MULTIFUNCTIONAL ELECTROMAGNETIC SHIELDING

• US 20090117322A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Larsen, Ty A., Thomas, Terrance L., Fletcher, Henry V., Paterson, John T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,043,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/137
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/047 Perforating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/56 Damping, energy absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/18 Aircraft blades, propellers B32B2603/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 33/00 Layered products characterised by particular properties or particular surface features, e.g. particular surface coatings; Layered products designed for particular purposes not covered by another single class
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2848 Three or more layers

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a multifunctional shielding mat for an interior of a vehicle is provided. The method includes providing at least one sheet of dampening material, coupling at least one sheet of electromagnetic shielding material to the at least one sheet of dampening material, and configuring the multifunctional shielding mat to cover a predetermined area of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a multifunctional shielding mat for an interior of a vehicle, said method comprising:

providing at least one sheet of dampening material;

coupling at least one sheet of electromagnetic shielding material to the at least one sheet of dampening material to form the multifunctional shielding mat; and

configuring the multifunctional shielding mat to cover a predetermined area of the vehicle.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising configuring the at least one sheet of dampening material to dampen at least one of a material vibration and sounds.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein coupling at least one sheet of electromagnetic shielding material to the at least one sheet of dampening material comprises coupling at least one sheet of material configured to at least one of absorb electromagnetic radiation and shield the interior of the vehicle from electromagnetic radiation to the at least one sheet of dampening material.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising coupling at least one sheet of thermally insulative material to at least one of the at least one sheet of electromagnetic shielding material and the at least one sheet of dampening material.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein coupling at least one sheet of electromagnetic shielding material comprises coupling at least one sheet of metallic material to the at least one sheet of dampening material.

6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising coupling at least one sheet of high frequency electromagnetic shield material to at least one of the at least one sheet of electromagnetic shielding material and the at least one sheet of dampening material.

7. A method according to claim 1 further comprising coupling at least one sensor layer to at least one of the at least one sheet of dampening material and the at least one sheet of electromagnetic shielding material, the sensor layer configured to include at least a flame sensor.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein configuring the multifunctional shielding mat to cover a predetermined area of a vehicle comprises at least one of orienting the multifunctional shielding mat on a roll, the roll having a width substantially equal to a width of the predetermined area of the vehicle, and providing the multifunctional shielding mat with an adhesive layer configured to adhesively couple the multifunctional shielding mat to the predetermined area of the vehicle.

9. A multifunctional mat for use in combination with a composite fiber vehicle component, said multifunctional mat comprising:

at least one sheet of vibration dampening material; and

at least one sheet of shield material coupled to said vibration dampening material to form said multifunctional mat, said shield material configured to shield an interior of a vehicle from electromagnet radiation.

10. A multifunctional mat according to claim 9 further comprising an adhesive layer configured to couple said multifunctional mat to the component.

11. A multifunctional mat according to claim 9 wherein said at least one sheet of vibration dampening material is configured for sound dampening.

12. A multifunctional mat according to claim 9 wherein said at least one sheet of shield material comprises a metallic material.

13. A multifunctional mat according to claim 12 wherein said sheet of metallic material comprises a material having a high magnetic permeability.

14. A multifunctional mat according to claim 9 wherein said at least one sheet of shield material comprises a first layer of low frequency shield material and a second layer of low frequency shield material, said first and second layers of low frequency shield material coupled by at least one of an adhesive layer and a fastener.

15. A multifunctional mat according to claim 9 wherein at least one of said sheet of vibration dampening material and said sheet of shield material is perforated and/or configured as a grid to reduce the weight of said multifunctional mat.

16. A multifunctional mat according to claim 9 further comprising at least one of a sheet of thermally insulative material and a layer of sensors.

17. A multifunctional mat according to claim 16 wherein said layer of sensors comprises an integral flame sensor.

18. A method of shielding an interior of a vehicle from at least one of electromagnetic radiation and vibration, said method comprising:

providing at least one sheet of vibration dampening material;

coupling at least one sheet of electromagnetic shielding material to the at least one sheet of vibration dampening material to form a multifunctional mat; and

coupling the multifunctional mat to a predetermined area of the vehicle.

19. An aircraft comprising:

composite fiber structural components; and

at least one multifunctional mat coupled to a predetermined area of said structural components, said multifunctional mat configured to shield an interior of said aircraft from electromagnetic radiation.