Integral woven reinforcement for structural components

• US 4,379,798 A
• Filed: 01/08/1982
• Issued: 04/12/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brochier & FILS, Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Brochier & FILS, Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Micheaux, Dominique, Palmer, Raymond J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCAMISH, MARION E
• Application Number:
  US06/338,095
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 428/113, 428/114, 428/257, 428/366, 428/367, 428/408, 428/156, 428/542.8, 139/304 R, 139/409, 139/410
• US Class Current: 428/113
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/222 the structure being shaped to form a three dimensional configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/24 oriented in at least three directions forming a three dimensional structure
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0003 Producing profiled members, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 25/005 Three-dimensional woven fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24124 Fibers
• 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 428/2916 including boron or compound thereof [not as steel]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2918 including free carbon or carbide or therewith [not as steel]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3195 Three-dimensional weave [e.g., x-y-z planes, multi-planar warps and/or wefts, etc.]

Abstract

Three-dimensional non-crimp integral woven reinforcement for structural components formed as an integral woven assembly of warp and fill fibers, e.g. graphite fibers, in a multiplicity of layers, with light weight tie yarn, e.g. of fiberglass, passing from one side of the layered system to the other. Woven reinforcement forms of various shapes such as an I-beam can be produced by using a specified percentage of 0° (warp) fibers and 90° (fill) fibers, e.g. of graphite, to form a plurality of layers comprising the web and flanges of the I-beam reinforcement, and having the desired number of layers and thickness in both the web and flanges, and passing tie yarn, e.g. of fiberglass, back and forth from one side of the web to the other, and in the same manner from one side of the flanges to the other, and extending lengthwise in the warp direction of the material. The woven assembly is then impregnated with resin, e.g. "B" stage epoxy resin, located on a suitable mold, and heated and cured in the conventional manner.

Claims

1. In a three-dimensional multilayer woven reinforcement member for structural components having a thicker area and a divided thinner area, in which the fibers are distributed in the fabric in three different directions generally perpendicular to each other and in which the layers of warp and fill fibers in two directions form a layered assembly, the fibers of which layers do not cross the plane of adjacent layers, the upper layer and the lower layer of the assembly being composed of fill fibers, at least one tie yarn passing in a third direction through the above noted assembly of layers of warp and fill fibers, the tie yarns passing back and forth over the fill fibers of the outside layers so as to form therewith a fabric containing inner layers of warp and fill fibers;

the improvement comprising providing one area of the assembly in which the layers of warp and fill fibers are tied together throughout their entire thickness, and other areas in which the above noted layers are separated into two individual groups, each group being tied in the manner set forth above by said tie yarns.

2. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 1, wherein said warp and said fill fibers are graphite, boron, fiberglass, carbon, silicon or organic fibers, and said tie yarn is fiberglass or organic fiber.

3. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 1, wherein said reinforcement member is in the shape of an I-beam, said I-beam having a web and a pair of flanges integrally attached to opposite ends of said web, each of said web and said flanges having a multiplicity of layers including a predetermined percentage of 0°

(warp) fibers and 90°

(fill) fibers, including a plurality of spaced tie yarns extending lengthwise of said web and said flanges.

4. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 3, wherein each of the flanges of said I-beam comprises half the number of layers in said web, said flanges comprising an extension of opposite ends of said web.

5. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 4, wherein said warp and said fill fibers are high modulus boron or graphite fibers, and said tie yarns are fiberglass or organic fiber.

6. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 3, including a woven cap in contact with the outer surfaces of each of said flanges, said caps each comprised of a plurality of layers of 0°

warp fibers, and 90°

tie yarn extending back and forth across the cap and securing together adjacent layers of said warp fibers.

7. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 6, said assembly of said woven reinforcement member and said caps being impregnated with a "B" stage thermosetting resin.

8. Element, according to claim 1, that is characterized by the fact that it is an I-shaped structure of which the upper and lower plies are made by folded ends of the material, additional elements of reinforcement being fixed to the ends, and additional elements being also fixed to the web of the said structure.

9. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 1, wherein said reinforcement member is in the shape of a J-section, said J-section having a web and a pair of flanges integrally attached to opposite ends of said web, said pair of flanges at one end of said web being horizontally outwardly extended, said pair of flanges at the opposite end of said web being disposed in the same direction, with one flange disposed adjacent to the other flange, each of said web and said flanges having a multiplicity of layers and including a pre-determined percentage of 0°

(warp) fibers and 90°

(fill) fibers, including a plurality of spaced tie yarns extending lengthwise of said web and said flanges.

10. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 9, including a woven cap disposed between the last mentioned adjacent flanges at said opposite end of said web, said caps each comprised of a plurality of layers of 0°

warp fibers, and tie yarn extending back and forth across the cap and securing together adjacent layers of said warp fibers.

11. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 10, said assembly of said woven reinforcement member and said caps being impregnated with a "B" stage thermosetting resin.

12. The integral woven reinforcement as defined in claim 1, wherein said reinforcement member is in the shape of a hat section, said hat section having a semicircular web and a pair of flanges integrally attached to opposite ends of said web, said pair of flanges at opposite ends of said web being horizontally outwardly extended, each of said web and said flanges having a multiplicity of layers, and including a predetermined percentage of 0°

(warp) fibers and 90°

(fill) fibers, including a plurality of spaced tie yarns extending lengthwise of said web and said flanges.

13. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 12, including a woven cap in contact with the outer surfaces of each of said flanges at said opposite ends of said web, and woven caps in contact with the outer surfaces of the web at the central portion thereof, said caps comprised of a plurality of layers of 0°

warp fibers, and tie yarn extending back and forth across the cap and securing together adjacent layers of said warp fibers.

14. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in the claim 13, said assembly of said woven reinforcement member and said caps being impregnated with a "B" stage thermosetting resin.

15. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 1, wherein said reinforcement member is in the shape of a channel, said channel having a web and a pair of flanges integrally attached to opposite ends of said web, said flanges at said opposite ends of said webs being horizontally outwardly extended, each of said web and said flanges having a multiplicity of layers, and including a predetermined percentage of 0°

(warp) fibers and 90°

(fill) fibers, including a plurality of spaced tie yarns extending lengthwise of said web and said flanges.

16. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 15, including a woven cap in contact with the outer surfaces of each of said flanges, and woven caps in contact with the outer surfaces of the web at the caps in contact with the outer surfaces of the web at the central portion thereof, said caps comprised of a plurality of layers of 0°

warp fibers, and 90°

tie yarn extending back and forth across the cap and securing together adjacent layers of said warp fibers.

17. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 16, said assembly of said woven reinforcement member and said caps being impregnated with a "B" stage thermosetting resin.

18. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 1, wherein said reinforcement member is in the shape of a T-section, said T-section having a web and a pair of flanges integrally attached to one end of said web, said flanges at said one end of said web being horizontally outwardly extended, each of said web and said flanges having a multiplicity of layers, and including a predetermined percentage of 0°

(warp) fibers and 90°

(fill) fibers, including a plurality of spaced tie yarns extending lengthwise of said web and said flanges.

19. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 18, including a woven cap in contact with the outer surfaces of said flanges, said caps comprised of a plurality of layers of 0°

warp fibers, and 90°

tie yarn extending back and forth across the cap and securing together adjacent layers of said warp fibers.

20. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 19, said assembly of said woven reinforcement member and said caps being impregnated with a "B" stage thermosetting resin.

21. The integral woven reinforcement member as defined in claim 1, said member being impregnated with a "B" stage thermosetting resin.