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CA1286341C - Method of fabricating a sectional automotive glass panel - Google Patents

Method of fabricating a sectional automotive glass panel

Info

Publication number
CA1286341C
CA1286341C CA000544566A CA544566A CA1286341C CA 1286341 C CA1286341 C CA 1286341C CA 000544566 A CA000544566 A CA 000544566A CA 544566 A CA544566 A CA 544566A CA 1286341 C CA1286341 C CA 1286341C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
piece
segments
segment
set forth
curved
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
CA000544566A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Robert G. Frank
Kathleen L. Moyer
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
PPG Industries Inc
Original Assignee
PPG Industries Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by PPG Industries Inc filed Critical PPG Industries Inc
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1286341C publication Critical patent/CA1286341C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60JWINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES
    • B60J1/00Windows; Windscreens; Accessories therefor
    • B60J1/008Windows; Windscreens; Accessories therefor of special shape, e.g. beveled edges, holes for attachment, bent windows, peculiar curvatures such as when being integrally formed with roof, door, etc.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Re-Forming, After-Treatment, Cutting And Transporting Of Glass Products (AREA)
  • Joining Of Glass To Other Materials (AREA)

Abstract

Abstract of the Invention An automotive window is made by cutting a piece of glass, shaping the piece of glass, cutting the shaped piece to provide inner and outer segments. The edges of the segments are seamed, and the segments chemically tempered to provide a shaped automotive window having an opening the outer segment to receive the inner segment.

Description

128~i3~1 METHOD OF FABRICATING A S~CTIONAL AUTOMOTIVE GLASS PANEL

Background of the Inventlon 1. Field of the Invention: This invention relates to a method . _ of fabricating, preferably, an automotive window and in particular, to a method of fabricating two or more shaped segments from a shaped monolithic piece that form said automotive window when one shaped segment is moved into the other shaped segment, 2. Discussion of the Technical Background: Automotive windows are usually shaped monolithic glass pieces secured to the structural frame of the ~automobile or mounted for movement, e.g., a sidelite mounted for movement into and out of a door cavity. The present technology is acceptable for manufacturing windows for today's automotive designs;
however, such technology i9 inadequate for expected future automotive designs. For example, automotive sidelite designs are expected to include one shaped glass segment movable into an opening or groove formed in another shaped glass segment.
The present technology, as it is understood, requires cutting the two segments to size, shaping, and thereafter tempering the segments. The drawback of this technique i8 that each of the shaped segments would have reflective distortion resultlng from the shaping.
Furthermore, it is highly probable that there would be a curvature mismatch between the two shaped segments. Therefore, when the two segments are moved together, there would be curvature mismatch across the window and reflective distortion at the edges of at least the inner segment.

,. I' ~

~21~3~1 The reflective distortion at the edges of the segments is a result of anticlastlcal bending of the edges durlng shaping of the segments. The mismatch in curvature of the segments results from changes in the shape of the segments during tempering.
It would be advantageous to provide a technique for fabricating two or more shaped segments that form an automotive window when moved together that does not have the drawback of the present available techniques.

Summary of the Invention The invention relates to a method of fabricating, preferably a shaped automotive window or panel. The method includes the steps of providing a piece of glass and shaping the glass to provide a curved piece having the shape of e.g. an automotive window. Thereafter, the piece is severed into at least two segments e.g., as an inner minor segment and an outer major segment. In one embodiment, the outer segment has peripheral edge portions corresponding to peripheral edge portions of the shaped window and an opening. The inner segment when positioned in the opening of the outer segment provides a window having a contour with no significant localized change in contour other than at the juncture of the segments.

The invention further relates to articles made practicing the inventfon.
Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a flow chart of significant process steps in the practice of the invention; and Flgure 2 is an isometric view of an automotive sidelite made by the practice of the instant inventlon.

lZ86341 General Description of the Invention The invention will be taught to fabricate an automotive sidelite; however, as will become apparent the practice of the invention i8 not limited thereto.
With reference to Figure 1, in general, but not limiting to the invention, the preferred method of the invention includes the steps of cutting a sheet of glass to provide a piece of glass, shaping the glass piece, controllably cooling the glass piece, cutting the glass piece into at least two segments, seaming selected edges of the segments, and tempering the segments.
In more detail, a sheet of glass is cut to provide a piece of glass having at a minimum peripheral dimensions to provide a shaped article e.g., automotive sidelite 10 shown in Figure 2 having a predetermined shape and peripheral dimensions. During shaping of the piece the edges have anticlastic curvature resulting in reflective distortlon at the edges. Although, not limiting to the invention, it is recommended that the glass piece have peripheral dimensions sufficient to remove edge portions of the shaped piece to remove glass portions having anticlastic curvature.
The cutting of the sheet is accomplished in any conventional manner, e.g., using a scoring wheel as taught in U.S. Patent Nos.
3,537,345 and 4,057,184, applying heat as taught in U.S. Patent Nos.
3,695,497 and 3,792,989, or using abrasive cutting ~ets as taught in the art.

After cutting, the edges of the piece are preferably lightly seamed, in any conventional manner, to prevent in~ury during handling of the glass piece.

:
, .

~2~3634:1 The glass piece is shaped ln any convenient manner to the desired contour. In the instance when the peripheral dimensions of the shaped piece wlll be larger than the peripheral dimensions of the shaped article 10, the shaped article 10 is preferably centrically located within the shaped piece.
The glass piece may be shaped in any convenient manner. For example, the piece may be shaped practicing the inventions taught in U.S.
Patent Nos. 3,573,022,; 3,880,636; 3,992,181 ant 4,052,188.

After shaping, the heated shaped glass piece is controllably cooled to anneal the shaped glass piece. Although not limited to the invention, it is recom~ended that the shaped glass piece be annealed because annealed glass is easier to sever e.g. easier to sever than tempered glass. The glass can be annealed in any convenlent manner, e.g., as taught in U.S. Patent No. 3,301,650.

In the event the annealed shaped glass piece has peripheral dimensions greater than the desired shaped article, the piece is cut to size. The shaped glass piece may be cut in any convenient manner;
however, because the glass is shaped, it is recommended that the cutting technique employed be capable of following the contour of the shaped glass piece. Cutting techniques recommended are laser cutting or abrasive ~et cutting. After the shaped glass piece is cut to size, the piece i8 cut into segments, e.g., outer segment 12 and inner segment 14 as shown in Figure 2 and, if required, holes cut into the segments for hardware to move the segments relative to one another, e.g., the inner 128634~

seg~ent 14 into cavity 16 of the outer segment 12. The segments may be dulled in any convenlent manner, e.g., as taught in U.S. Patent No.
3,710,516.
After the segments are cut, the cut edges are seamed ln any convenient manner, to reduce in~ury from contacting sharp edges.
Although not li~iting to the invention, the seaming may be performed during cutting, angling of the abrasive ~et to sever the piece while removing the sharp edges of the segments. When the segments are used as an automotive sldelite it required to temper the segments to meet safety requirements.
Although the shaped segments can be tempered ln any convenient manner, it is recommended in the practice of the invention that the shaped segments be chemically tempered because thermal tempering requires heating the glass above 1100F (593C) which may alter the shape of the segments. When thls occurs, the article formed by interfitting the shaped segments will have a non-continuous contour, or a contour different than the predetermined contour.
Chemical tempering is practiced on glass usually referred to as ion-exchange glass and is similar to the compositions taught in U.S.
Patent Nos. 4,053,679 and 4,156,755. The chemical tempering of the glass segments is accomplished in any convenient manner, e.g., as taught in U.S. Patent 3,287,200; 3,357,876; 4,055,703; and 4,119,760.

The tempered shaped segments are thereafter dressed. For example, if the outer segment is to be secursd to a car frame, a plastic molding may be fixed to the outer periphery of the outer segment; if the .

12~63 ~.

inner segment ls to slide into and out of a space in the outer segment, a track may be fixed in any convenient manner to the inner surface of the outer segment, and a member riding in the track secured to the outer segment. Further portions of the segments may be coated in any conve~ient manner, e,g., using ceramic paste to provide designs or to hide hardware, The process of the invention may be used to fabricate integral parts of the automotive window system, e.g., a contoured piece having the windshield portion in the center and a sidelite of the instant invention at each end. In this instance, the windshield portion is not tempered but laminated in any convenlent manner, e.g., as taught in U.S. Patent No8~ 3,453,161; 4,046,951 and 4,420,362 or an antilacerative layer applled to the windshieid portion in any convenient manner, e.g., as taught in U.S. Patent Nos; 3,900,673 and 4,600,653. A ceramic paste or a paint ma~ be used, if desired, to hide the automotive structure or provide a visible separation between the windshield portion and sidelite portions. The integral part may include a rear window portion with sidelite portions on each end. The rear window portion would be chem-ically tempered and thereafter, if desired, similar heating lines applied, if desired, in any convenient manner, e.g., as taught in U.S.
Patent No. 3,721,594.

Detailed Descrietion of the Invention With reference to Figure 2, the invention is practiced to make an automotive sidelite 10. The sidelite 10 has a curved portion 18 at the top as viewed in Figure 2 to form a part of the automotive roof and a curved portion 2Q at the left side as viewed in Figure 2 to form part of ~2~G3 ~:1 the automotive windshield 22. A sheet of ion~exchange glass is severed uslng a scoring wheel to provide a glass piece having peripheral dimensions sufficient to provide a shaped piece have about three (3) inches (8.12 centlmeters) of trim. The edges of the glass piece were lightly seamed to make the piece safe for subsequent handling.
The glass piece was shaped by supporting the glass piece by tongs and moving the glass piece through a heating furnace to heat the glass and thereafter shaping the glass using a male and female mold mounted to move toward and away from each other along a horizontal path. After shaping the piece was held between the molds and allowed to cool slowly to anneal the shaped glass piece.
An abrasive water jet, Model No. 151 sold by Flow Systems, Inc., of Kent, Washington was used to remove the trim to provide a shaped plece of glass having the desired peripheral dimension and eonfiguration of the automotive sidelite. Thereafter" inner segment 14 similar to that shown ln Figure 2 was cut out of the piece 10 to provide the inner and outer segments 14 and 12, respectively. The edges of the inner segment 14 were beveled using the abrasive water ~et. The edges of the outer segment 12 were hand seamed. Thereafter, the inner and outer segments were chemically tempered by submerging the segments in a salt bath of sodium nitrate heated to a temperature of 700F for 24 hours.
As can now be appreciated, the above detailed description is not limiting to the invention. For example, the outer segment may have a U shaped groove with the inner segment moveable into and out of the legs of the U shaped outer segment.

Claims (39)

1. A method of fabricating a sectional curved panel of a predetermined shape for a vehicle, the panel having a removable segment comprising the steps of:
providing a piece of glass;
shaping the glass piece to provide a curved piece having a curvature similar to the predetermined shape of the vehicular panel;
severing the piece into at least two segments defined as a major segment and a minor segment, the minor segment fitting within the major segment;
and tempering the minor and major segments to preserve the pre-tempering shape of the segments to provide the sectional curved vehicular panel having the minor segment removable from the major segment.
2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said providing step includes the step of severing the piece from a sheet of glass, the piece having peripheral dimensions sufficient to provide the curved piece with outer dimensions similar to the outer dimensions of the sectional curved vehicular panel.
3. The method as set forth in claim 2 further including the step of seaming the edges of the piece.
4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein shaping the piece includes the steps of:
heating the piece to a shaping temperature;
shaping the piece; and heat treating the curved piece.
5. The method as set forth in claim 4 wherein performing said heat treating step anneals the curved piece.
6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said severing step includes the step of abrasive cutting the curved piece to cut the curved piece to provide the two segments.
7. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of tempering the segments is accomplished by chemically tempering the segments.
8. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the vehicle is a vehicle used on land.
9. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the vehicle is an automobile and the sectional curved panel is an automotive sectional curved panel.
10. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the sectional curved panel includes a sidelite portion and a windshield portion.
11. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the sectional curved panel includes a sidelite portion and a rear window portion.
12. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the minor segment is an inner segment and the major segment is an outer segment and said severing step includes severing the curved piece to provide the major segment with a hole or groove and portion removed from the hole or groove is the minor segment.
13. The method as set forth in claim 12 further including the step of seaming the minor and major segments after said severing step.
14. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said severing step is a second severing step and said providing step includes a first severing step to sever the piece of glass from a sheet of glass to provide the piece with peripheral dimensions sufficient to provide a curved piece having outer dimensions greater than the outer dimensions of the vehicular sectional curved panel, and a third severing step practiced after said shaping step to remove excess peripheral edge portions from the first or second segments or from the curved piece.
15. The method as set forth in claim 14 further including the step of dressing the segments.
16. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the vehicle is used in space.
17. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the vehicle is used for air travel.
18. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the vehicle is on or under water.
19. A method of fabricating a sectional curved panel of a predetermined shape for a vehicle, the panel having two segments, each segment having a contact edge with the contact edge of one segment in close proximity to the contact edge of the other segment to define a separation line, comprising the steps of:
providing a piece of glass;
shaping the piece of glass to define a common curved piece of glass;
severing the common curved piece of glass to provide the two segments, and tempering the segments to preserve the pre-tempering shape of the segments to provide the sectional curved panel having no significant localized change in curvature from the shaped piece of glass other than at the separation line.
20. A sectional curved panel for a vehicle having a major segment and a minor segment severed from a common curved glass piece, the segments tempered to preserve the pre-tempered shape of the segments with the minor tempered segment fitting within the major tempered segment.
21. The panel as set forth in claim 20 wherein the vehicle is an automobile and the panel is an automotive panel.
22. The panel as set forth in claim 21 wherein the sectional panel includes a windshield section and at least one sidelite section.
23. The panel as set forth in claim 21 wherein the sectional panel includes a rear window section and at least one sidelite section.
24. The panel as set forth in claim 21 wherein the sectional panel is a sidelite and the segments are chemically tempered.
25. The panel as set forth in claim 21 wherein the segments assembled together provide the sectional curved panel that has no significant localized change in curvature other than at the juncture between the segments.
26. A method of fabricating a sectional curved glass article, the article having a removable segment comprising the steps of:
providing a piece of glass;
shaping the glass piece to provide a curved piece having a curvature similar to the curvature of the sectional curved glass article; and severing the piece into at least two segments defined as a major segment and a minor segment, the minor segment fitting within the major segment.
27. The method as set forth in claim 26 further including the step of tempering the minor and major segments to preserve the pre-tempering shape of the segments to provide the sectional curved glass article having the minor segment removable from the major segment.
28. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein said providing step includes the step of severing the piece from a sheet of glass, the piece having peripheral dimensions sufficient to provide the curved piece with outer dimensions similar to the outer dimensions of the curved automotive panel.
29. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein shaping the piece includes the steps of:
heating the piece to a shaping temperature;
shaping the piece; and heat treating the curved piece.
30. The method as set forth in claim 29 wherein performing said heat treating step anneals the curved piece.
31. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein said severing step includes the step of abrasive cutting the curved piece to provide the two segments.
32. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein said step of tempering the segments is accomplished by chemically tempering the segments.
33. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the minor segment is an inner segment and the major segment is an outer segment surrounding the inner segment and said severing step includes severing the curved piece to provide the major segment with a hole and portion removed from the hole is the minor segment.
34. A method of fabricating a sectional curved article having two segments, each segment having a contact edge with the contact edge of one segment in close proximity to the contact edge of the other segment to define a separation line, comprising the steps of:
providing a piece of glass;
shaping the piece of glass to define a common curved piece of glass;
severing the common curved piece of glass to provide the two segments; and tempering the segments to preserve the pre-tempering shape of the segments to provide the sectional curved article having no significant localized change in curvature from the shaped piece of glass other than at the separation line.
35. A sectional glass article having a major segment and a minor segment severed from a common curved glass piece, the segments tempered to preserve the pre-tempered shape of the segments with the minor tempered segment fitting within the major tempered segment.
36. The article as set forth in claim 35 wherein the segments are chemically tempered.
37. The article as set forth in claim 35 wherein the segments assembled together provide the article having no significant localized change in curvature other than at the juncture between the segments.
38. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the panel includes the roof of the vehicle.
39. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein one of the segments includes the roof of the vehicle.
CA000544566A 1987-01-02 1987-08-14 Method of fabricating a sectional automotive glass panel Expired - Lifetime CA1286341C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US22587A 1987-01-02 1987-01-02
US000,225 1987-01-02

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1286341C true CA1286341C (en) 1991-07-16

Family

ID=21690496

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000544566A Expired - Lifetime CA1286341C (en) 1987-01-02 1987-08-14 Method of fabricating a sectional automotive glass panel

Country Status (5)

Country Link
JP (1) JPS63176323A (en)
CA (1) CA1286341C (en)
DE (1) DE3744380A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2609282A1 (en)
IT (1) IT1211528B (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10494860B1 (en) 2016-08-09 2019-12-03 Apple Inc. Glazings and processes for producing glazings

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4324847C2 (en) * 1993-07-23 1998-09-10 Webasto Systemkomponenten Gmbh Method for producing a closed domed cover from several glass elements

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NL298724A (en) * 1962-10-04
US3357876A (en) * 1965-01-19 1967-12-12 Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co Method of strengthening a glass article by ion exchange
US3453161A (en) * 1966-05-25 1969-07-01 Ppg Industries Inc Producing bent laminated windshields
US3537345A (en) * 1968-01-18 1970-11-03 Ppg Industries Inc Glass cutting apparatus
US3573022A (en) * 1968-03-11 1971-03-30 Ppg Industries Inc Method and apparatus for shaping glass sheets
US3721594A (en) * 1969-07-01 1973-03-20 Ppg Industries Inc Applying electroconductive heating circuits to glass
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US3792989A (en) * 1970-09-15 1974-02-19 Ppg Industries Inc Thermally directed glass cutting
US3710516A (en) * 1971-02-19 1973-01-16 Ppg Industries Inc Method of drilling glass
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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10494860B1 (en) 2016-08-09 2019-12-03 Apple Inc. Glazings and processes for producing glazings

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT8767974A0 (en) 1987-11-16
IT1211528B (en) 1989-11-03
FR2609282A1 (en) 1988-07-08
FR2609282B1 (en) 1993-02-26
JPS63176323A (en) 1988-07-20
DE3744380C2 (en) 1990-01-18
DE3744380A1 (en) 1988-07-14
JPH0541567B2 (en) 1993-06-23

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