초록 ▼

The present invention relates to the simultaneous shaping and lamination of lightweight laminated transparencies, particularly those that are suitable for use in aircraft. The plies of an assembly to be shaped and laminated are assembled with additional elements to form a flexible cell of air imperv

The present invention relates to the simultaneous shaping and lamination of lightweight laminated transparencies, particularly those that are suitable for use in aircraft. The plies of an assembly to be shaped and laminated are assembled with additional elements to form a flexible cell of air impervious material. The cell includes an air impervious flexible wall defining a peripheral space around the assembly and porous material in the space. The cell containing the assembly is mounted over a vacuum mold and heated to sag the cell and its assembly to the contour of the mold while evacuating the cell while the cell and said assembly are exposed to atmospheric pressure. The cell is cooled while still under evacuation until the shape of the assembly is set, then is separated from the vacuum mold. The resulting assembly thus shaped and laminated is separated from the cell.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of simultaneously shaping and laminating a lightweight laminated transparency comprising elements including a pair of outer relatively rigid plies of acrylic or polycarbonate plastic and a flexible interlayer composed of a material selected from the group consisting of polyurethane and plas

A method of simultaneously shaping and laminating a lightweight laminated transparency comprising elements including a pair of outer relatively rigid plies of acrylic or polycarbonate plastic and a flexible interlayer composed of a material selected from the group consisting of polyurethane and plasticized polyvinyl butyral comprising assembling at least one layer of said interlayer material between said pair of relatively rigid plies to form an assembly to be simultaneously shaped and laminated, supporting said assembly to be shaped and laminated on a base of a flexible, non-porous sheet larger in outline than said assembly in such a manner that said sheet forms the bottom wall of a cell and the perimeter of said assembly to be simultaneously shaped and laminated is in spaced relation within a flexible wall of air impervious material enclosing said cell, applying a flexible, non-porous sheet of air impervious material larger in outline than said assembly to the upper surface of said air impervious enclosing wall of said cell and against the upper surface of said assembly to form a roof for said cell, communicating said cell to a vacuum source to put said cell including the interfaces between the elements of said assembly within said cell under subatmospheric pressure, mounting said cell over a vacuum mold having an upward facing shaping surface of concave elevation conforming to the shape desired for said transparency including a vacuum opening so that said cell faces said vacuum opening and forms a collapsible chamber with said mold, supporting the portions of said flexible sheets of air impervious material extending beyond said assembly in fluid-tight relation to said wall enclosing said cell, heating said cell and said assembly while the latter are under vacuum to a deformation temperature of said assembly to sag said cell toward said upper shaping surface and applying vacuum through the vacuum opening of said mold while said cell is so heated and sealed to conform said cell to said shaping surface, the atmospheric pressure above said roof of said cell causing said layers of relatively rigid plastic to laminate to opposite sides of said interlayer while forcing said cell to conform to the shape of said shaping surface and the layers of said assembly within said cell to laminate at a maximum pressure less than ten percent above atmospheric pressure to convert said assembly to a bent laminated transparency, cooling said cell after it conforms to said shaping surface while maintaining said vacuum within said cell until said bent, laminated transparency within said cell retains its shape, separating said cell from said mold and separating said shaped, laminated transparency from said cell.