Three-dimensional woven corner fitting with lap joint preforms
AssigneeAlbany Engineered Composites, Inc.
InventorsMichael McClain, Jonathan Goering
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A three-dimensional corner lap joint preform and a method of forming a three-dimensional corner lap joint preform including a woven flange with one or more legs that extend from the flange. The legs may include one or more independently woven portions which allow formation of a corner without darting the leg or adding additional reinforcement. The independently woven portions may include warp fibers which are not woven into the preform. The unwoven area allows removal of a portion of the leg prior to formation of the corner, allowing the portions of the leg to overlap and form a lap joint.
Claims14
A three-dimensional (3D) woven preform comprising:
- a planar flange comprising interwoven warp and weft fibers or yarns and having a first major surface, the planar flange having a cut location separating the planar flange into a first portion and a second portion;
- a first leg comprising the warp and weft fibers or yarns, the first leg extending from the first major surface of the flange, at least a portion of the leg comprising a plurality of independently woven layers arranged perpendicular to said major surface, a segment of each of the plurality of woven layers, which include at least one woven layer having warp fibers woven with weft fibers, being removed in either the first portion or the second portion adjoining the cut location;
- and
- a cut through the leg, a plane of the cut perpendicular to the flange and perpendicular to the leg along the cut location,
- wherein the first portion is at an angle to the second portion and the removed segments of each woven layer at least partially overlap.
The preform of claim 5 wherein the layers of the first segment interdigitate with the layers of the second segment.
A method of forming a preform comprising the steps of:
- weaving warp yarns or fibers with weft yarns or fibers to form a flange having a major surface and one or more legs extending from the flange, wherein at least a portion of the leg comprises a plurality of independently woven layers arranged perpendicular to said major surface, at least a part of one of the plurality of layers comprises warp fibers or yarns carried as floats;
- cutting through the leg, with a plane of the cut perpendicular to the flange and perpendicular to the leg, the cut bisecting the portion into a first segment of independently woven layers and a second segment of independently woven layers, such that at least one independently woven layer of each segment comprises the warp fibers as floats;
- removing at least one layer comprising floats from each segment;
- and
- folding the preform along the projection of the plane of the cut on the first major surface such that the layers in the first and second segments at least partially overlap in a region.
A method of forming three-dimensional (3D) woven preform comprising:
- forming a planar flange comprising interwoven warp and weft fibers or yarns and having a first major surface, the planar flange having a cut location separating the planar flange into a first portion and a second portion;
- forming a first leg comprising the warp and weft fibers or yarns, the first leg extending from the first major surface of the flange, at least a portion of the leg comprising a plurality of independently woven layers arranged perpendicular to said major surface a segment from each of the plurality of woven layers being removed in either the first portion or the second portion adjoining the cut location;
- and
- cutting through the leg, a plane of the cut perpendicular to the flange and perpendicular to the leg along the cut location,
- angling the first portion with respect to the second portion at the cut location so that the removed segments of each woven layer at least partially overlap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.