Curved roller process for pre-stretched film
AssigneeTesla, Inc.
InventorChristos Gougoussis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure seeks to address technical problems associated with the application of film to curved surfaces by providing for systems and methods for pre-stretching film. A system for pre-stretching film includes an intermediate roller to receive film from a starting cylindrical roll of film, stretch the film as the film passes over the intermediate roller, and provide the film to a final non-cylindrical roll that stores the film in a pre-stretched condition. The pre-stretched film is stored on the final non-cylindrical roll, which is detachable from the system, until the application of the pre-stretched film to a curved surface. The pre-stretched film is pre-stretched to fit on the curved surface.
Claims20
A system for pre-stretching film, comprising:
- a starting cylindrical roll configured to supply a film;
- a first intermediate roller positioned between the starting cylindrical roll and a final non-cylindrical roll, the first intermediate roller configured to receive the film from the starting cylindrical roll, the first intermediate roller having a first intermediate curvature radius greater than a final curvature radius of the final non-cylindrical roll;
- and
- the final non-cylindrical roll configured to receive the film.
A method for pre-stretching film comprising:
- supplying a film from a starting cylindrical roll;
- passing the film from the starting cylindrical roll to a first intermediate roller positioned between the starting cylindrical roll and a final non-cylindrical roll, the first intermediate roller having a first intermediate curvature radius greater than a final curvature radius of the final non-cylindrical roll;
- stretching the film using the first intermediate roller;
- and
- storing the film on the final non-cylindrical roll.
A pre-stretched roll of film stored on a non-cylindrical roll, wherein:
- the film is supplied by a cylindrical roll, and
- the film is stretched by an intermediate roller with an intermediate curvature less than a curvature of the non-cylindrical roll.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.