Integrally stiffened bonded panel with machined recesses and improved methods of manufacture
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsKeith Daniel Humfeld, Joseph Andrew Bolton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods for machining a composite material substrate are discloses comprising integrating a predetermined pattern area having a disbond material for the purpose of creating a disbond region into the composite material substrate at a predetermined thickness, detecting the disbond region and forming a plurality of recesses in the composite material substrate by removing a machined plug from the composite material substrate to form recesses positioned at locations corresponding to the predetermined pattern area, and composite components comprising the recesses machined according to such methods.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- providing a composite material substrate comprising a composite material substrate surface, said composite material substrate further comprising a composite material first region comprising a first porosity;
- introducing a second region to the composite material substrate, said second region comprising a second porosity;
- and
- forming a disbond area at a composite material substrate first region/second region interface;
- orienting a material removal device proximate to the composite material substrate surface;
- non-destructively determining a location of the composite material substrate first region/second region interface;
- removing an amount of the composite material substrate first region extending from the composite material substrate surface to the composite material substrate first region/second region interface;
- and
- forming a plurality of recesses in the composite material substrate.
A composite laminate comprising:
- a composite material substrate comprising a composite material first region and a composite material substrate surface, said composite material substrate configured to comprise a plurality of recesses extending from the composite material substrate surface to a predetermined distance from the composite material substrate surface into the composite material substrate, said plurality of recesses comprising a predetermined dimension;
- an intermediate layer disposed at a predetermined depth within the composite material substrate to form a composite material substrate first region/second region interface;
- wherein said plurality of recesses are bounded by surrounding composite material substrate and the intermediate layer;
- and
- wherein said intermediate layer comprises a disbond region at the composite material substrate first region/second region interface.
An aircraft wing assembly comprising:
- a composite material substrate comprising a composite material first region and a composite material substrate surface, said composite material substrate configured to form an aircraft wing assembly, said composite material further configured to comprise a plurality of recesses extending from the composite material substrate surface to a predetermined distance from the composite material substrate surface into the composite material substrate, said plurality of recesses comprising a predetermined dimension;
- an intermediate layer disposed at a predetermined depth within the composite material substrate to form a composite material substrate first region/second region interface;
- wherein said plurality of recesses are bounded by surrounding composite material substrate and the intermediate layer;
- and
- wherein said intermediate layer comprises a disbond region at the composite material substrate first region/second region interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.