Composite stiffener positioning and vacuum bag installation device
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJoseph D. Brennan, Donald Chester Darrow, Kenneth M. Dull, William S. Hollensteiner, Jennifer Sue Noel, Brian G. Robins, Darrell D. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for manufacturing composite parts. An expandable tool with a transfer system may be moved on a surface of the expandable tool into an outer mold line tool with a composite material laid up on the outer mold line tool. The expandable tool may be expanded in the outer mold line tool to change the surface from a retracted state to an expanded state. The transfer system may be transferred from the expandable tool with the surface in the expanded state to the outer mold line tool.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a support structure;
- a plurality of segments moveably connected to the support structure, wherein the plurality of segments form a surface system with a surface;
- and
- an actuator system configured to move the plurality of segments to change a state of the surface between a retracted state and an expanded state.
A positioning apparatus for manufacturing one piece composite fuselage sections, the positioning apparatus comprising:
- a reel having a channel;
- a shaft, configured to be placed into the channel and supporting the reel;
- a plurality of slide members connected to the reel;
- a plurality of segments moveably connected to the plurality of slide members, wherein the plurality of segments form a surface system with a surface, wherein each segment in the plurality of segments is slidably attached to a corresponding slide member in the plurality of slide members;
- wherein the plurality of segments is configured to be moved inside an outer mold line tool having a composite material laid up on the outer mold line tool when the surface system has a retracted state;
- and wherein a transfer system is configured to be installed onto the composite material when the surface system has the expanded state, wherein the transfer system comprises a vacuum bag system having a vacuum bag, a breather, a release film, and a number of stringers;
- a number of vacuum ports in a portion of the plurality of segments;
- and
- an actuator system configured to move the plurality of segments to change a state of the surface between a retracted state and an expanded state, wherein the actuator system is selected from one of a pneumatic actuator system, a hydraulic actuator system, and an electro-mechanical actuator system, and wherein the actuator system comprises a plurality of linear actuators, wherein each segment in the plurality of segments is connected to an associated linear actuator in the plurality of linear actuators.
An apparatus for manufacturing composite parts, comprising:
- an expandable tool comprising a surface;
- a vacuum bag system on the surface of the expandable tool;
- an outer mold line tool;
- a composite material laid up on the outer mold line tool;
- and
- a heat source;
- wherein the expandable tool with the vacuum bag system on the surface of the expandable tool is configured to be moved into the outer mold line tool with the composite material laid up on the outer mold line tool, to be expanded in the outer mold line tool to change the surface from a retracted state to an expanded state to transfer the vacuum bag system from the expandable tool with the surface in the expanded state to the composite material laid up on the outer mold line tool, to be retracted in the outer mold line tool to change the surface from the expanded state to the retracted state after transferring the vacuum bag system to the composite material, and to be removed from the outer mold line tool after the vacuum bag system is transferred to the composite material;
- and
- wherein the heat source is configured to cure the composite material on the outer mold line tool after the expandable tool is removed from the outer mold line tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.