US 11,807,352 B2
Method for joining two substantially planar fiber-composite structural components with each other
Andreas Poppe, Hamburg (DE); Hermann Benthien, Hamburg (DE); and Thomas Beumler, Hamburg (DE)
Assigned to AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH, Hamburg (DE)
Filed by Airbus Operations GmbH, Hamburg (DE)
Filed on Aug. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/882,841.
Prior Publication US 2023/0052939 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. B64C 1/12 (2006.01); B64F 5/10 (2017.01); B29C 65/48 (2006.01); B29C 65/56 (2006.01); B29L 31/30 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 1/12 (2013.01) [B29C 65/4825 (2013.01); B29C 65/562 (2013.01); B64F 5/10 (2017.01); B29L 2031/3082 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for joining two substantially planar fiber-composite structural components with each other, the method comprising:
arranging a lower structural component of the two structural components beneath an upper structural component of the two structural components on top of a support jig, such that the two structural components overlap with each other along a joining region,
wherein an end section of the lower structural component within the joining region borders a defined gap between the upper structural component and the support jig in which the upper structural component is unsupported by the support jig,
wherein the defined gap is bordered on an opposite side of the end section of the lower structural component by a filling portion of the upper structural component or a planar filler element being supported by the support jig; and
joining the lower structural component to the upper structural component within the joining region by applying temperature and pressure to the structural components,
wherein a width of the defined gap is chosen such that the upper structural component elastically deforms along the defined gap under the pressure and bends down into the defined gap such that the upper structural component abuts the support jig along the defined gap and thereby compensates thickness tolerances between the structural components during the application of the pressure.