B29C2043/3649

Golf club head having multi-material face and method of manufacture
11511464 · 2022-11-29 · ·

A golf club with a multi-material face is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention has a multi-material striking face portion that is made out of a backing layer having a frontal pocket, made out of titanium, and an insert, made out of a composite material, adapted to be inserted into the frontal pocket. The frontal pocket and the insert could have complementary dovetail shaped undercut features to create a mechanical bond between these two components.

Method and device for attaching sound absorbing member to tire inner face
11446888 · 2022-09-20 · ·

Provided are a method and a device for attaching a sound absorbing member to an inner face of a tire. In a state that an adhesive is interposed between a first face of a sound absorbing member and an inner face of the tire, the sound absorbing member is placed, and an expandable and contractible bag placed inside the tire is expanded, and the expanded bag presses a second face of the sound absorbing member to bond the first face to the inner face of the tire with the adhesive therebetween.

CONTROLLED SHEAR VACUUM FORMING FOR SHAPING PREFORMS
20220212421 · 2022-07-07 ·

A controlled shear vacuum forming method that includes forming a three-dimensional (3D) structure from a preform material on a molding tool using restraints during vacuuming to prevent wrinkling. The restraints are withdrawn during vacuuming to allowing the preform material to come into contact with the sidewalls of the molding tool in a gradual manner. Such forming method is particularly suitable for forming wing spars with bent sections and/or curved contours.

AUTOCLAVE SYSTEM, BLADDER ASSEMBLY, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD FOR FORMING A PART
20220212425 · 2022-07-07 ·

Disclosed herein is a bladder assembly for forming a part made of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material. The bladder assembly comprises a bladder comprising an interior having a hollow interior channel within the interior of the bladder. The bladder assembly also comprises an intake port fluidically coupled with the interior of the bladder and an exhaust port fluidically coupled with the interior of the bladder. The bladder assembly further comprises a pressure control device fluidically coupled with the exhaust port and configured to control a pressure drop across the interior of the bladder from the intake port to the exhaust port.

Method and apparatus for forming a composite fuselage structure
11383461 · 2022-07-12 · ·

A method and apparatus for forming a composite structure. A stackup comprising a plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members and an overbraided thermoplastic skin is built. The stackup is placed between an inner tooling and an outer tooling. The inner tooling, the stackup, and the outer tooling are held in place together using a load constraint. The inner tooling, the stackup, the outer tooling, and the load constraint form a consolidation setup. The consolidation setup is heated to form the composite structure.

METHOD OF SEAMLESSLY BAGGING COMPOSITE PARTS
20220250341 · 2022-08-11 ·

A method and system for manufacturing composite parts free of wrinkles and mark-offs from bagging compression. The method can include placing composite material around a rigid mandrel and sealing opposing end of an elastomeric hollow membrane within a rigid external vessel. Then the method can include inflating the hollow membrane from a natural state to an inflated state. In the natural state, the hollow membrane can have a cross-section smaller than the cross section of the rigid mandrel with the composite material thereon. The method can then include inserting the rigid mandrel and the composite material into the membrane while it is in the inflated state, followed by releasing the membrane from the inflated state to naturally contract toward its natural state. Then the method can include heating the composite material to a cure temperature while the composite material is compressed by the membrane.

SYSTEM FOR HEATING CONTOURED SURFACE OF STRUCTURAL MEMBER
20220250286 · 2022-08-11 ·

A heater for heating a contoured surface of a structural member includes a bladder, a granular material within the bladder, where the granular material is capable of exhibiting granular jamming when air is removed from the bladder, and a heating element positioned within the bladder and in contact with the granular material.

Golf club head having multi-material face and method of manufacture
11433574 · 2022-09-06 · ·

A golf club with a multi-material face is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention has a multi-material striking face portion that is made out of a backing layer having a frontal pocket, made out of titanium, and an insert, made out of a composite material, adapted to be inserted into the frontal pocket. The frontal pocket and the insert could have complementary dovetail shaped undercut features to create a mechanical bond between these two components.

Method and system for co-consolidation of thermoplastic composite material parts

A co-consolidation tool, including a heating assembly to receive one or more thermoplastic parts and to apply a consolidation temperature to the one or more thermoplastic parts, a pressure bladder to apply a consolidation pressure to the one or more thermoplastic parts, and a support insert shaped and configured to support and at least partially surround at least one of the one or more thermoplastic parts, wherein at least one of heating assembly and the pressure bladder is shaped to receive and support the support insert.

Constrained Forming of Contoured Composite Hat Stringers

Cap wrinkling in a contoured composite hat stringer is reduced by constraining the cap as the hat stringer is being formed from a flat composite charge. The cap is constrained by an inflatable bladder placed in a tool set used to form the composite charge.