A reinforcing fiber structure for a propeller blade made of composite material is woven as a single piece to have an airfoil, a spar portion, and an enlarged portion. The fiber structure includes a zone of non-interlinking extending between the front and rear edges of the airfoil, and extending between an intermediate zone and the bottom edge of said airfoil. The spar portion extends inside the airfoil in the zone of non-interlinking, the spar portion extending outside the airfoil through the bottom edge of said airfoil. The enlarged portion extends from the spar portion outside the airfoil. The airfoil includes skins that are not interlinked with each other in the zone of non-interlinking and that surround the spar portion. The skins define two housings present inside the airfoil on respective sides of the spar portion and opening out through the bottom edge of the airfoil.

A composite nerve conduit comprising an elongated body comprising one or more hollow elongated internal channels for guiding and promoting nerve regeneration. The conduit is a three-dimensional scaffold comprising a crosslinked hybrid/composite matrix of collagen and soy protein isolate having improved mechanical and biocompatibility properties. Methods of using the conduit for promoting nerve regeneration at a site of neural tissue damage by bridging wounded, severed, or damaged nerve sections in a peripheral and/or central nervous system. Methods of fabricating composite neural conduits are also disclosed.

A composite nerve conduit comprising an elongated body comprising one or more hollow elongated internal channels for guiding and promoting nerve regeneration. The conduit is a three-dimensional scaffold comprising a crosslinked hybrid/composite matrix of collagen and soy protein isolate having improved mechanical and biocompatibility properties. Methods of using the conduit for promoting nerve regeneration at a site of neural tissue damage by bridging wounded, severed, or damaged nerve sections in a peripheral and/or central nervous system. Methods of fabricating composite neural conduits are also disclosed.

A method for preparing a multi-material component including providing a fiber reinforced component, the fiber reinforced component having one or more working layers of a fiber reinforced composite material, wherein each of the one or more working layers includes one or more fiber reinforced composite material laminae. The method includes attaching the fiber reinforced component to a multi-material transition component, wherein the multi-material transition component includes a metallic component and a transition laminate includes a transition material, wherein the transition laminate includes one or more partially embedded transition laminae each having a first embedded end that is embedded in the metallic component. Also provided are multi-material transition components and multi-material components provided by the method.

A method for preparing a multi-material component including providing a fiber reinforced component, the fiber reinforced component having one or more working layers of a fiber reinforced composite material, wherein each of the one or more working layers includes one or more fiber reinforced composite material laminae. The method includes attaching the fiber reinforced component to a multi-material transition component, wherein the multi-material transition component includes a metallic component and a transition laminate includes a transition material, wherein the transition laminate includes one or more partially embedded transition laminae each having a first embedded end that is embedded in the metallic component. Also provided are multi-material transition components and multi-material components provided by the method.

A pivoting fastener assembly for securely fastening a panel in spaced relation to a support backing, and a method of manufacturing the same. The fastener assembly includes: a magnet-carrier assembly that includes a magnet that is fixed to a carrier member; and a base member that includes a base portion and a pivoting portion. The pivoting portion includes a head, a trunk, and an extension portion that is connected to the base portion. The extension portion includes a top side that connects a first peripheral surface to a second peripheral surface of the extension portion. A first end of the trunk is connected to the top side of the extension portion and a second end of the trunk is connected to the head. The base member is a unitary piece, and the head of the pivoting portion engages and retains the carrier member of the magnet-carrier assembly.

A pivoting fastener assembly for securely fastening a panel in spaced relation to a support backing, and a method of manufacturing the same. The fastener assembly includes: a magnet-carrier assembly that includes a magnet that is fixed to a carrier member; and a base member that includes a base portion and a pivoting portion. The pivoting portion includes a head, a trunk, and an extension portion that is connected to the base portion. The extension portion includes a top side that connects a first peripheral surface to a second peripheral surface of the extension portion. A first end of the trunk is connected to the top side of the extension portion and a second end of the trunk is connected to the head. The base member is a unitary piece, and the head of the pivoting portion engages and retains the carrier member of the magnet-carrier assembly.

A method of making a composite article comprised of a first component (10) and a second component (30) includes (a) providing a first component (10) and an optically transparent member (22) having a build surface with the first component having a first three-dimensional interfacing segment formed thereon; (b) immersing the first three-dimensional interfacing segment in polymerizable liquid (21); (c) forming an intermediate object by irradiating a build region with light through an optically transparent member and also advancing the first three-dimensional component and the build surface away from one another to form from the polymerizable liquid (21) a second component (30) on said first three-dimensional interfacing segment, with the second component including a second three-dimensional interfacing segment in contact with the first three-dimensional interfacing segment; then (d) optionally washing the intermediate; and then (e) further solidifying the second three-dimensional component (30) on said first three-dimensional component (10) to form said composite article.

A method for manufacturing a panel includes disposing one or several supports in a respective cavity(ies) in a honeycomb structure having a first skin and a second skin clasping the honeycomb structure. The supports are made of a fugitive material such as a thermoplastic and are auxetic so that, under the effect of an increase in temperature, their dimension between the first and the second skins remains below a predetermined value.

An in-situ melt processing method for forming a fiber thermoplastic resin composite overwrapped workpiece, such as a composite overwrapped pressure vessel. Carbon fiber, or other types of fiber, are combined with a thermoplastic resin system. The selected fiber tow and the resin are prepared for impregnation of the tow by the resin. The resin is melted; and, carbon fiber is impregnated with the melted resin at the filament winding machine delivery head. The molten state of the composite is maintained and is applied, in the molten state, to the heated surface of a workpiece. The portion of the surface being wrapped is heated to the melting point of the thermoplastic resin so that the molten composite more efficiently adheres to the heated surface of the workpiece and so that the uppermost layer of fiber resin composite is molten when overwrapped resulting in better adherence of successive layers to one another.