Apparatus and method for applying an elongate fiber tow
Assignee9T Labs AG
InventorsLeo Baumann, Lucien Segessemann, Chester Houwink, Martin Eichenhofer, Giovanni Cavolina
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pressure foot device and system comprising a pressure foot device for forming and applying an elongate fiber tow, wherein the pressure foot device comprises a foot surface comprising a straight foot segment, a groove comprising a flared end and defining a groove midplane, and a foot shaft housing characterized by a foot shaft's axis of rotation that is orthogonal to the straight foot segment and comprised in the groove midplane.
Claims21
A pressure foot device for applying an elongate fiber tow onto an object surface, the device comprising:
- a foot surface including a straight foot segment configured to press the fiber tow onto the object surface, the straight foot segment including a rear end and a front end that define a frontal direction from the rear end to the front end;
- a groove including a left lip and a right lip configured to guide the fiber tow to the foot surface, the groove defining a groove midplane as a planar portion along a mid-line of the groove and extending between the left lip and the right lip of the groove, the groove joining onto the front end of the straight foot segment and oriented at an elevation angle with respect to the straight foot segment,
- the groove including a flared end that joins the groove to the front end of the straight foot segment on the foot surface.
A system for applying an elongate fiber tow onto an object surface, the system comprising:
- a pressure foot device including:
- a foot surface configured to press the fiber tow onto the object surface, the foot surface including a straight foot segment for pressing the fiber tow onto the object surface, the straight foot segment including a rear end and a front end that define a frontal direction from rear end to front end;
- and
- a groove including a left lip and a right lip configured for guiding the fiber tow to the foot surface, the groove defining a groove midplane as a planar portion along a mid-line of the groove between the left lip and the right lip of the groove, the groove joining onto the front end of the straight foot segment and being oriented at an elevation angle with respect to the straight foot segment, the groove including a flared end that joins with the foot surface, wherein the pressure foot device includes a hollow foot shaft to translate the fiber tow to the groove, an axis of the hollow foot shaft located on the groove midplane;
- and
- a foot shaft housing, characterized by the axis of rotation of the hollow foot shaft, defining a Z-axis, wherein the axis of rotation of the hollow foot shaft is orthogonal to the straight foot segment and is located in the groove midplane.
A method for applying an elongate fiber tow onto an object surface, the method comprising:
- translating an elongate fiber tow through a hollow foot shaft into a groove of a pressure foot device unto a foot surface of the pressure foot device, the groove including a left lip, a right lip, and defining a groove midplane along a mid-line of the groove and extending between the left lip and the right lip of the groove, wherein an axis of the hollow foot is located on the groove midplane;
- guiding the fiber tow within the groove to a flared end of the groove;
- curving the fiber tow around the flared end of the groove to a straight foot segment included in the foot surface of the pressure foot device;
- wherein the straight foot segment includes a rear end and a front end that define a frontal direction from the rear end to the front end, and
- the groove joining onto the front end of the straight foot segment and being oriented at an elevation angle with respect to the straight foot segment;
- and
- pressing the fiber tow between the straight foot segment and the object surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.