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:
Jun. 01, 1999
Filed:
Nov. 07, 1997
Sven R Lofstrom, Irving, TX (US);
Troy E Penny, Grapevine, TX (US);
Composite Technology, Inc., Grand Prairie, TX (US);
Abstract
A method is disclosed for repairing a worn helicopter rotor blade made of composite materials by adhesively securing a supplemental leading edge abrasion wear strip made of nickel to the leading edge of the rotor blade. The periphery of the bonding surface of the leading edge of the rotor blade is masked. The bonding surfaces of the supplemental leading edge strip and the rotor blade are cleaned with a medium-grit scrubbing pad, grit-blasted with aluminum oxide and then rinsed with DI water. A strip of a structural adhesive film is hot bonded to the bonding surface of the supplemental leading edge strip using vacuum and a high temperature oven cure. The side of the structural adhesive film bonding surface which will be secured directly to the rotor blade bonding surface is first abraded and then wiped with a solvent. An epoxy adhesive mix is applied to the bonding surfaces of the rotor blade and the structural adhesive film of the supplemental leading edge strip. The supplemental leading edge strip is then placed in position upon the leading edge of the rotor blade, positive pressure is applied and the adhesive mix is cured using a lower temperature cure than that used for hot bonding the structural adhesive film to the supplemental leading edge strip. Adhesive run-out from the mix is then faired to smoothly contour the interface between the supplemental leading edge strip, the cured adhesive mix and the previous surface of the rotor blade.