Apparatus for manufacturing glass article and method for manufacturing glass article using the same

1 . A method for manufacturing a glass article, the method comprising:

immersing the glass article having a first surface, a second surface, and a sidewall connecting the first surface and the second surface in a molten salt disposed in an inner space of a chamber, wherein the first surface, the second surface, and the sidewall contact the molten salt, wherein the molten salt is provided as a single volume; and

molding and chemical strengthening the first surface, the second surface, and the sidewall of the glass article at a same time by applying an electric field to the glass article.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a first electrode in contact with the molten salt is disposed in the inner space of the chamber,

a second electrode in contact with the molten salt and facing the first electrode is disposed in the inner space of the chamber, and

in the immersing the glass article, at least a portion of the glass article is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein in the molding and chemical strengthening the glass article at the same time,

a chemical strengthened thickness of the first surface of the glass article facing the first electrode is greater than a chemical strengthened thickness of the second surface of the glass article facing the second electrode, and

the glass article is bent toward the first electrode.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the molding and chemical strengthening the glass article at the same time further comprises:

applying, by the first electrode, a negative voltage to the glass article;

applying, by the second electrode, a positive voltage to the glass article; and

concentrating first ions included in the glass article in at least a portion of the first surface of the glass article adjacent to the first electrode.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first ions include at least one of lithium (Li + ) and sodium (Na + ).

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the molding and chemical strengthening the glass article at the same time further comprises:

exchanging the first ions located in the first surface of the glass article with second ions included in the molten salt and having an ionic radius greater than an ionic radius of the first ions.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the second ions include at least one of sodium (Na + ) or potassium (K + ).

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an intensity of the electric field is in a range of about 100 volts per centimeter (V/cm) to about 1500V/cm.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the molten salt includes at least one of sodium nitrate (NaNO 3 ) or potassium nitrate (KNO 3 ).

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the molding and chemical strengthening the glass article at the same time further comprises:

not applying the electric field to the glass article at a first time corresponding to a separate chemical strengthening; and

applying the electric field to the glass article at a second time corresponding to a simultaneous molding and chemical strengthening.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the molding and chemical strengthening the glass article at the same time further comprises:

applying a first electric field to the glass article; and

applying a second electric field having an intensity different than an intensity of the first electric field to the glass article.

12 . A method for manufacturing a glass article, the method comprising:

providing a chamber defining an inner space that accommodates a single volume of a molten salt and a plurality of electrodes in contact with the molten salt;

chemical strengthening surfaces of the glass article by immersing the glass article in the single volume of the molten salt disposed in the inner space of the chamber; and

generating an electric field between the plurality of electrodes, wherein the electric field produces an asymmetrical effect on the chemical strengthening of the glass article, wherein an asymmetry of ions diffused into the surfaces of the glass article from the molten salt during the chemical strengthening simultaneously molds the glass article,

wherein molding causes the glass article to change from a first planar shape to a second dome shape different from the first planar shape.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising not applying the electric field to produce a symmetrical effect on the chemical strengthening of the glass article at a first time corresponding to the chemical strengthening, wherein the generating of the electric field is performed at a second time corresponding to the simultaneous molding and chemical strengthening of the glass article to produce the asymmetrical effect on the chemical strengthening of the glass article.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the generating of the electric field between the plurality of electrodes further comprises:

applying a first electric field to the glass article; and

applying a second electric field following the applying of the first electric field, the second electric field having an intensity different than an intensity of the first electric field to the glass article.

15 . A method for manufacturing a glass article, the method comprising:

immersing the glass article having a first surface, a second surface, and a sidewall connecting the first surface and the second surface in a molten salt disposed in an inner space of a chamber, wherein the first surface, the second surface, and the sidewall contact the molten salt, wherein the molten salt is provided as a single volume; and

molding and chemical strengthening the first surface, the second surface, and the sidewall of the glass article at a same time by applying an electric field to the glass article,

wherein a first electrode in contact with the molten salt is disposed in the inner space of the chamber,

a second electrode in contact with the molten salt and facing the first electrode is disposed in the inner space of the chamber, and

in the immersing the glass article, at least a portion of the glass article is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and

wherein in the molding and chemical strengthening the glass article at a same time, a chemical strengthened thickness of the first surface of the glass article facing the first electrode is greater than a chemical strengthened thickness of the second surface of the glass article facing the second electrode, and

the glass article is bent toward the first electrode.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the molding and chemical strengthening the glass article at the same time further comprises:

applying, by the first electrode, a negative voltage to the glass article;

applying, by the second electrode, a positive voltage to the glass article; and

concentrating first ions included in the glass article in at least a portion of the first surface of the glass article adjacent to the first electrode.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first ions include at least one of lithium (Li + ) and sodium (Na + ).

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the molding and chemical strengthening the glass article at the same time further comprises:

exchanging the first ions located in the first surface of the glass article with second ions included in the molten salt and having an ionic radius greater than an ionic radius of the first ions.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the second ions include at least one of sodium (Na + ) or potassium (K + ).