Interlocking braided structures
AssigneeA&P Technology, Inc.
InventorsAndrew Head, Victor M. Ivers, Alexandra G. Ivers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A composite structural component including a braided material embedded in a resin matrix, the braided material with multiple braided components formed of continuous tows and connected by one or more intersections are described. Each of the multiple braided components is formed by sets of tows. Each set of tows includes a respective plurality of tows, which are substantially adjacent and parallel to each other at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the braided material. Each set of tows is further composed of multiple subsets of tows. The subsets of tows separate at the intersections and combine with different subsets of tows in adjacent components of the multiple braided components.
Claims10
A composite structural component including a braided material embedded in a resin matrix, the braided material comprising a plurality of sets of tows formed in a repeating braiding pattern along a longitudinal axis of the braided material, and in at least one pattern of the repeating braiding pattern, the composite structural component comprising:
- a first braided component of the braided material, the first braided component including a first set of tows of the plurality of sets of tows intertwined with a second set of tows of the plurality of sets of tows, each of the first and second set of tows including a respective plurality of tows oriented to be substantially adjacent and parallel to each other at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the braided material, and each of the first and second set of tows further including a respective plurality of subsets of tows;
- and
- a second braided component of the braided material, the second braided component including a first subset of tows of the first set of tows intertwined with a second subset of tows of the first set of tows;
- a transition braided component positioned between the first braided component and the second braided component, the transition braided component including at least one subset of tows from the first set of tows intertwined with at least one subset of tows from the second set of tows in a pattern different from both the first braided component and the second braided component;
- and
- wherein the first braided component has a first braid architecture and the second braided component has a second braid architecture different from the first braid architecture.
A braided material comprising a plurality of sets of tows formed in a repeating braiding pattern along a longitudinal axis of the braided material, and in at least one pattern of the repeating braiding pattern, the braided material comprising:
- a first braided component including a first set of tows of the plurality of sets of tows intertwined with a second set of tows of the plurality of sets of tows, each of the first and second set of tows including a respective plurality of tows oriented to be substantially adjacent and parallel to each other at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the braided material, and each of the first and second set of tows further including a respective plurality of subsets of tows;
- and
- a second braided component including a first subset of tows of the first set of tows intertwined with a second subset of tows of the first set of tows;
- a first intersection between the first braided component and the second braided component;
- a second intersection between the first braided component and the second braided component, wherein the first intersection and the second intersection are displaced from each other along a transverse line with respect to the longitudinal axis;
- and
- wherein at least some tows of the first subset of tows are configured to bend at the first intersection from a first bias angle in the first braided component to a second bias angle in the second braided component, wherein the first bias angle is different from the second bias angle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.