Patent ID: 6715992
Filing Date: 2004-04-06
Classification: B29C,B29L,B64C,B64F,Y10T

Abstract:
An aerodynamic blade including an upper and a lower skin, a rod, a support root insert with a post and a tip weight, a root end portion, a tip portion, a trailing edge portion and an intermediate portion using a top mold and a bottom mold having stiffener grooves disposed therein and cavities defining corresponding root end, tip, trailing edge and intermediate areas, said blade comprising:a resin applied over said top and bottom molds; an upper skin disposed in said top mold; a lower skin disposed in said bottom mold; reinforcement strips disposed over said upper skin in said top mold; reinforcement strips disposed over said bottom skin in said bottom mold; a first main glass sheet disposed over said reinforcement strips in said top mold; a second main glass sheet disposed over said reinforcement strips in said bottom mold; first and second stiffeners disposed on said first main glass sheet in said top mold; first and second stiffeners disposed on said second main glass sheet in said bottom mold; a first pre-cut sheet disposed over said stiffeners in said top mold; a second pre-cut sheet disposed over said stiffeners in said bottom mold; a rod disposed on one of said pre-cut sheets to define a leading edge; a root insert support disposed on one of said pre-cut sheets at said root end area to define a support for said blade; a tip weight disposed on one of said pre-cut sheets at said tip area to define said tip of said blade and having an end of one of said second pre-cut sheets 9 folded over onto said tip weight; adhesive applied on said folded over end of said pre-cut sheet and said tip weight for adhering said pre-cut sheet to said tip weight; a leading edge pre-cut sheet disposed on said rod; a trailing edge pre-cut sheet disposed on said trailing edge and folding over one end of said sheet; resin applied in said top mold; resin applied in said bottom mold; wherein said upper skin is mated with said lower skin around said periphery of said mold cavities to define a core cavity between said upper and lower skins with said core cavity having foam disposed therein.