The Boeing Company

Christopher John Hottes

Robert James Miller

Marc Rollo Matsen

James M Kestner

Cameron Kai-Ming Chen

Leah Gillian Glauber

John F Spalding, Jr

Jeffrey M Hansen

Jennifer Sue Noel

Andrew M Hopkins

Bret A Voss

Mark E King

Timothy J Luchini

Donald John Sutkus, Jr

Darren R Walker

Diane C Rawlings

Charles Michael Richards

John F Spalding

Darrell M Storvick

Bret Alan McGinness Voss

Wendi Lynn Pickett Otto

Vincent C Ku

Robert J Miller

Jennifer S Noel

A first tooling die and a second tooling die are movable with respect to each other. The first tooling die and the second tooling die form a die cavity. The first tooling die and the second tooling die comprise a plurality of stacked metal sheets. A plurality of air gaps is defined between adjacent stacked metal sheets. A first smart susceptor material is within the die cavity and connected to the first tooling die. The first smart susceptor material has a first Curie temperature. A second smart susceptor material is within the die cavity and associated with the second tooling die. The second smart susceptor material has a second Curie temperature lower than the first Curie temperature. A flexible membrane is between the second tooling die and the first smart susceptor material. The flexible membrane is configured to receive pressure.

Induction forming and curing of thermoset composite charges

A heating blanket is disclosed. The heating blanket may include a thermoplastic matrix configured to become conformable at a predetermined temperature, a conductor embedded in the thermoplastic matrix and configured to receive electrical current and generate a magnetic field in response to the electrical current, and a plurality of susceptors embedded in the thermoplastic matrix and composed of a magnetic material having a Curie point.

Highly formable smart susceptor blankets

A coaxially arranged smart susceptor conductor, comprising a smart susceptor core comprising an alloy having a first Curie temperature point and a first smart susceptor shell coaxially arranged around the smart susceptor core. The first smart susceptor shell comprising a second Curie temperature point that is different than the first Curie temperature point of the smart susceptor core. In one arrangement, the second Curie temperature point of the first smart susceptor shell is lower than the first Curie temperature point of the smart susceptor core. In another arrangement, the smart susceptor conductor further comprises a second smart susceptor shell disposed about the first smart susceptor shell. The second smart susceptor shell comprising a third Curie temperature point.

Coaxial smart susceptor

A composite sandwich panel includes a first composite part and a second composite part. A plurality of stiffeners extend between the first and second composite parts. A fiberglass composite perimeter edge closeout is positioned along one or more edges of the first and second composite parts. The fiberglass composite perimeter edge closeout controls a magnetic flux to bond the first and second composite parts to the plurality of stiffeners.

Methods and apparatus for fabricating panels

A heating blanket is disclosed. The heating blanket may include a conductor yarn configured to receive electrical current and generate a magnetic field in response to the electrical current, and a plurality of susceptor yarns composed of a magnetic material including a Curie point. The conductor yarn and the plurality of susceptor yarns may be interlaced to form a layer of fabric.

Woven smart susceptor heat blankets

A method and system for fabricating a susceptor coil assembly ribbon. An apparatus comprising a tensioning sectionthat provides a predetermined amount of tension to a plurality of susceptor coil assemblies, a collimating sectionthat receives the plurality of susceptor coil assembliesfrom the tensioning sectionand aligns the plurality of susceptor coil assemblies. An impaling sectionreceives the plurality of susceptor coil assembliesaligned by the collimating sectionand impales the plurality of susceptor coil assembliesinto a matrix materialso as to fabricate a susceptor coil assembly ribbon

Method and apparatus for fabricating a susceptor coil assembly ribbon

A susceptor wire array. The array includes a first susceptor wire comprising an alloy having a first Curie temperature point and a second susceptor wire comprising an alloy having a second Curie temperature point, the second Curie temperature point is different than the first Curie temperature point of the first susceptor wire. In one susceptor wire arrangement, the second Curie temperature point of the second susceptor wire is lower than the first Curie temperature point of the first susceptor wire. In another susceptor wire arrangement, the array further comprises a third susceptor wire, the third susceptor wire comprising an alloy having a third Curie temperature point. The third Curie temperature point of the third susceptor wire may be different than the first Curie temperature point of the first susceptor wire.

Susceptor wire array

A method of supplying electricity to an electrical component inside a vacuum chamber may include positioning an electrical component inside a vacuum chamber, the electrical component having a first electrical connector portion. A second electrical connector portion may then be connected to the first electrical portion through a hole in a flexible wall of the vacuum chamber, the second electrical connector portion being electrically connected to circuitry disposed outside the vacuum chamber. The connecting step may include hermetically clamping the flexible wall of the vacuum chamber between the first and second electrical connector portions.

Apparatus for curing composite materials and method of use thereof

A processing apparatus such as a heating and/or debulking apparatus that may be used to debulk a plurality of uncured composite layers to form an article such as an aircraft component may include a plurality of interconnected smart susceptor heater blankets. The plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets may be connected in series or in parallel, and may be controlled to uniformly heat the component during formation.

Integrated smart susceptor heater blanket debulk system for composites

A method and system for fabricating a susceptor coil assembly. An apparatus comprising a tensioning section; a feeding section for feeding a conductor wire toward the tensioning section, the tensioning section maintaining a desired tension of the conductor wire; and a coiling section for winding a susceptor wire around an outer surface of the conductor wire so as to fabricate a susceptor coil assembly. The coiling section winds the susceptor wire around the conductor wire as the conductor wire moves from the feeding section towards the tensioning section. A first programmable drive is programmable to achieve a desired feedrate of the conductor wire from the feeding section to the coiling section.

Method and apparatus for fabricating susceptor coil assemblies

An enclosure for heating a three dimensional structure. The enclosure comprising a body defining a cavity therein. The cavity sized to receive a three dimensional structure. A plurality of heating blankets configured to heat the three dimensional structure to a substantially uniform temperature. At least one of the plurality of heating blankets comprises a conductor for receiving current and generating a magnetic field in response thereto, a first susceptor wire comprising an alloy having a first Curie temperature point and a second susceptor wire. The second susceptor wire comprising a second Curie temperature point that is different than the first Curie temperature point of the first susceptor wire.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Christopher John Hottes