SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AIR ENTANGLEMENT

• US 20150354110A1
• Filed: 06/09/2014
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Linck, John, Le Costaoeuc, Jean-Francois
• Granted Patent: US 9,783,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4242 Carbon fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43 Acrylonitrile series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/492 by fluid jet D04H1/49 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/498 entanglement of layered webs
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 18/04 with water jets
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/11 by fluid jet
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 69/023 Composite materials containing carbon and carbon fibres or fibres made of carbonizable material

Abstract

A circular air entangling system may comprise a bed plate for receiving fiber layers. An air entangling module may entangle the fiber layers with one another and a fiber packaging apparatus may transport the fiber layers for further processing. In this manner, a fiber preform may be constructed.

Claims

1. An entangling system comprising:

a bed plate whereon a first preform fiber layer accumulates;

an air entangling module configured to direct a jet of air toward the first preform fiber layer; and

a fiber packaging apparatus configured to transport the first preform fiber layer and a second preform fiber layer.

2. The entangling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a drive apparatus comprising a first roller set configured to receive the first preform fiber layer and guide the first preform fiber layer onto the bed plate and a second roller set configured to receive the second preform fiber layer and guide the second preform fiber layer onto the bed plate.

3. The entangling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first fiber bulking module adapted to volumize the first preform fiber layer; and

a second fiber bulking module adapted to volumize the second preform fiber layer.

4. The entangling system of claim 2, wherein the first preform fiber layer comprises off-axis tows and wherein the second preform fiber layer comprises circumferential tows.

5. The entangling system of claim 2, wherein the first roller set comprises rollers radially translatable with respect to the bed plate whereby tows of the first preform fiber layer may be oriented in an off-axis orientation and spaced in a circumferential direction.

6. The entangling system of claim 1,

wherein the air entangling module comprises:

an upper air entangling member positioned above the bed plate; and

a lower air entangling member positioned below the bed plate; and

wherein the bed plate comprises;

an annulus comprising holes permitting passage of air through the bed plate.

7. The entangling system of claim 1, wherein the first preform fiber layer comprises a loose pre-assembled fabric layer.

8. A method for air entangling a textile to create a preform comprising:

receiving the textile on a bed plate of an entangling loom;

translating the textile around the entangling loom;

depositing a predetermined number of layers of the textile on the bed plate; and

directing air through the textile to entangle at least two of the predetermined number of layers of the textile.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the textile comprises alternate layers of circumferential fibers and off-axis fibers.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the depositing comprises depositing a layer of circumferential fibers and a layer of off-axis fibers simultaneously.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the directing occurs simultaneously with the translating.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the directing occurs following the depositing.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the directing occurs following the depositing and the translating.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the textile comprises carbonized carbon fibers.

15. The method according to claim 8, further comprising volumizing the textile prior to the translating.