Acoustic device manufacturing system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsEric Herrera, John Scott Bauman, Peter James Oberst
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for manufacturing a conical shaped acoustic structure. A sheet of acoustical material is cut to form individual pieces using a cutter system. Each individual piece in the individual pieces has a flat pattern for the conical shaped acoustic structure. An individual piece is positioned around a mandrel with a conical shape using an actuator system. Two edges of the individual piece are positioned for joining. The two edges of the individual piece positioned around the mandrel are joined to form the conical shaped acoustic structure.
Claims21
An acoustic device manufacturing system comprising:
- a cutter system configured to receive a sheet of acoustical material and cut individual pieces from the sheet of acoustical material in which each individual piece in the individual pieces has a flat pattern for a conical shaped acoustic structure;
- a mandrel having a conical shape;
- at least one actuator moveable independent of the mandrel, the at least one actuator configured to position an individual piece in the individual pieces around the mandrel such that two edges of the individual piece are positioned for joining;
- and
- a joiner configured to join the two edges of the individual piece to form the conical shaped acoustic structure while the individual piece is around the mandrel.
A method for manufacturing a conical shaped acoustic structure, the method comprising:
- cutting a sheet of acoustical material to form individual pieces using a cutter system of an acoustic device manufacturing system, wherein each individual piece in the individual pieces has a flat pattern for the conical shaped acoustic structure;
- positioning a mandrel of the acoustic device manufacturing system with a conical shape over an individual piece of the individual pieces;
- positioning the individual piece around the mandrel using at least one actuator moveable independent of the mandrel, while the mandrel is positioned over the individual piece, wherein positioning the individual piece around the mandrel comprises positioning the individual piece such that two edges of the individual piece are positioned for joining;
- and
- joining the two edges of the individual piece positioned around the mandrel to form the conical shaped acoustic structure using a joiner of the acoustic device manufacturing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.