Thermoplastic composite panel systems and methods
AssigneeRohr, Inc.
InventorsSamantha Landis, Guinevere Berg, Andrew Cai, Johann Steven Schrell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for forming a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface includes forming first and second skins from a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin. The method further includes overmolding fiber-reinforced thermoplastic features onto the first skin and/or second skin, including stiffener structures, sidewalls, and/or hinges. The method further comprises welding or consolidating the first and second skins together, along with the associated internal features overmolded thereon to form a single-piece, stiffened, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface.
Claims9
A fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface, comprising:
- a first skin comprising a first leading edge, a first trailing edge opposite the first leading edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge opposite the first side edge;
- a second skin comprising a second leading edge, a second trailing edge opposite the second leading edge, a third side edge, and a fourth side edge opposite the third side edge;
- a stiffener structure extending from at least one of a first inner surface of the first skin and a second inner surface of the second skin;
- and
- a sidewall extending from at least one of the first inner surface of the first skin and the second inner surface of the second skin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.