# US 7,824,165 B2 · System for resin curing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,824,165 B2 - Document ID: US7824165B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/774,303 - Filed: 2007-07-06 - Published: 2009-01-08 - Granted: 2010-11-02 - Earliest claimed: 2006-07-06 - Assignees: Comtek Advanced Structures Limited - Inventors: Alistair Davie; Joseph Pelleja - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7824165B2 ## CPC - B29C 35/0288: {Controlling heating or curing of polymers during moulding, e.g. by measuring temperatures or properties of the polymer and regulating the process (controlling or regulating chemical, physical or physico- chemical processes in general B01J19/0006)} - B29C 33/02: with incorporated heating or cooling means - B29C 35/0266: {Local curing (for repairing B29C73/34)} - B29C 70/44: using isostatic pressure, e.g. pressure difference-moulding, vacuum bag-moulding, autoclave-moulding or expanding rubber-moulding - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) ## Abstract Among other things, there is disclosed a system for curing a resin in a composite structure having one or more interconnected cure volumes, the cure volumes having one or more heatable surface zones. The system comprises a mould comprising a mould base portion adapted to support the composite structure and a mould closure portion adapted to overlie the mould base portion in sealable relation to define a mould chamber containing the composite structure within. The system further comprises a plurality of heating units each selectively positionable about the mould. The heating units transmit heat to the mould by radiation, and the mould heats the one or more surface zones of the cure volumes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for curing a resin in a composite structure having one or more interconnected cure volumes, said cure volumes having one or more heatable surface zones, said system comprising: (a) a mould having: (i) a mould base portion adapted to support said composite structure; and (ii) a mould closure portion adapted to overlie said mould base portion in sealable relation to define a mould chamber containing said composite structure within; and (b) a plurality of heating units each selectively movable with respect to a space relation of the plurality of heating units space relation about said mould; wherein said heating units transmit heat to said mould by radiation; and wherein said mould heats one or more of said surface zones. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, wherein said heating units are adapted to emit said heat to said mould at one or more respective variable heating unit levels. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A system according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of heating units comprises one or more arrays of said heating units, wherein each of said arrays comprises one or more of said heating units, and wherein each of said arrays is positionable in operative heating relation to a corresponding one of said heatable surface zones, with said mould interposed therebetween. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A system according to claim 3, further comprising a housing shaped, configured and otherwise adapted to selectively enclose said mould, wherein said heating units are mounted on said housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A system according to claim 4, wherein said heating units are movably mounted on said housing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A system according to claim 5, further comprising means for adjusting the distance between each of said heating units and said mould. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A system according to claim 6, wherein said housing comprises two or more matable housing portions; wherein one or more of said matable housing portions are movable so as to be adapted to form an open configuration of said housing and a closed configuration of said housing; wherein in said closed configuration said housing portions are mated in close fitting relation about said mould, and wherein in said open configuration said housing portions are unmated and positioned sufficiently remotely from one another to allow for removal of said mould from therebetween. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A system according to claim 7, wherein said housing portions comprise an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A system according to claim 8, further comprising one or more temperature sensing means mounted adjacent said mould for monitoring one or more temperatures within said one or more cure volumes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A system according to claim 9, further comprising a programmable control means responsive to one or more of said temperature sensing means, wherein said programmable control means is operatively connected to said heating units and is adapted to vary a rate of curing of said resin within at least one of said one or more cure volumes by varying one or more of said variable heating unit levels. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A system according to claim 10, wherein said one or more temperature sensing means are operatively connected to said programmable control means for conveying one or more signals indicative of said temperatures within said one or more cure volumes from said temperature sensing means to said programmable control means. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A system according to claim 11, wherein said programmable control means is adapted to compare said signals indicative of said temperatures within respective ones of said one or more cure volumes with respective ones of one or more reference signals representing respective target ranges of said temperatures within each of said one or more cure volumes and to analyse the results of said comparison, so as to generate a first set of delta signals for respective sending by said programmable control means to said heating units to thereby proportionally vary the respective variable heating unit levels of one or more of the heating units in one or more of said arrays of said heating units in a manner conducive to producing values of the temperatures at a subsequent time that are closer to a target value thereof for said respective cure volumes at said subsequent time; wherein said heating units are responsive to said programmable control means and adapted to vary said variable heating unit levels in accordance with said first set of delta signals. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A system according to claim 12, wherein said programmable control means varies said variable heating unit levels by varying one or more of: (i) the number of energized heating units in one or more of said arrays; (ii) the proximity of one or more of the heating units in one or more of said arrays to said mould; and (iii) the intensity of the radiation transmitted by one or more of said heating units in one or more of said arrays. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A system according to claim 13, further comprising one or more cure sensing means mounted about said mould for monitoring one or more cure parameters within said one or more cure volumes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A system according to claim 14, wherein said cure parameters include one or more of: (i) degree of cure of the resin; and (ii) viscosity of the resin; within said one or more cure volumes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A system according to claim 15, wherein said programmable control means is responsive to one or more of said cure sensing means. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A system according to claim 16, wherein said one or more cure sensing means are operatively connected to said programmable control means for conveying one or more signals indicative of said cure parameters within said one or more cure volumes from said cure sensing means to said programmable control means. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A system according to claim 17, wherein said programmable control means is adapted to compare said signals indicative of said temperatures within respective ones of said one or more cure volumes with respective ones of one or more reference signals representing respective target ranges of said temperatures within said one or more cure volumes and to analyse the results of said comparison so as to generate a second set of delta signals for respective sending by said programmable control means to said heating units to thereby proportionally vary the respective variable heating unit levels of one or more of said heating units in one or more of said arrays of said heating units in a manner conducive to producing values of the cure parameters at a subsequent time that are closer to a target value thereof for said respective cure volumes at said subsequent time; wherein said heating units are further adapted to vary said heating unit levels in accordance with said second set of delta signals. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A system according to claim 18, wherein each said temperature sensing means comprises one or more temperature sensors for generating said signals indicative of said temperatures. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A system according to claim 19, wherein said temperature sensors are thermocouples. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) A system according to claim 19, wherein said temperature sensors are infrared-based sensors. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) A system according to claim 20, wherein each of said heating units comprises a halogen light bulb. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A system according to claim 22, wherein each said halogen light bulb has a reflector means; wherein said reflector means is aimed to reflect light toward said mould when said housing is in said closed configuration. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) A system according to claim 23, wherein said cure sensors are selected from a group comprising ultrasonic, resistance, capacitance, electrically and dielectrically based sensors. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) A system according to claim 24, wherein said programmable control means comprises a digital signal processor. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) A system according to claim 25, wherein said housing further comprises a mechanism for moving said housing portions between said open configuration and said closed configuration. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, wherein each of said heating units comprises a halogen light bulb. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of heating units are arranged around the mould so as to operatively heat each of the one or more heatable surface zones. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) A system according claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of heating units is dynamically movable during a curing process. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) A system according to claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of heating units is dynamically repositioned based on instructions generated as a result of a feedback response.