Stretch frame for stretching process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9761790-B2
Application number	US-201314391231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2013
Priority date	Jun 18, 2012
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a frame and a pressure sensitive adhesive applied to at least a portion of the frame, where the pressure sensitive adhesive is arranged to bond a pre-strained film to the frame is disclosed. A method of making the apparatus also is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method of preparing a stretch frame for manufacturing electroactive polymer devices thereon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating a polymer film device, the method comprising:
providing an apparatus comprising:
a stretch frame; and
an adhesive applied to at least a portion of the stretch frame, wherein the adhesive is configured to bond a pre-strained film tightly to the stretch frame during a manufacture of electroactive polymer devices and further configured to enable an easy removal of film remnants left on the stretch frame after the electroactive polymer devices are removed from the stretch frame;

providing a film;
stretching the film;
laminating or bonding the pre-strained film onto the adhesive coating of the stretch frame;
manufacturing the electroactive polymer device on the pre-strained film; and
removing the electroactive polymer devices from the pre-strained film bonded to the stretch frame by the adhesive.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising incorporating at least a portion of the stretch frame into the electroactive polymer device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising applying a release coating onto at least a portion of the stretch frame and applying the adhesive coating on top of the release coating.

4. A method of fabricating a polymer film device, the method comprising:
providing an apparatus comprising:
a stretch frame; and
an adhesive applied to at least a portion of the stretch frame, wherein the adhesive is configured to bond a pre-strained film tightly to the stretch frame during a manufacture of electroactive polymer devices and further configured to enable an easy removal of film remnants left on the stretch frame after the electroactive polymer devices are removed from the stretch frame;

providing a film;
stretching the film;
laminating or bonding the pre-strained film onto the adhesive coating of the stretch frame;
applying a release coating onto at least a portion of the stretch frame and applying the adhesive coating on top of the release coating; and
applying an adhesion promoter to at least a portion of the stretch frame prior to applying the release coating thereon.

5. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising reusing the stretch frame by removing at least a portion of the pre-strained film from the release coating.

Assignees

• Parker Hannifin Corp

Inventors

• Yoo Mikyong
• Mousavi Nazari Hooman
• Quan Xina

Classifications

• B32B38/0012

  Mechanical treatment, e.g. roughening, deforming, stretching · CPC title

• B32B2037/243

  Coating · CPC title

• H01L41/193

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B32B37/12

  characterised by using adhesives · CPC title

• Y10T428/2896

  including nitrogen containing condensation polymer [e.g., polyurethane, polyisocyanate, etc.] · CPC title