Flange design for filament wound composite shaft
AssigneeKop-Flex, Inc.
InventorsMichael Wayne Brace, Elias Tzioumis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A composite shaft assembly may include a shaft body and a flange. The shaft body may include a filament and the flange may include an external surface having a plurality of lugs extending therefrom. A first and second of the plurality of lugs may have an axial spacing therebetween. The filament may be wound between the first and second lugs.
Claims20
A composite shaft assembly comprising:
- a shaft body including a composite filament;
- and
- a flange including an external surface having a plurality of lugs extending therefrom, each of said lugs being in the form of a pyramid including four sidewalls, a first and second of said plurality of lugs having an axial spacing therebetween and forming a first filament-receiving channel extending at an angle non-parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body, said first and second lugs each including a sidewall extending at said angle and defining said channel, said composite filament extending within and along said first filament-receiving channel.
A composite shaft assembly comprising:
- a shaft body including a composite filament;
- and
- a flange including an external surface having a plurality of lugs extending therefrom, each of said lugs being in the form of a pyramid including four sidewalls, a first and second of said plurality of lugs having an axial spacing therebetween and forming a first filament-receiving channel extending at an angle non-parallel to a longitudinal axis of said composite shaft assembly, said first and second lugs each including a sidewall extending at said angle and defining said channel, said filament extending between said first and second lugs at said angle.
A method of coupling a composite shaft including a composite filament to a flange having a plurality of lugs each in the form of a pyramid including four sidewalls, forming an angularly disposed channel, said method comprising:
- wrapping the uncured composite filament around the flange through the angularly disposed channel between sidewalls of the lugs defining the angularly disposed channel, said wrapping including the filament extending at an angle corresponding to the angularly disposed channel;
- wrapping uncured composite filament over the uncured composite filament disposed in the channel;
- and
- curing the composite filament after said wrapping.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.