Apparatus for laminating fiber tow and manufacturing method of product using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10173376-B2
Application number	US-201615225954-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2016
Priority date	Apr 5, 2016
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for laminating a fiber tow is provided. The apparatus includes a supply unit that supplies a fiber tow impregnated with resin. A laminating unit is configured to move along a surface of a lamination object and has a shock-absorption element to laminate a fiber tow supplied from the supply unit on a surface of the lamination object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for laminating a fiber tow, comprising:
a supply unit configured to supply the fiber tow impregnated with resin; and
a laminating unit configured to move along a surface of a lamination object and configured to provide shock-absorption to laminate the fiber tow supplied from the supply unit on the surface of the lamination object,
wherein the laminating unit includes:
a body disposed over the lamination object and configured to move along the surface of the lamination object;
a shock absorber having an upper end coupled to the body;
a rotary shaft member coupled to a lower end of the shock absorber and having a rotary shaft disposed in a width direction of the body;
a pressing roller coupled to the rotary shaft member and configured to rotate about the rotary shaft and laminate the fiber tow supplied from the supply unit on the surface of the lamination object via a rotational movement; and
a pivot shaft coupled to the rear side of the body in a movement direction of the body, arranged perpendicularly to a rotational axis of the pressing roller, and configured to rotate the body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the supply unit includes:
a creel wound with the fiber tow;
an impregnator configured to impregnate the fiber tow unrolled from the creel with the resin; and
a cooler configured to solidify the resin in the fiber tow by a reduction of temperature of the resin.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shock absorber includes:
a rod coupled to a bottom of the body and the rotary shaft member and that extends downward a variable length from the bottom of the body; and
an elastic member that surrounds the rod disposed between the bottom of the body and the rotary shaft member and configured to provide elasticity for the rod.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a plurality of shock absorbers, rotary shaft members, and pressing rollers are disposed and spaced in a longitudinal direction of the body, and wherein the shock absorbers are configured to individually absorb shocks.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laminating unit further includes, an integrating roller configured to integrate a plurality of fiber tows supplied from the supply unit and guide the integrated fiber tows to the pressing roller.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the laminating unit further includes a guiding roller disposed at a front of the body in a movement direction of the body and configured to guide the fiber tow supplied from the supply unit to the pressing roller.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the integrating roller is disposed above the guiding roller at the front of the body and is configured to pass the fiber tow between the integrating roller and the guiding roller while maintaining tension in the fiber tow.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laminating unit further includes a heater disposed ahead of the body in a movement direction of the body and configured to heat the resin in the fiber tow.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Min Soo
• Park Sang Sun
• Kim Jun Hyoung

Classifications

• B29C65/002

  Joining methods not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B29C70/06 Primary

  Fibrous reinforcements only · CPC title

• B29L2031/721

  Vibration dampening equipment, e.g. shock absorbers (bumpers B29L2031/3044, springs B29L2031/774) · CPC title

• B29C70/38 Primary

  Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns {(application heads for tyres B29D30/28)} · CPC title

• B32B2260/046

  Synthetic resin · CPC title