Suntech, Inc.

Hirokazu Kidou

Shotaro Tomozane

Yukikazu Nakabayashi

A shaped glass sheet having a sharp bend is provided, wherein a radius of curvature of an outer circumference of the bend transverse to the bend is at most 4 times a thickness of the glass sheet and the straight sections of the shaped glass sheet are substantially flat. A process for the preparation of the shaped glass sheet comprises applying an electrically conductive material on a surface of a glass sheet to form a bend line, generating a graded temperature profile transverse the bend line, and then applying an electrical potential to the bend line. In another process, a width or thickness of a bend line is not uniform or a bend line is discontinuous in the longitudinal direction of the bend line, no particular temperature profile is required and, upon applying an electrical potential, arc discharge occurs along the bend line to melt the glass rapidly.

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Toyama, Japan

Hirokazu Kidou