particular interest in substrates formed from strengthened or non-strengthened Corning Gorilla® glass (all codes). The developed laser methods can be tailored for manual separation of the parts from the panel or full laser separation by thermal stressing the desired profile. Methods can be used to form 3D surfaces with small radii of curvature. The method involves the utilization of an ultra-short pulse laser that may be optionally followed by a CO.sub.2 laser for fully automated separation.

The invention relates to a method for bending and tempering a glass sheet, the method comprising: heating a flat glass sheet in a furnace for the purpose of bending and tempering; feeding a flat glass sheet by a transfer conveyor from the furnace onto a bending conveyor, when the bending conveyor is straightened; bending the bending conveyor and the glass sheet to the desired curvature; cooling the glass sheet by air blasts, when the bending conveyor and the glass sheet are at the desired curvature. The transfer conveyor transfers the glass sheet away from the furnace to the bending conveyor in the longitudinal direction of the rollers of the furnace, which is the transverse direction in relation to the direction of movement of the glass sheet in the furnace during heating. The invention also relates to a device applying the method.

The invention relates to a method for bending and tempering a glass sheet, the method comprising: heating a flat glass sheet in a furnace for the purpose of bending and tempering; feeding a flat glass sheet by a transfer conveyor from the furnace onto a bending conveyor, when the bending conveyor is straightened; bending the bending conveyor and the glass sheet to the desired curvature; cooling the glass sheet by air blasts, when the bending conveyor and the glass sheet are at the desired curvature. The transfer conveyor transfers the glass sheet away from the furnace to the bending conveyor in the longitudinal direction of the rollers of the furnace, which is the transverse direction in relation to the direction of movement of the glass sheet in the furnace during heating. The invention also relates to a device applying the method.

A tempered glass of the present invention includes, as a glass composition, in terms of mass %, 45 to 75% of SiO.sub.2, 0 to 30% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and 0 to 30% of Li.sub.2O+Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O and has a β-OH value of 0.3 to 1/mm.

Methods of shaping a glass sheet are described comprising heating the glass sheet to a temperature for shaping; positioning the glass sheet on a shaping support; shaping the glass sheet on the shaping support, wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet at least one portion of the glass sheet is deliberately cooled. In preferred embodiments, the shaping of the glass sheet involves press bending a heat softened glass sheet between a lower shaping support and an upper shaping member, and wherein during the shaping of the glass sheet on the shaping support only a portion of the major surface of the glass sheet facing the lower shaping support is cooled by directing one or more jet of air onto said portion.

A decorative glass element including a transparent glass substrate with an outer surface exposed to an outer environment and separated from an inner surface by a substrate thickness, a structured coating made of a transparent polymer that is applied over all or part of the inner surface of the transparent glass substrate to form a coated substrate and a structured free surface with an R.sub.Z roughness between 0.1 and 4 mm, and a base support coupled to the coated substrate with an interior surface facing with or without contact the free surface of the structured coating and protecting the free surface from direct access from the outer environment.

The window molding apparatus for processing a member having first and second opposed, substantially flat sides and a bendable portion disposed therebetween, the apparatus includes a first molding part controlled to move in a substantially linear direction and a jig including a support surface on which the member is seated and a recess in the support surface to receive the bendable portion of the member and the first molding part.