CONTOURED COMPOSITE PARTS

• US 20090176066A1
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: DARROW, DONALD C., LEE, MICHAEL A., ANDERSON, MICHAEL R., WILDEN, KURTIS S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,152,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/175
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/085 the structure being deformed in a three dimensional configuration B29C53/805 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0014 provided with ridges or ribs, e.g. joined ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3076 Aircrafts blades, propellers B29L2031/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24058 including grain, strips, or filamentary elements in respective layers or components in angular relation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24331 including nonapertured component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24628 Nonplanar uniform thickness material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24636 Embodying mechanically interengaged strand[s], strand-portion[s] or strand-like strip[s] [e.g., weave, knit, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3472 Woven fabric including an additional woven fabric layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3528 Three or more fabric layers

Abstract

One embodiment of a composite part comprises a curved elongated section comprising a plurality of stacked reinforcement layers. The stacked reinforcement layers in the curved elongated section comprise at least one of non-continuous woven fabric and non-continuous reinforcement.

Claims

1. A composite part comprising:

a curved elongated section comprising a plurality of stacked reinforcement layers, wherein the slacked reinforcement layers in the curved elongated section collectively comprise at least one of non-continuous woven fabric and non-continuous reinforcement.

2. The composite part of claim 1 wherein the composite part comprises at least one of an aircraft part, an aircraft frame, and an aircraft stringer.

3. The composite part of claim 1 wherein the stacked reinforcement layers in the curved elongated section further comprise at least one of 45 degree woven fabric (PX) and 90 degree reinforcement.

4. The composite part of claim 1 wherein the curved elongated section comprises a plurality of flange members, a plurality of web members, and a cap member.

5. The composite part of claim 4 wherein the curved elongated section is curved in a Z plane and the web members and the cap member each comprise at least one of:

continuous plain weave (PX) 45 degree woven fabric, non-continuous plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric, and non-continuous 0 degree reinforcement.

6. The composite part of claim 5 wherein the web members and the cap member collectively comprise non-continuous plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric, continuous plain weave (PX) 45 degree woven fabric, and non-continuous 0 degree reinforcement.

7. The composite part of claim 5 wherein the flange members comprise at least one of plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric, 45 degree woven fabric (PX), and non-continuous 0 degree reinforcement.

8. The composite part of claim 7 wherein the flange members each comprise plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric and 45 degree woven fabric (PX), the plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric of the flange members only partway continues into the web members, and the 45 degree woven fabric (PX) of the flange members continues throughout the web members and the cap member.

9. The composite part of claim 4 wherein the curved elongated section is curved in an X-Y plane and the flange members and the cap member each comprise at least one of:

plain weave (PX) 45 degree woven fabric, non-continuous plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric, and non-continuous 0 degree reinforcement.

10. The composite part of claim 9 wherein the flange members and the cap member do not comprise continuous plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric.

11. The composite part of claim 10 wherein the web members comprise at least one of plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric, 45 degree woven fabric (PX), and non-continuous 0 degree reinforcement.

12. The composite part of claim 11 wherein the web members each comprise plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric and 45 degree woven fabric (PX), wherein the plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric of the web members does not extend within the flange members and the cap member, and the 45 degree woven fabric (PX) of the web members continues throughout the flange members and the cap member.

13. The composite part of claim 1 wherein the composite part further comprises a straight elongated section.

14. The composite part of claim 13 wherein the straight elongated section comprises a second plurality of stacked reinforcement layers, wherein the second plurality of stacked reinforcement layers in the straight section comprise at least one of plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric, 45 degree woven fabric (PX), and 0 degree reinforcement.

15. The composite part of claim 14 wherein the straight elongated section comprises a plurality of flange members, a plurality of web members, and a cap member.

16. The composite part of claim 15 wherein the second plurality of stacked reinforcement layers in the straight elongated section comprise at least one of plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric extending continuously between the flange members, web members, and cap member, 45 degree woven fabric (PX) extending continuously between the flange members, web members, and cap member, and 0 degree reinforcement extending continuously between the flange members, web members, and cap member.

17. The composite part of claim 1 wherein the stacked reinforcement layers in the curved elongated section collectively comprise at least one of non-continuous plain weave (PW) 0/90 degree woven fabric and non-continuous 0 degree reinforcement.

18. A method of manufacturing a composite part comprising:

preparing an elongated composite part comprising stacked reinforcement layers comprising at least one of non-continuous woven fabric and non-continuous reinforcement;

forming the elongated composite part into a curved elongated section comprising at least one of the non-continuous woven fabric and the non-continuous reinforcement.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the preparing step and forming step comprise preparing and forming at least one of an aircraft part, an aircraft frame, and an aircraft stringer.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the preparing step comprises preparing the elongated composite part comprising stacked reinforcement layers comprising at least one of non-continuous plain weave (PW) 0/90 woven, fabric and non-continuous 0 degree reinforcement, and wherein the forming step comprises forming the elongated composite part into a curved elongated section comprising at least one of the non-continuous plain weave (PW) 0/90 woven fabric and the non-continuous 0 degree reinforcement.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the preparing step comprises preparing the elongated composite part comprising straight stacked reinforcement layers.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the preparing step utilizes at least one of hand placement of plies, a cutting machine, and a lay up machine.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the preparing step further comprises preparing the elongated composite part comprising the stacked reinforcement layers further comprising 45 degree woven fabric (PX) and 90 degree reinforcement and non-continuous 0 degree reinforcement.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the forming step further comprises forming the elongated composite part into a straight elongated section comprising at least one of continuous plain weave (PW) 0/90 woven fabric extending throughout the straight elongated section, continuous 45 degree woven fabric (PX) extending throughout the straight elongated section, and continuous 0 degree reinforcement extending throughout the straight elongated section.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the forming step utilizes at least one of a forming machine and a mold.