Tubular members integrated to form a structure

• US 6,655,633 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chapman W. Cullen Jr
• Original Assignee: Chapman W. Cullen Jr
• Inventors: Chapman, W. Cullen Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barefoot, Galen L.
• Application Number:
  US09/489,041
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 244/123, 244/119, 244/117.R, 244/131, 244/133, 156/156, 416/239, 416/204.R, 416/227.R, 416/229.R, 416/230
• US Class Current: 244/123.9
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/60 using internal forming surfaces, e.g. mandrels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/821 Mandrels especially adapted for winding and joining
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/822 Single use mandrels, e.g. destructible, becoming part of the wound articles B29C53/825 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/32 on a rotating mould, former or core
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 24/004 the structure having vertical or oblique ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3076 Aircrafts blades, propellers B29L2031/08
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/06 Frames; Stringers; Longerons ; Fuselage sections
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0072 from composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

Integrally stiffened and formed, load carrying structures comprising a plurality of elongated thin-walled tubes placed co-extensively in a complementary side-by-side fashion which together form a hollow structure having a desired external contour. Integral skins forming the external and internal surfaces of the structure cooperatively therewith. The structure can be formed with an underlying internal support member spanning the interior of the load carrying structure, thereby connecting opposite sides of the structure together. Also, each of the tubes are wound with fibers in controlled orientations generally paralleling the direction of the loads applied to the tubes to optimize the strength to weight ratio of the tubes.

Claims

1. An elongated load carrying structure of a predetermined curved exterior contour comprising:

a wall formed by a plurality of elongated co-extensive triangular cross-section filament wound tubes having sharp corners nested complementally together in juxtaposition and arranged to cooperate together in forming at least a portion of a hollow shell defining a body of revolution having said predetermined exterior contour;

a bond bonding said tubes together; and

an outer skin covering the exterior surface of said shell.

2. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 for carrying a predetermined load wherein:

said tubes are wound with filaments oriented and arranged to efficiently carry said predetermined load.

3. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said exterior cross section is a fluid foil and wherein:

said tubes are arranged to define the shape of said shell as said fluid foil.

4. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubes are wound with filaments having a helical pitch from 0°

to 90°

to the longitudinal axis.

5. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said skin is filament wound.

6. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein:

said foil is in the shape of an airplane wing; and

said tubes are arranged to cooperate in forming a leading edge, round in transverse, also an acute angle trailing edge.

7. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubes are hollow to form longitudinal passages therein.

8. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubes are formed with respective equilateral cross sections.

9. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubes are wound with selected sections having one wall thickness and other sections having a different wall thickness.

10. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 that includes:

a strut device in said shell extending from one side to the other thereof.

11. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 10 wherein:

said strut device includes elongated filament wound triangular tubes located side by side and nested together.

12. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said structure is a fuselage and wherein further:

said tubes are arranged to cooperate in forming said shell with a circularly shaped said exterior contour.

13. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said structure is a fluid foil; and

said tubes are arranged to form discrete leading edge and trailing edge sections; and

said skin is arranged to cover said sections.

14. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 13 wherein:

said leading and trailing edge sections are configured with conforming sides configured with respective abutting sections that abut together and inclined recess sections cooperating to, when said abutting sections are abutted together, form cavities of selected configurations; and

filament wound filler tubes configured for complemental receipt in said cavities.

15. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubes are configured with uniform cross sections along the irrespective length.

16. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said structure is formed to project longitudinally with said exterior contour tapering laterally inwardly in one direction along the length thereof and wherein further:

at least some of said tubes angle laterally inwardly toward one another in said one direction.

17. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubes are arranged to configure said wall to form leading and trailing wing sections.

18. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 17 wherein:

said tubes are arranged to configure said trailing section with top and bottom walls projecting forwardly from a trailing edge and diverging from one another;

said trailing section being configured at its forward extremity with a first coupling;

said leading section being configured with a rounded leading edge with respective top and bottom walls projecting rearwardly; and

said leading section being formed at its rear extremity with a second coupling for complementally coupling with said first section.

19. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 18 wherein:

said tubes are arranged to form said wall configured to define said first and second couplings.

20. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 18 wherein:

said first coupling includes lugs mounted on the respective top and bottom walls of said trailing section; and

said second coupling includes a keeper engageable behind said lugs.

21. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 18 wherein:

said first coupling includes dovetail grooves; and

said second coupling includes tongues complementally received in said grooves.

22. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubes are arranged in juxtaposition and in a circular pattern to form said wall as a fuselage section.

23. An elongated load carrying structure as set forth in claim 22 wherein:

said tubes are arranged to configure said wall in a circular pattern and include longitudinal and helical filaments.

24. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubes are arranged to cooperate in forming the entire wall of said shell.

25. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubes are arranged to form a wing box.

26. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubes are arranged to form a hollow wing structure and includes a further plurality of triangular cross-section filament wound tubes juxtaposed in the interior of said wing structure and bonded together to cooperate in forming one or more gussets.

27. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said tubes are arranged to cooperate in forming the wall of a wing section; and

said structure further includes a further plurality of elongated co-extensive juxtaposed triangular in cross-section filament wound hollow tubes arranged together to define, in cross-section, a generally crescent shape defining a wing slat to be connected to the front of said wing section.

28. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said filament wound tubes are arranged to cooperate in forming the wall of a trailing wing section, and wherein;

said structure includes a plurality of elongated co-extensive triangular in cross-section filament wound hollow tubes arranged to form a slat section configured for attachment to said trailing wing section.

29. A structure as set forth in claim 27 wherein:

further tubes are arranged to form said flap in the form of split flaps.

30. An intermediate apparatus to couple a composite wing structure having a plurality of elongated thin walled filament wound tapered triangular tubes placed co-extensively in a complementary side-by-side fashion to a composite fuselage comprising:

a predetermined number of plugs having a root end and a tip end, wherein each of the predetermined number of plugs has tapered triangular cross-section adapted to associate with the corresponding tapered triangular tubes;

each of the predetermined number of plugs having a flange, wherein each of the flanges are coupled to the root end of the plugs to align relative to other flanges when plugs are inserted into the corresponding tapered triangular tubes; and

the aligned flanges adapted to associate with a composite fuselage adapted to receive the aligned flanges.

31. A load carrying section, comprising:

a core defined by a plurality of triangular cross-section fiber wound tubes nested complimentarily together in juxtaposition, where at least one corner of each of the plurality of triangular cross-section has angle that is less than 60 degrees, the core having an external surface and an internal surface; and

a fiber wound outer skin over the external surface of the core to define a load carrying section.

33. A load carrying section according to claim 31, wherein the fiber wound outer skin is a filament wound outer skin.

34. A load carrying section according to claim 31, wherein the fiber wound outer skin is bonded to the external surface of the core.

35. A load carrying section according to claim 31, wherein each of the fiber wound tubes have a longitudinal axis and a variable cross-section along the longitudinal axis.

36. A load carrying section according to claim 35, wherein the variable cross-section along the longitudinal axis tapers from one end to another.

37. A load carrying section according to claim 31, wherein the core forms a fluid foil.

38. A load carrying section according to claim 31, wherein the core forms a wing box.

39. A load carrying section according to claim 31, wherein the core forms a fuselage.

40. A load carrying section according to claim 31, further including a filament wound inner skin bonded to the internal surface of the core.

41. A load carrying section according to claim 31, further including a bond between the plurality of fiber wound tubes.

42. A load carrying section according to claim 31, wherein the plurality of fiber wound tubes are wound with fibers oriented and arranged to effectively carry a predetermined load.

43. A load carrying section according to claim 31, wherein the core forms a shell, and further including an internal support member comprised of a plurality of fiber wound tubes within the shell.

32. A load carrying section according to claima 31, wherein the fiber wound tubes are filament wound tubes.

44. A load carrying section, comprising:

a core defined by a plurality of triangular cross-section fiber wound tubes nested complimentarily together in juxtaposition, where matrix material is between triangular cross-section fiber wound tubes to hold the plurality of tubes together, where the ratio between the triangular fiber and matrix is substantially greater than about, 60%, the core having an external surface and an internal surface; and

a fiber wound outer skin over the external surface of the core to define a load carrying section.

45. The load, carrying section according to claim 44, where the ratio between the triangular fiber and matrix is up to about 90%.