Sandwich panel joint and method for joining sandwich panels

Abstract

A joint for joining panels (60, 62) together, such as a joint for joining honeycomb sandwich panels used in aerospace applications, and a method of joining the panels are disclosed. In some examples of the disclosed joints, the first plate and the second plate can be joined together to form the joint. The first plate (60) can be a flat plate including a tenon (80) formed along a first longitudinal edge, and the second plate (62) can be a curved plate including a groove (86) formed along a second longitudinal edge. plate. In forming the joint, a portion of the tenon (80) can be placed within the groove (86) and the flat plate (60) and curved plate (62) can be oriented at non-parallel and non-perpendicular angles to each other. Adhesive (99) can be applied along the tenon (80) and / or groove (86) to secure the joint.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates to joints for joining panels, such as for joining honeycomb sandwich panels used in aerospace applications, and methods of joining the panels. Background technique [0002] Honeycomb sandwich panels (eg, a honeycomb core structure sandwiched between two layers of material or skins) are often used in aircraft construction because of their high strength-to-weight ratio. Depending on the specific location and application of the honeycomb structure in the aircraft, two or more honeycomb sections may be required and may be joined or bonded together to define a larger honeycomb structure. In some applications, such as joining panels in the construction of overhead storage bins (which can also be referred to as bins or loading buckets) for aircraft, curved sandwich panels are joined to straight sandwich panels. [0003] In a conventional method of joining flat panels to curved panels, the joint is created by machining interlock...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0005] Conventional manufacturing techniques can lead to inconsistent production results, wrinkling and / or inward curling of one or both boards

Such wrinkling or curling often results in wrinkled and / or wavy interior joints in finished products (e.g., aircraft tanks)

Such defective joints can be visible to airline passengers, and thus manufacturers often have to scrape or dispose of such defective parts, wasting time and money, and / or attempt to alleviate curling, increasing manufacturing expense and time

Curl reduction is often not entirely effective in improving the visual quality of the resulting part, and also increases production time

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