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US 11,383,418 B2Granted
Bladder manufacturing process
AssigneeAviorec S.R.L.
InventorJacopo Recchia
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing the so-called “bladders”, that is generally tubular elements made of rubber, which can be inflated and used as compacting tools in the processed for curing composites, allowing to distribute homogeneously, on the surface in contact to the portion to be cured, the pressure obtained by inletting air or other gas inside thereof.
Claims24
A process for manufacturing a tubular element made of rubber, comprising the following steps:
- (a) supplying a rubber compound to an extruder;
- (b) forming the tubular element by means of a die;
- (c) vulcanizing the tubular element formed in a vulcanization tunnel;
- (d) segmenting the tubular element in tubular segments with predefined length;
- (e) closing an end of each tubular segment with a terminal cap obtained with said rubber compound;
- (f) conditioning the segments of tubular element, wherein said tubular segments are positioned on a plane of a ventilated oven/autoclave, and wherein said conditioning step comprises a thermal conditioning characterized by:
- (i) heating, using a heating gradient between 0.5 and 10° C./minute;
- (ii) a residence of about 2-8 hours at a temperature between 50 and 300° C.;
- and
- (iii) quenching, using a quenching gradient lower than 10° C./minute.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.