Patent ID: 8524356

Claim:
A composite patch for reworking an inconsistent area in a composite aircraft, comprising: a multi-ply laminate patch comprising: a first control region for controlling an advance of a disbond, wherein the first control region is circularly shaped, a second control region and a third control region configured to control the advance of the disbond, the second and third control regions being ring-shaped and concentrically arranged around the first control region, a first separation zone contiguous to and between the first control region and the second control region configured to diffuse fracture energy of the advance of the disbond, a second separation zone, contiguous to and between the second and third control region, configured to diffuse fracture energy of the advance of the disbond, a third separation zone, contiguous to and surrounding the third control region, configured to diffuse fracture energy of the advance of the disbond, wherein the second and the third separation zones have a second and a third interlaminar fracture toughness, respectively, of at least approximately 25% greater than a first interlaminar fracture toughness of the first control region, and, wherein the second interlaminar fracture toughness of the second control region is greater than that of the first control region, and the third interlaminar fracture toughness of the third control region is greater than the second interlaminar fracture toughness of the second control region; and a layer of adhesive for bonding the multi-ply laminate patch to the composite aircraft, wherein the layer of adhesive has substantially constant characteristics over substantially an entire area of the layer of adhesive.