How to Build an Aircraft Tail Using One-Shot Composite Curing
A manufacturing process for creating an aircraft's rear fuselage and vertical tail as a single, integrated composite structure to reduce weight and assembly time.
Original patent title: “Method for manufacturing a rear section of an aircraft and aircraft rear section”
A manufacturing process for creating an aircraft's rear fuselage and vertical tail as a single, integrated composite structure to reduce weight and assembly time. Granted to Airbus Operations SL in 2022 with 5 claims.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a method for building the rear section of an airplane by combining the outer skin, internal stringers, and structural frames into a unified piece. Engineers place pre-formed composite parts, known as preforms, into specialized integration tools that act as a mold. These parts are then placed into an autoclave—a high-pressure, high-temperature oven—to 'co-cure' or harden all the components together in one single operation. This results in a stronger, lighter structure compared to traditional methods that require bolting or riveting many separate pieces together.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover the manufacturing of metallic aircraft structures.
- Does not cover the use of additive manufacturing or 3D printing for these parts.
- Does not cover assembly methods that do not use an autoclave for co-curing.
- Does not cover the design of the aircraft's aerodynamic shape.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation lies in using a split integration tool that allows the frame preform to be positioned between two skin sections, enabling the entire complex geometry of the fuselage and vertical tail spar to be cured simultaneously.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Airbus A350 rear fuselage sections
Modern composite aircraft empennage assemblies
Why it matters
The bigger picture
In aerospace engineering, every gram of weight saved increases fuel efficiency and range. By moving from a multi-part assembly to a co-cured composite structure, Airbus can reduce the number of fasteners and joints required, which simplifies the supply chain and lowers the total weight of the aircraft's rear section.
Filed
June 14, 2019
Granted
March 8, 2022
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Airbus is the primary entity developing this technology, as they hold the patent and are actively integrating composite manufacturing into their commercial aircraft lines. Other major aerospace manufacturers like Boeing also utilize similar co-curing techniques for their composite fuselage sections.
Market impact
This patent supports the industry-wide shift toward composite-heavy aircraft designs. By optimizing the manufacturing process for complex rear sections, it helps reduce labor costs and production time, which are critical for meeting the high delivery demands of commercial aviation.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a method for building the rear section of an airplane by combining the outer skin, internal stringers, and structural frames into a unified piece. Engineers place pre-formed composite parts, known as preforms, into specialized integration tools that act as a mold. These parts are then placed into an autoclave—a high-pressure, high-temperature oven—to 'co-cure' or harden all the components together in one single operation. This results in a stronger, lighter structure compared to traditional methods that require bolting or riveting many separate pieces together.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in using a split integration tool that allows the frame preform to be positioned between two skin sections, enabling the entire complex geometry of the fuselage and vertical tail spar to be cured simultaneously.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover the manufacturing of metallic aircraft structures.
- Does not cover the use of additive manufacturing or 3D printing for these parts.
- Does not cover assembly methods that do not use an autoclave for co-curing.
- Does not cover the design of the aircraft's aerodynamic shape.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
3/20
Moderate scope
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$13K – $41K
Midpoint $26K · 13.0 yr remaining · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
5 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Perez, M. S., LOZANO, F. I., NIETO, C. G., RIOS, M. A. C., Hidalgo, A. A., MENARD, E., Martino-Gonzalez, E., & Castro, J. J. V. (2022). How to Build an Aircraft Tail Using One-Shot Composite Curing (U.S. Patent No. 11,267,584). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11267584/orbital-refueling
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How to Build an Aircraft Tail Using One-Shot Composite Curing cover?
A manufacturing process for creating an aircraft's rear fuselage and vertical tail as a single, integrated composite structure to reduce weight and assembly time.
Who owns patent US 11267584?
Airbus Operations SL owns this patent, granted in 2022.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on March 8, 2042, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
In aerospace engineering, every gram of weight saved increases fuel efficiency and range. By moving from a multi-part assembly to a co-cured composite structure, Airbus can reduce the number of fasteners and joints required, which simplifies the supply chain and lowers the total weight of the aircraft's rear section.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover the manufacturing of metallic aircraft structures.
Patent monitoring