Composite structure and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10328660-B2
Application number	US-201515125538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2015
Priority date	Mar 13, 2014
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

There is provided a composite structure, comprising a base member(s) made of metallic material, and a reinforcement member(s) made of fiber reinforced plastic including reinforcement fibers which are aligned in a uni-direction, wherein at least one slit is formed on the reinforcement member(s) so as to extend in an orientation direction of the reinforcement fibers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A composite structure having an elongated shape in a longitudinal direction, comprising
a base member made of metallic material, the base member comprising at least one approximately U-shaped cross-section extending in the longitudinal direction, the U-shaped cross-section comprising a bottom surface bounded by side wall surfaces, and
a reinforcement member made of fiber reinforced plastic on the base member, the reinforcement member including reinforcement fibers which are aligned in a uni-direction along the longitudinal direction, wherein the reinforcement member covers at least a portion of both of the side wall surfaces and a portion of the bottom surface contacting the side wall surfaces,
at least one slit is formed in the reinforcement member at the at least one U-shaped cross-section and extends in the longitudinal direction over an entire longitudinal extent of the reinforcement member, such that
a portion of the bottom surface of the at least one U-shaped cross-section is exposed via the at least one slit, and
at least a portion of an end surface of the reinforcement member is exposed at the at least one slit.

2. The composite structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the reinforcement member includes a thermosetting resin, and is directly bonded on the base member without an additional adhesive layer.

3. The composite structure according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one slit is at the portion of the bottom surface equidistant from the side wall surfaces.

4. The composite structure according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the side wall surfaces comprises a flange extending laterally outward from the at least one U-shaped cross-section.

5. The composite structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one U-shaped cross-section comprise a plurality of U-shaped cross-sections extending in the longitudinal direction, and
the at least one slit comprise a plurality of slits, with at least one slit at each of the U-shaped cross-sections.

6. The composite structure according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of U-shaped cross-sections comprises a first U-shaped cross-section and a second U-shaped cross-section, wherein adjacent side walls of the first U-shaped cross-section and the second U-shaped cross-section are connected by a connecting part.

7. The composite structure according to claim 6 , wherein one or both of side walls of the first U-shaped cross-section and second U-shaped cross-section that are not connected by the connecting part comprise a flange extending laterally outward from the corresponding U-shaped cross-section.

8. The composite structure according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of slits further comprise at least one slit at the connecting part.

9. The composite structure according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement fibers are carbon fibers.

10. The composite structure according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement member does not extend over an entire longitudinal extent of the base member.

11. A manufacturing method of a composite structure according to claim 1 , comprising:
preparing a pair of dies having at least one protrusion corresponding to the at least one slit;
setting the base member, and a precursors to form the reinforcement member between a pair of dies in a manner that the uni-direction of the reinforcement fibers is aligned in a longitudinal direction of the at least one protrusion;
closing the pair of dies to form a laminated structure having the base member and the precursors of the reinforcement member, thereby forming the precursors into a preset shapes and having the at least one therein; and
heating the laminated structure between the pair of dies in a closed state.

12. The manufacturing method of a composite structure according to claim 11 , wherein the precursor for forming the reinforcement member is a prepreg.

13. The manufacturing method of a composite structure according to claim 11 , wherein the base member is not pretreated and the reinforcement member including a thermosetting resin is directly bonded on the base member without an additional adhesive layer.

Assignees

• Aisin Takaoka Ltd
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamashita Yuji
• Kondo Kiyohito
• Sawada Yoshimasa
• Kawabe Hirokazu
• Inamoto Yoshiteru

Classifications

• B32B2262/106

  Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres · CPC title

• B29C66/72141

  Fibres of continuous length · CPC title

• B29C70/78 Primary

  Moulding material on one side only of the preformed part · CPC title

• B32B5/24

  one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer · CPC title

• B32B2260/046

  Synthetic resin · CPC title