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US 11,376,801 B2Granted
Composite material rework parts and methods of making composite rework parts
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJustin H. Register, Andrew Staal, Gregory J. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, apparatuses and systems are disclosed for making and applying composite material rework parts to rework composite substrates by partially forming a composite material rework part before staging the rework part onto the composite substrate. An approximate geometry is imparted to the partially formed rework part, with the final composite material rework part geometry imparted by the composite substrates requiring rework, as the rework part is finally shaped and cured in situ on the composite substrate.
Claims20
A composite laminate rework material comprising:
- a plurality of partially cured composite laminate rework material precursors, said plurality of partially cured composite laminate rework material precursors configured to be removed from a a partially cured composite laminate rework material precursor stack, said partially cured composite laminate rework material precursor stack comprising, said at least partially cured composite laminate rework material precursor comprising a composite laminate rework material interior geometry, each of said plurality of at least partially cured composite laminate precursors comprising:
- a first prepreg layer;
- a second prepreg layer, said first and second prepreg layers configured to be oriented adjacent to each other;
- an adhesive layer, said adhesive layer configured to be oriented between adjacent composite laminate precursors;
- wherein said composite laminate rework material interior geometry approximately matches a surface section exterior geometry of a composite material part requiring rework;
- wherein a predetermined number of partially cured composite laminate precursors are removable from the composite laminate stack to form a partially cured composite material rework part;
- wherein each of the plurality of partially cured composite laminate rework material precursors retains the composite laminate rework material interior geometry imparted to the composite laminate rework material precursor stack inventory;
- and
- wherein, when a selected number of the partially cured composite laminate rework material precursors is removed from the at least partially cured composite laminate rework material precursor stack, said selected number of the partially cured composite laminate precursor configured to be finally cured in situ on the composite material part requiring rework.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- applying a partially formed composite material rework part to a composite substrate exterior surface of a composite substrate, said composite substrate exterior surface comprising a composite substrate exterior surface geometry, said partially formed composite material rework part comprising a composite material rework part interior surface geometry that is configured to mate with the composite substrate exterior surface geometry, said partially formed composite rework part further comprising:
- a plurality of partially cured composite laminate rework material precursors, said plurality of partially cured composite laminate rework material precursors each comprising:
- at least a first prepreg layer;
- at least a second prepreg layer, said first and second prepreg layers configured to be oriented adjacent to each other;
- at least one adhesive layer, said adhesive layer configured to be oriented between adjacent composite laminate rework material precursors;
- curing the partially cured composite rework part in situ on the composite substrate exterior surface to form a cured composite material rework part, said cured composite material rework part comprising a cured composite material rework part interior surface, said cured composite material rework part interior surface comprising a final predetermined cured composite material rework part interior surface geometry;
- and
- wherein said final predetermined cured composite material rework part interior surface geometry is substantially complementary to the composite substrate exterior surface geometry.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- forming a partially cured composite laminate stack, said partially cured composite laminate stack comprising:
- a plurality of partially cured composite laminate rework material precursors, each of said composite laminate rework material precursors comprising:
- at least a first prepreg layer;
- at least a second prepreg layer, said first and second prepreg layers configured to be oriented adjacent to each other;
- at least one adhesive layer, said adhesive layer configured to be oriented between adjacent composite laminate precursors;
- orienting a plurality of composite laminate precursors proximate to one another to form the composite laminate stack;
- imparting a first predetermined geometry into the composite laminate stack;
- partially curing the composite laminate precursors to form a stacked plurality of partially cured composite laminate precursors;
- wherein a predetermined number of partially cured composite laminate precursors are removable from the composite laminate stack to form a composite material rework part;
- and
- wherein, after removing the composite material rework part from the composite laminate stack, the composite material rework part is configured to retain the first predetermined geometry imparted into the composite laminate stack.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.