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US 12,545,628 B2Granted
Sheathed metallic needles for producing z-channels in fibrous preforms
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsBrendan Lenz, Molly Kole
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A needle array suitable for perforating a fibrous preform includes a backplate, a plurality of needles removably attached to and extending away from the backplate, and a collar disposed around each of the plurality of needles. Each of the plurality of needles includes a metallic body, and a polymer sheath covering the metallic body.
Claims16
A needle array suitable for perforating a fibrous preform, the needle array comprising:
- a backplate;
- a plurality of needles removably attached to and extending away from the backplate;
- and
- a plurality of collars, each of the plurality of collars disposed around a respective needle of the plurality of needles and having frustoconical geometry tapering from widest proximate the backplate to narrowest distal from the backplate;
- wherein each of the plurality of needles and each of the plurality of collars comprises:
- a metallic body;
- and
- a polymer sheath covering the metallic body, the polymer sheath comprising one of polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl butyral.
5 more elements
An assembly comprising:
- a tooling fixture configured to mount a fibrous preform therein during a chemical vapor infiltration process, the tooling fixture comprising a plurality of infiltration holes configured to receive infiltrating reactant vapors;
- and
- a needle array comprising:
- a backplate;
- a plurality of needles removably attached to and extending away from the backplate, each of the plurality of needles comprising:
- a metallic body;
- and
- a polymer sheath covering the metallic body, the polymer sheath comprises one of polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl butyral;
- wherein each of the plurality of needles is aligned with a respective infiltration hole of the plurality of infiltration holes;
- and
- a plurality of collars, each of the plurality of collars disposed around a respective needle of the plurality of needles in a position offset from the backplate.
8 more elements
A method of preparing a fibrous preform for use in a ceramic matrix composite, the method comprising:
- inserting a plurality of needles belonging to a needle array through the fibrous
- preform, each of the plurality of needles comprising:
- a metallic body;
- and
- a polymer sheath covering the metallic body;
- removing the plurality of needles to form a plurality of z-channels in the fibrous preform;
- and
- subsequently, heating the fibrous preform to decompose polymer contaminants within the plurality of z-channels;
- wherein a respective collar is disposed around each of the plurality of needles, each collar comprising:
- a metallic body;
- and
- a polymer sheath covering the metallic body;
- and
- wherein the fibrous preform is mounted in a tooling fixture comprising a plurality of infiltration holes configured to receive infiltrating reactant vapors during a chemical vapor infiltration process and wherein each of the plurality of needles is aligned with a respective infiltration hole of the plurality of infiltration holes.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.