Systems and Methods for Fabricating Composite Fiberglass Laminate Articles

Abstract

The present invention may be embodied as a method of fabricating a composite article comprising the following steps. Primary panels are provided. Secondary panels are provided. Tertiary panels are provided. At least one flat primary panel is bent. The plurality of primary panels is arranged such that the primary panels conform to the shape of the composite article. An inner skin is formed by joining the adjacent edge portions of adjacent primary panels. A core is formed. Second surfaces of at least some of the primary panels are joined to first surfaces of at least some of the secondary panels. An outer skin is formed. Second surfaces of at least some of the secondary panels are joined to first surfaces of at least some of the tertiary panels. Material is applied to the tertiary panels to finish the outer skin of the composite article.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method of fabricating a composite article comprising the steps of:
 providing a plurality of primary panels, where
 each primary panel defines at least one edge, a first surface, and a second surface, and 
 at least one of the primary panels is a flat primary panel the first and second surfaces of which are substantially planar and substantially parallel; 
   providing a plurality of secondary panels, where each secondary panel defines at least one edge, a first surface, and a second surface;   providing a plurality of tertiary panels, where each tertiary panel defines at least one edge, a first surface, and a second surface;   bending the at least one flat primary panel such that the first and second surfaces thereof are no longer substantially planar;   arranging the plurality of primary panels such that
 at least one edge of one of each the primary panels is adjacent to at least one edge of another of the primary panels, and 
 the primary panels conform to the shape of the composite article; 
   forming an inner skin by joining the adjacent edge portions of adjacent primary panels;   after the inner skin has been formed, forming a core by arranging the plurality of secondary panels such that
 the first surfaces of at least some of the secondary panels are adjacent to the second surfaces of at least some of the primary panels, and 
 at least one edge of each of the secondary panels is adjacent to at least one edge of another of the secondary panels; 
   joining the second surfaces of at least some of the primary panels to the first surfaces of at least some of the secondary panels adjacent thereto;   after the core has been formed, forming an outer skin by arranging the plurality of tertiary panels such that
 the first surfaces of at least some of the tertiary panels are adjacent to the second surfaces of at least some of the secondary panels, and 
 at least one edge of each of the tertiary panels is adjacent to at least one edge of another of the tertiary panels; 
   joining the second surfaces of at least some of the secondary panels to the first surfaces of the tertiary panels adjacent thereto; and   applying material to the tertiary panels to finish the outer skin of the composite article.   
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of applying resin in a gap formed between the adjacent edge portions of adjacent primary panels. 
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising the step of arranging reinforcing material across a gap formed between the adjacent edge portions of adjacent primary panels. 
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 applying resin in a gap formed between the adjacent edge portions of the primary panels;   applying resin between the adjacent surfaces of the primary and secondary panels; and   applying resin in a gap formed between adjacent edge portions of the secondary panels.   
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising the step of arranging reinforcing material across the gap formed between the adjacent edge portions of the primary panels. 
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , in which the step of joining the adjacent surfaces of the primary and secondary panels further comprises the step of applying a vacuum such that resin is drawn between is these adjacent surfaces. 
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , in which the step of forming the core comprises the steps of:
 forming at least one locator hole in at least one of the secondary panels;   attaching at least one locator peg to at least one of the primary panels; and   extending the at least one locator peg into the at least one locator hole.   
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , in which the step of providing at least one of the plurality of tertiary panels comprises the steps of:
 providing a form defining a smooth surface; and   applying material to the form; and   allowing the material to harden to define the at least one of the plurality of tertiary panels, where a portion of the material in contact with the smooth surface of the form defines the second surface of the at least one of the plurality of tertiary panels.   
     
     
         9 . A method of fabricating a composite article comprising the steps of:
 creating a composite article design, where the composite article design comprises a plurality of developable surface portions corresponding to a shape of the composite article;   fabricating a plurality of primary panels based on the composite article design, where
 each primary panel corresponds to one of the developable surface portions, and 
 at least one of the primary panels is a flat primary panel; 
   fabricating a plurality of secondary panels based on the composite article design;   fabricating a plurality of tertiary panels based on the composite article design;   bending the at least one flat primary panel;   forming an inner skin by arranging the plurality of primary panels such that
 at least one edge portion of each of the primary panels is adjacent to at least one edge portion of at least one other of the primary panels, and 
 the plurality of primary panels are arranged in the shape of the composite article; 
   after the inner skin has been formed, forming a core by arranging the plurality of secondary panels such that
 a surface of at least one of the secondary panels is adjacent to a surface of at least one of the primary panels, and 
 at least one edge portion of each of the secondary panels is adjacent to at least one edge portion of another of the secondary panels; 
   after the core has been formed, forming an outer skin having exposed edge junctures by arranging the plurality of tertiary panels such that
 a surface of at least one of the tertiary panels is adjacent to a surface of at least one of the secondary panels, 
 the finished surfaces of the plurality of tertiary panels are exposed, and 
 at least one edge portion of each of the tertiary panels is adjacent to at least one edge portion of another of the tertiary panels; 
   is joining the adjacent surfaces of the secondary and tertiary panels; and   finishing the outer skin of the composite article by finishing the exposed edge junctures of the tertiary panels.   
     
     
         10 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , in which the step of forming an inner skin comprises the step of joining adjacent edge portions of the plurality of primary panels. 
     
     
         11 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , in which the step of joining the adjacent edge portions of adjacent primary panels comprises the step of applying resin in a gap formed between the adjacent edge portions. 
     
     
         12 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , in which the step of forming the core comprises the step of joining the adjacent surfaces of the primary and secondary panels. 
     
     
         13 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , in which the step of forming the outer skin comprises the step of joining the adjacent edge portions of the tertiary panels. 
     
     
         14 . A method as recited in  claim 11 , in which the step of joining the adjacent edge portions of adjacent primary panels further comprises the step of arranging reinforcing material across the gap formed between the adjacent edge portions. 
     
     
         15 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:
 applying resin in a gap formed between the adjacent edge portions of the primary panels;   applying resin between the adjacent surfaces of the secondary panels; and   applying resin in a gap formed between the adjacent edge portions of the secondary panels.   
     
     
         16 . A method as recited in  claim 15 , further comprising the step of arranging reinforcing material across the gap formed between the adjacent edge portions. 
     
     
         17 . A method as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising the step of applying a vacuum such that resin is drawn between the adjacent surfaces of the primary and secondary panels. 
     
     
         18 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , in which the step of forming the core comprises the steps of:
 forming at least one locator hole in at least one of the secondary panels;   attaching at least one locator peg to at least one of the primary panels; and   displacing at least one of the secondary panels such that the at least one locator peg extends into the at least one locator hole.   
     
     
         19 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , in which the step of fabricating the plurality of tertiary panels comprises the steps of:
 providing a form defining a smooth surface; and   applying material to the form; and   allowing the material to harden to define at least one of the plurality of tertiary panels, where a portion of the material in contact with the smooth surface of the form defines the second surface of the at least one of the plurality of tertiary panels.