Thermoplastic composite panel systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11926110-B2
Application number	US-202318319340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2023
Priority date	Feb 3, 2020
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A method for forming a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface includes forming first and second skins from a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin. The method further includes overmolding fiber-reinforced thermoplastic features onto the first skin and/or second skin, including stiffener structures, sidewalls, and/or hinges. The method further comprises welding or consolidating the first and second skins together, along with the associated internal features overmolded thereon to form a single-piece, stiffened, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface, comprising:
a first skin comprising a first leading edge, a first trailing edge opposite the first leading edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge opposite the first side edge;
a second skin comprising a second leading edge, a second trailing edge opposite the second leading edge, a third side edge, and a fourth side edge opposite the third side edge;
a stiffener structure extending from at least one of a first inner surface of the first skin and a second inner surface of the second skin; and
a sidewall extending from at least one of the first inner surface of the first skin and the second inner surface of the second skin.

2. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface of claim 1 , wherein the first skin comprises a first continuous fiber reinforced fabric and a first thermoplastic resin.

3. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface of claim 2 , wherein the second skin comprises a second continuous fiber reinforced fabric and a second thermoplastic resin.

4. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface of claim 3 , wherein the stiffener structure is formed from a first discontinuous fiber reinforced fabric and a third thermoplastic resin.

5. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface of claim 4 , wherein the sidewall is formed from a second discontinuous fiber reinforced fabric and a fourth thermoplastic resin.

6. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface of claim 1 , further comprising a raised pad formed onto the second inner surface of the second skin, wherein the stiffener structure extends from the raised pad to the first inner surface of the first skin.

7. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface of claim 1 , further comprising a second stiffener structure extending from at least one of the first inner surface of the first skin and the second inner surface of the second skin;
wherein, in response to the stiffener structure extending from the first inner surface of the first skin, the second stiffener structure extends from the second inner surface of the second skin, and, in response to the stiffener structure extending from the second inner surface of the second skin, the second stiffener structure extends from the first inner surface of the first skin.

8. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface of claim 7 , wherein the stiffener structure is spaced apart from the second stiffener structure such that the stiffener structure does not make direct physical contact with the second stiffener structure.

9. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface of claim 1 , further comprising a hinge extending from at least one of the first skin, the second skin, and the sidewall.

Assignees

• Rohr Inc

Inventors

• Landis Samantha
• Berg Guinevere
• Cai Andrew
• Schrell Johann Steven

Classifications

• B29C70/42 Primary

  for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles · CPC title

• B29C43/003

  characterised by the choice of material · CPC title

• B29C43/18

  incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles {(B29C43/206 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29C66/721

  Fibre-reinforced materials (B29C66/729 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title