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:
Jan. 03, 2017
Filed:
Jun. 21, 2013
The Boeing Company, Seal Beach, CA (US);
Dennis K. Kennedy, Mesa, AZ (US);
The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
Methods of co-curing aligned annular supports in a tubular region of a composite structure, such as a rotor blade, are disclosed. Methods include assembling an uncured composite structure by positioning an inboard annular support and an outboard annular support around an arbor, forming reinforcement fiber into a tubular region in contact with the supports, and applying a matrix material to the reinforcement fiber. The inboard and outboard annular supports are substantially composed of metal. Methods also include concentrically aligning the arbor and the supports along a common axis by applying heat to cause differential expansion of the arbor with respect to the supports, wherein the differential expansion causes an interference fit of the supports against the arbor. Methods also include curing the uncured composite structure to form the composite structure.