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US5116689A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus and method for selectively increasing density and thermal conductivity of honeycomb structures

Assignee: Rohr Inc
•
Filing: 1990-04-16
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Granted: 1992-05-26
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Expires: 2010-04-16
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Abstract

Abstract A locally reinforced honeycomb core panel having a honeycomb core, at least one coiled insert in at least one honeycomb cell and at least one face sheet. These components are formed from high temperature resistant metals. Elongated foil strips are coiled into cylindrical shapes having diameters slightly less than the width of individual cells in the honeycomb panel and heights no greater than the depth of the cells. These coiled inserts are placed in individual cells in selected portions of the honeycomb core to locally improve density, strength and thermal transfer characteristics of the panel. The coiled inserts have sufficient resiliency so that when they are inserted into cells and allowed to unwind, they press tightly against the cell inside wall even if the cell shape has been distorted in handling. The cells are held in place by the face sheet(s) bonded to the honeycomb core. If desired, the coils may be bonded to the cell walls by diffusion bonding or brazing.

Inventors

  • 👤 Robert M. Castro
  • 👤 James M. Adee

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 07:53
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B3/00; B32B3/10; B32B3/12; B23; B23K; B23K1/00; B23K1/0008; B23K1/0014; B23K20/00; B23K20/002; B32B15/00; B32B15/04; E; E04; E04C; E04C2/00; E04C2/30; E04C2/34; E04C2/36; E04C2/365; B32B2305/00; B32B2305/02; B32B2305/024; B32B2307/00; B32B2307/30; B32B2307/306; B32B2311/00; B32B2311/18; B32B2311/22; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/12; Y10T428/1234; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24149; Y10T428/24157

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 96 words
A locally reinforced, high temperature resistant, high strength, low weight structural panel having improved transverse thermal conductivity in reinforced areas, which comprises: a honeycomb core having a plurality of parallel cells and consisting of shaped high temperature resistant metal foil strips; at least one high temperature resistant thin metal face sheet bonded to at least one face of said core; and a plurality of generally cylindrical thin resilient coils of high temperature resistant metal foil positioned in a selected plurality of cells in said core, said resiliency causing intimate contact between coils and cell interior walls.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 96 words
A locally reinforced, high temperature resistant, high strength, low weight structural panel having improved transverse thermal conductivity in reinforced areas, which comprises: a honeycomb core having a plurality of parallel cells and consisting of shaped high temperature resistant metal foil strips; at least one high temperature resistant thin metal face sheet bonded to at least one face of said core; and a plurality of generally cylindrical thin resilient coils of high temperature resistant metal foil positioned in a selected plurality of cells in said core, said resiliency causing intimate contact between coils and cell interior walls.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
The panel according to claim 1 wherein face sheets are bonded to both faces of said core through a layer of brazing metal or a diffusion bond.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
The panel according to claim 2 wherein said coils are bonded to said cells by brazing materials which wicks down between coils and cell walls.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
The panel according to claim 1 wherein said coils when in said cells overlap no more than about 25% of their circumference.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 19 words
The panel according to claim 1 wherein said coils when in said cells overlap at least one full turn.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 30 words
The panels according to claim 1 wherein said coils and said honeycomb core are made from foil strips having the same width to assure uniform height of core and coils.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 48 words
The panels according to claim 1 wherein said coils, core and face sheets are manufactured from metals selected from the group consisting of titanium, high temperature titanium alloys, nickel aluminides and the nickel based Super Alloys, all having melting temperatures substantially equal to or exceeding that of titanium.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 117 words
The method of manufacturing a locally reinforced, high strength, low weight, high temperature resistant structural panel having improved transverse thermal conductivity, which comprises the steps of: providing a high temperature resistant metal honeycomb core having a plurality of parallel cells with interior walls; bonding a face sheet of high temperature resistant metal to one surface of said core; winding strips of resilient, high temperature resistant metal foil having a width no greater than the thickness of said core into coils having outside diameters less than the width of said cells; allowing said coils to partially uncoil thereby causing intimate contact with said interior walls; and bonding a second face sheet to the second surface of said core.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 117 words
The method of manufacturing a locally reinforced, high strength, low weight, high temperature resistant structural panel having improved transverse thermal conductivity, which comprises the steps of: providing a high temperature resistant metal honeycomb core having a plurality of parallel cells with interior walls; bonding a face sheet of high temperature resistant metal to one surface of said core; winding strips of resilient, high temperature resistant metal foil having a width no greater than the thickness of said core into coils having outside diameters less than the width of said cells; allowing said coils to partially uncoil thereby causing intimate contact with said interior walls; and bonding a second face sheet to the second surface of said core.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method according to claim 8 wherein said coils are wound and inserted into said cells prior to bonding said first face sheet to said core.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method according to claim 8 wherein said coils are bonded to said core by a bonding method which retains the high temperature resistance of the components.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method according to claim 10 wherein said face sheets are bonded to said core by brazing or diffusion bonding.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method according to claim 11 wherein said coils are bonded to said cell walls and to said face sheets simultaneously with bonding said face sheets to said core.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method according to claim 8 wherein said coils are wound to form a coil having an overlap of no greater than about 25% of the coil circumference.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method according to claim 8 wherein said coils are wound to form a coil having an overlap of at least one full turn.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 35 words
The method according to claim 8 wherein said honeycomb and said coils are formed from metal strips having the same diameter to assure identity between the height of said coils and thickness of said core.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 48 words
The method according to claim 8 wherein said honeycomb, core and coils are fabricated from a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, high temperature titanium alloys, nickel aluminides and the nickel based Super Alloys, all having melting temperatures substantially equal to or exceeding that of titanium.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-05-26 1995-11-25 1996-05-26 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-05-26 1999-11-25 2000-05-26 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-05-26 2003-11-25 2004-05-26 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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