Patents by Inventor Brian Kitt

Brian Kitt has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and apparatus for acoustic perforation of core sandwich panels
    Patent number: 10702928
    Abstract: An acoustic perforation method and assembly for forming holes or perforations into a face sheet of a sandwich panel without damaging a honeycomb core thereof. The method may include photographing or otherwise scanning the face sheet bonded to the honeycomb core after cure, then detecting locations of cell walls of the honeycomb core via image processing or analysis of scan data obtained. For example, discolorations on the face sheet or coatings applied thereto may indicate locations of the cell walls of the honeycomb core. A perforation pattern may then be generated or altered based on the detected locations of the cell walls, and a perforation device may be commanded to perforate the face sheet in accordance with the perforation pattern at locations where the cell walls are not located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Matt D. Bickhard, Mark Wadsworth, Floyd Stephen Corby, Brian Kitt
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACOUSTIC PERFORATION OF CORE SANDWICH PANELS
    Publication number: 20180229313
    Abstract: An acoustic perforation method and assembly for forming holes or perforations into a face sheet of a sandwich panel without damaging a honeycomb core thereof. The method may include photographing or otherwise scanning the face sheet bonded to the honeycomb core after cure, then detecting locations of cell walls of the honeycomb core via image processing or analysis of scan data obtained. For example, discolorations on the face sheet or coatings applied thereto may indicate locations of the cell walls of the honeycomb core. A perforation pattern may then be generated or altered based on the detected locations of the cell walls, and a perforation device may be commanded to perforate the face sheet in accordance with the perforation pattern at locations where the cell walls are not located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Matt D. Bickhard, Mark Wadsworth, F. Stephen Corby, Brian Kitt