US 12,392,037 B2
Floating tooling assembly for chemical vapor infiltration
Alyson T. Burdette, Gilbertsville, PA (US); Raymond Surace, Newington, CT (US); and Jon Erik Sobanski, Glastonbury, CT (US)
Assigned to RTX Corporation, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed by Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed on Oct. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/970,990.
Prior Publication US 2024/0133034 A1, Apr. 25, 2024
Prior Publication US 2024/0229239 A9, Jul. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. C23C 16/458 (2006.01); C23C 16/04 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 16/458 (2013.01) [C23C 16/045 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tooling assembly suitable for use in infiltrating a fibrous preform, the tooling assembly comprising:
an outer tooling fixture defining an interior volume, the outer tooling fixture comprising:
a first portion;
a second portion, wherein the first portion is removably attached to the second portion, each of the first portion and the second portion comprising a base with a recess; and
a first pair of oppositely disposed windows, each window providing an opening to the interior volume, a perimeter of the opening defined by the first portion, the second portion, or a combination thereof; and
an inner tooling fixture insertable into the outer tooling fixture and disposed entirely within the interior volume, the inner tooling fixture comprising:
a body defined by at least one portion, the body configured to at least partially surround the fibrous preform;
a plurality of holes extending through a thickness of the at least one portion, each hole of the plurality of holes having a length (L) and a diameter (D); and
a first neck region engageable with the recess of the first portion or the second portion; and
wherein the first pair of windows is open to and spaced apart from the inner tooling fixture and the plurality of holes of the inner tooling fixture such that a flow of vaporous precursors is permitted through the first pair of windows to openings of the plurality of holes of the inner tooling fixture.