Component made of a fiber composite material and process for producing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9802367-B2
Application number	US-201414898807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2013
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

Fiber composite components can be formed by winding fibers along tracks of a winding spool of a winding core. The fibers may either be pre-coated with a curable resin, or the curable resin may be applied to the fibers after the fibers are wound along the tracks of the winding spool of the winding core. The curable resin may also and/or alternatively be applied to a mold that receives the fibers wound about the winding spool. The curable resin may then be cured, after which the winding spool and the winding core may be removed in order to release the fiber composite component. In some cases, the winding spool may be removed from the fiber composite component by moving the winding spool inwardly towards an inside of the winding core.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a fiber composite component, the method comprising:
winding fibers along predetermined tracks about at least one winding spool of a winding core;
introducing a curable resin into the fibers or a mold that receives the fibers wound about the at least one winding spool;
curing the curable resin to form the fiber composite component;
removing the at least one winding spool from the fiber composite component by moving the at least one winding spool inwardly into the winding core; and
removing the winding core and releasing the fiber composite component.

2. The fiber composite component according to the method of claim 1 .

3. A method of manufacturing a fiber composite component, the method comprising:
winding fibers along predetermined tracks about at least one winding spool of a winding core, wherein the fibers are soaked with a curable resin;
curing the curable resin to form the fiber composite component;
removing the at least one winding spool from the fiber composite component by moving the at least one winding spool inwardly into the winding core; and
removing the winding core and releasing the fiber composite component.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
positioning one or more operative elements at predetermined points on the winding core prior to winding the fibers along the predetermined tracks; and
connecting the one or more operative elements to the fibers such that the one or more operative elements and the fiber composite component form an integral component.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising applying an auxiliary material onto the winding core prior to winding the fibers along the predetermined tracks, wherein the auxiliary material is configured to maintain a shape and a position of the fibers until the fibers are fixed by curing the curable resin.

6. The fiber composite component according to the method of claim 3 .

7. The fiber composite component of claim 6 wherein the fiber composite component is comprised of a plurality of types of fiber structures having identically oriented fibers.

8. The fiber composite component of claim 7 wherein the fiber composite component is made using the winding core, wherein the winding core is separated from the fiber composite component prior to fitting the fiber composite component in an assembly, wherein the winding core is not included in the assembly.

9. The fiber composite component of claim 8 wherein the fiber composite component comprises a plurality of operative elements that are fixedly connected to the fiber composite component by way of the winding of the fiber and the curing of the curable resin.

10. The fiber composite component of claim 9 wherein the plurality of operative elements are selected from a group including fastening elements, guides, motion limiters, bearings, and brackets for wiring looms.

11. The fiber composite component of claim 9 wherein the fiber composite component is positioned in and/or along a flux of force of a motor-vehicle superstructure and of a motor-vehicle body, wherein the fiber composite component is formed from fiber-reinforced plastics material in which the fibers are wound.

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Presta Ag

Inventors

• Heitz Thomas
• Regner Sebastian
• Schacht Arne

Classifications

• B29C70/16

  using fibres of substantial or continuous length {(non-woven fabrics per se D04H3/00)} · CPC title

• B29C53/56

  Winding and joining, e.g. winding spirally {(winding in general B65H)} · CPC title

• B29C70/48

  and impregnating the reinforcements in the closed mould, e.g. resin transfer moulding [RTM] {, e.g. by vacuum} · CPC title

• B29K2105/089

  fabric · CPC title

• B29K2105/25

  Solid · CPC title