Tooling for the fabrication of composite hollow crown-stiffened skins and panels
US5622733A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 4, 1994 |
| Grant date | Apr 22, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 4, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S428/902
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A process for forming composite hollow crown stiffened skins and panels in which a first layer or skin is placed on a forming surface of a female mold and, after forming a plurality of U-shaped stiffener elements in the first skin, a second skin is placed over the first skin, whereupon the resulting assembly is prepared for autoclave curing. The stiffener elements are formed by pressing the first skin into U-shaped depressions in the female mold surface and inserting a hollow, expandable rubber mandrel into each of the depressions on top of the first skin. Valve stems in the mandrels enable maintaining the pressure inside at atmospheric pressure. The mandrels are maintained in their "pressurized" state during subsequent formation and autoclave curing steps.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.