Patent ID: 6361840
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: A63B,A63C,B29C,B63B,Y10T

Abstract:
A pressurizable bladder for the manufacture of a composite shaft having a complex shape, the bladder comprising a flexible elastomeric material and adapted for supporting at least one layer of fiber impregnated with resin, the bladder comprising an opening for pressurization of the bladder to compress the impregnated fiber against female tooling corresponding to the complex shape while the tooling is heated to cure the resin,the bladder having a wall of variable outer diameter with diameter variations corresponding with inside diameter variations in the shaft to permit outer contours of the bladder to conform with inner contours of the shaft having the complex shape, the complex shape comprising a middle portion of the shaft having a diameter larger than both adjacent portions above and below the middle portion.