Bonded Composite Panel with Machined Pockets for Integral Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft structures, such as wing assemblies, are costly and heavy due to the use of reinforcing components like stringers, ribs, and fasteners, which increase manufacturing costs and overall weight.
Innovation Solution
A method involving machining composite material substrates to form recesses or pockets, which are then bonded with a top layer to create a two-piece composite component design, reducing the need for discrete reinforcing layers and providing integral reinforcement, thereby minimizing weight and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If discrete reinforcing components (stringers, ribs, fasteners) are used in aircraft wing structures, then structural strength and rigidity are improved, but weight and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges discrete reinforcing components (stringers, ribs, spars) into an integrated composite structure where reinforcement elements are built directly into the wing assembly during manufacturing. This integration eliminates separate fasteners and reduces the number of individual parts, thereby reducing weight while maintaining structural strength through the unified composite design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials (fiber-reinforced polymers) to create reinforcing structures that provide high strength-to-weight ratio. The composite reinforcement elements maintain structural integrity while significantly reducing weight compared to traditional metal components, directly addressing the contradiction between strength and weight.
2Strength
If discrete reinforcing components and fasteners are used, then structural integrity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple discrete components (stringers, ribs, spars, fasteners) into a single integrated composite structure. This merging reduces assembly complexity by eliminating the need to install and fasten multiple separate parts, while the reinforcement elements are built into the structure during manufacturing to maintain structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the wing assembly into modular composite panels that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. Each panel contains integrated reinforcement elements, allowing for simplified manufacturing and assembly while maintaining overall structural integrity through the modular design approach.
3Strength
If multiple discrete components are used for reinforcement, then structural rigidity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges reinforcement elements with the main wing structure into an integrated composite assembly. This reduces manufacturing cost by eliminating the need to source, inventory, and assemble multiple discrete components, while the integrated design maintains structural rigidity through the unified composite construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates reinforcement elements during the initial manufacturing process rather than installing them as separate assembly steps. This preliminary action reduces manufacturing cost by consolidating production operations and eliminating secondary assembly processes, while ensuring structural rigidity is built into the design from the outset.
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3
Figure 4A~4F
AI summary
Methods (100, 200) are disclosed for the manufacture of composite components having incorporated reinforcing structures machined into composite material substrates, and composite components manufactured according to disclosed methods, and assemblies and larger structures comprising the composite material components.