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AssigneeAccudyne Systems, Inc.
InventorsRalph D. Cope, Steve B. Funck, Mark B. Gruber, Mark A. Lamontia, Anthony D. Johnson
Estimating the term…
A tape placement head for applying thermoplastic tape to an object includes a heated feeder which guides the tape/tow to a heated zone. The heated zone has a line compactor having a single row of at least one movable heated member. An area compactor is located in the heated zone downstream from the line compactor. The area compactor includes a plurality of rows of movable feet which are extendable toward the tape/tow different distances with respect to each other to conform to the shape of the object. A shim is located between the heated compactors and the tape/tow. A chilled compactor is in a chilled zone downstream from the heated zone. The chilled zone includes a line chilled compactor and an area chilled compactor. A chilled shim is mounted between the chilled compactor and the tape/tow.
A tape placement head for applying thermoplastic tape/tow to an object comprising a supply of thermoplastic tape/tow, a heated compactor located in a heated zone downstream from said supply, a feeder for feeding the tape/tow from the supply and into the heated zone, said heated compactor having a plurality of heated members which are independently movable with respect to each other so as to be conformable to the shape of the object, a chilled zone downstream from said heated zone, a chilled compactor in said chilled zone, said chilled compactor having a plurality of chilled members which are independently movable with respect to each other so as to be conformable to the shape of the object, said tape/tow having a path of travel through said heated zone and through said chilled zone to be capable of being disposed against the object and to be in a heated condition in said heated zone and in a chilled condition in said chilled zone, an upstream shim arrangement for disposing an upstream shim in a path extending through said heated zone between said heated members and said tape/tow whereby said heated members may press said upstream shim against said tape/tow to press said tape/tow against the object, a downstream shim arrangement for disposing a downstream shim in a path through said chilled zone between said chilled members and said tape/tow whereby said chilled members may press said downstream shim against said tape/tow to maintain said tape/tow against the object, an upstream pressure applying arrangement for urging said plurality of heated members against said upstream shim in said heated zone which then can press the heated tape/tow against the object, and a downstream pressure applying arrangement for urging said chilling members against said downstream shim in said chilled zone which then can press the chilled tape/tow against the object.
A method of placing thermoplastic tape or tow to an object comprising feeding the tape/tow through a heated feeder and below a heated line compactor having a single row of at least one movable heated member, then conveying the tape/tow below a heated area compactor having a plurality of rows of heated feet which are independently extendable different distances with respect to each other so as to be conformable to the shape of the object located below the feet, inserting a shim between the tape/tow and the line compactor and between the tape/tow and the heated area compactor, pressing the heated feet of the heated area compactor against the shim and thereby against the tape/tow to move maintain the tape/tow in contact with the object while the tape/tow is in a heated condition, passing the tape/tow through a chilled zone while the tape/tow is against the object, pressing a row of chilled movable member from a line chilled compactor and pressing multiple rows of conformable feet from a chilled area compactor against a shim which is disposed between the chilled compactors and the tape/tow, and chilling the tape/tow so that it remains adhered to the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.