Abstract:
A laminating device for composite material includes a laser device, a hot roller assembly which has a first hot roller and a second hot roller, a cool roller assembly which has a first cool roller and a second cool roller, an axial roller-driving unit and a spring force-adjusting unit. The laser device provides a laser beam onto laminating surfaces of two separate composite materials prior to the hot roller assembly. The axial roller-driving unit drives the first hot roller and the second hot roller, and the first cool roller and the second cool roller, to undergo relative movement in a first direction. The spring force-adjusting unit provides spring forcing to the first hot roller and the second hot roller, and the first cool roller and the second cool roller, to ensure further the lamination of the two composite materials.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application is based on, and claims priority from, Taiwan (International) Application Serial Number 104140181, filed on Dec. 1, 2015, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a laminating device, and more particularly to the laminating device for composite materials. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Nowadays, composite materials have been widely implemented in various fields. Beside the well-known superior mechanical properties such as high stiffness, high strength and light weights, the composite materials are further featured in excellent fatigue strength and environmental stability. Hence, in automobile, aerospace and military industries, more and more engineers use the composite materials to replace the metallic materials. 
         [0004]    Generally, a typical composite material is an excellent material consisted of two or more than two basic materials, among which no chemical reaction is involved. Basically, the composite material includes a matrix and a reinforced material. The matrix provides a continuous material such as a metal, a ceramics, a polymer or the like to fix solidly the reinforced material and to ensure the transmission of loads upon the reinforced material. The reinforced material mainly includes fibers, thin chips and/or particles, in which the fiber-type reinforced material is most common seen, and the continuous fiber is the best fiber to provide excellent mechanical properties and plenty flexibility in design. Currently, the fiber is mainly a carbon fiber or a glass fiber. The laminating of two composite materials shall need a heating process upon the composite materials so as to melt the adhesive before a firmly lamination can be done. If the heating is not complete or unevenly, then inner stress would exist in the laminated composite materials. Also, voids in the adhesive surface are inevitable. Both of the inner stress and the voids would weaken the strength and reduce the stiffness of the composite materials. 
         [0005]    Therefore, the topic of developing a laminating device for overcoming the aforesaid defects in the composite materials is definitely necessary and welcome to the art. Namely, it is kind of urgency to develop a laminating device for composite materials that is featured in improving compactness of the composite materials, eliminating the voids while in laminating the composite materials, and increasing the strength and the stiffness of the composite materials. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In one embodiment in accordance with this disclosure, a laminating device for composite materials, applicable to laminate two separate composite materials, comprises: 
         [0007]    a laser unit for providing a laser beam; 
         [0008]    a hot roller assembly, including a first hot roller and a second hot roller, for providing the two separate composite materials a thermo-compression bonding, wherein, before the two separate composite materials enter a spacing between the first hot roller and the second hot roller, the laser beam irradiates laminating surfaces of the two separate composite materials; 
         [0009]    a cool roller assembly, including a first cool roller and a second cool roller, for providing the composite materials after the thermo-compression bonding to experience a cold-compression bonding between the first cool roller and the second cool roller; 
         [0010]    an axial roller-driving unit, for driving the first hot roller and the second hot roller to undergo a relative axial motion in a first direction and also for driving the first cool roller and the second cool roller to undergo another relative axial motion in the first direction; and 
         [0011]    a spring force-adjusting unit, for providing elastic contact of the two composite materials between the first hot roller and the second hot roller, and also for providing elastic contact of the composite material between the first cool roller and the second cool roller. 
         [0012]    Further scope of applicability of the present application will become more apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present disclosure and wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a schematic front view of an embodiment of the laminating device for composite materials in accordance with this disclosure; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a lateral view of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a top view of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a microscopic view of a conventional laminating surface of the composite materials; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a microscopic view of a laminating surface of the composite materials in accordance with this disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , the laminating device for composite materials in accordance with the present disclosure, applicable to laminate two separate composite materials, includes a laser unit  10 , a hot roller assembly  20 , a cool roller assembly  30 , an axial roller-driving unit  40  and a spring force-adjusting unit  50 . 
         [0021]    The laser unit  10  further includes a laser source  11  and an optical lens  12 . In this disclosure, the laser source  11  for providing a laser beam L can be one of the carbon dioxide laser, the diode laser, the fiber laser and the like. The optical lens  12  for allowing the laser beam L to pass therethrough is to deflect the laser beam L to irradiate in a predetermined. In this disclosure, the optical lens  12  is to adjust the passing laser beam L to become an off-focused laser beam. In addition, the laser source of this disclosure is to provide a laser beam L with a wavelength of 300-1500 nm. 
         [0022]    The hot roller assembly  20  includes a first hot roller  21  and a second hot roller  22 . The hot roller assembly  20  of this disclosure can adopt a heating means selected from the group of an electric heating means, a hot-fluid heating means and the like, in which the fluid can be one of an oil, the wind, the water and the like. The heating means is to heat up the first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22  to a first temperature. As shown in  FIG. 2 , a shaft of the first hot roller  21  is extended bi-directionally to connect a hot fluid-inlet unit  23  and an opposite hot fluid-outlet unit  24  with respect to the first hot roller  21 . When a hot fluid is introduced to heat the first hot roller  21  and/or the second hot roller  22  (definitely, the shaft is a hollow shaft for flowing the fluid thereinside), the hot fluid would enter the shaft of the first hot roller  21  and/or another hollow shaft of the second hot roller  22  from the corresponding hot fluid-inlet units  23 . Thereupon, the first hot roller  21  and/or the second hot roller  22  sleeving outside the corresponding shafts can be heated by the hot fluid to the first temperature. The hot fluid leaves the respective shafts of the first hot roller  21  and/or the second hot roller  22  via the corresponding hot fluid-outlet units  24 . Upon such an arrangement, a thermo-compression bonding can be carried out to laminate the two separate composite materials  60 A,  60 B entering a rolling space between the first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22 . In this disclosure, materials for forming the composite materials  60 A,  60 B are not limited particularly. Materials can be relevant materials such as thermoplastic or thermosetting carbon-fiber composite materials. Before the two separate composite materials  60 A,  60 B enter the spacing between the first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22 , the laser beam L deflected by the optical lens  12  can irradiate corresponding laminating surfaces of the two separate composite materials  60 A,  60 B. 
         [0023]    The cool roller assembly  30  including a first cool roller  31  and a second cool roller  32 , cool roller assembly  30  adopts one of a fluid-cooling means, an air-cooling means and the like for cooling down the first cool roller  31  and the second cool roller  32  to a second temperature. As shown in  FIG. 2 , a shaft of the first cool roller  1  is extended bi-directionally to connect a cool fluid-inlet unit  33  and an opposite cool fluid-outlet unit  34  with respect to the first cool roller  31 . When a cool fluid is introduced to cool down the first cool roller  31  and/or the second cool roller  32  (definitely, the shaft is a hollow shaft for flowing the fluid thereinside), the cool fluid would enter the shaft of the first cool roller  31  and/or another hollow shaft of the second cool roller  32  from the corresponding cool fluid-inlet units  33 . Thereupon, the first cool roller  31  and/or the second cool roller  32  sleeving outside the corresponding shafts can be cooled down by the cool fluid to the second temperature. The cool fluid leaves the respective shafts of the first cool roller  31  and/or the second cool roller  32  via the corresponding cool fluid-outlet units  34 . In this disclosure, the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, and the determination of the first and the second temperatures is dependent to the materials used for the composite materials. After experiencing the thermo-compression bonding at the hot roller assembly  20 , the composite materials  60 A,  60 B are then sent into the spacing between the first cool roller  31  and the second cool roller  32  for undergoing a cold-compression bonding. 
         [0024]    Axial directions of the aforesaid first hot roller  21 , second hot roller  22 , first cool roller  31  and second cool roller  32  are all parallel to a first direction F 1 . The first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22  are driven to perform relative rotations. Similarly, the first cool roller  31  and the second cool roller  32  are also driven to perform relative rotations. Materials for the first hot roller  21 , the second hot roller  22 , the first cool roller  31  and the second cool roller  32  are not specifically defined in this disclosure. For example, the silicon rubber with an endurance temperature up to 300° C. can be relevant. 
         [0025]    The axial roller-driving unit  40  is to drive the spacing between the first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22  and the spacing between the first cool rollers  31 and second cool roller  32  to move relatively in the first direction F 1 . The axial roller-driving unit  40  includes symmetrically a first driving assembly  41  and a second driving assembly  42 . The first driving assembly  41  further includes a first plate structure  411  and a second plate structure  412 . The first plate structure  411  is to load the first hot roller  21  and the first cool rollers  31 . The second plate structure  412  is connected to the spring force-adjusting unit  50 . Further, between the first plate structure  411  and the second plate structure  412 , a sliding rack structure consisted of a protrusive block  413  and a groove structure  414  is included to allow both the first plate structure  411  and the second plate structure  412  able to slide with respect to each other in the first direction F 1 . The second driving assembly  42  includes a third plate structure  421  and a fourth plate structure  422 , in which the third plate structure  421  is to load the second hot roller  22  and the second cool roller  32 , and the fourth plate structure  422  is connected to the spring force-adjusting unit  50 . Also, between the third plate structure  421  and the fourth plate structure  422 , another sliding rack structure consisted of the protrusive block  423  and the groove structure  424  is included to allow relative sliding between the third plate structure  421  and the fourth plate structure  422  in the first direction F 1 . 
         [0026]    Accordingly, the first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22  can perform a relative axial reciprocal motion, while the second hot roller  22  and the second cool roller  32  can also perform another relative axial reciprocal motion. It shall be noted that, since the first hot roller  21  and the first cool rollers  31  are both fixed at the first plate structure  411  and thus when the first plate structure  411  slides in the first direction F 1  with respect to the second plate structure  412 , the first hot roller  21  and the first cool roller  31  would move synchronously (namely, to undergo the same displacement) so as to avoid possible offset between the first hot roller  21  and the first cool roller  31  in the compression process, in which the offset in between would allow wrinkles to occur at the laminated composite materials  60 A,  60 B. Similarly, since the second hot roller  22  and the second cool rollers  32  are both fixed at the third plate structure  421  and thus when the third plate structure  421  slides in the first direction F 1  with respect to the fourth plate structure  422 , the second hot roller  22  and the second cool roller  32  would move synchronously (namely, to undergo the same displacement) so as to avoid possible offset between the second hot roller  22  and the second cool roller  32  in the compression process, in which the offset in between would allow wrinkles to occur at the laminated composite materials  60 A,  60 B. 
         [0027]    The spring force-adjusting unit  50  includes a plurality of first spring assemblies  51  and a plurality of second spring assemblies  52 , existing in pairs and in a symmetric manner 
         [0028]    The first spring assembly  51  is mounted at a first supportive plate  53  and is connected with the second plate structure  412 . Each of the first spring assemblies  51  includes a first spring member  511 , a first constraint member  512  and a first adjusting node  513 . The first spring member  511  is to provide a first spring force to the second plate structure  412 . The first constraint member  512  is located between the first supportive plate  53  and the first spring member  511 . The first adjusting node  513  located at the first supportive plate  53  is to adjust a distance between the first constraint member  512  and the second plate structure  412 , so as thereby to vary the spring force that the first spring member  511  exerts on the second plate structure  412 . 
         [0029]    The second spring assembly  52  is mounted at a second supportive plate  54  and is connected with the fourth plate structure  422 . Each of the second spring assemblies  52  includes a second spring member  521 , a second constraint member  522  and a second adjusting node  523 . The second spring member  521  is to provide a second spring force to the fourth plate structure  422 . The second constraint member  522  is located between the second supportive plate  54  and the second spring member  521 . The second adjusting node  523  located at the second supportive plate  54  is to adjust a distance between the second constraint member  522  and the fourth plate structure  422 , so as thereby to vary the spring force that the second spring member  521  exerts on the fourth plate structure  422 . 
         [0030]    By providing the first spring assemblies  51  to simultaneously provide the first spring forces to the second plate structure  412 , the first plate structure  411 , the first hot roller  21  and the first cool rollers  31 , and by providing the second spring assemblies  52  to simultaneously provide the second forces to the fourth plate structure  422 , the third plate structure  421 , the second hot roller  22  and the second cool roller  32 . Thus, the spacing between the first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22  and the spacing between the first cool roller  31  and the second cool roller  32  can provide elastic contact with the two composite materials  60 A,  60 B. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the process for laminating the two composite materials in accordance with the present invention is firstly to send the two separate composite materials  60 A,  60 B into the spacing between the first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22  for performing a thermo-compression bonding. Before the composite materials  60 A,  60 B enter the spacing between the first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22 , the laser beam L is introduced to irradiate the surfaces of the composite materials  60 A,  60 B to be laminated. Since the effective heat area of the laser beam L is limited, thus the resin materials coated over surfaces of the composite materials  60 A,  60 B can be heated up and then melted precisely so as to enhance the lamination between the composite materials  60 A,  60 B. By adopting an optical lens  12  to control the irradiation area and the irradiation angle, namely the heating area and the heating angle, then the lamination in between can be further assured. 
         [0032]    In the thermo-compression bonding, except that the first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22  exert thermal compression to the two composite materials  60 A,  60 B for lamination, the first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22  can undergo a relative axial reciprocal motion (as the state shown in  FIG. 3 ) so as to eliminate possible voids generated during the laminating of the two composite materials  60 A,  60 B. The void is eliminated by the relative reciprocal motions between the first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22 . In this disclosure, the frequency and distance of the axial motion of the first hot roller  21  and the second hot roller  22  can be varied according to the composite materials for lamination. For example, the frequency of the axial motion can be 10˜20 Hz, and the distance thereof can be 1˜3 mm. 
         [0033]    Then, in the cold-compression bonding, the first cool roller  31  and the second cool roller  32  are applied to cool down the composite materials  60 A,  60 B after the thermo-compression bonding so as to reduce the overall temperature. Thereupon, the resin material between the two composite materials  60 A,  60 B can be rapidly solidified to firmly bind the two composite materials  60 A,  60 B together with enhanced laminating efficiency and tensile strength. 
         [0034]    In addition, since the spring force-adjusting unit  50  is included, thus firm lamination between the two composite materials  60 A,  60 B can be always maintained during both the thermo-compression bonding and the cold-compression bonding. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , while in applying a conventional laminating device to laminate the composite materials, the interface therebetween is shown to be incomplete lamination due to the existence of the void. On the other hand, as shown in  FIG. 5 , while in applying the laminating device for composite materials of this disclosure to laminate the composite materials, the interface therebetween is shown to be much improved without the voids. 
         [0036]    In summary, by providing the laminating device for composite materials in this disclosure, since the laser unit is directly introduced to heat up the surfaces for lamination, since the axial roller-driving unit is used to perform relative axial motions between the hot rollers and the cool rollers, and since the spring force-adjusting unit is used to adjust elastically the compression for lamination at the hot rollers and the cool rollers, then the compactness of the composite materials can be enhanced, the voids generated during laminating the composite materials can be eliminated, and thus the strength and stiffness of composite materials can be substantially increased. 
         [0037]    With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.