Discretely tailored multi-zone bondline for fail-safe structural repair

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393768-B2
Application number	US-201314085514-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2013
Priority date	Mar 9, 2009
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A repair patch for reworking an inconsistent area of a composite structure includes a patch body adapted to cover the inconsistent area and having a first patch region, a second patch region outside the first patch region and a first separation zone between the first patch region and the second patch region, with the first patch region, the first separation zone and the second patch region having increasing interlaminar fracture toughness from a center to an edge of the patch body; and a layer of adhesive for bonding the patch body to the composite structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of repairing a repair surface using a repair patch, comprising:
providing a repair patch having a patch body with concentric patch regions and separation zones of increasing interlaminar fracture toughness from a center to an edge of the patch body and an overlay doubler on the patch body;
providing a repair surface; and
bonding the patch body of the repair patch to the repair surface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an overlay doubler on the patch body.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a repair patch having a patch body comprises providing a repair patch having a patch body with a first patch region, a first separation zone outside the first patch region, a second patch region outside the first separation zone, a second separation zone outside the second patch region, a third patch region outside the second separation zone and a third separation zone outside the third patch region.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a repair patch having a patch body comprises providing a repair patch having a patch body with a first patch region having an interlaminar fracture toughness value of less than about 2.0 in-#/in 2 , a first separation zone outside the first patch region and having an interlaminar fracture toughness value of at least about 2.0 in-#/in 2 , a second patch region outside the first separation zone and having an interlaminar fracture toughness value of about 2.0-2.5 in-#/in 2 , a second separation zone outside the second patch region and having an interlaminar fracture toughness value of at least about 2.5 in-#/in 2 , a third patch region outside the second separation zone and having an interlaminar fracture toughness value of about 2.5-3.0 in-#/in 2 and a third separation zone outside the third patch region and having an interlaminar fracture toughness value of at least about 3.0 in-#/in 2 .

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Dan-Jumbo Eugene A
• Keller Russell L
• Westerman Everett A

Classifications

• B29C73/10 Primary

  using patches sealing on the surface of the article (B29C73/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29L2031/3076

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

• Y10T428/20

  Patched hole or depression · CPC title

• Y10T428/24992

  Density or compression of components · CPC title

• Y10T428/26

  Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified physical dimension · CPC title