Radius fillers for composite structures, composite structures that include radius fillers, and systems and methods of forming the same

• US 9,616,594 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Guzman, Juan C., Anderson, Robert L., McCarville, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniels, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): DULKO, MARTA S
• Application Number:
  US13/567,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20140034236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 156443, 156180, 156324, 156196
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 11/16 comprising fillers or reinforcement non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00, D04H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/52 Pultrusion, i.e. forming and compressing by continuously pulling through a die
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/526 Pultrusion dies, e.g. dies with moving or rotating parts B29C70/523 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/528 Heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0005 Producing noodles, i.e. composite gap fillers, characterised by their construction
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0021 provided with plain or filled structures, e.g. cores, placed between two or more plates or sheets, e.g. in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3076 Aircrafts blades, propellers B29L2031/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/17 Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means

Abstract

Radius fillers for composite structures, composite structures that include the radius fillers, and systems and methods of forming the radius fillers. The systems and methods may be configured to create a pre-form that may be utilized to form a radius filler and/or create a radius filler from the pre-form. Creating the pre-form may include extending a plurality of lengths of composite tape from a composite tape source and receiving the plurality of lengths of composite tape in a pre-form forming structure, converging and/or otherwise combining the plurality of lengths of composite tape within the pre-form forming structure to produce the pre-form, and/or withdrawing the pre-form from the pre-form forming structure. Creating the radius filler from the pre-form may include receiving the pre-form in a radius filler forming structure and producing the radius filler from the radius filler forming structure.

Claims

1. A method of creating a pre-form for a radius filler, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of lengths of composite tape with a pre-forming die that includes a die body that includes a first side and a second side, a plurality of first openings on the first side of the die body that are configured to receive the plurality of lengths of composite tape, and a second opening on the second side of the die body, wherein the plurality of first openings converge into the second opening within the die body at a skew angle, and further wherein the receiving includes drawing the plurality of lengths of composite tape through the plurality of first openings;

combining the plurality of lengths of composite tape within the pre-forming die to form the pre-form, wherein the combining includes directly contacting a first length of composite tape of the plurality of lengths of composite tape with a second length of composite tape of the plurality of lengths of composite tape and compressing the first length of composite tape against the second length of composite tape; and

withdrawing the pre-form from the pre-forming die, wherein the withdrawing includes extending the pre-form from the second opening of the pre-forming die, and further wherein the receiving, the combining, and the withdrawing are performed concurrently.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes selectively varying at least one of a width, a relative orientation, and a material of construction of at least one of the plurality of lengths of composite tape based, at least in part, on at least one of a desired cross-sectional area of the radius filler that is formed from the pre-form, a desired cross-sectional shape of the radius filler that is formed from the pre-form, and a desired mechanical stiffness of the radius filler that is formed from the pre-form, wherein the receiving, the combining, the withdrawing, and the selectively varying are performed concurrently.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lengths of composite tape includes a number of lengths of composite tape and the method further includes selectively varying the number of lengths of composite tape, wherein the selectively varying includes at least one of (i) selectively increasing the number of lengths of composite tape to at least one of increase a cross-sectional area of the radius filler that is formed from the pre-form and change a mechanical stiffness of the radius filler that is formed from the pre-form and (ii) selectively decreasing the number of lengths of composite tape to at least one of decrease the cross-sectional area of the radius filler and change the mechanical stiffness of the radius filler, wherein the receiving, the combining, the withdrawing, and the selectively varying are performed concurrently.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining includes arranging at least a first length of composite tape of the plurality of lengths of composite tape such that it is oriented in a plane that is not parallel to a second length of composite tape of the plurality of lengths of composite tape.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining includes converging the plurality of lengths of composite tape within the pre-forming die to form the pre-form.

6. A method of creating a radius filler, the method comprising:

creating a pre-form using the method of claim 1;

extending the pre-form along a pre-form supply path that extends through a radius filler die; and

forming the radius filler from the pre-form within the radius filler die.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the forming includes receiving the pre-form at a first side of the radius filler die and withdrawing the radius filler from a second side of the radius filler die, wherein the withdrawing is concurrent with the receiving.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the radius filler die is a first radius filler die, wherein the forming includes forming the radius filler within the first radius filler die to produce a first region of the radius filler with a first cross-sectional shape, and further wherein the method includes:

moving the first radius filler die out of the pre-form supply path;

moving a second radius filler die into the pre-form supply path, wherein the second radius filler die is spaced apart from the first radius filler die; and

forming the radius filler with the second radius filler die to produce a second region of the radius filler with a second cross-sectional shape, wherein the first cross-sectional shape is different from the second cross-sectional shape.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the moving includes transitioning between producing the first region and producing the second region without ceasing the extending.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further includes heating the pre-form, wherein the heating includes at least one of heating the pre-form prior to the forming, heating the pre-form during the forming, supplying radiant heat to the pre-form, and heating the radius filler die.