Composite structures constructed of wound tubular braiding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11534986-B2
Application number	US-201816179324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2018
Priority date	Nov 2, 2018
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 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. A method of forming a composite structure, the method comprising:
winding a tubular braiding around an outer surface of a winding tool to form a wound tubular braiding having stacked turns, the tubular braiding defining a central bore extending along a length therethrough; and
forming the wound tubular braiding into the composite structure by consolidating the stacked turns of the wound tubular braiding into flattened plies having a solid cross-section thereby eliminating the central bore.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising fabricating the tubular braiding from materials selected from the group consisting of: a unidirectional tape and a unidirectional tow.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the unidirectional tape is constructed from unidirectional fibers.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising winding the tubular braiding into a spiral pattern around the winding tool.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising slipping the unidirectional tape relative to one another without bending when the tubular braiding is wound around the winding tool.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pre-impregnating the wound tubular braiding with a resin.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying heat while consolidating the wound tubular braiding.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the wound tubular braiding is heated to a resin melt temperature.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unidirectional tape shear relative to one another without bending when consolidating the wound tubular braiding.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tubular braiding has a biaxial braid.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tubular braiding has a triaxial braid.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising winding the tubular braiding into a helical pattern around the winding tool.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tubular braiding has a first free end and a second free end.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first free end overlaps the second free end when the tubular braiding is wound around the winding tool.

15. The wound tubular braiding of claim 1 , wherein the tubular braiding wound around the winding tool is formed of a single length of the tubular braiding.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the wound tubular braiding into the composite structure includes placing the wound tubular braiding and the winding tool into a mold and consolidating the wound tubular braiding using heat and pressure.

17. A method of forming a composite structure, the method comprising:
winding a tubular braiding around an outer surface of a winding tool to form a wound tubular braiding having stacked turns, the tubular braiding defining a central bore extending along a length therethrough;
placing the wound tubular braiding and the winding tool into a mold; and
consolidating, using heat and pressure, the stacked turns of the wound tubular braiding within the mold into flattened plies having a solid cross-section thereby eliminating the central bore, to form the composite structure.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the winding tool includes an axis, and the tubular braiding is wound about the axis.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein consolidating the wound tubular braiding on the winding tool to form the composite structure includes compacting the wound tubular braiding flat in a direction parallel to the axis.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising winding the tubular braiding into a helical pattern around the winding tool.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Ogale Amol

Classifications

• B29C70/48

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

• B32B37/06

  characterised by the heating method · CPC title

• B29C53/005

  characterised by the choice of material (B29C53/36 and B29C53/56 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C70/462

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

• D04C1/02

  made from particular materials · CPC title