Glass-bending apparatus and method

1. A sag-bending glass sheet mold comprising:

a plurality of lateral support members;

a plurality of longitudinal support members arranged perpendicular to the lateral support members, each of the plurality of lateral support members extending between two of the plurality of longitudinal support members, each of the plurality of longitudinal support members having an upper surface that is curved about a first axis parallel to the lateral support members; and

a capping surface disposed on the upper surface of each longitudinal support member of the plurality of longitudinal support members, each capping surface having a flattened upper surface or a curved upper surface that is curved about a second axis transverse to the first axis,

wherein the sag-bending glass sheet mold is adapted to shape a sheet of glass such that, when heated, the sheet of glass sags towards and is shaped by the upper surface of the capping surface.

2. The sag-bending glass sheet mold of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the capping surface comprises a solid surface.

3. The sag-bending glass sheet mold of claim 1 , wherein the capping surface is disposed on an upper surface of each lateral support member of the plurality of lateral support members.

4. The sag-bending glass sheet mold of claim 1 , wherein the capping surface has a coefficient of thermal conduction of at most 100 W/(m·K) and a coefficient of volumetric thermal expansion of at most 10×(10 −6 /K).

5. The sag-bending glass sheet mold of claim 1 , wherein the capping surface is deposited on the upper surface of a corresponding longitudinal member of the plurality of longitudinal members along the entire length and width of the upper surface of the corresponding longitudinal member.

6. The sag-bending glass sheet mold of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the capping surface is curved.

7. The sag-bending glass sheet mold of claim 6 , wherein the curved upper surface of the capping surface comprises a convex surface facing away from the upper surface of the corresponding longitudinal member.

8. The sag-bending glass sheet mold of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the capping surface is flattened.

9. The sag-bending glass sheet mold of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of at least one longitudinal support member is curved to support a curved lower surface of the capping surface.

10. The sag-bending glass sheet mold of claim 1 , wherein the capping surface and each longitudinal member of the plurality of longitudinal members comprise different materials.

11. The sag-bending glass sheet mold of claim 1 , wherein the capping surface comprises ceramic.

12. A sag-bending glass mold comprising:

a rectangular perimeter comprising first and second longitudinal members extending in a first direction and first and second lateral members extending in a second direction, the first and second directions substantially perpendicular to each other, each of the first and second longitudinal members coupled to each of the first and second lateral members;

a plurality of lateral ribs extending substantially parallel to the second direction, a first of the plurality of lateral ribs coupled to the first longitudinal member and a second of the plurality of lateral ribs coupled to the second longitudinal member;

a plurality of longitudinal ribs extending substantially parallel to the first direction, a first of the plurality of longitudinal ribs coupled to the first lateral member and a second of the plurality of longitudinal ribs coupled to the second lateral member, each of the plurality of longitudinal ribs coupled to at least one of the plurality of lateral ribs, each of the longitudinal ribs having an upper surface that is curved about the second direction; and

a capping surface disposed on the upper surface of each of the first and second longitudinal members and each of the first and second lateral members, the capping surface on the first and second longitudinal members having a flattened upper surface or a curved upper surface that is curved about the first direction, wherein the capping surface has a coefficient of thermal conduction of at most 100 W/(m·K) and a coefficient of volumetric thermal expansion of at most 10×(10 −6 /K),

wherein the capping surface is adapted to shape a sheet of glass such that, when heated, the sheet of glass sags towards and is shaped by the curved upper surface of the capping surface.

13. The sag-bending glass mold of claim 12 , wherein the capping surface is disposed on an upper surface of each longitudinal rib of the plurality of longitudinal ribs.

14. The sag-bending glass mold of claim 13 , wherein the capping surface is disposed on an upper surface of each lateral rib of the plurality of lateral ribs.

15. The sag-bending glass mold of claim 12 , wherein the curved upper surface of the capping surface is shaped to receive a heated, flexible flat sheet of glass and to produce a partial parabolic curve in the heated, flexible flat sheet of glass.

16. The sag-bending glass mold of claim 12 , wherein the curved upper surface of the capping surface comprises a surface having an adhesion-reducing coating.

17. The sag-bending glass mold of claim 16 , wherein the adhesion-reducing coating comprises a fluoropolymer.

18. The sag-bending glass mold of claim 12 , wherein the capping surface comprises ceramic.

19. The sag-bending glass mold of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the longitudinal ribs includes an upper surface curved to support a curved lower surface of the capping surface.

20. The sag-bending glass mold of claim 12 , wherein the capping surface is deposited on the upper surface of each of the first and second longitudinal members and each of the first and second lateral members.