US 8,567,467 B2Granted

Process and apparatus for producing composite structures

AssigneeMRA Systems, Inc.

InventorsMahendra Maheshwari, James Joseph Velten

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A process and apparatus for producing perforated composite structures, such as acoustic skins suitable for aircraft engine nacelle and duct components. The process includes placing a mat member, a non-impregnated fabric member, and a resin film on a tool surface so that pins disposed on the mat member project through the fabric member and resin film to define holes therein. The fabric member is between the mat member and resin film, and the fabric member and resin film define a stack that conforms to the mat member and tool surface. A caul member is then placed on the stack so that apertures in the caul member are penetrated by the pins. The stack is heated to melt the resin film and cause molten resin to infuse the fabric member and yield a resin-infused fabric stack, after which the molten resin within the resin-infused fabric stack is at least partially cured.

Claims6

Dependent claims

An apparatus for producing a composite structure comprising a resin-infused fabric stack by infusing at least one non-impregnated fabric member with a molten resin, the apparatus comprising:

a tool having a tool surface, at least one mat member that conforms to the tool surface, and a caul member, the mat member comprising pins projecting from a surface thereof that is adapted to receive the non-impregnated fabric member and a source of the molten resin, the caul member comprising apertures therein that are complementary in size and location to the pins of the mat member to enable the pins to penetrate the apertures when the caul member is placed on the non-impregnated fabric member and the source of the molten resin when received on the mat member, the apertures of the caul member enabling the molten resin to flow around the pins of the mat member as the non-impregnated fabric member is infused with the molten resin to yield the resin-infused fabric stack and yield holes in the resin-infused fabric stack that have resin-rich walls molded in-situ around the pins of the mat member;
and
means for causing the source of the molten resin to melt by heating the tool surface, the mat member, and the caul member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/210,483Filed 16 Aug 2011 · division
Priority: 30 Dec 2008
Published: US 2011/0297325 A18 Dec 2011
Granted: 29 Oct 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification24 codes

B29C 70/545
Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations , e.g. feeding or storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing:…
B29C 43/10
Of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: isostatic pressing, i.e. using non-rigid pressure-exerting members against rigid parts or dies
B29C 70/549
Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations , e.g. feeding or storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing:…
B29C 43/027
Of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: having an axis of symmetry

Family

Application12/345,701Parent of this division · filed 30 Dec 2008
US 2011/0297325 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Dec 2011
US 8,128,775 B2Parent of this division
US 2010/0163167 A1Published application
US 8,567,467 B2This patent

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