Patent ID: 7707853

Claim:
An apparatus for partial shaping of a flat glass or glass ceramic part, said apparatus comprising: a planar support plate having an upper plane surface on which an entire facing surface of the flat glass or glass ceramic article rests fully during the partial shaping, wherein said planar support plate is provided with at least one through-going shaping opening in a shaping region; means for producing a low pressure in a hollow compartment below the planar support plate to hold the flat glass or glass ceramic article fixed on the planar support plate during the partial shaping so that the flat glass or glass ceramic article extends over and covers the at least one through-going shaping opening; means for partially heating the flat glass or glass ceramic article in the vicinity of the shaping region on the planar support plate until at least a part of the flat glass or glass ceramic article softens; at least one shaping die arranged in the at least one through-going shaping opening in the planar support plate in an initial position prior to the partial shaping, in which the at least one shaping die is flush with the upper plane surface of the planar support plate; means for raising the at least one shaping die arranged in the at least one through-going shaping opening over a predetermined shaping distance into said part of said flat glass or glass ceramic article that is softened by said means for partially heating during the partial shaping at the same time as the means for producing the low pressure in said hollow compartment below the planar support plate is operated to produce the low pressure and thus hold the flat glass or glass ceramic article fixed on the planar support plate over the at least one through-going opening; means for cooling a partially shaped flat glass or glass ceramic product formed from the flat glass or glass ceramic article by said means for said partially heating, said means for producing said low pressure and said means for said raising of said at least one shaping die; means for withdrawing said at least one shaping die from a solidified portion of the partially shaped flat glass or glass ceramic product; means for removing the partially shaped flat glass or glass ceramic product from the planar support plate; wherein the means for producing the low pressure generates a drawing force during the partial shaping that acts on the flat glass or glass ceramic article to hold the flat glass or glass ceramic article on the planar support plate with an entire side of the flat glass or glass ceramic article free from contact with any part of the apparatus during the partial shaping; and wherein said entire side of the flat glass or class ceramic article is opposite from a side of the flat glass or glass ceramic article on which the entire facing surface that faces the planar support plate is located.