A tool for local cooling by contact of a glass sheet at a temperature higher than 450° C., known as a contact tool, includes a contact face suitable for coming into contact with the glass sheet, the tool including an internal pipe for the circulation of a coolant, in particular air. The tool is used in a device for bending and/or cooling a glass sheet, in particular individual, the tool coming into contact with the glass sheet while it is held by a bending tool or by a cooling frame after bending. A compression zone is created that is capable of being drilled to form an edge having compressive stresses.

A property-enhanced cover sheet, and methods for forming a property-enhanced cover sheet, for a portable electronic device are disclosed. A property-enhanced cover sheet is formed by thermoforming a glass sheet into a specified contour shape while modifying one or more properties of the glass. Other property-enhanced sheets can be formed by layering two or more glass sheets having different material properties, and then thermoforming the layered sheets into a required contour shape. Property enhancement for a cover sheet includes, hardness, scratch resistance, strength, elasticity, texture and the like.

Various embodiments disclosed include a method of bending a glass laminate structure, the method can optionally include any one or any combination of: heating the glass laminate structure comprising at least a first ply substrate and a second ply substrate, wherein the first ply substrate has a first composition and a first thickness that differ from a second composition and a second thickness of the second ply substrate; engaging an edge portion of one or both of a first major surface and a second major surface of the glass laminate structure; and sequent to engaging the edge portion, pressing the glass laminate structure to bend the glass laminate structure and obtain a desired curvature of the glass laminate structure along one or both of the first major surface and the second major surface.

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.

A processing fixture can be employed for processing a glass cover plate and include: a fixture body, a first sensing component, a roller component, and a control module connected with the first sensing component. The fixture body is made from flexible materials and provided with a positioning groove matched with shape of an outer surface of the glass cover plate. The first sensing component is configured to detect current dimension parameter of the glass cover plate and/or an attaching layer attached to the glass cover plate in the positioning groove, and transmit the detected current dimension parameter to the control module. The control module is configured to control cooperation of the roller component and the fixture body according to the current dimension parameter, so as to correct the current dimension parameter of the glass cover plate or the attaching layer as a target dimension parameter.

The principles and embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to complexly curved glass articles and methods of cold forming complexly curved glass articles, such as complexly curved glass articles having a first bend region with a set of first bend line segments, and a second bend region with a set of second bend line segments, wherein the first bend line segments and the second bend line segments are independent, are not parallel, and do not intersect.

Methods of shaping a glass sheet include providing a shaping support for supporting the glass sheet; providing a press bending apparatus comprising at least a first and a second mould member, each mould member being movable relative to the shaping support; heating the glass sheet; positioning the glass sheet on the shaping support; moving at least one of the shaping support and the press bending apparatus toward the other to press the glass sheet in a first region thereof between the shaping support and the first mould member; moving the second mould member relative to the first mould member to press the glass sheet in a second region thereof, and moving the first mould member relative to the shaping support to further press the glass sheet in the first region thereof between the first mould member and the shaping support. Apparatus useful to carry out the methods is also described.

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.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a method of forming a glass sheet. In the method, a first bend radius is hot-formed in a first region at or above a first temperature. A second bend radius is cold-formed over a second region at a second temperature below the first temperature. The second bend radius is greater than the first bend radius. Also disclosed is a component of a vehicle interior system. The component includes a frame and a glass sheet. The glass sheet has a first curvature with a first bend radius formed by hot-forming. The glass sheet has a second curvature with a second bend radius, less than the first bend radius, formed by cold-forming. The glass sheet is adhered to the frame with an adhesive, and the adhesive is under greater stress in a region of the second curvature than in a region of the first curvature.

An opaque gahnite-spinel glass ceramic is provided. The glass ceramic includes a first crystal phase including (Mg.sub.xZn.sub.1-x)Al.sub.2O.sub.4 where x is less than 1 and a second crystal phase includes at least one of tetragonal ZrO.sub.2, MgTa.sub.2O.sub.6, mullite, and cordierite. The glass ceramic has a Young's modulus greater than or equal to 90 GPa, and has a hardness greater than or equal to 7.5 GPa. The glass ceramic may be ion exchanged. Methods for producing the glass ceramic are also provided.