Heat shrink laminated composite patch for repairing composite components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10272652-B2
Application number	US-201514824735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2015
Priority date	Aug 12, 2015
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A sheet of heat shrink laminated composite for use creating repair patches for repairing or building up a surface formed of a composite material such as fiberglass-reinforced plastic. The sheet includes first and second layers of a heat-curable adhesive. The sheet includes a reinforcement layer sandwiched between the first and second layers of the adhesive. The sheet further includes a pressure application layer, which is formed of a heat-activated shrink wrap film, abutting an outer surface of the first layer of the adhesive. The reinforcement layer may include a sheet of a porous fabric or cloth, which may be fibers of carbon or glass such as unidirectional e-glass fibers. The adhesive is cured when heated to a temperature in a curing temperature range, and the shrink wrap film is activated when heated to a temperature in an activation temperature range that overlaps the curing temperature range of the adhesive.

First claim

We claim:

1. A multi-layer sheet for use in repairing and building up a surface formed of a composite material, comprising:
a first layer comprising a resin;
a second layer comprising the resin, wherein the resin comprises a heat activated adhesive;
a reinforcement layer sandwiched between the first and second layers of the resin; and
a pressure application layer comprising a heat-activated shrink wrap film abutting a surface of the first layer of the resin opposite the reinforcement layer, wherein the adhesive is cured when heated to temperatures in a curing temperature range and wherein the heat-activated shrink wrap film has an activation temperature range at least partially overlapping the curing temperature range of the adhesive.

2. The multi-layer sheet of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement layer comprises a sheet of a porous fabric or cloth.

3. The multi-layer sheet of claim 2 , wherein the fabric or cloth comprises fibers of glass or carbon.

4. The multi-layer sheet of claim 3 , wherein the fibers are glass fibers including unidirectional e-glass fibers.

5. The multi-layer sheet of claim 2 , wherein the curing temperature range has a minimum temperature greater than 150° F.

6. The multi-layer sheet of claim 5 , wherein the adhesive comprises an epoxy adhesive.

7. The multi-layer sheet of claim 5 , wherein the minimum temperature is greater than about 200° F. and wherein the activation temperature range overlaps the curing temperature range for at least 20 degrees.

8. The multi-layer sheet of claim 5 , wherein the adhesive has a curing time period and wherein the heat-activated shrink wrap film has a shrink time that is in the curing time period.

9. The multi-layer sheet of claim 1 , wherein the first and second layers of the resin each has a thickness that is at least one half of a thickness of the reinforcement layer.

10. The multi-layer sheet of claim 1 , wherein the thicknesses of the first and second layers of the resin are both equal to one half of the thickness of the reinforcement layer.

11. The multi-layer sheet of claim 1 , wherein the heat-activated shrink wrap film comprises a polyolefin shrink wrap film.

12. A laminate for field repair of damaged surfaces, comprising:
first and second films of an adhesive reacting when heated to a temperature in a first temperature range;
a porous fabric layer between the first and second films of heat activated adhesive; and
a heat shrink film,
wherein the first film of the heat activated adhesive is sandwiched between the heat shrink film and the porous fabric layer,
wherein the heat shrink film is activated to shrink and apply pressure on the first film of the heat activated adhesive when heated to a temperature in a second temperature range that overlaps with the first temperature range, and
wherein the first and second films, the porous fabric layer, and the heat shrink film are laminated into a unitary sheet.

13. The laminate of claim 12 , wherein, when the adhesive is heated to the temperature in the first temperature range for a curing time period, the first and second films infuse the porous fabric layer to form a layer of composite material.

14. The laminate of claim 13 , wherein the porous fabric layer comprises a fabric including glass, carbon, or Kevlar fibers.

15. The laminate of claim 13 , wherein the adhesive comprises an epoxy film and wherein the first and second films each have a thickness of at least about 50 percent of a thickness of the porous fabric layer.

16. A multi-layer sheet for use in repairing and building up a surface formed of a composite material, comprising:
a first layer comprising a resin;
a second layer comprising the resin, wherein the resin comprises an adhesive;
a reinforcement layer, comprising a fabric sheet, sandwiched between the first and second layers of the resin; and
a pressure application layer comprising a heat-activated shrink wrap film abutting a surface of the first layer of the resin opposite the reinforcement layer,
wherein the adhesive is cured with temperatures in a curing temperature range having a minimum temperature greater than 150° F. and wherein the first and second layers of the resin have a thickness that is at least one half of a thickness of the reinforcement layer.

17. The multi-layer sheet of claim 16 , wherein the heat-activated shrink wrap film has an activation temperature range at least partially overlapping the curing temperature range of the adhesive.

18. The multi-layer sheet of claim 16 , wherein the fabric sheet comprises fibers of glass or carbon.

19. The multi-layer sheet of claim 16 , wherein the minimum temperature is greater than about 200° F., wherein the activation temperature range overlaps the curing temperature range for at least 20 degrees, and wherein the adhesive has a curing time period and wherein the heat-activated shrink wrap film has a shrink time that is in the curing time period.

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Skaggs Laurel Lindsey
• Tripp Mark E
• Naylor Mark Alan

Classifications

• B32B2309/02

  Temperature · CPC title

• B32B2419/00

  Buildings or parts thereof · CPC title

• B32B27/32

  comprising polyolefins {(comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30)} · CPC title

• B32B5/02

  characterised by structural features of a {fibrous or filamentary} layer {(layer formed of metallic wires B32B15/02; layer formed of natural mineral fibres B32B19/02; layer formed of wood fibres B32B21/02)} · CPC title

• B32B2305/72

  Cured, e.g. vulcanised, cross-linked · CPC title