Structural joint and a method for joining in reinforced thermoplastic fabrication
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorBilly M. Glass
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aerodynamic structure comprising a skin having inner and outer opposed surfaces and a plurality of spaced, rectangular holes therethrough, each hole having a truncated triangular shape in one transverse cross-section, the truncated apex thereof being at the inner surface, and a support structure including a fiber-reinforced, thermoplastic spar in abutting relation to the inner surface, the spar including a plurality of spaced, integrally-formed, fiber-reinforced, thermoplastic tabs, each tab extending from the spar into a respective one of the holes and being shaped to fill the respective hole.
Claims16
An aerodynamic structure comprising:
- a skin having inner and outer opposed surfaces and a plurality of spaced, rectangular holes therethrough, each said hole having a truncated triangular shape in one transverse cross section, the truncated apex thereof being at said inner surface;
- and
- a support structure including a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic spar in abutting relation to said inner surface, said spar including a plurality of spaced, one-piece, integrally-formed, fiber-reinforced, thermoplastic tabs, each said tab extending from said spar into a respective one of said holes and being shaped to fill said respective hole and to define a surface generally co-planar with said outer surface.
A structural joint for connecting a first structural component having generally parallel inner and outer surfaces to a fiber-reinforced, thermoplastic second structural component disposed in abutting relation to the inner surface of said first component, the joint comprising:
- an aperture through said first component, said aperture having an axis generally perpendicular to said inner and outer surfaces and being defined by four generally planar walls extending between coaxial, rectangular openings in said inner and outer surfaces, the width of the rectangular opening in said outer surface being greater than the width of the rectangular opening in said inner surface;
- and
- a fiber-reinforced, thermoplastic tab integrally-formed with and extending from said second component axially into said aperture, said tab being shaped to fill said aperture to form a surface generally coplanar with said outer surface.
An aerodynamic structure comprising:
- a skin having inner and outer opposed surfaces and a plurality of spaced apertures therethrough, each said aperture being defined by two pair of opposed, generally planar walls extending between rectangular openings in said inner and outer surfaces, one said pair of opposed walls tapering together from said outer surface to said inner surface;
- a support structure including a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic spar in abutting relation to said inner surface, said spar including a plurality of spaced, integrally-formed, fiber-reinforced, thermoplastic tabs, each said tab extending from said spar into a respective one of said apertures and being shaped to fill said respective aperture, the distal end of each said tab defining a surface generally coplanar with said outer surface.
A structural joint for connecting a first structural component having generally parallel inner and outer surfaces to a fiber-reinforced, thermoplastic second structural component, said joint being formed by the process comprising the steps of:
- forming an aperture in said first structural component, said aperture having an axis generally perpendicular to said inner and outer surfaces and being defined by two pairs of opposed, generally planar walls extending between coaxial rectangular openings in said inner and outer surfaces, one said pair of opposed walls tapering together from said outer surface to said inner surface;
- integrally forming with said second structural component an elongated, fiber-reinforced, thermoplastic tab extending from a surface of said second structural component to a distal end, said tab having a cross-sectional size and shape generally corresponding to the rectangular opening in said inner surface and a predetermined length greater than the distance between said inner and outer surfaces;
- axially inserting said tab into said aperture and abutting the surface of said second structural component to said inner surface;
- and
- applying heat and pressure to the distal end of said tab in sufficient amount to melt and to reform said tab to the internal shape of said aperture and to form a distal surface generally coplanar with said outer surface.
A method of manufacturing an aerodynamic structure comprising the steps of:
- forming an internal support structure including a plurality of generally parallel, fiber-reinforced, thermoplastic spars, each said spar including a plurality of spaced, integrally-formed, fiber-reinforced, thermoplastic tabs extending from a surface thereof to respective distal ends, each said tab having a predetermined axial length and a generally rectangular cross section of predetermined dimensions;
- forming a skin having inner and outer surfaces and a pattern of apertures therethrough disposed to axially align with the tabs extending from said spars, each said aperture having an axis generally perpendicular to said inner and outer surfaces and being defined by two pairs of opposed, generally planar walls extending between coaxial rectangular openings in said inner and outer surfaces, one said pair of opposed walls tapering together from said outer surface to said inner surface, each rectangular opening in said inner surface being sized to closely receive a corresponding tab;
- placing said skin on said structure with said inner surface abutting said spars and said tabs axially projecting through said apertures;
- and
- applying heat and pressure to the distal ends of said tabs in sufficient amount to melt and to reform each said tab to the internal shape of its respective aperture and to form a distal surface generally coplanar with said outer surface.
A structural joint for connecting a first component having opposed inner and outer surfaces and a second component and for providing a visual indication of incipient failure, the joint comprising:
- the first component having an aperture extending between coaxial, rectangular openings in the inner and outer surfaces, the aperture having a truncated triangular cross section in one transverse direction defined by opposed walls, the apex of the cross section being at the inner surface;
- and
- a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic tab joined to and axially extending from the second component through the aperture to a distal end generally co-planar with the outer surface, the tab being shaped to fill the aperture and including reinforcing fibers arranged into two diverging paths each being generally parallel to a respective one of the opposed walls, the diverging fiber paths defining a generally fiber-free thermoplastic central portion subject to visually-apparent dimpling in the distal end in response to a force in excess of a design limit tending to separate the components.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.