US 11,992,994 B2
Laminate manufacturing
Diego García Martín, Madrid (ES); Raúl Burgos Gallego, Madrid (ES); Jorge Juan Galiana Blanco, Madrid (ES); Nuria Rodrigo Caballero, Madrid (ES); Aquilino García García, Madrid (ES); Augusto Pérez Pastor, Madrid (ES); Julián Martin Isabel, Madrid (ES); and Fernando Muñoz Ajenjo, Madrid (ES)
Assigned to AIRBUS OPERATIONS, S.L.U., Madrid (ES)
Filed by AIRBUS OPERATIONS, S.L.U., Madrid (ES)
Filed on Apr. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/727,173.
Claims priority of application No. 21382357 (EP), filed on Apr. 23, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0339852 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 70/38 (2006.01); B29C 51/12 (2006.01); B29C 51/14 (2006.01); B29C 51/20 (2006.01); B29C 51/42 (2006.01); B29C 70/42 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 51/14 (2013.01) [B29C 51/12 (2013.01); B29C 51/20 (2013.01); B29C 51/421 (2013.01); B29C 70/42 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A manufacturing method for manufacturing shaped laminates, the method comprising:
a) positioning a flat laminate sheet between forming tools, such that the flat laminate sheet is sandwiched between the forming tools,
b) compressing the flat laminate sheet between the forming tools by applying pressure to at least one of the forming tools,
c) discharging, after the step (b), a first portion of the flat laminate sheet from ends of the forming tools adjacent a shaping tool using a conveyor in the forming tools to move the laminate sheet;
d) in conjunction with the step (c), applying the first portion of the flat laminate sheet from the forming tools directly onto a first portion of an external surface of the shaping tool,
e) after the step (d), moving at least one of the forming tools and the shaping tool to position the ends of the forming tools to be proximate a second portion of the external surface of the shaping tool;
f) simultaneously with the step e), a plurality of fingers move with at least one of the forming tools to apply pressure to the laminate sheet on the external surface, and at least one of the fingers is nearer the external surface of the shaping tool than another of the fingers;
g) after at least the steps (c) and (d), discharging a second portion of the laminate sheet using the conveyor and applying the second portion directly from the forming tools to the second portion of the external surface, wherein the second portion is a continuation of the first portion of the laminate sheet; and
h) shaping the laminate sheet to conform to the external surface by the steps (d) to (f).