Method for Producing Thermally Tempered Glasses

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This patent describes a method to produce thermally tempered glass with thicknesses less than 2.8 mm. The invention involves strengthening the glass before or during the heating process using techniques such as laser cutting, flame polishing, or chemical treatments. This enhanced strength allows for efficient controlled rapid cooling (shock cooling), reducing energy use and enabling the production of thin yet strong tempered glass sheets for various advanced applications.

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• Automotive industry (thin, strong car windows and windshields)
• Architectural applications (lightweight safety glass for facades, windows, and partitions)
• Solar panels (thin, durable glass covers to improve transmission and durability)
• Electronics (protective covers for displays, flat screens, and smart devices)
• Laminated safety glass and bulletproof glass production
• Vacuum-insulated glass units for energy-efficient building materials

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables production of very thin (less than 2.8 mm) thermally tempered glass, not previously commercially viable
• Provides glass with improved mechanical strength and safety properties
• Reduces the energy required for tempering due to optimized cooling methods
• Allows for better optical transmission and lower weight, beneficial for automotive and solar applications
• Facilitates improved chemical and surface durability of glass through combination treatments
• Permits flexible manufacturing, including shaping of non-planar geometries and different compositions
• Improves safety (better breakage characteristics) and cost-effectiveness through lighter materials and process efficiency

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing thermally tempered glasses. This type of surface finishing is used in particular when mechanical properties, in particular strength, are required, such as in the automobile sector, in architecture and in the exploitation of solar energy. The technical object of the invention is to develop a method for producing thermally tempered glasses with thicknesses of less than 2.8 mm. The method can be adapted in an advantageous manner such that thermally tempered glasses can be produced with a lower amount of energy usage while utilizing controlled rapid cooling.