Depositing arced portions of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic filament
AssigneeArevo, Inc.
InventorChandrashekar Mantha
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A technique for depositing fiber-reinforced thermoplastic filament in an arc is disclosed that mitigates the centripetal forces that arise in the prior art. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the centripetal forces are ameliorated by twisting the filament while depositing it in an arc.
Claims20
A method of depositing a thermoplastic filament that comprises (i) a longitudinal axis L and (ii) a reinforcing fiber that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis L, the method comprising:
- depositing a first portion of a segment of the thermoplastic filament in a straight line without twisting the thermoplastic filament around the longitudinal axis L and without twisting the reinforcing fiber around the longitudinal axis L, wherein the first straight portion of the segment has a length of S1 as measured along the longitudinal axis L;
- and
- depositing a second portion of the segment of the thermoplastic filament in a first arc of θ1 radians and radius R1 while twisting the second portion and the reinforcing fiber φ1 radians around the longitudinal axis L, wherein the second portion of the segment has a length of S2 as measured along the longitudinal axis L;
- and
- depositing a third portion of the segment of the thermoplastic filament in a straight line without twisting the thermoplastic filament around the longitudinal axis L and without twisting the reinforcing fiber around the longitudinal axis L, wherein the third portion of the segment has a length of S3 as measured along the longitudinal axis L;
- wherein the first portion of the segment and the second portion of the segment are contiguous;
- and
- wherein the second portion of the segment and the third portion of the segment are contiguous;
- wherein S1, S2, S3, and R1 are positive real numbers, and wherein θ1 and φ1 are real non-zero numbers.
A method of depositing a thermoplastic filament that comprises (i) a longitudinal axis L and (ii) a reinforcing fiber that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis L, the method comprising:
- depositing a first portion of the segment of the thermoplastic filament in a first arc of θ1 radians and radius R1 while twisting the first portion and the reinforcing fiber φ1 radians around the longitudinal axis L, wherein the first portion of the segment has a length of S1 as measured along the longitudinal axis L;
- depositing a second portion of the segment of the thermoplastic filament in a straight line without twisting the thermoplastic filament around the longitudinal axis L and without twisting the reinforcing fiber around the longitudinal axis L, wherein the second portion of the segment has a length of 52 as measured along the longitudinal axis L;
- and
- depositing a third portion of the segment of the thermoplastic filament in a second arc of θ2 radians and radius R2 while twisting the third portion and the reinforcing fiber φ2 radians around the longitudinal axis L, wherein the third portion of the segment has a length of S3 as measured along the longitudinal axis L;
- wherein the first portion of the segment and the second portion of the segment are contiguous;
- wherein the second portion of the segment and the third portion of the segment are contiguous;
- and
- wherein S1, S2, S3, R1, and R2 are positive real numbers, and wherein θ1, θ2, φ1, and φ2 are real non-zero numbers.
A method of depositing a thermoplastic filament that comprises (i) a longitudinal axis L and (ii) a reinforcing fiber that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis L, the method comprising:
- depositing a first portion of a segment of the thermoplastic filament in a first arc of θ1 radians and radius R1 while twisting the first portion and the reinforcing fiber pi radians around the longitudinal axis L, wherein the first portion of the segment has a length of S1 as measured along the longitudinal axis L;
- and
- depositing a second portion of the segment of the thermoplastic filament in a second arc of θ2 radians and radius R2 while twisting the second portion and the reinforcing fiber φ2 radians around the longitudinal axis L, wherein the second portion of the segment has a length of S2 as measured along the longitudinal axis L;
- wherein the first portion of the segment and the second portion of the segment are contiguous;
- and
- wherein S1, S2, R1, and R2 are positive real numbers, and wherein θ1, θ2, φ1, and φ2 are real non-zero numbers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.