COMPOSITE LAY-UP HEAD WITH A RETRACTABLE DEVICE FOR SEPARATING A PREPREG FROM ITS SUPPORT TAPE

• US 20100139865A1
• Filed: 04/09/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Forest-Line Capdenac
• Original Assignee: Forest-Line Capdenac
• Inventors: Tillement, Pierre Andre Henri, Charra, Stephane Robert Elie
• Granted Patent: US 8,127,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/349
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/0027 Cutting off
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/388 Tape placement heads, e.g. component parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/545 Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1707 Discrete spaced laminae on adhered carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/171 Means serially presenting discrete base articles or separate portions of a single article

Abstract

A lay-up head receives a prepreg bonded to a support tape, and the prepreg is separated from its support tape by peeling, by means of a separator just upstream of a depositing member for depositing the prepreg tape on a deposition tool; the head includes, downstream of the separator, a retractable device for moving the prepreg away from the support tape, allowing the prepreg to be moved away just upstream of the separator, by means of which the prepreg can be separated earlier when the retractable device is activated.

Claims

1. A lay-up head for depositing a prepreg tape, wherein the tape comprises a prepreg juxtaposed to a backing tape and is separated from the backing tape by peeling;

the lay-up head comprising a separator configured for redirecting the backing tape from an advancing direction path of the prepreg tape to separate the backing tape away from the prepreg tape just upstream of a depositing member which is configured and operable for depositing the prepreg tape on a depositing tool or object wherein the separator is a short distance upstream counter to the advancing direction of the prepreg tape from the depositing member;

downstream in the advancing direction of the prepreg tape from the separator, a retractable separation device in a retracted condition, and the separation device is movable into an activated position where it is positioned, configured and operable for separating the prepreg from the backing tape and for allowing the prepreg to be separated from the backing tape just upstream of the separator, whereby the prepreg can be separated from the backing tape earlier when the separating device is activated.

2. The lay-up head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the separation device comprises at least one separation member configured for moving between the retracted position in which the separation member is outside a trajectory of the prepreg in the advancing direction and toward the depositing tool and the activated position in which the separation member diverts the trajectory of the prepreg in the vicinity of the separator.

3. The lay-up head as claimed in claim 2, wherein the separation member in its activated position travels around the separator to rise again upstream of the prepreg against the advancing direction of the prepreg tape.

4. The lay-up head as claimed in claim 3, wherein the retractable separation device comprises a support of the separation member mounted on a pivot and a sliding device configured for sliding relative to the lay-up head.

5. The lay-up head as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a cam configured for guiding a path of the separation member along the backing tape and a following roller on the separation member configured for being guided on the cam, wherein the retractable separation device is controlled by the roller guided on the cam with respect to movement thereof along the backing tape.

6. The lay-up head as claimed in claim 5, wherein the separation member comprises a separation roller.

7. The lay-up head as claimed in claim 2, wherein the separation member comprises a wire.

8. The lay-up head as claimed in claim 2, wherein the separator comprises a peeling edge.

9. The lay-up head as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the prepreg tape and the backing tape of the prepreg tape supports, on the one hand, cuts of prepreg separated by simple cut lines and, on the other hand, cuts of prepreg separated by spaces corresponding to trimmings.