Joint assembly and method of forming thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167075-B2
Application number	US-201313926377-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2013
Priority date	Jun 25, 2013
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A joint assembly includes a first component formed from a first material and a second component including a portion that extends at least partially into the first component and that has an uneven outer profile. The first material is configured to form the first component into a shape that is substantially complementary to a shape of the portion to facilitate restricting movement of the second component in an axial direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A joint assembly for use in a rotary blade system, said joint assembly comprising:
a first component comprising:
a plurality of layers formed from a first material; and
a plurality of strips formed from a second material, wherein each strip of said plurality of strips is coupled between adjacent layers of said plurality of layers; and

a second component comprising a portion that extends at least partially into said first component and that has an uneven outer profile, wherein said plurality of layers surrounds said second component such that an entirety of said second component is inward of said plurality of layers such that said second component is not exposed to an exterior environment, and wherein said second component comprises a plurality of retention members and a plurality of recesses defined between adjacent retention members, wherein a first layer of said plurality of layers is coupled to said plurality of retention members and positioned within said plurality of recesses, and wherein each strip of said plurality of strips is coupled to said first layer within a respective recess, wherein a second layer of said plurality of layers is coupled to said plurality of strips opposite said first layer such that said each strip is positioned between said first layer and said second layer.

2. The joint assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said second component comprises an outer surface from which said plurality of retention members extend to define the uneven outer profile, wherein the uneven profile defines a substantially sinusoidal shape.

3. The joint assembly in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said plurality of retention members extend about an entire circumference of said second component portion along said outer surface.

4. The joint assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a portion of said first layer positioned within said each recess and said strip have a combined thickness that is substantially equal to a depth of said recess.

5. The joint assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said second material is different from the first material.

6. The joint assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises a fiber-reinforced polymer material.

7. The joint assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said second component comprises at least one weight balance receptacle.

8. The joint assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said second layer comprises an outermost surface of said first component.

9. The joint assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said second layer is planar along an entire length of said potion of said second component.

10. The joint assembly in accordance with claim 1 , said plurality of recesses are axially aligned with one another.

11. The joint assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said plurality of strips are axially aligned with one another, and wherein said plurality of strips are substantially similar to one another.

12. A spar assembly for use in a rotary blade system, said spar assembly comprising:
a root portion;
a tip portion spaced from said root portion;
a body extending from said root portion to said tip portion, wherein said body comprises:
a plurality of layers formed from a first material; and
a plurality of strips formed from a second material, wherein each strip of said plurality of strips is coupled between adjacent layers of said plurality of layers; and

a tip fitting comprising:
a first portion that extends at least partially into said tip portion, said first portion comprising a plurality of retention members and a plurality of recesses defined between adjacent retention members such that said first portion includes an uneven outer profile that defines substantially sinusoidal shape, wherein a first layer of said plurality of layers is coupled to said plurality of retention members and positioned within said plurality of recesses, and wherein each strip of said plurality of strips is coupled to said first layer within each recess, wherein a second layer of said plurality of layers is coupled to said plurality of strips opposite said first layer such that said each strip is positioned between said first layer and said second layer, wherein said first portion comprises a hollow core; and

a second portion adjacent said first portion, wherein said second portion is tapered to an end.

13. The spar assembly in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the first material comprises a fiber-reinforced polymer material comprising a tri-axial braided fiber-reinforced polymer material and said tip fitting is formed from a metallic material.

14. The spar assembly in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said body and said first portion interlock with an intimate fit to facilitate restricting movement of said tip fitting that is induced by a centrifugal force.

15. The spar assembly in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said first layer contacts said outer second layer between adjacent strips of said plurality of strips.

16. A method of forming a joint assembly, said method comprising:
providing a first component including a plurality of layers formed from a first material, and a plurality of strips formed from a second material;
forming a second component including a plurality of retention members and a plurality of recesses defined between adjacent retention members;
extending a portion of a second component at least partially into the first component, the portion having an uneven outer profile;
coupling a first layer of the plurality of layers to the plurality of retention members and within the plurality of recesses;
coupling a strip of said plurality of strips to the first layer within each recess;
surrounding the second component and the plurality of strips with a second layer of the plurality of layers such that an entirety of the second component is inward of an entirety of the plurality of layers and the second component is not exposed to an exterior environment;
wherein a first layer of said plurality of layers is coupled to said plurality of retention members and positioned within said plurality of recesses, and wherein each strip of said plurality of strips is coupled to said first layer within each recess, wherein a second layer of said plurality of layers is coupled to said plurality of strips opposite said first layer such that said each strip is positioned between said first layer and said second layer.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein extending a portion comprises fully inserting the second component into the first component.

18. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein coupling the strip comprises extending the strip at least partially about an outer surface of the second component portion.

19. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein surrounding the second component and the plurality of strips with the second layer of the plurality of layers comprises contacting the second layer to the first layer between adjacent strips of the plurality of strips.

20. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein forming the second component comprises forming the second component such that the plurality of recesses are axially aligned with one another.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Kennedy Dennis K
• Stahlecker Zach K
• Opie Saul

Classifications

• B64C2027/4736

  from composite materials · CPC title

• Y10T403/4966

  Deformation occurs simultaneously with assembly · CPC title

• Y10T29/49337

  Composite blade · CPC title

• F16B11/002

  by pressing the elements together so as to obtain plastic deformation (shrinkage connections, force fits F16B4/00; pin-and-hole connections involving plastic deformation F16B17/00) · CPC title

• B64C27/473 Primary

  Constructional features · CPC title