Thermoplastic truss structure for use in wing and rotor blade structures and methods for manufacture

• US 10,358,821 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Cawthorne, Matthew Howard, Wummer, Christopher Eliot, Craig, Danielle Raiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Triggs, Andrew J
• Application Number:
  US14/635,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20160257396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/16 Laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7841 Holding or clamping means for handling purposes clamping means for the purpose of applying pressure on the parts to be joined, in the area to be joined B29C66/81; work holders in general B25B; devices for holding or positioning work for welding metal B23K37/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/21 said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/474 said single elements being substantially non-flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/69 General aspects of joining filaments bundling articles B65B13/00; interconnecting successive lengths of material B65H69/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72 characterised by the structure of the material of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/721 Fibre-reinforced materials B29C66/729 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7212 characterised by the composition of the fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7252 hollow-walled
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/001 Producing wall or panel-like structures, e.g. for hulls, fuselages, or buildings articles with hollow walls B29D24/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0028 hollow blades
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2071/00 Use of polyethers , e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2307/04 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2309/08 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2701/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2028/00 Nets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/087 : Propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3076 : Aircrafts blades, propellers B29L2031/08
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3085 : Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7172 : Fuel tanks, jerry cans
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/32 : Rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/473 : Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/00 : Wings ornithopter wings B64C33/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/20 : Integral or sandwich constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/22 : Geodetic or other open-frame structures
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/02 : Tanks tanks constructed integrally with aircraft wings B64C; shape or construction of tanks per se B65D
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/36 : spaced apart by transversely-placed strip material, e.g. honeycomb panels honeycomb or other core members for layered products B32B
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 : Weight reduction

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to thermoplastic truss structures and methods of forming the same. The truss structures are formed using thermoplastic materials, such as fiber reinforced thermoplastic resins, and facilitate directional load support based on the shape of the truss structure. In one example, multiple two-dimensional patterns of fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin are disposed on one another in a saw tooth pattern, sinusoidal pattern, or other repeating pattern, and adhered to one another in selective locations. The two dimensional patterns may then be expanded in a third dimension to form a three-dimensional, cross-linked truss structure. The three-dimensional, cross-linked truss structure may then be heated or otherwise treated to maintain the three-dimensional shape.

Claims

1. A support structure, comprising:

a three-dimensional, cross-linked truss structure comprising a plurality of thermoplastic segments bonded together, the plurality of thermoplastic segments comprising;

a first segment having a saw tooth shape;

a second segment positioned adjacent the first segment, the second segment having a saw tooth shape offset from the first segment;

a third segment positioned adjacent the second segment, the third segment having a saw tooth shape offset from the second segment; and

a fourth segment positioned adjacent the third segment, the fourth segment having a saw tooth shape offset from the third segment, wherein the first segment and the second segment are bonded to one another at intersections thereof, wherein the first segment is bonded to the third segment at a subset of upper apexes of the first segment and the third segment, wherein the fourth segment is bonded to the third segment at intersections thereof, wherein the fourth segment is bonded to the second segment at a subset of lower apexes of the second segment and the fourth segment, and wherein the plurality of thermoplastic segments are bonded by fusion bonds.

2. The support structure of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic segments each include fibers impregnated therein.

3. The support structure of claim 2, wherein the fibers are carbon fiber.

4. The support structure of claim 2, wherein the thermoplastic segments have a diameter within a range of about 0.0010 inches to about 0.0020 inches.

5. The support structure of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic segments comprise polyetherketoneketone.

6. The support structure of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic segments comprise polyetheretherketone.

7. The support structure of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic segments are hollow.

8. The support structure of claim 7, wherein a skin is bonded to the three-dimensional, cross-linked truss structure by fusion-bonding.

9. The support structure of claim 1, further comprising a skin disposed on and bonded to the three-dimensional, cross-linked truss structure.

10. The support structure of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic segments have a diameter within a range of 0.0010 inches to about 0.0020 inches.

11. The support structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of thermoplastic segments have a density that varies along a length of the support structure.

12. A support structure, comprising:

a three-dimensional, cross-linked truss structure comprising a plurality of thermoplastic segments bonded together, the plurality of thermoplastic segments each having a saw tooth configuration including upper and lower apexes, wherein the plurality of thermoplastic segments includes;

a first thermoplastic segment having upper apexes thereof bonded to upper apexes of a second thermoplastic segment and lower apexes of the first thermoplastic segment bonded to lower apexes of a third thermoplastic segment; and

a fourth thermoplastic segment bonded to the first thermoplastic segment at intersections of the fourth thermoplastic segment and the first thermoplastic segment, wherein the plurality of thermoplastic segments are bonded by fusion bonds.

13. The support structure of claim 12, wherein the thermoplastic segments each include fibers impregnated therein.

14. The support structure of claim 13, wherein the fibers are carbon fiber.

15. The support structure of claim 12, wherein the thermoplastic segments have a diameter within a range of about 0.0010 inches to about 0.0020 inches.

16. The support structure of claim 12, wherein the thermoplastic segments comprise polyetherketoneketone.

17. The support structure of claim 12, wherein the thermoplastic segments comprise polyetheretherketone.

18. The support structure of claim 12, wherein included angles of the upper and lower apexes vary along a length of thermoplastic segments.

19. A support structure, comprising:

a first three-dimensional, cross-linked truss structure comprising a plurality of thermoplastic segments bonded together, the plurality of thermoplastic segments each having a saw tooth configuration having a plurality of upper and lower apexes, wherein the plurality of thermoplastic segments includes;

a first thermoplastic segment having upper apexes thereof bonded to upper apexes of a second thermoplastic segment and lower apexes of the first thermoplastic segment bonded to lower apexes of a third thermoplastic segment; and

a fourth thermoplastic segment bonded to the first thermoplastic segment at intersections of the fourth thermoplastic segment and the first thermoplastic segment, wherein the plurality of thermoplastic truss segments of the first three-dimensional, cross-linked truss structure each include fibers impregnated therein; and

a second three-dimensional, cross-linked truss structure comprising a plurality of thermoplastic segments bonded together, wherein the second three-dimensional, cross-linked truss structure is separate but intertwined with the first three-dimensional, cross-linked truss structure.