Light weight housing for internal component and method of making
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorGary D. Roberge
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of making a light weight component is provided. The method including the steps of: forming a metallic foam core into a desired configuration; inserting a pre-machined component into an opening in the metallic foam core; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core after it has been formed into the desired configuration and after the pre-machined component has been inserted into the metallic foam core; introducing an acid into an internal cavity defined by the external metallic shell; dissolving the metallic foam core; and removing the dissolved metallic foam core from the internal cavity, wherein the component and the external metallic shell are resistant to the acid.
Claims20
A method of making a light weight component, comprising:
- forming a metallic foam core into a desired configuration;
- inserting a pre-machined component into an opening in the metallic foam core;
- applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core after it has been formed into the desired configuration and after the pre-machined component has been inserted into the metallic foam core;
- introducing an acid into an internal cavity defined by the external metallic shell;
- dissolving the metallic foam core;
- and
- removing the dissolved metallic foam core from the internal cavity, wherein the component and the external metallic shell are resistant to the acid.
A method of making a light weight component, comprising:
- forming a plurality of metallic foam core segments;
- applying a metallic shell to a discrete surface of at least one of the plurality of metallic foam core segments;
- assembling the plurality of metallic foam core segments into a desired configuration;
- applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core segments after they have been placed into the desired configuration;
- introducing an acid into an internal cavity defined by the external metallic shell;
- dissolving the metallic foam core;
- and
- removing the dissolved metallic foam core from the internal cavity, wherein the metallic shell and the external metallic shell are resistant to the acid.
A component, comprising:
- an external metallic shell defining an internal cavity;
- a pre-machined component located in the internal cavity, wherein the internal cavity is formed by applying the external metallic shell to an exterior surface of a metallic foam core and dissolving the metallic foam core after the external metallic shell has been applied to the exterior surface of the metallic foam core.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.