US 12,605,912 B2Granted

Device for manufacturing a stiffened panel making it possible to control the geometry of said stiffened panel, and method for manufacturing a stiffened panel using said device

AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH

InventorJago Pridie

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Abstract

A device for manufacturing a stiffened panel with reinforcements which each have a final thickness and a final height. The manufacturing device includes tools configured to each support a preform of fibers having a U-shaped or C-shaped cross section with a base and two wings. Each tool comprises, at at least one of its first and second lateral faces, a set-back portion which, when two tools are juxtaposed, delimits a recess configured to form a reinforcement during a consolidation or polymerization step. The tools are dimensioned such that each recess has a width, at the consolidation or polymerization temperature, that is substantially equal to the thickness of the reinforcements. This solution makes it possible to more effectively control the geometry of the stiffened panel by avoiding the formation of beads. A method for manufacturing a stiffened panel using the device is also disclosed.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for manufacturing a stiffened panel using a device, the stiffened panel comprising a panel and reinforcements which each have a final thickness and a final height, the device comprising at least one support having a bearing surface, and tools which are configured to each support a preform of fibers having a U-shaped or C-shaped cross section with a base and two wings, each tool having a first face configured to receive the base of the preform of fibers, a second face configured to be positioned against the bearing surface of the at least one support and first and second lateral faces which connect the first and second faces and which are configured to contact the two wings of the preform of fibers, at least one of the first and second lateral faces having a set-back portion which, when two tools are juxtaposed, defines a recess opening out at the first faces and configured to form one of the reinforcements during a consolidation or polymerization step, each tool being subjected, in operation, to a first temperature and then to a second temperature greater than the first temperature during the consolidation or polymerization step, wherein the tools are dimensioned such that each recess has a width at the second temperature that is substantially equal to the final thickness of the reinforcement to be formed in the recess,

wherein each tool comprises, only at each set-back portion, a coating configured to expand as a function of temperature,
the manufacturing method comprising:
placing the preforms of fibers on the tools which are each provided with the expandable coating only at each set-back portion;
positioning the tools provided with the preforms of fibers on the support;
laying a layer of fibers on the bases of the preforms of fibers;
placing a consolidation or polymerization covering on the layer of fibers;
a step of consolidation or polymerization;
a step of demolding;
and applying new non-expanded expandable coatings to each of the set-back portions.

6 more elements

A method for manufacturing a stiffened panel having reinforcements which each have a final thickness and a final height, the method comprising:

providing a device comprising at least one support having a bearing surface;
arranging a plurality of tools on the device, each of the plurality of tools having a first face, a second face opposing the first face and positioned against the bearing surface of the support, and first and second lateral faces which connect the first and second faces, at least one of the first and second lateral faces having a set-back portion which, when two of the plurality of tools are juxtaposed, defines a recess opening out at the first faces;
applying a coating configured to expand as a function of temperature only at the set-back portion of each of the plurality of tools;
positioning a preform of fibers having a U-shaped or C-shaped cross section on each of the plurality of tools, each preform of fibers having a base positioned on the first face of one of the plurality of tools and two wings positioned against the first and second lateral faces, respectively, of the one of the plurality of tools, wherein the wings of adjacent preforms are in the recess opening formed between the two of the plurality of tools to form one of the reinforcements;
positioning a layer of fibers on the bases of the preforms of fibers;
positioning a consolidation or polymerization covering on the layer of fibers;
subjecting each of the plurality of tools to a first temperature and then to a second temperature greater than the first temperature, wherein the second temperature corresponds to a temperature at which the preforms of fibers and the layer of fibers consolidate or polymerize to form the stiffened panel, and wherein the plurality of tools are dimensioned such that each recess opening has a width at the second temperature that is substantially equal to the final thickness of the reinforcement to be formed in the recess opening,
demolding the stiffened panel from the device;
and applying new non-expanded expandable coatings only at the set-back portion of each of the plurality of tools.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/655,963Filed 6 May 2024 · division
Priority: FR 211342014 Dec 2021
Published: US 2024/0286370 A129 Aug 2024
Granted: 21 Apr 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B29D 99/0014
Producing wall or panel-like structures, e.g. for hulls, fuselages, or buildings: provided with ridges or ribs, e.g. joined ribs
B29C 51/261
Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations: handling means, e.g. transfer means, feeding means
B29C 70/30
Shaping operations therefor: shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e.…
B29C 70/44
For producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: using isostatic pressure, e.g. pressure difference-moulding, vacuum…

Family

Application18/064,664Parent of this division · filed 12 Dec 2022
US 2024/0286370 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Aug 2024
US 12,005,665 B2Parent of this division
US 2023/0182426 A1Published application
US 12,605,912 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.