GRINDING WHEEL FOR SHAPING FLAT GLASS

• US 20150283673A1
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Bureloux, Dominique, Dumenil, Thierry, Wery, Sebastien, Girod, Adeline, Tunstall, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,649,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 9/10 of plate glass
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 3/06 metallic or mixture of metals with ceramic materials, e.g. hard metals, "cermets", cements
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 5/00 Bonded abrasive wheels, or wheels with inserted abrasive blocks, designed for acting only by their periphery; Bushings or mountings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 9/10 with suction means for securing the material
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 26/00 Alloys containing diamond or cubic or wurtzitic boron nitride, fullerenes or carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]

Abstract

A grinding wheel is suited for shaping glass, notably glass that is less than or equal to 4 mm thick. This grinding wheel has at least one abrasive portion formed of at least one metal binder and of diamonds distributed in the binder. The binder has a Rockwell B hardness of between 95 and 105 and is tungsten-based. The diamonds have a size of between 75 and 95 μm and a concentration of between 2.2 ct/cm³ and 2.64 ct/cm³. Glass, in particular for shaping motor-vehicle glazing units, can be shaped with this grinding wheel, making it possible to achieve travel speeds greater than or equal to 30 m/min.

Claims

1. A grinding wheel for shaping glass, the grinding wheel comprising:

at least one abrasive portion comprising at least one metallic binder and diamonds distributed in the binder,

wherein the binder has a Rockwell B hardness of between 95 and 105 and is tungsten-based, and

wherein the diamonds have a size of between 75 and 95 μ

m and a concentration of between 2.2 ct/cm³ and 2.64 ct/cm³.

2. The grinding wheel as claimed in claim 1, configured for shaping glass that is less than or equal to 4 mm thick, and/or configured for high-speed shaping.

3. The grinding wheel of claim 1,

wherein the composition of the binder is:

tungsten from 58 to 75%

bronze from 30 to 37%

chrome from 0.5 to 5%

nickel from 0.5 to 5%

and wherein the bronze comprises from 75 to 85% by weight of copper and from 15 to 25% by weight of tin.

4. The grinding wheel of claim 1, wherein the diamonds are coated with titanium.

5. A method for manufacturing the grinding wheel of claim 1, the method comprising:

producing a mixture of at least one metallic powder and diamonds,

heating the mixture to high temperature,

pressurizing the mixture, and

removing an assembly comprising the metallic binder incorporating the diamonds in a form of a grinding wheel from a mold.

6. A method for shaping glass, the method comprising:

grinding with the grinding wheel of claim 1 at a shaping travel speed greater than or equal to 30 m/min.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a ratio between a rotation speed of the grinding wheel and the shaping travel speed is between 60 and 180.

8. A method for manufacturing a glazing unit, the method comprising the method of claim 6.

9. A device comprising the grinding wheel of claim 1.

10. A glazing unit, obtained by a process comprising the method as claimed in claim 6.

11. A vehicle comprising the glazing unit as claimed in claim 10.

12. The grinding wheel of claim 1, configured for shaping glass that is less than or equal to 2.6 mm thick.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the glazing unit is a windshield, roof, or side window suitable for a motor vehicle.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the glazing unit is a windshield, roof, or side window suitable for a motor vehicle.

15. The glazing unit of claim 10, wherein the glazing unit is a windshield, roof, or side window suitable for a motor vehicle.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein heating the mixture comprises heating to a temperature of higher than 800°

C. and pressurizing to several bar.