Structural member having a stiffener bead therein and comprising plies of composite material extending for the full length and width of the structural member and continuously through the stiffener bead, and the article so made

• US 5,271,986 A
• Filed: 04/19/1991
• Issued: 12/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Toni, Darryl M., Fabian, Edward J., Ramey, Philip J., Dublinski, Alexander C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Loney, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US07/687,795
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 428/156, 428/161, 428/163, 428/167, 428/172, 428/175, 428/178, 428/193, 428/224, 428/284, 428/53, 428/54, 428/52, 428/58, 428/61, 428/62, 428/81, 428/88, 428/86, 428/102, 428/188 , 428/171, 428/212, 428/213
• US Class Current: 428/156
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/307 Mould plates mounted on frames; Mounting the mould plates; Frame constructions therefor shaping plates for making moulds B29C33/3842; thin walled moulds B29C33/0011
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/405 by applying pressure to the casting composition
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/12 using bags surrounding the moulding material or using membranes contacting the moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/30 Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/446 Moulding structures having an axis of symmetry or at least one channel, e.g. tubular structures, frames
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/541 Positioning reinforcements in a mould, e.g. using clamping means for the reinforcement positioning inserts in moulds B29C33/12; lay-up on a mould B29C70/30
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/549 Details of caul plates, e.g. materials or shape
• 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 156/1002 with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1044 of parallel stacked sheets only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24521 with component conforming to contour of nonplanar surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24537 Parallel ribs and/or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• 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 428/24785 including layer embodying mechanically interengaged strands, strand portions or strand-like strips [e.g., weave, knit, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 Thickness [relative or absolute]

Abstract

A structural member made up of a plurality of bonded plies of high tensile strength woven fabric and molded to include at least one stiffener bead having elliptically shaped ends, and a structural part so fabricated.

Claims

1. A structural member made of composite material comprising a plurality of plies of high strength woven fabric bonded together with a resin and including:

a. a wall member fabricated from said fabric so bonded; and

b. at least one stiffener bead in the wall member constituting an uninterrupted continuation of the composite material forming the wall member and wherein the stiffener bead is elongated along a given axis and concentric thereabout and tangentially joins the wall member about the full bead periphery, said stiffener bead having straight sides along its central portion and substantially elliptically shaped ends projecting smoothly from the straight sides, and further wherein said stiffener bead is shaped to define a sector of a circle when viewed in cross-section at its central portion, and to smoothly converge therefrom to define the elliptical ends.

2. A structural member according to claim 1 wherein said wall member and said stiffener beads comprise a plurality of plies of high strength woven fabric bonded together with a resin and which extend for the full length and width of the wall member and extend through the stiffener bead continuously and uninterrupted to form the stiffener bead integrally with the wall member.

3. A structural member according to claim 2 wherein the fabric is chosen from a group consisting of graphite, aromatic polyamide fibers of extremely high tensile strength and fiberglass.

4. A structural member according to claim 3 wherein the resin of the composite material is an epoxy.

5. A structural member according to claim 4 wherein the stiffener bead width at its central portion is substantially twice the width of its elliptical ends.

6. A structural member according to claim 4 wherein the stiffener bead width at its central portion is substantially twice the diameter of the substantially semicircular tip of its elliptical ends.

7. A structural member according to claim 5 and wherein said stiffener bead straight sides are parallel and positioned equidistant on opposite sides of the axis through the central portion of the bead.

8. A structural member according to claim 7 and including a plurality of parallelly extending stiffener beads in the wall member.