Adhesive applicator, applicator system, and methods therefore

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an adhesive applicator, an applicator system, and methods of applying an adhesive to a part. In one aspect, an applicator has an end effector that includes a roller wheel having a rotatable wheel and thermally-controlled tubes. The thermally-controlled tubes each define a chamber arranged to receive a heated working fluid. The end effector also includes leading rollers and lagging rollers that lead and lag the roller wheel, respectively. The leading and lagging rollers each define relief channels and are arranged to receive an adhesive substrate within their respective relief channels so as to pre-tension and align for placement of the adhesive substrate to a part to which the thermally-controlled tubes apply the adhesive substrate. The relief channels of the rollers along with controlled tensioning of the adhesive substrate and associated backing, maintain accurate placement of the adhesive substrate and removal of the backing during laydown.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An applicator, comprising:
 an end effector comprising:
 a roller wheel having a plurality of thermally-controlled tubes circumferentially spaced from one another along an outer periphery of the roller wheel, the plurality of thermally-controlled tubes each define a chamber arranged to receive a heated working fluid; 
 leading rollers that lead the roller wheel, the leading rollers define a leading relief channel; and 
 lagging rollers that lag the roller wheel, the lagging rollers define a lagging relief channel, and 
 wherein the leading rollers and the lagging rollers are arranged to receive an adhesive substrate within the leading relief channel and the lagging relief channel, respectively, so as to tension and align the adhesive substrate with a part to which the plurality of thermally-controlled tubes apply the adhesive substrate. 
   
     
     
         2 . The applicator of  claim 1 , wherein the leading rollers are arranged to roll along the part and guide the adhesive substrate while holding the adhesive substrate offset from the part so as not to press the adhesive substrate to the part. 
     
     
         3 . The applicator of  claim 1 , wherein the roller wheel is received between a first end plate and a second end plate of a swing arm of the applicator, and wherein the first end plate defines an inlet fluidly coupled with the chamber of each one of the thermally-controlled tubes, and wherein the heated working fluid is directed into the inlet and through the chamber of each one of the thermally-controlled tubes. 
     
     
         4 . The applicator of  claim 1 , wherein the leading rollers are connected by a leading shaft and define the leading relief channel therebetween and the lagging rollers are connected by a lagging shaft and define the lagging relief channel therebetween, and wherein the adhesive substrate is arranged on the leading shaft within the leading relief channel and on the lagging shaft within the lagging relief channel so as to tension the adhesive substrate as the plurality of thermally-controlled tubes apply the adhesive substrate to the part. 
     
     
         5 . The applicator of  claim 4 , wherein the leading rollers each have a rim and a tapered portion that tapers from the rim to the leading shaft. 
     
     
         6 . The applicator of  claim 1 , wherein the end effector is arranged on a distal end of a swing arm of the applicator, and wherein an actuator is coupled with the swing arm, the actuator being arranged to control a compressive force that the thermally-controlled tubes apply to the adhesive substrate as the plurality of thermally-controlled tubes apply the adhesive substrate to the part. 
     
     
         7 . The applicator of  claim 1 , wherein the roller wheel is received between a first end plate and a second end plate, and wherein the end effector further comprises:
 a pair of leading arms coupling the leading rollers to the first and second end plates, respectively;   an adjustment screw extending through the first end plate and engaging a first leading arm of the pair of leading arms, the adjustment screw is adjustable so as to adjust a position of the leading rollers; and   a leading spring coupled with the first leading arm and biasing the pair of leading arms against the adjustment screw.   
     
     
         8 . An applicator system, comprising:
 a hand-off assembly having a pincher;   a carriage movable along a first direction so as to be selectively extended toward the hand-off assembly and selectively retracted away from the hand-off assembly, and wherein the carriage comprises:
 a backing clamp arranged to selectively clamp a backing so as to couple the backing with an adhesive substrate or to allow the backing to peel away from the adhesive substrate; 
 a cutter assembly arranged to receive the adhesive substrate and to be movable between a cut position and a collapsed position, wherein when in the collapsed position, the cutter assembly exposes a portion of the adhesive substrate to allow the pincher of the hand-off assembly to pinch and selectively hold the adhesive substrate, and when in the cut position, a cutter of the cutter assembly is arranged to selectively cut the adhesive substrate; and 
 an applicator having a swing arm and an end effector arranged on the swing arm, the applicator is movable to an engaged position in which the end effector applies the adhesive substrate to a part. 
   
     
     
         9 . The applicator system of  claim 8 , wherein the end effector comprises:
 a roller wheel having a wheel rotatable about an axis of rotation and a plurality of thermally-controlled tubes circumferentially spaced from one another along an outer periphery of the wheel, the plurality of thermally-controlled tubes each define a chamber arranged to receive a heated working fluid;   leading rollers that lead the roller wheel, the leading rollers define a leading relief channel; and   lagging rollers that lag the roller wheel, the lagging rollers define a lagging relief channel, and   wherein the leading rollers and the lagging rollers are arranged to receive an adhesive substrate within the leading relief channel and the lagging relief channel, respectively, so as to tension and align the adhesive substrate with a part to which the plurality of thermally-controlled tubes apply the adhesive substrate.   
     
     
         10 . The applicator system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a heating system having one or more heaters, the heating system is fluidly coupled with the thermally-controlled tubes to provide the heated working fluid thereto.   
     
     
         11 . The applicator system of  claim 9 , wherein the roller wheel is received between a first end plate and a second end plate of a swing arm of the applicator, and wherein the first end plate defines an inlet fluidly coupled with the chamber of each one of the thermally-controlled tubes, and wherein the heated working fluid is directed into the inlet and through the chamber of each one of the thermally-controlled tubes. 
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising:
 with an adhesive substrate having a backing clamped by a backing clamp of a carriage and the adhesive substrate extending into a cutter assembly of the carriage, moving the carriage along a first direction toward a hand-off assembly;   handing off, by the cutter assembly to the hand-off assembly, a portion of the adhesive substrate without the backing so that the hand-off assembly holds the portion of the adhesive substrate;   with the backing clamp released to allow the backing to peel from the adhesive substrate and an applicator of the carriage moved to an engaged position, moving the carriage along the first direction away from the hand-off assembly so that an end effector of the applicator applies the adhesive substrate to a part;   cutting, by a cutter of the cutter assembly, the adhesive substrate; and   releasing, by the hand-off assembly, the adhesive substrate.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein handing off the portion of the adhesive substrate to the hand-off assembly so that the hand-off assembly holds the adhesive substrate comprises:
 moving the carriage along the first direction so that the cutter assembly engages the hand-off assembly and pushes the cutter assembly toward the backing clamp along the first direction so as to move the cutter assembly to a collapsed position in which the portion of the adhesive substrate is exposed; and   pinching, with a pincher of the hand-off assembly, the portion of the adhesive substrate that is exposed.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 with the cutter assembly still engaged with the hand-off assembly, moving the carriage and the hand-off assembly along the first direction a predetermined distance from an edge of the part; and   with the carriage and the hand-off assembly moved the predetermined distance from the edge of the part, setting a brake of the hand-off assembly, and   wherein with the brake set and the backing clamp released, the carriage is moved along the first direction away from the hand-off assembly.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein as the carriage is moved along the first direction away from the hand-off assembly, the applicator of the carriage is moved to the engaged position after the end effector clears the hand-off assembly along the first direction. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein when the carriage is moved along the first direction away from the hand-off assembly, the cutter assembly disengages from the hand-off assembly and moves from the collapsed position to a cut position. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the applicator is movable between a retracted position and the engaged position, and wherein a swing arm of the applicator is pivotably coupled with a carriage plate of the carriage and the end effector is arranged at a distal end of the swing arm. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the end effector has a roller wheel having a plurality of thermally-controlled tubes, and wherein in moving the carriage along the first direction away from the hand-off assembly so that the end effector of the applicator applies the adhesive substrate to the part, the roller wheel rotates allowing the plurality of thermally-controlled tubes to apply the adhesive substrate to the part. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 flowing a heated working fluid through the plurality of thermally-controlled tubes as the roller wheel rotates to allow the plurality of thermally-controlled tubes to apply the adhesive substrate to the part in rolling thermally-controlled pulses.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the end effector includes leading rollers and lagging rollers that lead and lag the roller wheel, respectively, and wherein the leading rollers are connected by a leading shaft and define a leading relief channel therebetween and the lagging rollers are connected by a lagging shaft and define a lagging relief channel therebetween, and wherein the adhesive substrate is arranged on the leading shaft within the leading relief channel and on the lagging shaft within the lagging relief channel so as to be tensioned as the plurality of thermally-controlled tubes apply the adhesive substrate to the part, and
 wherein the method further comprises:   actively controlling a tension of the adhesive substrate and a tension of the backing by way of a tape spool and a backing spool, respectively.