Stabilizer Torque Box Assembly and Method
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorJeffery Lee Marcoe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided an apparatus to provide a panel stiffening element. The apparatus has an outer braided thermoplastic tube and an inner braided thermoplastic tube disposed within the outer braided thermoplastic tube. The apparatus further has a separation ply layer co-consolidated between the outer braided thermoplastic tube and the inner braided thermoplastic tube. The separation ply layer provides reinforcement and impact damage resistance to the inner braided thermoplastic tube in order to avoid a loss in structural loading capability.
Claims27
An apparatus to provide panel stiffening, the apparatus comprising:
- an outer braided thermoplastic tube;
- an inner braided thermoplastic tube disposed within the outer braided thermoplastic tube;
- and,
- a separation ply layer co-consolidated between the outer braided thermoplastic tube and the inner braided thermoplastic tube, the separation ply layer providing reinforcement and impact damage resistance to the inner braided thermoplastic tube in order to avoid a loss in structural loading capability.
A thermoplastic stabilizer torque box assembly comprising:
- a plurality of braided thermoplastic tubular spar caps spaced to define a torque box inner portion, each braided thermoplastic tubular spar cap comprising:
- an outer braided thermoplastic tube;
- an inner braided thermoplastic tube disposed within the outer braided thermoplastic tube;
- and,
- a separation ply layer co-consolidated between the outer braided thermoplastic tube and the inner braided thermoplastic tube, the separation ply layer providing reinforcement and impact damage resistance to the inner braided thermoplastic tube in order to avoid a loss in structural loading capability;
- a thermoplastic skin panel co-consolidated to the plurality of braided thermoplastic tubular spar caps to define a torque box outer portion, the thermoplastic skin panel comprising:
- an inner thermoplastic facesheet;
- an outer thermoplastic facesheet;
- and,
- a plurality of the skin panel stabilization elements;
- and,
- one or more braided thermoplastic tubular truss ribs connected to the one or more braided thermoplastic tubular spar caps via one or more connection assemblies.
A method of fabricating a thermoplastic torque box assembly, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of braided thermoplastic tubular spar caps;
- connecting one or more connector elements to one or more of the braided thermoplastic tubular spar caps;
- laying up an inner thermoplastic facesheet in a continuous manner around the one or more braided thermoplastic tubular spar caps to define a torque box structure around the one or more braided thermoplastic tubular spar caps and to define at least a torque box inner surface;
- attaching a plurality of skin panel stabilization elements to the inner thermoplastic facesheet to define four torque box side portions;
- laying up and attaching an outer thermoplastic facesheet in a continuous manner around the plurality of skin panel stabilization elements to define a torque box circumference and to form a thermoplastic torque box assembly;
- and
- heating at an effective temperature and an effective pressure the thermoplastic torque box assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.