Shape-formable apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10434618-B2
Application number	US-201716086447-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2017
Priority date	Mar 24, 2016
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus can comprise a body and a first portion. The first portion can be coupled to the body and moveable therewith. The first portion can comprise a rigidifying material and a layer. The rigidifying material can be positioned in a chamber defined by an envelope formed of a gas-impermeable material. A pressure within the chamber can be variable between at least a lower pressure state and a higher pressure state. In the higher pressure state the material is relatively flexible, and in the lower pressure state the material can be relatively less flexible than in the higher pressure state. The layer can be manipulatable by the rigidifying material. More particularly, the layer can have a first state when the pressure within the chamber is in the higher pressure state. In the first state, the layer can be formable by the target surface to take on a desired shape that can be substantially a match of the target surface. The layer can have a second state when the pressure within the chamber is in the lower pressure state. In the second state, the layer can maintain the desired shape and can be substantially less formable than in the first state.

First claim

The claimed invention is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a body;
a first portion coupled to the body and movable therewith, the first portion comprising:
a rigidifying material positioned in a chamber defined by an envelope formed of a gas-impermeable material, wherein a pressure within the chamber is variable between at least a lower pressure state and a higher pressure state, in the higher pressure state the material is relatively flexible, and in the lower pressure state the material is relatively less flexible than in the higher pressure state, and
a layer manipulateable by the rigidifying material, the layer has a first state when the pressure within the chamber is in the higher pressure state, in the first state the layer is formable by a target surface to take on a desired shape that is substantially a match of the target surface, the layer has a second state when the pressure within the chamber is in the lower pressure state, in the second state the layer maintains the desired shape and is substantially less formable than in the first state; and

a second portion disposed between the body and the first portion, the second portion configured to urge the layer to conform to the desired shape of the target surface,
wherein the rigidifying material comprises at least two sheets positioned in the chamber in an at least partially overlapping configuration, and wherein in the higher pressure state the at least two sheets are relatively moveable with respect to one another, and in the lower pressure state the at least two sheets are relatively less moveable with respect to one another than in the higher pressure state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an abrasive layer disposed on and secured to the layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the body is configured as a handle for the apparatus and is graspable by a hand of a user to move the abrasive layer along a surface of an object with the layer in the second state.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a port positioned to fluidly couple the chamber with ambience, and wherein the lower pressure state comprises substantially a vacuum state where air has been evacuated from the chamber via the port.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each sheet comprises a major surface, and wherein at least a portion of each sheet is patterned to include solid regions and void regions, the solid regions being movable with respect to one another within the major surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the solid regions extend uninterrupted along axes that are generally parallel with one another and the void regions extend along axes that generally parallel with one another and are generally oriented to extend parallel with the axes of the solid regions.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a stiffening configuration that stiffens the layer relative to the body with respect to at least one axis of the layer.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Corrigan Thomas R
• Egeland Marc A
• Graham Paul D

Classifications

• B24D15/04

  resilient; with resiliently-mounted operative surface · CPC title

• B24B13/012 Primary

  conformable in shape to the optical surface, e.g. by fluid pressure acting on an elastic membrane · CPC title

• B24B35/00

  Machines or devices designed for superfinishing surfaces on work, i.e. by means of abrading blocks reciprocating with high frequency · CPC title