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US 9,358,764 B2Granted
System and method of joining components
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsCharles R. Prebil, James R. Fox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming a structural assembly may include providing a first component and a second component to be joined together. The method may additionally include scanning a contour of a first mating surface of the first component and scanning a contour of a second mating surface of the second component. The method may further include producing a thermoplastic element having opposing first and second element surfaces substantially matching a contour of the first mating surface and the second mating surface.
Claims20
A method of joining components, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first component having a first mating surface, the first mating surface having a first contour;
- providing a second component having a second mating surface to be joined to the first mating surface, the second mating surface having a second contour;
- and
- scanning at least one of the first mating surface and the second mating surface to respectively determine the first contour and the second contour;
- additively manufacturing, based on the scanning, a unitary solid thermoplastic element directly onto at least one of the first component and the second component prior to assembly with a remaining one of the first component and the second component, the thermoplastic element having at least one of a first element surface and a second element surface respectively substantially matching the first contour and the second contour.
2 more elements
A method of joining components, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first component having a first thermoplastic film applied to a first mating surface;
- providing a second component having a second thermoplastic film applied to a second mating surface;
- scanning the first thermoplastic film and the second thermoplastic film to determine a contour thereof;
- additively manufacturing, based on the scanning, a unitary solid thermoplastic element directly onto at least one of the first thermoplastic film and the second thermoplastic film prior to assembly with a remaining one of the first component and the second component, the thermoplastic sheet being formed from material that is substantially similar to the first thermoplastic film and/or the second thermoplastic film, the thermoplastic sheet having at least one of a first sheet surface and a second sheet surface respectively matching the contour of the first mating surface and the second mating surface;
- assembling the first component and the second component with the thermoplastic sheet sandwiched therebetween;
- applying heat and compactive pressure to the thermoplastic sheet, the first thermoplastic film, and/or the second thermoplastic film;
- and
- fusing together the thermoplastic sheet, the first thermoplastic film, and the second thermoplastic film to join the first component to the second component to form a structural assembly.
5 more elements
A method of joining components, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first component having a first thermoplastic film applied to a first mating surface, the first mating surface including a first radius surface;
- providing a second component having a second thermoplastic film applied to a second mating surface;
- scanning the first thermoplastic film and the second thermoplastic film to determine a contour thereof;
- additively manufacturing, based on the scanning, a unitary solid thermoplastic radius filler directly onto the second mating surface prior to assembly with the first component, the radius filler having a radius filler side surface substantially matching a contour of the first radius surface;
- assembling the first component and the second component with the thermoplastic radius filler sandwiched therebetween;
- applying heat and compactive pressure to the thermoplastic radius filler, the first thermoplastic film, and/or the second thermoplastic film;
- and
- fusing together the first thermoplastic film, the second thermoplastic film, and/or the thermoplastic radius filler to join the first component to the second component to form a structural assembly.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.