US 7,681,835 B2 · Single piece co-cure composite wing

Abstract

A single piece co-cured composite wing is disclosed. The wing has a flying surface and structural members. In one embodiment the structural members may be a plurality of spars. The spars may have various shapes to increase the buckling strength. The spars may be wave shaped, such as a sinusoidal shape. The flying surface and the structural members are co-cured in order to form a single piece, integral wing structure. A process for manufacturing a single piece co-cured wing is also disclosed. The process may include laying out composite sheets for the flying surface of the wing. Then, the composite material of the spars is arranged around a plurality of pressurizable forms. Finally, the composite material is cured in a clamshell frame. A single piece co-cured composite structure is also disclosed that includes an outer skin, and inner skin, a frame, and a stringer.

Claims35

Dependent claims

A single piece co-cured composite structure comprising:

a composite skin, the skin comprising an inner skin and an outer skin;
a composite frame having a length, the frame comprising a core of fibers, wherein the frame extends inward from the outer skin;
and
a composite stringer having a length, the stringer comprising a core of fibers, wherein the stringer extends inward from the outer skin, wherein the fibers of the core of the frame is interwoven with the fibers of the core of the stringer, wherein the skin, the frame, and the stringer form a single piece co-cured composite structure.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/234,807Filed 23 Sep 2005 · continuation in part

Priority

18 Nov 1999

Published

US 2006/0249626 A19 Nov 2006

Granted

23 Mar 2010

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B64C 3/20
Wings: integral or sandwich constructions
B29C 70/42
Shaping or impregnating by compression not applied: for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
B29D 99/0014
Producing wall or panel-like structures, e.g. for hulls, fuselages, or buildings: provided with ridges or ribs, e.g. joined ribs
Y10T 428/24107
On each side of strands or strand-portions: including mechanically interengaged strands, strand-portions or strand-like strips

Family

Application09/443,227Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 18 Nov 1999

Application10/175,722Parent of this division · filed 20 Jun 2002

Application10/726,970Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 3 Dec 2003

US 2006/0249626 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Nov 2006

US 7,445,744 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,889,937 B2Parent of this division

Application10/726,970Parent of this division

US 6,482,497 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part

Application10/175,722Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2003/0192990 A1Published application

US 2004/0079838 A1Published application

US 7,681,835 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Single piece co-cure composite wing

Life of this patent

Single piece co-cure composite wing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims35