Continuous molded carbon fiber reinforced polymer slender curved component
AssigneeAirbus SAS
InventorMatthew Noel Orchard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming a continuously molded carbon fiber reinforced polymer slender curved frame. A continuous supply of uncured carbon fiber reinforced polymer material is directed into a forming tool. The uncured carbon fiber reinforced polymer material is continuously molded into a desired shape in the forming tool. The carbon fiber reinforced polymer material is cured into a frame of the desired shape in the forming tool. The frame is removed from the forming tool. An out-of-plane curvature is put in the frame while the frame is in at least a portion of the forming tool.
Claims3
An apparatus for forming a continuously molded carbon fiber reinforced polymer slender curved frame, comprising:
- a forming tool configured to receive a continuous supply of uncured carbon fiber reinforced polymer material,
- the forming tool having a shape conforming to a desired shape for the carbon fiber reinforced polymer slender curved component,
- the forming tool being configured to at least partially cure the carbon fiber reinforced polymer material into a continuously molded frame,
- a physical size and shape of the forming tool being configured to put an out-of-plane curvature in the frame,
- wherein the size and shape of the forming tool for putting the out-of-plane curvature in the component comprises a series of rollers arranged downstream of a molding tool portion of the forming tool to receive the at least partially cured frame and to deflect the at least partially cured frame out of a plane in which the carbon fiber reinforced polymer is directed through the molding tool portion.
An apparatus for forming a continuously molded carbon fiber reinforced polymer slender curved frame, comprising:
- a forming tool configured to receive a continuous supply of uncured carbon fiber reinforced polymer material,
- the forming tool having a shape conforming to a desired shape for the carbon fiber reinforced polymer slender curved component,
- the forming tool being configured to at least partially cure the carbon fiber reinforced polymer material into a continuously molded frame,
- a physical size and shape of the forming tool being configured to put an out-of-plane curvature in the frame,
- further comprising a tool for cutting the frame into a component of a desired length, and
- further comprising a tooling jig configured to receive the component and a heater configured to heat and re-cure the component to eliminate the out-of-plane curvature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.