Flat composite panel with tear arrestment and method of making the same
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsRichard A. Skilton, Stephen T. Dougherty, Daniel Paul Hope Marx
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pressure deck for an aircraft comprises a flat composite laminate base panel having integrated tear straps to enhance damage arrestment. The tear straps include a plurality of multi-ply, spaced apart longitudinal and lateral tear straps interspersed with the plies of the base panel.
Claims23
A composite panel having tear arrestment, comprising:
- a base panel including a plurality of base panel plies of a fiber reinforced polymer;
- at least a first tear strap extending in a first direction and integrated into the base panel plies, the at least first tear strap comprising a plurality of first tear strap plies interspersed along a thickness of the base panel between plies of the base panel plies;
- and
- at least a second tear strap extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction and integrated into the base panel plies, the at least second tear strap comprising a plurality of second tear strap plies interspersed along the thickness of the base panel between the plies of the base panel plies;
- wherein a fiber orientation of a ply of the first tear strap plies is orthogonal to a fiber orientation of a base panel ply that the ply of the first tear strap plies adjoins and a fiber orientation of a ply of the second tear strap plies is orthogonal to a fiber orientation of a base panel ply that the ply of the second tear strap plies adjoins.
A pressure deck panel for an aircraft separating a flight deck from a nose landing gear well, comprising:
- a base panel including a plurality of base panel plies of a fiber reinforced polymer;
- and
- a plurality of tear straps integrated into the base panel, wherein each tear strap comprises a plurality of tear strap plies interspersed along a thickness of the base panel between plies of the base panel plies;
- wherein a fiber orientation of a tear strap ply of each tear strap is orthogonal to a fiber orientation of a ply of the base panel that the tear strap ply of each tear strap adjoins.
A method of fabricating a composite pressure deck panel for an aircraft, comprising:
- laying up a base panel, including laying up a plurality of base panel plies of composite material;
- integrating a plurality of first tear straps into the base panel plies, including interspersing a plurality of first tear strap plies of the first tear straps along a thickness of the base panel within the base panel plies as the base panel plies are laid up;
- and
- integrating a plurality of second tear straps into the base panel plies, including interspersing a plurality of second tear strap plies of the second tear straps along the thickness of the base panel within the base panel plies as the base panel plies are laid up;
- wherein a fiber orientation of a tear strap ply of each tear strap is orthogonal to a fiber orientation of a ply of the base panel that the tear strap ply of each tear strap adjoins.
A method of arresting a tear in a composite laminate panel, comprising:
- integrating a plurality of tear straps within a plurality of plies of the laminate panel, including interspersing a plurality of tear strap plies of a tear strap along a thickness of the laminate panel within the plies of the laminate panel, wherein a fiber orientation of a tear strap ply of each tear strap is orthogonal to a fiber orientation of a ply of the laminate panel that the tear strap ply of each tear strap adjoins;
- and
- using the tear straps to arrest a tear in the laminate panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.