# US 10,766,210 B2 · Cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment

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- Number: US 10,766,210 B2
- Document ID: US10766210B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/197,363
- Filed: 2018-11-21
- Published: 2020-01-30
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-07-24
- Assignees: Zhejiang University
- Applicants: Zhejiang University
- Inventors: Zhenzheng Ke; Yinglin Ke; Liang Cheng; Weidong Zhu; Jiangxiong Li; Weiwei Qu; Huiyue Dong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766210B2

## CPC

- B29C 70/382: {Automated fiber placement [AFP]}
- B26D 1/565: {for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like}
- B29C 70/384: {Fiber placement heads, e.g. component parts, details or accessories}
- B29C 70/545: {Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding}
- B26D 7/0006: {Means for guiding the cutter (for hand knives B26B29/06; for band-knives B26D1/54)}
- B29C 2793/00: Shaping techniques involving a cutting or machining operation
- B65H 35/0086: {using movable cutting elements}
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04)
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES

## Abstract

This invention relates to a cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment, including cutter component, drive mechanism that drives the cutter component to slide, and guide mechanism that provides slide room for the cutter component, the said guide mechanism comprises: cutter stop, base, cover plate arranged on the base, and cutting board arranged between the base and the cover plate; guide groove for accommodating cutter component slide is provided at the said base's contact side with the cutting board; the said cutter stop is arranged at the outer side of the guide groove to limit the cutter component from sliding out; the said cutting board has a protruding part relative to the base and the cover plate, a first tow guide hole is provided on the said protruding part; a second tow guide hole coaxial with the first guide hole is provided at the said cutter stop, a cutter avoidance groove is further provided at the said cutter stop's side close to the cutting board, and the second tow guide hole goes through the said cutter avoidance groove. The cutter device comes in robust and compact construction to guide the cutter to realize accurate movement.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment, comprising at least one cutter component, at least one drive mechanism that drives the at least one cutter component to slide, and a guide mechanism that provides slide room for the at least one cutter component, wherein the guide mechanism comprises: a cutter stop, a base, a cover plate arranged on the base, and a cutting board arranged between the base and the cover plate;
at least one guide groove for accommodating the cutter component to slide is provided in a side of the base in contact with the cutting board; the cutter stop is arranged at an outer side of the at least one guide groove to limit the at least one cutter component from sliding out; the cutting board has a protruding part relative to the base and the cover plate, and a first tow guide hole is provided on the protruding part; a second tow guide hole coaxial with the first tow guide hole is provided on the cutter stop, and a cutter avoidance groove is further provided at a side of the cutter stop close to the cutting board, the second tow guide hole extends through the cutter avoidance groove.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment according to claim 1, wherein a number of the at least one cutter component is between 4 to 16, a corresponding number of guide grooves are provided on the base; the at least one drive mechanism corresponds to the number of cutter components; the cutting board is provided with a corresponding number of the first tow guide hole; the cutter stop is provided with a corresponding number of the second tow guide hole.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment according to claim 2, wherein a compensating mechanism to force the at least one cutter component against the cutting board is arranged at the bottom of the at least one guide groove.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cutter component comprises a cutter base and a cutter arranged on the cutter base, the cutter base drives the cutter to slide in the at least one guide groove, the cutter can enter the cutter avoidance groove to cut the tows.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment according to claim 1, wherein a compensating mechanism to force the at least one cutter component against the cutting board is arranged at the bottom of the at least one guide groove.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment according to claim 5, wherein the compensating mechanism comprises a kicker block and a compression spring arranged against and between the kicker block and the base; the kicker block is in contact with the at least one cutter component.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment according to claim 6, wherein the compensating mechanism comprises three compression springs which are sequentially arranged in a length direction of the kicker block.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment according to claim 7, wherein a first guide shaft is provided in the compression springs located at a first side and a second side of the kicker block, the first guide shaft is arranged against and between the kicker block and the base;
a second guide shaft is provided in the compression spring located in a middle of the kicker block, one end of the second guide shaft is fixed at the kicker block, the other end penetrates through the base and is provided with limit bolt.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment according to claim 1, wherein the at least one drive mechanism comprises a yoke, an air piston arranged on the yoke and an output shaft; the output shaft is connected with the at least one cutter component, the yoke is arranged on the guide mechanism.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment according to claim 1, wherein the first tow guide hole is a rectangular through-hole, and at least one side wall surface of the rectangular through hole is inclined.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment according to claim 1, wherein the second tow guide hole is a through-hole, a first funnel-shaped opening is provided at a top of the through hole; a second funnel-shaped opening coaxial with the second tow guide hole is provided in the cutter avoidance groove.