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US 9,956,718 B2Granted
Method of forming a tube from a thermoplastic sandwich sheet
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsAaron W. Bartel, John B. Moser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming a structural tube may include urging a substantially flat thermoplastic sandwich sheet against a mandrel and heating the thermoplastic sandwich sheet to a temperature below a glass transition temperature. The method may further include allowing the thermoplastic sandwich sheet to cool and removing the mandrel, thereby forming a tube portion.
Claims19
A method of forming a tube, comprising the steps of:
- mounting a substantially flat thermoplastic sandwich sheet on a mandrel surface of a mandrel such that tooling pins extending outwardly from the mandrel surface are received in corresponding bores formed in the thermoplastic sandwich sheet, the thermoplastic sandwich sheet comprising a spaced pair of individual face sheets separated by a core interconnecting the face sheets;
- urging the thermoplastic sandwich sheet against the mandrel surface;
- maintaining, using the tooling pins received within the bores, the thermoplastic sandwich sheet in longitudinal alignment with the mandrel while urging the thermoplastic sandwich sheet against the mandrel surface;
- creep forming the thermoplastic sandwich sheet including heating the thermoplastic sandwich sheet while maintaining a temperature of the face sheets below a glass transition temperature;
- allowing the thermoplastic sandwich sheet to cool;
- and
- removing the mandrel, thereby forming a tube portion having opposing tube side edges.
4 more elements
A method of forming a tube, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a substantially flat thermoplastic sandwich sheet on a mandrel surface of a mandrel such that tooling pins extending outwardly from the mandrel surface are received in corresponding bores formed in the thermoplastic sandwich sheet, the thermoplastic sandwich sheet comprising a spaced pair of individual face sheets separated by a core interconnecting the face sheets;
- mounting a forming sheet over the thermoplastic sandwich sheet;
- creep forming the thermoplastic sandwich sheet including heating the thermoplastic sandwich sheet while maintaining a temperature of the face sheets below a glass transition temperature;
- applying, using the forming sheet, a forming pressure to the thermoplastic sandwich sheet;
- urging the thermoplastic sandwich sheet against the mandrel surface in response to applying the forming pressure;
- maintaining, using the tooling pins received within the bores, the thermoplastic sandwich sheet in longitudinal alignment with the mandrel while urging the thermoplastic sandwich sheet against the mandrel surface;
- allowing the thermoplastic sandwich sheet to cool to ambient temperature;
- and
- removing the mandrel, thereby forming a tube portion having opposing tube side edges.
6 more elements
A method of forming a duct, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a substantially flat thermoplastic sandwich sheet on a mandrel surface of a mandrel such that tooling pins extending outwardly from the mandrel surface are received in corresponding bores formed in the thermoplastic sandwich sheet, the thermoplastic sandwich sheet comprising a spaced pair of individual face sheets separated by a core interconnecting the face sheets;
- creep forming the thermoplastic sandwich sheet including heating the thermoplastic sandwich sheet while maintaining a temperature of the face sheets below a glass transition temperature;
- urging the thermoplastic sandwich sheet against the mandrel;
- maintaining, using the tooling pins received within the bores, the thermoplastic sandwich sheet in longitudinal alignment with the mandrel while urging the thermoplastic sandwich sheet against the mandrel surface;
- allowing the thermoplastic sandwich sheet to cool;
- removing the mandrel, thereby forming a tube portion;
- forming a hole in the tube portion having opposing tube side edges;
- and
- attaching a hollow tubular spud to the tube portion in general alignment with the hole such that the spud extends outwardly from the tube portion.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.