Device, system and method for tacking layers of material
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsNayeem Chowdhury, Pei Li Ong, Shaun McFetridge
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Abstract
A tacking device for tacking together two overlapped or abutted layers of material includes a body portion having a first body portion end, one or more micro-heaters attached to the body portion at the first body portion end, and a switch in electrical communication with the one or more micro-heaters and configured to permit or prevent a flow of electric power to the one or more micro-heaters. A system and method for tacking together two overlapped or abutted layers of material are also provided.
Claims42
A tacking device for tacking together two overlapped or abutted layers of material, comprising:
- a body portion having a first body portion end;
- one or more micro-heaters attached to the body portion at the first body portion end;
- and
- a switch in electrical communication with the one or more micro-heaters and configured to permit or prevent a flow of electric power to the one or more micro-heaters.
A method for tacking together two layers of material, comprising:
- overlapping or abutting the two layers of material, thereby providing an overlapped or abutted area;
- applying electric power to a tacking device, wherein the tacking device has a body portion with a first body portion end and one or more micro-heaters attached to the body portion at the first body portion end, wherein the applied electric power causes the one or more micro-heaters to heat up, thereby providing one or more heated-up micro-heaters;
- and
- pressing the tacking device against the overlapped or abutted area with the one or more heated-up micro-heaters pressed against one or more selected portions of the overlapped or abutted area, thereby producing one or more corresponding tacked portions of the overlapped or abutted layers.
A method for tacking together two layers of material each having a respective veil made of a thermoplastic material or a thermoset material, comprising:
- overlapping or abutting the two layers of material, thereby providing an overlapped or abutted area;
- and
- using one or more micro-heaters to melt or activate the respective veils at the overlapped or abutted area so as to tack the two layers together.
A system for tacking together two layers of material, comprising:
- a tacking device having a body portion with a first body portion end, one or more micro-heaters attached to the body portion at the first body portion end, and a switch in electrical communication with the one or more micro-heaters and configured to permit or prevent a flow of electric power to the one or more micro-heaters;
- a power supply for supplying the electric power to the tacking device to heat up the one or more micro-heaters, thereby providing one or more heated-up micro-heaters;
- and
- a work space on which the two layers of material may be overlapped or abutted with each other and tacked together by pressing the one or more heated-up micro-heaters against the two overlapped or abutted layers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.