THE BOEING COMPANY (Chicago, IL)
What is a Patent for Tool assembly for composite component fabrication
Search Patent for Tool assembly for composite component fabrication
For large composite parts which are also referred to as work components, like wings, fuselage and other components of aircraft, it is necessary to shape them. can require large tools. These tools include draping instruments as well as support tools, layup surface tools(commonly referred to as molds or mandrels), etc. These tools are utilized in a range of composite part formation techniques, such as hand-layup, automated, draping, hot draping, automated fiber placement as well as automated tape laying curing, and trimming.These tools are made up of surfaces (e.g. the layup surface) which are used to help form or support the formation of the composite parts. Layup surfaces may be geometries, contours, or contours that comply with design specifications. They could also be complementary to the parts that are being made.
Such tools are commonly made from metal and are monolithic pieces (i.e., a single structure composed of multiple permanently joined parts, as with bonded or welded joints). These tools must be precisely contoured, such as within allowable tolerances, and be equipped to withstand the load and strains involved in making the composite part. For example, a particular tool may be subjected to vacuum conditions (e.g., vacuum pressure) and high temperatureconditions during composite formation and curing. A tool that is out of tolerance because of previous use or is unable maintain the vacuum or tolerancing when heated, mass or vacuum needs to be replaced. The process of creating the part can be stopped until new tool becomes accessible. Additionally, at times in a design process, multiple tools designs (e.g. prototype tools or variations of tools) are generated to improvethe manufacturing process of the piece. This is why current tools may have high cost of fabrication and/or long fabrication cycle times.
In a particular implementation the tool assembly comprises the first piece, which has a first joint portion including a top surface and at least a first interlocking surface. The tool assembly also comprises another piece with a second joint portionconfigured to interlock with the first joint portion, the second joint portion having a top surface and at the very least, a second surface that is in a similar manner to the first interlock area. A fastener extends through the first and second joints parts of the tool assembly. The first interlock as well as the top surface of first joint section create an obtuse corner while the second interlock as well as the top surface of the second joint create an acute anglecorner. To avoid any movement between the first and second pieces in the direction of a tool assembly The first interlock is designed so that it will touch the second.
An assembly of tools may comprise a top-surfaced initial piece as well as a portion of the first joint that contains at least one interlock surface. A second piece of the tool assembly has an additional piece with an additional jointportion that is able to be locked with the first piece. The second piece has a top and a minimum an additional interlocking surface. A fastener is inserted between the first and second joint sections of the tool assembly. The first interlock surface and the top surface of the first piece form an obtuse corner. the second interlock surface as well as the top of the second joint portion create an acute anglecorner. The first interlock surface is configured to be in contact with the second interlock’s surface to restrict the movement of the first and second piece along a longitudinal axis of the tool assembly.
A method of heating a tool-assembly includes joining pieces of the first piece to a second piece by using a first and second joint portion. The method also includes inserting a fastener into the first and second joints of the assembly. The method further includes applying heat to the tool assembly and, upon heating the interlocking surfaces of the second and first joint portions become tighter.
In another particular implementation the method of attaching composite material to a tool assembly comprises joining a piece of the tool assembly a second component of the tool assembly by a first joint portion and a third joint portion, in which the tool assembly includes a layup surface. The method also involves the application of the composite material to the surface of the layup. The layup surface is designed to support formation of a composite part and has a shape that is a match to the ashape of the composite piece.
In a different way, a method of creating a tool assembly involves making a first joint from a primary piece of the tool assembly using an additive manufacturing procedure. The first joint part includes a top and at least one interlock surface. A second joint portion is also formed through the process of additive manufacturing. The second joint piece has a top surface and at least a secondinterlock surface that is in a similar manner to the first interlock’s.
By utilizing the tool assembly (e.g., a multi-piece tool) Composite parts can be made faster and at lower cost compared to single piece tools. Furthermore, using the tool assembly that has joint portions and interlock surfaces,the tool assembly can be fabricated to allow the creation of large composite pieces, for example, aircraft wings and fuselage sections.
Click here to view the patent on USPTO website.
Get Patents with PatentPC
What is a patent?
A patent is granted by the government in order to protect the invention. It grants the inventor the sole right to develop, utilize and sell the idea. Society benefits when new technologies are brought for sale. Benefits can be realized in direct terms, as it can allow people to do previously impossible things, or indirectly through the economic opportunities (business expansion and job creation) that the innovation offers.
Patent protection is sought out by many university researchers and drug companies for their research and development. Patents may cover an abstract or physical product or process, or the method or composition of material that are new to the area. To be granted patent protection, an invention must be innovative, novel and not apparent to other people in the same subject.
Patents give inventors a chance to be recognized for commercially successful inventions. They act as an incentive for inventors to come up with new ideas. Patents permit entrepreneurs and inventors to know that there’s a good chance they will get a profit for their efforts, time, and money invested in technology development. This means they will be able to earn a living from their work.
Businesses with the ability to:
Protect the latest products and services;
Your product are more noticeable as well as valuable and appealing to customers.
Stand out and differentiate yourself and your product from the competition.
Access technical and business knowledge and data;
Avoid using content from third parties or risking losing important information, creative outputs, and other outputs.
Patents transform the knowledge of inventors into a marketable asset, that opens new avenues for employment creation through joint ventures and licensing.
Investors who are involved in the development and commercialization of technology may find small businesses with patent protection appealing.
Patents can help develop new ideas and inventions. The information you create may be eligible for patent protection.
Patents can serve as an effective deterrent for untrustworthy third parties that profit from the invention’s success.
Patent-protected technology revenues that are commercially profitable can be used to finance technological research and development (R&D) that will improve the chances of better technology in the future.
It is possible to use intellectual property ownership to convince investors and lenders that your product has real commercial value. Sometimes, a single patent could lead to numerous financing possibilities. Patents can be used along with other IP assets as collateral or security to secure financing. Investors may also be able to see your patent assets to increase company valuation. Forbes and others have noted that every patent could add anything from $500,000 to one million dollars to company valuation.
Startups require a carefully-crafted business plan that builds on the IP to demonstrate that your product/service is unique superior, innovative, or superior. Investors will also be impressed if you prove that your IP rights are secure or in progress of being secure, and that they support your business plan.
It is important to keep your invention secret until you submit for patent protection. The public disclosure of an invention can frequently devalue its originality and render it invalid. Therefore, pre-filing disclosures (e.g. for testing-marketing, investors, or other business partners) must only be done after signing a confidentiality agreement.
There are many types of patents. Understanding them is crucial to protect your invention. Utility patents are for the development of new methods and machines. Design patents cover ornamental designs. Utility patents are the most effective and shield the proprietor from copies and competitors. Utility patents are often issued to improve or alter existing inventions. Utility patents can also be used to cover improvements and modifications in existing inventions. For instance, a process patent covers acts or methods of doing an action, while chemical compositions will comprise an assortment of ingredients.
What is the typical length of patents? Although utility patents last for 20 years from the date of their earliest filing, they can be extended through delay in the patent office.
Are you thinking of the patenting of your idea? Patents are granted only for first-to-file applicants and you must file quickly – call a patent attorney at PatentPC to file your invention now!
When drafting a patent application it is recommended to conduct a patent search, as the search will give you some insight into other people’s concepts. You’ll be able limit the scope of your invention. Also, you can find out about the latest developments in your field of invention. You’ll be able to get a better idea of what your invention ought to be and be better prepared to write the patent application.
How to Search for Patents
A patent search is the first step to getting your patent. You can do a google patent search or do a USPTO search. After the patent application has been filed, the item that is covered by the patent application could be called patent-pending, and you will be able to locate the patent application on a public pair. When the patent office is satisfied with your application, you will be able do a patent number search to locate the patent that was issued. Your product now has the potential to be patentable. In addition to the USPTO search engine, you may also use other search engines like espacenet as described below. A patent lawyer or patent attorney can assist you with the process. In the US patents are granted through the US patent and trademark office as well as the United States patent and trademark office, which also reviews trademark applications.
Are you interested in similar patents? These are the steps to follow:
1. Create a list of terms to describe your invention based upon the purpose, composition and use.
Write down a succinct and precise description of your idea. Do not use generic terms such as “device,” “process,” and “system.” Look for synonyms to the terms you picked initially. Next, note important technical terms as well as keywords.
Use the questions below to help you determine keywords or concepts.
- What’s the goal of the invention? Is it a utilitarian device or an ornamental design?
- Is the invention a way of creating something , or fulfilling some function? Or is it a product or procedure?
- What is the structure of the invention? What is the physical composition?
- What’s the point of the invention
- What are technical words and terms that describe the characteristics of an invention? A technical dictionary can assist you to identify the correct phrases.
2. Use these terms to search for relevant Cooperative Patent Classifications on the Classification Text Search Tool. If you’re unable to find the right classification for your invention, look through the Schemas of classes (class schedules). If you don’t see any results using the Classification Text Search, you might want to think about substituting the words to describe your invention using synonyms.
3. Examine the CPC Classification Definition for confirmation of the CPC classification you found. If the chosen classification is a blue square which contains “D”, then the link to the CPC classification definition will be provided. CPC classification definitions can assist you in determining the classification’s range so that you can choose the most relevant. Furthermore they can provide search tips and other suggestions which could be helpful for further research.
4. The Patents Full-Text Database and the Image Database allow you to retrieve patent documents that include the CPC classification. You can search and select the relevant patent publications focusing first on the abstract and the drawings that are representative.
5. This selection of patent publication is the most appropriate to check for similarities with your invention. Pay close attention to the specification and claims. You may find additional patents by referring to the patent examiner and the applicant.
6. You can find patent applications published in the public domain that fit the CPC classification you picked in Step 3. You can also use the same strategy of searching you utilized in step 4 to limit your search results to just the most relevant patent applications by looking over the abstracts and drawings for every page. The next step is to review all published patent applications carefully and pay particular attention to the claims, and other drawings.
7. Find additional US patents by keyword searches in the PatFT and AppFT databases, classification search of non-U.S. patents as described below, and searching for non-patent patent disclosures in the literature of inventions using web search engines. For instance:
- Add keywords to your search. Keyword searches may turn up documents that are not well-categorized or have missed classifications during Step 2. For example, US patent examiners often supplement their classification searches with keyword searches. Think about the use of technical engineering terminology rather than everyday words.
- Search for foreign patents using the CPC classification. Then, re-run the search using international patent office search engines such as Espacenet, the European Patent Office’s worldwide patent publication database of over 130 million patent publications. Other national databases include:
- European Patent Office (EPO) provides esp@cenet to access a network of Europe’s patent databases with access to machine translation of European patents.
- Japan Patent Office (JPO) – with access to machine translations of Japanese patents.
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) offers PATENTSCOPE with a full-text search of published international patent applications and machine translations for some documents, as well as a list of international patent databases.
- Korean Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS)
- State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) with machine translation of Chinese patents.
- Other International Intellectual Property Offices with online patent databases include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Taiwan.
- Search non-patent literature. Inventions can be made public in many non-patent publications. It is recommended that you search journals, books, websites, technical catalogs, conference proceedings, and other print and electronic publications.
To review your search, you can hire a registered patent attorney to assist. A preliminary search will help one better prepare to talk about their invention and other related inventions with a professional patent attorney. In addition, the attorney will not spend too much time or money on patenting basics.