The present invention pertains generally to structures that are made of composite materials. More particularly, the present invention pertains to rigid panels, and similar type structures, that are made with reinforced composite materials. The present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, useful as a one-piece reinforced composite material that is suitable for use as the external surface structure for a high-speed vehicle, such as an aircraft.
A composite material is a structural material that is made of two or more different materials. Cermet for example, is a composite material made of ceramic articles that are bonded with metal. Another type of widely used composite material is made of carbon fibers that are reinforced with an epoxy resin. It is this last type of composite material (i.e. carbon fiber/epoxy) that is of interest for the present invention.
Carbon fiber composite materials are unique in several aspects when they are used as a structural material. For one, unlike many other types of construction materials, they can be accurately pre-formed to assume complex shapes. For another, after they have been cured, they exhibit very good strength in both tension and compression. Carbon fiber composite materials, however, are typically made as relatively thin layers and, as such, they can be somewhat floppy. In many applications, this may be undesirable. The solution for such applications is to then somehow reinforce the layer of composite material in a manner that will stiffen and make the material rigid for its use as a support structure.
By structural analysis, it can be shown that a bending moment results wherever a force couple is applied to a structure. This bending moment can be resisted, however, when portions of the structure are distanced from each other and are located in the same bending plane, with a same center of bending. Indeed, the more material that is in the respective portions, and the greater the distance between them, the greater will be the structure's ability to resist bending. The well-known I-beam is a good basic example of such a structure.
Insofar as composite materials are concerned, and as noted above, although they may be formed as thin layers, and are therefore susceptible to being floppy, they typically have good strength characteristics in both tension and compression. Again, by way of example, an I-beam requires these strength characteristics. Heretofore, when a stiff, rigid structure has been required, and it has been desirable to use composite materials for its construction, it has been common to use two different layers of the composite material. The layers of composite material are then distanced from each other and interconnected by another structure, such as honeycomb. Unfortunately, even though composite materials and honeycomb are both relatively light-weight when compared with other structural materials, they still add weight. In the two-layer example considered above, the additional layer of composite material and the honeycomb may add substantial weight. For some applications (e.g. the manufacture of aircraft) weight limitation is of the utmost importance.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a reinforced panel, made of a composite material, that is sufficiently stiff and rigid to resist operational bending forces. Another object of the present invention is to provide a reinforced panel, made of a composite material, that is extremely light weight. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reinforced panel that is suitable for use as the external surface of a high performance aircraft. Another object of the present invention is to provide a reinforced panel that is relatively simple to manufacture, is easy to use and is comparatively cost effective.
In accordance with the present invention, a reinforced panel includes a single base layer of a composite material that has continuations extending from a surface thereof. It is these continuations that provide the reinforcing structure for the panel. In detail, as intended for the present invention, the continuations are formed as ridges that rise a predetermined distance from the surface of the layer. Further, there is a first plurality of mutually parallel ridges. There is also a second plurality of mutually parallel ridges that is transverse to the first plurality of ridges. Together, these pluralities of ridges can be arranged as either an ortho-grid, or as an iso-grid.
Structurally, the continuations (ridges) are each formed with a substantially U-shaped cross section. As so formed they have a base portion and a pair of substantially parallel and opposite legs that extend from the base portion to a respective edge. With this structure, there are effectively three embodiments for the reinforced panel of the present invention. These embodiments primarily differ from each other by the manner in which the edges of the ridges are affixed to the base layer of composite material. And, in one embodiment, a unidirectional ply is added to provide additional structure for reaction to forces borne by the base portion of the ridge.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the legs of the ridges are continuations of the surface, and are thus affixed directly to the surface of the base layer. For this embodiment, a unidirectional ply is added to span the distance between opposite legs of each ridge, and to thereby provide additional structure for reaction to forces borne by the cross section of the ridge (continuation). In another embodiment, the edges of each ridge are formed as feet and the panel includes overlap layers that cover each foot and extend therefrom to contact the surface of the base layer and the leg. The overlap layer is then bonded to the base layer, and to the leg to affix the ridge to the base layer. In a third embodiment, the base layer is formed with a plurality of flaps. Specifically, each flap extends from an edge of a ridge and into the channel that is formed between the legs of the ridge. The flap is then bonded to the leg inside the channel. For the embodiment wherein an overlap layer is used, the flap is bonded to the side of the leg that is opposite the overlap layer. In all embodiments, the ridges are integrally bonded to the surface of the base layer to become continuations of the base layer. Also, they are arranged in a grid as mentioned above, to create the reinforced panel.
It is an important aspect of the present invention that the ridges be a continuation of the base layer, and that a portion of the ridge be distanced from the surface of the base layer by a predetermined distance “h”. Also, as implied above, it is an important aspect of the present invention that the panel is pre-formed with all of the components integrally associated with each other before they are all co-cured.
The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
Referring initially to
For purposes of disclosure, the ridges 12a and 12b are shown as only being exemplary of additional such ridges 12. Likewise, the ridges 14a and 14b are also only exemplary. Further, although the term “ridge” is most frequently used herein to describe the structure shown and indicated by the numerical designators “12” or “14”, it is to be appreciated that the ridges 12/14 are, functionally, “stiffening members” for the panel 10 and are, structurally, “continuations” of the base layer 18. Consequently, the terms “ridge”, “stiffening member” and “continuation” may be used interchangeably herein. Also, as will be appreciated by the skilled artisan, the ridges 12/14 will form an ortho-grid when the angle “α” is a right angle. Otherwise, the ridges 12/14 will form an iso-grid.
Turning now to
Still referring to
In an alternate embodiment for the panel 10 of the present invention, shown in
For yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, refer to
Although the disclosure above has been directed primarily to a single ridge 12, it is to be appreciated that the disclosure applies equally to all ridges 12/14 of the reinforced panel 10. Moreover, for all embodiments of the present invention (i.e. ridges 12 shown in
While the particular Reinforced Composite Panel as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.