Reinforced bladder

• US 9,862,122 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Santiago, Jonathan A., Thomas, Charles William
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenlang, Alison L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luk, Sean S
• Application Number:
  US14/459,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20160046044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3649 Inflatable bladders using gas or fluid and related details
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/505 cores or mandrels, e.g. inflatable B29C33/0016 takes precedence; for winding and joining B29C53/824; for supporting articles during joining B29C66/634; flexible cores for vulcanizing tyres B29D30/0654
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/3642 Bags, bleeder sheets or cauls for isostatic pressing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/342 using isostatic pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/544 Details of vacuum bags, e.g. materials or shape
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/00 Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/246 Uncured, e.g. green
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2309/08 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/757 Moulds, cores, dies

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a reinforced bladder are provided. The reinforced bladder comprises a bladder with a cross-sectional shape formed of a polymeric material and a number of reinforcements. Each of the number of reinforcements covers only a portion of the cross-sectional shape such that part of the cross-sectional shape remains uncovered by the number of reinforcements.

Claims

1. A method for forming a reinforced bladder, the method comprising:

forming a bladder comprising a cross-sectional shape from an uncured rubber;

placing a number of reinforcements around an exterior of the bladder, each of the number of reinforcements covering only a portion of the cross-sectional shape, such that part of the cross-sectional shape remains uncovered by the number of reinforcements;

curing the bladder while co-curing the number of reinforcements to the exterior of the bladder, thus forming the reinforced bladder;

placing the reinforced bladder within a tool; and

pressurizing the reinforced bladder to compress a composite material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional shape is a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, and wherein placing the number of reinforcements on the bladder comprises placing a first reinforcement onto a portion of a shorter parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein placing the number of reinforcements on the bladder further comprises placing a second reinforcement onto a portion of a longer parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second reinforcement extends a fraction of a length of the bladder, and wherein placing the second reinforcement comprises placing the second reinforcement such that the second reinforcement covers the longer parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and a portion of each of lateral sides of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape across the fraction of the length of the bladder.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

placing a second number of reinforcements onto the bladder such that each of the second number of reinforcements extends a respective fraction of a length of the bladder and surrounds the cross-sectional shape.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional shape is a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, and wherein placing the number of reinforcements on the bladder comprises placing a first reinforcement onto a portion of a shorter parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and placing a second reinforcement onto a portion of a longer parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, the method further comprising:

placing a second number of reinforcements onto the bladder such that each of the second number of reinforcements extends a respective fraction of a length of the bladder and surrounds the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second reinforcement extends a fraction of the length of the bladder, and wherein placing the second reinforcement comprises placing the second reinforcement such that the second reinforcement covers the longer parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and a portion of each of lateral sides of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape across the fraction of the length of the bladder.

8. A method for forming a reinforced bladder, the method comprising:

forming a bladder comprising a cross-sectional shape from an uncured rubber;

placing a number of reinforcements around an exterior of the bladder, each of the number of reinforcements covering only a portion of the cross-sectional shape, such that part of the cross-sectional shape remains uncovered by the number of reinforcements;

curing the bladder while co-curing the number of reinforcements to the exterior of the bladder, thus forming the reinforced bladder;

placing the reinforced bladder within a tool such that a composite material surrounds the reinforced bladder, such that the reinforced bladder substantially conforms to features of the composite material; and

pressurizing the reinforced bladder to compress the composite material.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the cross-sectional shape is a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, and wherein placing the number of reinforcements on the bladder comprises placing a first reinforcement onto a portion of a shorter parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein placing the number of reinforcements on the bladder further comprises placing a second reinforcement onto a portion of a longer parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second reinforcement extends a fraction of a length of the bladder, and wherein placing the second reinforcement comprises placing the second reinforcement such that the second reinforcement covers the longer parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and a portion of each of lateral sides of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape across the fraction of the length of the bladder.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

placing a second number of reinforcements onto the bladder such that each of the second number of reinforcements extends a respective fraction of a length of the bladder and surrounds the cross-sectional shape.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the cross-sectional shape is a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, and wherein placing the number of reinforcements on the bladder comprises placing a first reinforcement onto a portion of a shorter parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and placing a second reinforcement onto a portion of a longer parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, the method further comprising:

placing a second number of reinforcements onto the bladder such that each of the second number of reinforcements extends a respective fraction of a length of the bladder and surrounds the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second reinforcement extends a fraction of the length of the bladder, and wherein placing the second reinforcement comprises placing the second reinforcement such that the second reinforcement covers the longer parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and a portion of each of lateral sides of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape across the fraction of the length of the bladder.

15. A method for forming a composite material using a reinforced bladder, the method comprising:

forming a bladder comprising a cross-sectional shape from an uncured rubber;

placing a number of reinforcements around an exterior of the bladder, each of the number of reinforcements covering only a portion of the cross-sectional shape, such that part of the cross-sectional shape remains uncovered by the number of reinforcements;

curing the bladder while co-curing the number of reinforcements to the exterior of the bladder, thus forming the reinforced bladder;

placing the reinforced bladder within a tool such that the composite material surrounds the reinforced bladder, such that the reinforced bladder substantially conforms to features of the composite material, such that the features comprise at least one feature from of a group of features comprising;

a joggle, a ramp up, a ramp down, a bend, a twist, and a curvature; and

pressurizing the reinforced bladder to compress the composite material.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cross-sectional shape is a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, and wherein placing the number of reinforcements on the bladder comprises placing a first reinforcement onto a portion of a shorter parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein placing the number of reinforcements on the bladder further comprises placing a second reinforcement onto a portion of a longer parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second reinforcement extends a fraction of a length of the bladder, and wherein placing the second reinforcement comprises placing the second reinforcement such that the second reinforcement covers the longer parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and a portion of each of lateral sides of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape across the fraction of the length of the bladder.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

placing a second number of reinforcements onto the bladder such that each of the second number of reinforcements extends a respective fraction of a length of the bladder and surrounds the cross-sectional shape.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the cross-sectional shape is a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, and wherein placing the number of reinforcements on the bladder comprises placing a first reinforcement onto a portion of a shorter parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and placing a second reinforcement onto a portion of a longer parallel side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, the method further comprising:

placing a second number of reinforcements onto the bladder such that each of the second number of reinforcements extends a respective fraction of a length of the bladder and surrounds the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.