Integrated caul with elastomeric seals
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsSamuel Shane Brickey, Julia Karolina Slusarski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method, apparatus, and system for applying a vacuum-based pressure on an uncured composite structure. Membranes are bonded to a boundary of a caul. The membranes include positive features that define vacuum channels. The membranes are spliced to each other. The positive features that define the vacuum channels in the membranes are aligned to each other during splicing of the membranes. The membranes spliced to each other and bonded to the caul to form an integrated caul. The integrated caul applies a pressure on the uncured composite structure during operation of the integrated caul.
Claims20
A vacuum pressure system that comprises an integrated caul that comprises:
- a caul;
- and membranes connected to a boundary of the caul, wherein:
- each membrane in the membranes comprises, respectively:
- a membrane overlap adjacent to a resin dam adjacent to an inner vacuum channel adjacent to an inner seal adjacent to an outer vacuum channel adjacent to an outer seal;
- the each membrane is connected to the caul along the each respective membrane overlap;
- and each membrane is separated, respectively, by a gap and connected, by a cured filler that fills the gap, to each adjacent membrane, wherein the cured filler comprises a shape that aligns with and continues from each membrane to each adjacent membrane:
- the membrane overlap adjacent to the resin dam adjacent to the inner vacuum channel adjacent to the inner seal adjacent to the outer vacuum channel adjacent to the outer seal.
A tooling system for applying vacuum based pressure on uncured composite structures, wherein the tooling system comprises:
- a caul;
- membranes connected to a boundary of the caul wherein:
- each membrane in the membranes comprises, respectively:
- a membrane overlap adjacent to a resin dam adjacent to an inner vacuum channel adjacent to an inner seal adjacent to an outer vacuum channel adjacent to an outer seal;
- the each membrane is connected to the caul along the each respective membrane overlap;
- and each membrane is separated, respectively, by a gap and connected, by a cured filler that fills the gap, to each adjacent membrane, wherein the cured filler comprises a shape that aligns with and continues from each membrane to each adjacent membrane:
- the membrane overlap adjacent to the resin dam adjacent to the inner vacuum channel adjacent to the inner seal adjacent to the outer vacuum channel adjacent to the outer seal;
- positive features formed in the each inner vacuum channel, wherein the inner vacuum channel of adjacent membranes are aligned to each other such that the positive features are aligned;
- a set of ports in the membranes in communication with the each inner vacuum channel;
- and a vacuum source connected to the set of ports.
A vacuum pressure system that comprises:
- an integrated caul;
- and a control system configured to control the following:
- placement of an integrated caul on an uncured composite structure, wherein the integrated caul comprises:
- membranes bonded to a boundary of a caul in which each of the membranes comprises, respectively:
- a membrane overlap adjacent to a resin dam adjacent to an inner vacuum channel adjacent to an inner seal adjacent to an outer vacuum channel adjacent to an outer seal;
- and each of the membranes is separated, respectively, by a gap and connected, by a cured filler that fills the gap, to each adjacent membrane, wherein the cured filler comprises a shape that aligns with and continues from each membrane to each adjacent membrane:
- the membrane overlap adjacent to the resin dam adjacent to the inner vacuum channel adjacent to the inner seal adjacent to the outer vacuum channel adjacent to the outer seal, wherein all vacuum channels are continuous around a boundary of the caul;
- a vacuum connected to the vacuum channels such that the integrated caul applies a pressure on the uncured composite structure;
- and cure the uncured composite structure while applying the pressure on the uncured composite structure using the integrated caul to form a cured composite structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.