Large-tow fiber-placement system

Abstract

A large-tow fiber placement system having (1) a creel, (2) a tow feeding mechanism, (3) a tow cutting mechanism, and (4) a tow consolidation system, wherein the creel shuttles a spool to maintain a substantially fixed exit path of a large-tow exiting the spool, the tow feeding mechanism has a head that is cooled by a fluid to control integrity of the large-tow and the tow consolidation system has interlocking shoes to provide a continuous application of the head is disclosed.

1 . A large-tow fiber placement system comprising (1) a creel, (2) a tow feeding mechanism, (3) a tow cutting mechanism, and (4) a tow consolidation system, wherein the creel shuttles a spool to maintain a substantially fixed exit path of a large-tow exiting the spool, the tow feeding mechanism comprises a head that is cooled by a fluid to control integrity of the large-tow and the tow consolidation system comprises interlocking shoes to provide a continuous application of the head.  
   
   
       2 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the creel comprises a tow take-up mechanism to prevent slack of the large-tow.  
   
   
       3 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the creel comprises staggered spindles to allow side-by-side alignment of a plurality of the large-tows.  
   
   
       4 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow feeding mechanism comprises textured rollers.  
   
   
       5 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow feeding mechanism comprises multiple rollers.  
   
   
       6 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the feeding mechanism comprises a plurality of staggered cylinders to maintain a desired gap between a plurality of the large-tows.  
   
   
       7 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the feeding mechanism is self-threading.  
   
   
       8 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the feeding mechanism comprises a modular side-drive assembly to allow for an ease of maintenance.  
   
   
       9 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow cutting mechanism comprises a laser.  
   
   
       10 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 9 , wherein the laser is mounted in a fixed position with the beam being directed to the large-tow through telescoping optics.  
   
   
       11 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 10 , wherein a shuttling head allows the laser to cut one or more large-tows from a plurality of large-tows.  
   
   
       12 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 10 , wherein the laser is contained beyond the large-tow with a monolithic carbon trap.  
   
   
       13 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow consolidation system further comprises a wiper-blade to provide smooth spreading and consolidation of the large-tow.  
   
   
       14 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow consolidation system pulls the large-tow straight onto an application surface.  
   
   
       15 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow consolidation system prevents overlap of a plurality of the large-tows on an application surface.  
   
   
       16 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow consolidation system eliminates the generation of catenaries at an application point of an application surface.  
   
   
       17 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow consolidation system further comprises compaction cylinders and the interlocking shoes are mounted on the ends of the compaction cylinders.  
   
   
       18 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the interlocking shoes have a tangential swiveling capability.  
   
   
       19 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a liquid.  
   
   
       20 . The large-tow fiber placement system of  claim 13 , wherein the wiper blade has a continuous, unbroken surface to contact a plurality of the large-tows.