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US 12,006,180 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for spliting a tow of carbon fiber filaments
OwnerCharles Fletcher Stewartinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for splitting a high filament count carbon fiber tow into a set of tows with reduced filament counts. The apparatus is comprised of an electrolyte bath assembly and a splitting assembly comprised of at least one blade. The preferred embodiment of the blades being Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The splitting assembly being positioned within the electrolyte bath or adjacent to the exit of the electrolyte bath.
Claims20
A carbon fiber tow splitting apparatus, comprising:
- an electrolyte bath assembly;
- a bath basin;
- at least one entry roller;
- at least one exit roller;
- a splitting assembly;
- at least one blade;
- the electrolyte bath assembly comprising the bath basin, the at least one entry roller, and the at least one exit roller;
- the bath basin having an entry end, and an exit end;
- the at least one entry roller being positioned within the bath basin adjacent to the entry end;
- the at least one exit roller being positioned within the bath basin adjacent to the exit end;
- the splitting assembly comprising the at least one blade;
- and
- the splitting assembly being positioned in line with the at least one entry roller and the at least one exit roller.
10 more elements
A method of splitting a carbon fiber tow, comprising:
- obtaining a carbon fiber tow with a high filament count;
- feeding the carbon fiber tow into an electrolyte bath assembly;
- guiding the carbon fiber tow into an entry end of a bath basin using at least one entry roller;
- feeding the carbon fiber tow through a first splitting assembly comprised of at least one blade;
- splitting the carbon fiber tow into a set of split tows with a reduced filament count using the at least one blade;
- and
- guiding the set of split tows out of an exit end of the bath basin using at least one exit roller.
4 more elements
A method of splitting a carbon fiber tow, comprising:
- obtaining a carbon fiber tow with a high filament count;
- feeding the carbon fiber tow into an electrolyte bath assembly;
- guiding the carbon fiber tow into an entry end of a bath basin using at least one entry roller;
- guiding the carbon fiber tow out of an exit end of the bath basin using at least one exit roller;
- feeding the carbon fiber tow through a first splitting assembly comprised of at least one blade;
- and
- splitting the carbon fiber tow into a set of split tows with a reduced filament count using the at least one blade.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.