Composite structures incorporating additive manufactured components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518489-B2
Application number	US-201715703510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2017
Priority date	Sep 13, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a composite structure, comprises applying a first composite layer to a tooling surface of a tool positioning an additive manufactured component over at least a portion of the first composite layer, and applying a second composite layer over at least a portion of the composite layer and at least a portion of the additive manufactured component, wherein at least a portion of the additive manufactured component is embedded between the first and second composite layers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a composite structure, comprising:
applying a first composite layer to a tooling surface of a tool;
positioning an additive manufactured component over at least a portion of the first composite layer;
applying a second composite layer over at least a portion of the first composite layer and at least a portion of the additive manufactured component, wherein at least a portion of the additive manufactured component is embedded between the first and second composite layers; and
removing at least a portion of one of the first or second composite layers to expose a portion of the additive manufactured component.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising curing the composite structure after applying the second composite layer.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the composite structure is cured prior to removing the portion of one of the first or second composite layers to expose a portion of the additive manufactured component.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising providing the additive manufactured component with a feature to facilitate post-curing removal of the portion of one of the first or second composite layers.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said feature is configured to interface with a cutting tool to facilitate post-curing removal of the portion of one of the first or second composite layers.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the additive manufactured component with a feature configured to mate with a second structure for interconnecting the composite structure with the second structure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive manufactured component is entirely embedded between the first and second composite layers.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing a portion of each of the first and second composite layers to expose one or more portions of the additive manufactured component.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composite structure is cured prior to removing the portion of at least one of the first or second composite layers.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the portion comprises cutting a portion of at least one of the first or second composite layers.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive manufactured component comprises a printed thermoplastic material.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing locating features on the tool and the additive manufactured component to facilitate orientation of the additive manufactured component relative to the tool.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the locating features comprise magnets mounted in at least one of the tool and the additive manufactured component.

Assignees

• Aurora Flight Sciences Corp

Inventors

• Riley P Graves H
• Campbell Daniel S
• Cottrell Daniel

Classifications

• B29C70/30 Primary

  Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core · CPC title

• B29C70/54

  Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations {, e.g. feeding or storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing} · CPC title

• B29C70/34

  and shaping or impregnating by compression {, i.e. combined with compressing after the lay-up operation} · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title