Patent ID: 7690911

Claim:
Atmospheric pressurized resin infusion apparatus for operating components to infuse a part with resin, the apparatus comprising: vacuum circuitry for providing a vacuum to at least some of the components; fluid circuitry for selectively introducing pressurized fluid to at least some of the components; and a controller for controlling operation of the fluid circuitry and the vacuum circuitry in a sequence of steps that cause the components to infuse the part with resin, wherein out-of-sequence steps are locked out; wherein the components include a part support, an inner cover securable to the part support to define with the support a sealed interior enclosing the part, an outer cover securable to the part support for enclosing the inner cover, an inlet vacuum container operatively connected to said interior for introducing resin to the interior, an inlet restrictor operatively connected to the inlet vacuum container and an outlet vacuum line operatively connected to said interior for pulling a vacuum in the interior to draw resin into the interior thereby infusing the part, wherein the vacuum and fluid circuitry includes: a vacuum source line adapted for connecting to a vacuum source; a pressurized fluid source line adapted for connecting to a pressurized fluid source; an inlet vacuum circuit in fluid communication with the vacuum source line and operatively connectable to the inlet vacuum container for selectively introducing a vacuum to the inlet vacuum container; an outlet vacuum circuit in fluid communication with the vacuum source line and operatively connectable to the outlet vacuum line for selectively introducing a vacuum to the outlet vacuum line; an outer cover vacuum circuit in fluid communication with the vacuum source line and operatively connectable to the outer cover for selectively introducing a vacuum to the outer cover; an inlet restrictor fluid circuit in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid source line and adapted to selectively permit and restrict flow between the inlet vacuum container and the interior by actuating said inlet restrictor; and wherein the controller is operatively connected to the inlet vacuum circuit, the outlet vacuum circuit, the outer cover vacuum circuit and the inlet restrictor fluid circuit for controlling operation of the inlet vacuum circuit, the outlet vacuum circuit, the outer cover vacuum circuit and the inlet restrictor fluid circuit, respectively.