Methods and apparatus to perform load measurements on flexible substrates
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsPhilippe Levesque, Alexander T. Carbone
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An example flexible substrate testing system includes: a first substrate support structure configured to hold a first portion of a flexible substrate under test; a second substrate support structure configured to hold a second portion of the flexible substrate; one or more actuators configured to move the first and second substrate support structures at respective angles to fold the flexible substrate; and load cells configured to measure loads on the first substrate support structure and the second substrate support structure while the actuator moves the first substrate support structure and the second substrate support structure.
Claims20
A flexible substrate testing system, comprising:
- a first substrate support structure configured to hold a first portion of a flexible substrate under test;
- a second substrate support structure configured to hold a second portion of the flexible substrate;
- one or more actuators configured to move the first and second substrate support structures at respective angles to fold the flexible substrate;
- a first load cell rigidly coupled to the first substrate support structure and configured to measure a first load on the first substrate support structure;
- and
- a second load cell rigidly coupled to the second substrate support structure and configured to measure a second load on the second substrate support structure while the actuator moves the first substrate support structure and the second substrate support structure.
A flexible substrate testing, comprising:
- a first substrate support structure configured to hold a first portion of a flexible substrate under test;
- a second substrate support structure configured to hold a second portion of the flexible substrate;
- one or more actuators configured to move the first and second substrate support structures simultaneously and at respective angles to fold the flexible substrate by driving a single input shaft, wherein the input shaft is coupled to a first secondary shaft configured to move the first substrate support structure and to a second secondary shaft configured to move the second substrate support structure;
- and
- load cells configured to measure loads on the first substrate support structure and the second substrate support structure while the actuator moves the first substrate support structure and the second substrate support structure;
- wherein the first secondary shaft is coupled to the first substrate support structure via a first gearing system configured to rotate the first substrate support structure about a first axis defined by the first gearing system, and the second secondary shaft is coupled to the second substrate support structure via a second gearing system configured to rotate the second substrate support structure about a second axis defined by the second gearing system.
A method to measure loads on a flexible substrate, the method comprising:
- moving, via an actuator, a first portion of a flexible substrate under test and a second portion of the flexible substrate to fold or unfold the flexible substrate;
- and
- measuring a load on the flexible substrate resulting from the moving by measuring a load normal to a surface of the first portion of the flexible substrate over a duration of the folding or unfolding of the flexible substrate.
A flexible substrate testing system, comprising:
- a first plate comprising a first surface configured to hold a first side of a flexible substrate under test;
- a first translation linkage configured to hold the first plate and to limit motion of the first plate in directions parallel to the first surface of the first plate;
- a second plate comprising a second surface configured to hold a second side of the flexible substrate;
- a second translation linkage configured to hold the second plate and to limit motion of the second plate in directions parallel to the second surface of the second plate;
- one or more actuators configured to move the first and second plates at respective angles to fold the flexible substrate to an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 180 degrees;
- and
- load cells configured to measure separate loads on the first plate and the second plate while the actuator moves the first plate and the second plate, wherein the load cells have respective fixed angular orientations with respect to the first plate and the second plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.