Method and tool for forming a bracket in composite material and bracket

Abstract

This invention relates to components joined together using structural joints and more particularly to brackets used for securing components together in such joints, the brackets being made from a single cut out shape from a sheet of composite material, having at least one fold line defining first and second regions of the bracket, about which the material has been bent to form a three-dimensional shape and a method for making such a bracket.

1 . A method of forming a bracket including the steps of: 
 (i) cutting out a blank from a sheet of composite material, the blank having at least one fold line defining first and second regions of the blank, the fold line extending only partially across the blank, 
 and then, using a forming tool  
   (ii) undertaking a bending operation to bend the blank about the fold line only to create a predetermined angle between said first and second regions to form the required three-dimensional shape,    (iii) curing the bracket.    
     
     
         2 . A method of forming a bracket according to  claim 1  wherein the bending operation and curing are concurrent.  
     
     
         3 . A method of forming a bracket according to  claim 1  wherein the bending operating is completed before curing begins.  
     
     
         4 . A method of forming a bracket according to  claim 1  wherein the forming tool can be set to create different values of said predetermined angle allowing different three-dimensional shaped brackets to be formed.  
     
     
         5 . A method of forming a bracket according to  claim 1  including the step of undertaking a further bending operation to bend the blank about a further fold line.  
     
     
         6 . A blank cut from a sheet of composite material for forming a bracket, the blank having at least one fold line defining first and second regions of the blank, the fold line extending only partially across the blank.  
     
     
         7 . A blank according to  claim 6  which is substantially Z-shaped.  
     
     
         8 . A bracket formed from a sheet of composite material cut into a blank of pre-determined shape, the blank having at least one fold line defining substantially planar first and second regions of the bracket, the fold line extending only partially across the blank, the blank having been bent about the fold line only to form a three dimensional bracket wherein the first region of the bracket extends either side of the plane of the second region of the bracket.  
     
     
         9 . A tool for forming a bracket comprising two substantially planar surfaces, the first surface being connected to the second surface by a hinge, the hinge allowing one surface to be rotated to a predetermined angle relative to the other surface, wherein the hinge extends only partially across the tool thereby allowing the first surface to extend either side of the plane of the second surface when the angle between the surfaces is not zero.