Structural assembly having injection-bonded joint and method of forming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10458454-B2
Application number	US-201615382640-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2016
Priority date	Feb 22, 2013
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A method of forming an injection-bonded joint includes providing a first part and a second part having a second part upper edge and a second part lower edge, and forming a chamber wall within a bondline region between mating surfaces of the first part and the second part. The chamber wall divides a bondline length of the bondline region and defines at least one adhesive chamber. The method further includes forming a bondline dam along each of the second part upper edge and the second part lower edge in a manner such that the chamber wall, the bondline dams, and the mating surfaces collectively enclose the adhesive chamber having a chamber upper edge and a chamber lower edge. The method also includes injecting a structural adhesive into the adhesive chamber through an injection port and discharging excess adhesive from the adhesive chamber through a bleed hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming an injection-bonded joint, comprising the steps of:
providing a first part having opposing inner and outer surfaces, and a second part having opposing inner and outer surfaces, a second part upper edge and a second part lower edge;
disposing a respective one of the inner and outer surfaces of the second part parallel or concentric to a corresponding respective one of the inner and outer surfaces of the first part;
forming a chamber wall within a bondline region between mating opposing inner and outer surfaces of the first part and the second part, the chamber wall dividing a bondline length of the bondline region and defining at least one adhesive chamber;
forming a bondline dam along each of the second part upper edge and the second part lower edge in a manner such that the chamber wall, the bondline dams, and the mating surfaces collectively enclose the adhesive chamber having a chamber upper edge and a chamber lower edge;
injecting a structural adhesive into each adhesive chamber through an injection port formed in the second part;
discharging excess structural adhesive from each adhesive chamber through a bleed hole located between the first and second parts and formed within the bondline dam of the adhesive chamber along the second part upper edge; and
collecting the excess structural adhesive in an adhesive reservoir fluidly coupled to each bleed hole, each adhesive reservoir being formed as one of a vertical column comprising a longitudinally-extending channel attached to the respective inner or outer surface of the first part, and a shelf attached to the corresponding respective inner or outer surface of the second part and projecting therefrom, adjacent the second part upper edge.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first part and the second part define a substantially straight, planar bondline region.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first part comprises a cylinder;
the second part comprises one of an internal ring and an external ring; and
the first part and the second part define a circular bondline region.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the chamber wall comprises:
forming the chamber wall from adhesive.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the chamber wall comprises:
attaching a series of bond wires along a surface of the first part;
coating the bond wires with adhesive; and
positioning the second part relative to the first part such that the bond wires are captured with the bondline region, forming a series of adhesive chambers along the bondline length.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bondline length is at least twice a bondline width.

7. A structural assembly, comprising:
a first part having opposing inner and outer surfaces and a second part having opposing inner and outer surfaces, a second part upper edge and a second part lower edge, a respective one of the inner and outer surfaces of the second part being disposed parallel or concentric to a corresponding respective one of the inner and outer surfaces of the first part, and opposing mating surfaces of the first part and the second part being adhesively bonded together along a bondline region having a bondline length;
a series of chamber walls formed along the bondline length and dividing the bondline length into a plurality of adhesive chambers;
a bondline dam formed along each of the second part upper edge and the second part lower edge in a manner such that the chamber walls, the bondline dams, and the mating surfaces collectively enclose the adhesive chambers;
a structural adhesive injected into each of the adhesive chambers through an injection port formed in the second part and bonding the first part to the second part, and excess structural adhesive being discharged from each adhesive chamber through a bleed hole located between the first and second parts and formed within the bondline dam of the adhesive chamber along the second part upper edge; and
a plurality of adhesive reservoirs, each fluidly coupled to a respective one of the bleed holes for collecting the excess structural adhesive, each adhesive reservoir being formed as one of a vertical column comprising a longitudinally-extending channel attached to the respective inner or outer surface of the first part, and a shelf attached to the corresponding respective inner or outer surface of the second part and projecting therefrom, adjacent the second part upper edge.

8. The structural assembly of claim 7 , wherein:
the first part and the second part define a substantially straight, planar bondline region.

9. The structural assembly of claim 7 , wherein:
the first part comprises a cylinder;
the second part comprises one of an internal ring and an external ring;
the first part and the second part define a circular bondline region; and
the series of chamber walls being distributed around a cylinder circumference and bonding the cylinder to the one of the internal ring and the external ring.

10. The structural assembly of claim 7 , wherein:
the chamber walls are oriented generally transverse to the bondline length.

11. The structural assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a bond wire included with at least one of the chamber walls.

12. The structural assembly of claim 11 , wherein:
the bond wire defines a bondline thickness between the mating surfaces.

13. The structural assembly of claim 7 , wherein:
the structural adhesive comprises an epoxy adhesive.

14. The structural assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
at least one mechanical fastener extending through the first part and the second part in the bondline region.

15. The structural assembly of claim 7 , wherein:
the first part is formed of fiber-reinforced polymer matrix material; and
the second part is formed of metallic material.

16. The structural assembly of claim 7 , wherein the bondline length is at least twice a bondline width.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Woleader John A
• Streett Andrew R

Classifications

• B29C66/53241

  said articles being tubular and said substantially annular single elements being of finite length relative to the infinite length of said tubular articles (making T-shaped pieces by joining tubular articles B29C66/52241) · CPC title

• B29C66/55

  sealing elements being incorporated into the joints, e.g. gaskets (B29C66/52296 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C66/1122

  Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints (B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C66/32

  Measures for keeping the burr form under control; Avoiding burr formation; Shaping the burr (deburring welded articles B29C37/04) · CPC title

• B29C66/742

  to metals or their alloys · CPC title