Patent ID: 7854874
Filing Date: 2010-12-21
Classification: B29C,B29D,B29K

Abstract:
1. A method of forming a composite part comprising: placing initial composite material on a base tool; placing a tooling mandrel on the initial composite material; placing additional composite material over the tooling mandrel; covering at least a portion of the composite material that overlays the tooling mandrel with a composite forming tool having at least one leg with at least two leg portions comprised of different materials and positioned such that the leg portion that is closer to the base tool expands to a lesser degree in response to heating than the other leg portion, said covering at least a portion of the composite material comprising covering a corner of the composite material defined by a first portion that extends along the base tool and a second portion that extends away from the base tool along the tooling mandrel; heating the composite material to at least partially cure the composite material; and permitting a first portion of the composite forming tool to change size during the heating of the composite material to a greater degree than a second portion of the composite forming tool, the second portion of the composite forming tool extending around the corner of the composite material so as to cover the first and second portions of the composite material and being closer to the base tool than the first portion of the composite forming tool.