Apparatus and method for thermomechanically forming an aluminide part of a workpiece
AssigneePhilip Morris USA Inc.
InventorsJohn M. Adams, Naohisa Tsukamura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of thermomechanically forming an aluminide part of a workpiece resistively heats at least a portion of the aluminide part, plastically deforms the heated portion of the aluminide part to a predetermined shape by applying pressure to the aluminide part positioned in a shaping member, and cools the aluminide part while applying pressure to maintain the aluminide part in the predetermined shape. The shaping member is movable mounted on a support base and a source of electricity provides an electrical current passing through the aluminide part for resistive heating of the part. The aluminide part can be a heater blade array for an electrically heated cigarette smoking system.
Claims18
A method of thermomechanically forming a heater blade array, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) inserting a tubular aluminide part into a final resting position;
- (ii) after step (i), resistively heating at least a portion of the aluminide part;
- (iii) after step (ii), plastically deforming the heated portion of the aluminide part to a predetermined shape by applying pressure to the aluminide part positioned in a shaping member;
- and
- (iv) cooling the aluminide part while applying pressure to maintain the aluminide part in the predetermined shape, wherein the aluminide part is an aluminide sheet formed into a substantially cylindrical geometry having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a plurality of heater blades extending from a hub, the geometry defining the heater blade array.
A method of thermomechanically forming an aluminide part of a workpiece, the method comprising the steps of:
- mounting the workpiece in a holding element having a socket conforming to a mating surface of the workpiece;
- resistively heating at least a portion of the aluminide part;
- plastically deforming the heated portion of the aluminide part to a predetermined shape by applying pressure to the aluminide part positioned in a shaping member;
- and
- cooling the aluminide part while applying pressure to maintain the aluminide part in the predetermined shape,
- wherein the holding element comprises at least one connector which contacts the aluminide part to form an electrical circuit therewith, the electrical circuit being used to provide energy for the resistively heating step.
A method of thermomechanically forming an aluminide part of a workpiece, the method comprising the steps of:
- inserting an insert having a configuration with a non-uniform diameter into an interior of a heater blade array having heater blades;
- resistively heating at least a portion of the aluminide part;
- plastically deforming the heated portion of the aluminide part to a predetermined shape by applying pressure to the aluminide part positioned in a shaping member, wherein the plastically deforming step is carried out by pressing opposed portions of the shaping member toward each other so as to conform the heater blades to the configuration of the insert;
- cooling the aluminide part while applying pressure to maintain the aluminide part in the predetermined shape;
- and
- restraining a distal end of at least a portion of the heater blades within a capture ring of the insert.
An apparatus for forming a heater blade array, comprising:
- an inner shaping component configured for insertion into a cavity of a tubular workpiece;
- a plurality of shaping elements configured to hold the workpiece with the inner shaping component therein, wherein the workpiece is between the inner shaping component and the plurality of shaping elements, wherein the plurality of shaping elements are arranged to move toward the inner shaping component to shape the tubular workpiece;
- and
- an electrical power source, wherein the workpiece forms an electrical connection to the electrical power source and conducts a current when the workpiece with the inner shaping component therein is positioned at an insert position within the plurality of shaping elements, wherein the tubular workpiece comprises a cylindrical heater blade array with bowed blades, wherein the plurality of shaping elements define walls of a cavity and are configured to conform to a desired shape of the bowed blades of the cylindrical heater blade array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.