Composite material bonding apparatus and composite material bonding method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11458720-B2
Application number	US-202117388062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2021
Priority date	Dec 28, 2020
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

The embodiment includes: a planar graphite heater; a clamp device that moves the graphite heater, which is arranged between a first bonding surface W1a of a first composite material member and a second bonding surface of a second composite material member facing the first bonding surface, in a traveling direction with the graphite heater being in contact with the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface; and a control unit that controls the graphite heater to heat the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface while the graphite heater is in contact with the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A composite material bonding apparatus comprising:
a planar sheet heater;
a sheet heater motion device that moves the sheet heater, which is arranged between a first bonding surface of a first composite material member and a second bonding surface of a second composite material member facing the first bonding surface, in a first direction with the sheet heater being in contact with the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface; and
a control unit that controls the sheet heater to heat the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface while the sheet heater is in contact with the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface.

2. The composite material bonding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit causes the sheet heater to heat the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface while causing the sheet heater motion device to move the sheet heater in the first direction.

3. The composite material bonding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressure cooling device that presses and cools the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface in a heated-finished region obtained after the sheet heater is moved in the first direction by the sheet heater motion device.

4. The composite material bonding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a heating-state pressing device that presses the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface in a heated region that is being heated by the sheet heater,
wherein the control unit controls pressing force of the heating-state pressing device.

5. The composite material bonding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit differentiates temperatures for respective heating regions of the sheet heater.

6. The composite material bonding apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet heater comprises a temperature sensor, and
wherein the control unit controls a heating amount of the sheet heater based on a measured value of the temperature sensor.

7. The composite material bonding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a tapered shape whose thickness decreases toward the front is provided at a tip in the first direction of the sheet heater.

8. The composite material bonding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a tip reinforced portion having a higher strength than another region of the sheet heater is provided at a tip in the first direction of the sheet heater.

9. The composite material bonding apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet heater motion device comprises holding units that hold both ends in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction of the sheet heater, respectively, and
wherein the control unit controls the holding units to move the sheet heater in the first direction with tension being applied between both the ends of the sheet heater.

10. The composite material bonding apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein in the sheet heater, a both-end reinforced portion having a higher strength than another region of the sheet heater is provided to a region held by the holding units.

11. The composite material bonding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet heater comprises a heat generating portion made of graphite and insulating layers interposing and securing the heat generating portion.

12. A composite material bonding method using
a planar sheet heater, and
a sheet heater motion device that moves the sheet heater, which is arranged between a first bonding surface of a first composite material member and a second bonding surface of a second composite material member facing the first bonding surface, in a first direction with the sheet heater being in contact with the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface,
the composite material bonding method comprising:
causing the sheet heater to heat the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface while the sheet heater is in contact with the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Okuda Akihisa
• Akiyama Hiromichi

Classifications

• B29C65/2007 Primary

  characterised by the type of welding mirror · CPC title

• B29C66/472

  said single elements being substantially flat · CPC title

• B29C66/91231

  of the joining tool · CPC title

• B29C66/91423

  using joining tools having different temperature zones or using several joining tools with different temperatures · CPC title

• B29C66/8187

  characterised by the electrical insulating constructional aspects · CPC title