System and method for multiple surface air jet needling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9850606-B2
Application number	US-201514671492-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2015
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

An air entanglement system having a housing, a first rotatable surface disposed with the housing, and a second rotatable surface disposed with the housing proximate the first rotatable surface is described herein. The first rotatable surface may comprise a first plurality of air jets configured to air entangle a preform in situ. The second rotatable surface may be disposed with the housing proximate the first rotatable surface. The second rotatable surface may comprise a second plurality of air jets configured to air entangle the preform in situ. The air entanglement system may be configured to achieve negative pressure in response to being under suction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air-entanglement system comprising:
a first rotatable surface, wherein the first rotatable surface comprises a first plurality of air jets configured to air entangle a preform in situ; and
a second rotatable surface disposed proximate the first rotatable surface,
a gap formed between the first rotatable surface and the second rotatable surface;
wherein the second rotatable surface comprises a second plurality of air jets configured to air entangle the preform in situ,
wherein the first rotatable surface is oriented substantially parallel to the second rotatable surface
wherein the gap is configured to increase as the preform expands in at least one of a positive Z direction or a negative Z direction.

2. The air-entanglement system of claim 1 , wherein a first jet of air from the first plurality of air jets is oriented towards the second rotatable surface, and wherein a second jet of air from the second plurality of air jets is oriented towards the first rotatable surface.

3. The air-entanglement system of claim 1 , wherein the preform is an annular preform comprising of a plurality of layers.

4. The air-entanglement system of claim 1 , further comprising a first fabric source and a second fabric source.

5. The air-entanglement system of claim 4 , wherein a first fabric from the first fabric source and a second fabric from the second fabric source are combined to form the preform.

6. An air-entanglement system comprising:
a housing;
a first rotatable surface disposed with the housing,
wherein the first rotatable surface comprises a first plurality of air jets configured to air entangle a preform in situ; and
a second rotatable surface disposed with the housing proximate the first rotatable surface,
a gap formed between the first rotatable surface and the second rotatable surface,
wherein the second rotatable surface comprises a second plurality of air jets configured to air entangle the preform in situ, and
wherein the first rotatable surface is oriented substantially parallel to the second rotatable surface
wherein the gap is configured to increase as the preform expands in at least one of a positive Z direction or a negative Z direction.

7. The air-entanglement system of claim 6 , wherein a first jet of air from the first plurality of air jets are oriented towards the second rotatable surface, and wherein a second jet of air from the second plurality of air jets are oriented towards the first rotatable surface.

8. The air-entanglement system of claim 6 , further comprising a first fabric source and a second fabric source, wherein a first fabric from the first fabric source and a second fabric from the second fabric source are combined to form the preform.

9. The air-entanglement system of claim 6 , further comprising a first fabric source and a second fabric source.

10. An air-entanglement system comprising:
a first rotatable surface, wherein the first rotatable surface comprises a first plurality of air jets configured to air entangle a preform in situ; and
a second rotatable surface disposed proximate the first rotatable surface,
wherein the second rotatable surface comprises a second plurality of air jets configured to air entangle the preform in situ,
wherein the first rotatable surface is oriented substantially parallel to the second rotatable surface
wherein the first rotatable surface and the second rotatable surface are configured to rotate about a common axis substantially in unison.

11. The air-entanglement system of claim 10 , wherein a first jet of air from the first plurality of air jets is oriented towards the second rotatable surface, and wherein a second jet of air from the second plurality of air jets is oriented towards the first rotatable surface.

12. The air-entanglement system of claim 10 , wherein the preform is an annular preform comprising of a plurality of layers.

13. The air-entanglement system of claim 10 , further comprising a first fabric source and a second fabric source.

14. The air-entanglement system of claim 13 , wherein a first fabric from the first fabric source and a second fabric from the second fabric source are combined to form the preform.

15. An air-entanglement system comprising:
a housing;
a first rotatable surface disposed with the housing,
wherein the first rotatable surface comprises a first plurality of air jets configured to air entangle a preform in situ; and
a second rotatable surface disposed with the housing proximate the first rotatable surface,
wherein the second rotatable surface comprises a second plurality of air jets configured to air entangle the preform in situ, and
wherein the first rotatable surface is oriented substantially parallel to the second rotatable surface,
wherein the first rotatable surface and the second rotatable surface are configured to rotate about a common axis substantially in unison.

16. The air-entanglement system of claim 15 , wherein a first jet of air from the first plurality of air jets are oriented towards the second rotatable surface, and wherein a second jet of air from the second plurality of air jets are oriented towards the first rotatable surface.

17. The air-entanglement system of claim 15 , further comprising a first fabric source and a second fabric source, wherein a first fabric from the first fabric source and a second fabric from the second fabric source are combined to form the preform.

18. The air-entanglement system of claim 15 , further comprising a first fabric source and a second fabric source.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Linck John

Classifications

• F16D69/023

  Composite materials containing carbon and carbon fibres or fibres made of carbonizable material · CPC title

• D04H18/00

  Needling machines · CPC title

• D04H3/11

  by fluid jet · CPC title

• D04H1/498 Primary

  entanglement of layered webs · CPC title

• D04H1/43

  Acrylonitrile series · CPC title