Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080290214 | SHAPED COMPOSITE STRINGERS AND METHODS OF MAKING - A stiffened skin panel of an aircraft that includes an aircraft skin panel of composite material and a composite stringer consolidated with the aircraft skin panel. The stringer has a pair of stringer sides, each extending from a stringer top to a stringer leg. The stringer sides may each extend through a wide radius, smooth continuous curve to a stringer leg. The wide radius, smooth continuous curve may be proximate the base of the stringer side in a region where the stringer side transitions to the stringer leg. | 11-27-2008 |
20090127393 | FOAM STIFFENED HOLLOW COMPOSITE STRINGER - A method and apparatus for a composite stringer. A method is used for manufacturing a hollow composite stringer. Foam is formed with a mandrel installed into the foam. A composite material and the foam is laid up onto a tool in a form of a stringer. The composite material and the foam in the form of the stringer is cured to form a cured stringer. The mandrel from the foam is removed to form the hollow composite stringer. | 05-21-2009 |
20090261199 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING CONTOURED COMPOSITE STRUCTURES AND STRUCTURES PRODUCED THEREBY - A method is provided for forming a composite part contoured along its length and having at least one leg. The method includes forming a stack of fiber reinforced, pre-preg plies by laying down individual segments of unidirectional fibers in each ply. Each of the segments is placed in a preselected orientation related to the contour of the part. The leg is formed by bending a portion of the stack over a tool. | 10-22-2009 |
20090263618 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING CONTOURED COMPOSITE STRUCTURES AND STRUCTURES PRODUCED THEREBY - A contoured composite structure is fabricated by laying up a composite charge that includes at least one ply formed by uni-directional fiber pre-preg ply segments having substantially constant widths. The ply segments are placed in side-by-side, overlapping relationship with their longitudinal centerlines aligned in a polar orientation related to the contour of the structure. The charge is formed into the shape of the structure and cured. | 10-22-2009 |
20100080941 | COMPOSITE TRUSS PANEL HAVING FLUTED CORE AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - A composite truss structure employs a sandwich-in-sandwich construction in which a composite fluted core is sandwiched between two facesheets, and at least one structural foam stiffener is sandwiched within the core or between the facesheets and/or the core. | 04-01-2010 |
20100080942 | JOINING CURVED COMPOSITE SANDWICH PANELS - A curved composite structure, comprises at least two curved composite panel segments joined together. Each of the panel segments includes a fluted core sandwiched between first and second facesheets. A layer of adhesive is used to rigidly bond the panel segments together. | 04-01-2010 |
20100129589 | REINFORCED FOAM-FILLED COMPOSITE STRINGER - A method and apparatus for manufacturing a composite stringer. A composite material and foam are laid up onto a tool in the form of a stringer. The foam has a plurality of structural members within the foam. The plurality of structural members has a number of orientations to resist a number of loads. The composite material, the foam in the form of the stringer, and the plurality of structural members are cured to form the composite stringer. | 05-27-2010 |
20110027526 | Multi-Functional Aircraft Structures - A method and apparatus for manufacturing a composite structure. A filler material with a barrier material for a channel in the filler material is formed. A composite material and the filler material with the barrier material are laid up onto a tool in a shape of the composite structure. The composite material and the filler material in the shape of the composite structure are cured. | 02-03-2011 |
20110088833 | SHAPED COMPOSITE STRINGERS AND METHODS OF MAKING - A stiffened skin panel of an aircraft that includes an aircraft skin panel of composite material and a composite stringer consolidated with the aircraft skin panel. The stringer has a pair of stringer sides, each extending from a stringer top to a stringer leg. The stringer sides may each extend through a wide radius, smooth continuous curve to a stringer leg. The wide radius, smooth continuous curve may be proximate the base of the stringer side in a region where the stringer side transitions to the stringer leg. | 04-21-2011 |
20110097554 | CURVED COMPOSITE FRAMES AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME - A curved composite aircraft frame comprises a multi-ply composite laminate having a generally Z-shaped cross section. At least certain of the laminate plies include unidirectional reinforcing fibers that are substantially tangent at substantially all points along the curvature of the frame. | 04-28-2011 |
20110111183 | Foam Stiffened Hollow Composite Stringer - A method and apparatus for a composite stringer. A method is used for manufacturing a hollow composite stringer. Foam is formed with a mandrel installed into the foam. A composite material and the foam is laid up onto a tool in a form of a stringer. The composite material and the foam in the form of the stringer is cured to form a cured stringer. The mandrel from the foam is removed to form the hollow composite stringer. | 05-12-2011 |
20110300343 | Composite Truss Panel Having Fluted Core - A composite truss structure employs a sandwich-in-sandwich construction in which a composite fluted core is sandwiched between two facesheets, and at least one structural foam stiffener is sandwiched within the core or between the facesheets and/or the core. | 12-08-2011 |
20120084959 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR FORMING JOINTS IN COMPOSITE STRUCTURES - A tool is used to form a joint between a composite dome and a surrounding composite skirt. The tool includes a tool shell on which composite plies may be laid up to form the skirt and a spacer connected with the shell for filling a gap between the dome and the skirt. | 04-12-2012 |
20120090265 | METHOD FOR JOINING SANDWICH TRUSS CORE PANELS AND COMPOSITE STRUCTURES PRODUCED THEREFROM - Fluted core sandwich panels are joined together to form a composite structure. Variations in panel ends are accommodated by a core stiffener insert installed in a joint between ends of the panels. | 04-19-2012 |
20120125530 | METHOD FOR MAKING AND JOINING COMPOSITE SANDWICH SHELL EDGE JOINT - A method for joining fittings to a composite sandwich shell edge includes laying up an inner facesheet and positioning a wrapped flute mandrel on top; applying a layer of adhesive on the inner facesheet and positioning spacer-supported fittings on top; applying adhesive over the co-bonded fittings and laying up an outer facesheet forming an assembly; curing the assembly under heat and pressure; removing the fittings by first collapsing the spacers and removing the flute mandrel; placing an adhesive layer on the fittings with collapsible spacers inserted therein; reinserting the fittings between the inner and outer facesheets and effecting bonding and curing; and removing the spacers from the fittings by collapsing the spacers. | 05-24-2012 |
20120128408 | COMPOSITE SANDWICH SHELL EDGE JOINT - A composite sandwich shell edge joint includes an outboard buildup pad, an inboard buildup pad spaced-apart and adjacent to the outboard buildup pad, an outboard face sheet extending from the outboard buildup pad, an inboard face sheet extending from the inboard buildup pad, bridging plies connecting the outboard buildup pad and the inboard buildup pad and at least one barrel nut installed in the buildup pads. | 05-24-2012 |
20130084434 | CURVED COMPOSITE FRAMES AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME - A curved composite aircraft frame comprises a multi-ply composite laminate having a generally Z-shaped cross section. At least certain of the laminate plies include unidirectional reinforcing fibers that are substantially tangent at substantially all points along the curvature of the frame. | 04-04-2013 |
20130280491 | METHOD OF FORMING A REINFORCED FOAM-FILLED COMPOSITE STRINGER - A method and apparatus for manufacturing a composite stringer. A composite material and foam are laid up onto a tool in the form of a stringer. The foam has a plurality of structural members within the foam. The plurality of structural members has a number of orientations to resist a number of loads. The composite material, the foam in the form of the stringer, and the plurality of structural members are cured to form the composite stringer. | 10-24-2013 |
20140034236 | RADIUS FILLERS FOR COMPOSITE STRUCTURES, COMPOSITE STRUCTURES THAT INCLUDE RADIUS FILLERS, AND SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF FORMING THE SAME - Radius fillers for composite structures, composite structures that include the radius fillers, and systems and methods of forming the radius fillers. The systems and methods may be configured to create a pre-form that may be utilized to form a radius filler and/or create a radius filler from the pre-form. Creating the pre-form may include extending a plurality of lengths of composite tape from a composite tape source and receiving the plurality of lengths of composite tape in a pre-form forming structure, converging and/or otherwise combining the plurality of lengths of composite tape within the pre-form forming structure to produce the pre-form, and/or withdrawing the pre-form from the pre-form forming structure. Creating the radius filler from the pre-form may include receiving the pre-form in a radius filler forming structure and producing the radius filler from the radius filler forming structure. | 02-06-2014 |
20140318705 | MULTI-FUNCTIONAL AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES - A method for manufacturing a composite structure. A filler material with a barrier material for a channel in the filler material is formed. A composite material and the filler material with the barrier material are laid up onto a tool in a shape of the composite structure. The composite material and the filler material in the shape of the composite structure are cured. | 10-30-2014 |
20140320366 | STRUCTURALLY INTEGRATED ANTENNA APERTURE ELECTRONICS ATTACHMENT DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY - A method of manufacture of antenna electronics attachment is disclosed. A nutplate is coupled to a mounting plate via a plurality of embedded fastening structures such that mechanical-electronic coupling means allow in-service change-out of an electronic component coupled to the nutplate. | 10-30-2014 |
20140352876 | METHOD FOR MAKING AND JOINING COMPOSITE SANDWICH SHELL EDGE JOINT - A method for joining fittings to a composite sandwich shell edge includes laying up an inner facesheet and positioning a wrapped flute mandrel on top; applying a layer of adhesive on the inner facesheet and positioning spacer-supported fittings on top; applying adhesive over the co-bonded fittings and laying up an outer facesheet forming an assembly; curing the assembly under heat and pressure; removing the fittings by first collapsing the spacers and removing the flute mandrel; placing an adhesive layer on the fittings with collapsible spacers inserted therein; reinserting the fittings between the inner and outer facesheets and effecting bonding and curing; and removing the spacers from the fittings by collapsing the spacers. | 12-04-2014 |
20140363595 | METHOD FOR JOINING SANDWICH TRUSS CORE PANELS AND COMPOSITE STRUCTURES PRODUCED THEREFROM - Fluted core sandwich panels are joined together to form a composite structure. Variations in panel ends are accommodated by a core stiffener insert installed in a joint between ends of the panels. | 12-11-2014 |
20150079314 | JOINING CURVED COMPOSITE SANDWICH PANELS - A curved composite structure, comprises at least two curved composite panel segments joined together. Each of the panel segments includes a fluted core sandwiched between first and second facesheets. A layer of adhesive is used to rigidly bond the panel segments together. | 03-19-2015 |