IP Library Granted Patent US 9,592,640
Granted Patent B2
US 9,592,640 · App. 14/522,786 · Granted Mar 14, 2017

Method for curing shell components

Inventors: Thomas Hoffmeister (Hamburg, DE); Markus Mueller (Friedrichshafen, DE); M. Ichwan Zuardy (Hamburg, DE)
Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
B29C70/34B29C33/02B29C33/48B29C70/345B29C70/462B29C70/54B29D99/0003B29L2031/3076B29L2031/3082
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,592,640
App. No.
14/522,786
Granted
Mar 14, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A curing tool for a shell component, includes a first tool component, which is a polyhedron and has a wedge-shaped bevel forming a first sheared edge on a first side edge, and a second tool component, which is a polyhedron, has a wedge-shaped bevel forming a second sheared edge on a first side edge and has a first corner bevel on a second side edge diagonally opposite the first side edge. The wedge angles of the first and the second sheared edge are equal.

Claims (22)

1. A method for curing a shell component, comprising:

placing a fibre-reinforced stringer prepreg comprising a stringer foot and a stringer web pointing away from a skin portion on the skin portion;

arranging a first tool component having a cross-section having four or five sides and a wedge-shaped bevel forming a first sheared edge on a first side edge, on the skin portion, so that the first sheared edge points away from the skin portion;

arranging a second tool component having a cross-section having five sides, a wedge-shaped bevel forming a second sheared edge on a first side edge, the wedge angle of the first and the second sheared edge being equal, and a first corner bevel on a second side edge diagonally opposite the first side edge, on the skin portion and at least part of the stringer foot, so that the second sheared edge rests on the first sheared edge and a flange portion of the stringer prepreg projects over the first corner bevel of the second tool component at a flange angle relative to the stringer foot; and

composite-curing the stringer prepreg using the first and second tool components to form a composite together with the skin portion.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wedge angle is between 10° and 35°.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the flange angle is greater than the wedge angle.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the flange angle is greater than the wedge angle by less than 3°.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

removing the second tool component after the composite-curing by moving the second tool component away from the skin portion along the first sheared edge of the first tool component.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the skin portion is curved.

7. A method for curing a shell component, the method comprising:

arranging a first tool component having a cross-section having four or five sides and a wedge-shaped bevel forming a first sheared edge on a first side edge, on a portion of a stringer foot of a first fibre-reinforced stringer prepreg comprising a stringer foot and a stringer web, so that the first sheared edge points away from the stringer foot;

arranging a second tool component having a cross-section having five sides, a wedge-shaped bevel forming a second sheared edge on a first side edge, the wedge angle of the first and the second sheared edge being equal, and a first corner bevel on a second side edge diagonally opposite the first side edge, on a portion of a stringer foot of a second fibre-reinforced stringer prepreg comprising a stringer foot and a stringer web, so that the second sheared edge rests on the first sheared edge and a flange portion of the second stringer prepreg projects over the first corner bevel of the second tool component at a flange angle relative to the stringer foot;

placing the assembly made up of the first stringer prepreg, the second stringer prepreg, the first tool component and the second tool component on a skin portion of the shell component; and

composite-curing the first and second stringer prepreg using the first and second tool components to form a composite together with the skin portion.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the wedge angle is between 10° and 35°.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the flange angle is greater than the wedge angle.

10. Method according to claim 9 , wherein the flange angle is greater than the wedge angle by less than 3°.

11. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

removing the second tool component after the composite-curing by moving the second tool component away from the skin portion along the first sheared edge of the first tool component.

12. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the skin portion is curved.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 11, 2014
From: HOFFMEISTER, THOMAS; MUELLER, MARKUS; ZUARDY, M. ICHWAN
To: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
Reel/Frame 034142/0181 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2013 222 106 · Oct 30, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150298401A1 · Oct 22, 2015