METHOD OF FORMING A FLAT GLASS INTO A GLASS COMPONENT AND FORMING TOOL FOR USE IN THE METHOD

Abstract

A method for forming a flat glass into a glass component, the glass component comprising a base surface and provided with a number of formations for forming surface structural elements that can be felt by a user, is intended to ensure a particularly high mechanical load-bearing capacity of the glass component or moulded part in a particularly simple and reliable manner, even in the case of comparatively complexly configured structural elements. For this purpose, according to the invention, the flat glass is placed in a forming tool on a number of forming plungers corresponding to the intended formations and then heated to soften the material, so that the glass material assumes the contour of the base of the forming tool between the forming plungers for forming the base area.

Claims

1-6. (canceled)

7. A method of forming a flat glass into a glass component, the glass component comprising a base area and provided with a number of formations intended to form surface structural elements which can be felt by a user, in which method the flat glass is heated in a forming tool so as to soften the material and, before or during the forming which thereby occurs, the flat glass comes to rest on a number of forming plungers corresponding to the intended formations, wherein the glass material assumes the contour of the base of the forming tool between the forming plungers for forming the base area, wherein during the forming of the glass material a transverse flow of material towards the side flanks of the forming plungers is produced in that during the forming of the glass material the forming tool is heated less in the region of its forming plungers than in the bottom regions therebetween.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transverse flow of material is promoted by the use of a forming tool, the tool base of which is provided at least in sections with a friction-reducing coating, preferably graphite or boron nitride.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. Shown therein is:

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a forming tool of known design in perspective view.

[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a forming tool according to the invention.

[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates a cutout of a sectional view of a formed glass component.

[0021] FIG. 4A illustrates a cutout of a sectional view of a glass element placed on a forming tool as shown in FIG. 2 before forming.

[0022] FIG. 5A illustrates a cutout of a sectional view of a glass element placed on a forming tool as shown in FIG. 2 after forming.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Identical parts are marked with the same reference signs in all figures.

[0024] The familiar forming tool 1 shown in FIG. 1 and the forming tool 10 according to the present invention, shown in FIG. 2 together with a formed glass component 12, are each used to form or mould a flat glass provided as a starting or intermediate product into a formed glass component 12 adapted to a specific application. The starting product is referred to in the present case as “flat glass” since it is a glass element with a laterally extended surface. This can be “flat” in the sense of level, but also curved or provided with a pre-curvature. In the embodiment example, the shaped glass component 12, which is to be produced from the flat glass by suitable forming, is intended for use as a touch control element in a modern motor vehicle cockpit and for this reason, in particular for providing contours which can be haptically detected by the user, is to be designed as a contoured glass component 12 with a base area 14 to which a number of formations 16 intended for forming surface structural elements which can be felt by a user are formed. In the embodiment example, a particularly preferred embodiment of the glass component 12 is shown in which the formations 16 are intended for the user to perceive the appearance and functionality of rotary controls or dials; accordingly, in the present case, the formations 16 are in the form of cylindrical discs with a substantially round cross-section. Of course, the shaped and contoured glass component 12 can also be designed and conceived for other purposes and equipped with other surface structure elements adapted thereto.

[0025] The forming tools 1, 10 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 are provided for producing the glass component 12 by forming the flat glass element. The forming tool 1 according to FIG. 1, which is known per se, is designed for carrying out a deep-drawing process which is customary in this context. For this purpose, the forming tool 1 comprises a number of recesses or depressions 4 in its support base 2 corresponding to the structural elements provided. For forming, the flat glass is placed on the support base 2 of the forming tool 1. Subsequently, the glass is heated to temperatures above the material softening point so that the glass material begins to flow. The glass can thus flow into the depressions 4 or hollows and, after cooling and hardening, form the desired structure or spatial shape on the surface.

[0026] In comparison, the forming tool 10 according to the invention shown in FIG. 2 is in the form of an “inverse” forming tool. It comprises a tool base 20 to which a number of rising forming plungers 22 are moulded. The number, positioning and shape of the forming plungers 22 are suitably selected to match the formations 16 provided for the glass component 12. In addition, a number of suction or vacuum channels 24 are arranged in an integrated manner in the tool base 20, in particular between the forming plungers 22, which in turn are connected to a suction or vacuum system which is not shown in greater detail. In this embodiment of the forming tool 10, which is considered to be inventive on its own, the forming of the flat glass into the glass component 12 is carried out by first placing the flat glass on the platform-like upper sides 26 of the forming plungers 22 and/or on a circumferential supporting rim and then heating it to soften the material. In particular, it is ensured that the flat glass first comes to rest on the platform-like upper sides 26 of the forming plungers 22 in connection with the forming, so that it is more or less cooled in these areas compared to the rest of the glass material and its flowability is reduced accordingly. During further forming, the glass material for forming the base area 14 between the forming plungers 22 adopts the contour of the tool base 20 of the forming tool 10. To support this, a suction vacuum is set as required between the tool base 20 and the glass mass via the vacuum channels 24, which further promotes the glass mass to adhere to the surface of the tool base 20.

[0027] The glass component 12 produced during the forming process is shown partially in cross-section in FIG. 3. The base area 14 is connected to the respective front panel 30 in the area of the respective forming 16 via its respective side wall 28. As has turned out completely surprisingly, by the concept of “inverse forming” according to the invention by means of the forming tool 10 it can be achieved with comparatively simple means and nevertheless particularly reliably that the resulting side walls 28 of the formations 16 have a comparatively large wall thickness d and thus a comparatively high mechanical load-bearing capacity and breaking strength.

[0028] This desired increase in the load-bearing capacity and breaking strength of the glass component 12 is also further reinforced in the region of the formations 16 by setting a comparatively large wall thickness d of the side walls 28, in that, in an embodiment regarded as independently inventive, a transverse flow of material is produced towards the side flanks 32 of the forming plunger 22 during the forming of the glass material. In this way, the glass material is selectively enriched in these areas, which directly results in an increase in the thickness or wall thickness d of the side walls 28 produced in these areas.

[0029] To create or promote this material crossflow, the forming tool 10 can be heated locally and independently in segments in the area of its tool base 20. Individually controllable heating or cooling elements 34 are arranged on the tool base 20 for this purpose. By means of these, a suitable temperature profile, in particular a suitable temperature gradient, can be set in the tool base 20 and at the forming plungers 22 during forming, which favors an accumulation of the material in the region of the forming plungers 22—and thus precisely the desired material cross-flow—by means of a suitable change in the viscosity or flowability in the glass material to be processed. On the other hand, the tool base 20 is also provided with a friction-reducing coating 36, which also further increases the flowability of the glass material in the transverse direction.

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a partial cross-section of the flat glass placed on the platform-like upper sides 26 of the forming plungers 22 before it is formed. FIG. 5, on the other hand, shows—also in partial cross-section—the flat glass being formed into the glass component 12. The transverse flow of material towards the forming plungers 22 is symbolized by the arrows Q.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0031] 1 forming tool [0032] 2 support base [0033] 4 depression [0034] 10 forming tool [0035] 12 glass component [0036] 14 base area [0037] 16 formation [0038] 20 tool base [0039] 22 forming plunger [0040] 24 vacuum channel [0041] 26 upper side [0042] 28 side wall [0043] 30 front panel [0044] 32 side flank [0045] 34 heating or cooling element [0046] 36 coating [0047] d wall thickness [0048] Q arrow