Wedge shaped glass and methods of forming wedged glass

• US 7,122,242 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vitro Flat Glass LLC (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: Zahler, James A., DiGiampaolo, Gerald, Garefino, Jennifer M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Watkins, III, William P.
• Application Number:
  US10/396,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20030215610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 428/156, 428/157, 428/172, 428/192, 428/437, 428/220, 428/213, 428/215, 428/81, 65/61, 652/56, 652/55, 651/00, 651/01, 65/64, 65/93, 651/06, 651/02, 65/995, 359/720
• US Class Current: 428/156
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10155 Edge treatment or chamfering
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10165 Functional features of the laminated safety glass or glazing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10293 Edge features, e.g. inserts or holes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/1066 imparting a tint in certain regions only, i.e. shade band
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 18/06 using mechanical means, e.g. restrictor bars, edge rollers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24488 Differential nonuniformity at margin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 Edge feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 Thickness [relative or absolute]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24967 Absolute thicknesses specified
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3163 Next to acetal of polymerized unsaturated alcohol [e.g., formal butyral, etc.]

Abstract

A glass sheet includes a first edge, an opposing, second edge, and an intermediate location between the first edge and second edge. The glass sheet has a first portion extending between the first edge and the intermediate location and a second portion extending between the intermediate portion and the second edge, wherein the first portion has a generally uniform thickness and the second portion has a varying thickness. The thickness of the second portion can either increase or decrease from the intermediate location to the second edge. A laminated transparency incorporating the glass sheet as well as a method of forming a glass ribbon having a changing thickness profile along at least a portion of the width of the ribbon are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A glass sheet comprising:

a first major surface;

an opposite second major surface;

a first edge interconnecting the first and second major surfaces;

an opposing second edge interconnecting the first and second major surfaces;

a location between the first edge and second edge, wherein portion of the glass sheet between the location and the first edge is defined as a first portion, and portion of the glass sheet between the location and the second edge is defined as a second portion,

wherein;

the thickness of the first portion measured between the first and second major surfaces is a generally uniform thickness from the location to the first edge, and

the thickness of the second portion measured between the first and second major surfaces has a varying thickness selected from the group of a continuously increasing thickness from the location to the second edge, and a continuously nonuniform decreasing thickness from the location to the second edge with at least one of the surfaces of the second portion having a curved surface.

2. The glass sheet as in claim 1, wherein the second portion has a continuously increasing thickness from the location to the second edge.

3. The glass sheet as in claim 1, wherein the second portion of the glass sheet has a wedge angle ranging from 0.01 to 0.04 degrees.

4. The glass sheet as in claim 3, wherein the second portion of the glass sheet has a wedge angle ranging from 0.02 to 0.035 degrees.

12. The glass sheet as in claim 1 wherein the second portion has the continuously nonuniform decreasing thickness from the location to the second edge with at least one of the surfaces of the second portion having a curved surface.

13. The glass sheet as in claim 2 wherein the continuously increasing thickness of the second portion is a continuously uniform increasing thickness from the location to second edge with at least one of the surfaces of the second portion lying along a generally straight line.

14. The glass sheet as in claim 2 wherein the continuously increasing thickness of the second portion is a continuously nonuniform increasing thickness from the location to the second edge.

15. The glass sheet as in claim 14 wherein at least one of the surfaces of the second portion has a curved surface.

16. The glass sheet as in claim 12 wherein the curved surface is a concave curved surface.

17. The glass sheet as in claim 12 wherein the curved surface is a convex curved surface.

19. The glass sheet of claim 1 wherein the distance between the location and the first edge is a fixed first distance and the distance between the location and the second edge is a fixed second distance.

20. The glass sheet of claim 1 wherein the glass sheet was a portion of an annealed float glass ribbon.

5. A laminated transparency, comprising:

a first glass ply having a first edge, an opposing second edge, and a location between the first edge and second edge, wherein the first glass ply has a first portion extending between the first edge and the location and a second portion extending between the location and the second edge, and further wherein the first portion has a generally uniform thickness and the second portion is selected from the group of a continuously increasing thickness from the location to the second edge, and a continuously nonuniform decreasing thickness from the location to the second edge, of the first glass ply with at least one surface of the second portion having a curved surface;

a second glass ply, and

an interlayer material securing the first glass ply to the second glass ply.

6. The transparency as in claim 5, wherein a portion of the transparency where the second portion of the first ply is secured to the second ply has a wedge angle ranging from 0.01 to 0.04 degrees.

7. The transparency as in claim 6, wherein the portion of the transparency where the second portion of the first ply is secured to the second ply has a wedge angle ranging from 0.02 to 0.035 degrees.

8. The transparency as in claim 5, wherein the second glass ply has a first edge generally aligned with the first edge of the first ply, an opposing second edge generally aligned with the second edge of the first ply, and a location between the first edge and second edge of the second ply, and the second glass ply has a first portion extending between the first edge of the second ply and the location of the second ply and a second portion extending between the portion of the second ply and the second edge of the second ply, and further wherein the first portion of the second ply has a generally uniform thickness and the second portion of the second ply has a varying thickness from the location of the second ply to the second edge of the second glass ply.

9. The transparency as in claim 5, wherein the laminate is an automotive windshield.

10. The transparency as in claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the interlayer material includes a wedge shaped thickness profile.

11. The transparency as in claim 9, wherein the windshield has arcuate, opposing upper and lower edges, and the interlayer material includes a shade band that substantially parallels the upper arcuate edge of the windshield.

18. A laminated transparency, comprising:

a first transparent sheet having a first surface and an opposite second surface;

a second transparent sheet having a first surface and an opposite second surface;

an interlayer material securing the second surface of the first sheet to the first surface of the second sheet to provide a laminated transparency having the first surface of the first sheet as first outer surface of the transparency and the second surface of the second sheet as opposite second outer surface of the transparency, wherein

the transparency comprises a first edge, an opposing second edge, and a location between the first edge and second edge, wherein the transparency has a first portion extending between the first edge and the location and a second portion extending between the location and the second edge;

the first portion has a generally uniform thickness as measured between the first and second outer surfaces of the laminated transparency, and the second portion is selected from the group of a continuously increasing thickness as measured between the first and second outer surfaces of the transparency from the location to the second edge, and a continuously nonuniform decreasing thickness as measured between the first and second outer surfaces of the transparency from the location to the second edge of the laminated transparency with at least one of the outer surfaces of the second portion of the laminated transparency having a curved surface.