New details surrounding the upcoming CyberTruck have emerged in a patent filed by Tesla with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as well as other international patent offices.
The patent reveals how Tesla uses glass with large curves in the CyberTruck’s windshield and details the method used to make them. In the patent, Tesla mentions how a portion of its glass surface is partially heated to create a characteristic line. Or in other words, how the glass is curved.
"Automotive glass structures having curves and characteristic lines and methods of forming the structures are provided. An example method involves applying localized heat (e.g., by laser, heating element) to a location on a substantially planar glass structure and bending the glass at that location (e.g., along a line along the planar glass structure) structure to form the characteristic lines in the glass structure. Bends can be formed with a radius of curvature from 2 mm to 5 cm. Additional curved or connected glass layers may further be included to form curved multiple layer glass structures for automobiles."
In the patent’s detailed description of the disclosure, the technology mentioned is said to be applicable to “cars, trucks, semi-trailers, etc.” and the patent image uses Cybertruck as an example.
This does not guarantee that Tesla’s upcoming electric pickup truck will use glass processed with the technology described in the patent, but judging by Tesla’s past claims about its so-called armored glass and high-durability glass programs, we may see large curved glass in the Cybertruck in the future. In addition, the Tesla Semi may also benefit from these molding technologies.
The patent also mentions that similar glass structures could be used inside the vehicle, such as on the dashboard.
The Cybertruck is expected to be delivered sometime in mid-2023, that the vehicle’s production facility has been spotted several times at the Gigafactory in Texas, and that Tesla’s chief designer says the truck is complete from a “design perspective.
