US 12,337,548 B2
Method and equipment for the integration of continuous J shaped spars in extended panels of composite material
Marco Visconti, Turin (IT); and Gianni Iagulli, Turin (IT)
Assigned to LEONARDO S.P.A., Rome (IT)
Appl. No. 18/036,566
Filed by LEONARDO S.P.A., Rome (IT)
PCT Filed Nov. 12, 2021, PCT No. PCT/IB2021/060515
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 11, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/101848, PCT Pub. Date May 19, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 102020000027287 (IT), filed on Nov. 13, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0009939 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. B29C 70/44 (2006.01); B29C 65/00 (2006.01); B29C 65/02 (2006.01); B29C 65/48 (2006.01); B29C 65/78 (2006.01); B29C 70/54 (2006.01); B29K 105/24 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 66/474 (2013.01) [B29C 65/02 (2013.01); B29C 65/48 (2013.01); B29C 65/7802 (2013.01); B29C 65/7841 (2013.01); B29C 66/1122 (2013.01); B29C 66/721 (2013.01); B29C 66/73752 (2013.01); B29C 66/81455 (2013.01); B29C 70/44 (2013.01); B29C 70/541 (2013.01); B29K 2105/246 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for the integration of continuous J shaped spars in extended panels of composite material comprising the following steps:
laminating a plurality of layers of resin impregnated composite material on a polymerization mould that defines a resting surface and copies an aerodynamic profile of a component to be made thus creating in this manner a stratified structure that has a greater thickness at areas that will have to support greater loads in use;
creating J shaped spars of composite material; each spar comprises an extended central portion, a base portion transverse to the extended central portion and an end appendix extending from a side of the extended central portion;
arranging each J shaped spar on a rectilinear support having at least one right triangle shaped portion so that the extended central portion of the spar is arranged to come into contact with a larger base side LB of the rectilinear support, the end appendix rests on a portion on a right side LR of the support and the base of the spar is free and facing downwards;
arranging the spars, carried by the respective rectilinear supports, on the stratified structure;
creating a vacuum bag closed with sealing seam on the polymerization mould along all peripheral areas external to the panel; the vacuum bag covers the stratified structure, the rectilinear support, the base portion, the central portion and the end portion of the J shaped spars;
creating holes in the vacuum bag at respective connection points made along each rectilinear support, each hole being surrounded by a sealing zone which maintains a tight seal of the vacuum bag;
coupling a supporting structure positioned on the mould, in an area external to the vacuum bag and provided with a plurality of hooking and adjusting elements with said mould;
connecting each hooking and adjusting element with a connection point;
adjusting a position of each hooking and adjusting element with respect to the supporting structure in order to position the rectilinear support in a direction parallel to the vertical so that a position of the end portion of the J shaped spar, with respect to the mould, corresponds to that foreseen by a design; and
depressurizing the vacuum bag and arranging the polymerization mould and the supporting structure in an autoclave to perform a polymerization cycle of the resin impregnated composite material and any adhesive so that the J shaped spars firmly solidify and adhere to the stratified structure in the position foreseen by the design.