Composite panel

• US 8,875,474 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OS Management Corp., Phlox Consulting Group Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phlox Consulting Group Inc.
• Inventors: Murchie, John
• Primary Examiner(s): FIGUEROA, LUZ ADRIANA
• Application Number:
  US13/893,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20140034228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 523/094, 523/097, 523/099, 523/091.6, 524/071, 526/77, 527/421.3, 527/451.9, 527/841, 527/841.5, 527/941
• US Class Current: 52/794.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/001 Producing wall or panel-like structures, e.g. for hulls, fuselages, or buildings articles with hollow walls B29D24/00
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/205 of foamed plastics, or of plastics and foamed plastics, optionally reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/521 serving for locating conduits; for ventilating, heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing

Abstract

A composite panel comprises an outer skins and an inner core. The inner core includes a frame, an elastomeric material disposed between at least a portion of the frame and the outer skin, and a foamed polymer filler. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing the same.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a composite panel comprising the steps of:

constructing a frame;

constructing an outer skin cavity to receive the frame;

securing an elastomeric spacer to the outer skin cavity;

securing the frame to the elastomeric spacer; and

filling the area in the outer skin cavity not occupied by the frame or the elastomeric spacer with a foamed polymer filler, wherein the foamed polymer filler flows between the outer skin cavity and the frame.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further including the step of trimming the outer skin cavity to a desired dimension prior to placing the frame in the outer skin cavity.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further including the step of wiping the outer skin cavity with acetone prior to placing the frame in the outer skin cavity.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further including the step of coating the outer skin cavity with a ceramic coating.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of constructing the frame includes welding tubular, steel frame members.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of forming the outer skin cavity includes vacuum forming an outer skin from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of filling the area in the outer skin cavity not occupied by the frame or the elastomeric spacer with a foamed polymer filler includes compression filling said area with polyurethane.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of filling the area in the outer skin cavity not occupied by the frame or the elastomeric spacer with a foamed polymer filler includes compression filling said area with polyurethane having a 3 lb density.