Reinforced Fan Inter-Blade Platforms

An inter-blade platform comprising:

• a body section including a fiber composite having:
• a forward end and an aft end;
• an outer diameter wall;
• a suction side wall;
• and
• a pressure side wall,
• wherein the outer diameter wall comprises:
• means sandwiched between layers of the outer diameter wall for resisting outward bowing under centrifugal load, the means comprising a core fully encapsulated by the fiber composite;
• and
• wherein:
• the means comprising a core fully encapsulated by the fiber composite such that at fore, aft, pressure side, and suction side edge sections of the core one or more outer fiber layers of said layers and one or more inner fiber layers of said transition a laminate structure from a sandwich structure including the core to a laminate without the core.

An inter-blade platform for a gas turbine engine fan, the platform comprising:

• a body section including a fiber composite having:
• a forward end and an aft end;
• an outer diameter wall;
• a suction side wall;
• and
• a pressure side wall,
• wherein the body section further comprises:
• a core within the outer diameter wall between one or more outer fiber layers of the outer diameter wall and one or more inner fiber layers of the outer diameter wall, wherein the pressure side wall and the suction side wall do not have a core;
• and
• wherein the fiber composite surrounds a hollow interior containing brackets mounted to an interior surface along the pressure side wall and suction side wall and straddling respective apertures in a junction between the pressure side wall and suction side wall.