Composite structures constructed of wound tubular braiding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11213995-B2
Application number	US-201816179343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2018
Priority date	Nov 2, 2018
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A system for constructing a composite structure includes a braiding machine, a winding tool and a forming machine. The composite structure is constructed of a wound tubular braiding. The wound tubular braiding is constructed of a biaxial or triaxial tubular braid of unidirectional tape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for producing a composite part, the assembly comprising:
a braiding machine having:
a mandrel, wherein the mandrel is inflatable;
an inflation mechanism providing air to the mandrel;
a braiding mechanism having spools, each of the spools moveable relative to the mandrel;
a unidirectional tape wound around each of the spools;
a guide ring positioned around the mandrel, wherein the guide ring directs the unidirectional tape wound around a corresponding spool onto the mandrel; and
a control module in electronic communication with the braiding mechanism and the inflation mechanism, wherein the control module executes instructions to provide air via the inflation mechanism to inflate the mandrel into a predetermined shape and to guide movement of the spools to wind the unidirectional tape around the mandrel when inflated into the predetermined shape to create a tubular braiding; and

a winding tool having:
a body portion with an outer surface that conforms to a shape of the composite part structure, wherein the tubular braiding is wrapped around the outer surface of the body portion to form a wound tubular braiding having a plurality of stacked turns.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the unidirectional tape comprises unidirectional fibers.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the unidirectional fibers are pre-impregnated with a resin.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mandrel is constructed of a semi-rigid material.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the semi-rigid material is selected from the group consisting of: ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), rubber, silicone, neoprene, and natural rubber.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the control module executes instructions to:
receive an indication that the unidirectional tape is wound around the mandrel; and
in response to receiving the indication, instruct the inflation mechanism to release air to deflate the mandrel.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mandrel is constructed of a thin film polymer compatible with a composition of the tubular braiding.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wound tubular braiding has a helical shape or a spiral shape.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wound tubular braiding is hollow and defines a central bore that extends throughout the wound tubular braiding.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the winding tool corresponds to an aperture defined by the composite part.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a forming machine for forming the wound tubular braiding into the composite part using heat, compression, and resin infusion.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the forming machine includes a forming mandrel which receives the wound tubular braiding thereon and the forming mandrel corresponds to an aperture defined by the composite part.

13. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tubular braiding has a axial, biaxial, or triaxial braid.

14. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wound tubular braiding is formed of a single length of tubular braiding.

15. A method of fabricating a wound tubular braiding for forming a composite part, the method comprising:
providing a braiding machine having:
a mandrel, wherein the mandrel is inflatable;
an inflation mechanism providing air to the mandrel;
a braiding mechanism having spools, each of the spools moveable relative to the mandrel;
a unidirectional tape wound around each of the spools;
a guide ring positioned around the mandrel, wherein the guide ring directs the unidirectional tape wound around a corresponding spool onto the mandrel; and
a control module in electronic communication with the braiding mechanism and the inflation mechanism, wherein the control module executes instructions to provide air via the inflation mechanism to inflate the mandrel into a predetermined shape and to guide movement of the spools to wind the unidirectional tape around the mandrel when inflated into the predetermined shape to create a tubular braiding; and

providing a winding tool having a body portion with an outer surface that conforms to a shape of the composite part; and
winding the tubular braiding of unidirectional tape onto the outer surface of the body portion to form a plurality of stacked turns while allowing the unidirectional tape to slip or shear relative to one another without bending.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising winding the tubular braiding into a spiral pattern around the winding tool to create the wound tubular braiding.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the outer surface of the winding tool corresponds to an aperture defined by the composite part structure.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the tubular braiding has a biaxial braid.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the tubular braiding has a triaxial braid.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising fabricating the tubular braiding from a unidirectional tape.

21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising fabricating the tubular braiding from a unidirectional tow.

22. An assembly for producing a composite part, the assembly comprising:
a braiding machine having:
a mandrel;
a braiding mechanism having spools, each of the spools moveable relative to the mandrel;
a unidirectional tape wound around each of the spools;
a guide ring positioned around the mandrel, wherein the guide ring directs the unidirectional tape wound around a corresponding spool onto the mandrel; and
a control module in electronic communication with the braiding mechanism, wherein the control module executes instructions to guide movement of the spools to place the unidirectional tape onto the mandrel to create a tubular braiding;

a winding tool having:
a body portion with an outer surface that conforms to a shape of the composite part, wherein the tubular braiding is wrapped around the outer surface of the body portion to form a wound tubular braiding having a plurality of stacked turns; and

a forming machine for forming the wound tubular braiding into the composite part using heat, compression, and resin infusion.

23. The assembly of claim 22 , wherein the forming machine includes a forming mandrel which receives the wound tubular braiding thereon and the forming mandrel corresponds to an aperture defined by the composite part.

24. The assembly of claim 22 , wherein the tubular braiding has a axial, biaxial, or triaxial braid.

25. The assembly of claim 22 , wherein the wound tubular braiding has a helical shape when wrapped around the winding tool.

26. The assembly of claim 22 , wherein the wound tubular braiding has a spiral shape when wrapped around the winding tool.

27. The assembly of claim 22 , wherein the mandrel is inflatable.

28. The assembly of claim 27 , wherein the control module executes instructions to provide air via the inflation mechanism to inflate the mandrel into a predetermined shape and to guide movement of the spools to wind the unidirectional tape around the mandrel when inflated into the predetermined shape to create the tubular braiding.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Ogale Amol

Classifications

• B29C70/462

  Moulding structures having an axis of symmetry or at least one channel, e.g. tubular structures, frames · CPC title

• B29C53/84

  Heating or cooling · CPC title

• B29C70/222

  the structure being shaped to form a three dimensional configuration · CPC title

• B29C70/48

  and impregnating the reinforcements in the closed mould, e.g. resin transfer moulding [RTM] {, e.g. by vacuum} · CPC title

• B29C70/24

  oriented in at least three directions forming a three-dimensional [3D] structure · CPC title