Non-vented bladder system for curing composite parts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10040256-B2
Application number	US-201615200330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Jun 8, 2012
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A composite part charge having an internal cavity is placed on a tool and covered by a vacuum bag for autoclave curing. A bladder is placed in the cavity to react autoclave pressure on the charge. The bladder is coupled with a flexible fluid reservoir located beneath the vacuum bag. The bladder is pressurized by autoclave pressure applied through the vacuum bag to the flexible fluid reservoir.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of autoclave curing a composite charge having an internal cavity, comprising:
placing the composite charge on a tool;
installing a bladder within the cavity;
coupling the bladder with a reservoir of fluid;
sealing a flexible bag over the composite charge and the reservoir; and
using the flexible bag to transmit autoclave pressure to the reservoir to force fluid from the reservoir into the bladder.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein coupling the bladder with the reservoir includes attaching the bladder to the reservoir before the bladder is installed in the cavity.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein sealing the bag includes sealing the bag to the tool.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
stiffening the bladder by filling the bladder with a fill material, and
separating the fill material from the fluid by placing a septum in the bladder.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using a vacuum to draw the flexible bag down against sides of the reservoir.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing the flexible bag from the composite charge and the reservoir after the composite charge has been cured; and
relieving pressure within the bladder by porting the reservoir to a vacuum source after the flexible bag has been removed.

7. A method of autoclave curing a composite part charge having an internal cavity, comprising:
supporting the composite part charge within the autoclave; and
pressurizing a bladder within the internal cavity using autoclave pressure to force fluid from a fluid reservoir into the bladder.

8. The method of claim 7 , further wherein using the autoclave pressure to force the fluid from the fluid reservoir into the bladder includes:
evacuating a vacuum bag sealed over the fluid reservoir, and
using the bag to transmit the autoclave pressure to the fluid reservoir.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Hollensteiner William Stahl
• Willden Kurtis S

Classifications

• B29C33/485

  cores or mandrels (collapsible mandrels for shaping tube ends B29C57/02; collapsible mandrels for winding and joining B29C53/824) · CPC title

• B29C70/446 Primary

  Moulding structures having an axis of symmetry or at least one channel, e.g. tubular structures, frames · CPC title

• B29K2105/06

  containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts · CPC title

• B29C33/10

  with incorporated venting means · CPC title

• B29K2867/00

  Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof as mould material · CPC title