Panel of composite material and method of fabricating the same

• US 20010051251A1
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Published: 12/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Harada, Atsushi, Noda, Masahiro, Toi, Yasuhiro, Nagao, Takayuki, Amaoka, Kazuaki
• Granted Patent: US 6,502,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/119
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/04 comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/685 by laminating inserts between two plastic films or plates
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3082 Fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3085 Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/18 Aircraft blades, propellers B32B2603/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/18 characterised by an internal layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/24 one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0072 from composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/18 Spars; Ribs; Stringers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/20 Integral or sandwich constructions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49904 Assembling a subassembly, then assembling with a second subassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49947 by applying separate fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24174 including sheet or component perpendicular to plane of web or sheet

Abstract

This invention is a method of fabricating a panel of composite material. The panel includes two outside skins and stringers attached inside of the two outside skins for reinforcing the two outside skins. A plurality of stringers for reinforcing outside skins is formed from dry preformed fibers. The plurality of stringers are disposed at a predetermined interval. Adjacent two stringers is connected with each other via a connecting member made from dry preformed fibers The connected stringers and the connecting members are set into a forming mold. Resin is introduced into the forming mold to impregnate the dry preformed fibers of the stringers and the connecting members. The resin-impregnated stringers and the resin-impregnated connecting members are cured to unite the resin-impregnated stringers and the resin-impregnated connecting member into one body of “Rudder Shape” stringer. A prepreg is laminated onto an outside-skin shaping mold. The united stringers and connecting members are disposed onto the laminated prepreg. The laminated prepreg and the united stringers and connecting members are cured to form an outside-skin part in which the stringers, the connecting members and an outside skin are united. Two outside-skin parts are connected via a reinforcing member to form a box of composite material.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a panel of composite material including two outside skins and a stringer disposed between the two outside skins for reinforcing the two outside skins, said method comprising the steps of;

forming a plurality of stringers for reinforcing outside skins from dry preformed fibers,

disposing the plurality of stringers at a predetermined interval and connecting adjacent two stringers with each other via a connecting member made from dry preformed fibers,

setting the connected stringers and the connecting members into a forming mold and introducing resin into the forming mold to impregnate the dry preformed fibers of the stringers and the connecting members,

curing the resin-impregnated stringers and the resin-impregnated connecting members to unite the resin-impregnated stringers and the resin-impregnated connecting members into one body of “

Rudder Shape”

stringer,

laminating a prepreg onto an outside-skin shaping mold,

disposing the united stringers and connecting members onto the laminated prepreg,

curing the laminated prepreg and the united stringers and connecting member to form an outside-skin part in which the stringers, the connecting members and an outside skin are united, and

connecting two outside-skin parts with each other via a reinforcing member to form a panel of composite material.

2. A method of fabricating a panel of composite material according to

claim 1

, wherein:

the dry preformed stringers and connecting members are made from a three-dimensionally shaped fabric or a three-dimensionally woven fabric.

3. A method of fabricating a panel of composite material according to

claim 1

, wherein:

the resin-impregnated, cured, united stringers and connecting members are one semicured component that is cured only to a predetermined level.

4. A method of fabricating a panel of composite material according to

claim 1

, wherein:

in the united stringers and connecting members,

at least one of the connecting members has a portion protruding upward with respect to the stringers, and

the portion is connectable by a fastener.

5. A method of fabricating a wing of composite material, said method comprising the steps of;

forming a plurality of stringers for reinforcing outside skins of a wing from dry preformed fibers,

disposing the plurality of stringers at a predetermined interval and connecting adjacent two stringers with each other via a connecting member made from dry preformed fibers,

setting the connected stringers and the connecting member into a forming mold and introducing resin into the forming mold to impregnate the dry preformed fibers of the stringers and the connecting members,

curing the resin-impregnated stringers and the resin-impregnated connecting members to unite the resin-impregnated stringers and the resin-impregnated connecting members into one body of “

Rudder Shape”

stringer,

laminating a prepreg onto a first outside-skin shaping mold that has a shape of an upper surface of the wing,

laminating a prepreg onto a second outside-skin shaping mold that has a shape of a lower surface of the wing,

disposing united stringers and connecting members and semicured front and rear spars onto the prepreg laminated onto the first outside-skin shaping mold,

disposing united stringers and connecting members onto the prepreg laminated onto the second outside-skin shaping mold,

curing the laminated prepreg, the united stringers and connecting members, and the front and rear spars, to form a first wing-outside-skin part in which the stringer, the connecting member, the front and rear spars and an outside skin are united, and

curing the laminated prepreg and the united stringers and connecting members to form a second wing-outside-skin part in which the stringer, the connecting member and an outside skin are united,

connecting the front and rear spars of the first wing-outside-skin part to the second wing-outside-skin part via a fastener, and

connecting the respective connecting members of the two wing-outside-skin parts with each other via a reinforcing member to form a predetermined shape of the wing.

6. A panel of composite material comprising:

two outside-skin parts, each including an outside skin, a plurality of stringers, connecting members for connecting the plurality of stringers, and

a reinforcing member connecting the two outside-skin parts with each other,

wherein

the outside-skin part is formed into one body,

at least one of the connecting members has a portion protruding upward from the plurality of stringers,

the portion is connected to the reinforcing member via a fastener.