US 12,064,929 B2
Apparatus, system, and method for repairing composite sandwich panels
Remmelt Andrew Staal, Irvine, CA (US); Justin H. Register, Charleston, SC (US); Ernie Fidgeon, Ymir (CA); Glory C. Edwards, Edmonds, WA (US); and Gregory J. Smith, Philipsburg, MT (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Apr. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/718,020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/196,102, filed on Jun. 2, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0388258 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 73/02 (2006.01); B29C 73/10 (2006.01); B29C 73/26 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 73/02 (2013.01) [B29C 73/10 (2013.01); B29C 73/26 (2013.01); B29C 2073/264 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of installing a structural reinforcement on a sandwich structure, the method comprising:
removing a portion of a first sheet and a core of the sandwich structure to form a cavity in the first sheet and the core of the sandwich structure;
filling the cavity in the sandwich structure with an uncured potting compound such that at least a portion of the uncured potting compound extends onto an outer surface of the first sheet;
applying the uncured potting compound on a surface of a patch;
covering the cavity in the core and the outer surface of the first sheet with the patch, wherein:
the uncured potting compound extends between an inner surface of a second sheet of the sandwich structure and the patch to repair an abnormality in the core of the sandwich structure; and
the uncured potting compound extends between the outer surface of the first sheet of the sandwich structure and the patch to adhere the patch to the first sheet; and
curing the uncured potting compound.