Claims
- 1. A simplified tailored composite architecture for use in fabricating a composite sabot, the composite sabot being fabricated from a plurality of wedge kits, wherein the composite sabot includes a front scoop having at least one dominant scoop fiber orientation, the simplified tailored composite architecture comprising:
- a) a panel adapted to be formed into a wedge kit, the panel having a plurality of plies of prepreg materials oriented in a plurality of different directions, wherein one of the plurality of different directions includes a direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation; and
- b) a pattern within the panel including selected prepreg segments rotated so that the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation in the selected prepreg segments is aligned to be substantially parallel to the at least one dominant scoop fiber orientation when the panel is subsequently formed into a wedge kit.
- 2. The simplified tailored composite architecture of claim 1 wherein the panel further comprises a plurality of body segments, a plurality of rear bourrelet segments, and a plurality of front scoop segments.
- 3. The simplified tailored composite architecture of claim 2 wherein the front scoop segments are rotated by at least 45 degrees with respect to the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation.
- 4. The simplified tailored composite architecture of claim 2 wherein the front scoop segments are rotated by at least 60 degrees with respect to the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation.
- 5. The simplified tailored composite architecture of claim 2 wherein the rear bourrelet segments are aligned along the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation.
- 6. The simplified tailored composite architecture of claim 2 wherein the pattern further comprises a plurality of indicia impressed on the prepreg segments.
- 7. A method for making a composite sabot wedge kit from a simplified tailored composite architecture, wherein the composite sabot includes at least one dominant scoop fiber orientation, the method comprising:
- a) patterning a panel adapted to be formed into a wedge kit, the panel having a plurality of plies of prepreg materials oriented in a plurality of different directions, wherein one of the plurality of different directions includes the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation;
- b) rotating a plurality of predetermined prepreg segments within the patterned panel so that the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation in the selected plurality of prepreg segments is aligned to be substantially parallel to the at least one dominant scoop fiber orientation when the panel is subsequently formed into a wedge kit;
- c) cutting the patterned panel to yield a plurality of wedge kit segments; and
- d) forming at least one wedge kit from the plurality of wedge kit segments.
- 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of patterning a panel adapted to be formed into a wedge kit further comprises the steps of:
- a) patterning a layup pattern onto the panel; and
- b) segmenting the layup pattern into a plurality of body segments, a plurality of rear bourrelet segments, and a plurality of front scoop segments.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of patterning includes the step of rotating the front scoop segments by at least 45 degrees with respect to the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation.
- 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of patterning includes the step of rotating the front scoop segments by at least 60 degrees with respect to the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation.
- 11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of patterning includes the step of rotating the front scoop segments by a predetermined angle with respect to the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation.
- 12. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of patterning further comprises the steps of:
- a) marking a plurality of circular weld points onto the panel to fix the prepreg segments after being cut from the layup;
- b) marking a plurality of rectangular weld points onto the panel to fix the prepreg segments after being cut from the layup;
- c) marking a plurality of triangular indexing points onto the panel for identifying right prepreg segments; and
- d) marking a plurality of square indexing points onto the panel for identifying left prepreg segments.
- 13. A composite sabot wedge kit simplified tailored architecture adapted to form a composite sabot, wherein the composite sabot includes at least one dominant scoop fiber orientation, the composite sabot wedge kit comprising:
- a) means for patterning a panel adapted to be formed into a wedge kit, the panel having a plurality of plies of prepreg materials oriented in a plurality of different directions, wherein one of the plurality of different directions includes the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation;
- b) means for rotating a plurality of predetermined prepreg segments within the patterned panel so that the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation in the selected plurality of prepreg segments is aligned to be substantially parallel to the at least one dominant scoop fiber orientation when the panel is subsequently formed into a wedge kit;
- c) means for cutting the patterned panel to yield a plurality of wedge kit segments; and
- d) means for forming at least one wedge kit from the plurality of wedge kit segments.
- 14. The composite sabot wedge kit of claim 13 wherein the means for patterning a panel adapted to be formed into a wedge kit further comprises:
- a) means for patterning a layup pattern onto the panel; and
- b) means for segmenting the layup pattern into a plurality of body segments, a plurality of rear bourrelet segments, and a plurality of front scoop segments.
- 15. The composite sabot wedge kit of claim 13 wherein the means for patterning includes means for rotating the front scoop segments by at least 45 degrees with respect to the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation.
- 16. The composite sabot wedge kit of claim 15 wherein the means for rotating includes means for rotating the front scoop segments by at least 60 degrees with respect to the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation.
- 17. The composite sabot wedge kit of claim 13 wherein the means for rotating includes means for rotating the front scoop segments with respect to the direction of dominant homogeneous fiber orientation.
- 18. The composite sabot wedge kit of claim 13 wherein the means for patterning further comprises means for impressing a plurality of indicia on the prepreg segments.
- 19. The simplified tailored composite architecture of claim 1 wherein the panel comprises a plurality of plies of different fiber orientations.
- 20. The simplified tailored composite architecture of claim 1 wherein the panel comprises a continuous fiber prepreg material.
- 21. The simplified tailored composite architecture of claim 1 wherein the continuous fiber prepreg material is selected from the group consisting of a continuous fiber/epoxy system, a thermoset fiber/epoxy system, a thermoplastic fiber/epoxy system, a continuous thermoset fiber/epoxy system, a continuous thermoplastic fiber/epoxy system, a thermoplastic fiber/resin system, a continuous thermoset fiber/resin system, and a continuous thermoplastic fiber/resin system.
U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHTS
The United States Government has certain rights to this invention under government contract number DAAE30-97-C-1006.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5789699 |
Stewart et al. |
Aug 1998 |
|