Foam-honeycomb shell
US6605326B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 20, 2000 |
| Grant date | Aug 12, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 13, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/24157
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A shell part formed of honeycomb (20) with fibrous reinforcing regions (21, 24) at inner and outer surfaces of the honeycomb and with foam material (26) penetrating the honeycomb cells and reinforcing regions, where the outer surface of the article is convexly curved and the inner surface of the article is concavely curved. This permits the construction of a hollow object (10) by connecting the ends of two shell parts together. Each shell part is formed by laying an outer region of fibrous material including cloth (30) sandwiched between tissue paper layers (32, 34, 35), against a mold wall 44. Next, a honeycomb sheet is laid over the outer region and an inner region (21, 60, 62) of fibrous material is laid over the honeycomb. Then, foamable material (26) is laid in the mold and the mold is closed to cause the expanded foam to penetrate the honeycomb and most of the fibrous layers. When the mold is open, foam above an inner fibrous layer is torn away, along with a releasable Nylon cloth (60) of the inner fibrous region, to leave the shell part.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.