Tubular members integrated to form a structure
First Claim
1. An elongated load carrying structure of a predetermined curved exterior contour comprising:
- a wall formed by a plurality of elongated co-extensive triangular cross-section filament wound tubes nested complementally together in juxtaposition and arranged to cooperate together in forming at least a portion of a hollow shell defining a body of revolution having said predetermined exterior contour;
a bond bonding said tubes together; and
an outer skin covering the exterior surface of said shell.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Integrally stiffened and formed, load carrying structures comprising a plurality of elongated thin-walled tubes placed co-extensively in a complementary side-by-side fashion which together form a hollow structure having a desired external contour. Integral skins forming the external and internal surfaces of the structure cooperatively therewith. The structure can be formed with an underlying internal support member spanning the interior of the load carrying structure, thereby connecting opposite sides of the structure together. Also, each of the tubes are wound with fibers in controlled orientations generally paralleling the direction of the loads applied to the tubes to optimize the strength to weight ratio of the tubes. Still a number of embodiments are disclosed to couple two structures together. In addition, an apparatus and method is disclosed to form a window opening within the fuselage and to install a window covering that is both time saving and cost efficient.
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Citations
122 Claims
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1. An elongated load carrying structure of a predetermined curved exterior contour comprising:
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a wall formed by a plurality of elongated co-extensive triangular cross-section filament wound tubes nested complementally together in juxtaposition and arranged to cooperate together in forming at least a portion of a hollow shell defining a body of revolution having said predetermined exterior contour;
a bond bonding said tubes together; and
an outer skin covering the exterior surface of said shell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of making a composite contoured structure for carrying a load and wall of a shell including:
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selecting triangular cross-section hollow tubes, filament wound in a pattern;
assembling said tubes together in co-extensive side by side relationship to form the defining predetermined curved cross-sectional exterior contour;
bonding said tubes together;
applying a skin to at least one surface of said shell; and
bonding said skin to said shell. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47)
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44. The method as set forth in claim 44 wherein:
said bonding step of said shell is performed concurrent with the bonding of said tubes.
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48. A method of making an elongated composite to form a predetermined transverse contour structure and including:
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selecting elongated tubes filament wound in a pattern;
assembling said tubes together in juxtaposed relationship to form a shell defining a predetermined transverse contour;
bonding said tubes together;
applying an exterior skin to the exterior surface of said shell; and
bonding said skin to said tubes.
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49. A method for producing a triangular tube to resist a predetermined load on the triangular tube, comprising the steps of:
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providing a mandrel having a substantially triangular cross-section;
winding the mandrel with fibers in a controlled orientation substantially paralleling the direction of a predetermined load on triangular tube;
bonding the fibers together;
curing the fibers together; and
removing the mandrel within the fibers. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. An intermediate apparatus to couple a composite wing structure having a plurality of elongated thin-walled filament wound tapered triangular tubes placed co-extensively in a complementary side-by-side fashion to a composite fuselage comprising:
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a predetermined number of plugs having a root end and a tip end, wherein each of the predetermined number of plugs is tapered to associate with the corresponding tapered triangular tubes;
each of the predetermined number of plugs having a flange, wherein each of the flanges are coupled to the root end of the plugs to align relative to other flanges when plugs are inserted into the corresponding tapered triangular tubes; and
the aligned flanges adapted to associate with a composite fuselage adapted to receive the aligned flanges.
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61. A method of making a structure for carrying a load, comprising the steps of:
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providing a chamber with gaseous reactant in the chamber;
providing a substrate within the chamber; and
tracing a laser at the substrate around a cross-section of a structure about a predetermined point along the longitudinal axis of the structure defining the structure, wherein a layer of localized deposition of fibers occur from the gas reacting due to the heat generated from the laser beam passing through the cross-sections of the structure along the longitudinal axis. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64)
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65. A filament having a high content of fibers versus the matrix material, comprising:
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a filament including a plurality of cross-section of fibers and a matrix material thereinbetween the plurality of cross-section of fibers; and
said plurality of cross-section of fibers comprise at least approximately 60% of a cross-sectional area of the filament. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68)
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69. A tie for coupling two triangular tubes made of composite structure, comprising:
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a base adapted to be juxtaposed to one of the walls of a first triangular tube made of composite structure; and
a plurality of locking inserts coupled to the base at a predetermined distance apart from each other, wherein each of the locking inserts is adapted to receive a fastener. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. A system for coupling two composite structures, comprising:
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a tie, the tie having a plurality of locking inserts at a predetermined distance apart from each other;
a first composite structure having a first mating outer surface, a first opening within the first composite structure and adjacent to the first mating outer surface of the first composite structure, wherein the first opening is adapted to receive the first tie;
a second composite structure having a second mating outer surface, a second opening within the second composite structure and adjacent to the second mating outer surface of the second composite structure, wherein the first and second mating outer surfaces are adapted to be substantially flushed against each other; and
a first fastener adapted to insert through the first and second mating outer surfaces of the first and second composite structure respectively and tighten against a corresponding locking insert on the tie, thereby coupling the first and second composite structures together. - View Dependent Claims (82, 83, 84, 85, 86)
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87. A system for coupling two composite structures, comprising:
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a tie having a plurality of locking inserts at a predetermined distance apart from each other;
a first composite structure having a first mating outer surface, a first opening within the first composite structure and adjacent to the first mating outer surface of the first composite structure, wherein the first opening is adapted to receive the tie;
a second structure having a second mating outer surface, a second opening within the second structure and adjacent to the second mating outer surface of the second structure, wherein the first and second mating outer surfaces are adapted to be substantially flushed against each other; and
at least one fastener adapted to insert through the first and second mating outer surfaces of the first and second structures respectively and tighten against a corresponding locking insert on the tie, thereby coupling the first and second structures together. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90, 91, 92)
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93. A method for coupling two tubular composite structures together, comprising:
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inserting a strip-tie within a first tubular composite structure and a second tubular composite structure, the strip-tie having a plurality of locking inserts predetermined distance apart from each other, wherein each of the locking inserts is adapted to receive a fastener;
aligning at least one fastener to any one of the plurality of locking inserts in the first tubular composite structure;
aligning at least one fastener to any one of the plurality of locking inserts in the second tubular composite structure;
inserting the at least one fastener through each of the first and second tubular composite structures; and
tightening the at least one fastener against each of locking inserts in the first and second tubular composite structures to couple the two tubular composite structures together. - View Dependent Claims (94, 95)
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96. A method for producing a strip-tie to couple two structures made of composite structures together, comprising:
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forming a tubular member made from filament wound fibers;
placing the tubular member within a press, the press having an upper jaw and a lower jaw, wherein a cavity is formed between the upper and lower jaws when they are closed;
compressing the upper jaw relative to the lower jaw, whereby the tubular member is substantially conforms to the shape of the cavity between the upper and lower jaws; and
coupling a plurality of inserts to the conformed tubular member, wherein each of the inserts are a predetermined distances apart from each other. - View Dependent Claims (97, 98, 99)
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100. A mandrel for coupling and insulating a tube made of fibers, comprising:
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an insulation portion having a shaved end; and
a tie portion adapted to receive the shaved end of the insulation portion. - View Dependent Claims (101, 102, 103, 104)
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105. A doubler, comprising:
a doubler extends between a first and second fuselages, wherein the first and second fuselages are formed from a plurality of elongated co-extensive triangular cross-section filament wound tubes nested complementally together in juxtaposition and arranged to cooperate together in forming a hollow shell, wherein the doubler is coupled to the first and second fuselages to strengthen the joint area between the two fuselages. - View Dependent Claims (106, 107, 108)
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109. A method for forming a window within a fuselage, comprising:
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cutting a window opening in a predetermined location on a fuselage formed from a plurality of elongated triangular filament wound tubes nested complementarily together in juxtaposition and arranged to cooperate together in substantially forming a hollow shell, wherein the window opening defines a predetermined number of cut out triangular filament wound tubes on a left side and a right side of the window opening, the window opening further defining a top side and a bottom side;
coupling a left window frame to the left side of the window opening, wherein the left window frame has a corresponding predetermined number of plugs adapted to insert into the predetermined number of cut out triangular filament wound tubes on the left side of the window opening;
coupling a right window frame to the right side of the window opening, wherein the right window frame has a corresponding predetermined number of plugs adapted to insert into the predetermined number of cut out triangular filament wound tubes on the right side of the window opening;
coupling an upper window opening to the top side of the window opening; and
coupling a lower window opening to the bottom side of the window opening.
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110. A method according to clam 109, further comprising:
fastening the corresponding predetermined number of plugs on the left and right window frames to the predetermined number of cut out triangular filament wound tubes.
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111. A method according to clam 109, further comprising:
bonding the corresponding predetermined number of plugs on the left and right window frames to the predetermined number of cut out triangular filament wound tubes.
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112. A method according to clam 109, further comprising:
sealing the left window frame, the right window frame, the upper window frame, and the lower window frame to the window opening.
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113. A method for providing a cover for a window in a fuselage of an airplane, comprising:
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coupling a pair of rails along a longitudinal axis of a fuselage, wherein a window is between the pair of rails; and
sliding a cover within the pair of rails along the longitudinal axis of the fuselage, wherein the cover substantially covers the window. - View Dependent Claims (114, 115)
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116. A wing tie for coupling a left wing and a right wing together and inspecting therein, comprising:
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a base having a base opening;
a left side adapted to couple to a mating surface of a left wing, wherein the left side has a left side opening; and
a right side adapted to couple to a mating surface of a right wing, wherein the right side has a right side opening, whereby an operator can inspect the left and right wings through the base, left, and right openings. - View Dependent Claims (117, 118, 119, 120)
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121. A system for coupling a bulkhead to a fuselage, comprising:
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a bulkhead formed from a plurality of curved triangular filament wound tubes nested complementally together in juxtaposition and arranged to cooperate together in substantially forming a concave shell;
a fuselage formed from a plurality of elongated triangular filament wound tubes nested complementally together in juxtaposition and arranged to cooperate together in substantially forming a cylindrical shell; and
a predetermined number of plugs having a curved portion substantially adapted to insert into the curved triangular filament wound tubes in the bulkhead and a substantially a straight portion adapted to insert into the elongated triangular filament wound tubes in the fuselage, wherein the plug is adapted to couple to the triangular filament wound tubes in the bulkhead and the fuselage. - View Dependent Claims (122)
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Specification