Laminate material bonding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9821541-B2
Application number	US-201615068455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2016
Priority date	Jul 14, 2015
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

Systems and techniques are provided for laminate material bonding. A bonding agent may be applied to a first layer. A second layer may be placed onto the bonding agent on the first layer to form a laminate material. The laminate material may be placed between a first piece of non-compliant material with a first piece of compliant material and a second piece of non-compliant material with a second piece of compliant material. The laminate material may be in contact with the first piece non-compliant material and the second piece of non-compliant material. Pressure may be applied to the laminate material by applying pressure to the first piece of compliant material for a curing time of the bonding agent.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
applying a bonding agent to a first layer;
placing a second layer onto the bonding agent on the first layer to form a laminate material;
placing the laminate material between a first piece of non-compliant material with a first piece of compliant material and a second piece of non-compliant material with a second piece of compliant material, wherein the laminate material is in contact with the first of piece non-compliant material and the second piece of non-compliant material, and wherein there is no bonding agent between the first piece of non-compliant material and the first piece of compliant material and there is no bonding agent between the second piece of non-compliant material and the second piece of compliant material; and
applying pressure to the laminate material by applying pressure to at least the first piece of compliant material for a curing time of the bonding agent.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising placing the laminate material, the first piece of non-compliant material, the first piece of compliant material, the second piece of non-compliant material and the second piece of compliant material in between a first steel plate and a second steel plate.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first steel plate is attached to a pressure providing device, and wherein applying pressure to at least the first piece of compliant material for a curing time of the laminate material further comprises using the pressure providing device to provide pressure to the first piece of compliant material through the first steel plate.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the pressure providing device is a pneumatic cylinder.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying pressure to the laminate material comprises applying 1 atmosphere of pressure.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining the laminate material at a temperature below 90 degrees Celsius for the curing time of the bonding agent.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first layer is a passive layer comprising an electrically passive material.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, before applying the bonding agent to the first layer, acid etching the first layer.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein acid etching the first layer comprises placing the first layer in a 20% chromic acid bath for between 10 and 40 minutes.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second layer is an active layer comprising an electrically active material, a top electrode, and a bottom electrode.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrically active material is a piezoceramic.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising before placing the second layer on the first layer, degreasing and cleaning at least one of the top electrode and the bottom electrode with one or more solvents.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising placing talcum powder between the first piece of non-compliant material and the first piece of compliant material, and between the second piece of non-compliant material and the second piece of compliant material.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first piece of non-compliant material and the second piece of non-compliant material are quartz plates.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the quartz plates are optically flat.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first piece of compliant material and the second piece of compliant material are neoprene rubber sheets.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bonding agent comprises a conductive epoxy.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the bonding agent to the first layer further comprises:
placing a stencil comprising at least one aperture onto the first layer; and
applying the bonding agent through the at least one aperture.

19. The method of claim of claim 18 , wherein applying the bonding agent through the at least one aperture comprises using one or more of a solid straight edge and rubber-backed squeegee.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the bonding agent is an epoxy with a maximum particle size, and wherein the stencil is thicker than the maximum particle size of the epoxy.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first layer is an active layer comprising an electrically active material, and wherein the second layer is a second active layer comprising an electrically active material.

22. A method comprising:
applying a conductive epoxy to a passive layer comprising an electrically passive material;
placing an active layer comprising an electrically active material onto the conductive epoxy on the passive layer to form a laminate material;
forming a bonding stock comprising the laminate material, a first quartz plate, a second quartz plate, a first neoprene rubber sheet, and a second neoprene rubber sheet, wherein the second quartz plate is on top of the second neoprene rubber sheet, the laminate material is on top of the second quartz plate, the first quartz plate is on top of the laminate material, and the first neoprene rubber sheet is on top of the first quartz plate and wherein there is no bonding agent between the first neoprene rubber sheet and first quartz plate, and no bonding agent between the second neoprene rubber sheet and the second quartz plate; and
applying pressure to the laminate material by applying pressure to the first neoprene rubber sheet for a curing time of the conductive epoxy.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the bonding stack is placed between a first steel plate and a second steel plate.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the bonding stack further comprises the first steel plate and the second steel plate.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first steel plate is attached to a pressure providing device, and wherein applying pressure to the laminate material by applying pressure to the first neoprene rubber sheet for a curing time of the conductive epoxy further comprises using the pressure providing device to provide pressure to the first neoprene rubber sheet through the first steel plate.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the pressure providing device is a pneumatic cylinder.

27. The method of claim 23 , wherein applying pressure to the laminate material comprises applying 1 atmosphere of pressure.

28. The method of claim 23 , further comprising maintaining the laminate material at a temperature below 90 degrees Celsius for the curing time of the conductive epoxy.

29. The method of claim 23 , further comprising, before applying the conductive epoxy to the passive layer, acid etching the passive layer.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein acid etching the passive layer comprises placing the passive layer in a 20% chromic acid bath for between 10 and 40 minutes.

31. The method of claim 23 , wherein the active layer comprises a piezoceramic material, a top electrode, and a bottom electrode.

32. The method of claim 31 , further comprising before placing the active layer on the first passive layer, degreasing and cleaning at least one of the top electrode and the bottom electrode with one or more solvents.

33. The method of claim 23 , further comprising placing talcum powder between the first quartz plate and the first neoprene rubber sheet, and between the second quartz plate and the second neoprene r

Assignees

• Ubeam Inc

Inventors

• Joyce Andrew
• Reynolds Paul
• Taffler Sean
• Nemeth Nicholas Lavada
• Elhadad Adam Stephen

Classifications

• B32B2037/1253

  curable adhesive · CPC title

• B32B2309/02

  Temperature · CPC title

• B32B37/12 Primary

  characterised by using adhesives · CPC title

• B32B2307/202

  Conductive · CPC title

• B32B37/10

  characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure · CPC title