US 7,479,201 B1 · Method for fabricating rib-stiffened composite structures

Abstract

A method for fabricating a grid-stiffened structure from fiber-reinforced composite materials. Ribs are formed on a smooth hard base tool. Expansion blocks are placed in the shallow cavities formed by the ribs and the base tool, and held in place by a synthetic elastomer-based adhesive while a skin is placed over the ribs, expansion blocks, and base tool. The assembly is then placed in a vacuum bag and autoclave cured. After cooling, the expansion blocks are removed and the formed structure is removed from the hard base tool. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract, and is intended to allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A method for making a grid-stiffened structure comprising:

forming ribs by situating an uncured material on a hard base tool so that cavities are formed by the ribs and the hard base tool;
placing at least one expansion block in each of a plurality of the cavities, and in contact with the hard base tool;
applying a skin over the ribs and the expansion blocks while applying a holding force tending to hold the expansion blocks in contact with the hard base tool;
and
suspending the holding force while subsequently curing an assembly including the ribs, the expansion blocks and the skin by heating the assembly, so that the expansion blocks expand and laterally compress the ribs, whereby
a grid-stiffened structure is formed with the skin being attached to the cured ribs.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for fabricating rib-stiffened composite structures

Life of this patent

Method for fabricating rib-stiffened composite structures

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8