Countersinks in thin gauge thermoplastic skins
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsGregory James Schoepen Hickman, Aaron Ross Cowin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A composite skin is attached to an underlying structure by fasteners that are countersunk into the structure. The composite skin comprises a thermoplastic material that has been melted and formed into a countersink in the structure using a heated tool.
Claims20
A method of making a dimple in a thermoplastic skin for attachment to a structure, the method comprising:
- heating a cone-shaped forming tool to a melt temperature of the thermoplastic skin;
- and
- placing the thermoplastic skin on the structure;
- heat forming the dimple in the thermoplastic skin to match a depth and a taper angle of a cone shape of a previously formed fastener countersink of the structure by driving the heated cone-shaped forming tool into the thermoplastic skin;
- wherein driving the heated cone-shaped forming tool into the thermoplastic skin includes forming the thermoplastic skin into the previously formed fastener countersink of the structure after placing the thermoplastic skin on the structure, wherein the dimple extends into and conforms to a shape of the fastener countersink.
A method of making a dimple in a fiber reinforced thermoplastic skin for attachment to a structure having previously formed fastener countersinks, the method comprising:
- placing the fiber reinforced thermoplastic skin on the structure;
- and
- heat forming the dimple in the fiber reinforced thermoplastic skin with a heated cone-shaped forming tools, wherein the dimple has a cone shape that matches a depth and a taper angle of a cone shape of the previously formed fastener countersink in the structure by forcing the fiber reinforced thermoplastic skin down into and over surfaces of the fastener countersink.
A method of countersinking a thin gauge thermoplastic skin for attachment to an underlying structure with countersunk fasteners, the method comprising:
- heating a cone-shaped forming tool to a melt temperature of the thermoplastic skin;
- placing the thermoplastic skin over the underlying structure;
- forming a dimple in the thermoplastic skin by driving the heated cone-shaped forming tool into the thermoplastic skin to locally melt the thermoplastic skin to locally displace reinforcing fibers in the thermoplastic skin, wherein the dimple extends into and conforms to a shape of an existing fastener countersink previously formed in the underlying structure and wherein the dimple is aligned with a previously formed fastener hole of the fastener countersink;
- and
- inserting a countersunk fastener through the dimple and the fastener hole to attach the thermoplastic skin to the underlying structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.