US 11,897,170 B2
Method and mould for producing an aerodynamic element comprising riblets
Nicolas Pierre Lanfant, Moissy-Cramayel (FR); Emilie Goncalves, Moissy-Cramayel (FR); and Robin Mandel, Moissy-Cramayel (FR)
Assigned to SAFRAN, Paris (FR)
Appl. No. 16/093,067
Filed by SAFRAN, Paris (FR)
PCT Filed Apr. 12, 2017, PCT No. PCT/FR2017/050876
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 11, 2018,
PCT Pub. No. WO2017/178756, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 19, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 16 53258 (FR), filed on Apr. 13, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0202090 A1, Jul. 4, 2019
Int. Cl. B29C 33/42 (2006.01); B29C 45/26 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 33/424 (2013.01) [B29C 45/263 (2013.01); B29C 2033/422 (2013.01); B29C 2045/2697 (2013.01); B64C 2230/26 (2013.01); Y02T 50/10 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mould intended to carry out a method to obtain an element including an external face and a plurality of at least one of ribs or grooves formed on said external face,
wherein a wall of the mould includes at least one of ribs or grooves, and at least a portion of the at least one of the ribs or the grooves of said wall are suitable for being retracted at least temporarily so that at least a portion of a surface of said wall is smooth,
wherein said at least a portion of the at least one of the ribs or the grooves of said wall are suitable for being deployed at least temporarily after being retracted, and
wherein the method comprises:
supplying the mould with material intended to form said element during which at least one of the ribs or the grooves of the wall of the mould are retracted so that said wall has a smooth surface;
deploying at least one of the ribs or the grooves of the wall of the mould;
setting the material during which at least one of the ribs or the grooves of the wall of the mould are kept in a deployed position thereof;
retracting at least one of the ribs or the grooves of the wall of the mould; and
releasing the element formed from the mould, and
wherein said wall of the mould includes a piezoelectric coating which is suitable for being deformed to have either a smooth surface, or a surface including said the at least one of the ribs or the grooves complementary of the grooves and ribs of the external face of the element.