METHOD OF FORMING A MIRRORED BENT CUT GLASS SHAPE FOR VEHICULAR EXTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY
First Claim
1. A method of forming a mirrored bent cut glass shape suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said method comprising:
- providing a flat sheet of glass of area greater than the area of a bent cut glass shape that is to be formed from said flat sheet of glass;
bending said flat sheet of glass to establish a curved sheet of glass;
determining a surface profile of said curved sheet of glass by a machine vision system;
providing a computer numerical controlled cutting tool having a cutting wheel that is controlled via digital computer control;
positioning said cutting tool at said curved sheet of glass;
maintaining said cutting wheel at or close to 90 degrees to the tangential plane of said curved sheet of glass;
controlling at least one of (a) said cutting wheel and (b) said curved sheet of glass in three dimensions to cut a bent cut glass shape from said curved sheet of glass;
wherein controlling at least one of (a) said cutting wheel and (b) said curved sheet of glass to cut said bent cut glass shape is, at least in part, responsive to the surface profile of said curved sheet of glass as determined by said machine vision system; and
establishing a mirror reflector at a surface of said bent cut glass shape to form a mirrored bent cut glass shape.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of forming a mirrored bent cut glass shape includes bending a flat sheet of glass to establish a curved sheet of glass. A machine vision system determines a surface profile of the curved sheet of glass, and a computer numerical controlled cutting tool is positioned at the curved sheet of glass and its cutting wheel is maintained at or close to 90 degrees to the tangential plane of the curved sheet of glass. At least one of (a) the cutting wheel and (b) the curved sheet of glass is controlled in three dimensions to cut a bent cut glass shape from the curved sheet of glass, and such controlling is, at least in part, responsive to the surface profile of the curved sheet of glass. A mirror reflector is established at a surface of the bent cut glass shape to form a mirrored bent cut glass shape.
99 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of forming a mirrored bent cut glass shape suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said method comprising:
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providing a flat sheet of glass of area greater than the area of a bent cut glass shape that is to be formed from said flat sheet of glass; bending said flat sheet of glass to establish a curved sheet of glass; determining a surface profile of said curved sheet of glass by a machine vision system; providing a computer numerical controlled cutting tool having a cutting wheel that is controlled via digital computer control; positioning said cutting tool at said curved sheet of glass; maintaining said cutting wheel at or close to 90 degrees to the tangential plane of said curved sheet of glass; controlling at least one of (a) said cutting wheel and (b) said curved sheet of glass in three dimensions to cut a bent cut glass shape from said curved sheet of glass; wherein controlling at least one of (a) said cutting wheel and (b) said curved sheet of glass to cut said bent cut glass shape is, at least in part, responsive to the surface profile of said curved sheet of glass as determined by said machine vision system; and establishing a mirror reflector at a surface of said bent cut glass shape to form a mirrored bent cut glass shape. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of forming an electro-optic reflective element suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said method comprising:
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providing a first flat sheet of glass of area greater than the area of a front bent cut glass shape that is to be formed from said first flat sheet of glass; bending said first flat sheet of glass to establish a first curved sheet of glass; providing a second flat sheet of glass of area greater than the area of a rear bent cut glass shape that is to be formed from said second flat sheet of glass; bending said second flat sheet of glass to establish a second curved sheet of glass, said second curved sheet of glass having substantially the same curvature as said first curved sheet of glass; determining a first surface profile of said first curved sheet of glass and a second surface profile of said second curved sheet of glass by a machine vision system; providing a computer numerical controlled cutting tool having a cutting wheel that is controlled via digital computer control; positioning said cutting tool at said first curved sheet of glass; maintaining said cutting wheel at or close to 90 degrees to the tangential plane of said first curved sheet of glass; controlling at least one of (a) said cutting wheel and (b) said first curved sheet of glass in three dimensions to cut a front bent cut glass shape from said first curved sheet of glass; wherein controlling at least one of (a) said cutting wheel and (b) said first curved sheet of glass to cut said front bent cut glass shape is, at least in part, responsive to the first surface profile of said first curved sheet of glass as determined by said machine vision system; positioning said cutting tool at said second curved sheet of glass; maintaining said cutting wheel at or close to 90 degrees to the tangential plane of said second curved sheet of glass; controlling at least one of (a) said cutting wheel and (b) said second curved sheet of glass in three dimensions to cut a rear bent cut glass shape from said second curved sheet of glass; and wherein controlling at least one of (a) said cutting wheel and (b) said second curved sheet of glass to cut said rear bent cut glass shape is, at least in part, responsive to the second surface profile of said second curved sheet of glass as determined by said machine vision system; establishing a mirror reflector at a surface of said rear bent cut glass shape; and assembling said rear bent cut glass shape and said front bent cut glass shape to form an electro-optic mirror reflective element. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of forming a mirrored bent cut glass shape suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said method comprising:
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providing a flat sheet of glass of area greater than the area of a bent cut glass shape that is to be formed from said flat sheet of glass; bending said flat sheet of glass to establish a curved sheet of glass; determining a surface profile of said curved sheet of glass by a machine vision system; wherein determining the surface profile of said curved sheet of glass by said machine vision system comprises capturing a digital image of a pattern reflected off said curved sheet of glass and processing said captured digital image; providing a computer numerical controlled cutting tool having a cutting wheel that is controlled via digital computer control; positioning said cutting tool at said curved sheet of glass; maintaining said cutting wheel at or close to 90 degrees to the tangential plane of said curved sheet of glass; controlling at least one of (a) said cutting wheel and (b) said curved sheet of glass in three dimensions to cut a bent cut glass shape from said curved sheet of glass; wherein controlling at least one of (a) said cutting wheel and (b) said curved sheet of glass to cut said bent cut glass shape is, at least in part, responsive to the surface profile of said curved sheet of glass as determined by said machine vision system; and establishing a mirror reflector at a surface of said bent cut glass shape to form a mirrored bent cut glass shape and wherein establishing a mirror reflector comprises vacuum deposition of a metal thin film coating at said surface of said bent cut glass shape. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification