Head and system for continuously manufacturing composite hollow structure
AssigneeCc3D LLC
InventorKenneth Lyle Tyler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A head is disclosed for use with a manufacturing system. The head may have a housing configured to discharge a tubular structure reinforced with at least one continuous fiber and having a three-dimensional trajectory, and a cure enhancer operatively connected to the housing and configured to cure a liquid matrix in the tubular structure during discharge. The head may also have a nozzle configured to discharge a fill material into the tubular structure, and a wand extending from the housing to the nozzle.
Claims20
A method of continuously manufacturing a composite structure, comprising:
- continuously coating fibers with a matrix;
- diverting the fibers radially outward away from a non-fiber axis to form a tubular structure;
- creating a three-dimensional trajectory within the tubular structure;
- curing the tubular structure from inside of the tubular structure;
- and
- discharging a fill material into the tubular structure.
A method of continuously manufacturing a composite structure, comprising:
- discharging a tubular structure;
- creating a three-dimensional trajectory within an axis of the tubular structure;
- exposing the tubular structure to cure energy;
- and
- discharging a fill material into the tubular structure during discharging of the tubular structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.