Tape deposition system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12533857-B2
Application number	US-202118033219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2021
Priority date	Oct 21, 2020
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

A tape deposition system, the system comprising: a platform moveable around a closed path in a first direction, the platform having a deposition surface; and a tape deposition head configured to apply lengths of tape along a deposition direction to the deposition surface, the platform being moveable past the deposition head around the closed path along the deposition direction to apply lengths of tape to the deposition surface; and wherein the system is configured to move the platform around the path multiple times to permit multiple lengths of tape to be applied to the deposition surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A tape deposition system, the system comprising:
a platform moveable around a closed path in a first direction, the closed path being a loop, the platform having a deposition surface; a tape deposition head comprising a deposition roller, the tape deposition head being configured to apply lengths of tape along a deposition direction to the deposition surface while the platform is moving underneath the deposition roller along the deposition direction and around the closed path; a carriage, the platform being borne on the carriage; a first track that follows the closed path, the carriage being moveable along the first track; and a platform management device configured to move the platform between the closed path and a storage location, the platform management device comprising a conveyor, the conveyor comprising a moveable portion configured to move between a raised position and a lowered position; wherein the system is configured to move the platform around the path multiple times to permit multiple lengths of tape to be applied to the deposition surface, and wherein when the moveable portion of the conveyor is in the raised position the moveable portion does not impinge of the motion of the platform along the first track, and when the moveable portion is in the lowered position the moveable portion crosses the path of the platform so that the moveable portion is capable of dragging the platform to and/or from the first track.

2 . The deposition system according to claim 1 , the system comprising:
a plurality of platforms movable around the path in the first direction, each platform having a deposition surface and the platforms each being moveable past the deposition head around the path along the deposition direction, wherein the plurality of platforms include the platform; and wherein the tape deposition head is configured to apply lengths of tape along the deposition direction to each deposition surface.

3 . The deposition system according to claim 1 , wherein the platform is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the deposition surface so that the deposition head can apply lengths of tape to the deposition surface along any direction.

4 . The deposition system according to claim 1 , wherein the platform is translatable along a translation direction parallel to the deposition surface and perpendicular to the first direction so that the deposition head can apply lengths of tape to the deposition surface at positions offset along the translation direction.

5 . The deposition system according to claim 1 , wherein at least some lengths of tape are applied to other lengths of tape already applied to the deposition surface.

6 . The deposition system according to claim 1 , wherein the path is a first path, and the system comprising:
a second track that follows a second path, the second path running alongside the first track; and a mover for each carriage, each carriage being connected to the second track by the respective mover so that relative movement of each carriage relative to the associated mover causes the carriage to rotate about the connection between the carriage and the first track.

7 . The deposition system according to claim 1 , the system comprising:
a plurality of tape deposition heads configured to apply lengths of tape to the deposition surface along the deposition direction, the plurality of tape deposition heads including the tape deposition head, the platform being moveable past the deposition heads around the path along the deposition direction to apply lengths of tape to the deposition surface.

8 . The deposition system according to claim 7 , wherein the deposition heads are aligned in a bank one beside the other or are arranged in multiple rows of deposition heads.

9 . The deposition system according to claim 8 , wherein the deposition heads in one row are offset from the deposition heads in another row so that the deposition directions of the heads are offset from each other in a direction perpendicular to the deposition direction.

10 . The deposition system according to claim 1 , wherein the platform management device is configured to move the platform between the carriage and the storage location.

11 . The deposition system according to claim 1 , the platform management device comprising a moveable arm having a grabbing head configured to selectively attach to the platform, the moveable arm being configured to move the platform between the path and a position remote from the path, wherein the position remote from the path is the storage location.

12 . The deposition system according to claim 11 , wherein the position remote from the path is on the conveyor.

13 . The tape deposition system according to claim 1 , wherein the first direction and the deposition direction are the same.

14 . The tape deposition system according to claim 1 , wherein the tape deposition system is configured to time movement of the platform past the deposition roller so that a start of the length of tape is on an underside of the deposition roller when the platform is moving underneath the deposition roller.

15 . The tape deposition system according to claim 1 , wherein the moveable portion is hinged such that when the moveable portion is in the lowered position, the moveable portion rotates down from the hinge such that a free end of the moveable portion comes into contact with the platform.

16 . The tape deposition system according to claim 1 , wherein the moveable portion is hinged such that the moveable portion is configured to rotate about the hinge from the lowered position to the raised position to remove the platform from the first track.

17 . A tape deposition system, the system comprising:
a plurality of platforms moveable around a closed path in a first direction, the closed path being a loop, each platform of the plurality of platforms having a deposition surface; a tape deposition head comprising a deposition roller, the tape deposition head being configured to apply lengths of tape along a deposition direction to each deposition surface while each respective platform is moving underneath the deposition roller along the deposition direction and around the closed path; and a platform management device configured to move the plurality of platforms between the closed path and a storage location, the platform management device comprising a conveyor, the conveyor comprising a moveable portion configured to move between a raised position and a lowered position, wherein the system is configured to move the plurality of platforms around the path multiple times to permit multiple lengths of tape to be applied to each deposition surface, and when the moveable portion of the conveyor is in the raised position the moveable portion does not impinge of the motion of the plurality of platforms along the closed path, and when the moveable portion is in the lowered position the moveable portion crosses the path of the plurality of platforms so that the moveable portion is capable of moving more than one platform of the plurality of platforms to and/or from the closed path before the moveable portion returns to the raised position.

18 . The tape deposition system according to claim 17 , comprising:
a plurality of carriages, each platform of the plurality of platforms being borne on a respective carriage of the respective carriages; and a first track that follows the closed path, the plurality of carriages being moveable along the first track.

19 . The tape deposition

Assignees

• Mclaren Automotive Ltd

Inventors

• Santoni Claudio

Classifications

• B65H35/0033

  and affixing it to a surface (B65H35/004 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C70/388 Primary

  Tape placement heads, e.g. component parts, details or accessories · CPC title

• B29C33/36

  continuously movable {in one direction, e.g. in a closed circuit (B29C49/0021 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29C70/54

  Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations {, e.g. feeding or storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing} · 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