Patent ID: 8986479
Filing Date: 2015-03-24
Classification: B29C,B29L,B30B,B32B

Abstract:
1. A method for in-situ repair of a site on a parent structure, comprising the following steps: (a) placing a stack of repair plies made of composite material in a position overlying the site; (b) placing a heat blanket in a position above the stack of repair plies; (c) supporting a first inflatable bladder in a position above the heat blanket; (d) sealing a vacuum bag to the parent structure along a perimeter surrounding the site, a central portion of the vacuum bag being disposed in a position above the first inflatable bladder; (e) evacuating the vacuum bag; (f) heating the heat blanket to a temperature within a range of debulking soak temperatures; (g) maintaining the temperature within the range of debulking soak temperatures for a first dwell time while the vacuum bag is evacuated and the first inflatable bladder is deflated, thereby drawing gases from the stack of repair plies; (h) after the first dwell time has transpired, inflating the first inflatable bladder to exert a first pressure on the stack of repair plies; (i) maintaining the temperature within the range of debulking soak temperatures for a second dwell time while the vacuum bag is evacuated and the first inflatable bladder is inflated; (j) after the second dwell time has transpired, heating the heat blanket to a temperature within a range of final cure temperatures and inflating the first inflatable bladder to exert a second pressure on the stack of repair plies; and (k) while the vacuum bag is evacuated and the first inflatable bladder is inflated, maintaining the temperature within the range of final cure temperatures for a time sufficient to achieve final curing of the composite material of the repair plies and hot bonding of the repair plies to the site on the parent structure.