US 10,538,050 B2Granted

Aircraft panel assembly with reinforcement layers

AssigneeC&D Zodiac, Inc.

InventorJames Edward Del Pinto

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

A panel assembly that includes at least a first upper base layer made of a thermoplastic material that includes fibers therein, at least a first lower base layer made of a thermoplastic material that includes fibers therein, and at least a first reinforcement layer sandwiched or positioned between the first upper base layer and first lower base layer. The upper and lower surfaces of the first reinforcement layer have a smaller surface area than the upper and lower surfaces of the first upper and first lower base layers. The lower surface of the first upper base layer is welded to the upper surface of the first reinforcement layer, and the lower surface of the first reinforcement layer is welded to the upper surface of the first lower base layer.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method of making a panel assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

a. providing at least a first upper base layer having an upper surface with an upper surface area and a lower surface with a lower surface area, and wherein the first upper base layer is comprised of a thermoplastic material and includes fibers therein,
b. providing at least a first lower base layer having an upper surface with an upper surface area and a lower surface with a lower surface area, wherein the upper and lower surface areas of the first upper base layer and the first lower base layer are approximately the same, and wherein the first lower base layer is comprised of a thermoplastic material and includes fibers therein,
c. providing a first outer reinforcement layer having an upper surface with an upper surface area and a lower surface with a lower surface area, wherein the upper surface area of the outer reinforcement layer is smaller than the upper surface areas of the first upper and first lower base layers, wherein the first outer reinforcement layer includes an outer edge that is flush with the outer edges of the upper and lower base layers, wherein the first outer reinforcement layer includes an inner edge that defines a first outer reinforcement layer interior, and wherein the first outer reinforcement layer is comprised of a thermoplastic material and includes fibers therein,
d. providing a first inner reinforcement layer having an outer edge and an inner edge, wherein the inner edge defines a first inner reinforcement layer interior, and wherein the first inner reinforcement layer is comprised of a thermoplastic material and includes fibers therein,
e. positioning the first outer reinforcement layer between the first upper base layer and the first lower base layer,
f. positioning the first inner reinforcement layer within the first outer reinforcement layer interior and between the first upper base layer and the first lower base layer,
g. heating the first outer reinforcement layer, first inner reinforcement layer, first upper base layer and first lower base layer to a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic materials of the first outer reinforcement layer, first inner reinforcement layer, first upper base layer and first lower base layer to form a sheet, and
h. molding the sheet to form the panel assembly.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/291,587Filed 12 Oct 2016 · us provisional application
Priority: 12 Oct 2015
Published: US 2017/0100910 A113 Apr 2017
Granted: 21 Jan 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification21 codes

B29C 70/46
For producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
B29C 51/082
Deep drawing or matched-mould forming, i.e. using mechanical means only: by shaping between complementary mould parts
B29C 51/421
Heating or cooling: of preforms, specially adapted for thermoforming
B29D 99/0021
Producing wall or panel-like structures, e.g. for hulls, fuselages, or buildings: provided with plain or filled structures, e.g. cores, placed…

Family

Application62/240,370Us provisional application · filed 12 Oct 2015
US 2017/0100910 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Apr 2017
US 10,538,050 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

Citations

Open elsewhere

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method of making a panel assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

a. providing at least a first upper base layer having an upper surface with an upper surface area and a lower surface with a lower surface area, and wherein the first upper base layer is comprised of a thermoplastic material and includes fibers therein,
b. providing at least a first lower base layer having an upper surface with an upper surface area and a lower surface with a lower surface area, wherein the upper and lower surface areas of the first upper base layer and the first lower base layer are approximately the same, and wherein the first lower base layer is comprised of a thermoplastic material and includes fibers therein,
c. providing a first outer reinforcement layer having an upper surface with an upper surface area and a lower surface with a lower surface area, wherein the upper surface area of the outer reinforcement layer is smaller than the upper surface areas of the first upper and first lower base layers, wherein the first outer reinforcement layer includes an outer edge that is flush with the outer edges of the upper and lower base layers, wherein the first outer reinforcement layer includes an inner edge that defines a first outer reinforcement layer interior, and wherein the first outer reinforcement layer is comprised of a thermoplastic material and includes fibers therein,
d. providing a first inner reinforcement layer having an outer edge and an inner edge, wherein the inner edge defines a first inner reinforcement layer interior, and wherein the first inner reinforcement layer is comprised of a thermoplastic material and includes fibers therein,
e. positioning the first outer reinforcement layer between the first upper base layer and the first lower base layer,
f. positioning the first inner reinforcement layer within the first outer reinforcement layer interior and between the first upper base layer and the first lower base layer,
g. heating the first outer reinforcement layer, first inner reinforcement layer, first upper base layer and first lower base layer to a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic materials of the first outer reinforcement layer, first inner reinforcement layer, first upper base layer and first lower base layer to form a sheet, and
h. molding the sheet to form the panel assembly.

5 more elements

Facts

Application

15/291,587Filed 12 Oct 2016 · us provisional application

Priority

12 Oct 2015

Published

US 2017/0100910 A113 Apr 2017

Granted

21 Jan 2020

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification21 codes

B29C 70/46
For producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
B29C 51/082
Deep drawing or matched-mould forming, i.e. using mechanical means only: by shaping between complementary mould parts
B29C 51/421
Heating or cooling: of preforms, specially adapted for thermoforming
B29D 99/0021
Producing wall or panel-like structures, e.g. for hulls, fuselages, or buildings: provided with plain or filled structures, e.g. cores, placed…