Composite assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11524466-B2
Application number	US-201816101911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2018
Priority date	Aug 14, 2017
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A composite assembly with a laminate of fibre plies impregnated with a laminate matrix material is disclosed having pad of fibre plies impregnated with a pad matrix material, and a part with a body with protrusions which extend from the body and penetrate at least some of the fibre plies of the pad. The pad is bonded to the laminate by a stepped lap joint or a scarf joint. The assembly is manufactured by pressing the protrusions into the pad, and after the protrusions have been pressed into the pad, curing a pad matrix material impregnating the pad, and bonding the pad to the laminate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A composite assembly, comprising:
a laminate of fibre plies impregnated with a laminate matrix material;
a pad of fibre plies impregnated with a pad matrix material, wherein the pad of fibre plies is bonded to the laminate of fibre plies by a stepped lap joint or a scarf joint after the pad matrix material is cured; and
a part comprising a body with a plurality of protrusions which extend from the body and penetrate at least some of the fibre plies of the pad, wherein no protrusions penetrate the laminate, and,
wherein the plurality of protrusions and the body are bonded with the pad.

2. A composite assembly according to claim 1 wherein the pad is embedded within the laminate.

3. A composite assembly according to claim 1 wherein the pad comprises a stack of three or more layers; each layer comprises one or more of the pad plies; each layer has a different area; and the areas of the layers decrease monotonically from a base layer with the largest area to an apex layer with the smallest area.

4. A composite assembly according to claim 1 wherein the body and the protrusions are formed from the same material.

5. A composite assembly according to claim 1 wherein the body and the protrusions are formed from a metal material.

6. A composite assembly according to claim 1 wherein the pad is bonded to the laminate by a co-cured joint, a co-bonded joint or a co-infused joint.

7. A composite assembly according to claim 1 wherein the pad matrix material contacts the protrusions to form co-bonded joints which bond the pad to the protrusions.

8. A composite assembly according to claim 1 comprising:
a plurality of units, each unit comprising: a said pad of fibre plies impregnated with a pad matrix material, and a said part comprising a said body with protrusions extending from the body, wherein the protrusions penetrate at least some of the fibre plies of the pad; and the pad of each unit is bonded to the laminate.

9. A method of manufacturing a composite assembly, the method comprising:
providing a part comprising a body with a plurality of protrusions extending from the body;
pressing the protrusions into a pad of fibre plies so that the protrusions penetrate at least some of the fibre plies of the pad,
wherein the plurality of protrusions and the body are bonded to the pad;
after the protrusions have been pressed into the pad: curing a pad matrix material impregnating the pad,
bonding the pad to a laminate of fibre plies impregnated with a laminate matrix material by a stepped lap joint or a scarf joint and after the pad matrix material is cured, and
wherein no protrusions penetrate the laminate.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising laying the fibre plies of the laminate onto the pad after the protrusions have been pressed into the pad and before the pad is bonded to the laminate.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising inspecting the pad and/or the part for defects after the protrusions have been pressed into the pad and before the pad is bonded to the laminate, for instance by visual inspection, ultrasonic inspection or radiographic inspection.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the pad matrix material contacts the protrusions as it cures to form co-bonded joints which bond the pad to the protrusions.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein as the protrusions are pressed into the pad they penetrate the pad matrix material impregnating the pad.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein as the protrusions are pressed into the pad, the fibre plies of the pad are dry fibre plies which are not yet impregnated with the pad matrix material; and the method further comprises infusing the dry fibre plies of the pad with the pad matrix material in an infusion stage after the protrusions have been embedded into the pad, and then curing the pad matrix material.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the method further comprises infusing the laminate with the laminate matrix material in the infusion stage so that the pad matrix material and the laminate matrix material coalesce, and then co-curing the pad matrix material and the laminate matrix material to simultaneously form a co-infused joint between the pad and the laminate.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the pad is bonded to the laminate by curing the pad matrix material in contact with the laminate matrix material and/or by curing the laminate matrix material in contact with the pad matrix material.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the pad is bonded to the laminate by curing the laminate matrix material in contact with the pad matrix material to form a co-bonded joint between the pad and the laminate; or the pad is bonded to the laminate by curing the pad matrix material in contact with the laminate matrix material to form a co-bonded joint between the pad and the laminate.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the pad is bonded to the laminate by simultaneously curing the pad matrix material and the laminate matrix material, wherein the pad matrix material and the laminate matrix material coalesce to form a co-cured or co-infused joint between the pad and the laminate.

19. A method of manufacturing a composite assembly, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of units, each unit comprising a pad of fibre plies impregnated with a pad matrix material and a part comprising a body with protrusions extending from the body, wherein the protrusions penetrate at least some of the fibre plies of the pad, wherein the plurality of protrusions and the body are bonded to the pad;
bonding the pad of each unit to a laminate of fibre plies impregnated with a laminate matrix material so that the pads are integrated with the laminate by a stepped lap joint or a scarf joint after the pad matrix material is cured; and,
wherein no protrusions penetrate the laminate.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Meyer Jonathan
• Parkes Philip Nicholas

Classifications

• B29C66/81431

  comprising a single cavity, e.g. a groove · CPC title

• B29C66/723

  being multi-layered (B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C70/24

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

• B29C66/30321 Primary

  making use of protrusions belonging to at least one of the parts to be joined · CPC title

• B29C70/304

  In-plane lamination by juxtaposing or interleaving of plies, e.g. scarf joining · CPC title