Co-curable film layer application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11577275-B2
Application number	US-201916551374-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2019
Priority date	Aug 26, 2019
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a method for applying a multi-colored coating to a composite structure comprising applying a first co-curable film layer comprising a first color marking to a composite tool, applying a second co-curable film layer comprising a second color marking over the composite tool and at least partially over the first co-curable film layer to create a lay-up of a multi-colored marking, applying a composite structure over the lay-up of the multi-colored marking, and curing the lay-up of the multi-colored marking and the composite structure in a single curing step to create a cured multi-colored coating on the composite structure. A multi-colored coating for marking a composite structure and an aircraft part having a multi-colored marking are also provided.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for applying a multi-colored coating to a composite structure, the method comprising:
applying a first co-curable film layer comprising a first color marking to a composite tool;
applying a second co-curable film layer comprising a second color marking over the composite tool and at least partially over the first co-curable film layer to create a lay-up of a multi-colored marking;
applying a composite structure over the lay-up of the multi-colored marking; and
curing the lay-up of the multi-colored marking and the composite structure in a single curing step to create a cured multi-colored coating on the composite structure,
wherein the cured multi-colored coating has a coating edge peak height ranging from about 0 mils to about 1 mil between the first co-curable film layer and the second co-curable film layer, and wherein the method does not further comprise sanding the cured multi-colored coating.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a third co-curable film layer comprising a third color marking between the first and second co-curable film layers.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the curing step is performed in an autoclave.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method does not comprise painting the composite structure with a primer.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying at least one clearcoat layer over the lay-up of the multi-colored marking.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying at least one clearcoat layer over the cured multi-colored coating on the composite structure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second co-curable film layers comprise at least one of polyurethane, polyimide, polyester, or epoxy upon curing.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second co-curable film layers comprise polyurethane after curing.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cured multi-colored coating has a thickness ranging from about 1 mil to about 15 mils.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the cured multi-colored coating has a coating edge peak height ranging from about 0 mils to about 1 mils between the first co-curable film layer and the third co-curable film layer.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cured multi-colored coating has a weight ranging from about 0.008 pounds per square foot to about 0.05 pounds per square foot.

12. A multi-colored coating for marking a composite structure comprising:
a first co-curable film layer comprising a first color marking disposed over a composite structure, and
a second co-curable film layer comprising a second color marking disposed over the composite structure and at least partially over the first co-curable film layer to create a lay-up of a multi-colored marking,
wherein the lay-up of the multi-colored marking has been cured in a single curing step together with the composite structure to create a cured multi-colored coating on the composite structure,
wherein the cured multi-colored coating has a coating edge peak height ranging from about 0 mils to about 1 mil between the first co-curable film layer and the second co-curable film layer, and wherein the cured multi-colored coating is not sanded.

13. The multi-colored coating of claim 12 , wherein the multi-colored coating absent the composite structure has a thickness ranging from about 1 mil to about 15 mils.

14. The multi-colored coating of claim 12 , wherein the multi-colored coating does not comprise a primer coating.

15. The multi-colored coating of claim 12 , having a weight ranging from about 0.008 pounds per square foot to about 0.05 pounds per square foot.

16. The multi-colored coating of claim 12 , further comprising a third co-curable film layer comprising a third color marking disposed between the first co-curable film layer and the second co-curable film layer,
wherein the first co-curable film layer, the second co-curable film layer, the third co-curable film layer, and the composite structure have been cured to create a cured multi-colored coating on the composite structure.

17. The multi-colored coating of claim 16 , having a coating edge peak height ranging from about 0 mils to about 1 mil between the first co-curable film layer and the third co-curable film layer.

18. An aircraft part having a multi-colored marking thereon comprising:
a composite structure; and
the multi-colored coating of claim 12 cured to a surface of the composite structure.

19. A method for applying a multi-colored coating to a composite structure, the method comprising:
applying a first co-curable film layer comprising a first color marking to a composite tool;
applying a second co-curable film layer comprising a second color marking over the composite tool and at least partially over the first co-curable film layer to create a lay-up of a multi-colored marking;
applying a composite structure over the lay-up of the multi-colored marking; and
curing the lay-up of the multi-colored marking and the composite structure in a single curing step to create a cured multi-colored coating on the composite structure,
wherein the cured multi-colored coating has a coating edge peak height ranging from about 0 mils to about 1 mil between the first co-curable film layer and the second co-curable film layer,
wherein the method does not further comprise sanding the cured multi-colored coating, and
wherein the first and second co-curable film layers comprise at least one of polyurethane, polyimide, polyester, or epoxy upon curing.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the first and second co-curable film layers comprise polyurethane after curing.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Brei Mark R
• Riley Terrell D
• Gordon Kevin D
• Nix Meredith P

Classifications

• B64C1/00

  Fuselages; Constructional features common to fuselages, wings, stabilising surfaces or the like · CPC title

• B05D5/066

  achieved by multilayers · CPC title

• B29C2037/0042

  the coating being applied in solid sheet form, e.g. as meltable sheet · CPC title

• B05D7/577 Primary

  some layers being coated "wet-on-wet", the others not · CPC title

• B05D7/58

  No clear coat specified · CPC title