Textile joint reinforcement and associated method
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsRoger A. Burgess, James D. Mundloch, Steven P. Wanthal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A three dimensional textile joint reinforcement joins and reinforces a composite panel and a support structure. The composite panel includes lamina of textile fibers in the plane of the panel. The joint reinforcement is attached to the composite panel by staples. The support structure, which is typically perpendicular to the plane of the composite panel, is also attached to the joint reinforcement. Out of plane forces act upon the assembled structure and the joint reinforcement transfers out of plane loads between the support structure and the composite panel. The staples provide transfer of load to the plane of the textile fibers in the composite panel, where the composite panel is strongest.
Claims18
A reinforced joint, comprising:
- a composite panel;
- at least one textile joint reinforcement, comprising:
- a flange disposed upon at least a portion of the composite panel;
- and
- a load bearing member extending outwardly from the flange;
- a plurality of staples extending through the flange of said textile joint reinforcement and into said composite panel for mechanically connecting the textile joint reinforcement to the composite panel;
- and
- a support structure connected to the load bearing member, wherein the textile joint reinforcement transfers load between the composite panel and support structure.
A method of forming a textile joint reinforcement for a composite structure, comprising:
- positioning a textile joint reinforcement upon a composite panel, wherein the textile joint reinforcement comprises a flange and a load bearing member extending outwardly from the flange, and wherein positioning the textile joint reinforcement comprises positioning the textile joint reinforcement such that the flange overlies at least a portion of the composite panel and the load bearing member extends outwardly from therefrom;
- stapling the flange of the textile joint reinforcement to the composite panel;
- and
- attaching a support structure to the load bearing member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.