US 12,214,561 B2
Tape deposition head
Claudio Santoni, Woking (GB)
Assigned to McLaren Automotive Limited, Woking (GB)
Appl. No. 18/033,258
Filed by McLaren Automotive Limited, Woking (GB)
PCT Filed Oct. 21, 2021, PCT No. PCT/GB2021/052731
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 21, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/084684, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 28, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2016694 (GB), filed on Oct. 21, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0391023 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. B29C 70/38 (2006.01); B29C 70/54 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 70/388 (2013.01) [B29C 70/545 (2013.01); B29C 2793/0081 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tape deposition head for applying lengths of tape to a deposition surface, the tape deposition head comprising:
a tape cutter having a tape inlet and a tape outlet, the tape cutter comprising: a feed roller configured to drive the tape though the tape cutter from the tape inlet to the tape outlet along a tape path; a nip roller acting against the feed roller to press the tape against the feed roller; and a tape slicer, the tape slicer having a blade for cutting the tape into lengths, the tape slicer being positioned between the feed roller and the tape outlet along the tape path; and
a tape conveyor positioned at the tape outlet, the tape conveyor comprising: a deposition roller remote from the tape outlet; a capture roller; a vacuum chamber; and a belt that runs between the capture roller and the deposition roller, the capture roller being positioned proximal to the tape outlet so that tape exiting the tape outlet contacts the belt, the belt being configured to move a cut length of tape to the deposition roller along a capture surface of the tape conveyor for deposition of the length of tape on to the deposition surface, the vacuum chamber generating a variable level of vacuum along the capture surface to hold the length of tape to the belt.