The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 13, 2020
Filed:
Jun. 16, 2015
The Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, CA (US);
Jose L. Encinosa, Lake Forest Park, WA (US);
Samuel F. Zambrana, Auburn, WA (US);
Daniel M. Rotter, Lake Forest Park, WA (US);
Michael Robert Chapman, Federal Way, WA (US);
Stephen K. Halladin, Renton, WA (US);
Benjamin Bowen Lee, Tacoma, WA (US);
Joshua Dee Little, Marysville, WA (US);
Douglas Alan McCarville, Bonney Lake, WA (US);
Jason A. Medenciy, Seattle, WA (US);
Russell D. Chiupka, Kirkland, WA (US);
Marcin Artur Rabiega, Kent, WA (US);
Andrey F. Yurchik, Redmond, WA (US);
Martin W. Hansen, Edgewood, WA (US);
Thomas P. Harper, Seattle, WA (US);
The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
Composite structure fabrication systems and methods. The systems include a plurality of ply carriers, each of which is configured to support at least one ply segment, and an elongate forming mandrel, which defines an elongate ply forming surface that is shaped to define a surface contour of the composite structure. The systems further include a carrier transfer device, which is configured to selectively convey a selected ply carrier from a ply kitting area to an intermediate location, and a forming machine, which is configured to deform the selected ply carrier and a respective ply segment over a selected portion of the elongate ply forming surface. The forming machine further is configured to separate the selected ply carrier from the respective ply segment and return the selected ply carrier to the carrier transfer device. The methods include methods of operating the systems.