Vaporizing foil actuator configured as consumable tape

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019061045-A1
Application number	US-201816114840-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 28, 2018
Priority date	Aug 29, 2017
Publication date	Feb 28, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An elongate tape ( 10 ) acts as a vaporizing actuator for impulse metalworking. It has an electrically-insulative base layer ( 20 ), an electrically-conductive layer ( 30 ), and an electrically-insulative top layer ( 40 ). In it, the base layer is characterized by the length of the tape and a first width W 1 , as measured between a pair of side edges. The conductive layer is characterized by the length of the tape and a second width W 2 , as measured between a pair of side edges; and the top layer is characterized by the length of the tape and a third width W 3 , as measured between a pair of side edges. The layers are joined to each other to form the elongate tape with the electrically-conductive layer interposed between the electrically-insulative base and top layers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An elongate tape of indeterminate length, comprising a plurality of sequentially-arranged consumable bodies for use as a vaporizing foil actuator in an impulse metalworking process.

2 . An elongate tape, comprising:
an electrically-insulative base layer, characterized by the length of the tape and a first width, as measured between a pair of side edges; an electrically-conductive layer, characterized by the length of the tape and a second width, as measured between a pair of side edges; and an electrically-insulative top layer, characterized by the length of the tape and a third width, as measured between a pair of side edges, wherein the layers are joined to each other to form the elongate tape with the electrically-conductive layer interposed between the electrically-insulative base and top layers.

3 . The elongate tape of claim 2 , wherein a portion of the electrically-conductive layer is removed, in a regular sequential manner, along the length thereof, such that at least one zone of constricted area is provided to an electrical current passing transversely from one side edge to the other.

4 . The elongate tape of claim 3 , further comprising:
a first and a second electrically-insulative strip, the first strip disposed between the base layer and the electrically-conductive layer and the second strip disposed between the top layer and the electrically-conductive layer, the first strip having a fourth width and the second strip having a fifth width, wherein both the fourth and fifth widths are significantly narrower than the first width.

5 . The elongate tape of claim 4 , wherein:
the fourth and fifth widths are each in the range of about 10% to about 15% of the first width.

6 . The elongate tape of claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second electrically-insulative strips comprise a non-combustible material.

7 . The elongate tape of claim 6 , wherein the non-combustible material comprises mica or glass fiber.

8 . The elongate tape of claim 3 , further comprising:
a further electrically-conductive layer, disposed such that the two electrically-conductive layers are between the first and second electrically-insulative strips, the further electrically-conductive layer differing from the electrically-conductive layer in that the further electrically-conductive layer has a more extensive removal of metal in a region thereof, to provide a more constricted area for flow of electrical current across the layer.

9 . The elongate tape of claim 2 , wherein the base layer is a polymer.

10 . The elongate tape of claim 9 , wherein the base layer is a polyimide, a polyester or a polyethylene.

11 . The elongate tape of claim 2 , wherein each electrically-conductive layer is aluminum.

12 . The elongate tape of claim 2 , wherein the top layer is a polymer

13 . The elongate tape of claim 12 , wherein the top layer is a polyimide, a polyester or a polyethylene.

14 . The elongate tape of claim 2 , wherein the third width of the top layer is smaller than the second width of the electrically-conductive layer.

15 . The elongate tape of claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second electrically-insulative strips comprise mica or glass fiber.

16 . The elongate tape of claim 5 , wherein the base layer comprises a polyimide, a polyester or a polyethylene.

17 . The elongate tape of claim 5 , wherein the top layer comprises a polyimide, a polyester or a polyethylene.

18 . The elongate tape of claim 5 , wherein each electrically-conductive layer is aluminum.

19 . A method for joining pieces of metal through an impulse metalworking process, comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of sequentially-arranged consumable bodies for use as a vaporizing foil actuator in the impulse metalworking process, the plurality of consumable bodies configured as an elongate tape of indeterminate length; feeding a leading end of the elongate tape into a welding device adapted for conducting the impulse metalworking process; engaging the consumable body at the leading edge of the elongate tape with electrodes of the welding device; mechanically separating the consumable body at the leading edge of the elongate tape from the remaining sequentially-arranged consumable bodies; positioning the pieces of metal relative to the engaged consumable body; and joining the metal pieces by discharging an electrical current across a width of the engaged and mechanically-separated consumable body.

Assignees

• Ohio State Innovation Foundation

Inventors

• Vivek Anupam
• Daehn Glenn

Classifications

• B23K35/0238

  layered · CPC title

• B23K35/0277

  of non-circular cross-section · CPC title

• B21D26/10

  generated by evaporation, e.g. of wire, of liquids · CPC title

• B32B15/08

  of synthetic resin · CPC title

• B23K20/08 Primary

  Explosive welding · CPC title