Sandwich panel joints and methods for joining sandwich panels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9835189-B2
Application number	US-201415301929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2014
Priority date	May 28, 2014
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

Joints for joining panels ( 60, 62 ) together, such as for joining honeycomb sandwich panels used in aerospace applications, and methods of joining said panels are disclosed. In some examples of disclosed joints, a first panel and a second panel can be joined together to form a joint. The first panel ( 60 ) can be a flat panel that includes a rabbet ( 80 ) formed along a first longitudinal edge, and the second panel ( 62 ) can be a curved panel that includes a notch ( 86 ) formed along a second longitudinal edge. In forming the joint, a portion of the rabbet ( 80 ) can be positioned within the notch ( 86 ), and the flat panel ( 60 ) and curved panel ( 62 ) can be oriented at a non-parallel and non-perpendicular angle to one another. Adhesive ( 99 ) is applied along the rabbet ( 80 ) and/or the notch ( 86 ) in order to secure the joint.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A joint, comprising:
a first panel having a first honeycomb core having a first thickness, the first honeycomb core being sandwiched between a first skin and a second skin, wherein a first longitudinal edge of the first panel has a rabbet formed along a majority of an entire length of the first longitudinal edge;
a second panel having a second honeycomb core having a second thickness, the second honeycomb core being sandwiched between a third skin and a fourth skin, wherein a second longitudinal edge of the second panel has a notch formed along a majority of an entire length of the second longitudinal edge, wherein at least a portion of the rabbet is positioned within the notch such that the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge are aligned to form the joint; and
an adhesive applied to at least one of the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge, wherein the second skin of the first panel and the third skin of the second panel are oriented at a joint angle with respect to one another, the joint angle being non-parallel and non-perpendicular.

2. The joint according to claim 1 , wherein the joint angle is obtuse.

3. The joint according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is substantially contained within a space formed between the notch and the rabbet.

4. The joint according to claim 1 , wherein the rabbet is defined by a wall cut into the first honeycomb core, the wall originating at the first skin, wherein the wall is perpendicular to the first skin, and wherein the wall extends from the first skin through a first portion of the first thickness of the first honeycomb core.

5. The joint according to claim 4 , wherein the rabbet includes a lip that extends perpendicularly from the wall, the lip being formed by the second skin and a second portion of the first thickness of the first honeycomb core, the second portion being less than the first portion.

6. The joint according to claim 5 , wherein the notch is V-shaped.

7. The joint according to claim 5 , wherein the notch comprises a parallel face that is parallel to the fourth skin and an angled face that is arranged at a notch face angle to the third skin, wherein the notch face angle is acute.

8. The joint according to claim 7 , wherein the lip of the rabbet of the first panel is positioned within the notch of the second panel.

9. The joint according to claim 8 , wherein the lip of the rabbet of the first panel is adjacent the angled face of the notch of the second panel.

10. The joint according to claim 9 , wherein an intersection of the wall and the first skin is adjacent the parallel face of the notch.

11. The joint according to claim 10 , wherein an engagement portion of the second skin along the lip of the rabbet of the first panel is inserted within the notch of the second panel such that the engagement portion contacts the angled face of the notch of the second panel.

12. The joint according to claim 11 , wherein the notch further comprises a third notch face that connects the parallel face to the angled face, wherein the angled face originates at the third skin, and the parallel face originates at the fourth skin.

13. The joint according to claim 12 , wherein the first panel is a flat panel and the second panel is a curved panel.

14. A method of forming a joint between a first panel and a second panel, the first panel having a first honeycomb core having a first thickness, the first honeycomb core being sandwiched between a first skin and a second skin, and the second panel having a second honeycomb core having a second thickness, the second honeycomb core being sandwiched between a third skin and a fourth skin, the method comprising:
creating a rabbet along a first longitudinal edge of the first panel by removing a first portion of the first honeycomb core and the first skin along the first longitudinal edge of the first panel;
creating a notch along a second longitudinal edge of the second panel by removing a second portion of the second honeycomb core and the third skin along the second longitudinal edge of the second panel; and
inserting at least a portion of the rabbet into the notch to form the joint between the first panel and the second panel such that the second skin of the first panel and the third skin of the second panel are oriented at a joint angle with respect to one another, the joint angle being non-parallel and non-perpendicular.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the creating the rabbet comprises one or more of cutting, milling, machining, and scraping the first honeycomb core and the first skin, and wherein the creating the notch comprises one or more of cutting, milling, machining, and scraping the second honeycomb core and the third skin.

16. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising applying an adhesive along one or more of the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the creating the rabbet comprises creating a rabbet having a lip extending from a wall formed by the first honeycomb core, the wall being perpendicular to the first skin and second skin, wherein the lip is formed from portions of the second skin and the first honeycomb core, and wherein the inserting at least a portion of the rabbet into the notch comprises inserting the lip into the notch such that a portion of the second skin contacts the notch.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
applying an adhesive along at least one of the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge;
pressing the rabbet of the first panel into the notch of the second panel; and
removing excess adhesive from the joint.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the first panel is a flat panel and the second panel is a curved panel.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Engquist Bryan S

Classifications

• B29C66/12469

  being asymmetric · CPC title

• B29C66/7212

  characterised by the composition of the fibres · CPC title

• B29C66/322

  Providing cavities in the joined article to collect the burr · CPC title

• B29C66/225

  being castellated, e.g. in the form of a square wave or of a rectangular wave (B29C66/2276 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C66/72525

  comprising honeycomb cores · CPC title