Method of extracting mandrel for hollow-hat panel production

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10723085-B2
Application number	US-201514973119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2015
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

A panel may be formed with mandrels inside of stiffening members. The panel may be coupled to a panel holding jig. A winch may be coupled to the mandrels. The winch may pull the mandrels out of the stiffening members and into curved tracks.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of manufacturing a composite panel with a stiffening member formed around a removable mandrel comprising:
curing the composite panel with the removable mandrel inside of the stiffening member, the removable mandrel having a curved shape;
coupling the composite panel to a panel holding jig;
positioning a mandrel extraction jig adjacent the panel holding jig, the mandrel extraction jig having a plurality of vertical posts coupled to a base and a curved track coupled to the plurality of vertical posts, the curved track for receiving the removable mandrel;
and extracting the removable mandrel from the stiffening member so that the removable mandrel is supported on the curved track and the removable mandrel maintains the curved shape.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pulling the removable mandrel into the curved track.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling a winch to the removable mandrel.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein coupling the winch to the removable mandrel comprises coupling a clamp to the removable mandrel.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the coupling the winch to the removable mandrel comprises coupling a strap to the clamp.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a second removable mandrel inside a second stiffening member on the composite panel, and extracting the removable mandrel and the second removable mandrel simultaneously.

7. The method of claim 2 , further comprising adjusting a height of the curved track.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removable mandrel comprises a first side angled side opposite a second angled side, and a first flat side opposite a second flat side.

Assignees

• Rohr Inc

Inventors

• Neo Mong Phing
• Sridharakannan Chittibabu
• Tan Ling Jie Jae
• Wong Yew Tuck

Classifications

• B29C33/442 Primary

  with mechanical ejector or drive means therefor · CPC title

• B29L2031/3076

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

• B29C37/0003

  Discharging moulded articles from the mould (constructions for removing the articles B29C33/44) · CPC title

• B29L2031/749

  Motors · CPC title

• B64F5/10

  Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor · CPC title