Process and apparatus for continuously encapsulating elongated components and encapsulated elongated components obtained

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189587-B2
Application number	US-201214112853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2012
Priority date	Apr 18, 2011
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A process for a continuous production of an encapsulated component web by conveying at least two continuous encapsulation films along a longitudinal axis of a production line with at least one of the two continuous encapsulation films having an adhesive layer on an inner face thereof; inserting at least one encapsulatable component between the two continuous encapsulation films; conveying an assembly including the two continuous encapsulation films with the at least one encapsulatable component extending therebetween in a nip defined in between at least two contiguous rolls; and laminating the assembly to encapsulate the at least one encapsulatable component between the two continuous encapsulation films. There is also provided an apparatus for carrying out the process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for a continuous production of an encapsulated component web, the process comprising the steps of:
conveying at least two continuous encapsulation films, spaced apart from one another, along a longitudinal axis of a production line;
conveying at least one encapsulatable component along the longitudinal axis of the production line between the two continuous encapsulation films;
displacing transversally at least one of the at least one encapsulatable component simultaneously while the at least one encapsulatable component is conveyed along the longitudinal axis of the production line;
superposing an assembly including the at least two continuous encapsulation films and the at least one encapsulatable component with the at least one encapsulatable component extending between two of the at least two continuous encapsulation films; and
laminating the assembly to encapsulate the at least one encapsulatable component between the at least two continuous encapsulation films.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said superposing further comprises conveying the assembly in a nip defined in between at least two contiguous rolls and the longitudinal axis of the production line is substantially perpendicular to a rotation axis of the two contiguous rolls.

3. The process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said superposing further comprises applying a pressure on the assembly in the nip.

4. The process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said displacing comprises translating a guiding member, with which the at least one of the at least one encapsulatable component is engaged, along a transversal axis of the production line.

5. The process as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the guiding member is slidably mounted to an elongated track provided adjacent and upstream of the nip along the production line.

6. The process as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said displacing comprises controlling the displacements of the guiding member.

7. The process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said conveying the at least two continuous encapsulation films further comprises heating at least one of the at least two continuous encapsulation films for activating a heat activated adhesive layer provided on an inner face thereof.

8. The process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said heating is carried out upstream of the nip.

9. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said laminating further comprises activating an adhesive layer extending on an inner face of at least one of the at least two continuous encapsulation films and allowing said adhesive layer to set.

10. The process as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said activating comprises heating the adhesive layer.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said laminating is carried out while the assembly is conveyed through the production line.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conveying at least one encapsulatable component comprises conveying at least two elongated encapsulatable components along the longitudinal axis of the production line and the displacing comprises displacing transversally the at least two elongated encapsulatable components simultaneously while being conveyed along the longitudinal axis of the production line.

13. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said displacing further comprises displacing transversally the at least two elongated encapsulatable components simultaneously by a same distance and in a same direction wherein the encapsulated elongated components extend substantially parallel to one another in the encapsulated component web.

14. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said displacing further comprises displacing transversally the at least two elongated encapsulatable components simultaneously by a same distance and in an opposite direction wherein the encapsulated elongated components define a symmetric pattern in the encapsulated component web.

15. The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising inserting at least one encapsulatable component along a transversal axis, extending substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the production line, between the at least two continuous encapsulation films, the at least one encapsulatable component inserted along the transversal axis extending between the at least two continuous encapsulation films in the superposed assembly.

16. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two continuous encapsulation films comprises a polymeric film.

17. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two continuous encapsulation films comprises an adhesive layer on an inner face thereof.

18. The process as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the adhesive layer is at least one of continuous and discontinuous along the inner face of the at least one of the at least two continuous encapsulation films.

19. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said conveying the at least two continuous encapsulation films comprises unrolling the at least two continuous encapsulation films from at least two roll supplies.

20. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one encapsulatable component displaced transversally comprises an elongated wire.

21. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one encapsulatable component displaced transversally comprises electrical conductor.

22. The process as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the electrical conductor comprises at least one of an electrical wire and an electrotextile.

23. The process as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the electrical conductor comprises at least one continuous electrical conductive wire.

24. The process as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the electrical conductor comprises at least one continuous electrotextile strip and further comprising conveying the at least one continuous electrotextile strip in between the at least two continuous encapsulation films and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the production line.

25. The process as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the at least one electrotextile strip comprises a woven textile strip with at least one electrical wire.

26. The process as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the at least one electrotextile strip comprises a non-woven fabric with a plurality of electric conductive particles.

27. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two continuous encapsulation films comprises an adhesive layer on an outer face thereof.

Assignees

• Demers Gaetan
• Adidas Ag

Inventors

• Demers Gaétan

Classifications

• B32B2307/202

  Conductive · CPC title

• B32B37/12

  characterised by using adhesives · CPC title

• B32B37/0053

  Constructional details of laminating machines comprising rollers; Constructional features of the rollers · CPC title

• B32B7/12

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title

• B32B38/1841

  during laying up · CPC title