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US 11,511,500 B2Granted
Molding system and methods for forming structures
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsPeter Lockett, Manning Scarfe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A molding system and methods of forming a structure are presented. The molding system is configured to sequentially form features of a structure. The molding system comprises a first tool comprising a number of features configured to completely form a first set of radii of a structure and a number of partial forming features configured to partially form a second set of radii of the structure, and a second tool comprising a number of completion features configured to complete shaping of the second set of radii.
Claims20
A method of forming a structure comprising:
- forming a portion of a cross-section of the structure into a preform using a first tool by drawing a vacuum in a first vacuum chamber formed by a first bagging layer sealed to the first tool, wherein the preform is positioned in a second vacuum chamber between the first bagging layer and a second bagging layer, the second vacuum chamber formed by sealing the second bagging layer to the first tool;
- after forming the portion of the cross-section of the structure, sealing a second tool to the second bagging layer to form a third vacuum chamber;
- and
- forming a remainder of the cross-section of the structure into the preform using the second tool positioned above the first tool by at least partially evacuating the third vacuum chamber between the second tool and the second bagging layer, wherein a pressure in the third vacuum chamber is less than a pressure in the first vacuum chamber.
1 more element
A method of forming a structure comprising:
- sealing a first bagging layer to a first tool to form a first vacuum chamber between the first bagging layer and the first tool;
- positioning a preform on the first bagging layer;
- sealing a second bagging layer to the first tool while the preform is between the first bagging layer and the second bagging layer to form a second vacuum chamber between the first bagging layer and the second bagging layer;
- evacuating the second vacuum chamber;
- at least partially evacuating the first vacuum chamber formed by the first bagging layer and the first tool to completely form a first set of radii of the preform and partially form a second set of radii of the preform to a forming surface of the first tool;
- sealing a second tool to the second bagging layer to form a third vacuum chamber between the second tool and the second bagging layer;
- and
- at least partially evacuating the third vacuum chamber, wherein a pressure in the third vacuum chamber is less than a pressure in the first vacuum chamber, to complete forming the second set of radii of the preform to a forming surface of the second tool.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.