The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 03, 2006
Filed:
Sep. 18, 2002
Anthony V. Longobardo, Howell, MI (US);
George Neuman, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Daniel F. Prone, Trenton, MI (US);
Andre Heyen, Bertrange, LU;
Anthony V. Longobardo, Howell, MI (US);
George Neuman, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Daniel F. Prone, Trenton, MI (US);
Andre Heyen, Bertrange, LU;
Guardian Industries Corp., Auburn Hills, MI (US);
Centre Luxembourgeois de Recherches pour le Verre et la Ceramique S.A. (C.R.V.C.), Dudelange, LU;
Abstract
An apparatus and method for bending and/or tempering glass substrate(s) are provided. The amount of near-IR radiation which reaches the glass to be bent and/or tempered is limited (e.g., via filtering or any other suitable technique). Thus, the IR radiation (used for heating the glass) which reaches the glass to be bent and/or tempered includes mostly mid-IR and/or far-IR radiation, and not much near-IR. In such a manner, coating(s) provided on the glass can be protected and kept at lower temperatures so as to be less likely to be damaged during the bending and/or tempering process. Heating efficiency can be improved. A ceramic (e.g., aluminosilicate) filter or baffle may be used in certain embodiments in order to reduce the amount of mid-IR and/or far-IR radiation reaching the glass to be tempered and/or bent.