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US 6,638,466 B1Granted
Methods of manufacturing separable structures
AssigneeRaytheon Aircraft Company
InventorRic Abbott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods for manufacturing composite material structures having one or more separable or replaceable skin portions. In one embodiment, the methods may include positioning first and second material pieces adjacent each other within a mold cavity and with a separating film disposed therebetween, introducing a first resin into the mold cavity to contact and substantially impregnate the first material piece with the first resin, and allowing the first resin to cure within the mold cavity to form a first part of the composite structure; and in which the separating film is substantially impermeable to the first resin.
Claims26
A method of forming a composite structure, comprising:
- positioning first and second material pieces adjacent each other within a mold cavity and with a separating film disposed between said first and second material pieces, said first material piece comprising an impregnable fiber material piece;
- introducing a first resin into said mold cavity to contact and substantially impregnate said first material piece with said first resin;
- allowing said first resin that substantially impregnates said first material piece to cure within said mold cavity to form a first part of said composite structure;
- and
- wherein said separating film is substantially impermeable to said first resin;
- wherein said second material piece comprises fiber material pre-impregnated with a second resin;
- wherein said separating film is substantially impermeable to said second resin;
- and wherein said method further comprises allowing said second resin to cure within said mold cavity to form a second part of said composite structure;
- wherein said first and second resins substantially do not adhere to said separating film during said curing of said resins so that said separating film is substantially separable from each of said composite structure first and second parts;
- and wherein said method further comprises:
- removing said composite structure first and second parts from said mold cavity, separating said first and second composite structure parts from each other and removing said separating film, and then refitting said first and second composite structure parts together;
- and
- forming an open area within a surface of said composite structure first part after separating said first and second composite structure parts;
- wherein said open area is formed so as to be covered by said second composite structure part when said first and second composite structure parts are refitted together.
11 more elements
A method of forming a composite structure, comprising:
- positioning first and second material pieces adjacent each other within a mold cavity and with a separating film disposed between said first and second material pieces, said first material piece comprising an impregnable fiber material piece;
- introducing a first resin into said mold cavity to contact and substantially impregnate said first material piece with said first resin;
- allowing said first resin that substantially impregnates said first material piece to cure within said mold cavity to form a first part of said composite structure;
- and
- wherein said separating film is substantially impermeable to said first resin;
- wherein said second material piece comprises fiber material;
- wherein said separating film is substantially impermeable to said first resin;
- and wherein said method further comprises introducing a second resin into said mold cavity to contact and substantially impregnate said second material piece with said second resin and allowing said second resin to cure within said mold cavity to form a second part of said composite structure;
- wherein said first and second resins substantially do not adhere to said separating film during said curing of said resins so that said separating film is substantially separable from each of said composite structure first and second parts;
- and wherein said method further comprises:
- removing said composite structure first and second parts from said mold cavity, separating said first and second composite structure parts from each other and removing said separating film from between said first and second composite structure parts, and then refitting said first and second composite structure parts together;
- forming an open area within a surface of said composite structure first part after separating said first and second composite structure parts;
- wherein said open area is formed so as to be covered by said second composite structure part when said first and second composite structure parts are refitted together.
10 more elements
A method of forming a cured composite structure, comprising:
- positioning a first material piece at least partially around an outer surface of at least one mandrel, said first material piece comprising a dry fiber material piece;
- positioning a second material piece adjacent said first material piece with a separating film disposed therebetween to form an uncured composite structure;
- positioning said uncured composite structure and said mandrel within a closed mold cavity;
- introducing a first resin into said closed mold cavity to contact and at least partially impregnate said first material piece with said first resin;
- allowing said first resin that at least partially impregnates said first material piece to cure within said mold cavity to form at least a portion of a cured composite substructure, said cured composite substructure and said second material piece together forming said cured composite structure;
- removing said cured composite structure from said closed mold cavity;
- and
- removing said mandrel from said cured composite substructure to form a hollow cured composite structure;
- wherein said separating film is substantially impermeable to said first resin, and wherein said hollow cured composite substructure is substantially separable from said second material piece after removal from said closed mold cavity.
6 more elements
A method of forming a hollow cured composite aircraft structure using a single cure resin transfer molding process, comprising:
- positioning a first fiber material piece at least partially around an outer surface of at least one mandrel, said first material piece comprising a dry fiber material piece;
- positioning a second fiber material piece adjacent said first fiber material piece with a separating film disposed therebetween to form an uncured composite aircraft structure, wherein said separating film has opposing first and second surfaces, and wherein at least one surface of said first material piece is positioned in contact with said first surface of said separating film and at least one surface of said second material piece is positioned in contact with said second surface of said separating film;
- positioning said uncured composite aircraft structure and said mandrel within a closed mold cavity;
- introducing a first resin into said closed mold cavity to contact and at least partially impregnate said first fiber material piece with said first resin;
- allowing said first resin that at least partially impregnates said first fiber material piece to cure within said mold cavity during a single cure cycle to form at least a portion of a cured composite aircraft substructure;
- allowing a second resin that at least partially impregnates said second fiber material piece to cure within said mold cavity during said single cure cycle to form at least a portion of a cured composite aircraft structure skin, said cured composite aircraft substructure and said cured composite aircraft structure skin together forming a cured composite aircraft structure;
- removing said cured composite aircraft structure from said closed mold cavity;
- and
- removing said mandrel from said cured composite substructure to form said hollow cured composite aircraft structure;
- wherein said separating film is substantially impermeable to said first and second resins so that said separating film substantially prevents said first resin from contacting said at least one surface of said second fiber material piece that is in contact with said second surface of said separating film, and wherein said separating film substantially prevents said second resin from contacting said at least one surface of said first fiber material piece that is in contact with said first surface of said separating film;
- wherein said first resin substantially does not adhere to said separating film during said curing of said first resin, and wherein said second resin substantially does not adhere to said separating film during said curing of said second resin so that said cured composite aircraft substructure is substantially separable from said cured composite structure skin and so that said separating film is substantially separable from each of said cured composite aircraft substructure and said cured composite aircraft structure skin after said first and second resins arc cured and after removal of said cured composite aircraft structure from said closed mold cavity;
- and
- wherein said method further comprises separating said separating film from said cured composite aircraft substructure and said cured composite aircraft structure skin after removal of said composite aircraft structure from said mold cavity, and then refitting together said hollow cured composite aircraft substructure and said cured composite aircraft structure skin.
10 more elements
A method of forming a composite structure, comprising:
- positioning first and second material pieces adjacent each other within a mold cavity and with a separating film disposed between said first and second material pieces, said first material piece comprising an impregnable fiber material piece;
- introducing a first resin into said mold cavity to contact and substantially impregnate said first material piece with said first resin;
- allowing said first resin that substantially impregnates said first material piece to cure within said mold cavity to form a first part of said composite structure;
- and
- wherein said separating film is substantially impermeable to said first resin;
- wherein said second material piece comprises fiber material pre-impregnated with a second resin;
- wherein said separating film is substantially impermeable to said second resin;
- and wherein said method farther comprises allowing said second resin to cure within said mold cavity to form a second part of said composite structure;
- and
- wherein said first and second resins substantially do not adhere to said separating film during said curing of said resins so that said separating film is substantially separable from each of said composite structure first and second parts;
- and wherein said method further comprises removing said composite structure first and second parts from said mold cavity, separating said first and second composite structure parts from each other and removing said separating film, and then refitting said first and second composite structure parts together.
8 more elements
A method of forming a composite structure, comprising;
- positioning first and second material pieces adjacent each other within a mold cavity and with a separating film disposed between said first and second material pieces, said first material piece comprising an impregnable fiber material piece;
- introducing a first resin into said mold cavity to contact and substantially impregnate said first material piece with said first resin;
- allowing said first resin that substantially impregnates said first material piece to cure within said mold cavity to form a first part of said composite structure;
- and
- wherein said separating film is substantially impermeable to said first resin;
- wherein said second material piece comprises fiber material;
- wherein said separating film is substantially impermeable to said first resin;
- and wherein said method further comprises introducing a second resin into said mold cavity to contact and substantially impregnate said second material piece with said second resin and allowing said second resin to cure within said mold cavity to form a second part of said composite structure;
- and
- wherein said first and second resins substantially do not adhere to said separating film during said curing of said resins so that said separating film is substantially separable from each of said composite structure first and second parts;
- and wherein said method further comprises removing said composite structure first and second parts from said mold cavity, separating said first and second composite structure parts from each other and removing said separating film from between said first and second composite structure parts, and then refitting said first and second composite structure parts together.
8 more elements
A method of forming a composite structure, comprising:
- positioning first and second material pieces adjacent each other within a mold cavity and with a separating film disposed between said first and second material pieces, said first material piece comprising an impregnable fiber material piece;
- introducing a first resin into said mold cavity to contact and substantially impregnate said first material piece with said first resin wherein said separating film is substantially impregnable to said first resin;
- allowing said first resin that substantially impregnates said first material piece to cure within said mold cavity to form a first part of said composite structure;
- and
- wherein said first material piece comprises one or more material pieces and wherein at least one surface of said first material piece has an integral open area defined therein between a first area of said first material piece and a second area of said first material piece;
- and wherein said positioning comprises positioning said at least one surface of said first material piece adjacent a first surface of said separating film with a resin transport film disposed therebetween so that said resin transport film is in a position effective to transport said introduced resin from said first area of said first material piece across said open area to said second area of said first material piece;
- wherein said resin transport film comprises a dry fabric material.
4 more elements
A method of forming a composite structure, comprising:
- positioning first and second material pieces adjacent each other within a mold cavity and with a separating film disposed between said first and second material pieces, said first material piece comprising an impregnable fiber material piece;
- introducing a first resin into said mold cavity to contact and substantially impregnate said first material piece with said first resin;
- allowing said first resin that substantially impregnates said first material piece to cure within said mold cavity to form a first part of said composite structure;
- and
- wherein said separating film is substantially impermeable to said first resin;
- wherein said first material piece comprises one or more material pieces and wherein at least one surface of said first material piece has an integral open area defined therein between a first area of said first material piece and a second area of said first material piece;
- wherein said positioning comprises positioning said at least one surface of said first material piece adjacent a first surface of said separating film with a resin transport film disposed therebetween so that said resin transport film spans said integral open area between said first area of said first material piece and said second area of said first material piece to provide a resin transport path between said first area of said first material to said second area of said first material;
- and
- wherein said method further comprises transporting said introduced resin by said resin transport path from said first area of said first material piece across said open area to said second area of said first material piece.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.