IP Library › Granted Patent US 12703120
Granted Patent B2
US 12703120 · App. 17/113,019 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Visual indication of composite fiber orientation

Inventor: Thierry Giorno (Boca Raton, FL)
B26D3/085B29C70/545
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12703120
App. No.
17/113,019
Filed
Dec 5, 2020
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Examiner
DONG, LIANG
Art Unit
3724
USPC
83/880
Abstract

A method for determining and indicating the orientation of fibers in a selected portion to be removed from a composite stock panel. The method may include determining the orientation of fibers in a composite stock panel based on a pre-existing indicator carried by the stock panel, and applying a fiber orientation indicating mark to at least part of a selected stock panel portion that is to be separated from the stock panel and from the pre-existing indicator, the fiber orientation indicating mark corresponding to the orientation of the pre-existing indicator.

Claims (26)

1 . A method for indicating an orientation of fibers in a selected composite stock panel portion to be removed from a composite stock panel;

the method comprising the steps of:

determining the orientation of fibers in the composite stock panel by referencing a preexisting indicator carried by the composite stock panel;

applying a fiber orientation indicating mark to at least part of the selected stock panel portion that is to be separated from the composite stock panel and from the pre-existing indicator, the fiber orientation indicating mark corresponding to the orientation of the pre-existing indicator; and

determining the fiber orientation in the selected composite stock panel portion by referencing the mark.

2 . The method of claim 1 in which the step of applying the fiber orientation indicating mark comprises adding a substance to the selected composite stock panel portion.

3 . The method of claim 1 in which the step of applying the fiber orientation indicating mark comprises removing material from the selected composite stock panel portion.

4 . The method of claim 1 in which the step of applying the fiber orientation indicating mark comprises visibly altering the material of the selected composite stock panel portion.

5 . The method of claim 1 in which the step of applying the fiber orientation indicating mark comprises cutting the mark into the selected composite stock panel portion and separating the selected composite stock panel portion from the composite stock panel in a single operation, the mark being cut at least partially into the selected composite stock panel portion.

6 . The method of claim 5 including an additional step of creating and applying a cutting pattern to the composite stock panel, and in which the step of cutting the selected composite stock panel portion from the composite stock panel and cutting the mark into the selected composite stock panel portion in a single operation includes using the cutting pattern to guide the cutting.

7 . The method of claim 1 includes an additional step of removing the pre-existing indicator from at least part of the selected composite stock panel portion in the course of separating the selected composite stock panel portion from the composite stock panel.

8 . The method of claim 1 in which the step of applying the fiber orientation indicating mark comprises applying the mark across an entire face of the composite stock panel.

9 . The method of claim 1 in which the step of applying the fiber orientation indicating mark comprises applying the mark only to the selected composite stock panel portion.

10 . The method of claim 1 including an additional step of using the determined fiber orientation to modify further operations to be performed on the selected composite stock panel portion.

11 . A method for indicating an orientation of fibers in a selected composite stock panel portion to be removed from a composite stock panel; the method comprising the steps of:

determining the orientation of fibers in the composite stock panel by referencing a preexisting indicator carried by the composite stock panel;

applying a fiber orientation indicating mark to at least part of the selected stock panel portion that is to be separated from the composite stock panel and from the pre-existing indicator, the fiber orientation indicating mark corresponding to the orientation of the pre-existing indicator;

separating the selected panel portion from the composite stock panel; and

modifying the directional orientation of the selected panel portion, after the separation step, by referencing the fiber orientation indicating mark.

12 . A method for indicating an orientation of fibers in a selected composite stock panel portion to be removed from a composite stock panel; the method comprising the steps of:

determining the orientation of fibers in the composite stock panel by referencing a preexisting indicator carried by the composite stock panel;

applying a fiber orientation indicating mark to at least part of the selected stock panel portion that is to be separated from the composite stock panel and from the pre-existing indicator, the fiber orientation indicating mark corresponding to the orientation of the pre-existing indicator;

separating the selected panel portion from the composite stock panel; and

modifying a manufacturing operation involving the selected panel portion, after the separation step, by referencing the fiber orientation indicating mark.

13 . The method of claim 12 in which the pre-existing indicator ceases to indicate the fiber orientation of the selected panel portion prior to executing the step of modifying a manufacturing operation.

14 . The method of claim 12 in which the step of separating the selected portion from the composite stock panel renders the pre-existing indicator unusable for indicating the fiber orientation of the selected panel portion.