Apparatus and method for draping knitted fiber fabrics for curved profiled structural parts of fiber composite material

Abstract

An apparatus for draping knitted fiber fabrics for curved profiled structural parts of fiber composite material includes a mold having a mold surface that corresponds to a portion of the desired profile geometry and curvature of the profiled structural part, a clamping device for tensioning a layer of a knitted fiber fabric along a tensioning line in a prestressed state, and a movement device for producing a relative movement between the mold and the clamped-in fabric layer such that the mold surface moves close to the fabric layer in a direction perpendicular to the tensioning line and, in the further course of the relative movement, pushes through the tensioning line such that the fabric layer completely covers the mold surface. The clamping device is equipped to load the fabric layer during the entire draping operation with a tensile force acting along the tensioning line.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for draping knitted fiber fabrics for curved profiled structural parts of fiber composite material, comprising:
 at least one mold having a mold surface that corresponds to at least a portion of the desired profile geometry and curvature of the subsequent profiled structural part,   at least one clamping device for tensioning at least one layer of a knitted fiber fabric along a tensioning line in a prestressed state, and   a movement device for producing a relative movement between the mold and the at least one clamped-in layer of the knitted fiber fabric in such a way that the mold surface of the at least one mold moves close to the at least one layer of knitted fiber fabric in a direction perpendicular or at least approximately perpendicular to the tensioning line and, in the further course of the relative movement, pushes through the tensioning line to such an extent that the at least one layer of knitted fiber fabric completely covers the mold surface,   wherein the at least one clamping device is equipped to load the at least one layer of the knitted fiber fabric during the entire draping operation with a tensile force acting along the tensioning line.   
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to claim  1 , wherein a plurality of molds each having a mold surface together form the desired profile geometry and curvature of the subsequent profiled structural part. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to claim  1 , wherein the at least one clamping device or a plurality of clamping devices keep a plurality of layers of knitted fiber fabric clamped in separately and at a distance from one another along mutually parallel tensioning lines. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to claim  1 , wherein by means of the at least one clamping device or a plurality of clamping devices the knitted fiber fabric layer, which is clamped in thereby, is held clamped-in in a preformed state. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to claim  4 , wherein the preformed state is a Z-shape. 
     
     
         17 . A method of draping knitted fiber fabrics for curved profiled structural parts of fiber composite material, comprising the steps:
 tensioning at least one layer of a knitted fiber fabric along a tensioning line, wherein during an entirety of the draping operation a tensile force is exerted on the at least one layer along the tensioning line,   executing a relative movement to reduce a distance between a mold surface situated on a mold and the at least one layer of a knitted fiber fabric in such a way that the mold surface moves close to the at least one layer of a knitted fiber fabric in a direction perpendicular or at least approximately perpendicular to the tensioning line, and   continuing the relative movement until the tensioning line is penetrated and the at least one layer of knitted fiber fabric completely covers the mold surface.   
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein a plurality of layers of knitted fiber fabric are clamped separately and at a distance from one another along mutually parallel tensioning lines, wherein the relative movement is continued until each tensioning line has been penetrated and each of the plurality of layers of knitted fiber fabric completely covers the mold surface. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the at least one layer of knitted fiber fabric or some or all of a plurality of layers of knitted fiber fabric are tensioned in such a way as to result in a predetermined cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the predetermined cross-sectional shape is a Z-shape. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the knitted fiber fabric layer is a prepreg. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein each knitted fiber fabric layer is prefabricated.