Method and apparatus for forming composite material articles
First Claim
1. Apparatus for forming a composite material article having a desired shape, said apparatus comprising:
- a mandrel having a vacuum ported upper surface portion that conforms to said desired shape;
a seal carried by the mandrel and surrounding the perimeter of said upper surface portion;
a flexible bag;
inflating means for inflating the bag into a stretched condition;
lowering means for lowering the bag in said condition over said upper surface portion of the mandrel and into sealing engagement with the seal, to form a ply of fiber reinforced composite material that has been laid on said upper surface portion to the shape of said upper surface portion, and for raising the bag out of contact with the mandrel; and
vacuum means for evacuating, through said upper surface portion of the mandrel, the area between the bag and the mandrel and within the seal, to compact said ply.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A ply (100) of fiber reinforced composite material is laid onto a mandrel (30) having a vacuum ported upper surface with a generally U-shaped cross section. Ply (100) is laid onto the top web (32) of mandrel (30), with its side edges being laid in a cantilevered fashion. A flexible bag (20) is inflated into a stretched condition and lowered over mandrel (30). Bag (20) rolls over mandrel (30) to form play (100) down over mandrel (30). As bag (20) rolls over mandrel (30), it folds ply (100) along two contoured bend lines between the web (32) and flanges (34, 36) of mandrel (30) and simultaneously restrains ply (100) from folding along a straight line. Bag (20) engages a seal (38) carried by mandrel (30). A vacuum is applied through mandrel (30) to evacuate the area between bag (20) and mandrel (30) within seal (38), to compact ply ( 100). Each ply of composite material is formed and compacted before laying another ply.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. Apparatus for forming a composite material article having a desired shape, said apparatus comprising:
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a mandrel having a vacuum ported upper surface portion that conforms to said desired shape; a seal carried by the mandrel and surrounding the perimeter of said upper surface portion; a flexible bag; inflating means for inflating the bag into a stretched condition; lowering means for lowering the bag in said condition over said upper surface portion of the mandrel and into sealing engagement with the seal, to form a ply of fiber reinforced composite material that has been laid on said upper surface portion to the shape of said upper surface portion, and for raising the bag out of contact with the mandrel; and vacuum means for evacuating, through said upper surface portion of the mandrel, the area between the bag and the mandrel and within the seal, to compact said ply. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of forming a composite material article, comprising:
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laying a ply of fiber reinforced composite material onto a vacuum ported mandrel having a shape conforming to the desired shape of the article; inflating a flexible bag into a stretched condition; lowering the inflated bag over the mandrel to form the ply to the shape of the mandrel, and bringing a portion of the bag into sealing engagement with a seal carried by the mandrel around the perimeter of the formed ply; applying a vacuum through the mandrel to the area between the bag and the mandrel and within the seal to compact the ply; raising the bag to take it out of contact with the mandrel and the ply; and laying additional plies of fiber reinforced composite material as necessary to obtain a desired thickness, and forming and compacting each such additional ply before laying another ply. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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Specification