Curable Liquid Spacers for Bonded Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for maintaining a predetermined adhesive gap thickness during bonding of components, especially with fiber composite materials, are inefficient and require additional spacer elements and complex positioning, especially with pasty adhesives.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a sheet-like structure with passages is applied to the component, filled with a curable liquid that hardens to form spacers, ensuring a consistent adhesive gap thickness without additional tools or materials, compatible with modern surface treatments and manufacturing processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional spacer elements are used to maintain adhesive gap thickness, then the adhesive gap can be predetermined, but the positioning effort and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive itself provides the spacing function by forming protrusions that extend beyond the component surface. The adhesive serves dual purposes: bonding and gap maintenance, eliminating the need for separate spacer elements and their complex positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacing function is extracted from separate spacer elements and integrated into the adhesive material itself. The adhesive protrusions are formed directly from the bonding material, removing the need for additional spacer components.
2Manufacturing precision
If additional spacer elements are introduced to maintain adhesive gap, then gap thickness is controlled, but the number of components and materials increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacing function is merged with the adhesive material. The same substance that performs bonding also provides gap maintenance through its protrusion formation, reducing the total number of components to one.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive material performs multiple functions: it bonds the components together and simultaneously maintains the adhesive gap thickness through its protrusions, eliminating the need for specialized spacer components.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional spacers are used with pasty adhesives, then adhesive gap can be maintained, but the positioning effort becomes extremely complex
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive material self-organizes into protrusions that automatically provide spacing, eliminating the manual positioning effort required for conventional spacers with pasty adhesives.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive is applied in a controlled manner that allows it to form protrusions of specific height, changing the physical state and distribution of the adhesive to achieve both bonding and spacing functions without complex positioning.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly reduces effort in providing spacers, ensures a minimum adhesive gap thickness, and eliminates the need for additional auxiliary materials or tools, making it suitable for various bonding applications including fiber composite materials and pasty adhesives.
Implementation Method 1
A curable liquid is introduced into these openings, so that after curing and removal of the structure, the liquid forms spacers on the component
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for providing spacers (5) on a component (1) to be bonded. The method comprises the following steps: placing a flat structure (2) onto the component (1), wherein the flat structure (2) has openings (3), and introducing a curable liquid (4) into the openings (3) of the flat structure (2), such that, after curing and removal of the flat structure (2), the liquid (4) forms spacers (5) on the component (1) to be bonded, which ensure a predetermined adhesive gap thickness when the component (1) is bonded. The present invention relates to a component (1) with such a flat structure (2) having openings (3).