Methods of and apparatus for making a flexible composite having reservoirs and capillaries

A method of forming a flexible reservoir assembly having a set of at least two filled reservoirs, the method comprising:

• cutting the perimeter of at least one reservoir pre-form having at least two lobes separated by at least one juncture through which lobes can communicate into a flexible reservoir web secured to a peelable support layer;
• removing the support layer and the waste cut interior of the reservoir pre-form from the reservoir web;
• securing the reservoir web to a base layer;
• depositing a barrier material at the at least one juncture to divide the reservoir pre-form into separate reservoirs corresponding to the lobes;
• overfilling each reservoir by depositing a plurality of layers of filling material into each reservoir;
• and
• laminating a reservoir barrier layer over the overfilled reservoirs.

A method of manufacturing a flexible composite panel having a set of plurality of reservoirs connected by a set of at least one capillary, the method comprising:

• forming a flexible capillary assembly having a set of at least one filled capillary by winding a first flexible, deformable capillary base web partially around the surface of a rotating cylinder that has a plurality of sets of recessed features formed therein, each set corresponding to a set of capillaries;
• connecting the recessed features underlying the capillary base web to a source of reduced pressure to draw the capillary base web into the recessed features and form the set of capillaries in the capillary base web;
• applying a fill material to the surface of the capillary base web to fill the set of capillaries;
• laminating a capillary barrier web over the capillary base web to close the capillaries;
• forming a flexible reservoir assembly having a set of at least two filled reservoirs by cutting the perimeter of the at least two reservoirs and associated catchments into a flexible reservoir web that is secured to a peelable support layer;
• removing the peelable support layer and the waste cut interiors of the reservoirs and the catchments from the reservoir web;
• securing the reservoir web to a base layer;
• overfilling each reservoir by depositing a plurality of layers of filling material;
• and
• laminating the capillary assembly over the reservoir assembly, with the capillary barrier web in contact with the reservoir web, the lamination process driving excess filler from the reservoirs into the catchments.

A method of manufacturing a flexible composite panel having a set of a plurality of reservoirs connected by a set of a plurality of capillaries, the method comprising:

• forming a flexible capillary assembly having a set of at least two filled capillaries by winding a first flexible, deformable capillary base web partially around the surface of a rotating cylinder that has a plurality of sets of recessed features formed therein, each set corresponding to the set of capillaries;
• connecting the recessed features underlying the capillary base web to a source of reduced pressure to draw the capillary web into the recessed features and form the set of capillaries in the capillary base web;
• applying a fill material to the surface of the capillary base web to fill the set of capillaries;
• laminating a capillary barrier web over the capillary base web to close the capillaries;
• forming a flexible reservoir assembly having a set of a plurality of filled reservoirs by cutting the perimeter of at least a first reservoir, a second reservoir, and a third reservoir that comprises three lobes separated by two junctures, and associated catchments into a flexible reservoir web that is secured to a peelable support layer;
• removing the peelable support layer and the waste cut interiors of the reservoirs and the catchments from the reservoir web;
• securing the reservoir web to a base layer;
• sub-dividing the third reservoir into at least three separate reservoirs by depositing a barrier material at each of the two junctures;
• overfilling each reservoir by depositing a plurality of layers of filling material;
• and
• laminating the capillary assembly over the reservoir assembly, the lamination process driving excess filler from the reservoirs into their associated catchments, with one end of one of the at least two capillaries aligned with the first reservoir and the other end aligned of that capillary aligned with one of the junctures of the third reservoir, and with one end of the other of the at least two capillaries aligned with the second reservoir and the other end aligned with the other of the junctures of the third reservoir.