Inverted Double Dome Double Vacuum Debulk Tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017129232-A1
Application number	US-201514935787-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 9, 2015
Priority date	Nov 9, 2015
Publication date	May 11, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An inverted double dome double vacuum debulk tool having separable upper and lower chamber portions which can be assembled to form a vacuum chamber. In accordance with some embodiments, the top and bottom halves each comprise a circular cylindrical sidewall closed at one end by an inverted dome. The domes may be hemispherical or semi-elliptical with convex sides facing the chamber interior space. A base plate on which the composite patch rests is removable from the vacuum chamber. Various fittings pass electrical power and vacuum into the tool and sensor outputs out of the tool.

First claim

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a lower chamber portion comprising a first sidewall having upper and lower ends and a closure portion that closes said lower end of said first sidewall; and an upper chamber portion seated on and aligned with said lower chamber portion, said upper chamber portion comprising a second sidewall having upper and lower ends and a first inverted dome portion that closes said upper end of said second sidewall and is surrounded by second sidewall, wherein said upper and lower chamber portions define a chamber interior space.

2 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein said closure portion of said lower chamber portion comprises a second inverted dome portion that is surrounded by said first sidewall.

3 . The apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein said first and second inverted dome portions are hemispherical or semi-elliptical.

4 . The apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein said first and second inverted dome portions comprise respective convex internal surfaces which face toward each other.

5 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein said first and second sidewalls comprise respective circular cylindrical portions.

6 . The apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein said circular cylindrical portion of said second sidewall has an inner diameter which is greater than an outer diameter of said circular cylindrical portion of said first sidewall.

7 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
an internal circumferential flange connected to one of said first and second sidewalls; and a base plate disposed inside said chamber internal space, said base plate comprising a peripheral portion seated on said internal circumferential flange.

8 . The apparatus as recited in claim 7 , wherein said internal circumferential flange is connected to said upper end of said first sidewall.

9 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a vacuum bag; and a seal disposed between and in contact with said base plate and said vacuum bag along a closed path, wherein said vacuum bag, said base plate and said seal define a first portion of said chamber interior space that is not in fluid communication with a second portion of said chamber interior space defined at least in part by said vacuum bag, said upper and lower chamber portions, and said seal.

10 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a first external circumferential flange connected to said upper end of said first sidewall; a second external circumferential flange connected to said lower end of said second sidewall, said first and second external circumferential flanges having respective surfaces that confront each other; and a seal disposed between and in contact with said first and second external circumferential flanges.

11 . A tool kit comprising:
a first chamber portion comprising a first sidewall having upper and lower ends and a closure portion that closes said lower end of said first sidewall; and a second chamber portion comprising a second sidewall having upper and lower ends and an inverted dome portion that closes said upper end of said second sidewall, wherein said second sidewall surrounds said inverted dome portion, wherein said and second chamber portions are sized and configured so that, in a first configuration, said second chamber portion is seated on said first chamber portion to define a chamber interior space and, in a second configuration, a portion of said first chamber portion is nested in said second chamber portion with said first sidewall being surrounded by said second sidewall.

12 . The tool kit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said closure portion of said first chamber portion comprises a second inverted dome portion that is surrounded by said first sidewall.

13 . The tool kit as recited in claim 12 , wherein said first and second inverted dome portions are hemispherical or semi-elliptical.

14 . The tool kit as recited in claim 12 , wherein said first and second inverted dome portions comprise respective convex internal surfaces which face toward each other when said first and second chamber portions are in said first configuration.

15 . The tool kit as recited in claim 11 , wherein said first and second sidewalls comprise respective circular cylindrical portions.

16 . The tool kit as recited in claim 15 , wherein said circular cylindrical portion of said second sidewall has an inner diameter which is greater than an outer diameter of said circular cylindrical portion of said first sidewall.

17 . The tool kit as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:
a first external circumferential flange connected to and extending radially outward from said first sidewall; and a second external circumferential flange connected to and extending radially outward from said second sidewall, wherein a surface of said second external circumferential flange is in contact with a first surface of said first external circumferential flange when said first and second chamber portions are in said first configuration and is in contact with a second surface of said first external circumferential flange when said first and second chamber portions are in said second configuration.

18 . A method for transporting a vacuum chamber, comprising:
nesting a portion of one of an upper chamber portion and a lower chamber portion inside the other of the upper and lower chamber portions, wherein the upper chamber portion comprises a sidewall having upper and lower ends and an inverted dome portion that closes the upper end of the sidewall, the sidewall of the upper chamber portion surrounding the inverted dome portion of the upper chamber portion, and wherein the lower chamber portion comprises a sidewall having upper and lower ends and a closure portion that closes the lower end of the lower chamber portion; and transporting the nested upper and lower chamber portions to a repair site.

19 . The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein one sidewall surrounds the other sidewall when the upper and lower chamber portions are nested.

20 . A method for debulking a composite repair patch, comprising:
(a) nesting a portion of one of an upper chamber portion and a lower chamber portion inside the other of the upper and lower chamber portions, wherein the upper chamber portion comprises a sidewall having upper and lower ends and an inverted dome portion that closes the upper end of the sidewall, the sidewall of the upper chamber portion surrounding the inverted dome portion of the upper chamber portion, and wherein the lower chamber portion comprises a sidewall having upper and lower ends and a closure portion that closes the lower end of the lower chamber portion; (b) transporting the nested upper and lower chamber portions to a repair site; (c) separating the upper and lower chamber portions from each other at the repair site; (d) placing a base plate on a portion of the lower chamber portion which is away from the closure portion of the lower chamber portion; (e) placing an uncured composite repair patch on the base plate; (f) placing a vacuum bag over the uncured composite repair patch; (g) placing the upper chamber portion on top of the lower chamber portion to define a sealed chamber interior space; (h) debulking the composite repair patch after steps (a) through (g) have been completed; (i) separating the upper chamber portion from the lower chamber portion after step (h) has been completed; and (j) after step (i), separating the base plate from the lowe

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Burd Patrick M
• Cook Donald J
• Davis Tyler James
• Rickless Keenan S
• Scherr Michael R
• Sullivan Robert Stuart

Classifications

• B32B37/1018 Primary

  using only vacuum · CPC title

• B32B37/0046

  characterised by constructional aspects of the apparatus · CPC title

• B32B2309/68

  Vacuum · CPC title

• B32B2556/00

  Patches, e.g. medical patches, repair patches · CPC title

• B29C73/32

  using an elastic element, e.g. inflatable bag · CPC title