Composite core with non-traditional geometries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10328658-B2
Application number	US-201514982243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2015
Priority date	Dec 29, 2015
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

A composite core with non-traditional geometries includes multiple elongate tubes arranged in a two-dimensional array. Each tube is made of a composite material. Each tube includes multiple curved sides. Each curved side inwardly curves toward a longitudinal axis passing through a geometric center of the tube to form a valley on an outer surface of the tube. An end of a first curved side connects to an end of a second curved side to form a crest on the outer surface of the tube. At least one crest formed on an outer surface of a first tube in the two-dimensional array contacts at least one valley formed on an outer surface of an adjacent second tube in the two-dimensional array.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A composite core comprising:
a plurality of individual elongate tubes arranged in a two-dimensional array, each tube made of a composite material, each tube comprising a plurality of curved sides, each curved side inwardly curving toward a longitudinal axis passing through a geometric center of the tube to form a valley on an outer surface of the tube, wherein an end of a first curved side connects to an end of a second curved side to form a crest on the outer surface of the tube,
wherein at least one crest formed on an outer surface of a first tube in the two-dimensional array contacts at least one valley formed on an outer surface of an adjacent second tube in the two-dimensional array, and
wherein a first crest formed on the outer surface of the first tube contacts a first valley formed on the outer surface of the second tube, and a first valley formed on the outer surface of the first tube contacts a first crest formed on the outer surface of the second tube.

2. The core of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of curved sides comprises six sides.

3. The core of claim 1 , wherein a third crest formed on the outer surface of the first tube contacts a first valley formed on an outer surface of an adjacent third tube, and a second valley formed on an outer surface of the second tube contacts a first crest formed on an outer surface of the third tube.

4. The core of claim 1 , wherein the first crest formed on the outer surface of the first tube and the first valley formed on the outer surface of the first tube share an end of a curved side of the first tube.

5. The core of claim 1 , wherein a subset of the plurality of elongate tubes in the two-dimensional array are arranged in a planetary configuration with a central tube surrounded by a plurality of planet tubes.

6. The core of claim 5 , wherein the central tube and each planet tube comprise six crests and six valleys.

7. The core of claim 6 , wherein each crest of the central tube contacts a respective valley of each planet tube.

8. The core of claim 6 , wherein each valley of the central tube contacts a respective crest of each planet tube.

9. The core of claim 6 , wherein at least one crest of each planet tube contacts at least one valley of at least one other planet tube.

10. The core of claim 1 , wherein each tube comprises a plurality of reinforcement fibers disposed in a polymeric matrix.

11. The core of claim 10 , wherein the reinforcement fibers comprise at least one or more of carbon, graphite, glass, an aromatic polyamide material, or a variant of the aromatic polyamide material.

12. The core of claim 10 , wherein the polymeric matrix comprises a resin.

13. The core of claim 12 , wherein the resin is a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin.

14. The core of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers are oriented in one or more directions.

15. The core of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers are arranged in layers along a radius of each tube.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Kendrick Phillip
• Armstrong Levi
• Oldroyd Paul K
• Carlson Dave

Classifications

• B32B3/20

  of hollow pieces, e.g. tubes; of pieces with channels or cavities · CPC title

• B32B2262/0269

  Aromatic polyamide fibres · CPC title

• B32B2605/18

  Aircraft · CPC title

• B32B2260/023

  Two or more layers · CPC title

• B32B2250/20

  All layers being fibrous or filamentary · CPC title