Reinforced rampdown for composite structural member and method for same

• US 20060188696A1
• Filed: 02/24/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Frisch, Douglas A., Piehl, Marc J., Sweetin, Joseph L., Grose, Douglas L., Peffers, Gary J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,531,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/156
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/088 and with one or more layers of non-plastics material or non-specified material, e.g. supports
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/342 using isostatic pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0005 Producing noodles, i.e. composite gap fillers, characterised by their construction
• 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 99/0021 provided with plain or filled structures, e.g. cores, placed between two or more plates or sheets, e.g. in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/40 Symmetrical or sandwich layers, e.g. ABA, ABCBA, ABCCBA
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/44 Number of layers variable across the laminate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/718 Weight, e.g. weight per square meter
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2607/00 Walls, panels
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/18 characterised by the use of special additives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/02 characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions non-uniform thickness B32B3/263
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/04 characterised by at least one layer folded at the edge, e.g. over another layer ; characterised by at least one layer enveloping or enclosing a material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/08 characterised by added members at particular parts layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B3/14, B32B3/18
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/12 characterised by the relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers, e.g. the fibres or filaments being parallel or perpendicular to each other
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/195 Beveled, stepped, or skived in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/236 Honeycomb type cells extend perpendicularly to nonthickness layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24091 with additional layer[s]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24132 : including grain, strips, or filamentary elements in different layers or components parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 : including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 : Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 : Edge feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249923 : Including interlaminar mechanical fastener

Abstract

A composite member with a reinforced rampdown or taper has a composite noodle bonded to an end of a core to fill the taper.

Claims

1. A composite sandwich panel comprising:

at least two laminate sheets defining a space in the form of a taper; and

a laminate support member filling the taper.

2. A composite according to claim 1 wherein the laminate support member includes fiber reinforcement.

3. A composite according to claim 2 wherein the reinforcement is disposed in at least two alternate directions in different plies.

4. A composite according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesive bonding the laminate support member to a core.

5. A composite according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of z-pins extending at least partially through at least one of the laminate sheets and the support member.

6. A method of forming a composite member, comprising:

covering a core with the laminate face sheets;

disposing a laminate support member between the laminate sheets and the core in a taper region defined by diverging sheets; and

curing resin in the sheets.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein curing includes curing the laminate support member.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the laminate support member is a fiber reinforced resin composite and further comprising curing the laminate support member before said disposing step.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein fibers in different plies have different orientations.

10. A method according to claim 6, further comprising bonding the laminate support member to the core.

11. A method according to claim 6, further comprising inserting z-pins through at least one laminate sheet into the support member.

12. A method of forming a composite member, comprising:

disposing a core on a first laminate;

disposing a laminate support member on the first laminate adjacent the core;

disposing a second laminate over the core and laminate support member; and

curing the first and second laminate such that the laminates define a taper with the laminate support member in the taper.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the laminate support member cocures with the laminate sheets.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein the laminate support member has a plurality of layers of composite material.

15. A composite member formed by the process of claim 12.