Fitting including a composite material bracket and a stiffener

• US 9,090,025 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran SA
• Original Assignee: Safran SA
• Inventors: Balk, Wouter
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Anita M
• Application Number:
  US13/565,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20130032681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 248/235, 248/30, 248/200, 524/891, 525/731, 527/13, 527/12, 527/15, 403/403, 403/231, 403/292, 403/270, 403/295, 403/375, 403/382, 156/91, 156/475
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/04 of plates or sheets B29C63/04 takes precedence; bending or folding paper B31F1/0003; folding films B65H45/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/112 Single lapped joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/131 Single flanged joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being rigid and flanged in the joint area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/21 said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/30325 making use of cavities belonging to at least one of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/532 Joining single elements to the wall of tubular articles, hollow articles or bars
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/61 Joining from or joining on the inside for making tubes by bending sheets and joining from the inside B29C53/387
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/721 Fibre-reinforced materials B29C66/729 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7212 characterised by the composition of the fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72141 Fibres of continuous length
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7394 characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoset
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73941 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermosets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/742 to metals or their alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7422 Aluminium or alloys of aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81417 being V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81422 being convex
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81423 : being concave
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81427 : comprising a single ridge, e.g. for making a weakening line; comprising a single tooth
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81431 : comprising a single cavity, e.g. a groove
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 : Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91411 : of the parts to be joined, e.g. the joining process taking the temperature of the parts to be joined into account
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/919 : characterised by specific temperature, heat or thermal flux values or ranges specific electrical resistance values B29C66/81262
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/46 : using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2071/00 : Use of polyethers , e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2277/10 : Aromatic polyamides [Polyaramides] or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2307/04 : Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2309/08 : Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3076 : Aircrafts blades, propellers B29L2031/08
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/406 : in combination with supports for lines, e.g. for pipes or cables
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/13 : and engaging it by snap action F16L3/1203 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 : Weight reduction

Abstract

A fitting including at least one composite material bracket with two flat segments forming an angle less than 180° on an inside of the bracket and an angle greater than 180° on an outside of the bracket, together with a stiffener extending on the inside of the bracket between the two flat segments is disclosed. The bracket presents a slot crossing a straight line between the two flat segments, the slot extending into the two flat segments. The stiffener is folded in register with the slot and includes tabs fastened to each of the two flat segments.

Claims

1. A fitting comprising:

a composite material bracket with two flat segments forming an angle less than 180°

on an inside of the bracket and an angle greater than 180°

on an outside of the bracket; and

a stiffener extending on the inside of the bracket between the two flat segments,

wherein the bracket presents a slot crossing a straight line between the two flat segments, the slot extending into the two flat segments, and the stiffener is folded in register with the slot and includes tabs fastened to each of the two flat segments of the bracket.

2. The fitting according to claim 1, wherein the stiffener passes through the slot and the tabs are fastened to the outside of the bracket.

3. The fitting according to claim 2, wherein the bracket is made of thermoplastic matrix composite material.

4. The fitting according to claim 3, wherein the stiffener is made of thermoplastic matrix composite material.

5. The fitting according to claim 3, wherein the stiffener is made of metal.

6. The fitting according to claim 5, wherein each of the tabs of the stiffener presents a plurality of orifices that are at least partially filled with the thermoplastic matrix of said composite material.

7. The fitting according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is made of thermoplastic matrix composite material.

8. The fitting according to claim 7, wherein the stiffener is made of thermoplastic matrix composite material.

9. The fitting according to claim 7, wherein the stiffener is made of metal.

10. The fitting according to claim 9, wherein each of the tabs of the stiffener presents a plurality of orifices that are at least partially filled with the thermoplastic matrix of said composite material.

11. The fitting according to claim 1, wherein the stiffener is made from a part that is folded diagonally.