Methods of forming a cored composite laminate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10654230-B2
Application number	US-201715688068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2017
Priority date	Aug 28, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A method of forming a cored composite laminate, the method including forming a first recess in a first coupling surface of a first layer of the cored composite laminate, forming a second recess in a second coupling surface of a second layer of the cored composite laminate so that when the first layer of the cored composite laminate and the second layer of the cored composite laminate are coupled, the first recess and the second recess form a cavity through the cored composite laminate, and disposing a shape memory alloy member in the cavity, so that the shape memory alloy member supports the cored composite laminate during curing of the cored composite laminate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a cored composite laminate, which comprises at least a first layer of compressible material and a second layer of compressible material, the method comprising:
forming a first recess in a first coupling surface of the first layer of compressible material;
forming a second recess in a second coupling surface of the second layer of compressible material so that when the first layer of compressible material and the second layer of compressible material are coupled, the first recess and the second recess form a cavity through the cored composite laminate; and
disposing a shape memory alloy member in the cavity, so that when the first layer of compressible material, the second layer of compressible material of the cored composite laminate, and the shape memory alloy member are heated during curing, the shape memory alloy member supports inner walls of the cavity through the cored composite laminate, and wherein the shape memory alloy member is malleable in a martensite phase so as to effect passage and removal of the shape memory alloy member through one or more curved paths, defined by the cavity through the cored composite laminate after the cored composite laminate has been cooled post-curing.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deforming the shape memory alloy member for positioning the shape memory alloy member in the cavity.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising returning the shape memory alloy member to a predetermined austenite shape at a predetermined temperature during cored composite laminate curing.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disposing the shape memory alloy member at least partially into one of the first recess and the second recess prior to coupling the first coupling surface with the second coupling surface.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deforming the shape memory alloy member for removal from the cavity.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pulling the shape memory alloy member from the cavity after the first coupling surface is coupled to the second coupling surface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first layer of compressible material and the second layer of compressible material are foam panels, where positioning the shape memory alloy member in the cavity, so that the shape memory alloy member supports the cored composite laminate during curing of the cored composite laminate comprises substantially preventing deformation of the foam panels from within the cavity.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling a skin to a surface of each of the first layer of compressible material and the second layer of compressible material, each respective surface being opposite a respective one of the first coupling surface and the second coupling surface.

9. A method of forming a cored composite laminate, comprising at least a first layer of compressible material and a second layer of compressible material, the method comprising:
disposing a shape memory alloy member into a cavity formed by the first layer of compressible material and the second layer of compressible material;
heating the first layer of compressible material, the second layer of compressible material, and the shape memory alloy member, where the shape memory alloy member is configured so that as the shape memory alloy member is heated, the shape memory alloy member engages and supports inner walls of the cavity; and
removing the shape memory alloy member from the cavity after cooling the first layer of compressible material, the second layer of compressible material, and the shape memory alloy member, where the shape memory alloy member is malleable in a martensite phase so as to effect passage of the shape memory alloy member through one or more curved paths defined by the cavity.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising transitioning the shape memory alloy member from a predetermined austenite shape, in which the shape memory alloy member engages and supports the inner walls of the cavity, to the martensite phase during cooling of the first layer of compressible material, the second layer of compressible material, and the shape memory alloy member.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein heating the first layer of compressible material and the second layer of compressible material cures the first layer to the second layer.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising compressing the first layer of compressible material and the second layer of compressible material against each other with the shape memory alloy member disposed therebetween.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein heating and compressing are an autoclave cure cycle process.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the shape memory alloy member comprises a helically coiled wire, where disposing the shape memory alloy member into the cavity comprises deforming the shape memory alloy member to a shape of the cavity.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the shape memory alloy member comprises plates coupled to each other with shape memory elements, where disposing the shape memory alloy member into the cavity comprises deforming the shape memory alloy member to a shape of the cavity.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the shape memory alloy member comprises a flexible tube and an array of shape memory alloy elements disposed along a length of the flexible tube, where disposing the shape memory alloy member into the cavity comprises deforming the shape memory alloy member to a shape of the cavity.

17. A method for internally supporting a cored composite laminate, comprising at least a first layer of compressible material and a second layer of compressible material, the method comprising:
disposing a shape memory alloy member into a cavity formed by the first layer of compressible material and the second layer of compressible material, the shape memory alloy member being deformed during insertion of the shape memory alloy member into the cavity so that the shape memory alloy member is bent, during insertion, to conform to a shape of the cavity; and
heating the cored composite laminate and the shape memory alloy member so that the shape memory alloy member engages and supports inner walls of the cavity as the first layer of compressible material and the second layer of compressible material are compressed to engage each other in a curing process.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein heating the cored composite laminate cures the first layer of compressible material to the second layer of compressible material.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein a transition temperature for the shape memory alloy member, so that the shape memory alloy member engages and supports the inner walls of the cavity, is independent of a cure temperature for curing the first layer of compressible material to the second layer of compressible material.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising cooling the shape memory alloy member so that the shape memory alloy member transitions to a martensite phase during cooling, the shape memory alloy member being malleable in the martensite phase.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Lindhardt William

Classifications

• B29L2031/3076

  Aircrafts (blades, propellers B29L2031/08) · CPC title

• B29C67/0011

  for shaping plates or sheets · CPC title

• B29D99/0021

  provided with plain or filled structures, e.g. cores, placed between two or more plates or sheets, e.g. in a matrix · CPC title

• B29C70/685 Primary

  by laminating inserts between two plastic films or plates · CPC title

• H02G3/0437

  Channels · CPC title