Laying head, fibre placement device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9772295-B2
Application number	US-201514924947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2015
Priority date	Oct 28, 2014
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A laying head for a fibre placement device, in particular for fibre placement according to the AFP method, includes a placing roller which is permeable to laser light, at least in part, a laser light feed unit which is arranged in an inner space of the placing roller and a sensor which is designed and arranged to receive laser light reflected from a component on which the placing roller places a fibre band.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laying head for a fibre placement device, comprising:
a placing roller which is permeable to laser light, at least in part;
a laser light feed unit which is arranged in an inner space of the placing roller; and
a sensor which is designed and arranged to receive laser light reflected from a component on which the placing roller places a fibre band.

2. The laying head according to claim 1 , wherein a mirror is arranged in the inner space of the placing roller in order to deflect the laser light from the laser light feed unit to the component at a predetermined angle.

3. The laying head according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a CCD sensor.

4. The laying head according to claim 3 , wherein the sensor is dimensioned in such a way that light reflected from the component is substantially picked up by the sensor.

5. The laying head according to claim 1 , wherein a laser is arranged in the inner space of the placing roller as a laser light feed apparatus.

6. The laying head according to claim 1 , wherein a laser is arranged outside the placing roller and in that laser light emitted by the laser can be deflected onto an inner side of the placing roller by means of the laser light feed unit.

7. The laying head according to claim 6 , wherein the laser light feed unit comprises a minor or glass fibres.

8. The laying head according to claim 1 , wherein optics are arranged in the inner space of the placing roller, which optics are suitable for deflecting laser light reflected from the component onto the sensor.

9. The laying head according to claim 1 , wherein the placing roller contains a flexible material.

10. The laying head according to claim 1 , wherein an angle sensor and/or a position sensor is arranged on the placing roller, which sensor is suitable for detecting an angle and/or a position of the fibre band.

11. A fibre placement device for automated fibre placement according to the AFP method, comprising a laying head, the laying head comprising:
a placing roller which is permeable to laser light, at least in part;
a laser light feed unit which is arranged in an inner space of the placing roller; and
a sensor which is designed and arranged to receive laser light reflected from a component on which the placing roller places a fibre band.

12. A method for examining a component which is manufactured using a fibre placement device for automated fibre placement according to the AFP method, comprising a laying head, the laying head comprising:
a placing roller which is permeable to laser light, at least in part;
a laser light feed unit which is arranged in an inner space of the placing roller; and
a sensor which is designed and arranged to receive laser light reflected from a component on which the placing roller places a fibre band, the method comprising:
radiating laser light from the inner space of the placing roller, which is permeable to the laser light, at least in part, to the fibre band which is placed onto a component or tool by the placing roller; and
picking up reflected light by a sensor.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the reflected light is evaluated with regard to a height profile of the component.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the laser light is radiated onto the placed fibre band in such a way that regions which are adjacent to the placed fibre band are also irradiated.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein radiating and/or picking up the laser light is triggered by a position sensor and/or an angle sensor, which can detect a position and/or an angle of the placed fibre band.

16. The laying head according to claim 1 , wherein the laying head is used for fibre placement according to the AFP method.

17. The laying head according to claim 9 , wherein the placing roller is manufactured from the flexible material.

Assignees

• Airbus Defence & Space Gmbh

Inventors

• Engel Franz

Classifications

• G01N21/8806 Primary

  Specially adapted optical and illumination features · CPC title

• B29C70/388

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

• G01N21/88

  Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination · CPC title

• G01N2021/8472

  Investigation of composite materials · CPC title