Spread Filament Composite Textile for Disbond Prevention

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) structural elements in aerospace applications are prone to disbonds, which can compromise the structural integrity and durability, especially in areas susceptible to impact damage.

Innovation Solution

A multi-directional textile structure with reinforcing fiber tows extending in multiple directions, where filaments are spread and embedded in resin, providing variable stiffness and enhanced bonding capabilities by reducing cross-fiber support and incorporating in-plane waviness to prevent peeling and improve load distribution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional FRP structural elements are joined together to form major components, then the components achieve structural integrity, but disbonds occur at the joints compromising reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebond reliabilityVSAvoidjoint strength
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The fiber tows are segmented into individual filaments by spreading them apart. This segmentation allows each filament to be independently embedded in the resin and bonded to the substrate, creating numerous small bonds instead of a few large bonds. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining joint strength through multiple bonding points while improving reliability by distributing the bonding stress across many filaments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating different bonding characteristics at different locations. The filaments are spread and embedded only at the joint regions where bonding is needed, while the main body of the fiber tows retains their original structure. This localized bonding approach ensures strong joints without compromising the overall structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If fiber tows are used directly without spreading, then manufacturing is simple, but load distribution is poor and disbonds occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload distributionVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The fiber tows are pre-spread and pre-embedded in resin before the final assembly is formed. This preliminary action of spreading the filaments and embedding them in resin creates optimal load distribution characteristics in advance, so that when the final component is assembled, the load is automatically distributed across all filaments without requiring complex manufacturing steps during assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If filaments are spread and embedded in resin, then bonding area increases and disbonds are reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebond reliabilityVSAvoidtextile structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The resin acts as an intermediary material that facilitates bonding between the spread filaments and the substrate. By embedding the filaments in resin, the resin mediates the bonding process, creating strong adhesion between the fiber reinforcement and the substrate. This resolves the contradiction by simplifying the bonding mechanism through the use of resin as a mediator, even though the textile structure itself becomes more complex.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2853380B1Composite textiles including spread filaments
Publication Date: 2020.04.15 THE BOEING CO
  • EP2853380B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP2853380B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP2853380B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

An article comprises a multi-directional textile (110) of first reinforcing fiber tows extending in a first direction and second reinforcing fiber tows extending in a second direction. Filaments in the first fiber tows extend past a boundary (112) of the textile (110) and are spread. The tows are embedded in resin.