Assembly and Method to Repair Thermoplastic Composites
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJohn F. Spalding, Marc R. Matsen, Larry Dean Ridgeway, Landon K. Henson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly to repair a thermoplastic composite. The assembly includes a heating device positioned on opposing sides of the thermoplastic composite. The heating device includes one or more susceptor with a Curie temperature to heat the thermoplastic composite. A pressure device applies a compressive force to the heating device. A pressure distribution device is positioned between the heating device and the thermoplastic composite. The pressure distribution device distributes the compressive force from the pressure device over areas of the opposing sides of thermoplastic composite.
Claims20
An assembly to repair a thermoplastic composite, the assembly comprising:
- a heating device comprising first and second heating elements positioned on opposing sides of the thermoplastic composite, the first heating element comprising a first susceptor in contact with a first conductor and the second heating element comprising a second susceptor in contact with a second conductor, the first and second susceptors each comprising a Curie temperature to heat and reconsolidate the thermoplastic composite;
- a pressure device to apply a compressive force to the heating device;
- and
- a pressure distribution device positioned between the heating device and the thermoplastic composite, the pressure distribution device having a greater width measured along the thermoplastic composite than the heating device to distribute the compressive force from the pressure device over areas of the opposing sides of thermoplastic composite.
An assembly to repair a thermoplastic composite, the assembly comprising:
- a threaded rod;
- a nut threaded to the threaded rod on a first side of the thermoplastic composite and an attachment on the threaded rod on a second side of the thermoplastic composite;
- first and second members positioned on the threaded rod with the first member positioned between the nut and the first side of the thermoplastic composite and the second member positioned between the attachment and the second side of the thermoplastic composite;
- and
- first and second heating elements positioned on the threaded rod with the first heating element positioned between the nut and the first member and the second heating element positioned between the attachment and the second member, the first heating element comprising a first susceptor and a first conductor and the second heating element comprising a second susceptor and a second conductor, the first and second susceptors each comprising a Curie temperature to heat and reconsolidate the thermoplastic composite.
A method of repairing a thermoplastic composite, the method comprising:
- compressing a delaminated section of the thermoplastic composite between a first member at a first side of the thermoplastic composite and a second member at a second side of the thermoplastic composite;
- inductively heating a first heating element that is positioned against the first member and a second heating element that is positioned against the second member, each of the first and second heating elements comprising a susceptor and a conductor in a stacked configuration and with each of the susceptors comprising a Currie temperature;
- transferring heat from the first heating element to the first member and from the second heating element to the second member;
- and
- heating the thermoplastic composite through the first and second members and reconsolidating the delaminated section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.