Co-curing process for the joining of composite structures
First Claim
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1. A method of fabricating a composite assembly, including:
- providing a first laminate and a second laminate respectively formed of first and second composite plies and having a respective first and second cured section and a respective first and second uncured section;
interleaving at least one of the first composite plies in the first uncured section with the second composite plies in the second uncured section to form an interfacial region, the interleaving of the at least one of the first composite plies with the second composite plies forming an interleaved ply;
laying up one or more splice plies over the interleaved ply in the interfacial region, the splice plies being different plies from those of the first laminate and the second laminate; and
curing the interfacial region to join the first laminate to the second laminate and form a unitized composite assembly.
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Abstract
A method of fabricating a composite assembly may include providing a first laminate and a second laminate respectively formed of first and second composite plies, and having a respective first and second cured section and a respective first and second uncured section. The method may further include interleaving the first composite plies in the first uncured section with the second composite plies in the second uncured section to form an interfacial region. The method may additionally include curing the interfacial region to join the first laminate to the second laminate and form a unitized composite assembly.
18 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating a composite assembly, including:
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providing a first laminate and a second laminate respectively formed of first and second composite plies and having a respective first and second cured section and a respective first and second uncured section; interleaving at least one of the first composite plies in the first uncured section with the second composite plies in the second uncured section to form an interfacial region, the interleaving of the at least one of the first composite plies with the second composite plies forming an interleaved ply; laying up one or more splice plies over the interleaved ply in the interfacial region, the splice plies being different plies from those of the first laminate and the second laminate; and curing the interfacial region to join the first laminate to the second laminate and form a unitized composite assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19)
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14. A method of fabricating a composite assembly, including:
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laying up a plurality of first composite plies to form a first layup; laying up a plurality of second composite plies to form a second layup; inserting a ply separator between at least one pair of the first composite plies and/or between at least one pair of the second composite plies; at least partially curing the respective first and second layup to form a respective first and second cured section and a respective first and second uncured section containing the ply separator between the at least one pair of the first composite plies and/or between the at least one pair of the second composite plies; preventing, due to insertion of the ply separator, bonding between the at least one pair of the first composite plies and/or between the at least one pair of the second composite plies during the at least partial curing of the respective first and second cured section; removing, after the at least partial curing, the ply separator from between the at least one pair of the first composite plies and/or from between the at least one pair of the second composite plies; interleaving the first composite plies in the first uncured section with the second composite plies in the second uncured section to form an interfacial region; and curing the interfacial region to join the first layup to the second layup and form a unitized composite assembly. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of fabricating a composite assembly, including:
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laying up a plurality of first composite plies and a plurality of second composite plies to respectively form a first layup and a second layup; curing to full cure a first cured section and a second cured section of the respective first and second layup; partially curing to approximately 5 percent a first uncured section and a second uncured section of the respective first and second layup; interleaving at least one of the first composite plies in the first uncured section between a pair of second composite plies in the second uncured section to form an interfacial region, the interleaving of the at least one of the first composite plies with the second composite plies forming an interleaved ply; laying up one or more splice plies over the interleaved ply in the interfacial region, the splice plies being different plies from those of the first layup and the second layup; and curing the interfacial region to form a unitized composite assembly. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification