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US 10,112,373 B2Granted
Multi-layer metallic structure and composite-to-metal joint methods
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsKenneth Harlan Griess, Gary E. Georgeson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A composite structure comprises stacked sets of laminated fiber reinforced resin plies and metal sheets. Edges of the resin plies and metal sheets are interleaved to form a composite-to-metal joint connecting the resin plies with the metal sheets.
Claims17
A method of fabricating a composite structure, comprising:
- forming a first stack of metal sheets comprising adhering individual sheets, comprising metal, to each other;
- laminating the first stack of metal sheets together by placing a layer of adhesive between each of the metal sheets;
- and
- joining the first stack of metal sheets to a resin laminate along an edge of the resin laminate, the resin laminate comprising multiple plies and a fiber reinforcement, and forming a composite-to-metal joint comprising overlapping steps between the resin laminate and the first stack of metal sheets, a length of an overlap of the overlapping steps determined by a load requirement of an integrated attachment fitting, such that the composite-to-metal joint comprises a finger joint and a first metal ply in the first stack of metal sheets comprises a different metal from a second metal ply in the first stack of metal sheets.
1 more element
A method of reinforcing an area of a composite laminate containing a fastener passing through a thickness of the composite laminate, comprising:
- integrating a metal laminate, comprising metal sheets laminated directly to each other via an adhesive ply, into the area of the composite laminate to be reinforced, the metal laminate comprising multiple plies;
- bonding each metal sheet within the metal laminate to an adjoining metal sheet, the metal laminate comprising a shape being substantially circular and each metal sheet within the metal laminate comprising a radius differing from a radius of an adjacent metal sheet within the metal laminate;
- and
- forming a through hole in the metal laminate adapted to receive the fastener therein.
1 more element
A method of reinforcing an edge of a resin laminate, comprising:
- joining a metal laminate to the resin laminate along the edge of the resin laminate, the resin laminate comprising multiple plies and a fiber reinforcement, and forming a composite-to-metal joint comprising overlapping steps between the resin laminate and the metal laminate, a length of an overlap of the overlapping steps determined by a load requirement of an integrated attachment fitting, such that the composite-to-metal joint comprises a finger joint and a first metal ply in the metal laminate comprises a different metal from a second metal ply in the metal laminate.
A method of forming an attachment fitting for a structure, the method comprising:
- joining a composite resin portion to a metal portion such that:
- the composite resin portion comprises layers of composite laminate;
- and
- the metal portion comprises a stack of metal plies, each metal ply in the stack of metal plies being:
- substantially chemically non-reactive with any layer in the layers of composite laminate abutting the each metal ply;
- and
- connected to an adjoining metal ply via an adhesive layer;
- forming a composite-to-metal joint between the composite resin portion and the metal portion such that each layer of composite laminate comprises a thickness that is less than a thickness of any metal ply whose end abuts a termination of the each layer of composite laminate, such that terminations of some of the layers of composite laminate in the composite resin portion are recessed from a vertical alignment of terminations of layers of composite laminate in the composite resin portion that are not recessed, and the termination of each of the some of the layers of composite laminate aligns vertically with a termination of each other of the some of the layers of composite laminate and the termination of each of the some of the layers of composite laminate abuts a respective end of an individual metal ply in the stack of metal plies to form a vertical lap finger joint, and each metal ply abuts multiple layers of composite laminate;
- and
- forming a second composite-to-metal joint comprising the metal portion and a second composite resin portion.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.