Patent ID: 8327667
Filing Date: 2012-12-11
Classification: C03B

Abstract:
1. A method for bending at least one glazing unit, comprising: depositing the glazing units on first transport supports of a first train of carriages at a loading zone; transporting the glazing units on the first transport supports of the first train of carriages through a furnace section provided between the loading zone and a first section of a transfer zone such that the glazing units are heated to a bending temperature and bending or prebending the glazing units while transporting the glazing units towards the first section of the transfer zone and the first transport supports of the first train of carriages travel through the furnace section one after the other; transferring the glazing units from the first transport supports at the first section of the transfer zone onto second transport supports of a second train of carriages at a second section of the transfer zone, the second transport supports being different from the first transport supports; and transporting the glazing units on the second transport supports of the second train of carriages through a final cooling zone provided between the second section of the transfer zone and an unloading station, wherein a temperature of the first section of the transfer zone is different than a temperature of the second section of the transfer zone, wherein a wall or partition provided in the transfer zone separates the first section of the transfer zone from the second section of the transfer zone, wherein the first transport supports include frames for bending or prebending the glazing units by gravity and the second transport supports include a frame-shaped surface which contacts the glazing units and corresponds to a contour of finished bent glazing units, and wherein the first train of carriages travels through the first section of the transfer zone and does not travel through the second section of the transfer zone.