A bending tool for bending at least one glass pane by suction, includes a frame-like convex contact surface and a cover having a peripheral air guide plate that surrounds the contact surface at least in regions is described. The bending tool is suitable for generating a first, reduced pressure in a first pressure region between the air guide plate and the contact surface; a second reduced pressure in a second pressure region. The second pressure is less than the first pressure; and a third pressure in a third pressure region, wherein the third pressure is greater than the first pressure.

A mold apparatus for bending a glass sheet includes a main frame structure and a first mold arrangement having a first mold and a guide frame connected to the first mold. A first guide member of the guide frame is guidable by the frame structure such that it is inhibited from moving laterally in any direction, and a second guide member of the guide frame is guidable by the frame structure such that it is movable laterally away from the first guide member due to thermal expansion. The apparatus further includes a second mold arrangement including a second mold and a frame that supports the second mold such that the second mold is movable laterally relative to the frame. A sensor is also included for sensing position of one of the molds to determine whether the one mold is in a suitable position for mating with the other mold.

A device for picking up, shaping, and placing a thin glass pane, includes a frame with an upper side and a lower side, which is suitable to be directed at a glass pane with a thickness of less than 1 mm, and which is provided with a plurality of picking up pins that are arranged substantially parallel to one another and whose end directed at the glass pane is equipped with a suction cup, wherein the picking up pins are movable along their direction of extension independent of one another in order to adapt the arrangement of the suction cups to an intended shape of the glass pane.

A bending tool for bending at least one glass pane by means of suction, comprising a frame-like convex contact surface and a cover having a peripheral air guide plate that surrounds the contact surface at least in regions is described. The bending tool is suitable for generating a first, reduced pressure in a first pressure region between the air guide plate and the contact surface; a second reduced pressure in a second pressure region. The second pressure is less than the first pressure; and a third pressure in a third pressure region, wherein the third pressure is greater than the first pressure.

A tool for holding at least one glass pane by means of suction in a bending process, comprising a frame-like, convex contact surface and a cover having a peripheral air guide plate that surrounds the contact surface at least in regions is described. The tool is suitable for generating a first, reduced pressure in a first pressure region between the air guide plate and the contact surface; a second pressure in a second pressure region, which is arranged in a central region inside the contact surface, wherein the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

A non-contact shaping device includes a first fixture including a fixing section structured to alternately blow out and suck in gas. The fixing section may fix, through suction of gas, a glass plate thereon. An optic heat source processing device is selectively set above predetermined portions of the glass plate to heat, in a non-contact manner, and thus soften, in a temperature-controlled manner, the portions for curving and suspending downward along an edge of the fixing section. The curved glass plate is then lifted up through blowing gas from the first fixture. The second fixture selectively covers the curved glass plate and blow gas therefrom to flow, in collaborative combination with the gas blown from the first fixture, around surfaces of the curved glass plate for cooling and fixing a shape of the curved glass plate in a non-contact manner to form a three-dimensional curve-surfaced glass product.

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.

There is provided an apparatus for molding a glass substrate, the apparatus including a pre-heating unit, a molding unit, and a cooling unit sequentially arranged, wherein the pre-heating unit includes a pre-heating body and a glass substrate holder, wherein the molding unit includes: a molding body having a vacuum port, a molding support on the molding body, the molding support being configured to support an edge of a glass substrate, and a heating element configured to heat the molding body, and wherein the cooling unit includes a cooling body and a cooling plate.

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.