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US 12,703,127 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for uniform UV curing of resin parts having irregular surfaces
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsEric Eugene Moyes, Marcos Pantoja, Michelle Ruiz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Photopolymer resin parts having irregular surfaces are evenly cured using a UV lamp configured to radiate the irregular surfaces with UV light with uniform intensity.
Claims20
A method of curing a part formed of a photopolymer resin and having an irregular surface, comprising:
- moving a UV lamp having a plurality of UV light sources over the irregular surface;
- arranging the plurality of UV light sources in a pattern to irradiate the part with UV light having a uniform intensity;
- irradiating the part uniformly throughout the irregular surface using UV light from the plurality of UV light sources;
- interposing an electrochromatic filter between at least some of the plurality of the UV light sources and the part,
- selectively energizing the electrochromatic filter between a clear state allowing the UV light to pass through the electrochromatic filter and an opaque state blocking the UV light from passing though the electrochromatic filter;
- and
- adjusting a distance between the UV lamp and the irregular surface based on irregularities in the irregular surface as the UV lamp moves over the irregular surface.
4 more elements
A method of curing a part formed of a photopolymer resin and having an irregular surface, comprising:
- arranging a plurality of UV light sources in a pattern configured to irradiate the part with UV light having a uniform intensity;
- irradiating the part uniformly throughout the irregular surface using the UV light from the plurality of UV light sources;
- filtering out the UV light irradiated by at least some of the UV light sources by interposing an electrochromatic filter between the at least some of the UV light sources and the part;
- and
- selectively energizing the electrochromatic filter between a clear state allowing the UV light to pass through the electrochromatic filter and an opaque state blocking the UV light from passing though the electrochromatic filter.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.