Additive manufacturing fiber-reinforced, thrust reverser cascade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017057166-A1
Application number	US-201514836712-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 26, 2015
Priority date	Aug 26, 2015
Publication date	Mar 2, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Manufacturing processes is provided for forming a thrust reverser cascade an aircraft propulsion system. The thrust reverser cascade may include an array of vanes connected to and extending laterally between longitudinally extending first and second strongback rails. In one of the processes, the forming of the thrust reverser cascade includes additive manufacturing the first strongback rail and/or at least one of the vanes. This first strongback rail may include a length of fiber which extends more than eighty-five percent of a longitudinal length of the first strongback rail.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A manufacturing process, comprising:
forming a thrust reverser cascade for an aircraft propulsion system; the thrust reverser cascade including an array of vanes connected to and extending laterally between longitudinally extending first and second strongback rails; wherein the forming includes additive manufacturing the first strongback rail; and wherein the first strongback rail includes a length of fiber which extends more than eighty-five percent of a longitudinal length of the first strongback rail.

2 . The manufacturing method of claim I, wherein the length of fiber is infused within a bead of additive manufacturing matrix material during the additive manufacturing.

3 . The manufacturing method of claim 2 , wherein the additive manufacturing matrix material comprises thermoplastic material.

4 . The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein the length of fiber extends substantially the entire longitudinal length of the first strongback rail.

5 . The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein the length of fiber includes a first portion and a second portion that is laterally next to and longitudinally overlaps the first portion.

6 . The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein
the forming further includes additive manufacturing at least one of the vanes; and the length of fiber further extends at least partially into the at least one of the vanes.

7 . The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein
the forming further includes additive manufacturing at least one of the vanes and the second strongback rail; and the length of fiber further extends through the at least one of the vanes and into the second strongback rail.

8 . The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein
the additive manufacturing comprises additive manufacturing a layer which includes respective portions of the vanes, the first strongback rail and the second strongback rail; and the layer is formed by dispensing a bead of additive manufacturing material which includes the length of fiber.

9 . The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein
the additive manufacturing comprises additive manufacturing a layer which includes respective portions of the vanes, the first strongback rail and the second strongback rail; and the layer is formed by a plurality of discrete beads of additive manufacturing material.

10 . The manufacturing process of claim 9 , wherein each of the beads of additive manufacturing material includes a length of fiber. 11 , The manufacturing process of claim 1 , further comprising bonding an attach flange to a longitudinal end of at least one of the strongback rails.

12 . The manufacturing process of claim 1 , wherein p 1 the thrust reverser cascade further includes an attach flange disposed at a longitudinal end of the first strongback rail; and
the forming further includes additive manufacturing the attach flange along with the first strongback rail.

13 . A manufacturing process, comprising:
forming a thermoplastic thrust reverser cascade; wherein the thrust reverser cascade includes a cascade structure disposed longitudinally between first and second attachments; wherein the cascade structure includes an array of vanes connected to and extending laterally between first and second strongback rails; and wherein the forming includes additively manufacturing the cascade structure using thermoplastic material and fiber reinforcement.

14 . The manufacturing process of claim 13 , wherein the fiber reinforcement includes a length of fiber which is infused within the thermoplastic material during the additive manufacturing.

15 . The manufacturing process of claim 14 , wherein the length of fiber extends along a longitudinal length of the cascade structure.

16 . The manufacturing process of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the length of fiber is within the first strongback rail and extends more than eighty-five percent of a longitudinal length of the first strongback rail.

17 . The manufacturing process of claim 14 , wherein the length of fiber includes a first portion and a second portion that is laterally next to and longitudinally overlaps the first portion.

18 . The manufacturing process of claim 14 , wherein the length of fiber extends within at least one of the vanes.

19 . A manufacturing process, comprising:
forming a thrust reverser cascade for an aircraft propulsion system; the thrust reverser cascade including an array of vanes connected to and extending laterally between longitudinally extending first and second strongback rails; the forming including additive manufacturing a portion of the thrust reverser cascade comprising the first strongback rail and/or at least one of the vanes; the portion of the thrust reverser cascade including a length of fiber; and a first portion of the length of fiber longitudinally overlapping and laterally next to a second portion of the length of fiber.

20 . The manufacturing process of claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the length of fiber is within the first strongback rail and extends more than eighty-five percent of a longitudinal length of the first strongback rail.

21 . The manufacturing method of claim 19 , wherein the additive manufacturing includes infusing the length of fiber into a bead of thermoplastic material.

22 . The manufacturing process of claim 19 , wherein the length of fiber extends along a transverse length of the cascade structure.

23 . The manufacturing process of claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the length of fiber is within the first row of vanes and extends more than eighty-five percent of a transverse length of the first row of vanes.

Assignees

• Rohr Inc

Inventors

• Soria Christian
• Koroly Christopher C

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29L2031/3076

  Aircrafts (blades, propellers B29L2031/08) · CPC title

• B29K2105/08

  of continuous length, e.g. cords, rovings, mats, fabrics, strands or yarns · CPC title

• F02K1/56 Primary

  Reversing jet main flow · CPC title

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title