Tesla has obtained a patent for a brand new option to make glass that’s evidently going for use for Cybertruck’s novel windshield.
There are quite a lot of issues in regards to the Cybertrucks which might be not like another car on the market.
The entire concept behind the unconventional design is that pickup truck designs have remained roughly the identical for the final 30 years and Tesla believes it might probably create one thing new that can break the cycle.
One of the novel and notorious options of the Cybertruck’s design is its “Tesla Armor Glass.”
It was made notorious by the failed demonstration on stage through the unveiling of the electrical pickup truck:
For years, Tesla has been closely investing in materials science, which incorporates glass.
We beforehand reported on the Tesla Glass division engaged on creating new forms of glass for its merchandise.
For the Cybertruck, the corporate describes the “Tesla Armor Glass”:
Extremely-strong glass and polymer-layered composite can take in and redirect impression drive for improved efficiency and injury tolerance.
However what’s attention-grabbing in regards to the glass on the Cybertruck is that it follows the car’s sharp characteristic traces.
Now Tesla has obtained a brand new patent to fabricate glass that may be manipulated to create novel shapes that historically can’t be achieved in regular automotive glass manufacturing.
Within the patent software, Tesla describes points with present strategies:
Typically, such processes for making glass buildings are restricted by the quantity of curvature or bending achievable with the glass. For instance, sometimes solely easy, excessive radius of curvatures (e.g., radius of curvature of 1-3 meters or extra), are used for automotive glass buildings.
Tesla describes its know-how to attain shorter radiuses of curvature:
In some embodiments, a course of for forming an automotive glass construction having a number of characteristic traces (or curves/bends) consists of making use of localized warmth to a number of areas of the glass construction, whereby the glass construction bends on the location of the localized warmth. In some examples, the glass construction is supported by a assist instrument such that as localized warmth is utilized gravity forces the glass construction to bend on the a number of areas (e.g., alongside a longitudinal line of the glass), thereby forming a characteristic line or bend within the glass. In some examples, further forces could also be utilized to the glass construction, e.g., by way of a press, vacuum air suction, or the like to help in bending or shaping of the glass construction. In some examples, a radius of curvature of the characteristic line or bend within the glass construction on the a number of areas is between 2 mm and 5 cm.
Listed here are a number of drawings included within the patent software:
Within the patent software, Tesla additionally describes a option to obtain the identical outcome with multilayered glass:
In one other embodiment, a glass construction features a first layer of glass having a characteristic line or bend in not less than one location thereof. The characteristic line having a radius of curvature between 2 mm and 5 cm. In some examples, the glass construction is a multilayer glass construction and features a second layer of glass together with a primary portion of glass and a second portion of glass, the primary and second parts assembly on the characteristic line or bend within the first layer of glass. A polymer could also be disposed between the primary layer of glass and the second layer of glass.
Right here’s a drawing illustrating a multilayered glass with that stage of curvature:
This particular drawing would level to the wrap-around windshield within the Tesla Semi, however Tesla really shares drawings of the Cybertruck as examples within the patent software.
Tesla is presently working to convey the Cybertruck to manufacturing by mid-2023.