# US 2019/0315091 A1 · Composite paneling having multiple facesheets and a core

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- Number: US 2019/0315091 A1
- Document ID: US20190315091A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/953,144
- Filed: 2018-04-13
- Published: 2019-10-17
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-13
- Assignees: The Boeing Company
- Applicants: The Boeing Company
- Inventors: Keith Daniel Humfeld; Scott Hartshorn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190315091A1

## CPC

- B29C 70/086: {and with one or more layers of pure plastics material, e.g. foam layers (applying a non-preformed coating, e.g. a gel-coat, B29C37/0025; with foam blocks B29C70/86)}
- B32B 7/05: the layers not being connected over the whole surface, e.g. discontinuous connection or patterned connection (using interposed adhesives or bonding materials applied in spaced arrangements B32B7/14)
- B22D 19/00: Casting in, on, or around objects which form part of the product (B22D23/04 takes precedence; alumino-thermic welding B23K23/00; coating by casting molten material on the substrate C23C6/00)
- B29D 99/0021: {provided with plain or filled structures, e.g. cores, placed between two or more plates or sheets, e.g. in a matrix}
- B32B 5/26: another layer {next to it} also being fibrous or filamentary {(relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12)}
- B32B 15/01: all layers being exclusively metallic {(making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00)}
- B64C 1/00: Fuselages; Constructional features common to fuselages, wings, stabilising surfaces or the like
- B32B 2250/02: 2 layers
- B32B 2250/24: All layers being polymeric
- B32B 2260/046: Synthetic resin
- B32B 2262/106: Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres
- B32B 2605/18: Aircraft
- B64C 2001/0072: {from composite materials}
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B22D: CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES (shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; metallurgical processing, selection of substances to be added to metal C21, C22)
- B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00)
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS

## Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method of forming a composite part. The method includes laying up opposing composite facesheets, placing a viscous material between the facesheets, increasing a distance between the facesheets, and solidifying the facesheets and the viscous material into an integral composite part.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming a composite part comprising:
laying up opposing composite facesheets;
placing a viscous material between the facesheets;
increasing a distance between the facesheets; and
solidifying the facesheets and the viscous material into an integral composite part.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
forming the facesheets and the viscous material into a shape.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
increasing the distance between the facesheets comprises applying suction to remove air.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
increasing the distance between the facesheets comprises supplying air between the facesheets.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
reducing the fraction of a volume between the facesheets that is filled by the viscous material while increasing the distance between the facesheets.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein:
reducing the fraction of a volume between the facesheets that is filled by the viscous material while increasing the distance between the facesheets forms tendrils of the viscous material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
increasing an amount of empty volume between the facesheets when increasing the distance between the facesheets, by forcing air between the facesheets.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
applying a closed cell foam between the facesheets after the facesheets and the viscous material have been solidified into an integral composite part.

### Claim 9

A method comprising:
placing a viscous material in contact with a first surface of a first facesheet;
placing the viscous material in contact with a second surface of a second facesheet that faces the first surface such that the viscous material is sandwiched between the first facesheet and the second facesheet;
drawing the second surface from the first surface in a direction away from the first surface; and
solidifying the viscous material while tendrils of the viscous material remain in contact with both the first surface and the second surface.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein:
the viscous material comprises a thermoset resin; and
solidifying the viscous material comprises heating the thermoset resin to a curing temperature.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein:
the viscous material comprises a thermoplastic resin; and
solidifying the viscous material comprises cooling the thermoplastic resin to a solid state.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein:
the first facesheet and the second facesheet each comprise a laminate of uncured Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP); and
the method further comprises securing the first facesheet to a first part via vacuum, and securing the second facesheet to a second part via vacuum.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein:
drawing the second surface away from the first surface causes the viscous material to occupy at least ten percent of a volume between the facesheets.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein:
drawing the second surface from the first surface comprises displacing the second surface no more than two inches from the first surface.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein:
the viscous material comprises a molten metal; and
solidifying the viscous material comprises cooling the molten metal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 further comprising:
applying a material to a volume between the first facesheet and the second facesheet after the viscous material has solidified.

### Claim at position 17

-24. (canceled)

### Claim 25

A manufacture comprising:
a first facesheet of fiber-reinforced polymer forming a first surface of the manufacture;
a second facesheet of fiber-reinforced polymer forming a second surface of the manufacture; and
tendrils of material disposed between the first facesheet and the second facesheet that contact the first surface and the second surface such that the tendrils are sandwiched between the first facesheet and the second facesheet.

### Claim 26

(canceled)

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The manufacture of claim 25 wherein:
the first facesheet comprises Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP); and
the second facesheet comprises CFRP.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

The manufacture of claim 25 further comprising:
another material disposed between the first facesheet and the second facesheet.

### Claim 29

(canceled)

### Claim 30 (depends on 25)

An aircraft comprising the manufacture of claim 25.

### Claim 31 (depends on 25)

The manufacture of claim 25 wherein:
the first surface is contoured.

### Claim 32 (depends on 25)

The manufacture of claim 25 wherein:
the first surface is convex, and the second surface is concave.

### Claim 33 (depends on 25)

The manufacture of claim 25 wherein:
the first facesheet, the second facesheet, and the material comprise metal.

### Claim 34

(canceled)

### Claim 35

A method comprising:
laying up opposing composite facesheets;
adding a core material between the facesheets;
making the core material viscous; and
drawing the facesheets apart to form the core material into tendrils between the facesheets.

### Claim 36

(canceled)