Edge seal for fibre-reinforced composite structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764850-B2
Application number	US-76274310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2010
Priority date	Apr 20, 2009
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A fiber-reinforced composite structure includes a cut edge; an elastomeric cap covering the cut edge; and an adhesive sealant bonding the elastomeric cap to the cut edge. The fiber-reinforced composite structure is joined to a component and the elastomeric cap includes a generally Z or L-shaped cap with a web bonded to the cut edge of the fiber-reinforced structure and a flange bonded to the component and extending away from the fiber-reinforced structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising a fibre-reinforced composite structure comprising a cut edge; an elastomeric cap covering the cut edge; and an adhesive sealant bonding the elastomeric cap to the cut edge.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the adhesive sealant comprises an elastomeric material.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric cap comprises a reinforced elastomer.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the adhesive sealant is a wet adhesive sealant.

5. The aircraft of claim 4 wherein the wet adhesive sealant impregnates a foam layer between the elastomeric cap and the cut edge.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein a component is joined to the fibre-reinforced composite structure, and wherein the elastomeric cap comprises a web bonded to the cut edge of the fibre-reinforced structure and a flange bonded to the component and extending away from the fibre-reinforced structure.

7. A method of manufacturing the aircraft of claim 6 , the method comprising: joining the component to the fibre-reinforced composite structure; bonding the web of the cap to the cut edge of the fibre-reinforced composite structure after the component has been joined to the fibre-reinforced structure; and bonding the flange of the cap to the component after the component has been joined to the fibre-reinforced structure.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising cutting the web of the cap to size along a corner of the cut edge of the fibre-reinforced composite structure after the web of the cap has been attached to the cut edge.

9. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises a plurality of fibres which terminate at the cut edge.

10. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the structure comprises a series of plies of fibre-reinforced composite material, each ply comprising a plurality of fibres which terminate at the cut edge.

11. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the structure comprises a plurality of carbon fibres which terminate at the cut edge.

12. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive sealant is made from chemically different material than the elastomeric cap.

13. A joint comprising a fibre-reinforced composite structure with a cut edge; a component joined to the fibre-reinforced composite structure; and a cap with a web bonded to the cut edge of the fibre-reinforced composite structure and a flange bonded to the component and extending away from the fibre-reinforced structure.

14. The joint of claim 13 wherein the web is formed from a softer material than the flange.

15. The joint of claim 13 wherein the fibre-reinforced composite structure has an inner face which faces the component and an outer face which is opposite the inner face, and wherein the web of the cap has a cut edge which is substantially flush with the outer face of the fibre-reinforced composite structure.

16. The joint of claim 13 wherein the cap comprises a web bonded to the cut edge of the fibre-reinforced structure, a first flange bonded to the component and extending away from the fibre-reinforced structure, and a second flange bonded to the fibre-reinforced composite structure.

17. The joint of claim 13 wherein the web of the cap is formed integrally with the flange of the cap.

18. The joint of claim 13 wherein the cap comprises a cap assembly with an inner cap part bonded to the cut edge of the fibre-reinforced structure; and an outer cap part with a web bonded to the web of the inner cap part and a flange bonded to the fibre-reinforced composite structure.

19. The joint of claim 18 wherein the cap comprises a cap assembly with an inner cap part and an outer cap part, the inner cap part having a web bonded to the cut edge of the fibre-reinforced structure and a first flange bonded to the component and extending away from the fibre-reinforced structure; the outer cap part comprising a web bonded to the web of the inner cap part and a second flange bonded to the fibre-reinforced composite structure.

20. The joint of claim 18 wherein at least the part of the inner cap part which is bonded to the cut edge is formed from a softer material than the flange of the outer cap part.

21. The joint of claim 13 , wherein the fibre-reinforced composite is made from chemically different material than the cap and the cap comprises the web and the flange.

22. A fibre-reinforced composite structure comprising a cut edge; an elastomeric cap covering the cut edge; and an adhesive sealant bonding the elastomeric cap to the cut edge, wherein the structure comprises a plurality of fibres which terminate at the cut edge, and wherein the structure comprises a matrix material between the fibres which is more electrically resistive than the fibres.

23. A method of inhibiting edge glow in a fibre-reinforced composite structure comprising a cut edge, the method comprising bonding an elastomeric cap to the cut edge of an aircraft with an adhesive sealant to cover the cut edge.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising applying pressure to the elastomeric cap in a series of strokes so as to squeeze air bubbles out of the adhesive sealant.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the structure comprises a plurality of fibres which terminate at the cut edge.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the structure comprises a series of plies of fibre-reinforced composite material, each ply comprising a plurality of fibres which terminate at the cut edge.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the structure comprises a matrix material between the fibres which is more electrically resistive than the fibres.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the structure comprises a plurality of carbon fibres which terminate at the cut edge.

29. A fuel tank comprising a fibre-reinforced composite structure comprising a cut edge; an elastomeric cap covering the cut edge; and an adhesive sealant bonding the elastomeric cap to the cut edge.

30. The fuel tank of claim 29 , wherein the fuel tank is an aircraft fuel tank.

Assignees

• Bradley Jeremy Peter
• Sutton David Alistair
• West Colin John
• Withers Andrew
• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Bradley Jeremy Peter
• Sutton David Alistair
• West Colin John
• Withers Andrew

Classifications

• Y10T156/1052

  with cutting, punching, tearing or severing · CPC title

• Y10T156/10

  Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor · CPC title

• B32B3/26

  characterised by a particular shape of the outline of the cross-section of a continuous layer; characterised by a layer with cavities or internal voids {(foam layer B32B5/18; layer of synthetic resin characterised by fillers that create voids or cavities B32B27/205); characterised by an apertured layer} · CPC title

• B64D45/02

  Lightning protectors; Static dischargers · CPC title

• B32B7/12

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title