SYSTEM AND METHOD OF FORMING AN INJECTION-BONDED JOINT

• US 20140241790A1
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: STREETT, Andrew R., WOLEADER, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,555,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 403/270
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/04 of welded articles, e.g. deburring or deflashing in combination with welding shaping the burr B29C66/32
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/542 by injection
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/004 Preventing sticking together, e.g. of some areas of the parts to be joined
• 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 66/12441 being a single wall
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/32 Measures for keeping the burr form under control; Avoiding burr formation; Shaping the burr deburring welded articles B29C37/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/342 Preventing air-inclusions
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/3452 Making complete joints by combining partial joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53241 said articles being tubular and said substantially annular single elements being of finite length relative to the infinite length of said tubular articles making T-shaped pieces by joining tubular articles B29C66/52241
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5344 said single elements being substantially annular, i.e. of finite length, e.g. joining flanges to tube ends B29C66/5346 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/55 sealing elements being incorporated into the joints, e.g. gaskets B29C66/52296 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/721 Fibre-reinforced materials B29C66/729 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/742 to metals or their alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/861 Hand-held tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3097 Cosmonautical vehicles; Rockets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/1284 Application of adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 11/006 by gluing gluing of plastics material B29C65/48
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/477 Fusion bond, e.g., weld, etc.

Abstract

A method of forming an injection-bonded joint may include forming a chamber wall within a bondline region between mating surfaces of a first part and a second part. The chamber wall may divide a bondline length and define at least one adhesive chamber. The method may include injecting a structural adhesive into the adhesive chamber through an injection port, and discharging excess adhesive from the adhesive chamber through a bleed hole.

Claims

1. A method of forming an injection-bonded joint, comprising the steps of:

forming a chamber wall within a bondline region between mating surfaces of a first part and a second part, the chamber wall dividing a bondline length and defining at least one adhesive chamber;

injecting a structural adhesive into the adhesive chamber through an injection port; and

discharging excess adhesive from the adhesive chamber through a bleed hole.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the chamber wall comprises:

forming the chamber wall from adhesive.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the chamber wall comprises:

including a bond wire in the chamber wall.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

forming a bondline dam along a part edge of at least one of the first part and the second part; and

the chamber wall, the bondline dam, and the mating surfaces collectively enclosing the adhesive chamber.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

collecting the excess adhesive in an adhesive reservoir fluidly coupled to the bleed hole.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

forming the adhesive reservoir as one of a shelf and a vertical column.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the bondline length is at least twice a bondline width.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the injection port is formed in at least one of the first part and the second part.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the injection port is located proximate a chamber wall.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the injection port is located proximate a lower edge of the adhesive chamber.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the bleed hole is located proximate an upper edge of the adhesive chamber.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the bleed hole and the injection port are located at opposite chamber ends of the adhesive chamber.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a large bleed hole and a small bleed hole are located at opposing chambers ends of the adhesive chamber; and

the injection port being located proximate a chamber end having the small bleed hole.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first part comprises a cylinder, the second part comprising an end ring having a cross-section configured as a C-channel, the step of forming the chamber wall comprising:

attaching a series of bond wires along a cylinder edge such that the bond wires divide the bondline length;

coating the bond wires with adhesive; and

inserting a cylinder edge into the C-channel.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first part comprises a cylinder, the second part comprising at least one of an internal ring and an external ring, the step of forming the chamber wall comprising:

attaching a series of bond wires along a cylinder surface;

coating the bond wire with adhesive; and

positioning the at least one of the internal ring and the external ring relative to the cylinder.

16. A method of forming an injection-bonded joint, comprising the steps of:

forming a series of chamber walls between mating surfaces of a first part and a second part, the chamber walls dividing a bondline length into a plurality of adhesive chambers;

forming bondline dams along a part edge of at least one of the first part and the second part, the chamber walls, the bondline dams, and the mating surfaces collectively enclosing the adhesive chambers;

injecting a structural adhesive into the adhesive chambers through an injection port formed in at least one of the first part and the second part;

discharging excess adhesive from the adhesive chambers through at least one bleed hole; and

collecting the excess adhesive in adhesive reservoirs fluidly coupled to the bleed holes.

17. A structural assembly, comprising:

a first part and a second part having mating surfaces adhesively bonded together along a bondline region having a bondline length;

a series of chamber walls formed along the bondline length and dividing the bondline length into a plurality of adhesive chambers; and

a structural adhesive injected into the adhesive chambers through at least one injection port.

18. The structural assembly of claim 17, wherein:

the injection port is formed in at least one of the first part and the second part.

19. The structural assembly of claim 17, wherein:

the chamber walls are oriented generally transverse to the bondline length.

20. The structural assembly of claim 17, further comprising:

a bond wire included with at least one of the chamber walls.

21. The structural assembly of claim 20, wherein:

the bond wire defines a bondline thickness between the mating surfaces.

22. The structural assembly of claim 17, wherein:

the structural adhesive comprises an epoxy adhesive.

23. The structural assembly of claim 17, further comprising:

at least one mechanical fastener extending through the first part and the second part in the bondline region.

24. The structural assembly of claim 17 wherein:

the first part and the second part define a substantially straight, planar bondline region.

25. The structural assembly of claim 17 wherein:

the first part comprises a cylinder having a cylinder edge;

the second part comprising an end ring having a cross-section configured as a C-channel; and

the series of chamber walls being distributed around a cylinder circumference to form the plurality of the adhesive chambers bonding the cylinder edge to the C-channel.

26. The structural assembly of claim 17 wherein:

the first part comprises a cylinder;

the second part comprising at least one of an internal ring and an external ring; and

the series of chamber walls being distributed around a cylinder circumference to form a plurality of the adhesive chambers bonding the cylinder to the at least one of the internal ring and the external ring.

27. The structural assembly of claim 17, wherein:

the first part is formed of fiber-reinforced polymer matrix material; and

the second part is formed of metallic material.

28. The structural assembly of claim 17, wherein the bondline length is at least twice a bondline width.