Composite material-stiffened panel and manufacturing method thereof

• US 7,074,474 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shigeki, Harada, Atsushi, Noda, Masahiro, Toi, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Alexander S.
• Application Number:
  US10/717,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20050003145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 428/102, 428/119, 428/178, 428/122, 244/123, 244/131, 244/133, 244/119
• US Class Current: 428/102
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/12 using bags surrounding the moulding material or using membranes contacting the moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/443 and impregnating by vacuum or injection
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/12 Construction or attachment of skin panels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24033 including stitching and discrete fastener[s], coating or bond
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24174 including sheet or component perpendicular to plane of web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24198 Channel-shaped edge component [e.g., binding, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24661 Forming, or cooperating to form cells

Abstract

A composite material-stiffened panel has a skin obtained by molding a fiber-reinforced resin composite material into a flat skin, stiffeners arranged in rows on one surface of the skin, and a fiber-reinforced resin-composite material stitched on the skin covering the stiffeners. The composite material-stiffened panel can be manufactured as follows: A first fabric material is placed on a tool having a panel-shaped surface. Stiffeners are placed on the first fabric materials. A second fabric material is placed on the stiffeners to cover at least some of the stiffeners. The second fabric materials are reformed to match the shape of the stiffeners. The reformed second fabric material is stitched on the first fabric material along edges of the stiffeners. All the materials are covered with a bagging film for vacuum. Resin is infiltrated into the fabric materials by a RTM or a RFI method. The infiltrated resin is heated to be hardened.

Claims

1. A composite material-stiffened panel, comprising:

a skin of fiber-reinforced resin composite material;

stiffeners with flange portions arranged in rows on one surface of said skin; and

a fiber-reinforced resin-composite material covering that covers at least some of said stiffeners and said covering being stitched on said skin along flange portions of said stiffeners in a longitudinal direction of said stiffeners and wherein said covering is only stitched to said skin in regions where there is covering contact with said skin.

2. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 1, further comprising ribs for connecting said stiffeners arranged in rows.

3. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 1, wherein said covering is reformed so as to match the shape of said stiffeners.

4. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 1, wherein said composite material-stiffened panel is infiltrated with resin by a RTM or an RFI method.

5. A composite material stiffened panel, comprising;

a first panel-shaped fabric material;

stiffeners placed on said first fabric material;

a second fabric material placed on said stiffeners so as to cover at least some of said stiffeners, said second fabric material being formed so as to match the shape of said stiffeners, said second fabric material being stitched on said first fabric material along edges of said stiffeners for facilitating positioning of said stiffeners;

a hardened resin infiltrated into said fabric materials, and wherein said stiffeners placed on said first fabric are made of fiber-reinforced resin-composite material,

said second fabric material being stitched on said first fabric material along edges of said stiffeners for facilitating positioning of said stiffeners;

a hardened resin infiltrated into said fabric materials, and wherein said stiffeners placed on said first fabric material are of metal.

6. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 5, further comprising ribs with an L-shaped cross-section which are adhered to said second fabric material.

7. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 5, further comprising pairs of L-shaped ribs arranged back-to-back along said second fabric material.

8. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 5 wherein stitches extend along each side of said stiffeners and are free from contact with said stiffeners.

9. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 5 wherein stitches extend in a longitudinal direction of said stiffeners and to each side of said stiffeners for positioning of said stiffeners free of a positioning tool.

10. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 5, wherein said stiffeners placed on said first fabric material have open cross-sections defining longitudinally extending hollow channels.

11. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 5, wherein said stiffeners placed on said first fabric material have a U-shaped cross-section with a central raised portion and flange portions extending outwardly to opposite sides of said central raised portion.

12. A composite material stiffened panel, comprising;

a first panel-shaped fabric material;

stiffeners placed on said first fabric material;

a second fabric material placed on said stiffeners so as to cover at least some of said stiffeners, said second fabric material being formed so as to match the shape of said stiffeners, said second fabric material being stitched on said first fabric material along edges of said stiffeners for facilitating positioning of said stiffeners;

a hardened resin infiltrated into said fabric materials, and wherein said stiffeners placed on said first fabric material have open cross-sections defining longitudinally extending hollow channels.

13. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 12, wherein said stiffeners placed on said first fabric material have a U-shaped cross-section with a central raised portion and flange portions extending outwardly to opposite sides of said central raised portion.

14. A composite material stiffened panel, comprising;

a first panel-shaped fabric material;

stiffeners placed on said first fabric material;

a second fabric material placed on said stiffeners so as to cover at least some of said stiffeners, said second fabric material being formed so as to match the shape of said stiffeners.

15. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 14, wherein said stiffeners placed on said first fabric material have open cross-section defining longitudinally extending hollow channels.

16. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 14, wherein said stiffeners placed on said first fabric material have a U-shaped cross-section with a central raised portion and flange portions extending outwardly to opposite sides of said central raised portion.

17. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 14, further comprising ribs with an L-shaped cross-section which are adhered to said second fabric material.

18. The composite material stiffened panel according to claim 14, further comprising pairs of L-shaped ribs arranged back-to-back along said second fabric material.

19. A composite material-stiffened panel, comprising:

a skin of fiber-reinforced resin composite material;

a plurality of longitudinally elongated stiffeners arranged in rows on said skin with each of said stiffeners having left and right side edges;

a fiber-reinforced resin-composite covering that covers at least a portion of said stiffeners;

a plurality of stitch lines which extend into the skin and said covering to join said covering to said skin, and said stitch lines being arranged in stiffener aligning stitch line pairs, with each of said pairs having a left stitch line extending longitudinally along and adjacent to the left side of a respective stiffener and a right stitch line extending longitudinally along and adjacent to the right side of that respective stiffener so as to align that respective stiffener between said left and right stitch lines, and said left stitch line of that respective stiffener being the closest stitch line to the left of the right stitch line for that respective stiffener.

20. The composite material stiffened panel of claim 19 wherein the left and right stitch lines in said pairs of stitch lines are free from contact with respective stiffeners being aligned by the left and right stitch lines.

21. The composite material stiffened panel of claim 19 wherein said stiffeners include left and right flanges with respective left and right stitch lines extending along and adjacent to said left and right flanges.

22. The composite material stiffened panel of claim 19 further comprising longitudinally spaced and transversely extending strengthening ribs having recesses for receiving said stiffeners and which ribs are supported by said skin.

23. The composite material stiffened panel of claim 19 wherein said stiffeners are channel members having side walls and a longitudinally extending cavity.