Panel structure fabrication
First Claim
1. A panel structure comprisinga first core element comprised of superplastic material, said superplastic material being a metal or a metal alloy having superplasticity characteristics, and including a plurality of successive inwardly extending superplastically formed first bulges, andat least one other core element comprised of superplastic material adjacent said first core element, and including a plurality of successive inwardly extending superplastically formed second bulges disposed at an angle to and extending toward said first bulges, said second bulges being dissimilar to said first bulges, said second bulges being formed around and contacting said first bulges, and said first and second bulges being diffusion bonded at the contacting areas.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The structure and process for making a metallic panel structure from a plurality, e.g. two, core elements each comprised of a pair of sheets of superplastic material welded together along a plurality of weld lines, the weld lines of one core element being spaced differently or of different shape from the weld lines of the other core element. The core elements are joined together, with the weld lines of one core panel positioned at an angle, e.g., normal, to the weld lines of the adjacent core element. The resulting panel assembly is placed in a die. The die is heated to superplastic forming temperature, and gas pressure is applied to the spaces between the sheets of the respective core elements, causing superplastic forming and expansion of the sheets of each core panel to form a first series of bulges between weld lines of one core element, and a second series of bulges dissimilar in shape, e.g. larger, than the first series of bulges, between weld lines of the adjacent core element, the bulges expanding inwardly toward each other. The two series of bulges are orthogonally disposed, the bulges from the two core elements contacting and forming around each other. Further pressurization is applied to cause diffusion bonding at the contacting areas of the two series of bulges. The resulting structure is formed of two normally disposed series of bulges, one series larger than the other, with face sheets connected to such bulges.
60 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A panel structure comprising
a first core element comprised of superplastic material, said superplastic material being a metal or a metal alloy having superplasticity characteristics, and including a plurality of successive inwardly extending superplastically formed first bulges, and at least one other core element comprised of superplastic material adjacent said first core element, and including a plurality of successive inwardly extending superplastically formed second bulges disposed at an angle to and extending toward said first bulges, said second bulges being dissimilar to said first bulges, said second bulges being formed around and contacting said first bulges, and said first and second bulges being diffusion bonded at the contacting areas.
Specification