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:
Nov. 18, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 09, 2001
Ross A. Benson, Willow Park, TX (US);
Terrance R. Burd, Arlington, TX (US);
Todd H. Ashton, Forth Worth, TX (US);
Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, MD (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for stiffening a panel provides a composite waffle stiffener and the method for constructing the stiffener. A plurality of fabric plies pre-cut to a selected pattern are laid on a tool having a waffle configuration, the plies overlapping each other to maintain continuity of the structure. The resulting waffle stiffener is then bonded to a panel requiring stiffening. The stiffener is flexible and may be bonded to curved panels. Holes in the stiffener allow access to the volume between the stiffener and the panel for minimizing volume loss within, for example, a wing structure containing fuel and for ventilating air or moisture trapped in the volume.