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:
May. 18, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 26, 1996
Ken K Yasui, Huntington Beach, CA (US);
McDonnell Douglas Corporation, Huntington Beach, CA (US);
Abstract
A two-sheet superplastically formed/diffusion bonded panel is made with a forming die assembly in which forming cavities are held in a flexible retaining sheet that floats in a forming box. A gas passage is provided through the box behind the cavities and the retaining sheet so that the cavities and retaining sheet are forced toward a rigid face sheet forming die element when pressurized gas is introduced. A face sheet and a reinforcing sheet sealed together around their edges, except for a gas passage to provide pressurized gas between the two sheets, are placed between the face sheet die and the forming die elements positioned in the box. The sheets are then heated and pressurized gas is applied between the sheets to cause the face sheet to move into contact with the face sheet die element while the reinforcing sheet superplastically deforms into the cavities supported by the retaining sheet to form ribs. After the ribs are formed in the reinforcing sheet, the pressure between the face and reinforcing sheets is reduced and the pressure in the box behind the cavity retaining sheet and die cavities is increased so that the formed sheet is moved against the face sheet for bonding. For dimple, as opposed to rib reinforced parts, dimples are created in a grid by shaped blocks facing the reinforcing sheet, which blocks are attached at their base to a flexible retaining sheet acted upon by pressurized gas in the gas chamber.