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US 2026/0016045 A1Published application
Drive shafts made of composite materials and methods of making such shafts
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsMark R. Gurvich, Brayton Reed, Joyel M. Schaefer, Michael King, Kevin Thomas Gryk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive shaft has a tubular member extending between axial ends and being hollow. The tubular member is formed of a thermoplastic matrix with embedded fibers. At least one ring member is positioned radially of the tubular member. A method is also disclosed.
Claims20
A drive shaft comprising:
- a tubular member extending between axial ends and being hollow, said tubular member formed of a thermoplastic matrix with embedded fibers;
- at least one ring member positioned radially of said tubular member;
- and
- wherein the at least one ring member is attached by providing an initial material from a feed mechanism on the tubular member, with a consolidation roller rolling the material onto the tubular member, and a heater heating the material to cause it to deform and adhere to the tubular member, and then cutting the material to form the ring member, such that the bending stiffness of the ring member in a hoop direction is at least twice as high as a bending stiffness of the tubular member for a wall segment with the same width of the ring member.
1 more element
A drive system comprising:
- a drive input, and a drive shaft connected to drive a drive output;
- and
- the drive shaft having a tubular member extending between axial ends and being hollow, said tubular member formed of a thermoplastic matrix with embedded fibers, at least one ring member positioned radially of said tubular member;
- and
- wherein the at least one ring member is attached by providing an initial material from a feed mechanism on the tubular member, with a consolidation roller rolling the material onto the tubular member, and a heater heating the material to cause it to deform and adhere to the tubular member, and then cutting the material to form the ring member, such that the bending stiffness of the ring member in a hoop direction is at least twice as high as a bending stiffness of the tubular member for a wall segment with the same width of the ring member.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.