Skinned mesh structure and production method thereof

Abstract

The present invention is entitled "Skinned Mesh Structure and Method for Producing the Same." Disclosed are skinned mesh structures and methods for producing the same. The disclosed example apparatus includes a placer for placing foamable structures together to define a bundle, a restrainer for restraining the bundle, an activator for activating the foamable structures to expand within the restrainer and form a mesh structure, a trimmer for trimming the mesh structure to define a core, and an assembler for coupling a skin to the core to define the skinned mesh structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to layered composite materials and, more particularly, to skinned mesh structures and methods of producing the same. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, layered composite materials (e.g., layered composite structures) have become more common due to their favorable stiffness / weight ratio and relatively low production costs. Layered composite materials typically include at least two layers of different materials coupled together and are commonly used in aircraft components such as rudders, ailerons, spoilers, and flaps. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The example apparatus includes a placer that places foamable structures together to define a bundle, and a restrictor that restricts the bundle. The example apparatus also includes an activator that applies an activator to the foamable structures to form a mesh structure within the restrictor. The example apparatus further includes a trimmer that trims the mesh structure to define a core, and an assembler that couples the core to the skin.

[0004] An example method for producing a skinned mesh structure includes placing a foamable structure together to define a bundle and confining the bundle. The example method further includes applying an activator to the foamable structure of the bundle to define the mesh structure. The example method further includes trimming the mesh structure to define a core, and assembling the core to the skin to define the skinned mesh structure.

[0005] An example skinned mesh structure includes a core having a mesh defined by a foamable structure that has been bounded, restrained, and activated via an activating agent. An example skinned mesh structure further includes a skin coupled to at least one surface of the core. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 An example method of producing a skinned mesh structure according to the teachings of the present disclosure is shown.

[0007] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a system for producing an example skinned mesh structure of the examples disclosed herein.

[0008] Figure 3 An example limiter that may be implemented in the examples disclosed herein is shown.

[0009] Figures 4A-4D An example skinned mesh structure according to the teachings of the present disclosure is shown.

[0010] Figure 5 is a flow chart representing an example method of producing the examples disclosed herein.

[0011] The drawings are not to scale. Instead, the thickness of layers or regions may be exaggerated in the drawings. Generally, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawing(s) and the accompanying written description to represent the same or similar parts. As used in this patent, stating that any part is in any way on another part (e.g., placed on, positioned on, arranged on, or formed on, etc.), means that the referenced part is in contact with another part, or means that the referenced part is above another part with one or more intermediate parts (one or more) positioned therebetween. Unless otherwise specified, connection references (e.g., attach, couple, connect, and connect) are to be interpreted broadly and may include intermediate members between sets of elements and relative movement between elements. Therefore, connection references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in a fixed relationship to each other. Declaring that any part is "in contact" with another part means that there are no intermediate parts between the two parts.

[0012] Descriptors such as "first," "second," and "third" are used herein when identifying multiple elements or components that can be referred to individually. Unless otherwise specified or understood based on the context of their use, these descriptors are not intended to confer any meaning of priority, physical order, arrangement in a list, or chronological order, but are merely used as labels for individually referencing multiple elements or components to facilitate understanding of the disclosed examples. In some instances, the descriptor "first" may be used to refer to an element in the detailed description, while the same element may be referred to by a different descriptor such as "second" or "third" in the claims. It should be understood that in these instances, such descriptors are used merely to facilitate reference to multiple elements or components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Skinned mesh structures and methods for producing the same are disclosed. In known implementations, layered composite materials (e.g., layered composite structures) are often implemented in aircraft due to their favorable strength properties. In particular, layered composite materials can be relatively lightweight while still exhibiting relatively high structural strength. However, these known implementations can be costly to manufacture and maintain.

[0014] The examples disclosed herein enable cost-effective, high-strength, and lightweight skinned mesh structures. The examples disclosed herein can also be rapidly produced for implementation in manufacturing environments and / or field repairs (e.g., replacement of parts and / or portions of existing aircraft). Further, the examples disclosed herein can enable the manufacture of components with relatively complex shapes and / or geometries. Additionally or alternatively, the examples disclosed herein can be used for thermal and acoustic insulation.

[0015] The examples disclosed herein include a mesh structure core at least partially covered (e.g., completely covered) with a skin (e.g., a protective outer skin, an outer skin surface, a carbon fiber skin, etc.). The mesh structure is formed by activating a foamable structure (e.g., pellets, rods, etc.) with an activator provided by an activator (e.g., a thermal activator, a chemical activator, the application of an electric current, an electrochemical agent, etc.). In particular, the foamable structures are placed together (e.g., bundled together) by a placer and restricted by a restrictor (e.g., force restriction, encapsulation, elastic restriction, rigidity restriction, etc.) for activation. During activation, the foamable structure expands to define a mesh structure. Once formed, the mesh structure is trimmed and / or cut (e.g., machine cutting, cutting into layers, etc.) to define a core, which can be a prismatic block, a layered block, a shaped block, a core piece, a trimmed layer, etc. Further, the core is connected and / or bonded to the aforementioned skin to define a mesh structure with a skin.

[0016] In some instances, the core comprises a fiber-reinforced foam cellular material. Additionally or alternatively, the skin comprises a prepreg or precured component. In some instances, the foamable structure (e.g., pellets, rods, etc.) is formed by an extruder or pultruder. Additionally or alternatively, the foamable structure can be at least partially composed of a fiber-reinforced material. In some instances, the restrictor comprises a balloon to elastically restrict the bundled foamable structure during its expansion caused by the activation process. In some instances, the skin and core are cured together in an oven and / or autoclave.

[0017] As used herein, the term "foamable structure" refers to discrete material portions (e.g., pellets, rods, particles, solid structures, etc.) that are placed together (e.g., stacked together, bundled together) and activated to define a relatively continuous mesh of a mesh structure. As used herein, the term "bundle" refers to the aforementioned material portions (e.g., a pile, bundle, collection, etc.) placed adjacent to and / or in contact with each other prior to activation. As used herein, the term "mesh structure" refers to a structure that is at least partially similar to a mesh pattern (e.g., a honeycomb pattern, a closed-cell pattern, etc.) formed by the activation of at least one foamable structure. As used herein, the term "core" refers to the aforementioned mesh structure that is coupled to a skin. Thus, the mesh structure can be shaped, trimmed, and / or cut to define a core for coupling to a skin. As used herein, the term "skin" refers to a surface, wall, and / or contour that is bonded to the core and / or mesh structure to at least partially define its exterior (e.g., outer surface, outer wall, etc.). As used herein, the term "balloon" refers to an expandable structure, component, membrane, and / or member.

[0018] Figure 1An example method 100 for producing a skinned mesh structure according to the teachings of the present disclosure is shown. In the example shown, at the example forming step 101, a foamable structure 102 is shown after a forming method (e.g., an extrusion method, a pultrusion method, etc.). In this particular example, the foamable structure 102 has been extruded along its respective longitudinal axis 104 to have a substantially circular cross-sectional shape profile. However, in other examples, the foamable structure 102 can be extruded to have any other suitable cross-sectional shape profile, including but not limited to a rectangular profile, a triangular profile, a polygonal profile, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the foamable structure 102 is formed into pellets and / or microparticles. In some examples, the amount, size, density and / or shape of the foamable structure 102 varies based on the desired properties of the resulting mesh structure. In some examples, the foamable material comprises a thermoplastic resin and / or is at least partially composed of a thermoplastic resin.

[0019] At example limiting step 106, the foamable structures 102 are placed in contact with each other (e.g., bundled, stacked, arranged, patterned, etc.), thereby defining a bundle 108. For example, the foamable structures 102 can be arranged in an interwoven or staggered arrangement. In some examples, the foamable structures 102 are stacked and / or arranged in a grid and / or lattice pattern. In this example, the foamable structures 102 are placed in contact with each other. However, in other examples, the bundle 108 includes a combination of the foamable structure 102 and structural rods (e.g., metal rods, thermoplastic rods, hollow rods, thermosetting rods, hollow glass beads, etc.). In some examples, the structural rods are generally solid (e.g., do not contain internal voids or openings), wherein the foamable structure 102 is placed between the structural rods. Additionally or alternatively, the foamable structure 102 can be placed in the internal openings (e.g., hollow openings) of the structural rods for subsequent activation. In some examples, a hollow structural rod is used as a restraint. Additionally or alternatively, the skin is placed in contact with the metal rod and heat and / or current / power is provided from the metal rod (eg, to cure the skin to the activated foamable structure).

[0020] At the example activation step 110, the foamable structure 102 is passed through an activator 208 ( Figure 2 108 ) is activated (e.g., thermally, electrically, and / or chemically) by an activating agent provided in the bundle 108 to define individual cells (e.g., activated foamable structures) 112, thereby defining a mesh structure (e.g., a grid, a honeycomb pattern, a mesh pattern, etc.) 114. In this example, the foamable structures 102 expand, bond, and / or adhere to each other during their activation. While the cells 112 are generally depicted as approximately hexagonal in shape in this example, the cells 112 may be any suitable mesh shape and / or pattern based on the relative arrangement of the foamable structures 102 in the bundle 108 and / or different activation method parameters.

[0021] The example trimming step 116 corresponds to the mesh structure 114 being trimmed and / or cut (e.g., machine cutting, slicing, laser cutting, etc.) around the cutting line 118 to define at least one different core (e.g., core piece, core layer, trimmed core, etc.) 120. In this example, the core 120 is generally depicted as a layer. However, in other examples, the core 120 can be trimmed and / or cut into any other suitable shape. For example, the mesh structure 114 can be cut (e.g., machine processing, etching, water jet cutting, etc.) (e.g., 3-D cutting) along multiple directions to form a relatively complex geometry (e.g., curved surface, opening, wavy (contour), etc.) of the core 120. In some other examples, the core is defined by an activation process (e.g., the core is not cut and / or trimmed).

[0022] At example assembly step 125, core 120 is shown being coupled, bonded, assembled, and / or joined to a skin (e.g., a carbon fiber skin, an elastomeric skin, etc.) 126 to define a skinned mesh structure 124. In this example, skin 126 has a corresponding surface 128 that at least partially covers core 120. In the illustrated example, skin 126 does not cover at least one portion or side 130 of core 120. However, in some other examples, skin 126 generally surrounds (e.g., encapsulates) all sides and / or surfaces of core 120. In this example, once core 120 is coupled to skin 126, core 120 and skin 126 are cured via a heating process. In some examples, a bonding layer (e.g., an adhesive layer, an applied adhesive layer, an epoxy layer, etc.) 132 couples core 120 to skin 126.

[0023] Figure 2 2 is a schematic diagram of an example skinned mesh structure production system 200 for producing examples disclosed herein. The example skinned mesh structure production system 200 shown includes a former 202, a placer 204, a restrictor 206, the aforementioned activator 208, a trimmer 210, an assembler 212, and a curing device 214. In some examples, the former 202, the placer 204, the restrictor 206, the activator 208, the trimmer 210, the assembler 212, and / or the curing device 214 are part of a single method and / or apparatus.

[0024] To form and / or produce the foamable structure 102, the example former 202 applies a forming process (e.g., an extrusion process, a pultrusion process, etc.) to a foamable medium (e.g., a slurry, a dry medium, etc.), thereby producing a structure (e.g., a pellet, a rod, a tube, etc.) for subsequent activation (e.g., foaming activation). In some other examples, the former 202 is implemented as a pelletizer system. In some such examples, the pelletized medium and / or structure can be bonded together during a bonding process to define the foamable structure 102.

[0025] To limit Figure 1 108, the placer 204 defines an array (e.g., a grid) of foamable structures 102 by placing and / or positioning the foamable structures 102 together. In some examples, the placer 204 stacks the foamable structures 102 so that once the foamable structures 102 are activated, the foamable structures 102 contact each other (e.g., as a lattice pattern or interwoven arrangement) to more effectively form a closed-cell structure. In some examples, for example, reinforcements, such as laminated composite layers, are placed within the bundle 108. In some such examples, the reinforcements can provide structural support for the resulting mesh structure.

[0026] To confine the foamable structure 102 prior to activation, the example confinement device 206 is positioned to wrap around and / or partially surround the foamable structure 102 and / or the bundle 108. In particular, the confinement device 206 elastically expands with the foamable structure 102 during activation. Alternatively, the confinement device 206 can be implemented to rigidly confine the foamable structure 102.

[0027] In order to form the mesh structure 114, the activator 208 applies an activator to the foamable structure 102 when the foamable structure is held and / or restricted by the restrictor 206. The activator causes the foamable structure 102 of the bundle 108 to expand and combine (e.g., coalesce, sinter, etc.), thereby forming the mesh structure 114. In some examples, the activator includes thermal energy generated and provided by an oven or any other suitable heat source. Additionally or optionally, the activator includes a compound and / or chemical reagent that activates the foamable structure 102. In some other examples, for example, the activator includes an electric current or voltage source (e.g., a generator, electricity, a voltage source, etc.). In some examples, the electric current or voltage source generates thermal energy (e.g., via a resistor) to activate the foamable structure 102. Additionally or optionally, in some examples, the curing device 214 at least partially activates the foamable structure 102.

[0028] In the illustrated example, the trimmer 210 cuts and / or slits (e.g., subdivides) the mesh structure 114 (e.g., the mesh structure 114 is subdivided into a plurality of the cores 120) to define at least one of the cores 120. In some examples, the mesh structure 114 is cut and / or trimmed into a single one of the cores 120, which is in turn coupled to the skin 126. In some other examples, the mesh structure 114 is not cut and / or trimmed.

[0029] To couple the skin 126 to the core 120, the assembler 212 of the illustrated example is implemented to place the skin 126 and the core 120 in contact with each other and apply and / or define a bonding layer 132 therebetween. In some examples, the assembler 212 places the core 120 and the skin 126 in a vacuum bag after adhesively bonding them to each other (e.g., via a structural adhesive). In this example, coupling the skin 126 to the core 120 via the bonding layer 132 defines the skinned mesh structure 124.

[0030] In some examples, curing device 214 hardens the bond between skin 126 and core 120 to define skinned mesh structure 124. Curing device 214 may be implemented as an oven or an autoclave. In some such examples, skin 126 may be at least partially cured on at least one side of core 120.

[0031] Figure 3 An example restrictor 206 is shown that can be implemented in examples disclosed herein to constrain and / or limit the bundle 108 during activation of the foamable structure 102. In the example shown, the restrictor 206 includes end stops 302 on two lateral sides of the restrictor 206, a fluid path (e.g., a tube, conduit, container, path, etc.) 304, an opening (e.g., a vent, a slit, etc.) 306, and a balloon (e.g., an elastic balloon, etc.) 308. Figure 3 In the illustrated view, the bundle 108 is shown disposed within the instance limiter 206 .

[0032] The example balloon 308 is implemented to constrain (e.g., elastically constrain) the foamable structure 102 and hold it together when the balloon 308 expands during activation. In this example, the balloon 308 expands with the foamable structure 102 during activation, but provides a restraining force to the foamable structure 102. In particular, the example balloon 308 constrains the foamable structure 102 to generally maintain the relative arrangement of the bundles 108 and ensure that the foamable structure 102 remains compressed enough to expand into a relatively orderly mesh pattern. In some examples, the relatively small restraining force provided by the balloon 308 promotes the bonding of the foamable structure 102 during and after the activation process. In other examples, the balloon 308 has varying elasticity at different locations, resulting in different local expansions of the foamable structure 102 and, therefore, varying densities on the resulting mesh structure. In other examples, a rigid container is implemented instead of the balloon 308.

[0033] In some examples, fluid path 304 provides the aforementioned activating agent to restrictor 206 and, in turn, to foamable structure 102. In the illustrated example, fluid path 304 is implemented as a tube (e.g., an elastic tube, a rigid tube, a conduit, etc.) fluidly coupled and sealed to restrictor 206. For some such examples, opening 306 can be implemented to allow gaseous byproducts from the activation process to escape restrictor 206. In some other examples, fluid path 304 is not implemented. In some such examples, the activating agent travels from activator 208 and through balloon 308, and thus reaches foamable structure 102 (e.g., balloon 308 is at least semi-permeable).

[0034] In some examples, the end stops 302 are implemented to reduce (e.g., prevent) expansion of the foamable structure 102 along the longitudinal direction of the restrictor 206. In particular, example end stops 302, which can be rigid or elastic, contact (e.g., abut, cover, etc.) and constrain at least one longitudinal end of the bundle 108. In other examples, only one of the end caps 302 is implemented. Additionally or alternatively, the end stops 302 laterally constrain the foamable structure 102 (e.g., constrain at least a lateral portion of the foamable structure 102).

[0035] In some examples, more than one restrictor 206 is stacked (e.g., adjacently, vertically, concentrically, etc.) to vary the size of the mesh(es) 112 and, in turn, vary the density of the mesh structure 114 in different regions (e.g., to define density variations, local variations, and / or gradients). For some such examples, the density of the resulting core 120 can be increased at locations such as edges, attachment points, stacks, connection areas / points, etc.

[0036] Additionally or alternatively, the restrictor(s) 206 at least partially define the desired shape of the core 120, and subsequently, after activation of the foamable structure 102, the mesh structure 114 is coupled to the skin 126. In some other examples, the restrictor 206 defines and / or forms the skin 126. In these examples, the restrictor 206 remains at least partially coupled to the mesh structure 114 after activation of the foamable structure 102 and, thus, is the skin 126 after the activation process. In some examples, the restrictor 206 comprises a thermoplastic material that can burn off and / or decompose during or after the activation process.

[0037] Figures 4A-4D An example skinned mesh structure according to the teachings of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4A , an example skinned mesh structure 124 is shown with a core 120 having a relatively uniform density. In the illustrated example, the skinned mesh structure 124 includes the aforementioned core 120 coupled to the skin 126 via a bonding layer (e.g., an adhesive bonding layer) 132, which may be implemented as a chemical fastener and / or an adhesive. In other words, the bonding layer 132 is disposed between the skin 126 and the core 120. In other examples, mechanical fastener(s) (e.g., screws, rivets, etc.) are implemented instead.

[0038] In the illustrated example, at least one of the surfaces 128 exhibits a curvature while the other of the surfaces 128 is relatively flat. Specifically, the skin 126 is continuous, and a first portion 402 of the skin 126 is placed onto a curved portion and / or surface of the core 120, while a second portion 404 of the skin 126 is placed onto a relatively flat surface of the core 120. Additionally or alternatively, the first and second portions 402, 404 of the skin 126 are distinct and are separately coupled during separate coupling steps or a single coupling step. In some examples, at least a portion of the skin 126 and / or the core 120 is cut to expose at least one inner surface of the core 120.

[0039] In this example, the core 120 includes an exposed side 130 that can be placed adjacent to an exposed, non-exterior surface of another component (e.g., during field repair). In some examples, multiple of the skinned mesh structures 124 are coupled at their respective exposed surfaces 130 to form a single part. In some other examples, the core 120 is completely surrounded (e.g., completely enclosed, completely enclosed, etc.) by the skin 126.

[0040] Figure 4BAn example of a skinned mesh structure 410 having a composite core 411 is shown, the composite core 411 having cores 412, 414, 416 of varying density in different regions. In the example shown, the varying density of the core 411 enables the skinned mesh structure 410 to exhibit varying strength and flexibility based on the load conditions (e.g., the location of the applied load). In some examples, the cores (e.g., core regions) 412, 414, 416 are formed in a single activation process (e.g., using stacked restrictors 206 and / or varying elasticity along different portions of the balloon 308). In other examples, the cores 412, 414, 416 are formed during separate activation processes and are stacked and / or coupled together to define the core 411.

[0041] Figure 4C An example skinned mesh structure 420 is shown having a reinforcement 422 implemented in a core 424. In some examples, the reinforcement 422 comprises a laminated composite material and / or a metal structure that provides structural support to the skinned mesh structure 420. In some examples, the reinforcement 422 is placed within and / or surrounded by the foamable structure 102 prior to the activation process, thereby causing the core 424 to adhere to the reinforcement 422. In other examples, the reinforcement 422 is inserted into an opening in the core 424 and coupled (e.g., bonded, adhered, etc.) to the core 424.

[0042] Figure 4D An example skin-like mesh structure 430 is shown with reinforcements 432 applied to a core 434. In this example, the reinforcements 432 are bonded to the outer surface(s) of the core 434 and / or the skin 126 (e.g., the inner surface of the skin 126). In some examples, the reinforcements 432 are coupled to and / or placed on the skin 126.

[0043] Figure 5 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example method 500 for implementing examples disclosed herein. The example method 500 is implemented by the skinned mesh structure production system 200 to produce a skinned mesh structure (e.g., the skinned mesh structure 124). In this particular example, the skinned mesh structure is to be assembled to a surface of an aerodynamic body of an aircraft (e.g., as part of a wing of the aircraft).

[0044] At block 502, a foamable structure (e.g., foamable structure 102) is formed by a former (e.g., former 202). In some instances, the foamable structure is formed with fiber reinforcement. In some such instances, the fiber reinforcement can be pulled through an extruder. Additionally or alternatively, the fiber reinforcement can be positioned near or at the outer surface of the foamable structure. In some instances, the foamable structure is extruded into a tubular shape by the extruder.

[0045] At block 504, the foamable structures are placed together (e.g., arranged together as a patterned array). For example, the foamable structures are arranged in a distributed grid array to define a hexagonal mesh shape after the activation process. In some examples, reinforcements (e.g., reinforcements 422, 432) are placed between the foamable structures or in contact with the foamable structures (e.g., on the outer surface of the foamable structures).

[0046] At block 506, the foamable structure is constrained and / or restrained via a restrainer (e.g., restrainer 206). In this example, the foamable structure is held together as a patterned array. In some examples, the restrainer includes a movable (e.g., translationally movable, etc.) end stop (e.g., end stop 302).

[0047] At block 508, the foamable structure is activated via an activator (e.g., activator 208) to define a mesh structure (e.g., mesh structure 114). In this example, the foamable structure expands due to the sintering activation process. In some examples, the mesh structure includes reinforcement members (e.g., reinforcement member 422) disposed therein.

[0048] At block 510, the mesh structure is trimmed by a trimmer (e.g., trimmer 210) to define a core (e.g., core 120). In some instances, the mesh structure is trimmed into multiple core layers. In some other instances, the mesh structure is cut and / or trimmed to define a single core (e.g., a shaped core, a machined core, etc.). In yet other instances, the mesh structure is not trimmed, thereby defining a core.

[0049] At block 512, a skin (e.g., skin 126) is coupled and / or assembled to the core via an assembler (e.g., assembler 212) to define a skinned mesh structure (e.g., skinned mesh structure 124). In some examples, the assembler adhesively bonds the core and skin together. In other examples, the restraint remains attached to the core, thereby functioning as a skin. Additionally or alternatively, a reinforcement may be assembled to or within the core.

[0050] The skinned mesh structure is then placed into and / or surrounded by an outer shell at block 514. In some examples, the outer shell includes a vacuum bag to ensure that the bond between the core and the skin remains intact.

[0051] At block 516, in some examples, the mesh structure is cured (e.g., by a curing unit 214). In this example, an oven is used to provide heat to the skinned mesh structure, thereby curing the bond layer between the skin and the core. In some examples, an autoclave is used to harden the bond layer between the core and the skin.

[0052] Disclosed herein are example methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture for producing mesh structures for skins. Further embodiments and combinations thereof include the following:

[0053] Item 1 includes an apparatus for producing a mesh structure with a skin, the apparatus comprising a placer for placing foamable structures together to define a bundle, a restrainer for restraining the bundle, an activator for applying an activator to the foamable structure to form a mesh structure within the restrainer, a trimmer for trimming the mesh structure to define a core, and an assembler for coupling the skin to the core to define the mesh structure with the skin.

[0054] Item 2 includes the apparatus of Item 1, further comprising a former for extruding or pultruding the foamable structure.

[0055] Clause 3 includes the apparatus of clause 1, wherein the foamable structure comprises a fiber reinforcement material.

[0056] Clause 4 includes the apparatus of clause 3, wherein the fiber reinforcement is positioned proximate an outer surface of the foamable structure.

[0057] Clause 5 includes the apparatus of clause 1, wherein the restraint comprises end stops at longitudinal ends of the bundle.

[0058] Clause 6 includes the device of clause 1, wherein the restrictor comprises an elastic balloon laterally surrounding the bundle.

[0059] Clause 7 includes the device of clause 6, wherein the balloon comprises different elasticities at different portions thereof.

[0060] Item 8 includes the apparatus of item 1, wherein the activating agent comprises at least one of thermal energy, electrical current, or a chemical agent.

[0061] Item 9 includes the apparatus of Item 1, further comprising a curing device to cure the skinned mesh structure.

[0062] Item 10 includes a method of producing a skinned mesh structure, the method comprising placing a foamable structure together to define a bundle, restraining the bundle, applying an activator to the foamable structure of the bundle to define a mesh structure, trimming the mesh structure to define a core, and assembling the core to the skin to define the skinned mesh structure.

[0063] Clause 11 includes the method of clause 10, further comprising placing a reinforcement within the bundle.

[0064] Item 12 includes the method of Item 10, wherein placing the foamable structures together comprises placing the foamable structures in a patterned array.

[0065] Item 13 includes the method of item 10, wherein the activating agent comprises at least one of thermal energy, electrical current, or a chemical agent.

[0066] Clause 14 includes the method of clause 10, wherein assembling the core to the skin includes defining a bond layer between the core and the skin.

[0067] Item 15 includes the method of Item 10, wherein modifying the mesh structure comprises subdividing the mesh structure into layers.

[0068] Clause 16 includes the method of clause 11, further comprising placing the core and skin in a vacuum bag and curing the core and skin via an oven.

[0069] Item 17 includes a skinned reticulated structure comprising a core including a reticulate structure defined by a foamable structure that is bounded, restrained, and activated via an activating agent; and a skin coupled to at least one surface of the core.

[0070] Item 18 includes the skinned mesh structure of Item 17, wherein the core comprises a fiber reinforcement material.

[0071] Item 19 includes the skinned mesh structure of Item 17, wherein the core includes reinforcement members between the meshes.

[0072] Item 20 includes the skinned mesh structure of Item 17, wherein the skin comprises at least one of a precured composite material or a prepreg composite material.

[0073] From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture thereof have been disclosed that enable high-strength, lightweight, and cost-effective skin mesh structures. The examples disclosed herein can be rapidly manufactured and developed. Thus, the examples disclosed herein can be utilized in a relatively short period of time (e.g., for emergency field repairs or manufacturing needs, etc.).

Claims

1. A device for producing a mesh structure with a skin, the device comprising: a placer that places the at least one foamable structure after the forming method together to define a bundle; more than one restrictor stacked to restrict the beam; an activator that applies an activator to the foamable structure to cause the foamable structure to expand within the restrictor and form a mesh structure within the restrictor, the mesh structure having a varying density; a trimmer that trims the mesh structure to define a core; and An assembler couples a skin to the core to define the skinned mesh structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a former for extruding or pultruding the foamable structure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the foamable structure comprises a fiber-reinforced material.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the fiber reinforcement material is positioned proximate an outer surface of the foamable structure.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the limiter comprises end stops at longitudinal ends of the bundle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the restrictor comprises an elastic balloon laterally surrounding the bundle.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the balloon comprises different elasticities at different portions thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the activating agent comprises at least one of heat, electrical current, or a chemical agent.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a curing device for curing the skinned mesh structure.

10. A method for producing a skinned mesh structure, the method comprising: placing the at least one foamable structure after the forming method together to define a bundle; More than one restrictor is stacked to restrict the beam; applying an activating agent to the foamable structure of the bundle so that the foamable structure expands within the restrictor and forms a mesh structure within the restrictor, the mesh structure having a varying density; trimming the mesh structure to define a core; and The core is assembled to the skin to define the skinned mesh structure.

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