Method and apparatus for manufacturing articles employing folded honeycomb panels
AssigneeHexacomb Corporation
InventorsDale W. Komarek, Paul Moser
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Abstract
A method is disclosed of folding a honeycomb panel, the panel preferably comprising a honeycomb core having opposing face sheets. A slit is preferably cut through one face sheet and the underlying honeycomb core and a wedge is driven into the honeycomb panel at the location of the slit. The wedge crushes the honeycomb core to a preselected depth with a preselected angle whereby the crushed honeycomb core forms a hinge. The honeycomb panel can then folded along the hinge in a direction opposite the intact face sheet. Adhesives can be used to hold the hinge in the folded position.
Claims16
A method of folding a honeycomb panel along a predetermined line, the method comprising:
- a) partially cutting a slit into the honeycomb panel along the predetermined line;
- b) providing a wedge having an angle and a vertex;
- c) driving the wedge having the vertex into the honeycomb panel along the predetermined line to crush a portion of the honeycomb panel, the crushed portion of the honeycomb panel forming an angle that is less than the wedge angle and forming a hinge;
- d) folding the honeycomb panel along the hinge to a folded position;
- and
- e) providing adhesive means to hold the hinge in a folded position.
A method of manufacturing a foldable honeycomb panel, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) cutting a slit into a honeycomb panel,
- b) driving a wedge having a vertex into the slit to crush a portion of the honeycomb panel, the crushed portion forming a hinge whereby the honeycomb panel can be folded, wherein an angle of the wedge is greater than 90 degrees and less than 120 degrees;
- and
- c) providing an adhesive material on the honeycomb panel to hold the honeycomb panel in a folded position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.